DaftNES V (Turn 5 in progress: Glacial Maximum)

[Daftpanzer]

Welcome to Earth, although not quite as we know it - this an alternate world, sharing the same physical properties and much the same evolutionary history as our own, but having different geography.

Sentient beings recognisable as Homo Sapiens have only recently appeared on the scene, and are clinging to existence; only a few thousand individuals have survived a recent episode of extreme weather and natural disasters.

From these humble beginnings, you have a chance to forge a bloodline, a tribe, a culture, and perhaps even a nation…

In this game there are various different stages that you can go through, which can be roughly defined as: nomadic, settled tribe, kingdom/republic, nation state, and perhaps even evolving from that into some kind of post-national, but technologically-advanced culture - if we can make it that far.

In many ways this project is a mixture of previous NESes and projects on IoT forum - some successful and long-lived, others less so, but with many lessons learned along the way. It also takes a lot of inspiration from other NESes past a present - basically too many to name - but a special mention must be given to MigratioNES.

The game is part board-game style, with a world split into hexagonal areas, and specific units and objects represented on the map. This is also part art project - I’m using an accessible, easily-customised pixel art style. There will be a set of (hopefully simple) rules detailed here as the game progresses, but it’s also my intention to encourage story and depth to go along with all this.

So, how does this work exactly? Example stats for the dawn of civilization would be something like the following:

Zarguut tribes: Daftpanzer
Tribal Chiefdom: Zarguusian Pantheon
3 Huts
1 Temple
Manpower: 4
Culture: 4
Resources: 3 food, 1 timber, 1 hides, 1 copper, 2 luxuries
Total Pop: 8 Zarguuts, 2 others
Tech: archery x1, metallurgy x1, herbal medicines x1, stoneworking x1

However, at this point, this is all the future. More explanation will come at a later date.

At the point at which the game begins, we are in what I will call ‘deep time’ - the depths of the ice ages, with human beings only beginning to spread out across the world; a world that is full of powerful megafauna, rival hominid species, and extremes of climate. The equivalent year to our world would be several tens of thousands of years BC, and each turn in this phase will cover thousands of years or centuries at the least.

In this timeline, the family tree of the hominids is a little more ‘messy’, even more so than our timeline; Homo Sapiens is facing competition from a wider menagerie of hominid species. The equivalent of Neanderthals exist in the north, but there are others that are far more distant on the evolutionary tree. Though lacking the spark of imagination and culture that homo sapiens seems blessed with, the others have had a head start, as well as being physically stronger and more robust than the streamlined Sapiens.

To survive and thrive, humans will need to use their capacity for large-scale cooperation, and their ability to unite around shared ideas - for their gods, leaders, and / or ideologies.

I’m probably known for being quite lenient and gentle as a game mod, so I will also stress that this game will be harsh. Disasters will happen throughout the game, people will become disunited and fragmented, religious heresies will arise, and NPC factions will not hesitate to destroy civilizations in the pursuit of power and wealth. In fact, any civilization or culture will have a hard time surviving intact for any length of time, and keeping people united under your leadership will be a key challenge of the game. But you will always have a chance to pick up the pieces or, in the worst case, start again with another polity somewhere else in the world - having left behind a legacy of language, monuments, and/or culture to the history of humanity...

 

[Daftpanzer]

Latest Map
~map~

Updates
~Prehistory~
Update 4
Update 3
Update 2
Update 1
Update 0

Stories (and background)
Lexicon (Vahaeara/Vaheomo)
Language (Ashat'ar)
A Tale from Deep Time - Tima's Descent (Sentri)
A Tale from Deep Time - Sa'atu and the Mountain (Sentri)
The Eyes (Viirsa)
Viirsa Phonemes (Viirsa)

Stats:

Spoiler Player Lineages :

Vahaeara lineage: Jehoshua
Somewhat xenophobic, increasingly blond-haired peoples inhabiting coasts and islands in the north and center of the world map.

Sentri lineage: topsecret
Peoples currently inhabiting tropical climates in the middle of the world map, known for their various arts and crafts.

Baessa lineage: Terrance888
A wide variety of peoples currently inhabiting the south and middle of the world map.

Viirsa lineage: angst
A lineage with a colourful history and most interbreeding with Odonii (this world's version of Neanderthall), distant cousins of the Vahaeara.

Carva lineage: Omega124
Ancient peoples inhabiting flood plains in the centre of the world map, now forming part of other cultures further to the east.

Ashala lineage: thomas.berubeg
Peoples who have long inhabited the northern and north-eastern steppe, now spreading via their many descendants across the great continent, and beyond.

Ashut’ar lineage: Lord_Iggy
Nested within the larger Ashala lineage, known for their pragmatic and survivalist ways, the Ashut'ar have spread across the east of the world and ventured across a land bridge to a new continent (located on the far west of the map).

Ashut'shadb lineage: Kyzarc Fotjage
The furthest offshoot of the Ashut'ar and Ashala, and perhaps the most hardy of them, currently isolated in a mountainous area on the far west of the map, having crossed a glacier to get there.

Kodaka lineage: LordArgon
Born from a mix of neighbouring peoples, these seafarers, island-dwellers and river-men exist on the north-eastern edge of the great continent.

Mau lineage: erez87
Peoples with an ancient seafaring heritage, with descendants now living on the continental mainland, centred on the east of the world map around the equator.

Spoiler Individual Cultures :

Vaheomo (Vahaeara lineage)
Physical traits: tall, but slightly smaller than Vaheara. Light brown skin, blue or grey eyes. Blonde hair more common than Vaheara. Tolerance for cold temperatures.
Cultural traits: Vahaeara pantheon, Vahunotana traditions, xenophobic tradition, fine stone tool crafting, obsidian crafting, basic farming, basic boatbuilding, seafaring lore, fishing nets, harpoon hunting; domestic wolf-dogs.

Vahaeara (Vahaeara lineage)
Physical traits: noticeably tall, often of broader build, light brown skin, blue or grey eyes. Ancestral brown hair but increasing trend for lighter hair. Straight noses. Tolerance for cold temperatures. Trend towards lactose tolerance.
Cultural traits: Vahaeara pantheon, Vahunotana traditions, xenophobic tradition, warrior tradition, fine stone tool crafting, obsidian crafting, improved bowmaking, basic farming, basic boatbuilding, seafaring tradition, fishing nets; domestic cattle and wolf-dogs.

Yakumo (Vahaeara, Sentri, Baessa lineages)
Physical traits: rather varied - generally tall, with a mix of dark and tan skin. Some lighter hair colours and blue eyes.
Cultural traits: Vahaeara pantheon, Vahunotana traditions, basic boatbuilding, seafaring lore, fishing nets, obsidian crafting.

Rashaami (Viirsa, Sentri lineages)
Physical traits: very varied - generally average height and broad, with strong facial features and extra body/facial hair resulting from their Odoni blood. Tolerance for cold temperatures.
Cultural traits: fine stone tool crafting, fine woodworking, improved bowmaking, warrior tradition; domestic wolf-dogs.

Viirna (Viirsa lineage)
Physical traits: generally average height and broad, with strong facial features and extra body/facial hair resulting from their Odoni blood. Dark / tan skin and brown hair, with some remnants of ancestral fair hair. Tolerance for cold temperatures.
Cultural traits: fine stone tool crafting, fine woodworking, improved bowmaking, storytelling tradition, monolith-raising tradition, warrior tradition, diplomatic tradition; domestic wolf-dogs.

Ohmiir (Viirsa, Sentri lineages)
Physical traits: very varied - generally tall and slim, with strong facial features and extra body/facial hair resulting from their Odoni blood. Nonetheless, somewhat better adapted to dealing with heat stress, thanks to part Masa ancestry.
Cultural traits: fine stone tool crafting, warrior tradition, decorative pottery; domestic wolf-dogs and camels.

Naiyori (Sentri, Vaheara lineages)
Physical traits: generally tall and broad, dark skin sometimes red-brown tint, and wide noses and bushy hair, usually dark with red tints. Children of Vahaeara travellers may have lighter skin, hair and blue eyes.
Cultural traits: festival of Light, warrior tradition, basic boatbuilding, fine stone tool crafting, fine woodworking, improved bowmaking, herbal medicine, decorative metallurgy; domestic goats, camels, wolf-dogs and birds of prey.

Sentri (Sentri lineage)
Physical traits: generally strongly built, with large chests, wide noses, tolerance for thin air found at higher altitude. Dark skin, dark bushy hair often with hints of deep red.
Cultural traits: Sentri pictographs, Festival of Light, warrior tradition, defensive tradition, basic agriculture, herbal medicine, fine stone tool crafting, fine woodworking, basic boatbuilding, decorative metallurgy, storytelling tradition; domestic goats, wolf-dogs and birds of prey.

Masa (Sentri lineage)
Physical traits: ancestrally tall and thin, built for long-distance chases in hot climates, and with very dark skin and hair.
Cultural traits: warrior tradition, herbal medicine, fine stone tool crafting, desert survival; domestic wolf-dogs.

Traessa (Baessa lineage)
Physical traits: generally athletic and streamlined, with strong brows and wide noses. Above-average sense of hearing (pointed ears), and have a body clock slightly shifted to a more nocturnal pattern. Dark skin with deep red-brown tints. Dark hair, often curly. Resistant to several pathogens found in hot, humid climates.
Cultural traits: warrior tradition, trickster tradition, herbal medicine, poison weapons, fine woodworking, jungle survival, expert tracking skills, basic boatbuilding.

Baessa (Baessa lineage)
Physical traits: tall and streamlined, with strong brows and wide noses. Dark skin sometimes red-brown tint, dark hair.
Cultural traits: herbal medicine, fine woodworking, basic boatbuilding, exploring tradition, expert tracking skills.

Naessu (Baessa lineage)
Physical traits: varied build, generally strong brows and wide noses.
Cultural traits: herbal medicine, fine woodworking, basic boatbuilding, seafaring lore, exploring and trading tradition, diplomatic tradition, storytelling tradition.

Naua (NPC)
Physical traits: somewhat short and robust build, bushy hair much lighter than their skin.
Cultural traits: basic boatbuilding, seafaring lore, exploring and trading tradition, net fishing, celestial navigation, herbal medicine.

Kutan (Viirsa, Carva lineages)
Physical traits: very varied - generally shorter in height, with dark/tan skin and dark hair. Some larger brows and noses from a small amount of ancestral Odonii blood.
Cultural traits: basic agriculture, warrior tradition, monolith-building tradition, fine woodworking, decorative pottery, herbal medicine, alcohol brewing, basic boatbuilding.

Rashana (Ashala, Carva lineages)
Physical traits: very varied - generally tan skin. Slanted eyes and red hair common.
Cultural traits: Ashala-Carva mysticism, warrior tradition, basic agriculture, decorative pottery, fine woodworking, desert survival; domesticated wolf-dogs, camels and cattle.

Ashala (Ashala lineage)
Physical traits: varied body sizes. Tan to light skin. Majority have slanted eyes and varying shades of red hair. Resistance to cold temperatures. Trend towards lactose tolerance.
Cultural traits: Ashala mysticism, Ashala shrine-building, warrior tradition, exploring and trading tradition, extreme cold weather survival, expert tracking skills, improved bowmaking, basic boatmaking, fish trapping, celestial navigation; domesticated wolf-dogs, camels and cattle.

Ashut’ar (Ashala, Ashut’ar lineages)
Physical traits: rather varied, but generally shorter and more rounded body types. Majority have slanted eyes. Curly hair in varying colours, brown on average. Mostly adapted to cold temperatures.
Cultural traits: Ashala mysticism, fine woodworking, fine stone tool crafting, extreme cold weather survival, expert tracking skills, improved bowmaking, fish trapping, celestial navigation, exploring tradition; domesticated wolf-dogs.

Susagh’am (Ashala, Ashut’ar, Mau lineages)
Physical traits: varied, generally shorter and more rounded body types. Tan to dark skin. Majority have slanted eyes. Curly hair in varying colours, red-brown on average. Resistance to cold temperatures.
Cultural traits: Ashala mysticism, warrior tradition, defensive tradition, fine stone tool crafting, fish trapping, cold weather survival, superior bowmaking, pallisade crafting; domesticated wolf-dogs and camels.

Ashut'shadb (Ashut'shadb, Ashala, Ashut’ar lineages)
Physical traits: noticeably short and rounded body types on average. Tan skin. Majority have slanted eyes. Curly hair in varying colours, red-brown on average. Strong resistance to cold temperatures and increased body/facial hair, even in some females.
Cultural traits: Ashala mysticism, fine stone tool crafting, improved bowmaking, celestial navigation, extreme cold weather survival.

Kodaka (Kodaka, Ashala, Ashut’ar, Mau lineages)
Physical traits: varied, but generally robust build, dark skin and light curly hair, often turning grey in early adulthood. Noticeably webbed toes.
Cultural traits: Ashala-Mau mysticism, superior boatbuilding, seafaring lore, harpoon hunting, fine stone tool crafting, cold weather survival, storytelling tradition, celestial navigation.

Oai (Mau lineage)
Physical traits: generally large and robust build, curly hair generally lighter than their skin, with a variety of tints. Distinctive ‘curved’ thumbs. Resistant to several pathogens found in hot, humid climates.
Cultural traits: Mau mysticism, herbal medicine, poison weapons, improved boatbuilding, storytelling tradition.

Mau (Mau lineage)
Physical traits: noticeably large and robust build, curly hair much lighter than their skin, trending towards ginger-red colours. Distinctive ‘curved’ thumbs. Resistant to several pathogens found in hot, humid climates.
Cultural traits: Mau mysticism, basic agriculture, herbal medicine, legendary storytelling telling tradition, net fishing, improved boatbuilding, seafaring lore, exploring tradition, celestial navigation.

Hannu (NPC)
Physical traits: somewhat short and robust build, curly hair much lighter than their skin.
Cultural traits: herbal medicine, basic boatbuilding, storytelling tradition

 

[Daftpanzer]

Update 0

The elders speak of good times when they were younger - of landscapes filled with game and lush with vegetation, and of gatherings of thousands, where people would share their stories and their songs. They say the voices of our people were much stronger back then. Many have since passed away, the elders say, during the years of ash rain and clouded skies, where once-fertile valleys turned to ruin, and vicious monsters fought each other over every carcass. Their eyes water as they recount the scale of death and tragedy, recalling many dozens of names that mean nothing to you.

But with your birth, the good times are returning. Waters run clear again; plants grow, and herds of animals are gathering in ever greater numbers. But many dangers remain - the landscape is overrun with all manner of beasts than can easily kill a grown man. Not to mention the threat from other tribes, and from the others that lie beyond...

Spoiler Map :

The Maesa survive on a sheltered coastal peninsular on the west coast. They lie in tropical climate, where days and nights are of more-or-less equal length. They are dark skinned and generally tall and slim, able to cope with all but the hottest of tropical days. The jungles across the bay to the south are said to be roamed by ferocious half-men, twice as strong as a man - along with leopards, crocodiles, poisonous snakes and all manner of dangerous creatures

The Faarsa have survived in arid lands, their main lifeline being a great river that brings both food and water. They are used to the extremes of freezing nights and scorching days. It is said to the north-west lie a hardy race of ‘cave people’, with strange faces and large, stocky builds, that speak few words but are formidable hunters. The Faarsa themselves are lighter in hair and eye colour than other humans, with straight noses.

The Akut have made it further north than any other humans, making a home surrounded by mountain glaciers and icy waters. Winters here are ferociously cold, but the great lake provides a source of fish all year round. To the north and east lies a great flat expanse, cold and windswept, where few trees grow, and terrible beats roam. Their facial features are somewhat small and delicate, their eyes have a unique slanted appearance.

Though they do not know it, the Haanu are all that remain of a much earlier wave of human expansion. The elders speak of days when they were much more widespread, and speak of days spent travelling across the waters on reed boats, but these crafts have been largely forgotten. To the south and west lies a great expanse of water, said to be filled with dangerous islands where many ancestors have met their fate at the hands of great monsters. The Haanu have broad noses and very curly hair of varying tints, generally lighter in tone than their skin, and are generally short and stocky in build.

 

[Daftpanzer]

Joining / orders template:

Note that you will have further chance to develop your tribe in later turns, this is simply the beginning

Tribe name?
Enter your tribe name here.

Which population are you branching from?
Please choose one from the existing tribes to branch from - see the latest update (links above). If you *really* want to play as a non-human faction, please PM me to discuss options.

Also note: If you want to completely take over a culture without branching off from it, also feel free to message me to discuss options - the way the player lineages work in game, some player(s) may already have ownership of that culture. For now, branching is always allowed so long as there's feasible option and enough room on the map!

What colour represents your tribe?
Please give a 1st choice and a 2nd choice.

What two variations in physical characteristics* set your tribe apart?
The choices are: eye colour, hair colour, eye shape, body height, body type - anywhere between the extremes of agile & slender or stocky and strong. NOTE that the one physical aspect I’m taking out of player control is skin colour, which will vary over time by latitude and by diet - there will be more selection for fair skin if diets are more cereal-based and lacking in vitamin D, for example.

What two specialisations does your tribe have?
These can be technologies such as fishing, trapping, herbal medicine, boat building, archery, or crafting the finest of stone tools; an interest in taming animals, or cultivating plants; or an ability to survive in severe weather and climates; or an interest in building great stone monuments; or expert skills in hunting animals large or small, or in warfare with other humans / hominids; or you can develop any kind of artistic craft within reason, or cultural / religious ideas that help to bring people together.

How aggressive or cautious is your tribe?
With greater aggression comes the chance for more rewards - more food for your children, more resources for your people, perhaps even slaves to serve under you. There’s also risk of making enemies and suffering severe losses in hunting and warfare, though your people also have a chance to learn new skills / specialisations through being hardened by such tragedy. By contract, cautious tribes have more chance to avoid conflict and to attract outsiders to join with you voluntarily. You can walk a middle ground between these two options.

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are?
If you plan to migrate, let me know in which direction. Those who stay risk conflict between their brethren, those that migrate have to face the challenges of the dangerous animals or other hominids that lay beyond.

----------

Example signup [!not appearing in game!]:

Tribe name? Zeri

What colour represents your tribe? Purple

Which population are you branching from? The Faarsa

What two variations in physical characteristics* set your tribe apart? Extra height, and red hair colour.

What two specialisations does your tribe have? The Zeri are expert hunters with traps and throwing spears, and have also developed religious ideas - the beginnings of a pantheon - revolving around an assortment of inspired by animals and by the heavenly bodies.

How aggressive or cautious is your tribe? The Zeri are moderately aggressive, not afraid to take risks. They reward bravery and celebrate those who die in battle, or on the hunt.

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are? They will migrate westwards, seeking the richest hunting grounds they can find.

Clean temple:

Tribe name?

What colour represents your tribe?

Which population are you branching from?

What two variations in physical characteristics* set your tribe apart?

What two specialisations does your tribe have?

How aggressive or friendly is your tribe?

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are?



You may now post

 

[thomas.berubeg]

Tribe name?

The Ash Bear

What colour represents your tribe?

Grey, or failing that, White.

Which population are you branching from?

The Akut

What two variations in physical characteristics* set your tribe apart?

The Ashbear, coming from a small isolated seed population, have developed red hair and, as well as darker skin to maximize vitamin D production from reflected sunlight on ice.

What two specialisations does your tribe have?

The Ash bear have developed complex survival mechanisms for surviving on the Ice. If we have reached the wolves, the Ash Bear have domesticated them into dogs. If not, the Ash Bear have developed the Bow, from hunted animal tendons. Either way, the Ash Bear have classified the world around them into an animistic pantheon of spirits inhabiting the living world around them, and semi-complex systems of bargaining with the spirits.

How aggressive or friendly is your tribe?

The Ash Bear are friendly to outsiders, though long to remember a slight.

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are?

The Ash Bear have migrated north east.

 

[Angst]

Tribe name? Viirsa

What colour represents your tribe? Red, failling that, orange

Which population are you branching from? Faarsa. After migrating, the mouth movement changed from F to V and closened the height of the aa.

What two variations in physical characteristics* set your tribe apart? Dirty blonde hair and green eyes.

What two specialisations does your tribe have? Animal taming and archery.

How aggressive or friendly is your tribe? They're actually very cautious and calm, using a considerate mind and patience to approach problems.

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are? They migrate northwest. Oh look! Wolves... : )

 

[Jehoshua]

Tribe name?
Vahaeara.

Which population are you branching from?
Faarsa

What colour represents your tribe?
Blue or failing that Green.

What two variations in physical characteristics* set your tribe apart?
Blue eyes and taller than average build [tending to stockier rather than lanky due to the cold climate]

What two specialisations does your tribe have?
The Vaheara have specialised in the cultivation of plants, propagating plants useful for food and medicine in the natural landscape and adapting the land to suit their needs. They have additionally developed archery similar to their cousins to the east with the technology deriving from their Faarsa ancestors.

How aggressive or cautious is your tribe?
The Vahaeara are xenophobic, and while not overtly aggressive [mid level aggressiveness] will defend their interests before contemplating altruism to outsiders.

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are?
Migrate due west.

 

[Omega124]

Tribe name? Carva

What colour represents your tribe? Yellow primarily, with light blue secondarily.

Which population are you branching from? Faarsa

What two variations in physical characteristics* set your tribe apart? Green eyes and black hair

What two specialisations does your tribe have? The primary specialization of the Carva tribe is their undying fascination with dromedary. There has been a concentrated effort from the Carva people to domesticate the camel, to drink its milk, to eat its meat, and quite possibly even ride it as transportation. They also are developing a fascination of building momuments of stone within the harsh desert. Perhaps as a way for navigation, perhaps as the start of a primitive religion, or perhaps a mixture of both, the Carva are natural masons.

How aggressive or friendly is your tribe? They are a particularly open and friendly tribe, welcoming contact with the outside world.

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are? We are moving due east, towards the camels.

 

[erez87]

Tribe name? Mau

What colour represents your tribe? Pink or royal purple

Which population are you branching from? Haanu

What two variations in physical characteristics* set your tribe apart? Larger bone size on average mostly and a tiny increase in the chance for twins

What two specializations does your tribe have? Boating and hunting

How aggressive or friendly is your tribe? My tribe is aggressive when it comes to the sea, it wants to see it all. On land they are average.

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are? My people will probably expand outward from the Haanu towards the south and south-east towards coasts and fishing and hunting grounds. Maybe even find islands? Who knows.

 

[topsecret]

Tribe name?
Sentri

What colour represents your tribe?
Black (or orange)

Which population are you branching from?
Maesa

What two variations in physical characteristics* set your tribe apart?
Thicker head hair (if possible) and reddish eyes (resulting from a very small amount of melanin in their eyes)

What two specialisations does your tribe have?
The Sentri love to craft things: They have been making stone tools for as long as the elders of the tribe can remember. They are also developing an affinity for carpentry. They love to build with wood: toys, huts, simple boats - anything that is crafted from wood is beloved by the entire tribe. Obviously their carpentry is at a rudimentary stage with their stone tools, but they love to build things with wood.

How aggressive or friendly is your tribe?
The Sentri are balanced, neither particularly friendly or aggressive.

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are?
The Sentri migrate toward the mountain to the east.

 

[Daftpanzer]

Awesome guys, thank you. Everything looks good (I did ask thomas for an in-game translation for 'Ash Bear' which I've now got).

I'm planning to update this evening, ~12 hours from this post. I can accept any new tribes up till an hour or so before then. But basically there will be a chance for new people to join every turn, at least until the timespan of turns slows right down. Which probably won't happen til the modern era

 

[Angst]

The Eyes
Viirsa - Chapter 1

I had never seen anything like it. A triangle of orbs red among the stars, two lights over a blur half-obscured in the night sky. It was not the first time I looked upwards at midnight, but these three orbs had never shown themselves to me. I went back into my home and shook Bhaari, and she slowly came to, looking at me perplexedly.

"What is it, love?"
"Come outside. I want to show you something."
She clothed herself and followed me out, and I pointed to the orbs.
"See that? Have you seen those before?"
"No... I don't think so. Two of them are like roses, or eyes. The third behind them... It's shrouded, like a mist in the sky."
"Do you think they are stars turned red? Is this really the will of Urvaa?"
"It confuses me too. She made the stars milky white, not bloody red."
"It must be some kind of sign."
"Maybe. I'm tired. I'll see you tomorrow."

She went back in. I spent a long moment looking at those orbs, but as a night cloud covered them, they never returned. Not the day after, or the day after that. When spring arrived, I had found a black fabhaari stone, and Bhaari had drewn on it for me, three points of ochre encircled in patterns of white. It was the mark of Urvaa's wound, as she had been scratched by winter, alone in the dark of the summer-behind-the-veil. Then her eyes wept red.

-

I had never seen anything like it. A triangle of orbs black in a face of fur, two eyes over a snout half-covered by leaves. It was not the first time I had looked at a beast, but these three orbs had never shown themselves to me. It watched me calmly as I crouched, reaching out my hand. It was a wolf, I know - rare back home, rare to see here. It looked at me curiously, perplexedly.

Our new home had been clad in autumn, a color I'm not really used to. I don't think I ever will. There are many things you never really get used to. I will never be left by Bhaari's death, even with the many years between us. She never saw me grow old, and I will never see her do so. Our new land is red in autumn, handlike leaves dancing in the wind, piling up like the brown hills we crossed to get here.

The creature left as I reached towards it. Its tail circled with it into the bushes. I rose, with difficulty, and walked back towards the village. My left hand caressed the stone in my bag. It was not long back to the others. My grandson had seen the beasts too, he told me, he had thrown a rabbit's leg to it, and it had come to him... My father used to say I wasted my time looking at stars, while my brother tended to the arrows. Perhaps he was right. But without them I would never have her eyes with me, so she would never leave.

 

[Terrance888]

Tribe name?
Baessa


What colour represents your tribe?
Green (Aquamarine)


Which population are you branching from?
Maessa


What two variations in physical characteristics* set your tribe apart?

1. Thicker brow and nose shape for swimming and diving.
2. Taller body with even fat distribution

What two specialisations does your tribe have?

1. Building rafts/boats to float and fish in the gulf
2. Curiosity/exploration and sharing of things they have found, with a strong distinction between “I saw” and “I think I saw”

How aggressive or friendly is your tribe?
Apathetic towards meeting strangers in a social way, but will tend to mirror interactions during said interactions. (Aggression leads to aggression, passivity or generosity the same). Prefer to stay within known social groups.


Will your people migrate, or remain where they are?
They will stay around the gulf, which may result in them moving around or across the gulf to the Southeast.

 

[Daftpanzer]

Update 1

Despite harsh winters and being surrounded by fierce carnivores, the Akut peoples prosper on the shores of their home lake - but there are only so many fish to go around. Some Akut learn the craft of boat-building, which takes them far to the south, following the great river, where they eventually mix with the emerging Carva culture.

Another group of adventurous Akut peoples spend centuries wandering in the frozen plains on the north-west. But their numbers steadily dwindle from the punishment of extreme climate, from the continual dangers of hunting, and from attacks by wolves, bears, fearsome bands of cave hyenas, and by violent encounters with the ‘snow people’ - human-like beings with superhuman strength, said to roam the edges of the world. The wanderers lose yet more of their number through those who return to Akut homelands for an easier life.

The survivors on the plains now call themselves Ashala; few in number, but hardened by their experiences, superbly adapted to the cold, and brandishing hunting bows made from animal sinew. Crucially, they have also tamed some of the wolves that roam the plains, and turned them into faithful allies. The wolves that stay with the Ashula over time tend to have the most loyal, playful, and and tend to be physically smaller and easier to handle, eventually morphing into something that begins to look more dog-like.

Meanwhile, the Faarsa tribe is no more; whether they outgrew their meagre sources of food in the arid hills of their homeland or - according to some tales - began a bloody infra-tribal feud over a beautiful woman, the Faarsa eventually fracture into three groups. Those who venture westwards became known as the Viirsa and the Vahaeara (whom we shall return to). Those who stay call themselves the Carva, and find themselves venturing ever deeper into the desert in the desert to avoid conflict with their brethren and other hominids; like the Ashala to the far north, they suffer from the harshness of their surroundings, and their numbers dwindle over the centuries.

But again, the survivors learn the lore of survival. One crucial leap is the domestication camels as a source of food, milk, and luggage, which travel with them in their endless wanderings between oases and rivers; the Carva develop a deep sense of connection to the vast, often-empty landscapes. On hilltops and in sheltered places, a tradition of stone carving and stone building also begins - in places, re-purposing weathered stone monuments left by distant ancestors. In Carva culture, there is no separation between a functional navigational landmark and a religious shrine.

On the banks of the western river, the Carva meet with Akutan ‘river-people’ from the north; both groups maintain separate lifestyles, but have good relations and begin to freely trade and intermingle, producing children of mixed blood. Indeed, the Akuts are drawn in by the mysterious culture of the Carva, and emulations of their stone monuments begin to appear on the shores of the great lake far to the north. However, this cultural exchange is later disrupted by the arrival of strongly-built hominids, so called ‘cave people’, displaced by events happening in the west; these newcomers prove to be rather close-minded and hostile in attitude.

The Hannu also split into various groups - some remain on the mainland, slowly working their way further east into more fertile terrain. Others eventually return to the waters, building simple but effective boats. Centuries later, they have further split into two groups - the Naua in the west, and the Mau far to the east, with no contact between them. It is a precarious life, on islands full of dangerous animals (including giant crustaceans) surrounded by waters full of sharks, and prone to violent storms. Nonetheless there are tales of some explorers having ventured far beyond what is commonly known, with legends of great islands to the east and south, full of monstrous creatures.

Back in the west, the Viirsa and the Vahaeara keep up a bloody feud with each other as both groups migrate along similar paths, ending up far to the north and west of their starting point, until they run into the hunting grounds of the ‘cave people’; beings who are physically stronger but less imaginative than sapiens, and fearful of change. Centuries of skirmishing followed; the sapiens, with greater numbers and equipped with more powerful tools and archery, steadily push the cave people north and east - but not all retreat; for the Viirsa, their numbers especially depleted by violence and misfortunes of previous years, find themselves mingling and intermarrying with some of the cave people who had been captured or otherwise left behind, leading to an increasingly-mixed population. For the Vaheara, such intermarriage is taboo, as they take a more xenophobic attitude. Meanwhile, it is debatable whether the cave people or the Viirsa are the first to begin domesticating wolves in the west, but nonetheless, the Viirsa also gain a valuable four-legged ally at this time.

Vahaeara culture is more closed-off, keeping to their side of the river that separates them from the Viirsa in the west and from others to the south. Vahaeara become experts in herbal medicine and begin to experiment with a more settled lifestyle, moving between semi-permanent camps in forest clearings and deliberately growing various kinds of herbs and vegetables to supplement their diet.

Finally, to the south and west, the Maesa prosper on the shores of their sheltered bay, and the growing population begins migrating inland to seek out new territories for themselves. The first migration travels far to the east, becoming veteran trekkers and long-distance hunters known as the Masa, though their harsh and dangerous lifestyle means they remain few in number.

A later migration settles on the slopes of the great mountain to the west, using caves for shelter. This group, known as the Sentri, develop hardened spearpoints and wooden shields to defend their lands against groups of hostile ‘forest people’ - fearsomely strong hominids, roaming in large aggressive groups from their jungle homelands, and blocking any movement south - as if the fearsome predators of the region were not enough of a threat. As centuries pass, the Sentri become some of the most seasoned warriors among homo sapiens, and manage to maintain their numbers, with the mountain as their fortress. Though having an affinity for crafting with wood, they also take an early interest in smelting metals - finding lead and silver ores in the mountainside, from which they make various tools and ornaments - artefacts that end up being traded with both the Maesa in the west and the Viirsa, far to the north. Eventually, there are even occasional trips west by the Carva and their camels to trade for these items with the Viirsa...

Spoiler Map :

Click the map to see full size -

What now?
We remain in ‘deep time’, and stat-less for now. Players have two choices - you can branch from your first tribe, or develop what you already have. Branching off with a new tribe will mean you have a smaller starting population (only really viable if you have 2+ population), but you get a springboard to migration, and can have two new physical traits. Developing your tribe will mean it stays more united and ‘cohesive’, but you’ll only be able to add one new physical trait.

To carry on with your existing tribe, order template is below:

What physical characteristic are you adding? (if any)

What two new specialisations does your tribe develop?

How aggressive/adventurous or cautious is your tribe?

What are your relations with other tribes?

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are?

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As with turn 0, new players are free to branch from any named tribe on the map, including player-created ones (at least for now). You may want to consider being born from a mix of two tribes where they are close together!

@terrance, I am sorry that you posted a little too late, I couldn't include the Baessa this turn. They will make an appearance next time if that's ok with you!

 

[thomas.berubeg]

The Ashala

What physical characteristic are you adding? (if any)
More vibrant red-hair, as a starting seed population had that.

What two new specialisations does your tribe develop?
the Ash Bear have classified the world around them into an animistic pantheon of spirits inhabiting the living world around them, and semi-complex systems of bargaining with the spirits. In addition, the Ash Bear have adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle rather than the actual nomadic habits of their ancestors, travelling between a series of sites throughout the year. This has allowed them to learn the patterns of the local wildlife (especially the boar) and hunt them more effectively with dog and bow, as well as, MOST IMPORTANTLY noticing that middens where seeds and pits of fruit and grass were thrown away the previous year tend to sprout the same plants that were thrown away.

How aggressive/adventurous or cautious is your tribe?
They are adventurous. It is not uncommong for a young warrior to take his proto-dog and wander off and join a neighboring family-group instead of remaining at home.

What are your relations with other tribes?
Friendly, welcoming.

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are?
They Remain

 

[Omega124]

What physical characteristic are you adding? (if any)

The body height of the Carva people, perhaps due to just unlucky mutation chance, have found themselves shrinking in average height. This doesn't mean they're becoming stockier.... just shorter.

What two new specialisations does your tribe develop?

1. The camel has become the lifeblood of our civilization. Nearly our entire culture relies on it; we eat from it, we trade on it, we follow their ancient migration patterns throughout the desert. Likewise, our ability to map our routes through the desert has become an elaborate ritual in it's own right, as we constantly pray at each landmark for our good fortune and health in this harsh environment.

It should become no suprise then, that the Carva soon started regarding the camel itself as divine. No longer merely just a beast of burden, it has become regarded as a sacred animal of it's own right, above the rest of the creatures of the world. Camels have become venerated, linked to a growing folklore related to the desert that the Carva call home.

An interesting development of this veneration is that the breast of a human woman is equated with the hump of the camel. Therefore, it becomes a bit a cultural trope that women have a greater affinity with the camel, and thus of the spiritual world.

2. The arrival of the boat to the Carva people have intrigued them. While camel riding remains the perferred method of locomotion, the ability to move on the water is giving them ideas. Ideas especially related to food.

The Carva have heard stories about the plentiful amount of fish in the rivers that the Akun call home. While there may or may not be the same amount of fish within the rivers and coastline of our desert, it is certainly worth the shot in investigating the implications of having a much more reliable food source than slaughtering our own camels when they grow too lame for other purposes. Therefore, the Carva have developed a rudimentary system of fishing, both on the rivers and in the ocean.

How aggressive/adventurous or cautious is your tribe?

Our experiences trading with the outside world, primarily with the Akut to the north but as far away as the Sentri, has opened our eyes to the world beyond our desert homeland. While we remain of course in our ancestral homeland, we are more than willing to engage our sense of wonder by extending our camel routes to any party that wishes to remain friendly to us. We can trade our resources in the desert for whatever goods that they have

What are your relations with other tribes?

We try to keep a positive, welcoming attitude to all. To those who have shown hostility to us, we try to just live and let live and leave them alone. If you leave us be, we'll leave you be. This should not be mistaken for pacifism, but merely a lack of desire to sully our hands needlessly. We will defend ourselves if attacked.

Will your people migrate, or remain where they are?

We will primilarly keep our home in the desert, where we belong.

 

[erez87]

What physical characteristic are you adding? (if any)
Twisted thumbs. Unlike the regular straight thumb when you stretch your fingers the Mau thumbs have an outward curve when you stretch your fingers.
What two new specialisations does your tribe develop?
Boat building goes further than before with bigger boats.
The Mau learn the use of astrogation from giant birds with orange coats (lol look at that thing!) and learn how to go to and fro. “We know the way”.
How aggressive/adventurous or cautious is your tribe?
The Mau become extremely adventurous at sea but cautious around other groups of people.
What are your relations with other tribes?
Cold and distant.
Will your people migrate, or remain where they are?
Less a migration more of stretching over a larger sea area. Different communities on different islands all part of the Mau who trade use the stars to navigate from one place to another.

 

[Daftpanzer]

@erez, the I think 'giant birds with orange coats' are referring to my representation of an orang-utan that I put on the island

Interesting they could be referred to as birds if you haven't seen monkeys before since well, they hang around in trees and what not.


The 'great orange bird' that inspired Mau mystical astrology

 

[erez87]

But that’s a beak! Maybe it’s too small in the phone lol. Anyway. Yeah! It lives on trees! Must be a bird.

 

[topsecret]

A Tale from Deep Time - Sa'atu and the Mountain

Sa'atu peered into the darkness. He shivered from the cold wind. The moon cast a pale light upon the mountainside.

Why did the elders send me to this mountain? Sa'atu wondered as his red eyes scanned the area. Dangerous beasts did not usually climb this far up the mountain, but he could never be sure that he was safe from the Koluhum. The Elders had set a course for him up the mountain - it must be conquered, like a great beast that fell to a sharp Sentri spear. That is what Elder Kolu had said.

"Climb, Sa'atu, until you have mastered the mountain. When you return, we will give you great honor if you return with what we seek."

What the Elders sought was the precious shining stone, which had been found generations before. Although found in the caves the Sentri called home, the village wise men spoke of a great collection close to the top of the mountain. Sa'atu was confused by this legend, for he had always found more the shining stone in the deeper caves, but Sa'atu was a warrior and not a wise man. He could take down some of the smaller Koluhum, because he was strong in the fight. But he did not have the great wisdom of the elders, nor could he trade with the Viirsa because he did not understand their form of words. But he knew one thing - he must come down with something.

He finally found a cave, which he quickly climbed inside. It was now becoming colder on the morning. The skin of the beast he had killed many days ago no longer kept him completely warm at this height. But when he went inside, something happened he did not expect...

SCREEECH!!

Inside the cave was one of the great flying creatures, the Imponi! It snapped at him with its beak, then pushed itself backward. Why did it not fly away? Something must have happened to its strong wings. He looked at it from the entrance of the cave. It continued to push itself into the darkness. Suddenly, Sa'atu had an idea. He threw down some of the Koluhum meat which he brought with him. The Imponi glanced suspiciously at it, clearly hungry but not wanting to trust Sa'atu, this strange creature with thick hair and red eyes. Nevertheless, it slowly pulled itself over and began to eat.

---

That cold night was only the second night Sa'atu spent on the mountain but as he scouted the area for the precious shining stone, the Imponi grew stronger and stronger. Sa'atu fed it with whatever meat he had. He was glad he was a strong warrior, for he found many beasts he did not expect on the mountain. The Imponi began to trust Sa'atu, and after a week, it followed him as he searched for precious stone, the Siva. Ko'poni, as Sa'atu named the Imponi, flew after him. He returned at Sa'atu's call and flew at his command. They searched day after day in vain, however, for Siva.

Though Sa'atu could not find Siva, he realized he had been given a much greater gift: Ko'poni was now his friend and companion. As they descended the mountain without the Siva, Sa'atu hoped the wise men would not punish him too hard for his failure. Rather than punishment however, he received great praise. The Sentri became great friends with the Imponi. The favorite tale of the children in the caves was of Sa'atu and Ko'poni, the man and beast who had become friends.