>>453583
It might be best to follow Assur's Directions.

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>>453610
Ajax rallies the people, reminding them all of Assur's direction, to go to where the sun dies to be reborn. It is decided that the people will travel along the river, as they have never done before, and work begins on the vessels. Severeal trees are felled, and sawn into planks as quickly as the people can work.After a week or so of squalor, the tribe is eager to return to work, your people ever focused on construction and artistry in work. In the end, there are only two boats, long galleys, driven by rowing, with one deck and one large cabin on each, to act as barracks and store-rooms. Ajax heads the small fleet, and as your people lack any children, all can row.

The crafts travel quickly downstream, through the endless jungle, your people feeding themselves with simple fishing, eating the large, cumbersome river fish roasted and unadorned, and drinking only from the river. Life is unpleasant and hard, as hours are spent rowing, fishing, or sleeping, with no-one able to rest for any tangible amount of time. The jungle thins and shifts occasionally, turning to birch, oak, or sometimes marsh, and the sounds of the familiar jungle shift with them, the shrill shrieks of Mandrill packs replaced by roars and barks. After a few more weeks, a small range of strange, stone figures loom in the distance, something your people have never seen, Mountains.

As you travel, the trees thin further, and your people are amazed to see a land completely without trees, swarming with massive animals, elephants and troupes of apes, the Savanaah. They come to a stop for a short while in this rich land, establishing a small camp, eating the common fruits of the area, scaring off the beasts with fire. The land is fertile and rich, as the river flows, but it seems to lack much ore of any kind. The beasts are many and huge, some seeming docile, others less so.

>Shall you make camp here, in this alien Savanaah?
>Or Shall you continue along the river, which seems to pass alongside the upcoming mountains.

I have to pop out to buy camping equipment, I'll be back ASAP.

>>453665
Pass the mountain. If nothing promising is ahead we can always turn back

Also post link to here in last thread

Alright, I'm back.

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The fleet leaves camp, enriched by the rest and food, and the tribe returns to it's rowing. It seems to have a therapeutic affect on them, with the loss of the past months dissipating through exhaustive hard work, the tears seeming only to be sweat and eventually fading. There is no prayer, but it has become custom to thank Assur for allowing the people to fish successfully, and for overcoming obstacles. As the river flows on, the Savannah becomes a desert, the banks of the river forming a fertile plain, a watering ground for all manner of desert creatures, who have to be fended off with javelins.

Before long, the desert too falls into the background, and then the river flows down through a small ring of red rocks and mesas, the dirt turning to clay and the trees to scrubland. This patch of badlands makes way to the foothills of the mountains. The hills themselves are huge and remarkable, as herds of animals swarm like distant locusts. The mountains loom like the bottom of a great beast's maw, their peaks seeming sharp, and the great slopes of snow utterly alien to all of you. Your people pass through a mountainous valley, seeing in it some of the great mineral wealth of these mountains, even if they are infertile farmlands.

The boats round the mountains, and before them is a breathtaking site. The mountains loop around on either side, like the edges of a bowl, reaching their end with a sight so utterly unknown that it brings even Ajax to gasp. A great expanse of water, stretching off into the unending horizon. The river flows down towards this massive expanse of ocean through a great expanse of grassland, dotted with small forests. It all looks so small from so far away. The grassland, even more surprisingly, is dotted with small, visible pillars of smoke, with some small buildings visible.

It seems that, along with all manner of massive herding creatures, there are people in this place. You can either go back, or you can go forward, down the river towards the delta, where the river meets the ocean, or return to any of the place you've formerly been, but the choice is to be made now.

>Where does the tribe settle? The Populated Grassland Delta, The Badlands, The Mountains, the Savannah, or somewhere else?

>>453855
Settle on the shore of the river in the populated area. Keep a respectable distance from the other clans so that they do not take us as hostiles. Start building huts and start a farm.

Slow day. Guess most of Europe isn't back from work yet and America is still asleep.

>>453853
>Populated Grassland Delta
The other tribes have to make way for us!

>>453900
>>453892
Your people sail down the river, clambering out of their boats in a small area of delta-grassland, near to a small forest. Your people set to work quickly, disassembling the boats and using them to build a few small huts. Trees from the forest are felled, and soon a small village has been born. Ajax is unilaterally elected as Chief, and his first orders are to begin farming once again. Rows after row of turnips and barley lie outside of your new village, and the first few bloomeries are appearing. Their smoke is a gentle message to the surrounding tribes, alerting them to you.

For the moment, you have nothing much to trade, and few resources, but it seems the river bank is both immensely fertile, and rich in impure copper. The nearest pillar of smoke in the sky is a short while away from the small village, inland from the river.

>Back to Rolling.
>What do you do?

>>453910
Prospect for copper/iron deposits and begin to renew our trade.

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>453918
Forgot to roll

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>back to rolling
Oh boy. Here we go again.
Start felling some large trees build a wall with a gate and at least 2 towers in oposite sides of the wall. If posible make a secret escape gate to the river in case we need to flee again.

>>453922
So I just found out greentext doesn't work on my phone. How embarasing.

>>453919
This seems erily familiar

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>453910
Go to the small village, meet and greet and if they're too small to fight back, we'll conquer them.

>>453929
Did you read the last thread? We are in no shape to fight anyone right now.

>>453933
ok, then we'll just engage in diplomacy and prevent them from attacking us.

>>453936
That is a lot more reasonable.

>>453922
>>453929

Ajax's first order of business is a solid defense, organizing a troupe of workmen to go with him, axes in hand, and begin hacking into the nerarby forest. It is a warm and welcoming place,dappled with sunlight and small, gentle creatures, unlike the brutal jungle. The trees are squat things,easy to chop, and they hold abundant dates, figs and nuts. Your hardened workmen enjoy themselves as they hack down a few trees, roll them back to the village, and set about hacking them into posts suitable for a palisade. It takes a few weeks, but the palisade is constructed around the small outcropping of land that makes up the village, backing onto the river, where some shorter "sea walls" defend the rear. Two watch towers are constructed just outside of the perimeter to defend the farmland, though they are cared for by the farmers, who are not armed as of yet.

After a while, things seem to have calmed enough for your people to go on a diplomatic mission. Ajax puts on his best ceremonial clothing, light elephant leather with exotic coloured markings made from flowers, his face painted with dyes, bearing no weapons. With him he brings most of the tribe, attempting to show off the entire tribe and to pass it off as only his retinue, vastly overblowing your numbers as you approach the nearby tribe. He is met at the edge of the woods by a group of huntsmen, armed in light leather and copper armour with bows vastly better than anything our people may craft, but only very primitive axes and spears, and no shields. They establish a tentative accord with your tribe, speaking the same tongue, if heavily accented, and Ajax is permitted to enter the village.

It is a bustling place, protected by the forest around it, and Ajax estimates a population of around two hundred or so, dwarfing your village. They do not seem to possess advanced bloomeries, and have no large domesticated animals, farming only roots and rye, a type of barley wheat that is alien to your people. Their chieftain is an old, wisened man, bearing himself with the commanding modest of an experienced leader.

Ajax relays to the old man the tale of the tribe, and the Old man tells him that his tale is not atypical. Many tribes flee the wrath of the jungle for better pastures, more refugees stream into the valley every year. He says that Ajax is one of very few pure-bred humans he has seen outside of his own tribe, and tells tales of the vast tribes of ape men across the massive plains. He seems to have something of an accord with his counterpart, the old wise mentor and the young, decisive warrior fitting well together. He offers simply enough, to hide your tribe for a few years, to conceal you from the larger ape tribes until you can rebuild, in exchange for a supply of food, and a promise of allegiance. "It is better for us to stand against the apes than against each other. They are not savage, but they are dangerous"

>Do you accept his offer?

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>453942
If you promise to come to our aid when the apes attack we will give you what food we can. But until an attack comes we are just giving you food for a promise. Perhaps you could spare some of your bows for our people to hunt and defend themselves as a gesture of sealing our deal?

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>453942
Challange him to mortal combat for leadership of the tribe. Ajax is far stronger and has a greater right to rule, his people will not be exploited for their misfortune.Our arms are superior and our men though few in number are superior.

>>453966
What?

No, Seriously, what? Why? None of you are armed except Ajax, they outnumber you four to one, and they're hardly exploiting you. They're offering to protect your tribe from raid until you're capable of defending yourself once again, in exchange for your excess crops. If you want to do this, you can, but he's not going to fight you personally. He has heirs and champions to do it for him, and it's not likely to work.

>>453969
Ajax fights the elder, the winner rules the two tribes. You heard me. Ajax bows to no man, he bowed to the gods once, no more. (fits his personality).

>>453977
Not really. He fights for his people and does what it takes to protect them. Starting a war would do the oposite. And yes Ajax could kill the elder... becouse the elder is a frail old man. Killing him will only start a war that 4 to 1 we can't win. And consider that we are just out of a calamity so we aren't exactly armed for war either.

>>453977
Please no. We can't die out yet. A few threads down the line we can try something borderline suicidal. But not yet.

>>453977
He's not bowing, he's making an agreement. If you really want him to conquer the world alexander style, at least let him wait until the tribe is strong alone, rather than having his population multiply by four, with almost all of it despising him for murdering their elder.

>>453992
When even the QM says something is a bad idea you listen.

>>453966>>453977
>>453988
>>453990
>>453992
ASSUR WILLS IT!!!!!!

>>453962
Isn't diplomacy d20?

>>454001
It is,
>>453962
Please reroll the diplomacy roll as a d20

We can now vote on the issue of war. Please connect all votes to this post.

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>454008
No war

>>454008
Let there be peace in our time.

>>454008
Even I don't want war, crafty shit or nothing.

>>453942
Can't we simply combine our tribes? Ajax will be made leader after the old leader dies, win for the Humans!

>>454054
I like this better than being big tribes grocery bitch

>>454054
Perhaps you can try to convince them of that, but tribalism is strong,it'll take a while of good relations, and you're not in a good bargaining position

>>453942
We'll accept.
>>454060
>tribalism
Everyone is somehow related to everyone else, which creates strong bonds? That makes sense. Well, we better improve our relationship and trust with them then. Or the non-human apemen will kill us all!

>>454040
>>454027
>>454025
Ajax negotiates with the old man for a short while, and a deal is reached. Your tribe will allow the larger tribe to trade with you for food, and in exchange you will receive five years of protection from the ape tribes, along with a bow made in this tribe's pattern, allowing you to replicate their design. Ajax's delegation return home safe in the knowledge that they will not be harassed by the ape tribes for a good few years. Now, you have time to rebuild, to re-construct what once was had, and to reform your society. Some cross contamination will occur, as some of the other tribe, or wanderers, join with your tribe, increasing your numbers. Your people are unlikely to migrate away due to their unique experiences.


>Population: 45 (20 Males, 19 Females, 6 Children)
>Notable Citizens: Ajax, acting chieftain who leads the tribe unopposed.
>Military: Ajax and the farmers patrol the tribe's home, watching out over watch towers and from the palisade wall.
>Technology: Primal Iron Age.
>Magic: Basic Ritual Magic
>Structures: Small Village, Palisade Walls, Simple Farms, Bloomeries, Watch towers.
>Religion: The people revere Assur as their defender and Messiah.
>Quality of Life: The people live, as they used to, in small houses, half dug into the ground and reinforced with clay taken from the river. People eat a simple agrarian diet, supplemented by nuts, dates, figs, and some hunted meats such as gazelle. Food is an artistic craft, as all other works, and as such many varied dishes are eaten. Most are farmers, some are smiths, and a precious few are woodworkers.
>Culture: The People follow the examples of Assur and Ajax, focusing on being exemplars of their crafts, making the best items they can in the knowledge that only by their personal hard work can the tribe survive. Some see this valley as a gift from the Divine Assur.

>What now?

>>454077
I feel I haven't explained this properly, and it was a long while ago so I'll go over it again: Magnan created Humans. He then proceeded to unleash them into the mad, magicaly saturated world, causing massive amounts of mutation. The apes are devolved humans, while some have evolved further, or become stronger, taller, or something.

>>454082
Does the old man have any female relatives we can marry off to Ajax ?I feel like that's a pretty solid way to gain their favor and look at fusing the tribes down the line.

>>454082
>bow
Nice, good bows are precious!
>>454088
>marry
Yes, good idea. Strengthen our alliance by marriage. They can't betray us if family bonds exist, right?

>>454085
>Magnan
So pure Humans don't like or dislike the apemen? Because they know they're related?

>>454082
Can we get our woodworkers to produce these bows? Shooting from our watch towers in case of trouble seems ideal... plus improved hunting.

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>454082
Replicate some bows and have 2 bowmen in each tower at nighttime as night guards and 1 in each tower during the day as lookouts. When we have more people we can devote more people to defence, but right now infrastucture is demanding more manpower.
Ajax gathers a party and goes out hunting, exept they don't kill the animals if it can be helped. Instead they bring them home alive for domestication and breeding and only kill them if it looks like bringing it alive could endanger the lives of someone. Any animal that could be deemed useful is viable. Cows, sheep, pigs, horses, etc.

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>454082
Explore? A map of our location would be nice too.

>>454092
It's a little like the relationship between civilized people and barbarians.
>>454088
The old man has three sons and two daughters, and his eldest son has a daughter too, though she is much younger.

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>454101
Arrange a betrothal between the grand daughter and Ajax upon her coming of age. Offer the family a dowery of finely crafted copper items as bride price.

>>454110
The dowry comes from the bride's family, not the other way around - or are our tribes' traditions different?

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>>454100
An expedition for exploration is established, Ajax heading it as ever, out into the Savannah. The land is as usual, for miles all around, consisting of massive patches of grassland, dotted with acacia trees and herds of gazelles. Elephants wander, lions hunt, leopards prowl, nature is as it should be. There are small patches of trees in some patches of the land, usually small, squat things, baobab's and a few squat birch like trees on the riverside.

From the grasslands, a few notable animals are found, small, docile pigs which are penned and farmed outside of the village, along with herds of large cows, which are likewise brought in to be farmed. Meat is back on the menu, it seems, and the people happily enjoy higher quality food.

Ajax travels back to the larger tribe to meet the old leader once more, bringing with him many examples of fine copper craftsmanship, a good few crafted in his own hand. He offers the copper items, along with a few heads of cattle, in exchange for the hand of the chief's granddaughter. This is accepted, on the grounds that Ajax's sister, Helea, marries the Chief's third and youngest son when his granddaughter reaches maturity. Ajax leaves the town with his betrothed in tow, a girl of her ninth year. She is friendly enough, confused, but quiet. She quickly becomes the darling of the tribe, and she is quartered in a small apartment in Ajax's house, looked after by his attendants.

>>454110
Isn't the dowry usually offered BY the familly of the wife to the husband? I forget how this works.

>>454133
It tends to be whoever wants to marry more. If a poor man wanted to marry a rich woman, he'd need to pay for her, and vice versa. If the man pays for the woman, it's a bride price, otherwise, it's a dowry. The common folk generally trade, both a dowry and a bride price. The groom gives, say, some copper, and the bride perhaps gives a cask of beer.

>>454134
>granddaughter
What's her name?
>Meat
Nice! Do we already have better bows?

>>454140
Thanks for explaining!

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>454134
Explore in another direction. Look for fast ridable animals that we could use to outmanouver the apemen in case of an attack.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>454134
Celebrate the betrothal of the chief with a feast, uncork the best barrels of ale and stick a pig on a spit. It will raise everyones spirits and if the drink does it's job we should have a population boon in about three seasons.

>>454146
Mounted archers or archer chariots would be sweet if we end up fighting guys with clubs that we can put down at a distance while being fast enough that they can't catch up to us. Just ride circles around them while filling them up with arrows.

>>454153
Nice. +1

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>>454144
Her name is Sera. Your tribe is being referred to by the other tribes as the Assii (Pronounced Asheye. Assur is pronounced with an sh, by the way). The forest tribe are the Mazdii.

>>454146
You explore into the large grasslands, searching for more animals, eager to harness the speed of the gazelles. They are disappointed, unable to properly catch any of the majestic gazelles, but they gradually settle for another, slower creature, that resembles a more lithe auroch, with long, ringed horns, just about one and a half times as big as a man. These creatures are very rare, but a breeding pair is found and penned. They cannot yet be ridden, as your people lack any sort of equipment for it, but still they serve as important status symbols for very rich farmers, and of course, for Ajax. Soon, Bek breeding has become an art as everything else is, and the use of the long antiquated language to catalogue mating brings back literacy.

One evening, after the sun has fallen below the mountains but before the stars have fully awoken, a feat is held. The nobility of the Mazdii are invited, and the two tribes unite together around a spectacular mountain of artistry, in food, drink, furniture and enjoyment. The Assii put on a supreme show, urging the livestock to stampede in such a manner as to produce circles, a technique learned from the old Aurochs, and adapted towards with the magic still held by the people. These impressive stampedes, along with the haze of a bonfire, and the smell of crackling pig skin, bring the Mazdii in, and the feast holds them there.

Many of your people are skilled singers, taught by years of petty druidisim in their daily lives, and beautiful songs accompany the merrymaking. Three whole pigs and a cow have been slaughtered, more than enough, to show the tribe's prosperity, and all three are spit-roasted over an ash fire. The salt of the sea is used to add crunching to the pork crackling, and rich slices of rye-bread are used to mop up excess juices. Every person at that feast receives first a chunk of rich, salted and meat flavoured rye bread, accompanied with rich slices of aromatic crackling, then with slice after slice of beef, copious amounts of rich, frothing barley bear and massive amounts of fresh, steaming hot pork.

Once the first layers of meat are eaten, rich stews and soups are served, comprised of long roasted bones, giving time for the organs to be diced and cooked, along with rich root vegetables, herbs and spices to produce soups. After these soups are drained, the night flows on into alcohol, with the two tribes mingling more and more as adventurous Mazdii sneak in to eat. Soon, more than a hundred people are together in singing and revelry.

These people have had hard lives, none more than your people, and this moment of joy is immensely therapeutic.

Cont.

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The night does not seem to wind down. Under the stars, barley beer is drunk by the mug, as the people revel in themselves, and revel in one another. By dawn, many a new flame has been kindled, even as the bonfires are put out, and the food is salted for storage. The Mazdii return home with gifts of meat and drink, in return giving over a good number of wives, and agreeing to send over any young boys born as a result of the party, so they may be taught and grow up among their fathers. Along with the wives come bows, arrows, and friendship. Many have begun farmsteading in the land between the two tribes freely, trading with ease. The accents have become a novelty, not a strain, and the cross pollination of culture continues. The Mazdii revere heroes as well, by chance, and it seems that the old chief has worked for so long in order to earn the reverence of his descendants.

An easy coexistance reigns, and the people rejoice.

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>454232
Nice. What now?
I'm thinking start a mine. Any ore we find, we try out. Experiment with them, meld some of them together. You know experiment with metals. The magicaly capable of our tribe can atempt to help with the mine by moving the earth. That should speed things up.

>Population will increase dramatically about a year from now, the children will be a strain, but it is likely that the Mazdii will do the best to help their children as we help ours. It is already predetermined that, so long as the old man's first son has no more children, the tribe will fall to Ajax, and it is possible that, if Ajax is vigorous enough when it comes to it, her can claim the inherit both tribes when Sera's father dies, unless he himself is usurped.

>What do you do now?

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>454232
Build a road between the villages. Strengthen our bond even further.

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>454217
can we build some proper boats and start sailing off shore to explore around the coast? Also we aren't even eating fish yet.

>>454260
>build some proper boats >eating fish
Good idea. We have access to a forest.
>>454250
>road
The long game: Merge the tribes, yes!

>>454250
A simple dirt road is treaded out by a caravan of carts, running from the gate of your small town to theirs. It is a simple thing to do then to dig a slight ditch and to fill it with a solid layer of dried clay. The small clay road serves it's purpose, but will require maintenance every two or three seasons, or until it can be upgraded to stone, once you have a quarry available. In the mean time, the trade of goods becomes far faster, with labourers transiting daily from their town to yours and vice versa for work.

>>454260
A few more boats are constructed, first to fish in the river, and then a larger vessel to explore in the uncharted delata bay. The delta is surrounded by a thick layer of fertile mud, but it's vast expanse contains a few islands. You sight three or four large camps of ape men dotted around the delta, like pock marks of huddled clay on the landscape. Some of the ape men are almost human, some are more ape than man, and some stand so imposing and massive that you are scared to approach them. These giants seem to congregate at the opening of the estuary, and they present a terrifying foe, even when armed only with stone and bone. The ocean is expansive, but the great tides rebuff you from further expansion. A great many islands sit a few miles further out, pillars of smoke rising from them indicating settlements.

Fish makes a welcome addition to your diet, with nets being cast to capture the shoals of large river fish. They are large and competed for, as crocodiles and hippos wander the delta too, along with a few very odd creatures, looking as if man shaped, but still swimming like fish, with the faces of crocodiles. These creatures are sighted very rarely, and a few fanciful sailors suggest that they dwell in the reed shrouded islands of the delta. They are called Merrow.

>What now?

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>454327
Are the ape men in dozens? Hundreds?...Thousands? Give me an aproximation.
As for what next. Atempt catching some faster riding animals. Use the ones we have to herd them by ambushing them from several locations at once. Lay some snares and non lethal traps to herd them into. Breed them. Equip them for riding. Have capable people start practicing horseback archery. Build some chariots and practice archery from those maybe?

>>454327
The road gives them a daily reminder about our tribe's craftmanship.

>massive [apes]
Can we shoot them with superiour bows? Seems like we can subdue some lone ape tribe on a small island.

>>454327
We have watch towers and a pallisade, next is a wooden castle. The whole tribe can fall back there if we get attacked.

>>454382
This. We are making more of those better bows right?

>>454385
Seems like that would be very susceptible to fire though. I dunno. Maybe we should think about starting that quarry? Make our keep from stone?

>>454327
Work on getting beks to draw carts/ plows

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>454409
roll

>>454382
The individual tribes consist of around 100-200 individuals. The giant tribe numbers around sixty. You can see countless smoke pillars, and you have no comprehension of how many ape men there are, even between you and the Mazdii's territory and the delta.

I hate to say it, my friend, but horse archery is one of the most ridiculously complex and difficult things you can do in warfare. It requires a level of technology that is beyond you to be effective. You haven't got composite bows, the saddle, the stirrup, the bit, the bridle, nothing. You've barely started horse riding. You could have them pull carts just about, to chariots at a stretch, but very little more.

>>454385
You could do so, yes. It is likely that they would just hide in their homes, or retaliate, though their range would be highly limited.

>>454393
Yes. We still don't actually have a military, however.

>>454382
You may re-use this roll for a more possible goal, for example the invention of chariots.

>>454469
Well then I supose chariots it is then. (Scythe chariots are a stretch I take it?) I don't really understand the consept of these Bek. Would 2 of them pulling a chariot be able to out run someone who is on full sprint?

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>>454454
>chariots
War chariots! With blades at the wheels and bowmen standing in them!
>their range would be highly limited
Muahaha, shoot them from our ship, make them surrender and submit to us! Ape Overlords!

>>454454
>don't actually have a military
Draft all able-bodied men when they're not busy farming and doing other stuff, levy militia!

>>454490 >>454493
Last time we tried ruling the apes didn't end well. I like the idea of training the able bodied people in combat when they aren't busy farming though.

>>454414
Bek are easily used in a similar fashion to aurochs or cows, acting as solid, if expensive, haulers, faster than oxen but less able to drag heavy loads over tough terrain. They fit the role admirably once they have been broken in, but the stronger males need to be gelded in order to ensure rational, docile behaviour. More and more of them are rounded up from the plains, and soon herds of them are brought in to live with your domesticated animals. They lose value, but there are perhaps fourty or fifty of them now. Your livestock are multiplying rapidly, thanks to your druidic abilities and efforts towards domestication.

>>454493
>>454490
>>454488
>>454382
Alright, sweeping military reform. Bek can travel, at a run, at about 50mph, a little less than a horse. They can pull a cart at 35mph while running in pairs, or a chariot at 45mph, as they are very stocky. That's sprinting it's about fifteen mph less for an endurance run of a few miles, and less than that for a quick but endurable speed. A Bek drawn chariot would be able to utterly smash through a group of men, wheel around and attack them at a consistent pace, with enough training.

>>454575
Well to hell with the horses then. This is exactly what I want us to have. Something that we can fight the apes with dispite our small number.

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>454575
Lets start a quarry. Find the nearest place with appropriate stones for chiseling and building. Make carts to transport the stone back to the village. Lets at least start building that stone keep.

>>454575
>A Bek drawn chariot would be able to utterly smash through a group of men
Perfect, because our tribe isn't that numerous but crafty!
Everyone should be able to shoot a bow and drive a chariot!

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>>454519
>>454493
>>454490
>>454488
>>454382
As the years pass, Ajax sees his tribe and seeks to strengthen it. The forges can easily armour a small army, and your men are eager to fight. First, he sets the workmen to work on a design, a new vehicle resembling half a cart, built as an archery nest and to transport warriors. The wheels are bladed, and the vehicle, at it's completion, can hold in advance of two men, up to four if needed. Those can be archers or infantry, but at least one driver is needed, who cannot use any other weapons unless they are exceptionally skilled.

With three of these new chariots produced, Ajax draws up the able bodied men of the tribe. Thirty men. These men are split into three groups, consisting of: 20 Infantrymen, 5 Drivers and 5 Archers. The drivers are sent off to learn how best to care for a chariot, a cart, and for Beks. These men will not see much active combat, but they will need the nerve to travel fast enough to blur sight and to crush men by their sheer speed. They establish a close companionship, and the drivers spend their days racing chariots and carts between your tribe and the Mazdii.

The archers are trained in the use of your longbows to fire long, copper tipped arrows, both from a chariot and from the ground, something which takes a long while for them to learn, but which they eventually catch hold of. The archers are equipped with a longbow, three javelins and a long dagger, along with some light copper armour, a helm, and some solid boots to allow them to quickly dismount from a chariot as needed.

The bulk of the soldiery, the infantry, is armoured in copper from head to toe, though their armour has many openings to allow for the heat and for quick movement in battle. They are equipped with crested helmets, large wooden and copper reinforced shields, long daggers, long copper spears and three javelins each. Every fifth man is given command over a squad of four others, and is equipped with an axe, along with a larger copper shield, to allow for him to protect the flank of the squad. The infantry drills every week for one day, in a small area of cleared ground outside of the walls. They often practice with their counterparts among the Mazdii, and the combat experience of flag capturing and mock battles are vitally important for them.

Another test is to command the infantry to form into ranks, and to have their commander ride towards them at a gallop on Bekback, to see which soldier flinches. At first, many of the soldiers collapse to the ground and vomit from the shock, but a gradual resistance appears, and soon, your soldiers are battle ready, and almost all can traverse the battlefield on chariots. The archers are called on to drill every ten days, but must spend another of each ten days on look out duty in the towers.

I was bullshitting about speeds. A bek can pull a chariot at approximately 25mph, after doing some research on chariots.

>>454658
>25mph
Still enough to smash through our future enemies.
>Thirty men
We have too few people... do we have strong women who can join in? Maybe a line of javelin-throwing women in the back of the infantry is an idea worth pursuing?

>>454658
Nice. Guess 25 mph is still enough to outpace barefooted apemen so thats good enough for now.
Also >>454617

As the years pass? How many have pased? Is the Elder of the other tribe still alive? Are both tribes ruled by Ajax yet?

>>454701
The elder also said that tribes pass here every year or so. Did any join us? What are our current stats?

>>454701
Ajax is now around thirty, Sera is fourteen, the elder is around sixty, and has not yet died. His sons are getting impatient.

>Population: 90 (40 Males (30 Able Bodied), 25 Females, 15 Children)
>Notable Citizens: Ajax, acting chieftain who leads the tribe unopposed. He is thirty, and is soon to be married to Sera, Granddaughter of the Mazdii chieftain.
>Military: The Militia consists of all adult able bodied males, split into drivers, archers and infantry. They are well trained and equipped.
>Technology: Primal Iron Age.
>Magic: Basic Ritual Magic
>Structures: Small Village, Palisade Walls, Simple Farms, Bloomeries, Watch towers.
>Religion: The people revere Assur as their defender and Messiah.
>Quality of Life: The people live, as they used to, in small houses, half dug into the ground and reinforced with clay taken from the river. People eat a simple agrarian diet, supplemented by nuts, dates, figs, and some hunted meats such as gazelle. Food is an artistic craft, as all other works, and as such many varied dishes are eaten. Most are farmers, some are smiths, and a precious few are woodworkers. Trade is constant, and Mazdii workers often help with harvests. The people intermarry often. Fishing has brought new food, which is cooked with similar artistry. The men take great pride in their soldiery and their crafts, and the women take pride in their crafts as the men do. Children are raised semi-communally, to revere Assur and the community.
>Culture: The People follow the examples of Assur and Ajax, focusing on being exemplars of their crafts, making the best items they can in the knowledge that only by their personal hard work can the tribe survive. Some see this valley as a gift from the Divine Assur.

>What now?

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>454719
Politely talk to the elder and sugest that he handpick a succesor and step down to live out his days without the burden of rulership as the yonger generation take the burden from him. These are ancient times so sixty isn't just old. It's, well, ancient.

>>454716
Wanderers constantly join up with the tribe, telling tales of living as scavengers, but not many settle this far down the river, for fear of the Giants. You could rather easily trade with communities upriver, and if you convinced them it was safe it is likely that you could import more wanderers to bolster your populace.

>>454696
Your Women are strong, they work the same artisanal jobs as the men, Ajax did not recruit them for fear of them being unable to look after the numerous children, knowing that if all but one man dies, the tribe survives, but if all the women die, the entire tribe is gone.

Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>454658
we have gone too long without using ritual magic. Already years before it had declined disastrously from its golden point. Again use ritual arts, calling not to beasts of the earth but to the tribes own heart, seeking to draw fourth our strength. Let us mold not the flesh of bound slaves for selfish gains, but our own flesh that we may serve the tribe to our greatest potential.

>>454738
>what now
>no quarry
D...did I do bad annon ;_;

>>454746
>handpick a succesor
Yes! Alternatively, we can have an election for leader. We should be popular enough to become leader!

Can we duel the new leader for the position if it's not us?
>>454769
Yeah, a quarry and stones for our stone keep/castle would be nice.

>>454753
>easily trade with communities upriver,
We have nicely crafted things and ships to travel with, quickly trade with them! Convince them all to join our tribe!

>>454753
>for fear of the Giants
>Giants
Wait what? They mean the giant apes right? Right...?

>>454746
Tell him this not as leader to leader or as someone interested in becoming the new leader, but as a friend to a friend

>>454803
>friend to a friend
And for the love you bear his granddaughter.
Intrigue on :).

Alright I'm going to sleep. See you guys... tomorrow? If OP decides to not skip tomorrow in favor of wednesday.

>>454756
Like... Rejeneration? Super strenth? Have Ajax start the weapon X program this early on in history?
But in all seriousness we are forgeting that we have some druid magic.

>>454617
>>454769
No, no, do not be sad. You did good. Quarry time.

Ajax sends the work men out on another task, in search of a suitable wedding gift for Sera. They are to begin digging out a quarry, digging down in a stepped fashion into the stone and dredging out stone blocks to be shaped for structures. The quarry is a draw for Mazdii workers, and all of those without employment flock to this great source of labour, excavating down below the earth quickly, and dredging up plenty of stone. Some stay to work as masons, carving stone tiles, plates and goods.

But soon, the true goal is reached. Gemstones, black and shining gems that are unrivaled in their beauty. Ajax works tirelessly with these crystals, few as they are, to craft his wedding gift, forging iron intricately in his personal bloomery, winding strands of copper in with the iron and feeding ash into the mixture, resulting in a staggeringly beautiful construction. It is a ring, comprised of many winding strands of iron and copper, in colours ranging from shining green to deep orange, with a single stone of black gemstone set into the front of the thing. The entire tribe works to produce beauty, and Ajax is the exemplar.

The next day, under the light of the stars the young and blossoming beauty, Sera, is married in a short ceremony to the solid, steel faced Ajax. The two are on good terms, and the marriage proves to be a happy one.

The quarry will provide stones to any further stone constructions as you like.

Cont.

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>454867
Stone for the keep is one thing, but this gave me a diferent idea as well. Have some magicaly capable try and use some of the gems as magical foci. See if perhaps they can enhance magic. Maybe some types more than others.

>>454794
Right, Right.... Probably.
>>454756

Ajax is hesitant, but after hearing the history of the tribe, Sera pushes hard for a ritual to be performed. The tribe's women stand in a ricle around the bonfire, as the soldiers guard the walls and the riverside to ensure it's safety. In the center of the circle, Assur's skull sits in a half shattered clay pot, preserved from the homeland. His bones still lie there.

The women begin to chant, and after the chanting begins to rouse and resound, the soldiers on the wall and by the river begin to sing and cheer in the metallish melody of your tongue. Feet begin to stamp, and the magical power so long still is channelled through the community. Long dead patches of field are revitalised, fields grow, piglets rise, children who were sick heal, and soldiers with wounds are eased of their pain.

Assur grants the people the power to strengthen the soldiers, who were willing to defend the tribe even as it chanted, fighting off any demon Magnan would send to follow them. Many of them feel their courage energize, their eyes shining with youth. Old men feel young, young men feel strong.

Everyone feels much better for the experience, as if they had all rested well for a few weeks, or had their burdens lifted by others.

>>454974
>Assur
Build a stone castle temple in honour of our God - and as secure place in case of war.
>>454867
>ring [jewelry]
Things to trade?

Ajax enters the Mazdii village alone, unarmed, and walks into the chieftains hut. The old man is in bed, attended to by his servants. When he sees the visitor, he dismisses them, and the wooden hut, isolated from the noise of the town, falls silent, the creaking wood under Ajax's feet the only noise, as a simple, home like aroma swirls. The old man knows he is dieing, and he beckons the young man close to him. He speaks, his words like freshly cooked bread, simple but necessary.

"You want the tribe. I see it, you may say else, but I am no fool, only a carcass. The ancestors tell me. I see iron in my dreams. I see him. I see molten metal in the sky, and I see the gods in the pit with man. You know Iron. My sons do not know him. I will not have you kill my sons. They will not give you the tribe. Tell me who I favour. Tell me why?"

>What does Ajax say?

>>455017
You can trade the gemstones as you please, once you have relations with the other tribes.

>>455029
"You love your sons like a good father does, but don't betray this love by heaping a burden on them, which is too great for them. They will fight against fate, the Mazdii will suffer and in the end, the tribe will lose.

I am the only one who can save the Mazdii from doom! I and your granddaughter will merge the tribes of pure men and gain victory over all! We will make Humanity great again!"

>>455029
>"Our tribe does not settle differences with violence. In our first carved stone we told that leaders who disagreed could find common ground. Let me talk to your sons and we will find a peaceful solution."

>>455032
>relations with the other tribes
Have to build those up, true!

>>455029
>They will not give you the tribe
If the sons won't surrender, they will all die - our chariots will mow them down!

>>455053
>first carved stone
>we will find a peaceful solution
All those carved stones are lost, taken by our enemies, the time of peace is gone. We have to bend the world to our will, with fire and sword!

>>455068
they can take our stone, but not the words we caused. Those can only be lost if we forget them.

>>455082
caused=carved

>>455029
I have seen what bickering and selfishness can bring. I have led my tribe from hell into a new life and I can say that I will do everything I can to prevent such strife from repeating. Your tribe has become my family as well now. I do not wish for my family to argue among themselves. Name me chief and I will make sure that all live a life of plenty. That our children see brighter days than we have. I will work things out with your sons peacefully. We will talk. I will convince them that the burden of leadership is less glorious than they might think. If they persist I will name them as advisors. If they still persist then they are arrogant and do not deserve to be given influence over others for they will use it for selfish reasons. Trust me to lead our tribes. Trust your sons to make the right decision.

>>455050
>>455053
"You are a good man. You love your sons, but they cannot defend your people as properly as I. My people have been lead, before in our history, by three men at a time. A Triumvirate. Perhaps such a thing would allow your sons to rule by my side? Equal."

He grins in the sly manner only an old man may, speaking in a croaking laugh

"You are an evil man, to so convince a man to give away the inheritance of his sons. I shall call them here."

In a few moments, two other men stand in the room with Ajax and the old man. Both of the old man's sons who are present are solid men, friends of the tribe and of Ajax. One of them, Cassian, is by technicality Ajax's father in law, and both are his elders. They talk with their father, reasonably, and they decide that this is the best course. Cassian and Ajax will rule, it is decided, so that Cassian may make the pretense of acting the father, who allows his son to rule as co-regent, and his brother Uskar will retire to his studies of the magical arts. The third son, Arcax, it seems, has left the tribe as many third sons do, to seek adventure in the Savannah. His life will be in the hunting of magical beasts, and the glory of death in battle.

The men in the room part as friends. Ajax will rule, in time, and Cassian will prove a good ally, a solid commander, and a skilled bureaucrat.

A year passes, and the old man dies in his bed, seventy one years old, the only person currently alive that you know of who was born before Assur. That generation fades with him, and it falls onto the next. Ajax's rule is accepted easily by the Mazdii, who quickly understand the pretext of Cassian. Sensing the shift in power, an exodus from the more dangerous border village occurs, with many Mazdii joining the settlement at the riverside, though many still remain in the forest.

>Stats incoming.

>Population: 370. I will no longer track genders and children
>Notable Citizens: Ajax, Veteran Leader and accepted supreme ruler of the united tribes. Cassian, his supposed commander, who acts as a subordinate, a man who seeks only peace and happiness for his people. Uskar, a venerable noble mage, learning to use the magic of flame and the mind. Arcax, an adventurer who seeks out great enemies to slay. He visits very occasionally to resupply, and talks to almost no-one. He is married, though they meet very rarely, the Ajax's sister Helea.
>Military: The Army consists of a militia of 110 Men, split into ten drivers, fourty archers (Mostly Mazdii) and sixty infantrymen.
>Technology: Primal Iron Age.
>Magic: Basic Ritual Magic, Orisons, Vital Magic
>Structures (Riverside): Bustling Village, Palisade Walls, Simple Farms, Bloomeries, Watch towers.
>Structures (Mazdai): Mid sized village, Palisade Walls, Bowyery, Fletcher, Rye farms.
>Religion: The people revere Assur as their defender and Messiah in Riverside, while the Mazdii generally revere admired ancestors, mostly integrating with your people.
>Quality of Life: The people dwell in single level clay and stone walled homes depending on their wealth, usually equipped with tools and crafting stations, along with simple furniture and a cooking fire. Bloomeries are sometimes integrated, but home made bow workshops are more common in Mazdii homes. The tradition of craftsmanship has spread and become more popular, with most if not all citizens working to produce the best they can, or to be the best at what they do. Competition is a part of life, as is the militia. Prayer is uncommon, but reverence is ubiquitous. Many still hunt, but most subsist on a rich, fish supplemented aghrarian diet of barley, rye, fruits, pork, beef and antelope (Bek). Life is currently pleasant enough, but fear of the ape men is common, and the borders with the great open grasslands are dangerous to travelers. Trade with the up river tribes is common, and few of them are large enough to pose a real threat or to need much respect from your now v ery large tribe.
>Culture: The People follow the examples of Assur and Ajax, focusing on being exemplars of their crafts, making the best items they can in the knowledge that only by their personal hard work can the tribe survive. Some see this valley as a gift from the Divine Assur.

>What now?

>>455136
Hows that keep coming along?
Also >>454907
Probably gonna turn in for he night. See ya next time.

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>455136
We have a promised land of harmony and plenty. Let us turn inward and hone our skills to guard against the wrath of capricious gods.

>>455165
(sigh) too late then I take it?

>>455165
I like to think of this as we have no idea how to defend from a God.

>>455136
Expand our fields for greater and greater yields, claim more land, more forest.
Build that stone temple castle and some more ships so we can trade with other tribes.

I'll do the keep roll and then conclude for the night. Tomorrow will be the last session of the week. because I'm going to Wales. Thank you for playing.

>>455163
Hang on, no-one has rolled for the keep. People have rolled for a quarry and for gem magic but no keep. Someone roll the d20, please.

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>455206
Gonna stick around till end of seshion if we're winding down for the night.

I'm having writer's block with this fortress. I can't decide what to make, it should be monumental but I don't want to make something ridiculous for three hundred people. I really don't know what to do, and how to describe something monumental without it being over the top. Give me a short while.

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>455395
I'll just roll a diplomacy check to convince Arcax to chart us the region while he is out and about. Why send out exploration partys when we already have a profesional explorer. Maybe nudge into gathering 4 or 5 volonteers to start an explorer/adventurer guild? Profesional explorers and such. You know expand the map without us having to roll for exploration every time.
And thats me for the night. See ya tomorow.

>>455418
nudge *him into gathering 4 or 5 volonters

>>455418
Arcax is eager to accept, taking whatever chance he can to get more recruits, official support, and some direction to take his wandering. A few intrepid souls join up with him, and he tells tales of the endless Savannah. According to him, the plains continue onwards for more than a month's walk along the coast, and in all of that land there are two or three human tribes, and many, many beast people. He says he has not been north, but he tells tales of monstrous things on the plains.

He says that the giants are nothing to what he has seen, that scorpion tailed lions and massive flying elephant like beasts roam in the far reaches. He tells tales of true, human like giants, not just mutants, but true giants, armoured in gold and gemstones. He seems to be correct on some counts, but few believe the tales of these Manticores and Giants.


I have saved the fortress roll, and the first update of Tomorrow will be the fort.

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>455451
Good morning. Roll for water mill after keep. We are near a river after all.

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>457088
Damn. You know what, I'm gonna roll, just to see if it will be another low one. This one is for... Let's say an Innovation into smithing.

>>457502
Well then. Who feels like becoming the Romans?

Rolled 95 (1d100)

(Let's see if it's low this time) Try to commune with Assur, who I'm presuming is the God of Iron, or something like that.

>>457502
Thats pretty vague. If OP decides to show himself, he'll probably ask for more details on what you want. Like what kind of inovation? Steel? Cast iron instead of forged? Exerimentation with alloys in an atempt to get bronze?

>>457509
*shrugs* Mate I ain't a smith, but you seem like you know this crap. You tell me, what do ya thing is a good idea

>>457508
Whoa! Slow down friend! We ain't even begun for the day and you are already rolling more in 1 roll then pretty much every roll combined in last thread.

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>457511
Okay, I'll sit here then. I'm pretty sure my luck has run out anyway. Ignore the roll. Just checking.

>>457510
Well we obviously aint getting the heat needed to actually melt iron to the point where we can cast it. Steel is something that we, in theory, are using right now, as iron ore carbonizes when it is heated using coal or charcoal. So bronze? Its an easy to work with material that should be more plentiful and more easily worked than the iron (steel) we use now since tin and copper are easy to mine and can basicaly be melted in a pot over a campfire. It's a bit more britle, but given that no one uses longswords or tempered steel arowheads so it shouldn't be a problem.

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>457514
Naw I'm just kidding. Roll away.

>>457522
I think it's getting better my friend!

>>457520
>>457508
>>457502 >>457520
The List

OP has abandoned us.

>>457569
have faith, we've gotten to the second thread and survived multiple near wipes. Pretty sure this is going for the long haul.

Rolled 41 (1d100)

I wonder if Magnan has lost all his power and Assur is throwing him around the place.

>>459949
Nope, he's still going strong. The prick.

>>459953
OP may or may not have been murdered by Magnan.

>>462700
Nah he's out exploring. He'll be back in another half a week or something with an expanded map.

>>462795
But... But... Exploring is never good. Not once have we successfully explored without some sort of disaster.

>>464033
Exactly. It always go bad so he went out himself. He's the hero we need.

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Never fear, Magnan has not yet claimed me. On my travels in the distant lands of Wales, I've written up a post for the fortress.

>>462795
Ajax now more than ever feels the need to leave his mark on the world. He is married, and it is likely his wife will soon be with child, and he is very suddenly overwhelmed by the lure of paternity. For the sake of safety, for his children and his people, he decides to construct a fortification, one unmatched on the plains, one that a giant could not destroy. First, he orders that one working season be used to excavate the required stone. Four huge stone blocks, and innumerable smaller stones. The stones are stacked against a small hillside, between the two villages of your domain. The stone blocks are placed in a diamond, with a huge section of earth being dug away and moved to the sides of the stones, holding them in place and acting as a good source of mortar.

By the third year of construction, Ajax has overturned every stone of the site, pacing constantly through the teeming work-sites, ensuring every stone is perfect. Another year, and the huge block of stone has a steep ramp carved into it's front, as thick as a cart, connected to a heavy gate mechanism. The gatehouse takes another year, the intricate mechanisms requiring a great deal of care, heavy stone being used to heft and drop a heavy wooden gate. Then, the stone block is lined with ramparts.

Two more years of detailing are required. The great stone blocks are carved into steep ramps, ending at the high walls and crenelations of the second layer. The ramp is carved out into a tracked road, engraved with tales and legends of the exploits of the tribe. The walls themselves are carved into imposing structures, the rows of crenelations and corner towers are engraved with armoured faces. The easternmost tower has it's corners carved into the figureheads of Mankar, the west, Elias, the north, Celia and in the south, The old Mazdii elder.

As you enter the gatehouse, you are first presented with two great stone statues of warriors, bedecked in copper armour, each of them with spears raised in an arch over the path. As you proceed down the path, you are met on one side by a great long line of barracks, covering a quarter of the fortress, able to hold a hundred men in comfortable conditions. On the other, you are met with the loud, bustling set of servant's quarters, kitchens and other amenities for those within.

The real sight is in the centre, as you push forward. A courtyard of dark red stone is filled with the statues of soldiers, with Ajax in the center, borne upon a great stone chariot, pulled by three Bek stallions. Behind the statue garden stands the true citadel of the keep, a great long hall, with a tall stone tower at the far end. Within is a great dining hall and throne room, containing a large, circular table of acacia wood, surrounded by many, many chairs.

Cont.

The throne itself is crafted of fine dark stone, inlaid with black jet and iron. It's backing is comprised on the legs of a statue of Assur, who stands, one hand holding a shield, ready to defend the throne as all men should be, but with the other holding an axe, ready to drop down onto an incompetent or mad king, as the divine Assur once took command of the tribe from the incompetent leaders.

The fortress can hold, at a maximum, three thousand men, and can feed that many for a month. The great barracks feed into the ramparts, and the men within have room to train, to live, and to quarter their families. The servants who dwell within the citadel live and work both in the long set of small homes above ground, and within the base of the fortress, the four stone blocks, in carefully carved cellars and dormitories, built around the well concealed and safe quarters of Ajax and his family.

It is a masterpiece of design, and many quickly move to fill any vacancies as servants and workmen. Wells are dug, houses are built, and many people move over to the new fortress. News of the giant construction, spread by Arcax and indirectly by traders, spreads to the northern peoples, many of whom immigrate down into your lands, working as sheep herders and quickly submitting to Ajax's rule.

>>468887
HE LIVES! You have your work cut out for you. Plenty of rolls between your last post and the building of the fort in this one. And with so long passing with building the fort our stats are probably improoved. We probably have a few heirs as well now.
On a side note, how was Wales?

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>>469357
Good fun, I climbed a (Small) mountain and enjoyed the finest premier inn experience.

>>457502
>>454907
Arcax returns one dark evening, covered in exotic furs, armoured in shining, shifting coloured plates of metal, armed with a strange sickle. He tells tales beyond all imagining, of a land beyond the north of the valley, inhabited by auroch men named Yakuti who settle into their own cities, numbering beyond all else. They wield magic as if it were a simple tool, their mages launching bolts of flame to smelt their ores. They eat a strange type of grain from the mountains, and believe in a strange, smiling god named Yakut. They were amazed with the little human as he wandered into the realms, and one great chieftain of their number gave unto him a gift, a strange ore, that the Auroch Men have named Cassite, and which they use to coat what tools they have, and which supposedly resonated with their strange god's magic.

Arcax calls out to the people to bring forth a bonfire, to set it alight, and to set a full clay bloomery deep within it. He tells tales of the Auroch men, the Yakuti, using great bonfires and the wills of their mages to smelt metals, without bloomeries, and he calls to the magically skilled population to chant around the great bonfire. The people gladly obey this mystical visitor, and the great chanting sends a resonating power into the flames. Arcax pours the cassite rocks into the bloomery, and waves his hand, turning the fire a deep green, much to the amusement of the people.

The cassite smells of ozone as it melts, and the stars seem to shine brighter when the people look to them. The strange metal that is produced is almost soft, but shines like freshly cleaned iron. It is made first into a ring, inlaid with black gemstones and gifted to the greatest magician of the people, Uskar. The erudite man is almost blown away by the small trinket. It seems to amplify his own energies. Before now, a ritual would be needed to perform magic of any substance, but besides the bonfire, as the people watch, Uskar places his hands on the ground, and pulls the earth up into two shaky pillars, which he lifts clean from the ground, under great strain, before throwing them both a good few feet.

This revelation is immense, but it seems that the only source of this cassite is to trade with the far off Yakuti. Arcax has decided that he will travel along the mountains next, and he will return in another four years.

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>>457508

The night does not end with the discovery of Cassite, no, the people remain a moment, and find their attention fixed, suddenly, atop the great flame, where the stars of the sky seem to have shifted into a great figure. The air is silent, as the resonance of the celestial being burns across the Savanna. Grass is seared away, and the people feel themselves filled with the powerful ozone of magic. The figure reaches a titanic hand down, far down, sweeping across the land with an overwhelming brightness. The people stand taller, feel stronger, their bodies enriched by energy.

The celestial figure reaches down, it's massive hand scooping up the entire great bonfire, it's head held captive by the sky. The massive bonfire folds in on itself in a roiling handful of smoke and energy, the power of the very stars being imbued into the molten metal itself. There is a pause, before the smoke dissapates, and a great solid mass falls down to the ground. It takes a moment for the dust dissapates, but the people look up to see a figure made of molten metal, great rivers of shining metal dripping down from it, occasionally roiling out from it's skin to the coal and fire beneath.

The people are taken by the burning heat of the figure, their faces hot as if they were staring into a bloomery. The metal figure is plain, without features, it's physique undefined and shifting as unformed metal, it's face unseen, it's expression unknowable. The figure extends a hand, and several clumps of ore are torn from the earth around it, rippling through the displaced mud like a fish through water. The metal melds into the mass of the figure, before flowing along it's arm and forming into a fully metal staff, which he plants into the ground with a thud.

The ground ripples outwards from the impact, across the burnt grass and up into the people in the circle. Each of them hears a name, their name, in a voice that sounds as if an inevitable flow had carried it, with a tone as if air, distant, but not aloof. The mere mention of their names is almost unbearable, every figure feeling as if their true love had smiled at them, as if their hearts had been washed clean, their sins absolved, their stomachs filled. And in that moment, they know who speaks.

Assur speaks to their souls. Assur brings One Truth. Assur Asks for one question, and he will grant the Answer as he can.

>Which question is asked?

>>469506
Have he and his recruits charted anything? Extend our map a bit?

>>469647
Is the path we are taking the right one for our people to thrive?

I got nothing better. Asking for something specific to help us here and now doesn't seem like something people should ask a God when he's standing right before them.

>>469647
>He's back! He's... Oh shit son!

Is our magic born of Magnan? Must we forsake it if we wish to avoid another confrontation with him?

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>>469659
The massive expanses of Savanna, Shrubland and Mountains make up most of the area, and they are packed with beastmen tribes. You don't know much about the world west of the river.

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>>469764
Elkat was only a child, barely in his fifth year, but he was already enchanted with tales, with the stories his grandfather would tell him, of how Magnan chased the people from the jungle. He would listen for hours to the old man before rushing home to eat and to help keep the bloomeries lit. He'd always had something special about him, always an odd aloof fascination, always wanting to carry food over to Uskar, the old hermit. He didn't talk much, or to many people, but all of the other children respected him in a way that wasn't wquite usual. He'd always been well behaved, strong in constitution, and generally the model of a good child among the Assii.

He had not been part of the chanting circle, but he had seen the shining stars as they reached to earth, he saw the ash fly into the sky and he had rushed up close enough to see Assur reborn. The god had spoken to him, he had called his name. Every fiber of his being but one told him to keep still, to let the others question their god, but a single fire, the blood in his heart perhaps, told him to step forward. People gasped and tried to pull him back, as his tiny frame stepped into the disc of burnt grass. Assur looked down with his blank face, almost quizzically at the boy, dismissing his parents without a movement, before striding towards the boy, his iron frame seeming to transcend the earth in it's movements.

Assur's divine form held out a molten arm, the flameing heat of it searing the dirt as it reached for the child. His mother cried out in fear, for surely her baby would be incinerated. The people did not know what sin they had committed that Assur would take a child to die, but to their shock, as Assur began to reach for the child, Elkat's small hand reached up to grasp hold of the hand of his god. The molten iron poured down the boy's arm. The flame flowed like water across the child's form, encasing him in molten iron. Elkat did all he could think to do, and took a deep breath before the iron overtook him.

Cont..

It did not injure him, the flowing metal. It felt like home, like his father's hand on his shoulder. Elkat's eyes blinked open, and he found himself watching the stars, high above the world. He could see below him the clouds of night, beside him the writhing serpent of the moon, above him the flailing energy of the sun, like a far of jewel. But before him stood Assur, and Assur awaited the boy's question.

Hours passed on the earth, ad the tribe watched the empty space. Tears flowed as the mother mourned her child, and the people held an uneasy few moments wait. They could only hope their god would return to them with the child intact, but how could they even know what the whims of Assur were. As the sun broke the horizon, the earth surged up, and from it's beating darkness came two figures, the still roiling molten form of Assur the great god, and the form of a young man, perhaps fourteen or fifteen, certainly old enough to have his own home by the traditions of the tribe.

The young figure walked to the circle and smiled, reaching out and grabbing an old man's arm, gently easing the man towards Assur, the great god's form still standing, featureless, in the dirt. The molten hand grasped the old man, and the old man began to smile, to laugh hysterically.

"Father! Father!"

The old voice bellowed with joy. and the voice of Assur once again rang out in the minds of all.

"I have returned to you, my son, for a time, and I have given you a gift, for I miss you. The child has been chosen. His question has been answered. He has been reborn in Iron."

Elkat, the now young man, simply smiles with a transcendental air, before taking both his grandfather's and his great grandfather's hands, and easing the old man and the god into an embrace. Assur smiled to his people before embracing his ancient son, and vanishing into the ether. Leaving only the adonis like figure of Elkat, and the awe-stricken tribe.

Elkat breathes deeply and leaps into the air, befoe planting both arms on the ground. The dead grass sprouts again, and it grows in minutes the length of years. The stalks of golden grass whirl together, and Elkat forces energy into the grass. Where once Assur stood, now sits his chosen beneath a new grown oak tree.

>Elkat, Great Grandson of Assur, has been granted the gift of his power, the ability to manipulate magic independently of Magnan. His physical frame has matured a decade or so, and he quickly proves a formidable warrior. He is graceful, skilled, powerful, and in possession of the aloof disdain of a god made flesh, combined with a fifteen year old.

>Stats incoming.

>Population: 1500ish
>Notable Citizens: Ajax, Veteran Leader and accepted supreme ruler of the united tribes. Cassian, his supposed commander, who acts as a subordinate, a man who seeks only peace and happiness for his people. Uskar, a venerable noble mage, learning to use the magic of flame and the mind. Arcax, an adventurer who seeks out great enemies to slay. He visits very occasionally to resupply, and talks to almost no-one. He is married, though they meet very rarely, the Ajax's sister Helea. Along with these, the figure of Elkar, a child made into a man, a boy made into a magical mastermind, who no-one is quite sure how to deal with.
>Military: The Army consists of a militia of 250 Men, split into drivers, infantry and archers.
>Technology: Primal Iron Age.
>Magic: Assurine Magic, Cassite Manipulation.
>Structures (Riverside): Bustling Village, Palisade Walls, Simple Farms, Bloomeries, Watch towers.
>Structures (Mazdai): Mid sized village, Palisade Walls, Bowyery, Fletcher, Rye farms.
>Structures (Ajacharia): Large Stone Fortress, Barracks, Servant's Quarters, Food Supply.
>Religion: The people revere Assur as their defender and Messiah in Riverside, while the Mazdii generally revere admired ancestors, mostly integrating with your people.
>Quality of Life: The people dwell in single level clay and stone walled homes depending on their wealth, usually equipped with tools and crafting stations, along with simple furniture and a cooking fire. Bloomeries are sometimes integrated, but home made bow workshops are more common in Mazdii homes. The tradition of craftsmanship has spread and become more popular, with most if not all citizens working to produce the best they can, or to be the best at what they do. Competition is a part of life, as is the militia. Prayer is uncommon, but reverence is ubiquitous. Many still hunt, but most subsist on a rich, fish supplemented aghrarian diet of barley, rye, fruits, pork, beef and antelope (Bek). Life is currently pleasant enough, but fear of the ape men is common, and the borders with the great open grasslands are dangerous to travelers. Trade with the up river tribes is common, and few of them are large enough to pose a real threat or to need much respect from your now very large tribe.
>Culture: The People follow the examples of Assur and Ajax, focusing on being exemplars of their crafts, making the best items they can in the knowledge that only by their personal hard work can the tribe survive. Some see this valley as a gift from the Divine Assur. Devotion to Assur has made the people ever more eager to produce beauty.

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>470069
Ajax takes Elkar as an advisor alongside Cassian. Elkan takes time to instruct people in the usage of this new type of magic starting with Uskar. We encourage people to come and learn from him so that we may incorporate this magic into our daily lives unlike Magnans magic which we feared.

Also I have to say that your writing skill is improving quite nicely. The level of detail you write in now is noticably better than it was in the first thread. And considering that it was above average even then, thats saying something.

>>470173
Magic for dayyys, boy.

>>470173
Why thank you, that's really nice to hear.

>>470173
Elkar is adopted into Ajax's court, given a room in one of the towers, and provided with all of the delights of life a teenager could want. Ajax is eager to keep him distracted from any seditious thoughts.A being so powerful as he, with the power invested in him allowed to roam is dangerous, akin to allowing a flood to spread across the plains simply because one dam broke. Elkar, the adult-child he is, is perfectly happy with this system, and he gladly sets to work studying with the only mind able to properly understand his power, Uskar. The two men quickly become friends, and Uskar spends hours trying to study how exactly Elkar's power works.

After months of hard study, the two of them come upon an idea. Uskar describes Elkar's magic, in a simplified form, as follows: All living things produce a constant supply of magical energy, the type of energy tapped into by Celia, all sourced from the gods. Elkar seems to have been bestowed with so much energy that it has begun to self replicate, to produce itself. He will constantly produce an overwhelming amount of power until the day he dies. His very soul is a burning crucible, set aflame by Assur, and left to burn forevermore on it's own heat.

The energy itself can be manipulated almost at will, to perform almost any task, if the user understands what they are doing, and the element to be manipulated is present. Elkar can move earth, but only some of it, as he cannot comprehend every grain of dirt beyond a certain point. As his mental faculties expand, he will be able to manipulate more. If he were to understand exactly how ore turns into metal, he could make ore into metal at will, for example. The use of energy is both physically exhausting and mentally damaging. Elkar is exempt from most damage due to the sheer level of production within him.

Many flock to him to learn, and once the basic understanding of how magic functions is established, individuals can draw from the reserve of filtered, safe energy supplied by Elkar for their daily tasks, allowing the population to use petty magic in their lives for the sake of ease. Some use it to set nets, some use magic to remove branches from cut trees. Smiths use it to enhance the heat of their bloomeries.

Elkar's life is a simple one, but his energies benefit the thousands.

Beyond the multitudes, a small group of men and women become students under Uskar and fellow erudites, dwelling in small stone retreats. The each spend their time learning to better manipulate magical energies, and a few of them begin to generate energy in a similar fashion to Elkar. They are paragons of the virtues of the people, working constantly towards perfection in all things, in knowledge, in martial skill, and in magical power.

Magic is a part of daily life, and the Eruditiae as they are known very quickly become sought after workers, as they are capable of vast constructions easily.

>What now?

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>470424
Work towards relying less on the energy Elkar produces. The magically inclined work toward generating their own energy. Trade for cassite from the auroch men to supliment our magic so each individual can cast without needing to rely on anyone other than himself for magic.

>>470523
Trading with the Yakut is going to take an actual d20 roll to meet them, to set up a trade route, etc.

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>470544
I suppose that d100 was for the magic generation. But I can't shake the feeling that these good roles are leading up to a disaster equal to the great calamity that chased us out of the jungle.

>>470584
Let's call it that. I just rolled for "improving magic" but this works too ;)

My return has been short, but unfortunately I'm gonna have to go for the night, I need some sleep. I'm playing in a dwarf fortress succession fort Tommorrow, so probably only a few updates, but back to normal on Monday. Thank you all for your loyalty.

>>470951
Have fun, man.

>>470523
Elkar's energy is seemingly infinite, but complacency is not common in your people. Purely because he is so powerful, others try their hardest to out-compete him, to produce more power, to be stronger, to be better than the chosen one. The Eruditiae work hard on the project of self power generation, developing more and more sophisticated understandings of the functions of magic as they work. They are capable of producing massive amounts of energy, but none of them is capable of producing enough energy to generate any significant amount.

The Eruditiae, after a few months of hard work, simply cannot reach the level of Elkar. Their magical generation at the level it is at is sufficient to fuel their own magic, but not nearly enough to match the sheer overwhelming nature of Elkar. Assur's blessing seems to have been far more powerful than any human could be.

>>470584
A trade expedition is organized, a few ships built and armed with troops to repel any Merrow found in the waters. It is three ships strong, with each ship bearing a single deck and a cabin. They are propelled by simple sails and layers of rowers. Plenty of food, iron, and fine crafts are stowed on board to trade for Cassite with the Yakuti. The expedition is lead by Cassian, with the old man gladly taking his chance at some authority.

As the fleet passes the delta, they feel the water roil and shift, and they see scaled arms wrenching up onto the deck. Roars and horns fill the air as the inhuman monstrosities take their chance to prey on the humans on their own turf. Their great crocodile heads hiss and spit, as if trying to declare a battle, but unable to articulate whatever it is they are trying to say. The soldiers fight ably, axes hacking into scaled flesh, and arrows thudding into the strange flesh of their beast-like torsos. The battle is long, as the hulking man-beasts do not die easily.

After hours of harsh fighting, they cease to emerge from the water, and the few left on deck begin to look panicked. They drop their simple weapons, that look to made of the refuse of your settlement. They desperately try to speak, the hissing and crackling seeming like a flame consuming their throats to hide their words. The soldiers could execute them now, you do not know if another attack will come from the deep, dark waters. Perhaps it is a distraction, but as you look upon their writhing forms, clawing at their throats to bring forth the words, perhaps not.

(Trade expedition will continue once the decision has been made)

>Hear the Merrow
>Execute them and be done with it
>Write in?

Hear them

>>476407
Hear and try to understand them. If we can't take them prisoner. Mention them to the Auroch men to see if they know anything about what may have caused this strange behavior. If not take them back to our setlement and try to understand them or what empeeds their speech again.

>>476432
>>476504

One Merrow begins to wretch and to heave, placing an elongated, disgusting limb onto the rim of the boat. A stream of blackened water flows from his mouth, and his voice comes quickly like an arrow, as if only just held back.

"Brothers! Humans! Magnan did it! Magnan! River! Hurts!"

He grasps at his chest for a moment, before looking to his brothers in Panic, terror overwhelming him. His wet eyes fill with dread, and his scaled patches begin to grow to envelop him, covering more and more of his face and neck, the crocodile features of his body growing to overwhelm what bit of him remains human. One of the other Merrow darts at him, as he writhes confusedly, and jams a blade into his reptilian throat.

He ceases to writhe, and the killer gently eases him down into the water. The new Merrow is a massive figure, easily ten or twelve feet in height if he weren't hunching. His face is more human, but contorted, huge tusk like teeth looking as if they are being forced into his gums. His eyes are pitiful, almost pleading, but still with a proud honour to them. He reaches a massive, broad arm up to his throat, clasps a hand around it, and uses the other hand to gesture towards the sky.

Cassian orders a few men to transport the Merrow to the settlement, where they are safely quartered and kept under sufficient guard. The ill portent over, the trade mission can continue. The trip along the coast is a perilous one, your people not being skilled sailors, and having to travel within sight of the numerous gigantic beastman camps. Days and days of rowing pass, but eventually the mountains pass by, and the strange land of the Yakuti may be seen.

Many miles of rolling hill are spread out before you, adorned with strange buildings of reeds and thin wood, adorned by great pillars of stone and metal, visible all the way from the sea. The boats land down the coast from a small settlement and light fires to put up smoke, signaling the locals to come and greet them. The Yakuti are a tad shorter than a man, but far broader, with their bodies covered in thick mats of fur. They wear strange flowing clothing that looks as if water, and their warriors wield long axe-spears, wearing armour that looks like wood-metal.

There is no shared language to communicate via, so simple gestures suffice. Crates of goods are drawn up. Copper goods are shown to the Yak-People, along with ores, which are explained by Cassian dropping a chunk of copper ore into a fire, making a swirling hand gesture, and then pointing at a copper ingot. In exchange, he makes it clear that he is requesting Cassite, lots of it.

By the evening, a strange accord has been reached, with the Yakuti handing over exotic gifts, carpets, furnishings and Cassite ore for copper goods. Their workers carry the crated with magic, the strange red wood boxes being lifted onto the ship with almost no effort. Something resembling a system of language is developed, and Cassian heads home.

Cassite is now available in a limited supply.

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>476769
So obviously we need to deal with the croc people. Develop a system with them. We ask them questions that we feel can lead to further enlightment given what we already know. A nod if yes, shake of head if no, and a shrug if what we ask is partialy true and we go from there. Its obviously some curse or influence of Magnan so we have a lead already. Have guards around at all times in case they start turning again. Have our wisest mages examine them to see if we can figure something out from that and if what we get from the crocs is in line with what the mages find out.

>>476850
This won't end well...

Things are getting slow. OP, when you feel like you can dedicate a full day to this you should start new thread. Get more people hooked.

>>477079
Tomorrow then. Full day, new thread. In the mean time, studying the Merrow makes a good capstone to the thread.

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>>476850
The Merrow guests are gathered into a small compound in the fortress, sealed into a safe room, away from the wrath of Magnan, and available for study. Translation is hard, the Merrow both unable to truly speak, and completely unaware of some land based concepts. They cannot understand wood, or bows, or any number of other topics. Nevertheless, the Eruditiae try, and one among them reaches inspiration.

One among the Merrow is more human than monstrosity, and one among the Eruditiae sees it in them. They see that what is before them was once human, and could speak a human tongue. Once it made sense to them, it was simple enough. All it took was the young scholar to place his hand upon the Merrow's half scaled arm and attempt to speak to him, as if he could talk back, and then to channel the magical energy.

The fortress' stone base shudders, as the scholar writhes in violent agony, his mind overtaken and warped by the voice. Magnan's mere word shatters his mind. and the young man's mind turns immediately feral, as if he were a beast. Several others sustain bad burning as he flings an endless barrage of mad things at them. It seems that in his madness, he has grown able to see anything as anything, to understand anything being anything else. This understanding allows him to manipulate anything, everything, it is only his own limited power that keeps him from crushing the fortress to dust.

He is dispatched of by axe, but another problem remains. The man-merrow has mutated yet further, his skin turning a pale orangish-yellow before rotting away to reveal a hand print of scales where the Scholar touched him. He begins to shriek and bellow, in pain and panic, and sadly he must be killed too. Magnan seems to have realized what is going on, and he is not pleased. Assur only knows what horrific end would befall all life should Elkar, with his nigh infinite power, try to commune with the Merrow.

>>479119