"Lost Continent: Flight From Muurdaan" (BeckonCall's FNB!)

[Beckoncall]

"Survivors of the Mud-elf Empire" --

There were less than 20 of them, when all were counted. There were more at first -- but considering heart damage from the burrowing escapes of their worms, about 20 were all they were left with. Stabilized at death's very door, they rested in the healers guild in a magically induced coma. Who knows how much of their will still remained or how they would act in the absence of the horned one... but there they were, laid up until spring or midwinter at least... going through the gentle-stepped process of walking the line between life and oblivion...

Mud elf prisoners are counted. 20 in number, all unconscious for forseeable future.

 

[Beckoncall]

THE GREAT MAGE GUILD REVIEW OF LOOT!

Attolians:

27. A disgusting leathery sac of stillborn worms: These worms consolidated into a single mass immediately before dying, a new phenomenon among the worms remaining in the wild -- that are perhaps joining up symbiotically to remain viable. It seems all worms in proximity to the horned one upon his death died as well, but the further from that epicenter, other worms are potentially viable. Speculation that dead worm tissue could be used to innoculate colonists to the predations of surviving worms has been speculated.

14. 10 barrels of pitch (presumably to burn your settlement) -- Nothing particularly fancy about this stuff. Equals 3 units.

19. Long whip made of jointed Chrysoprase crystals (seen used to "motivate" troops) -- The highborn are familiar with these ancient weapons -- lash-swords -- when the hilt is appropriately snapped by the wrist, the cable uniting the rows of razor crystal compress or expand from each other, making a brutal whip with razor barbs to entangle or flay, or a solid blade to be used in a conventional manner.

6. 3 sacks of golden nails, elaborate torture instruments (silver), variety of demeaning restraints of very high quality (likely intended for captives) -- if not used for torture, these are still decent surgical tools and suitable for use in the field.

21. A Gold Child's sarcophagus, seemingly was held central to the main battlegroup... -- As you might guess, there are the souls of deceased infants inside of this sarcophagus... apparently the agony of the souls inside is a balm to the mudelves, and somehow motivated them. Clerical knowledge within the guild suggests that a rare undead entity -- a "granfalloon" (or a seed thereof) is growing inside the sarcophagus. A small mote of a granfalloon is easily dispersed but if allowed to become large (fed on bodies and misery) they can be some of the worst forms of undead to deal with conventionally.

Highborn:

22. Jade drinking horn laden with various tiny jewels -- horn is empty. -- this horn fills with liquids that are poured in small amounts into the horn. It is speculated that the supreme healing potion could be increased significantly in volume by pouring this into the horn. It could likewise be used to produce exotic beverages of limited supply, and other creative applications. The fountain has expressed interest in using it to produce more blood, and Anais would use it to cultivate comfort-improving strains of slime for her pit.

15. 18 casks of wax (3 units) (held back with command group -- who knows what this was for!?) -- nothing too special about the wax, it could easily be used to preserve produce or make tapers and candles for light at market.

17. 4 large, black sapphires (Taken off of the ruined battle standard) -- These sapphires have a common inclusion, as if they were all cut from the same piece of gemstone -- Scrying of the gems shows thy were once a black sapphire sword, but it was shattered and cut into ornaments.

2. Blood-soaked golden robes worn by the Mud-elf command -- Actually fine gold-spun thread, these garments would be very valuable if they were cleansed and santified of the curses they are almost OBVIOUS infested with. They seem to have stylizations of both unfamiliar mage lord symbiology as well as runes of Muurdain origin of a bygone era.

25. "Eagle-Eye Stone" -- taken from command group, looking down into this stone gives you a birds-eye-view of where you are standing. A surprisingly simple object of magical refractation. If a source of rainbow moonstone could be found, these items might not be that hard to duplicate.


VICTORIANS:

24. Scepter with a human-sized fish skull atop it, with rough azurite chunks filling the eyes, needle-sharp teeth. -- The skull is seemingly of a specimen of the elusive and rarely seem savage fish-folk of the nevernight swamps to the northwest. Study of the spirits contained/ambient to the skull tell mages studying it that it was the head of a great peace-keeper -- The fish-folk (allies to the snakemen) have a physiologically hostile reaction to mammal-folk, but are able to deal amicably with the snakemen... seemingly the head of this priest -- who did not share this irrational hostility, could be a totem allowing folk to approach otherwise hostile fish-folk.. at least for purposes of heralds or cautious parley.

13. Ebony Ceremonial dagger that constantly drips blood of it's own accord -- Differing perceptions on this one... but it seems this is one of a series of daggers pinioned into something to keep it in a state of death/torpor -- study of it's dweomer indicates there are at least 4 more daggers of it's kind, but the others are stabbed into the body of the intended imprisoned entity -- and this might be used as a channel to commune with this spirit, or torment it.

3. Mask made out of a mithril breastplate, could be used as either body or head protection. -- pretty much what it says on the tin -- armor for the face or body... very light, very old... of elven design.

8. Pitted War-Garb of Underlord Touryan (long deceased) -- The wearer of this suit was the one who stopped Orm's charge, practically breaking the Tyren Chief's face with a spiked elbow. Barbed chains hang from one of the gauntlets (the other gauntlet is nowhere to be found), and the helmet has been hammered into a grotesque mask with several victims faces tanned and pulled over it's surface. -- Underlord Touryan died in one of the first attempts to invade the lost continent, where the invasion forces were largely destroyed by the barrier and the survivors were slain by denizens of the new land. The lost soul of Underlord Touryan whispers almost imperceptably -- that if his banner, gauntlet (with built-in "gattling bow" and suit of armor are sent home, his spirit may finally rest. The suit of armor is of both an antiquated and superior technique involving dwarven and elven contracting for human enchantment.


RATKIN:

26. Roughly 600 suits of serviceable Bone-armor -- if you don't mind the bones being mosly half-elf and gnoll. Really a fine degree of artistry has gone into these suits... even though they are of gristly nature.

1. Bone Decanter filled with black, oily liquid. -- associated with something called "the hunger curse" Victorians and others with imperial long-views remember something called the hunger-curse kicking off a continent-spanning war with the undead. Nobody is eager to find out what would happen if this spilled, or somebody drank from it... it was likely an "ace in the hole" of the horned one that he did not survive to use.

16. A cloudy, glittery potion divined to be of "Supreme Healing" -- Semi-divine potion formula, with samples being distilled containing regeants like "blind eyes, Dragon tears, Aqua Incanta (fairly common), quicksilver, demon bones and phoenix feathers." -- theorhetically it could be easy to mass produce this potion, but you'd need ample amounts of all of these regeants.

9. Black stone pyramid (obviously magical, but no indicator to it's use or function) -- a pocket dimensional prison containing a spider deity as well as numerous other entities imprisoned or accidentally confined within the object. Scrying indicates treasure is also inside the tiny prison -- but it is likely there are but one or two ways out of the prison from the inside and none of them are likely to be easy. Scrying says it was used to stop "the Spider plauges of Mastadook-Varr" and "The Pri'mate Rebellion" -- Pri'mate is an ancient word for a gladiator that has won it's freedom, returning to fight one battle for exhorbitant pay in times of war.

TYREN:

20. Crystal ball with 7 strange lights moving within it... -- This sphere contains seven captured serpents, the "carrier pigeons" or "order runners" of an ancient and presumably by now deceased mage-queen. Whatever news they bore was vital enough for magic or conventional hunting to be performed to capture them all. They want to be freed.

11. 20 oak talismans... divined to enhance jumping ability (found among vanguard) -- modest elven magic incants these devices, but they enable inagile folk to jump at least 10 fet high and 30 feet far, and potentially greater effect for intrinsically agile users.

18. Carved bone jewelry box (suitcase sized) utterly enrobed in rusty steel chains. -- The chains were cursed, but the protections on the lockbox were easily broken by the powers of the guild-members. The box contains SIX "hands of glory" -- human and elven hand-bones wrapped together into their integrated shape with platinum and copper wire. Hands of glory can be used as powerful totems against evil, inspiring awe in mindless or wild creatures to give them pause when they would otherwise attack, or some say fingers can be snapped off of hands of glory to give powerful boosts to fortune before an undertaking or even to enable lesser wishes.

5. 15 Amphorae (3 gallons each) of some kind of blood-wine. -- Berry wine of not very old vintage, mixed with gnoll blood. Palatable to Aymarans, if other races seem to think this sounds delicious they can speak for themselves.




FIREBEARDS:

23. Bloodstone General's war mask - This guy was stabbed by no fewer than 10 halbardiers before dying -- and didn't have a single scratch under this mask. Just seems to have a really strong protective enchantment.

7. Another "Boney Crown" -- The attolians, seeing it for what it is, quickly capture it and seal it in a box. It taps rhymically on the container, and promises "it will be good." -- Like the one found in the first battle of mud-elf aggression -- this is not a crown at all, but a mind-control parasite called a "gonchong" -- which seeks to get atop powerful member's in a community, mount their heads, and assume their identities. Gonchongs were hunted to extinction by the dwarves and elves in their own age before the ascendancy of man -- but apparently some still live in the new world. This one is terrified of being killed, and promises "To play nice" if allowed to live.

10. 5 pairs of goggles that make night look like day, and day look like night. Seem to whisper to the wearer... -- Each set of goggles actually sees with the eyes of demons of chaos/insanity -- but truly have the utility to make one time of day seem another. Persistent use will enable the wearer to become suseptible to the suggestions of said demons. Handle with care.

12. Human skull encrusted with scores of pink pearls -- this is a weird one. Actually an elven skull carved and embossed to LOOK human -- this is apparently some insult or profaning of whatever elf used to own this skull. A restless spirit seems to maintain a tie to this artifact.

4. Jewel-Encrusted tourmaline Spider helmet -- Chitin is green colored with eyes pink, seems to have grown naturally -- taken off one though muther during the house-to-house fighting. -- an elegant take on the coveted magical headgear, it is actually a "helm of many eyes" -- enabling a warrior to see all around him in battle, or to tie certain eyes to particular places the helmet has been, so that one might see in several places at once, near or far.

THE TORC OF THE HORNED ONE:

The only profoundly divine item in the bunch, this inspires godly awe and abstract control of wild animals or the savagery in people. This was obviously an item the Horned one used to enslave the spirits of the mud-elves and keep them depraved and easier to control.


Further details available on request!!!! - Beck

 

[Beckoncall]

"Fertilizer and other aspects of Elven History":

Fertilizer purchased from traders was having a critical and impressive effect on Tyren crop yields!

The Bramble gem bushes especially took to it, the thorny branches beginning to grow so large they began to first pile upon each other, then find vertical purchase along the shearcliffs. Wild tea and flowers grew irrepressably amid the other crops of the Tyren, quickly establishing that the fertilizer was money well spent.

The Tyren began to wonder if fertilizer from their livestock, Runner lizards, and Wind maggots could concoct a similarly exotic and useful fertilizer formula for the colony -- something renewable. The soil was good, but the fertilizer showed that there were obviously elements the soil could profit from still.

On studying the night elf vault -- the wood elves got answers, but not ones they had hoped to find... Attolians gave them free reign in the vault to study any signs of art, culture or writing, despite it's present role as a warehouse. Of the studies by the elves, they learned things that had possibly been forgotten, or secrets too carefully hidden by their older peers, to be familiar to any of the springborn.

Apparently, The night elves left the wood elves, in anger and disgust -- long before the schism between wood elves and high elves.
The night elves had deep contempt for wood elves, seeing them as savage and married to nature as it is, not as the night elves saw it could be.
The night elves had, or believed they had, established contact with a "dreaming side" of nature -- a magical side that could be wielded and would serve the elves -- giving them power over nature and changing it rather than being subject to it's laws and living FROM it. Apparently night elves did not have a high opinion of wood elves, but might have been open to other offshoots of elves from the wood-folk, whom they saw as archaic and clinging to an antiquated way.

The springborn also find a hidden compartment with magically dessicated eggs, and strange pearlescent seeds.

 

[Beckoncall]

ANNOUNCEMENT!:

WINTER IS COMING! winter will be handled different than other seasons in that factions declare projects and time jumps forward to their completion, with various early/mid/late winter events being put forward for the colony to navigate.

At the end of the winter, the Highborn/Attolian and Tyren messengers will have arrived and returned from the old world -- and NEW MANPOWER will kick off the new game year!
Independent factions like the Twiceborn, Reinen, Clockworks, and perhaps even relations with the gnolls will change dramatically.

PS -- "The Cull" was explicitly predicted to destroy the colony the spring of the THIRD YEAR of the colony -- meaning when winter is over, one game year remains before the cull MUST be confronted, sought or unsought.

 

[Beckoncall]

Enemy Standoo
The Hymns of Victoria continue unabated:

The Order did not take time off just because some would-be colony-burning god dropped dead near their foyer. They went right back to work.

Though they were spread a little thinner than normal, with forces investigating the base of the mudelves and repeated clashes with the Attolians over active prevention of sancification of the battlefield (by The attolian witch) and equally active clerical complication of the Attolian effort to turn the whole battlefield into some kind of blood altar. -- and things were getting tense. This was not in the least bit improved by the fact that the corpse of the horned one itself was basically being camped by both factions out of concern for divergent purposes for it. Things were civil for now, especially considering training Attolians and their allies had received from the Victorians... but Sir Magda had already had to come to the site once to cool things down. If agreements weren't reached, it was only a matter of time before something went wrong. Already citizenry nearby, either pro-fountain or adoptive of Victorian ideals were showing friction. If the troops themselves did not come to blows, soon enough some citizens would start swinging over this, and the points both sides competed for would become secondary to putting down a riot.
Heyitsjiwon

Although not yet complete, the Victorian fountain's inner workings (complex as they were) were finally complete and aside from a little additional artistic embossment the main thing that remained was to invest the fountain with it's intended Tear of divinity. Tear magic had thus far been proven to be very susceptible to INTENT, it was said at the mage guild, so the Victorians could invest the tear and let it do what comes naturally to it, or they would have to carefully decide what it was meant to do, if anything beyond being an extraordinarily enchanted fountain. (Action needed)

Meanwhile, with so many minds literally blown by recent events, sir Abel wasted no time winning those hearts and minds. The Reinen were devastated, but song of how neither demon nor false god could stand against Saint Victoria and the colony was very welcome and influential. While Reinen had relocated, sad at the loss of their own homes, into the Attolian housing district, many sought Victorian holy observations as a surrogate for the instability of their own ingrained faith. "Surely the lord of light moves the ways of Saint Victoria" Their Obersteiners are heard to say -- and monks, with the seldom free time afforded, take time to debate and enjoin with the reinen over religious matters. Before long, Reinen observe (partly in their own way) in the Victorian Chapel and at shrines near the garrison. "The Attolians have housed the Reinen, but the Victorians give them hope that our lord has not forsaken us, and opened their houses of the soul." Between these efforts, and the church social day, Victorians truly sway folk to the cause -- especially the more dour-minded of the reinen, who are attracted to the terse edge of the Victorian Faith.

In the time to come, the Reinen lose much of their individual identity... The Attolians and Victorians basically absorb the Reinen, each gaining 40 unskilled workers and 5 skilled workers. Heyitsjiwon

Followers of Dracos give their grudging respect to Saint Victoria, for tales of purification of darkness with fire, which Sir Abel was sure to impart as part of his cantings. Dracos folk were free-living and harsh and almost stubborn of will, but the began to develop a grudging respect for the Victorian Faith. "Still, No dragons. Can't be that great." The Dracos faithful are heard to say with mirth -- but on "nights of fire" more candles find their way to Victorian Shrines. "May the Dragon watch over the saint" becomes a greeting in the depression.

Relations between Dracos and Victorians increase. Public gains wider appreciation of Victorian Faith.

The Victorian Printing Press, with the aid of the blacksmith's and mages guild as well as other shared labor (the growing capitol building construction site has become a conflux of ideas) Is completed more rapidly than anticipated, and a new and impressive prototype press comes forth as a result of study of clockwork discoveries in the colony, and the Ratkin and Fennec Citizenry willing to find, and trade, very interesting pieces of machinery to the device. The Pinnacle of it's improvements is Sir Prisha's invention, partly inspired by Sir Nicholas of Attolia and study of the larger key-instruments found in the ruins. Most notable is the innovation of a delivery hopper on the machine that MAKES IT'S OWN PAPER. Sap-rich wood from the inland lake basically pulps itself at the front of the machine (but needs heat and time to cure) while emulsion from plentiful bone-glue to dry wood makes blank sheets of paper just as valuable as anything the Victorians would care to print!

Victorians gain new commodity: PAPER. considered a low-end luxury commodity, and not before time -- paper supplies brought with the colony would run out by mid-winter! Printing press fully operational.

Canonesss Isabella takes on her hand-selected squires -- hand picked either by purity of heart or their proximity to becoming devout in their own right. While it takes time, their training is rapidly accelerated and they become fervent and spirited warriors for the order. 10 squires moved to catagory of Devout, but must remain in the presence of Isabella to receive this bonus.

The Victorians joining the mage guild was not as unsettling as was expected. Highborn "high magic" -- while not faith based, was actually greatly compatible with Victorian Sanctification rites, something the Victorians studied at looked upon covetously. While the Victorians had centuries to tailor magic to the slant of purification and the banishment of evil -- the Highborn had Millennia. Though highly secretive even when sharing information -- Onri Ghol in particular saw the Highborn in a new light -- not so much as to make he or his compatriot any less dour about the foreign and it's pitfalls, but there was no disputing results.

It turned out there was much information to share about the cull in it's current status -- The Attolians were seeking a way to chemically or conventionally harm the shells of the specimen found (with promising avenues of study but no real success yet, basically the Attolians had isolated 3 different proteins in the carapace but had found no way to compromise any individual structure or a part of it's whole)

A more promising thing to learn was that the Tyren had somehow attained the EYE of a Cull-thing... or at least they thought the weird steely orb was that, but one thing was certain -- peering through the eye showed semi-circular holes at areas of the defensive sphere around the treetop that were not visible to the naked eye. Perhaps so the structure would not grow congested on the bones constantly spilling from it, these "ports" were a potential vulnerability in the structure. No fewer than 16 such holes were located from the lighthouse... though it's speculated that there might also be such ports, considering their symmetry, at the top of the structure -- but the lighthouse nor anything else at hand it would seem, could give a perspective to support Canonate Ghol and his monk's assertion this might be the case -- minor heat distortion above the sphere suggests that the sphere captured heat within it that was otherwise vented in the open branches, and that surely this heat was escaping vents atop the sphere, just as bones spilled from below.

 

[Beckoncall]

Rites of the Highborn:
Prince Vaethorion

The chamber remained sealed...all had gone according to plan, despite needing to withdraw their cleric at a pivotal moment in the ceremony. The summoning circle, on the marble sealing, opened up, and from it a kind of astral snow, and golden light descended. Voices emanated from the portal above...

"Only one angel may come through the portal, and the barrier on this continent has prevented the high holies from answering your call -- instead, hear us, the fallen angels of the war of the mage lords... we know the war is over, but we suspect your cause is just and your rites are true... you will receive heavenly aid, if not from this pantokrator then of the former!"

"I am high Planetar Tantrasiel -- General of the angel hosts in my own day, long past. My body is shattered, but my wisdom and powers remain formidable. If you will build a shrine to house a part of me -- my enchantments and wisdom will aid you in your plight, and when your day is most dire, I shall crook my finger and punish your foe."

there was a pause and a whirling of the wind above the portal...

"I am called the Kindly one. Of the now dead host of kindly ones. I am the rescuer, I am the avenger, I am the punisher of evil that laughs unpunished. My visage is grim, but angry gods must have angry hosts to enact their will. We once numbered 50, but we destroyed millions in our time. Call upon me, and I shall aid you directly, in ways the Planetar dare not lest they fracture the world."

The Highborn knew it was time to choose....

 

[Beckoncall]

Heyitsjiwon --

"Give me Fire, Ice, Iron, and Stone" :

Once it was divined that it was not a magical cold (at least not one of unmanagable temperature) at the base of that accursed pit -- the engineer lowered a team to the bottom for further recon and recovery -- this time decked out in the finest quality shark and capybara-fur gear -- it kept the team warm and dry as they descended into what appeared to be yet another vault...200 feet deep.

100 feet down the stone walls gave way what appeared to be a larger chamber, but everything outside the width of the shaft was full of ice and it's dimensions in the cloudy rime-filled air escaped them. Still they lowered via the cranes, and the cold nipped at them -- only the sirens were completely comfortable with what remained skin remained exposed. The sirens in fact seemed quite comfortable in fairly extreme cool environments, at least for a limited time.

"We dive, good sirs -- this is little different than what is in our nature in the sea, somewhat" A siren said to one of the workers, as if to answer the unspoken question.

The bottom 50 feet of the ice-shaft was filled, wall to wall and at least 3 ranks back -- with Tritons entombed in the ice. four to each side of the cavern but the south, and stacked in the ice, like frozen food or strange cargo, 10 ranks deep. The Engineer quickly did the math -- 4 wide, 10 down, 3 back -- 120 per wall - 3 walls only, that would be 360 of them, minus the three the constructs had clumsily pulled from the ice, shattering one triton near the bottom, removing the arm of another, and leaving a third specimen melting up at the top. When they reached the bottom the unskilled workers quickly pulled what remained of thier workers and their effects back onto the lift, but the engineer and his attendants stared in awe at the vault of ice-tombed soldiers, and more specifically, at the being confined behind the ice to the south wall...

Within that cloudy wall of frost was the largest "Mermaid" any of them could have dreamed of seeing. coiled like a serpent in her translucent prison -- the creature, though coiled in the ice, measured approximately 120 feet long to the leaders of the recovery team. She was a giantess, with golden fins and tail along her snaking body -- a breastless torso partially obscured by some great two-pronged Coral spear. Her hair was a greenish blue that seemed to melt in it's whorls into the surrounding ice. Her eyes, scaled and shut.

"Nerid" the sirens whispered, and others in the team quickly grumbled and chattered at what this all might mean.

"A princess of the seas" Another Siren spoke, as much to herself as to her sisters. "Maybe a goddess of the waves!"

The floor was 10 feet deep of clear blue ice and snow (free of occupants) -- it would not take much labor to take samples as seeding material for the Attolian plan to cultivate ice in immediate future... in underground silos, far from the unseeing eyes of this Nerid and her apparent war-host. The bodies of their lost workers would be buried with proper rites and honors.... what else to do with the site, besides lock it and forget about it... would remain a decision the Engineer would put before Lord Caelis...

________________________________________________

Sir Nicholas marvelled at the pieces Helysoune had pilfered when she showed them in the privacy of his workshop -- her retainer had already been worth it, but these finds, were something else.

Besides a modest variety of interesting pieces that would give any mechanically inclined workers ideas (and doubtless make automatons easier to repair) -- two pieces stood above the rest:

One, was something months ago Nicholas would never have divined the purpose of -- but he had seem the myriad workings of the Key'ed one, and studied and practically rebuilt two automatons himself by now -- it was a MOTIVATOR -- and a large one at that. Charged with mana it could make a device of considerable complexity work on it's own for a considerable time -- and Nicholas saw farther into the smashed device -- to see it was a key part of what was now the "key'ed one" -- this contraption had broken down, and the keyed one had scavenged many an arm -- and seemingly every key he could find from the automatons to keep his workings running with physical clockwork motivation. Taking the keys had doubtless also reduced the range of the automatons to the area immediately around the Spire -- as it made sense now that the keyed one, needing their manual motivators, was winding the automatons himself.

If the motivator could be repaired (it was laughably broken) the "Key'ed one" could be restored to it's former capacities, and the automatons could motivate each other with their keys again. If Nicholas decided to dismantle the device, he could perhaps develop his own primitive motivators for golems, making them much faster and stronger. Thirdly, he could repair the motivator for some other purpose -- a mill with speeds that BLENDED, a water wheel that could power a city, a prize to display to the elite of mechanical study...

...but right now, it looked like a broken ball of triangles. Nicholas blinked and sighed at how hard an undertaking restoring it might be...

Second to that, Helysoune had stolen something else that might have been reckless to obtain -- an actual key off the back of the Key'ed one. With it, he could easily replicate more keys for the automatons that had been going without, and the mesh and sophisticating cogwork at the base of the key was in itself an item worthy of study for mechanical lore-learning. Thirdly to that, it was just amazing how The Heroine escaped with one.

"Don't ask me where I hid it, and if you want to make a boorish inference that thing is as big as my arm. You'd be ludicrous to assert...

Helysoune did something neither she nor Nicholas expected -- the lady champion blushed. Then excused herself.

"Our contract is closed until you wish to pay me triple scale, good sir Nicholas -- although I must say you've grown on me showing you were brave to go as far as I was when it came to the secrets of the spire. If I am honest I will be downcrest if we do not... work together again." She bowed and took her leave.

Nicholas was too absorbed in his new toys to think straight, diving into his work for hours forward... when forced to break for a repast he turned the conversation over in his mind...

Had the champion Helysoune made a pass at him?

Women were more inscrutable puzzles than the cogworks he thought, slapping his hands over his eyes and slowly chewing his mutton sandwich...

____________________________________________________________________________

General Deth Glitch :

The Attolians had promised support before to deal with this monstrous "Fisher Mother" and it seemed they were still interested in lending a hand... but that had other things in mind as well.

Brought with Attolian noble agents were papers for the Firebeards to sign -- an Imperial-style Charter that, if the Firebeards agreed, legitimized their claims in the new world and made them, if not exactly an OFFICIAL part of the colony (that would be left up to the firebeards to decide) but at least the formal statement of a NON-AGGRESSION PACT between the firebeards and all other factions in the colony.

Dwarves were no strangers to getting things in writing -- and if this sped them to the military aid they wanted, there was nothing too confining or crass requested not to give a dwarfs word to. If anything, signing the thing would likely keep the Muurdain Ass-clots off their backs and give justification for keeping doors shut on them.

But the firebeards were facing an old dilemma.... they would value co-operation (and warm bodies for their own struggle) -- but how deep in bed did they want to get with these shoddy-makers?

Time would tell. (FIREBEARD ACTION NEEDED, IS DOCUMENT TO BE SIGNED?) General Deth Glitch

__________________________________________________________________________________

The Attolians could already feel the cold coming on the wind. The activities of the birds had dropped -- nesting behavior skyrocketed and the colony would do well to prepare similarly. To this end, The Attolians focused first on the weakest link in the colony -- the Depression. Exile housing was FINE for spring, but the amount of smoke recently could tell you they were burning wood to stay warm at an accelerated rate, and polluting the air in the bargain.

Attolians sought to fix this. Stone foundations and skilled hands to prop up or reinforce the shanty-homes was done quickly and cheaply with the task-force assigned. The new homes still LOOKED TERRIBLE, but burned considerably less fuel, and promised to stay tolerably warm during the winter.

The exiles did NOT fail to appreciate this. "Praise She! A fire of the dragon's warmth in every home!" -- The exiles, as close as they were getting to the Attolians, were seldom without a jeer at how proper and formal they were. Not this time.

Loyalty between exiles and Attolians is sealed. Exiles will actively seek to further Attolian interests. +MORALE! +1 INFLUENCE!

Likewise, the Attolians did not want the bitter cold of an unmeasured winter to shut down the area of the capitol building and more specifically, the learners square. A strong but simple building, marrying the aesthetic of a warehouse to a schoolhouse -- "Learners Hall" -- was built on the border of learners square. Exchange of ideas and education could freely continue during the winter when there was indeed more time for such pursuits if one could actually freely travel. Likewise wealth was not only spent to earmark funds to warm the structure through winter -- teams of Draft animals were hired to deliver people to the square during "Winter School hours" -- likewise a system of lending/selling capybara/sharkskin coats for travel between market and learning square incentivized greater involvement and was VERY pleasing to all. (COST 2 WEALTH, +2 INFLUENCE!)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Beneath the Attolian housing district the subterranean gardens were not the only wonder the Attolians were smashing their wills against to have done -- With the investment of further funds (-1 WEALTH) and the use of both siren song, proper engineering, Witchcraft and their strange tome of Crystal-growth... The Attolians created an ICE HOUSE. (ICE IS NOW A RENEWABLE COMMODITY IN THE COLONY YEAR-ROUND)

while probably not going to be a show stopper during the winter -- it was exceedingly exciting that the underground basement silos were thus far so successful in taking seed-ice from the frozen vault, and with the addition of river and ground water, creating large amounts of beautiful, cooling, preserving ice for the year to come. New comforts unheard of to a community this size were on the Horizon! (May be worth Plus influence in the spring if facility is leveraged, right now the common folk are scratching their heads at making basements full of ice right before winter)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

[Beckoncall]

???

 

[Beckoncall]

EVENT: "The first Winter Rains"

They were cold, massive, and sheeting. Labor dismantling the dam had to move quickly to avoid shifting logs causing a hazard, but in the end the restored might of the river helped clear the blockage.

The rain was uncharacteristically cold compared to the air on the ground, and because of it many workers ran for cover only returning to work (slower) in heavier dress. Market sales of fur and shark-skin rose. (Market presently has 12 wealth!) but after a time it slowed down, but did not fully stop...

Crops drank in the rain heartily, but it was feared eventually if the rains did not cease -- that some crops would be flooded. Underground cultivation was perfectly fine due to the quality of Mage-era filtration and sewage, and if anything even higher yields were expected.

Still, shivering livestock huddled together, roads became muddy, and most notably -- the Neverday Swamp EXPANDED southeast as it rapidly grew PREGNANT with the steady rain from the sky.

The rains seemed to excite the "runner lizards" despite their cold blood making them sluggish... the Aymarans right out refused to come to the surface during the initial deluge and were seen less frequently since.

Some of the fennec, in their leathers and their own comfy fur actually found the rains refreshing. The Tyren ignored it, steam rising from their hulking mass.

The main development seemed to be that the northwest territory between muddy lake and the nevernight swamp had new visitors...

FISHMEN of the Northern Swamps had taken the shift in terrain as an opportunity to explore further south. Not all the same group, they had been spied in forces 20 to 60 strong, posturing violently in fervent rain dances, and more disturbingly scoping Tyren Livestock from high-hills near shearcliffs.

Of the Snakemen who interpreted for them in the swamps (and kept them in line) there was no sign....

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

The Attolians attempt to leverage the market for 3 Wealth! (successful, market = 9, Beck)

With the Attolians serving as the breadbasket of the Colony, it wouldn't be that difficult for the Attolians to be able to extract 3 Wealth from the Colony. Not to mention that the Colony was likely reaching its maximum capacity to support wealth until a proper bank was in place, which would happen in due time. Either way, inflation was a real concern that needed to be addressed, and the Attolians had made significant investments to ensure the health of the Colonial economy especially through its subsidy program.

---

Food for Thought

With winter approaching, the Attolians were in a rush to restore colonial food supplies. A lot of the feast was catered by the Attolians and their food stores, which had been saving up for the upcoming winter. However, any major issue with the expected food supply now would mean a hungry winter for certain. Even now with the heavy rains threatening the crops, something had to clearly be done. First, the Attolians planned a fishing expedition with the Attolian merchantman. They planned to take advantage of the clams that were resting not too far, but also enable the fishermen be able to access deeper waters and search around the nearby sea waters for other sources of food. Thus, the Attolians extended an offer to the Exiles who fished to join this fishing expedition. After all, more hands would be always appreciated.

In addition, in order to address the issue of flooding, the Attolians sought to undertake an ambitious undertaking to save the fields. They desired to dig ditches and drains to help prevent flooding and redirect the water. While it was an ambitious undertaking, it was a needed one. On top of that, there would be a focused effort by the Attolians preserver to try to store as much food as possible and prepare it. Not to mention that ice would be available to help refrigerate the food. However, that would be in due time when there actually was food to store and preserve.

In addition, there was finally safety to start mining the magic crystals found prior with the Highborn. The Attolians sought to extract half of it as their due, but instead of handpicking the crystals like the Highborn this would be an proper mining operation on a commercial scale since the Long Dead in the Theater District were long gone.

Finally, there was the matter of the Kobolds. While they had been a part of the defense of the Colony... it was difficult to call them a true part of the Colony. Still, there were hopes to use the recent events as a launch pad to build relations with the Kobolds properly and have them starting to learn Common and take an active part in the community. First, however, the Colonialists had to learn the Kobolds' language or have the Kobolds learn Common. After all, they seemed to be determined fighters, but surely they understood the importance of cooperation and communication in combat? Thus, the Linguist set off to work while escorted by Sir Bors. After all, they seemed to have some sort of sense of respect and obedience to leadership.

---

There had always been curiosity surrounding the sharks and the so called "god rot". This mysterious substance that the Aymaran simply found irresistible was a sheer mystery. What were they eating that was causing such a stir? In addition, there hadn't been a proper exploration of the nearby coasts and oceans other than rumors of some sort of underwater cult by the waterfall, which the Attolians planned to try to avoid. Still, there were likely other discoveries that needed to made, and before winter arrived. It was for this reason, that the sirens were asked to explore the nearby waters for anything notable, but the moment that they had difficulty they were to just run and return to land. Their best weapon underwater was their screeches after all, which just as their voices could produce heavenly voices could deafen and disorientate anyone within an arm's throw. Besides, the Sirens weren't expected to have much difficulty. The highborn and the exiles had effectively hunted many of the sharks nearby the shore.

---

A disgusting leathery sack plopped on top of a sterile, cold iron table. A pair of gloved hands gently, but precisely began to untie the string that kept the bag closed. Doctor Fleming with his face covered in a plague doctor's mask appeared unmoved as he looked upon the disgusting mess of dead worms. Unfortunately, this was not the case for the Chemist whose face revolted at the stench. He couldn't help but gag slightly, but this was a job that he had been slowly getting used to at the Colony. First was when he had helped with the were rats and came up with a solution to kill off the infection. Back then, he had to walk out for breaks, but slowly his stomach began to settle this time around. With the two was Cassandra who stood there unmoved... near stoic. Their task was straightforward. Study these worms and come up with a vaccine and/or at the very least a cure incase someone were to get infected. Afterall, initial reports from the scouts into the Mud Elf territory seem to indicate that there are mass blobs and clusters of these worms that supposedly glow when alive. The forest, even without the Mud Elves, were perilous. Their job was to make it just a bit less so.

---

While his followers and people toiled in preparation of the season to come, Caelis had heard that the Hatzburk had offered the colony a deal to take back some goods and sell it in the Old World on its behalf... with a service fee taken of course. Regardless, this was a deal that Caelis sought to take advantage of. Thus, he walked on the port towards the massive hulking iron ship. Such a ship was a sight. Caelis had seen ships clad in iron, but a ship made entirely by iron? How does such a construct remain afloat? It was a mystery to him, and just made the skill of the dwarves more evident to Caelis. He would soon find himself in the ironbound ship to meet the remnants of the Hatzburk Royalists and their leader. With a contract in hand, Caelis was determined to make this deal work.

---
Summary:

1. Attolians seek to leverage 3 Wealth from the market
Castellan

2. The Attolians also seek to begin a fishing expedition around the area to help fishing and harvest clams. Exiles are invited to take part as well
Attolian Merchantman, Falconer (to help find fish), 10 Sirens, 30 Unskilled Workers, Preserver (to jump start the preserving process)

3. Cultural/Lingual Integration of the Kobolds into the Colony
Linguist, 10 Skilled Workers, 1 Sundered King, 2 influence

4. Irrigation project to help the fields from over flooding
Architect, 10 Skilled Workers, 30 Unskilled Workers, 10 Sirens, 4 Augemented Stone Constructs

5. Mining Operation for the Magic Crystals
Engineer, Nicholas, Geologist, 10 Skilled Workers, 20 Unskilled Workers

6. Underwater Exploration of the Beach Area
30 Sirens

7. Study of the stillborn worms and potential creation of a vaccine against infection with help from the Healer's Guild and Science Guild.
Doctor Fleming, Chemist, Cassandra

8. Caelis visits the Hatzburk Dwarves with a request.

 

[Spacekitty]

The other factions and their merchants would soon find the Finecians were actually taking wealth out of the market, leveraging their sales of food, booze and Amber Jewelry to shift a total of 2 wealth their way. (Beck has said they are able to do this with no adverse affect to the market). (FENNEC TAKE 2 WEALTH FROM MARKET, +2 WEALTH FENNEC, MARKET HAS 7 WEALTH).

 

[Spacekitty]

Two empty eyes stared up forever at Snowball, the blank orbs transfixed in a state of rigor-mortis, forever giving a glimpse into the hysteria that had overcome their owner, his face permanently twisted into a blood crazed smile. The eyes, though empty, seemed to stare into the soul of the Fennec, who regarded the decapitated Mud Elf head with a mixture of disgust and awe. The gore seemed to speak to the small predator’s innate lust for blood, filling him with an almost overwhelming urge and electric energy. At the same time, this feeling was countered almost perfectly by the prissy foxe’s disgust for the icky mess. In the end he resolved to turn the thing’s gaze, first reaching out with his hand but quickly deciding against it, gingerly rolling it away with his foot.

Closing his eyes, the small Fennec forced himself to turn away from the battlefield, looking southward towards the late afternoon sun that floated downwards dangerously. He heaved a heavy, tired breath, the stinging iron taste of blood that attacked his senses tugging at his instincts. Death seemed to call to him, but he ignored it and strolled forward till he found a clear, relatively clean patch of grass and plopped onto the ground. Gingerly he extended his right leg, a dirty bandage wrapped around it, it and other stinging cuts across his body reminders of his day so far. He groaned and sprawled himself on the cold damp ground, oddly finding wetness soothing to his achy joints despite the innate discomfort he felt by being messy. After slaughtering hysterical bone covered degenerate Elves he just needed to relax.

Just as he closed his eyes and sleep started to overcome him, he could feel the ground begin to vibrate. The fox muttered a complaint and turned away, hoping whomever was making the disturbance would pass and leave him be. But vibrations only grew in intensity, getting so loud it forced him to rip his head off the ground before it rattled his brain. Yawning, he sat up and twisted to see the source of the disturbances- four of the companies hulking trolls, adorned in head to toe in shiny iron plate mail, massive iron maces heaved effortlessly over their shoulders. The metal behemoths waded through the carnage carelessly, popping the heads of the fallen like berries beneath their armored feet. Nearly two dozen Fennecs followed in their wake, the herd keeping a ways behind them, staying out of the “splash zone”. A few more clever Fennecs sat upon the shoulders and head of the Trolls, letting the brutes carry them across the field. The rest leaped about the corpse covered fields, nicking personal souvenirs from the fallen and splashing in blood puddles like children. Most were blood covered, but none seemed to notice or complain unless splashed (often intentionally) by their comrades. They seemed immune to the stench of death and grimness that hung in the air, rather they seemed to relish in it. If anything they acted more exuberant and energetic as ever. Their cream colored fur their cream colored fur, despite having stayed far from the actual melee. Rather they had dirtied themselves revelling in the bloodshed later- quite litterally frollicoling in the field post-battle, scooping up loot with glee and PLAYING like kits among the bodies. Some adorned Mud Elf armor, poised as the enemy while others adorned themselves in armor, cosplaying as the other factions. They chased one another in a chaotic mock battle, dangerously firing scraped arrows and dueling with equally poisoned daggers. Much to the relief of the other factions however, Mallowthew had been quick to shut down the scene and put them to work, gathering loot, relics and helping attend to the wounded. Afterwards they had dispersed, some attending the somber gathering at the tavern, most headed back home to celebrate victory in a purely Finecian manner- booze, drugs and total disregard for what or whose hole you use.

But now it seems there was more work to be done as the drolls dragged an entourage of dazed Fennecs behind them. Though annoyed by the thought of a night of trekking, Snowball couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the dirty, smelly trolls adorned in shiny armor fit for kings. Small beacons of purity (if a Troll could be called pure) amoung dirty, musky, post-orgy Fennecs standing in a battlefield. Leading the group was Andrei, the Finecian’s leader of all things involving “taking care of people”. He was garbbed simply in a tight fitting black cloak with an contrastingly ill fitting hood that hid the top half of his face, only his whiskered muzzle peering out from beneath the fabric. Alongside him were the “Hitmen”, similarly cloaked with daggers at their belts. Snowball huffed at the sight of them. They had fit naturally into their new role, slaughtering Mud Elves at a rate almost equal to the real hitmen and somehow they had come out mostly unscathed, while 4 of the real hitmen had been injured, including Shade. Word was they were due to remain permanently in the role.

The party stopped near the blockage in the river, Andrei waving over Snowball to join the ground. Heat and anger bubbled to the surface, but the Fennec bit his lip and hid his annoyance, instead heaving himself up and moving to meet up with them. He limped slightly, favoring his left leg although the doctors had said his right was perfectly fine. The group was soon accompanied by delegates from the other factions and together they crossed the makeshift bridge created during the Horned Ones entrance, the Finecians leaping from precariously perched log to the next with little regard for the quakes that rattled the structure while the others crossed with more cautious approaches. Needless to say they crossed to the other side first where they waited impatiently for their less agile counterparts to cross.

The Finecians trudged along at the head of the pack at first, but as they neared the Mud Elf village their carefree attitudes seemed to diminish and then disappear as their naturally cautious natures took hold, making their way to the back of the force. They glanced about nervously, large ears rotating about rapidly, half expecting more Mud Elves to lunge at them at any moment. The Trolls on the other hand trudged forward with little regard. In their new armor they were extra oblivious and disregarded towards danger, and perhaps rightly so. A Troll so well equipped had little to fear.

But soon, after entering the Village with no obvious impending attack, the foxes went back to being the care-free, energetic foxes that stole everything and annoyed everyone. They explored and looted freely, regardless of the other party's wariness of any items found here. They seemed oblivious to the death that had wracked the place, often playing with the bodies they came across. Laughing at those who died in a particularly amusing pose, positioning some in such a way (“Look! These two are having SEX! Hehe!”) and even attempting to put on a puppet show with some of the bodies (what was with them and puppeteering?). Though the show was cut short when a squirming worm dropped out of one of the “puppet’s” mouth, causing it’s puppeteers to flee.

Of course, they shared the parties initial fear of the serpent, letting out high pitched squeals at the sight of it and running to hide behind the tall elves, but were the first to relax when they saw it was too full to do them harm. Fennecs were predators, but also prey. They knew when to and when not to fear a hunter.

They looked towards the temples with eagerness, dreams of loot filling their tiny heads. A few eager Fennec almost began to run off towards them excitedly, but were held back by a sharp order from Andrei, who cared not for such worthless things. He still regarded the place cautiously, sensing the curses and dark magic that laced every part of it. He looked up at the setting sun, regarding it for a moment before turning suddenly to lose a crossbow bolt that pinned an approaching warm against a tree, keeping the squirming mass behind it at bay. He reloaded his wrist-bow in a quick motion that was little more than a blur of activity to an untrained eye and looked back towards the colony, from which a Falcon with a small parchment neatly strung to its leg was approaching. The small bird of prey landed on the shoulder of one the Attollians, naturally flying to those most familiar. The Attollian took the letter and the bird paused for a moment, perched on his shoulder before flying off. He quickly read the letter, concern spreading across his face and the alert was passed around the group as common knowledge. Andrei, upon reading it, found his face settling into an even more grim expression than usual.

“It will be dark soon, and that will make it infinitely harder to keep those “worms” at bay. I can have the trolls hold torches, the light may keep them away… for a time. Let this be quick, trouble’s brewing at home. I’ll be sending a few of my forces back home to assist the Tyren.”

Andrei suggests to light torches and explore the place quickly.
(1 Trolls with plate armor and two-handed mace, 2 Skilled Finecian Thugs, 6 hitmen, 10 thugs, 5 Skilled Workers, lead by Master Assassin Andrei.)

(3 Armored Trolls, 10 Thugs, 5 Skilled Workers) to go assist Tyren.



OTHER ORDERS:

The onset of the heavy winter rains threaten to spell disaster for many farmers around the colony, the Finecians included as the rains began to overwhelm their irrigation channels. There was also concern over Muddy Lake expanding and flooding the farmland, but it was reasoned they had had the foresight to create the farm far enough away to prevent such a thing. The Capos were wary of the sudden explosion of the swamp lands. Lacking the resources to deal with both, the immediate problem of flooding crops was tackled. Fortunately for the Fennec,crops were ready for harvest so there was no risk of losing all the groups. Still, it was best to solve the problem of flooding now rather than later. To achieve this aim, the Finecian Engineers planned to dig large irrgation channels on the border of each farming “plot/grid”, using dirt to slope each plot so water would run into the irrigation channels, which would be sufficiently large to handle any amount of water nature could throw at them. If they could not achieve this is enough time to save the crops, they would be harvested immediately. Later plants would be stored, either for rationing during winter or for planting next year. Cherries would be among the plants grown next year. Workers would also ensure the Beehives were safe from potential flooding. (4 thugs, 10 skilled workers, 1 Capo (Sontio temporarily reassigned))

Construction on statues continues. (Amber, 10 Skilled Workers, Master Jeweler Capo to lead).

Research on recovered weapons, attempting to reverse engineer them. (10 Skilled Workers, Capo Master Biologist to lead investigation due to intellectual prowess)

In order to help defend their Tyren allies, the recalled Search Forces are reassigned to keep watch over the Tyren Cattle and the Finecians call upon the other factions to delegate whatever forces they can to help. Even if it’s just a few farmers with pitchforks and one or two soldiers. A decent sized gather should be enough to keep the potential raiders at bay, especially with heavily armored trolls in the mix. (3 Armored Trolls, 10 Thugs, 5 Skilled Workers)

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

Sir Tristan looked disgusted at the site of the Mud Elf settlement. Such... savagery was typically never seen in the Old World. That is at least he hadn't seen it since his first campaign as a squire during the Pacification of a certain confederation of barbarians. After a grand defeat in the field, the remaining barbarians fled back to their main camp and began looting it and attempted to flee the oncoming Muurdain army. By the time Sir Tristan arrived... there was little activity at the camp. Many had been killed by their own "allies". The wanton looting and destruction left an impression on him. If the Muurdain were able to not allow any of the enemy to flee, then the camp would have not been ransacked by the people who promised to protect it. But, with little order... it was every man for himself and age old rivalries resurrected among the tribes. Such was the duty that Sir Tristan took. He was a Knight of Attolia, a noble who took up the sword to protect those who could not. He had led numerous reconstruction campaigns to help people piece their lives together with both the sword and the pen. Thus, this sight of destruction perturbed him deeply.

He looked over at the 10 Halberdiers who came with him to this settlement and gave simple orders "While we still have light, we will finish searching the area. Most importantly for any possible survivors. However, be careful and do not tread alone. These cursed grounds must be cleansed and are perilous.Once, we finish searching and there is light, we will return to the Colony with the items found and ask the Mages' Guild for their assistance."

Summary:

1. While there's still sunlight, the Attolians will proceed to search the encampment (the two buildings remaining) and then return to the Colony (with the loot found) to ask for help from the Mages to uncurse these lands.

 

[Spacekitty]

The Fennec Resolve to follow the Attollians lead

 

[Beckoncall]

Heyitsjiwon

"Water Water everywhere..."

The Fishing expedition was an almost immediate success -- Beyond the sharkholes in the deeper waters where the clam mesas were, strange turbulances and patches of silt bubbled off to the east, and wherever they did, large amounts of deep-water fish were easily found in the shallow water. Whatever was disturbing the reefs deep below was creating an instant profit for the exile and attolian fishermen, leveraging their skills to the maximum. At first all were leery of the "sand blooms" -- but furtive net fishing from skiffs proved too attractive to pass up and soon the ship (protected by floating above the nearest clam mesa) began to capitalize on the disturbances in the reef. GIANT TUNA -- it's flsh sweet and more pink than seen before, were harvested in fair number, along with deep water cuddlefish and schools of bottom-water brightly colored brightscales. It would put a dent in winter hunger, Even though the clam haul was only modest.

Food security elevated to modest surplus for winter. Still a ways to go to provide absolute comfort, but few expect that.

While the yield of clams was not spectacular, the phenomenon of the sand-blooms (which could have been going on for months) apparently had a spectacular effect on pearl production. Trapped sand is the seed of every pearl, and the sand blooms make sure most every clam had a pearl cooking inside it. (+1 Bonus wealth gained in pearls!)

The Sirens sang open the clams, and herded in skiffs the fish into greater concentrations... but when curiosity got the best of them, a handful dove to investigate the blooms...

...They reported that the "Island Fish" that sank so long ago was bottom feeding on the reef, disturbing the ecosystem with it's repasts was what was giving them such deep water catches in such shallow water. They remarked on the odd ghost town on the back of the "sunken island" but dared not explore it -- apparently undead -- both fishmen and clean-picked humans who did not escape the sinking, stood idly swaying on the back of the creature or wandered aimlessly about on it. They remarked that what remained of swaying palms and wooden structures were rotting on the back of the sea-creature... and it was a forboding looking affair... they would not go closer unless ordered!

_______________________________________________________________

One would think the irrigation project to be too great an undertaking, but large earmarked labor and the addition of tireless golems had a lot to say about it. The skilled workers cut the plots into properly sized areas accounting for topography, and the golems, day and night, pounded a path east from the crops, due east all the way to the river (MAP EDIT WILL REFLECT.) The undertaking created a small lake in a low point between some hills, which required a bridge be built to maintain the continuity of the road -- but this was close enough to the river (and the massive pile of fallen logs) to make this an easy undertaking with the labor provided. Spacekitty -- The Fennec merely connected their own tiny channel to the larger Attolian ecosystem, and upon completion asked if it was okay to do so.

Irrigation product succeeds, water will be more plentiful during dry spells and excess will run to the river. Asthetics of territory improved by the water channel! People are pleased! The fennec are praised for their QUITE ACCIDENTAL introduction of muddy-lake river fish to the irrigation channel, which makes for not only great fertilizers, but the farmers and other travelling working folk have the opportunity to catch a meal during their commute now.

Fennec gain +2 influence, Attolians gain +2 influence!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

Sirens and the Beach area:

Such a large host of sirens quickly took control of the bay area beyond the sea wall -- the larger sharks were lazy and only prone to strike when provoked by fishermen, so the sirens needed wail only occasionally and to each other to maintain a zone of control. A handful of discoveries were made previously unseen from the surface...

1) The beach plateau dropped into sheer darkness after a certain distance. The tides below were wicked, unpredictable, and fierce -- the sirens were not excited at the prospect of descending there.

2) At the edge of the plateau, sift-feeding from the current were roving schools of hermit crabs nearly the size of a mans head. As if to drive home the point -- many instead of shells wore the skulls of various fishmen and humanoids as their homes. The sirens found them particularly succulent, they seemed to feed upon "dead-snows" (the blood, guts and bits of remains of the fishing operation and the predations of the bay's sharks -- as well as what would seem to be trace amounts of god-rot which also gave them stronger, pearlescent carapaces. They might be a new potential food source for the colony. Stranger observation however -- the skulls and shells of many of the crabs bear the signs of numerous claw marks -- like larger crustaceans are their main predators, but there are none to be seen.

3) But most interesting of all, was the fact that the sirens could safely explore the SHARK HOLES ... and within them revealed a mystery unlikely to be easily uncovered without their abilities.
Down in the shark-holes were MAMMOTH sharks... their skin WHITE with what could only be assumed to be a primary diet of "God Rot" -- the dark caves were only lit by the light from the shark-holes above, and sirens used echolocation and swimming in formations to map out the area... At the base of the sharkhole was the wreckage of an very large and ancient muurdain warship, broken in halves beneath the shark-holes, seemingly once at rest in the relatively vast space between them, age and the damage it sustained caused it to crack in half and fall into this darker abyss.

But most notably -- was the source of the "god-rot" -- lashed against a corner of the massive cave, shackled by chains of strange crystal, was a giant, purplish and ghost-white humanoid covered with a thousand shark-bites, it's rapid regenerating flesh sowing itself shut only as rapidly as the sharks had learned to keep coming at it. Although fairly massive -- a true giant -- or even titan perhaps, the naked man-thing's eye-sockets were barely larger than a man's fist. Eye sockets being mentioned because the thing seemed to only have one eye remaining, which followed the sirens with suspicion and little interest. It was obviously here as a form of eternal punishment -- it's powers to heal merely serving as a means to feed the sharks and suffer a seemingly eternal torment. The sirens watched as it repeatedly drowned, only to be jerked back into life and wakedness with the next shark attack.

The Sirens speculated that the largest, laziest sharks were literally SUFFUSED with "got-rot" -- and might have some additional value because of this... and so drunk with food, they did not seem as threatening as they might be feeding for survival.

The Sirens reported that the things they found in the shark-holes were disturbing and forboding, and were not anxious to descend to those depths again -- especially with that... pitiful and horrible thing watching them with it's one baleful eye...

_________________________________________________________________

The Magic Crystals were pulled up in large clusters, many bound from one to the next, they had been allowed to grow for millennia relatively undisturbed. Some more stable than others, the well-labored project sought the biggest and safest pieces first. Yield was high but it was not likely to ever be this easy again! (Attolians gain 4 units of mana gems -- next stage of excavation will require greater care and/or mage assistance to guarantee safety!)

_________________________________________________________________________

Studying the worms, despite their rapid decay, revealed paydirt, but not as easy a solution as to the wererat plague...Nicolas and the Chemist would have been lost without Cassandra, but with her burning red and augmented blind-sight -- she explained there was a chemical the worms released to telegraph that a host is already occupied. Innoculations of this enzyme would make the recipient seen as already infected and thus ignored by other worms. The downside? An innoculative dose was cripplingly painful, and likely suitable only for the toughest colonists, and warriors... unless you were a Tyren or Aymaran. For them, the "cure" felt like a bee-sting.... but such a "cure" for the common colonist could be seen as an experience almost on par with being infected.

___________________________________________________________________________

Hatzburks:

"We will honor your arrangement -- you pay us, and we'll not only stay the winter for some of us to work for you, but we'll run the first load of cargo and get supplies for you, then when we finally depart in spring we will take a second load of cargo for the colony's profit.

"I am sad to say however that we will not be depositing our intended colonist cargo -- the Ashmen. We're taking them with us for our next endeavor... and will be dropping them off where we secure our future, and your supplies during the winter. We'll help you Attolians, for the price you're paying -- but we think the colony is doomed, and that everyone here is deluded that their not already dead... sir." (Ashmen Offramped!)

 

[Beckoncall]

"Of Kobolds and Men": Heyitsjiwon

The kobolds seemed very happy given the way the battle proceeded, despite casualties. The death of the horned one, and his forces following the battle was surely nothing less than divine intervention to them, the intricacies well beyond their understanding.

It was in this atmosphere of happiness that Attolian negotiators, The Linguist, and Sir Bors introduced themselves. They seemed to think the Linguist was some kind of priest, and gave him carved bone talismans they wore around their necks. Sir Bors, as expected, was seen as an "Alpha" of sorts, who brooded, ate and drank, and gestured for the kobolds to commune with the task force.

After a considerable amount of time attempting to establish communication -- what little was understood by the Linguist of Kobolds (apparently kobold language had only a limited amount of sounds in it, and almost all of the subtlety was intonation and context. Almost everything they said to outsiders sounded the same...

...finally, one of the smaller kobolds came forward after discussion with one of the largest:

"Ieee stan-stan hard is demand. Euuuu wan-wan Kob-kin creak de cummins. Ieee peek peek sur prime. Cheef Gorfeen Heeee wan-wan euuu stan-stan hard is demand same. Euuu peek Kob-kin...."

The little being seemed to give itself a headache looking for the word.

"First. Euuuuu First. Den IeeeEuuu hard stan the cummins?"

It looked to stand in challenge... it waited expectantly for an answer....

 

[Spacekitty]

The Finecians pledge the following troops to help the Dwarves ( General Deth Glitch ) kill; the Cave Fisher Queen;

2 Armored Trolls, 2 Capo (Mallowthew + Illusionist), 2 Skilled Finecian Thugs, 6 hitmen, 10 thugs, 10 Skilled Workers. Illusionist with Taming Staff. ((AVAILABLE AFTER MUD ELF SETTLEMENT IS EXPLORED. 2 Armored Trolls, 1 Capo (Andrei), 10 Thugs, 5 Skilled Workers, 2 Skilled Thugs to remain watching over Tyren Herds/the North-West))

The Finecians request that the Dwarves ( General Deth Glitch )/Smithing Guild ( Beckoncall ) fulfill an order of several hefty metal cages capable of containing one small cave fisher each. No less than 8-10 in total but more would be very welcome. These cages will be used to capture a few smaller Cave Fishers for joint research and collaboration of the Finecians, Highborn ( Prince Vaethorion ) and Tyren ( SpiralErrant ). These services should be covered by the Fennecs agreement to help the Dwarves with their problem in return for help with theirs, and the Dwarves will be further compensated with picks of loot from the Finecian excavation once the Centipede is resolved.



Once the forces leaves to deal with the Cave Mother, 2 Armored Trolls, 1 Capo (Andrei), 10 Thugs, 5 Skilled Workers, 2 Skilled Thugs will remain to guard the NorthWest/Tyren live stock. It is requested that the Tyren SpiralErrant assign some sort of militayr or militia force of their own to guard, even if it is just the illfolk as pure numbers will keep the Snakemen from attacking. The other factions are requested to contribute in whatever way they can as if a large force of (60 as they have been spotted to gather in such numbers) Fishmen attack the live stock or other North West Facilities the small force of Fennecs and Tyren Militia will not be enough to properly stop it. Enemy Standoo Heyitsjiwon General Deth Glitch KamiKahzy

Even a few troops make a difference if everyone contributes! We need all the food we can get- the farms, live stock and fisheries up there should not go unprotected!

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

First Contact

Sir Bors was befuddled as he tried to discern what the small Kobold said. He looked at the Linguist who paused for a moment to try to digest what had happened. It sounded like common, but the Linguist had to repeat the phrases multiple times in his head to figure out the bits and pieces of words. The Linguist ultimately replied "Sir Bors... I think they want us to learn the Kobold language first, and then they will learn common." Sir Bors nodded with an affirmative grunt. "Lord Caelis wanted you to be able to learn their language regardless... I hear that it is derived from draconic. Regardless, it appears we have come to some sort of agreement." Sir Bors looked at the Kobold and nodded with a smile. He heartily said "We learn Kobkin. You learn Common. Deal." He then took a mug of beer and handed it to the Kobold. With a quick cheer, Sir Bors cheerfully agreed to the deal. He then looked at the Linguist and jokingly said "Looks like you're going to have your work cut out for you. I look forward to your first edition on a Commoner's Guide to Speaking to Kobolds! Bahahahaha."

 

[Beckoncall]

The Ruins strewn with dead, mud-elves no more:

The task force seemed held aghast by the carnage -- The Victorians held fast and did their litanies of purity, the rest but the Attolians and the Fennecs held their ground -- They were to scout the structures and then the wise would fall back across the river before night soon fell.

The Stepped Pyramid to the south had dark entrances on three sides at it's base, and a seeming shrine of some type at the top. The doors at the base were sealed tight -- and the sound of pressing, slithering, churning could be heard behind them. The means to bar the doors were evident, and so they were barred. If the mud elves kept things bound inside this structure, they should stay bound inside until something was decided about them. Instead the Attolian Halbardiers slowly climbed the structure, and the fennecs quickly scrambled to the top -- where an unholy shrine lay devoted to the most disgusting and debauched rites of the mud-elves... their profanity on the ground was nothing compared to the charnel chaos apparently celebrated before their army was sent forth... vast braziers burned piles of unspeakable parts, couldrons has stewed scores of mud-elves to have their meat and frothing brew poured into gutters in the pyramid where one guessed mud-elfs would drink. The entire top tier was slippery with black blood -- caked in rotten layers it was, and suffused the air with a foetid scent, both earthy and unearthly. The Attolians were motivated to topple piles of skulls and dash many of the artifacts found there lest they curse or infect they, or the lands a second longer. The fennecs were more discerning... but in the end, Three coffers were filled with deeply unholy effects and items of precious metals. It was only in the custody of the Victorians they could be safely removed from the area, in the end it was decided that they would have to be burned. Upon a great hill of mud elf corpses, the sacrements to their god were ruined forever, and with Victorian Sanctification the air in the once-domain of the horned one seemed slightly lighter. Noise from the pyramid waned, but did not subside.

Before night was finally upon them, the scouts crossed the center of the settlement, still hundreds of dead, the crows, rats, and insects coming in for the feast of the night. The Mud/Daub/Filth-made temple mound that remained contained a survivor...

In a three-tiered pit (seemingly like a stadium seating for rites of worship to the center) lay an almost unguessable mass. A body horror. Was it once bipedal, was it once a mud-elf, or a suffusion of many?

For what they saw at the base of the pit was THE BROOD QUEEN... tiny deformed limbs and psudopods and strange growths wriggled at it's base, covered with blood, offal, and other slop -- not the least of which were it's own vomit, not ignored either by a sweeping tounge and the host of psudopods. It looked like, more than anything else, a huge pregnant belly without a head rolling in it's mucus -- At first SIr Tristan saw was he thought was an eyeslit turn to face them in the darkness of the pit -- until it dilated to spill forth... Babies. more than 3 dozen blood and slime covered infant mud-elves, half a dozen of which were snatched and shoved into the true mouth somewhere below the mass or otherwise rolled on. The apotheosis of gluttony and depravity lay sprawled before them, it's tiny beady eyes did open, and floated impossibly small and ugly on the surface of the supporating mass...

....And then a noise, a siren, it was thought first -- until Sir Tristans ears could decode the broken patois of elvish and common -- a voice was barking? crying? from under it's bulk...

"DO NOT KILL ME! If you cannot turn your back on what you have seen, let me give you the shank of my children -- make you powerful in their number, for I eat the slow. (at this point the screaming infants remaining had ascended already out of the reach of the creature and from the tier below the attolians and fennecs were hissing and crying as they climbed forth..."

"TAKE ME FOR WIFE! I will make you all strong! My offspring will die for you just as they had my husband! I am your prize!"

The Fennec were inclined to light a bunch of foxtails and burn it then and there -- but an everyful workhouse of degenerate-spawned children just didn't seem that bad a prize the longer they thought about it, smell be damned. Everyone else? They surely would have their own voice, but for now, horror and disgust seized the stage...

They would be going soon -- and decisions would need to be made.

 

[Beckoncall]

Update:

Since crops brought in for harvest, greater idle time rises in the colony -- games of chance and light gambling begin to gain popularity in the areas surrounding The blooming lamb and donkey rats -- the Tyren, especially heavy in coin and eager for contest, try their hands at sports of chance.

While some Tyren big winners emerge, as expected, the house is generally the winner. Market = 8, as some Tyren silver burning holes in purses makes its way back into the economy...

 

[Beckoncall]

BLOOD STAND-OFF!

SpiralErrant Enemy Standoo Heyitsjiwon :

No Compromise was reached regarding blood rituals over the bodies of the mud-elves.

In the end, the land was sanctified, but not before most of the lifeforce left on the battlefield belonged to the fountain.

At the mud-elf settlement, similar failure to come to resolution lead to the lands being cleaned, but Cassandra managed to siphon FOUR BLOOD POINTS for herself before the rites were disrupted.

TENSIONS BETWEEN ATTOLIANS AND VICTORIANS INCREASE.

 

[Prince Vaethorion]

The Highborn were still in mourning for the deaths of their beloved comrades at the hands of the Mud Elves. There was some solace at the fact that the revenge was metered out for the past deaths from the Mud Elf invasion, the exploding witch and now the costly battle. Victory was bitter sweet. The cold rains added to the gloomy, sad feeling of sadness that were flooding the Highborn. There was no time to mope about and feel sorry. The rituals for saying goodbye to the dead were more perfunctory than usual. The Highborn went off to the resting places, and saw their souls off to be recirculated into celestial void. The Highborn were quiet, and put their focus into preparing for winter.

The loss of the Countrymen were also hard on both the Highborn and the remaining countrymen. The Countrymen built floating pyres and sent off their dead aflame into the sea. The Highborn gathered and paid their respects. The Spymaster seemed sad as well, as he had spent much time with the Countrymen training, drilling, and socializing with them. The fighting again solidified the connection between the Highborn, the Countrymen and the rest of the colony. The fledgling colony had endured a lot in a short time. Blood had been spilled, fighting side by side, and the Colony defended itself together demonstrating great cohesion. This unity had strengthen the resolve of the Highborn and Countrymen to put even more into the Colony and their home.

There was so much to do. Drilling and training continued, the craftsman crafted, the part of the Theater district that abutted the Highborn District was slowly being incorporated, more vertical gardens were built and it was decided that winter crops would be needed. Winter Greenhouses would be needed.

A Winter greenhouse used a variety of simple technologies, one could use one or all of them. First, as in normal greenhouses there was the Winter sun that warmed up the greenhouse, then there was warmed water that was heated up by the sun in black painted ceramic tubes that circulated around the greenhouse there was composted materials that gave off heat as they broke down, there would be ceramic heaters places for especially cold nights, and if all else failed arcane arts would be used, enchanted objects to keep the greenhouse warm. Kale, carrots, potatoes, turnips, radishes, barley, cabbage, daikon, spinach, herbs, peas arugula would be grown.

The Highborn thought that this idea should be spread throughout the colony. Having food stores as backup was important, but as no one knew the duration of winter the ability to grow during the winter was paramount. With a combined effort, such growing structures could be built in multiple locations. Until such consensus was agreed upon, the Highborn would build their own as models. The Highborn would build two kinds. Dome structures and lean-to. The Dome structure could receive light from all angles, but were freestanding. The lean-to could be build onto existing structures, with homes having access to them without going outside. The domes would be larger and could produce more food for the entire colony, while the lean-to could provide enough for homes, and allow for self sufficiency in households. The Lean -to would face South and the domes would get light from any direction. Both could be heated by solar means and have ceramic heaters as back ups for very cold nights.

The lean-tos and domeswould also have small fish tanks to have fish in the winter to eat. A practice called "aquaponics" would be employed. This is the symbiotic relationship between plants and fish. Even in Winter the fish like trout and catfish could thrive.

Building these structures, building ceramic heaters amassing coal, and creating warm clothes would become a priority for the Highborn.

The plans for the Greenhouses would be shared with other colonist if they desired to build them as well.

Angel.

The Prince was deeply moved by the contact of celestial beings. The decision was not one to take lightly. The Highborn would seek the wisdom, power and guidance of the Planetar, High Planetar Tantrasiel and will build a shrine for the Angel General. The Shrine would be placed in a place of significance in the theater district above nodes of Mana Crystals. The Shrine would have the Tear of Astral Divinity placed to increase focus of the Planetar. A Ceremony involving all Highborn to welcome the High Planetar and for the dedication of the Shrine would take place. The Placement of the Astral tear of divinity and magical incantations into the Shrine made by the Arch Mage and the High Cleric. This is to be splendidly holy place of goodness. Research into how the Planetar's shattered body could be restored would be investigated.

Lots to Do Before Winter
---------------------------------
The Highborn would take shifts. The Highborn needed 4 hours a night to mediate to become rested. Those involved in guilds would put in time in the morning to their respective guilds and then would put time into building the shrine, the Winter readied Greenhouses with pools for Fish. Glass would be bought from the Glass making Guild, ceramic heaters would be built in the guilds. Coal would be stockpiled. Food would be stockpiled and stored. Homes would be made ready for Winter.

Plan to deal with Cave Fishers enacted.

Orders:

Greenhouses with Aquaponics are to be built. (Engineer, Inventor 20 unskilled 10 skilled)

Shrine for High Planetar built on Mana Crystal node, dedication ceremony with magical incantations and Astral tear of divinity place (High Cleric, Arch Mage, 20 Unskilled, 10 skilled)

Preparations for Winter (all hands 2 hours a day)

Any surplus labor will go to assist.

(ooc: I wanted to get a post in to get off the rust, there might be more, but this is a start, sorry it's not more detailed)

 

[Beckoncall]

Wages of elf labor:

Throughout the Highborn Quarter, The strange greenhouses began to pop up. It was anticipated that the high elves would have food security and some to spare if they worked as well as they had hoped. Heyitsjiwon Attolians did indeed adapt the technology from the highborn in the case of creating seals into their underground cultivations -- which worked spectacularly, increasing their yield even further.

The Shrine for the Planetar was constructed both beautifully and rapidly -- it had seemed the divine energy of the planetar made work on it's platform tireless and even pleasurable. When work was done, (and quickly) A raised hand of the planetar Tantrasiel formed in it's center of a dark green, cracked, and unfamiliar (even to the highborn) type of glass. But it was the infusion of the ASTRAL TEAR that made the shrine a crowning achievement.

The Planetar spoke:

"Your forces have suffered greatly in these lands, but you have drilled them faithfully and without pause. They shall receive my Marshall blessing, so that the price of their blood will grow ever higher. You have made the right decision to imbue me with this power -- and I shall prove it."

HIGHBORN SPEARMEN ARE NOW *ELITE* HIGHBORN SPEARMEN -- As the blessing of the Angel guides their shields and spears to greater heights of defense and aggression.

HIGHBORN ARCHERS GAIN "VOLLEY OF LIGHT" ABILITY -- Once per battle, they can strike with holy bolts instead of arrows. These have a chance, if willed, to "Fork" and strike other nearby targets.

The pulsing light during the night seems to keep longdead on the border of the theater district away, but with them, the "Twiceborn" seem likewise repelled, and retreat to who-knows-where.

Theater District protected from neighboring districts in the ruins regarding undead.

+3 INFLUENCE HIGHBORN.

 

[Beckoncall]

Fennec Artfulness:

With the ants abated (for now) and waiting response to highborn diplomatic overtures, The Fennec were not idle to just count coin and chase the pennies that fell (although it was a fun game)...

...Work on the monument to fallen veterans was deliberate, passionate, and most of all brilliant.

"To further celebrate and honor those lost, the Finecian craftsmen will set work on carving magnificent Amber statues for each faction whom suffered during the attack. A beautiful, life size red tinted amber statue of an Exile Halbardier with a small dragon curling around his feet for the Church of Dracos. A life size Elven spearmen standing strong against an unseen enemy for the Highborn. A mighty Tyren raising his axe and giving a warcry before a charge for the Tyren. A Dwarf in mithril armor for the Dwarves, a statue of a man who seems half Attollian soldier and half Exile Halbardier for the Attollians and a statue of Curdlebite for the Ratkin. A statue of the Reinen's fallen princess will be made for them. Statues will be built in sequential order and no set date for completion is set, as doing so many statues with magnificence cannot be rushed."

the ramped up wake-music of the Fennec honor party!:


Delivered as completed, It was eventually decided by the populace to place all the statues together, as a memorial, at the site of the Reinen Battleground. Offerings of bull iron, silver, electrum, the last of the elven wine, and the pouring of new brews at the feet of the statues. The monument was truly beloved by the colony. Them that lost loved ones saw the greatness of their fallen in those wonderous statues of stone and amber -- which caught the sunlight giving gleaming eye and weapon glory in the day. Gatherings after the unveilnig were frequent and emotional. Even the highborn wished to scoff at the art-product of the fennec, but in this case even they could not -- some real talent was brought forth to capture the dimensions and beauty of all, and even the highborn could favor their monument.

At the unveiling Fennec played their music, and were joined by Lindar and all else who could hold an instrument well. Tears were shed, but happy ones. These folk had broken the enemy line... if a safer future existed for the colony, that day, all folk of the colony could see it.

Fennec Influence +2!!!

 

[Prince Vaethorion]

The Highborn take 3 wealth from Market and place 2 wealth it back into the hands of the Glass-makers to help make the Greenhouses and for other materials. One wealth goes to labor for the Greenhouses. 2 Wealth go into the Shrine. (Wealth spent on greenhouses and shrine significantly improve aesthetics, and structural integrity,)

TOTAL MARKET WEALTH = 5... grumbling in public sector about heavy levies recently, but mostly expected due to preventative measures for winter shortages. MORALE STABLE.