Little Empires 2

[MasterBlade]

(Hey, does anyone wanna help me recolor the white stone house in my southern village? I cant seem to get a color scheme that sticks out of the ash >.>)

[Cetus Amicus]

(Hey, does anyone wanna help me recolor the white stone house in my southern village? I cant seem to get a color scheme that sticks out of the ash >.>)

(How's this? Part of the problem is that it's right between the gray ashes and the bright spring water.)

[MasterBlade]

(Its still a little hard to see...)

(Bluh, should I just say I found limestone and make it green?)

[Cetus Amicus]

(Limestone isn't literally green though. :P)

[Palamedes]

(The Cauldron has gods and god-magic. It could be a unique stone local to it?)

[Cetus Amicus]

(True, but limestone is a real stone with real world applications. If you want to make fantastic minerals go ahead and use fantastic names, after all it would be awfully boring to find nothing in the ashland mountains but iron and copper. Mithril and adamantium are perfectly fine, orichalcum is already present.)

[MasterBlade]

(I threw in Red Beryl; rarest earth gem. Would it even be OK for me to justify fantasy metals this early on?)

[Cetus Amicus]

(Considering how much trouble you've had with finding regular ores I would say not yet. Oh, and actually scratch mithril/admantium, orichalcum will fill the fantastic metal role by itself.)

[MasterBlade]

(Well maybe not scratch it out completely. Perhaps make it region-locked so one is found in the volcano, another in the desert, etc)

[Cetus Amicus]

(Nah, I don't want a fantasy kitchen sink here. Orichalcum is the only naturally occurring fantastic metal for now. Don't expect it to be easy to extract, or refine, or just be intuitive in the least. If you think you have an interesting idea PM it to me and I might allow it if it tickles my fancy well enough.)

[MasterBlade]

(Their wiki descriptions suggest that we could use them as alloys of metals combined with orchicalculum, perhaps one of density and one of magical property. If not natural, then manmade)

[Cetus Amicus]

(That would work.)

[Cetus Amicus]

Turn Forty One

The winds shift, blowing to the northeast.

AUTOPILOT - Renidab: A couple of caravans settle down in the western camp and start building homes, while the rest journey to the main settlement. The pioneers begin constructing a ranch at the north wall of the main settlement, complete with stables and a pig sty. Sheep and pigs are released into the ranch to graze while it's under construction. Mining is hard work, and the rock yielded should make sturdy walls, traces of iron are found and the miners dig deeper.



The gods are convening again to discuss mortal affairs. The judgement is coming.

[chimericWilder]

Soon enough, the revelries end, for, as Jared had said, there was still much to do. Of course, more marath keep coming from the outlying settlements, each looking for their blessing.

High Priest Char gathers up several promising tribesmen. It was long enough that their people had gone without more than a single priest dedicated to the sun god, and so Char would teach a handful of new priests. Everyone in the village knew the basic sun rites, ofcourse, as well as a handful of stories related to the sun god, but there was far more to being a priest than either of those things. But he would also teach them - and himself - pyromancy, using strict discipline and control to harness this new power granted to them.

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Priests should also double as mystics, i assume.

First, though, he asks Calde to survey the new hotspring lake and, if necessary, take measures to make certain it doesnt flood them during the next rain. He also asks Jared to pursue any beneficial building project he might have in mind.

Calde, his work with the glass shards now complete, has little to do besides investigate the lake. Instead of personally investigating the lake, he sends his workers to do so, while he returns to his workshop at the western oven. He begins tinkering with other ways to utilize glass.
The workers hardly know anything about water or rain, but they slither along the banks of the lake, trying to gauge how much more water would cause it to overflow and how to do anything about that. They're not exactly experts on either of those fields.

Jared organizes the construction of a watchtower to stand vigil over the ashlands to the west. Their people had a few stories of the horrors that lurked there, and though the heat of the place was welcome, they had never ventured far into that barren wasteland, mostly for fear of divine retribution. After all, what else but the sun gods' wrath could have reduced the place to such conditions?

[Bramzter]

"What you say is absurd and gives your leadership the reputation of arrogance it is rumored to have. Denying us passage into lands just because you claim to have claimed them, even if you considered the land a zone of intrest does not automaticlly mean that the land is automaticly yours. even more insulting the the fact that you try ordering others around.

As for our scouts i do not think its in your capablity to know what they are equiped or not equiped with and we clearly see trough your bluff. We have nothing more to say and will continue our orignal journey, And unless you want to attack unarmed citizenry and start a incident or more.

We advise you to spare your military for other more 'reasonable' uses."

With that the caravan began to move. The Yarlians looked concerned about something, The tales they heard from the spiderling hunters were disconerting in the least..And they wouldn't want to linger within even more hostile crowds.

[Palamedes]

Ekard looked back over the hills, where some of his fellow soldiers were guarding the clearing and construction of a new outpost of sorts right below the floodplains lake. Since his meeting with Tavi, he had proven an apt translator, even learning some of the snakeman... sorry, Yarlian, tongue. As such, he was sent ahead with a colonist delegation to the hills to try and contact the natives as soon as possible, so they would know the Waykarians came in peace.

When they reached the highest hill in the area, a smoke signal was put up to attract the snakemen's attention. The rest of the soldiers (and Ekard had to admit, he himself) were worried about their reaction. They hadn't seen so many creatures at one time, the most ever being Haile and the two Yarlian soldiers sitting in the lake, and most nervously played with their rifles.

Meanwhile at the bridge to the wastelands, the colonists split themselves between improving the passing and setting up defensive fortifications on each side. To their north, the abandoned village was quickly repaired to proper Waykarian standards, and the mine was explored.

Speaking of mines, back in the main colony a strange metal was found deep in the hills. It was slightly reflective as well as extremely light and mallable. However, they also found it was also suprisingly sturdy all things considered (though not nearly as much as say, iron). Immediately a decent amount of it was mined and sent back to the surface for investigation.

Finally, some colonists and a small detachment of soldiers began travelling back towards the mesa, with a plan in mind.

[Palamedes]

The colonist looks at the Yarlian, confusion evident on his face.

"We are letting you pass, we never forbid you from doing so in the first place. We just wanted to let you know so you didn't say, try to establish a colony right in the middle of our current towns and outposts. You can try to spin my words if you want, but do please try to do better then that.

As for your scouts, please do not imply we are blind. We saw your men running past our town and outposts.

It seems you are not interested in niceties or kindness, so I will no longer waste our time."

As the Yarlian's leave, the colonist walks back to the soldiers, and they ask him what the hell was going on.

"They say we are bluffing and blind when we pointed out their armed scouts, denied us any right to our claimed land, and were generally insulting towards us. They seem more interested in hypocrisy and calling us fools then actually talking in a civilized way."

One soldier scoffed. "Figures, god damn snakes. For being 'civilized' they sure do act like the adders back home."

They laughed. Another soldier, and officer, suddenly interrupted.

"You know, I have an idea... What say we do some exploring?"

[chimericWilder]

A passing tribesman gets quite a shock as he spots smoke rising from the hills on the other side of the lake. Could the plains have caught fire? He remembered hearing stories of that happening, and such a thing was anything but good. He immediately went looking for aid, and soon met Sari the hunter. Explaining what he saw, the tribesman anxiously awaits Sari's response, who has gone silent.

"Gather a few others, we'll see if we can deal with this. Perhaps it will prove to be nothing important, but it is not often you see smoke in the sky. Go, now."

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I assume the smoke signals are being made at the cliff to the right?

[Palamedes]

Edited the map to put some smoke by where my guys are waiting. Here is a closeup as well.



When the snakemen send a small party to investigate, some of which are armed, many ready for battle. Tewn, one of the colonists with them, manage to calm them down as per so they don't break Ekurb's orders, giving Ekard some time to slow the creature's approach to something more friendly.

As the snakemen come near enough to see the colonists, the smoke suddenly stops, the fire supplying it extinguished. Nervously, Ekard waves at them to see if they'll respond.

[Raziel]

With the new knowledge of metalsmithing in hand, Viry and Zuvir walk home, talking about what to make with all of the metal they have found.
"Well, for one, the arakhs should be upgraded to metal, as well as our digging tools."
"Ooh, I've got an idea for what we can make!"
"Really, what is it?"
"It's a surprise"
The second they got back to the village, a forge was set up, for some rough metal smithing. The yralians had shown them coal, and provided them with some, but they had seen some in the mines, thinking it just rock. He informed the miners, and they went right to mining some of this "coal" from the mine. Viry and Zuvir each got to work on their projects. Viry made an arakh, while Zuvir made..
"Is that what I think it is?"
"Yep!"
"Thats genius! One of those can take down anything!"Zuvir had smithed an arrowhead. A broadhead to be specific. Almost 2 inches wide, and just as long, it weighed a bit more, but could punch through almost anything, as well as do more damage when it hit. They could hunt even bigger animals now, and defend themselves better when the time came.

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Work in the mine continued, those know they were searching for this coal as well as metal.

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Yuri had done it. She had found Cirus, and was attempting to talk with him now.

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Tavi and Anara, hearing about this new Broadhead arrow, began training the tribe on how to guide this new arrow. They all came and went as they pleased, practicing with this new arrow, and with the average skill level, they could shoot much further, even with the heavier weight on the end. Tavi and Anara also begin going through the tribesfolk trying to pick a few to go and join Osha and Kefri.

[Raziel]

Yuri suddenly wakes, and runs to Tavi and Anara. Anara was out hunting though, so she spoke with Tavi. "Cirus.. spoke with.." She started, out of breath.
"Whoa, slow down. Catch your breath."
After she catches her breath, she speaks again.
"I spoke with Cirus. He says that there are 13 other gods, and I spoke with one of them briefly. He goes by The Moon. They both had to leave for somthing they called the judgement."
"Yuri, this is great, but don't tell others about this, until you've spoken with them a bit more."
"Okay Tavi," she replyed, more than willing to keep this a secret for now.

[MasterBlade]

The Grand Hive eagerly awaits the return of their workforce from the summit temple. Their tardiness worries the grand Elder, thinking the spirits may have some requirement keeping them there. Unable to spare even a scout, she simply waits for news. The walls of the hive are built up further, solidifying their defences. A gate is built in the west, and the walls grow higher in the east. They should be completely renovated next turn. The western settlement also works on its walls, creating a gate to the south.

The southern hive receives the arrival of an escaping oracle and questions her presence here and not at the temple. Her story leaves the villaagers agape. They, having nearly lost their elder and future, chastise the notion of the Archanae living without their presence. Furthermore, the scene at the temple disgusts them. They would be marching if there hive wasn’t defenseless iself. All they can offer the oracle is sanctuary for the time being while they inform their elder of the situation.

The oracle kneels before the western spring. She prays to the water goddess for forgiveness to her people’s transgressions ad to not abandon them over the slaughter in her house.

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The rebels of Blackheim sense a time of reckoning upon them. Without an elder, however, they will not be able to hear the will of the gods. This alone could lead the grand hive to learning secret weakness, or they fail to learn theirs. There wa too little time to kidnap and break an elderling, and even then would require a walk back to the traditions they were trying to shatter. The issue is discussed and it is decided they will have to make their own avatar to the grand spirits.

The corpse of a slaughtered elderling is retrieved from one of the piles around the forge. With spirit gone and body empty, she would make a suitable shell for possession by a god’s messenger. To increase her viability in this purpose, she is encased in iron refined with the blood spilt from their massacre. While lacking in the spirit of the elder, the magical essence of the blightcap mushroom surges through the entire creation they had built, a power comparable to the Grand Elder herself. She is finished with the placing of Blood Emeralds in her eye sockets to signify the great sacrifices of past and present represented in the avatar.

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The Dread Sentinel is born of this effort. In life she served the spirits of the archanae. In death she will bring them word from the gods themselves. She is placed in the center of the temple, then circled around as the heretics wait for their judgment.

[Bramzter]

Archanae Slaughter Grimdark fest

[MasterBlade]

Spiders can be very scary people when not following the wisdom of their elders. Remember- a drone archanae is a nonmurderous archanae!

Incidentally, this is the point where if it were a boiware RPG, one person would come over to help the light side or the dark side of the force archanae people. Otherwise Ill just duel them off till something tips the scales.


All this blood sacrificing better get my rebel faction a death god or something. Seriously, this shit is going to haunt my nightmares >.>

[Palamedes]

Incidentally, this is the point where if it were a boiware RPG, one person would come over to help the light side or the dark side of the force archanae people. Otherwise Ill just duel them off till something tips the scales.

Just what I was thinking. Don't worry, I got dis (soon).