MigratioNES: The Grandest Tale Ever Told

[Thlayli]

Chariots and Sticks, or, The Siyusayep Ghuchagate

Over time, the gradual enslavement/eradication of the Gierhyep will lead to the hybridization of the Ziyuzagh and Gierhyep cultures, into a combination that will be called Siyusayep. Traits often associated with the priestly, Ziyuzagh-descended classes will be those of the orange (or orange/green 'autumn') eyes and bright red hair of the original Tiryaps, while the darker eyes and hair of Apalic cultures will generally be regarded as undesirable, and remain common amongst the lower classes. However, a large portion of Gierhyep language and pottery will ultimately be adapted into the Siyusayep hybrid culture.

While the other independent ghuchaghs will remain relevant, especially in the Iksiph Mountains and their sacred carved valley with its vast pinhole burial sites, which are now ancient by modern standards, the center of gravity for Siyusayep is the southern two river valleys. This area will rapidly become urbanized, both due to the spread of agriculture and the labor demands of the monumental Siyusayep architecture, great windowless spheres set upon plinths of cuboid granite, which are filled with smoke for the rites of the ghuchagh. These revelation spheres, and the anthill-like constructions of clay huts (and later stone houses) that surround them, are some of the first impressive archaeological finds of urbanized civilization in the Itap, the pinhole-valley aside. (This architectural style is often described as "kilnic", for the tendency of small family homes to resemble spherical kilns or round ovens, perhaps as miniature imitations of the revelation spheres.)

In particular, layers of periodic construction on these revelation spheres reveal that they are tiered structures, with the mass graves of the previous generation's sacrifices incorporated into each new layer of clay or stone as the sphere-plinths are demolished and rebuilt to higher heights. (The spheres are not domes, they are mostly solid rock with interior chambers carved out within.)

The idea of a Ghuchagate as it emerged under the Siyusayep is essentially that of a priestly caste republic. The policies of the state are determined by the gods, who speak directly to the shamans in states of spiritual ecstasy in the moment when they are possessed by the spirits of the sacred beasts. But the shamanic councils themselves are elected for life by a vote of all of the eligible male priest-caste individuals in the area, who then in turn elect their chief. The military leaders also belong to a caste, as do the farmers and artisans, and elections of their caste leaders are done as well, but these castes are subordinate to the ghuchagh in all things. (The Ku and Diryaj also play special out-caste roles, see below.)

Ku and Diryaj are frequently depicted in Early Siyusayep art, which tended to distort or overemphasize the particular traits of the people: Huge hands and heads compared to tiny bodies for the Ku, giant bodies and tiny heads for the Diryaj. In their efforts to constantly attain sacrificial captives for the rituals of the revelation spheres, both Ku and Diryaj captives (the latter traded for by mountain Tiryaps who often served as slavers and traders for the Siyusayep, although remaining outside of their official control) have been documented as being abducted to Siyusayep captivity. The Ku, over time, became more valued for their ornamental beauty, and pools for their use have been documented in the pleasure gardens of the ghuchagh. The Diryaj, as well, became valued for their use as bearers of strength, and the Siyusayep were quick to breed them in controlled conditions to train them as warriors, although they would always serve better as berserkers than formation fighters.

"The Siyusayep" is also (somewhat confusingly) a contemporary title for the chief priest, who in his ecstasy and possession acts and speaks for humanity, the people, as a whole, subsuming the will of thousands into his own in vast collective rituals. Siyusayeps of the First Period included Chuvakte, Natkatata, Mepapt, and Chalapsti. Definitive proof of trade with the Tiriyata Republics (post to come) on the Aptira River brought the many animals of the plains to the shores of the Itap, including tamed elk, horse, and even exotic desert beasts traded from the Great Sand Sea peoples. And trade with the Diafhe migrants brought still-stranger beasts, great titans of the savanna and jungle. (The curiosity for these diverse beasts brings a vast new array of gods into consciousness, including the popular eight-horned elephant spirit.)

In combination with the long-established use of wheeled carts in the Itap, this importation and taming of exotic animals leads to a new innovation: The war-cart. Hooking whatever plains beasts can be acquired and tamed (be they horse, elk, or even elephant) to the carts, a powerful new innovation comes into play. In future centuries, this is gradually streamlined into a swift and deadly force of mounted chariots, scythe blades and fire arrows at the ready to bring ultimate terror on their foes.

And who are those foes? So very often the desire of the gods is for blood. A steady stream of sacrifices ensures that the waters of the Itap will remain clear and the rivers from the Ypta will flow well for the next season's crop. And it is this that will cause the Siyusayep to reach, for the first time in history, to answer the desire of the gods: To move beyond the Itap Sea.

With the use of war carts and chariots, and the ferocity of "tamed" Diryaj berserkers, the armies of the Siyusayep Ghuchagh will fall upon the Gero Valley like an unexpected storm. The goal of the Siyusayep is primarily the mass enslavement of Gero inhabitants for sacrifice to the gods, but in time, enterprising Siyusayeps will establish themselves on the upper Gero as a colonizing class, making the Siyusayep the first trans-Itap-Gero cultural complex, and inaugurating a long future history of the conjoined regions. The goal of the Siyusayep, however, is nothing less than the subjugation, sacrifice, and cultural conversion of the Gero peoples, in keeping with the whispered desires of the many-horned gods. (For their part, the Diafo will likely submit to the Siyusayep invaders due to their similar religious practices, and aid them in expanding further towards the sea.) To unite Itap and Sierap (Gero) into one is the dream of the Siyusayep within their spheres of splendor. And this whispered dream is here to stay.

 

[Thlayli]

Mis-snakes Were Made, or, The Khkchkt

Frequent starvation and strife due to the lessened effectiveness of slash and burn hunting methods causes a cleavage in the ranks of the Htckt moiety, with one particular priest feeling a bolt of inspiration by seeing a breeding ball of hundreds of small black water snakes during the midst of some serious infighting with rival tribes. This causes his followers to begin worshiping the All-Consuming Thousand-Headed Serpent Ball, as if these people needed to have a more terrifying god.

This new cleavage of the Htckt, in future days to be called the Khkchkt, takes to a nomadic existence on the coast, inspired by the lifestyle of the water snakes that they worship. Building a variety of small one to two person carved watercraft, often festooned in a variety of leaves and other camouflage to resemble floating logs or other detritus, they will pursue a mixture of fishing, estuarial hunting, and and burning of coastal forests, supplemented with good old fashioned ritualistic cannibalism when they manage to drive enemy tribes into the water, where they will be waiting.

The Khkchkt will round the Chepko peninsula, mostly ignoring that slightly more dangerous tribe, then passing into the great bays south of the Ka'Pue'Ne jungle, where they will enact their reign of terror on man and beast alike.

The typical lifestyle of the Khkchkt invaders is to sweep into an area, burn its coastal forests, kill its large waterfowl and other game, attack its coastal tribes, then either move on after being driven out by the locals, or exterminating the locals and leaving the area after its easily exploitable resources have been used up, returning in cycles of several years once the area has recovered.

Eventually the non-Khkchkt in the region will hopefully take the hint and withdraw to the interior, since the Khkchkt are primarily a coastal people and will rarely venture more than a few miles up a major waterway. As such, the 'core' Ka'Pue'Ne lands are safe - for now.

Given their mobility and fast migratory travel on the coast compared to the difficulty of moving through dense jungle, the Khkchkt may continue to move down the coast, outpacing the reach of other sources of Apalan technological innovations as they pass into Yopuo and Yoyepuo territory. Cultural unity between the various Khkchkt groups may not last, with possible variant tribes including Kachk and Lptchp.

 

[Daftpanzer]

Great update Iggy!!! Woohoo! Somehow I missed the actual posting.

Will be contributing once I've caught up with everything.

 

[Ninja Dude]

So I tried to come up with some half-way decent naming conventions for the Agvan culture groups.

So the word or phrase "van" roughly translates to "man" or "person" in the Agvan language group. "Gan" refers to "woman" or to something vaguely spiritual. Groups that incorporate "gan" into their names tend to be matriarchal. The suffix "ti" denotes a sense of ownership, belonging, or boldly staking a claim. This has become increasingly common on the continent of Agvant, where clans fan out and fiercely defend their territory from outside intruders.

Prefixes usually just coincide with where the group has settled.

• Ag/Ang/Ah: shore, coast, or bank. As seen with Agvan ("Shore men") or Agvanti ("Shore men that belong")
  
• Hak/Chak/Jak: Any arid or sandy area. As seen with the Hakanti ("Sand men that belong")
  
• Nan/Nam/Nang would work for forested areas

These will obviously mutate as groups move, become isolate, and what have you. Also, I didn't give the Hasavant any orders, so they will continue to spread along the pockets of prime land long the coastline. As they fan out they rely more and more on boats for a means of travel, PERHAPS exploring the islands to the south as territory begins to run out and clans seek more land.

 

[North King]

Agvan and Agvanti groups concoct a valuable innovation: a map created of sticks, stones, and string, indicating wave motion, wind patterns, and islands on the coasts (as well as various other landmarks). This, coupled with increasing experience in sails and the construction of oceanfaring hulls, enables groups of Agvant to criss-cross the ocean repeatedly, knitting the continents together. Not yet a separate society of their own, but they are on their way.

This innovation eventually percolates further south as well, and new techniques of steering oars help make bigger boats more and more practical.

Indeed, one interesting unforeseen effect of the sailing map is a new, marvelous addition to the writing system beginning to rise in Ebon. "Recanting strings," a cord connecting various syllables into a long narrative, engender the first epic writing, and one genius, Mebhar, writes a tragic story spanning a generation that survives the test of time, to be retold dozens of times. Her story contains multiple cords that branch off of each other, like a wind chime, with a narrative that weaves several protagonists' stories into one another.

 

[Terrance888]

Veyaj

For generations, the Veyaj have stood ascendant. Their warlike nature and their domination of the waters allowed them to muster resources to defeat foes and continuously occupy more land and more sea. But slowly, the easy conquests became limited. Increasingly the Veyaj are turned against each other instead of outside enemies. Their skill at battle has become a curse.

With the coming of Agriculture, great convulsions spread throughout Veyaj society. Defeated enemies are now put to work as slaves, so that the militant warriors can further hone their skills and conquer more labor. The crafts were no longer respected - any warrior who did not contribute to the defense of their home is merely weakening it for their inevitable conquest, and the punishment is slavery. Young untested warriors, especially younger sons, are urged to travel in great bands to win glory and slaves in distant lands on great canoes. If they die, no big loss, as their families could not be sustained anyway. But if they win great rewards, the status of their home is greatly improved. Soon, the sending away of the youth on Great War canoes, ritualistically carved with protective spirits of ancestors and natural forces, became a common and feared sight among the southern coasts.

Although these “Waves of War” coalesce into great tsunami-like migration-invasions of young warriors against the Gueba and Wobao, a more symbiotic relationship forms with the mountain-dwelling Wobaoh. Skilled craftspeople, especially in pottery art, the Wobaoh culture of death masks and glass jewelry spread amongst the Veyaj Slave Lords. Although the Veyaj generally live on plantation or manor-like fortresses, the Wobaoh live in larger crafting communities. Many a Veyaj Slave Lord realized that protecting such a Wobaoh settlement brings many benefits beyond merely additional warriors - shinyy “gifts” may serve as bribes to convince other Slave Lords to support their agendas. For their part, the Wobaoh were comfortable serving as the soft power behind several Slave Kings thrones, but were always careful to staunchy maintain their freedmen status, and even convincing many to make the crafts illegal to be taught to the field slaves.

Potential Culture Names
Wobaoh -> Vebajo
Veyaj + Gueba -> Veyaba
Veyaj + Wobao -> Baoyaj
Veyaj —> Vejaka
Veyaj —-> Voyahm

Surazal Ascendency

For many centuries now, the game of rings were played between the agricultural clans and the city states. In manners mirroring the ancient Urbalan Trading Posts and the Saryaz nomads, ofttimes a city are allied with multiple clans, each of whom is allied to multiple cities, in a political dance which produces surprisingly few wars - very often, outmaneuvered cities are too pressured by their once-loyal clans to survive any attempt at winning by arms, or clan chiefs too surrounded by indomitable rival cities to risk their men in war.

The rings are so named for the various bands to be gifted and worn as signs of loyalty. These range from crown like head bands, finger and wrist rings, and other circlets. Occasionally, they can be worn to intimidate, or ward off intimidation. Usually they are only worn by men of stature, the chiefs, councilors of society. Occasionally, a traveler would gain enough of a name to give and be given rings of his or her own.

The remaining Urbala and Saryaz cities and tribes were of little consequence, even those indomitable Urbalan “Great Towers” across the strait. But the one thing which brings stars in the eyes of any Surazal Chief or Councilor is the riches and wealth of Aeger. The great craftsmen of the mountains, working with countless metals and with limitless treasuries. Unlike the blood stained halls of Surazal, the Aeger know little of political intrigue and domination.

Then came a figure which defined the legends of the region. Some said he was half Aeger and half Surazal. Others claimed that he rose from the sea. All agreed that the figure, to some a man, to others a woman, bore a silvered tongue. Through incredible and storied campaign of tricks and intrigue, he managed to create the Surreal Ascendancy. Even centuries later, every town of a hundred and every clan of a dozen has their own story of how they were convinced to join the Ringmaster. Wielding this power, he managed to sway at least one of the Great Urbalan Towers to open their ports (the cities of Talan and Surlos claim the other was the traitor) and masterminded a great looting, domination, and colonization of Aeger.

With as many praises for the Ringmaster were the scorn of the Ringmelter. The successor of the Ringmaster used his predecessor’s prestige, but had none of the skill. In his early years the Ringmelter was aided by a notable Mnayakgu “court Jester” the Ringseer. But after a pointed joke he had the Ringseer killed. The hobbit fled instead. With unrest and discontent rising, he attempted to sooth them by riling up war against the Dayava city states. This was a disaster. Discount the inhospitable cliffs of the Yakgu rifts. Discount his bumbling diplomacy that managed to unite the Dayava against him before his first ship landed. Discount his loss of Aeger lands to revolt by removing the garrisons necessary to maintain their hold. The Ringseer was busy, and the Mnayaku are known for their incredible farsighted, if roused. His entire fleet was destroyed by flame and avalanche, and the Ringmelter was captured, and died by being covered in molten metal of the rings the Ringmaster won.

Although many other attempted to accomplish the feats of the Ringmaker, never again was Surazal able to unite in full. Or so the legends go. But still, their brief ascendancy changed the trajectory of the region forever.

EDIT: Sorry for the late and crappy orders. I'm also planning to do one for Epua but I don't have the time tonight.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Dogs of the World

'Dog' is a catch-all term for all domesticated canids. In Apala and Wabana, they have been doemsticated independently from distinct species- indeed, from wholly distinct genera. As a result, there are several different types of dog which do not interbreed with one another, and have dramatically different traits.


Dogs of Wabana

The Ohka was initially domesticated by the Ebon, and is the greatest of the Wabanan dogs in terms of stature. Ohka are long-legged and have long, light fur, large ears and a thin muzzle. They are independent-minded and difficult to train, and are noted for their very odorous urine. As such, while they were first bred in densely-populated areas, they have since become far more popular among mobile inland peoples, who make use of their significant size and speed as hunting dogs. Today, Ohkas can be found in Agvant, across eastern Wabana, and in the Wab basin, where they are popular among the Veyaj.


Ohka

The Uluwa originated in western Wabana, possibly domesticated by the ancestors of the modern Wobaoh. Smaller than the Ohka, the Uluwa is a useful pest-hunting dog, also capable of both climbing trees and burrowing. The Uluwa have adapted well into living with more settled human populations, although their modern population remains limited to eastern Wabana.


Uluwa

The Uwebudi is a small dog native native to the rainforests of the Gueba. While it is very slow, it is keenly intelligent, albeit quite strong-smelling. The Uwebudi has spread, under various names, from the Veyaj to the Eban, where it is a popular ratter, playing a role similar to that of the Uluwa on the opposite coast.


Uwebudi

The Ch'obo is the famous 'Obo Dog', the first domesticate of Wabana. Recognizeable by their short, pointed muzzles and medium builds, Ch'obos are hardy and easy to train. They love the water and have become very widespread, primarily across northern Wabana. Having been domesticated for over fifteen thousand years, the Ch'obo has been developed into many specialist breeds.


Ch'obo


Dogs of Agvant

The early Agvantis brought Ohkas and Ch'obos (Oka and Chocho, in their languages) to their new continent, and were quick to domesticate more of the native canids. The native Govaan wolves swiftly became favourites for the Agvanti, enjoying much of the size and strength of the Okas, with trainability much closer to the Chocho. Thus has the Govaan spread as far as humans go in Agvant, while the Okas dwindled away.


Govaan

Interestingly, close relatives of the Uluwa exist in Agvant, although given the wild popularity and ease of domestication for the Govaan, these canids remain largely wild.

The Kovat is a water-loving dog domesticated by the Hasavantis. Very curious in its appearance, Kovats are small, squat, and altogether different from the Govaans, which gives them a place alongside their much larger and faster cousins. They have come to enjoy roles similar to those of the Uluwa and Uwebudi across the ocean.


Kovat


Dogs of Apala

The Tiryat dog, or 'Rak', is very widespread across much of southern Apala. Primarily reddish-orange and white in colour, they have been domesticated for the longest, and are thus quite diverse in their uses. Raks can be found everywhere from the frigid coasts of the Kiryaks to the Yakgu rifts, and are as of yet the only type of dog present in the continent of Epua.


Rak

The Rueh is a smaller and stockier dog with large, round ears, a robust snout and a splatter-painted colouration of orange, white and black. Ruehs are believed to have originated in the Kicca plains or the expanse north of the Itaro, but are now widespread across the southeast of Apala.


Rueh

The least widespread of the three Apalan dogs is the Ksiksi, the Ixyah desert dog. Small and giant-eared, these dogs accompany the native wayfarers of the Great Sand Ocean, but have little presence elsewhere.


Ksiksi

 

[TheMeanestGuest]

Things for the Ku to do:

- Itaro's waters are warm and peaceful, and things have been just so for many years. The bounty of the dreamer's sea is harvested and caught, for the Ku are always well fed. Their surplus has become substantial, and they have traded for many fine and useful things. We keep such bronzen tools and treasures well oiled in their skins, lest they become green with the sea.

- The Coas of Kulao have made treaty with the priestkings of the Ziyusep. Each year a gathered tribute is brought to the greatest priestking of the land in honoured procession, and so he is given many gifts - the pelts of fur otters, the woven threads of silk shells, the flesh of fatted eels. Most bitterly the Ku part with sons and daughters - never to be seen again. The Goa live among the landsmen in many places, and abide by many of their laws. In cities by the sea they make their own towns on the shore or nestled among the docks, half in and half out of the water. Some among them have taken to living a traveling life upon the water, making homes of boats on their journeys from port to port. And some live as ornament, the vain decoration of landsmen who can never possess enough.

- The Ziyusep shall go as a host into the great dusty nothing, for their gods have told them so. Itaro too has sent us his dreams, and through them we have come to know that the Ku must make such perilous journey. In this the vanity of the priestkings serves us well, for it is their desire to go in force and splendour that they might come too to rule over the far Giero. It is known that in that far land there are two great rivers, and so from the Coas has been summoned an extraordinary tribute. To the Ziyusep we send skilled boatsmen and water-fighters, for it is known that it is the Ku who are most learned in these capacities. We know also that many of our sons will die out in the dry and dust, but it is our faith that some among them shall live to fight and prove the mettle of the Ku to such foreigners as they find. That some might live to see the fabled endless water, who is mother and father to sleeping Itaro, and from who he has been long sundered. Perhaps they shall live there for a time and find some contentment, staring out across that limitless expanse, dreaming.

- Some marginalized Goa and Ku groups adopt piracy as a lifestyle, emerging from dark night waters to catch beached craft unawares, to take what is needed by threat or by knife.

 

[Thlayli]

Join Us or Elks: Urbanization in the Aptira Valley

The ancient home of the long-vanished Timika people, and now their Tiriyata successors, is a beautiful place. A glistening lake, large enough that the other shore cannot be seen, surrounded by endless grasslands to the north, south, east and west. The plains are named by a dozen names dependent on the tribes that roam them, but known most widely by their Tiriyata name: The Makayari Reach. Or simply, the Makayari.

To the south, the great plains transition to deep pine forests and rolling hills, before the intense sheer cliffs of the southern mountain valleys break up the boreal expanse, forming the obvious end of the world. The lake is the endpoint of several great rivers, the greatest of which is the mighty Aptira. Its fertility has long gone unexploited by hunter-gatherers, but the diffusion of agriculture from the Itap will cause a population explosion as local experimentation, and importation of Itap-Gero complex crops, cause the first irrigated permanent settlements to spring up.

The Makayari Reach has been a site of great animal domestication for tens of millennia; the raks were first trained here, and the plains people have experimented with various megafaunic ruminants for quite some time. The Makyerf finally manage to domesticate the "efern," a great roaming antlered beast that for long years has been tamed and used to pull wooden sledges on their seasonal migrations. (Think elks, but bigger and more of an endurance runner.) Another domesticate is the "tira," a small plains deer that was bred smaller for rak-herding, and later even smaller for service as a status-pet.

In the Aptira river valley, two types of people began to emerge, the "kaya" plains riders, migrants and herders with some supplementary fishing and hunting, and "yana" people who are sedentary farmers and fishers. The kaya mastery of efern riding and the terrible damage the horned beasts were able to inflict in war allowed kaya chieftains to overawe and rule over the early yana farmers. However, over time, the kayas came to occupy the position of an aristocratic warrior class within the cities, as they grow in size and the tribute relationship turns increasingly mutualistic. As a result, efern riding becomes a ceremonially important part of the river valley cultures (although the people still live in fear of nomad folk like Mkyaph who are much more effective efern-riders and raiders, as opposed to the Aptira cultures who primarily have a small class of efern "knights.") 'Kayayana' gradually supplants the term Tiriyata, although the latter mostly seamlessly evolves into the former.

The military elite of the Aptira and the nearby lakeshore tend to form a number of militaristic, aristocratic republics, with high-status warrior elites ruling in federalized councils. The shifting alliances of these councils result in a significant, although not incredibly destructive, pattern of wars, mostly ending in ritual submission of lesser cities to a league hegemon, which then parcels out resources and power appropriately. It is the strength of one's legend (and the charisma to command followers) that gives a warrior, typically, a right to a voice in these early consensus-based city councils. Warriors are typically male, but females are not unheard of.

The physical culture of the Kayayanas is still relatively immature, although their excellent early irrigation systems are supplemented with large public bathing areas and longhall structures for the meetings of the warriors with enough status to vote in matters. Legends from this time tend to divide the world into four great alliances of beast gods: The mountain gods, the water gods, the plains gods and the forest gods. Tales of marriage alliances, mishaps and wars, a divine mirroring of the politics of the squabbling river valley chieftains, proliferate, as does pottery depicting these scenes.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Update 12: 500 Years

Agvant

The eastern Ongan have diverged from the western Aggan peoples. Settling far into the interior of the continent, the Ongan have reached a vast grey-green wall, topped with stupendous masses of ice. Surely, this is the very end of the world.

To the south, the Jakkan adapt more to the arid interior, occupying the intermediate belt between the arid deserts and the vast forests of the Aggan. In a treeless land, they take to carving great totems into the soil, beginning a tradition of ritual field burning, which has both religious and economic significance to them.

The Kantihak, derived from inland Hakanti, have begun to domesticate local camelids. While the largest have been swiftly driven extinct by their fierce hunting, they have found great use in the smaller species.

The Akanti are Hakanti who crossed the mountains to settle the rugged southern coast of Agvant, coming into regular contact and conflict with the local Hasavant. The Hasavant have steadily spread thousands of kilometers along the coast, an expansive maze of coastal mountains and deep fjords, gradually giving rise to the Gozvant and Khazavant offshoots.

The Agvanti remain by far the most populous group. On their verdant coast, their populations soar, as do their conflicts. Warfare drives them apart and divides the Agvanti, who gradually splinter into several distinct groups; the northern Nangvanti, the old central Agvanti, and the mountain-dwelling Omvandi. All of the groups which remain in contact with the coastline inherit the Agvanti technological package, which includes innovations such as simple stick mapmaking, and an independent rediscovery of sail usage. With these tools, the Agvanti become at once more sedentary and more wide-reaching. Mercantile Agvanti cluster increasingly in permanent settlements, and travel widely along their coastline, establishing isolated outposts of their culture group all the way down to the southern corner of the continent, and up to the Agvan straits, near where their distant ancestors first crossed over into their new continent some four thousand years prior.

Contact had never been fully lost between the natives of northeastern Wabana and northwestern Agvant for more than a few centuries, and local folk knowledge persisted even when centuries had gone between contacts. Some faint awareness of Agvant's existence made it as far south as the Eban complex, at least in certain trader circles, although little more was known beyond garbled rumours and hearsay, telling of the existence of some large far northern island beyond the crude and uncultured Agvan, who were generally regarded as having little to offer to the vastly richer and more cultured south.

However, the spread of the Agvanti traders, with their maps, sail-rafts, and daredevil willingness to cut across open ocean, presented a major advance in the closing of the gap between the two continents. Regular trading relations were established, and Agvanti goods and technologies made their way back to Wabana. As these maps, trade goods and strange animal pelts began to percolate down from the north, it finally became clear to the more worldly of the Ebans that there was more than just some minor boreal island beyond the long coast of the Agvans.


Wabana

The Agvan people are enriched, somewhat, by the steady uptick in intercontinental contact. More dramatic developments, however, take place to the south. Writing and counting systems proliferate through the Eban complex, whose traders spread a phonetic string alphabet wherever they go, borne aboard the first wooden-hulled sailboats. and the first multicultural empires begin to take form, united with the power of bronze.

Of all the people of the region to come to be its first masters, few would have expected the Habaan. Traditionally the least advanced and economically prominent people on their island of Boron, the Habaan were comparatively warlike and clannish, typically doing little more than fighting one another and raiding their wealthier coastal neighbours, the Obuus. However, their early mastery of bronze smelting granted them a huge military advantage over their neighbours, and allowed them for the first time in history push back significantly against the encroachment of the Obuus. Enriched and empowered, the chieftains of the Habaan grew ever bolder, and began to carve out kingdoms, both from their own people and from their coastal cousins. A great tribal king ultimately united a formidable force in the northeast of Boron, and cowed the Obuus into subservience. History no longer tells if this first great conquerer was a single entity or, more likely, a dynasty, but the name 'Agagag' would echo in the collective memories of the Eban peoples for millennia to follow.

The Habaan seized the coastal cities that the Ebon and Ohbahn outlanders had established on their island, and then crossed the narrow waters to the mainland. The cities of the Ebon, upon the Hashon River, were their first target. The perpetual deadlock and mistrust between these proud city-states was their undoing, as they proved wholly unable to unify, even in the face of external conquest. From there, the Habaan Kingdom, now a proper empire, turned its sights to the Togora River, and the Ahban. The more hierarchical Ahban presented a far greater challenge, but a similarly greater reward. Agagag's forces crossed overland between the two great rivers of Eban civilization, while Ohbahn corsairs reaved the coast and riverlands. First fell the peripheral Ahban cities, but in little time the larger kingdoms began to fall as well. Kahan, an Ahban king and great conqueror in his own right, was the first to properly challenge Agagag. The two great forces warred inconclusively, but a draw favoured the defender, whose base of power was far more tightly-knit and easy to manage. Even as Agagag conquered, the more distant parts of his roughly-assembled empire were fraying apart. Kahan thus held his ground, while the Habaan hordes withdrew, like a waning tide.

The aftermath of the great Habaan conquests saw Agagag's empire swiftly disintegrate, a process accelerated by a return of briefly-suppressed clan rivalries, native rebellions, and the division of the lineage. Few descendants of the great conquering army returned home to their island, most settled in their conquests, or resumed their nomadic lifestyle in the less-populated (and occasionally depopulated) regions of the mainland, becoming known as the Agagabaan. However, the Habaan frequently maintained their positions as the ruling class in the Eban lands (claims of ancestry from the great conqueror would frequently be touted in later ages as a source of legitimacy). Thus, even though Agagag's state was ephemeral, its legacy would prove to be a great unifying influence, by introducing common practices and and new interconnections to a very divided land. Faith, in particular, was one area that was greatly consolidated in the conquest and post-conquest years. Agagag and his first wife, Hebhar, were widely regarded as divine, or at least demigods. Their reincarnated spirits would reappear many times to continue to provide spiritual leadership to the world, and the descendants of prior incarnations of the holy couple would come to eventually occupy many prestigious positions within the Eban states.

Beyond the southern fringes of the Eban, the urbanization of the Sueva slowly continues, although their rainforest home is not conducive to the growing of northern crops. This trend steadily expands to the Gueba, who raise cities for various religious, economic and military purposes throughout their eastern lands.

Passing ever further to the west, the Veyaj are ascendant. With the widespread adoption of agriculture, populations are booming. This has served to further enhance the warlike nature of the Veyaj, who wage bloody conflicts against one another, and increasingly against their neighbours. From the center of their population in the Wab delta, countless Veyaj war parties depart by boat to find their fortunes in foreign lands. This great outbound wave in many ways mirrors the impacts of the Gero Migrations of Apala, many thousands of years prior, and produces a vast array of new hybrid cultures. Many captured peoples are brought back as slaves, building huge waterworks to expand the ever-growing need of the Veyaj for food and labour, while elsewhere the victors settle and displace, or assimilate (and assimilate into) the native populace. Daughter cultures produced by this movement of people include the Gueba-influenced Veyaba, and the Baoyaj, who seized the lands of the southern Wobao.

Agricultural slavery is a common thread through all of these Veyaj cultures, making use of both the land and people subject to their conquests. The Slave Kings disdain manual labour and glorify martial prowess, forming what is effectively an ethnic caste system, with a warrior elite. A few manage to find intermediate positions: the Wobaoh, skilled artisans, manage to avoid the fate of their Wobao neighbours by making themselves very useful to the Slave Kings, exchanging goods and tribute to avoid backbreaking labour in the fields of the Baoyaj.

Intensive agriculture spreads up both the East and West Wab, borne on the backs of the Gueba, Wobao and other unfortunate chattel of the Slaver Kings. Water conflicts trigger further wars between the Veyaj states, which slows the expansion. Before the swelling wave of the Veyaj advance the Vejaka, inland raiders who prey upon the native peoples of the upper Wab. While the Wab people themselves are typically poor subsistence farmers with little to offer, the Hoppa are much richer and more populous, and the Vejaka establish themselves in their proximity, becoming a scourge on the Hoppa and prompting the development of greater social organization among their victims. Warrior-shepherds at the fringes of Hoppa lands develop a protective network against the violence of outsiders, and walled towns assemble along the banks of the upper river.

The Wayha grow as well, although they do not enjoy the same prime riverland that is dominated by the Hoppa, and as such remain predominately a herding culture. To their north, the Godos remain largely untouched by the outside world, as do the Obo dog-men and Sapopo sea-hunters. The widespread Obo continue to slowly fracture culturally, with the northern interior Ahob growing increasingly distinct and separate from the southern Obos.

The Buran are Pran who have begun to move their herds into drier and drier lands, living ever closer to the arid heart of Wabana.

North of this, on the sea that bears their name, the Oh people have grown increasingly populous, and have begun to cultivate heavily. Now, here too, the continent-wide trend of agriculture and urbanization is beginning.


Apala

The Veyaj, in this age of migration, did not just spread across a broad area of southern Wabana. One group, the Voyahm, washed up on the coast of their long-forgotten cousins, the Weway. Enjoying a significant technological and organizational advantage, as well as being vastly more aggressive than the Weway, who enjoyed a relatively peaceful lifestyle, the Voyahm quickly carved out a large stretch of coastline to call their own, reducing the locals to subservience.

Beyond the Voyahm, much of the northern coastline remains fairly stagnant. Wabaha and Gevera traders generally control the major trade routes, and little seems set to disrupt their longstanding relationships, at least in the immediate future. Inland, the Apa'nuk, Avenec and Kptp maintain their own longstanding feuds over control of the vast inland rainforests of Apala, with the Apa'nuk maintaining dominance of the north, the Avenec the southeast, and the Kptp the southwest.

In the Itap, the gradual assimilation of the Gierhyeps by the dominant Ziyuzagh led to the rise of the Siyusayep people. Rapid urbanization accompanied surging populations and political organization, as well as early monumental construction. Massive spherical constructions are emblematic of this period, holding a great religious and cultural significance to the Siyusayep and their shamanic leaders. However, the shamans do not have a complete monopoly on power, as parallel castes of warriors and artisans also have relatively democratic systems of government for themselves.

With increasing political order and wealth comes a positive feedback loop of trade. Siyusayep traders trade with the south for slaves, the east for fine goods and new types of livestock, and the north for exotic beasts, many of whom lead to the revelation of fearsome new animal gods. Trade with the west remains largely controlled by the Ziyuzagh and their associated peoples.

The Ghuchagates of the southern Itap incorporated more than their own ruling cultures, they also became systems ruling over tributary peoples, such as the waterborne Ku, Coa and Goa, as well as various tribes of the Gierhyep, Tiryap and Ziag peoples.

Often overshadowing in popular imagination the grand trends of trade and agriculture was the development of the war-cart, a key military innovation which played a great role in propelling the Siyusayep to prominence not just in the Itap, but in the Gero Valley as well. Ambitious and acquisitive Siyusayeps, coveting the wealth of the Geros, led several major waves of invasion against the disunited city states. The legendary Siyusayep Natkatata led a great force against the Diafo, who have dominated a small length of the upper Gero since time immemorial. Natkatata subsequently struck against the Amalyo, though it was the great walled cities of the Sierhua, Dierhua, Jero and Gerdho that he desired above all else. He would perish in a ritual hunt before realizing this dream, but a short few generations later the Siyusayep Mepapt would cross the grassy expanse between the Itap and Gero basins once again, retaking the old conquests and striking a vicious blow against the natives of the western Gero Valley. Ultimately, an alliance of Dierhua city-states was able to repulse Mepapt- stationary defenses, broad rivers and marshes make for difficult chariot territory- but his force was never fully dislodged, leaving a lasting Siyusayep presence in the 'Sierap', which existed in two forms: mobile tribespeople in depopulated regions, and new urban ruling classes in the conquered cities. An interesting secondary impact of this Siyusayep expansion was the first appearance of Goa 'merpeople' in the Gero River, brought as enslaved decorations by their overlords, or as independent pirates and soldiers of fortune .

These large invasions triggered secondary population movements in the western Gero Valley. The Jero people, in specific, had a northwestward shift, and many displaced settled peoples brought cities, agriculture, and cultural expertise to what had previously been a backwater (by local standards, at any rate), leading to the formation of several Jero cities along the coastline.

Additionally, the flight of many Dierhua from the areas of Mepapt's conquests led to a general expansion and further cementing of the Dierhua position on the eastern bank of the lower river, typically at the expense of the Gerdho and Sierhua.

Traveling eastwards, the Quera have become an increasingly settled culture on the lower reaches of the Aquer River. The northern Yakgu Rifts remain contested between Aegers, Urbala and Surazal. In general, the three cultures remain in balance, although the central eastern Urbala steadily assimilate into the dominant inland Surazal. On the far eastern coast, the now-isolated Urbala gradually diverge into the Orbal.

The southern Rift cultures continue their incessant push and pull, with the only consistent trend being the steady increase in development and urbanization, although several setbacks are experienced as occasional handfuls of cities of stone and clay are laid to waste at the hands of earthquakes, tsunamis and catastrophic volcanism.

The Nyamaba are distinct for being the first of the cultures at the end of the Long Sea to cross the Aegal plains, beginning to settle the eastern side of the continental divide, displacing the antelope-herding Agals as they do so.

Two huge new arrivals herald the transformation of the Makayari Reach, the vast temperate expanse of forests and grasslands around the Timika Sea. The first of these is agriculture, brought indirectly from the Itap. The first group to fully embrace agriculture in the region are the Yana Tiryat, the native Tiryat tribe of the Aptira River. Within a few short generations, the region's population explodes, and the Yana people are catapulted to prominence. However, little time passes before the eastern riding antelope, here known as the 'efern', makes its appearance on the scene. The Kaya Tiryat, who had been marginalized by the ascendance of the Yana, were swift to adopt the use of the efern for military purposes, thus establishing their dominance over their agricultural brethren. Over centuries, this shifted way of being led to the formation of the Kayayana as a distinct branch of Tiryat culture, possessing both an agricultural tradition and a semi-ceremonial military overclass.

The Kayayana have expanded to dominate the Aptira River, and are now steadily growing to dominate the Tiriyata of the Timika Sea. However, as agriculture preceded them, the Tiriyata have been able to provide some indigenous resistance to the expansion of their riverine cousins. Meanwhile, to the north and south, the Nekra and Mkyaph have both adopted the use of the efern, which is now used at the expense of their more settled, agricultural neighbours. Today, the region tilts in a shifting balance between the aristocratic 'republics' of the Kayayana, the disorganized, but still populous Tiriyata, and the northern and southern mounted raiders.

This spectrum of mounted raiding people hits the west coast harshly, bringing much grief to the Kubako, Wabako, Makapo and Wombax. However, these people are relatively backwards, and have little means to effectively defend themselves against the violence of the inlanders.

Largely independent from the rest of Apalan civilization, the Webwayo have developed a handful of cities of their own, able to enjoy the benefits of permanent settlement thanks to the rich fishing grounds they control, combined with their superior seafaring skills, the best on the west coast. Far upstream, the first cities are built by the Huepak, a curious people of many heritages: Oebhwaho and Webwayo primarily, but with significant Apa'nuk and Akp mountianeer influences. The Huepak reside in a large, fertile volcanic valley, dominated by a string of alpine lakes in the northern Tzpha Mountains.


Epua

The indigenous Epuans are steadily pushed further and further back by the more recent Apalan migrants on virtually all fronts, although even when they disappear, many of their traditions live on in their successors. The Ebe, for example, are steadily outcompeted and ultimately wiped out by the Tkt, who also expand broadly westward into the lands of the Hebet. The Yoytua, one of the most technologically adroit peoples of the continent, demonstrate a rare point of resilience, giving up little ground to the outlanders. However, the Oypuao suffer terribly at the hands of the Htckt, and the core of their populated lands at the eastern fringe of Epua are rendered desolate, and gradually repopulated by the Otkt- a group of Htkt who interbred, to a limited degree, with the natives.

Another offshoot of the Hkckt are the Khkchkt, Lptchp and Kachk, a trio of sibling cultures who have come to worship a new deity, the All-Consuming Thousand-Headed Serpent Ball, who demands that they do not stray far from the water, and reave the coastlines for sustenance. These coastal raiders have spread widely along the coastlines of eastern Epua, becoming a serious pest for the more advanced cultures, and an existential threat for the less sophisticated- in this case, the Oypuao.

The steady fracturing of Oypuao culture, once the dominant group in the eastern half of the continent, has led to the formation of several fragmentary cultures, such as the Uipo, formed of the rump remains of the northeastern branch of the people, and the Hoyp, who have been mercifully spared outside contact by dint of being isolated on an island far out to sea.

In western Epua, beyond the green wall that is the Ka'Pua'Ne Jungle, the changes have been far less disruptive. Anatomical modernity has swept through many of the cultures in the area, and the traditional Epuan way of life remains largely unchanged. The Yoho have expanded their range, discovering the edge of the continent's only significant desert, jammed between two great mountain ranges. To the south, the peopling of the continent approaches near-total completion. Hwoho, cousins of the Hwapa, settle the inland prairies, while competition continues to rage over the inland sea, with the Kha'kpa and Hwapa developing a rather fierce rivalry over this blue gem, a rich resource buried deep in the heart of the rainforest continent.

Spoiler :

 

[Lord_Iggy]

I've recently done some detailed tectonic diagrams of our world. However, as most of it remains undiscovered, I've had to fade out most of the images. However, I think you all might enjoy a few pictures of the globe, shrouded in mystery though they may be.

Blue lines represent divergent boundaries, red convergent boundaries, and black are transform. The arrows indicate the direction of plate movement.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

I'd like to do some work on updating this weekend, so get your stuff in if you'd like it included!

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Given the fact that several of our players have recently been affected by hurricanes, I felt it would be appropriate to make a map of areas of storm formation (red-tinted waters), and coastlines that are frequently struck by tropical storms (typical paths indicated by arrows).

 

[Jehoshua]

I said I would ponder joining this, and I have so pondered. I would like to tentatively claim the Hwapa if at all possible. I will go over the updates to get a better idea of the state of things there before I actually submit anything. A brief overview of the state of affairs down there would be good if possible too, so I am clear as to the tech/cultural/organisational state of southern Epua before I write anything about their direction into posterity.

 

[ork75]

Epuan development largely continues as before. However, due to the advantages brought by new brainpower and technology, some new trends emerge.

In the East, the Poa system enters a new golden era. The changes that emerge originate among the Oypuao, principally, but rapidly spread to the Yoytua, Ka'pua'ne, Yopuo, and Yoyepuo. Recognizing the food value of trees and the cultivation potential of roots native to the jungles, pseudo-agriculture emerges. However, this integrates directly into the existing Poa system. Specialized groups still migrate from site to site, but migration slows significantly to match the growing season of different crops. One group might till patches of roots one year, another may manage trees and berries and vegetables the next, and yet another may leave gardens fallow and instead turn to hunting. The priestly class, originally stationary around the Poa, is joined by several new sedentary and semi-sedentary groups. The first are a class of storage "lords," who take in the produce of other groups in newly constructed storage buildings, and share the nutritional variety with the next Poa groups to enter the region. Since stored food only lasts so long, nutritional deficiencies arising from focused monocrop cultivation in a particular area are offset by a class of semisedentary traveling merchants, who bring food stores of different kinds between Poa.

This, along with focused cultivation of food-giving trees, results in a massive population boom and the rise of a third sedentary group. Some hunting groups stay stationary, and occasionally function as a more military arm of society. The food for their upkeep is usually provided by the storage "lords," or Powayaba (from Poa and "ayaba," between: ayaba itself is an Oypuao word, and while the preposition is different in other neighboring languages and dialects, it is a cultural import), resulting in a massive power gain and change in societal structure.

The other consequence of the rise of the Powayaba and their retainers is that the ktkckkchtpkpk advance is stemmed. Raids are now met by motivated hunters experienced on the jungle paths. While the Htckt are far too established, and Poa too long gone, for Powayaba to take effect, the Khcht are devastated (as their primary survival method is blunted), and mostly assimilate into the Epuan system.

This new spirit of resistance, and novel sedentary culture, results in some new religious tropes within the Dreamway cultures. Priests now speak of a great cosmic Eagle force that flies above the dreamways, eating the evil snakes that try to strangle them off. The Eagle in particular becomes a spirit of the Powayaba and their troops, and body painting of stylized wings becomes a major status symbol. Also, with the increased availability of food and population, ritual intricacy increases across the Poa region. Ritual burnings become common, and some carved monuments arise to mark important Dreamway junctions.

Also noteworthy is the subordination of the Powayaba by the priestly class. Since the sedentary storage lords grow their communities and operations around the existing religious settlements, and in service of these and the local Poa groups, they derive much of their authority from the priests for much of the period.


In the West, things develop much differently.

The Heben continue much as before. Some gardening arises in the prairie, but mobile groups remain the name of the game. Dreamway culture holds strong, but it does not develop to the new heights of the South.

The same subsistence style is shared, at least in broad strokes among the Yoho, Oypo, and Orepo. The Oypo, however, begin some fishing subsistence along the coasts. The Orepo begin to import some aspects of Poa material and spiritual culture, but have another influence (discussed below). Indeed, they develop as a fascinating melting pot throughout the period.

This second Epuan cultural influence is that of the southwest coast. The cliff tomb culture, begun amongst the Akhaba, rapidly spreads among all of the cultures with access to mountains (and even some besides). The Hwoho, Hwapa, Kha'kpa, Akhaba, Orepo, Yoho, and Oypo all share a similar spiritual culture by the end of the period. The main features are as follows: ancestors and community members are mummified (in the areas of higher development in the far south: these are generally correlated with material culture changes, discussed below) and entombed in great cliff coffins overlooking valley settlements. Often, small shrine-fortresses are built atop these great necro-mounts. These serve as the locus for a rapidly developing culture of ancestor worship, as well as strongpoints in times of intercommunity raiding. These cultures are noteworthy for the fact that there is no real deification, or any real deity. In jungle regions, since the overseeing influence of the venerated dead is mitigated by a lack of necessary topography, tomb monuments are raised instead. This takes a particularly interesting turn amongst the Orepo, as these monuments to those come before take the place of the Dreamway markers of the eastern Poa cultures. Earthworks - artificial mountains - arise amongst the Hwapa, supported by higher populations and changed material culture, described below.

Gardening begins to emerge as a viable food source, in some cases leading to sedentary agriculture, in mountain valleys among the Akhaba and the Hwapa especially (although other groups, notably the Kha'kpa, also adopt some aspects of the system). This leads to a minor population boom, as well as the beginnings of social stratification. In some cases, terracing begins, although this is fairly rare. The Hwapa also grow due to the proliferation of lake fishing culture with dugout canoes, which also supports the Kha'kpa.

There are two other noteworthy occurences on Epua. First is the arrival of a group of Ka'Pua'Ne in the hidden mountain prairie and semiarid zones in the midst of the central Epuan mountains. These Kabwa quickly develop a distinct culture, and while they struggle initially due to the unsuitability of jungle roots to the new environment, they may find that other, local crops are similarly useful. They develop a different mountain-based spiritual culture, based on a tripolar dreamworld of Sun, Sky, and Earth, but it generally does not spread outside of the mountain vales to the cultures of the northwest coast.

The densely populated Hoyp exhibit some development in Poa culture, but due to the scarcity of land on their island they quickly turn to the seas. They ply the waters in outrigger dugouts, and foster some trade and shipment between coastal Poa. Their dreamways lead them across water, and in some cases they develop dreamway maps with the support of their water-dreamer priests. This idea has some popularity among coastal Poa in the region, who apply it on land, but is not a major trope.

If metal is to arise on Epua in this period, it likely emerges in the far southwest, but this does not necessarily happen.

The final note is the interesting trope among most native Epuan religious traditions: lack of a deity, and more reliance on nebulous Dreamworlds and Spirits.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Welcome Jehoshua! Glad to see you around.

In MigratioNES, we don't specifically lay claim to a single culture- rather, people can send orders for any area they wish, and can move around. Some people have tended to stick with single groups (like Thlayli with the Tiryaps and various branches of their descendants, and recently thomas with the peoples of Wabana), while others have moved around (Terrance and North King have been here, there and everywhere, for example).

If you send orders for a single culture, they'll tend to get followed pretty closely, while if you opt to send orders for a whole region (like ork did with Epua and NK plans to do with Agvant), I might follow it a bit more loosely. If two people submit orders about the same area, I'll take both into account. I'll usually reconcile the orders, possibly leading to a divergence of a culture into multiple branches. If you just do the Hwapa, for example, I'll probably take your orders into account more than ork's for them, since he spread his effort over many cultures while you focused all on one.

If you'd like a summary of Hwapa history up to this point, just ask and I'll put a little package together for you.

 

[TheMeanestGuest]

the enduring Ku

- Even in the depths of his torpor wise Itaro has not led us astray. The brave and the desperate alike leave that warm embrace to seek out new coasts and waters as their own. They are Ku and Goa both, but have named themselves the Golo that they might honour their meeting of Itaro's young sisters: the fair twin maidens Garo. The power of the Ziyusep could not be denied, and many of the far Gierho were made to submit by spear and club. The Golo had their part in this as they learned the ways of the wide river - brewing poisons for their darts, laying lines across the Garo, taking the boats of the foe. Golo come now each year in the wet season, when the dusty plain is most easily crossed by our folk. Some are brought by masters to live delicate and shameful lives in the dry cities, others come free seeking good fortune - to crew a boat to call their own, to find a patch of shore to build a home.

This new land is strange in some ways, and the people are distrustful. Here we grow no kelp, for the maidens will not allow it - they are known for their love of sweet marshrice. There are good places for us to live and fish and hunt, wetlands left long fallow by the Gierho and Dierho. Bright lacquered houses atop their stilts begin to cluster along the western Garo, the first towns of the Golo rising up by the running water. Our swift craft dance up and down the rivers, and Golo boatsmen are known in all the ports of the Garos - though rumour and appearance often leave them less than welcome. The Golo yet owe tribute to the Ziyusep and make use of the protection of Ghuchaghate arms to expand their living space, building communities at the frontiers and in debated lands, slowly encroaching from the water's edge.

- Many cities blossom beside great Itaro. How could it be otherwise, fed as they are by his bounty? Across his water is the quickest and easiest way for goods to flow, and as a result the Ku and Goa control and facilitate the greater proportion of intra-Itaran trade. The home island of Kulao becomes the primary entrepot for the entire basin, increasingly and extensively developed as the livelihood of the people improves through new technologies and the growing influx of wealth.

- On Kulao the art of weaving is well-regarded, and the pale gold strands of seasilk are twisted and layered into prized tapestries and garments. The Coa Seyaro was known for his cleverness and subterfuge, and through this art he secured a great portion of the silk tax. With it he bought favours with the Ziyusep and the Zagh, with the Tyumru and the land-dwelling Goa, and so his fortune grew beyond that of all the other Coas. With it he made a lavish tribute beyond any other, and so he bought himself a lavish title from the priestkings.The first Coagha of Kulao, whose wisdom all the Coas of Immo would heed henceforth. In that city he built a palace of two parts, walls of water-smooth stone perfectly fitted atop its foundation, while bright red lacquered the carven halls of wood above, ceilings ashine with nacre. For many years the city of Immo and the House of Seyaro would prosper together, the wellbeing of each tied inextricably to the other.

- The Ku have grown numerous, and their aquacultural expertise and technology has long allowed Kulao to support a continuously expanding population. This, of course, could not persist forever. The Golo migrations provide some outlet for this pressure, but not all are willing to endure such peril - particularly so far from the god they have known all their lives. Further measures must be taken. The Gierho live near as well as far, and war with that people is amenable to the strictures of the Guchagh. On Itaro's eastern shore lies the long island of Rytu, where once many Ku made their homes - it shall be theirs again. The Coas make a war with the Gierho, and they send their boats and their fighters, buying with bronze and silk the knives and lances of the Goa pirate houses.

of Cows and Sheep

- In Hoppaland the timber halls have grown, towns and walls sprouting about them like forgotten grain in the spring. Chief amongst them are the three Cowtowns sat by the slow crossings on the middle straight, followed downriver in their eminence by Big Elk Forest and Goatgrave. The river Hoppa have become increasingly settled, having essentially abandoned their hunting and ranging ways for the cultivation of hardy and reliable grains, facilitated by tame oxen and the harnessed plow. A class of urban artisans develops in earnest; among them are co-operative weaving societies that, as a collective, bargain for and process the wool purchased from the ramsmen in the shearing season.

The towns owe fealty to the roving Cowlords, who graze their herds in the outer fields in spring and summer (where they frequently come into conflict with the shepherd Hoppa over grazing rights). They return to their halls in the fall season, their cattle grown fat. Their control of this source of meat and milk and leather affords the Cowlords wealth and station above the sedentary farmers, and they maintain bands of armed men to protect their herds from the ramsmen and the Vejaka alike.

The Cult of the Benevolent Bronzen Bull - a metal God of fertility and war - begins to take hold in the Cowtowns, with semi-organized proselytizing shamans accidentally arranging the effective supplantation of the traditional nature deities (who fall into subservient positions beneath the bronzen bull in the divine hierarchy) within a few generations. Sites of sacrifice become permanent structures of worship, where cattle bones are ritually burned.

- Downriver the ramsmen have forged a pact with the towns. The Vejaka must be driven from Hoppaland so that the people should live safely. The Hoppa will not suffer the indignity of slavery to these southerners, and the fighting bands will push them as far as they are able, killing them where they should be found. These associated bands of warrior-shepherds have entered into protection contracts with the towns: in return for service on campaign the towns provide these men not only with substantial fodder and grazing rights, keeping the flocks safe and away from the fighting about the lower reaches of the river, but with a healthy payment of fine finished cloth at the close of the season.

 

[Jehoshua]

Thanks for the summary NK.

@ Iggy: Since I don't necessarily have to pick one ethnic group I'll probably focus on western Epua (the part west and south of those high mountains) with particular attention to the Hwapa/Lake continuum. Is there a particular format you like for orders, or do you just want me to outline a general direction on the thread or something like that?

 

[Lord_Iggy]

A few general ideas, or a bit of a 'report' on what is happening in the area will do well. Orders can be as simple as 'start doing X and, as populations rise, launch several migrations Y', or they can be indepth stories! If you're short on time I'm perfectly fine with very barebones stuff, but I'm always happy to see detailed contributions.

 

[Jehoshua]

The Age of the Mound Builders

-

Over time, the increasing population around Lake Huantwap'an (southern lake) and associated development of agriculture (gardens around the lake and rivers) and fishing will lead to the development of a cultural and religious continuum and hybridisation of the Hwapa and Kha'kpa cultures which shall become known as the Senshu'pa. This cultural sphere will see the advent of urbanisation in the form of villages, towns and eventually small city states ruled by a religious elite centred upon the artificial mountains (The most impressive of these begin by the end of the period to be clad in stone and carvings, though most remain of earthen construction) built originally as tombs and shrines to the hallowed dead of the community and which later in the period will become the centre of worship for the Senshu'pa deities. Burials will become stratified by class, with the revered elders and priests being mummified and set in place in shrines for public reverence, with warriors being mummified and buried in tombs, while commoners are mummified in pottery urns.

The deities that emerge in the Huntwap'an sphere, and Senshu'pa religion in general will coalesce in the form of belief in a god (Senshwe) represented by the sun and symbolising the generative powers observable in the natural world, and a god (Hosenwe) represented by the moon, symbolising the degenerative powers of nature. The hallowed dead traditionally revered in the region will increasingly take on the role of intercessors for the living, and mediators of fortune for their descendants being the prime medium through which the divine is experienced with particularly notable individuals eventually taking on divine characteristics and becoming subject of cultic worship in their own right.

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Further south, the Mountain and coastal Hwapa and Akhaba will along the coast will develop on a different path, with society remaining primarily tribal and village focussed, and religion being primarily centred upon the ancestors of the tribe and village as protectors and guardians of their living descendants. Terrace farming around these shrine fortresses will become more intricate, as will the defences of these tribal strongholds, with skill in stone working and defensive architecture improving greatly over the period as a culture of inter-tribal raiding and localised warfare develops. The warrior class will gain the ascendancy, as will an honour (and vendetta) culture which while leading to a hardy and enduring people, only entrenches local rivalries and tribal divisions.

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To the North of the region the Yoyepuo and Orepo are pushed away from the lake by the increasing population and expansion of the Senshu'pa continuum. The Orepo are increasingly a people of the northwest coast and its interior while the Yoyepuo as a people move towards the northwest coast. The Hwoho in the drylands on the other hand develop in a divergent direction, with their tribes building semi-subterranean settlements cum catacombs (a local development leading from cliff tombs), both for protection from enemies and as protection from the climate. The Hwoho by their neighbours will come to be called the Night People (Hosen'pa), because of their habit of moving outside on the surface mostly at night to cover their movements and protect from the harshness of the sun, though the people themselves will continue to know themselves as the Hwoho.