The world of Pavilion continues on. In the far east the gentle Venks enjoy an era of peace and prosperity, far from any who might menace them. They share the shores of the great lake with many a peculiar people, the ant legions of Skrit, the eclectic homunculi of Vitruvia, and the secretive shadow elves of Habitun. The decidedly peculiar east is separated from the west by the harpy supremacists of Guliseare who lurk in a great mountain range, though their home is threatened by the flames of war. Beyond the mountains are the human kingdoms, remnants of the Tellden empire. The mage lords of the Vizari, the holy legions of Barzaentine, the half orc knights of Orcmanie, the half elf aristocrats of Adenai, and the matriarchy cursed Ordelan. Nestled within them are the changeling city states of Tagaya. On the fringes of what was once the Tellden empire the brutal Domo beastmen and savage Krovian sharkmen lurk, waiting for their chance to strike at the world of men. Further still are the alien Krawl and the Urotti dwarves living on the edge of civilized lands.
As the spring of a new year dawns and the first green shoots appear, the leaders of the world must guide their people to the future, through vicious wars, delicate diplomacy, and past chaotic unpredictable disasters.
>We're currently full on players, apologies to anyone who would like to join
>GLOBAL Night becomes day as a spectacular meteor shower fills the night sky, punctuated by the earth itself shuddering as great fiery stars strike the ground somewhere far to the south east. The air grows hot and mothers clutch their children tight as wisemen stare in horror. After three hours it ends as abruptly as it began. The mollucoids of Zelheim have been utterly destroyed, though whether it is by the callousness of nature, divine, or a mortal of terrifying power is utterly unknown. The following summer is hot and dry and the harvests slim.>>6122501 >Vizari 1. Expand into the former Gorehorn Mob lands to the river.
Vizari commoners and their magelord aristocracy spread out across the plains that once held the now conspicuously absent Gorehorn. All that remains are a handful of scattered homesteads held by isolated and savage (even by Gorehorn standards) individuals who are invariably some manner of disturbed, paranoid and distrusting. They are evicted of course, and usually end up in some wizard’s dungeon of test subjects. What little sense can be fetched of them speaks of ‘heretical calling to the southern seas’, no doubt just the rambling of deranged individuals. A few grumtusk herds and the ruins of a leatherworking site and ranch are all that remains of the savage nation. Merchants looking to secure their goods against Krovian ambitions turn to their mystic betters. The latest improvement to the living armor soldiers of the Vizari are glass soldiers. Using powerful magic the armor of a construct is filled with molten glass, neatly resolving many of the leakage issues that earlier models had faced, as well as enabling a greater degree of flexibility and control over the movements of the golems. As a bonus the metal armor of the soldier also becomes brutally hot to the touch, greatly deterring direct contact from enemy forces. The dull red glow of the armor is a hindrance in stealthy situations, but given the requirement for a nearby mage to give commands and supply mana this is rarely an issue. Attempts to twist Krovian addicts to act as agents against their fellows hits a mild snag, while agents are enthusiastic, there is a sizable bias against Krovians who are capable enough to actually be effective, with many simply forgetting their orders, getting in trouble with Krovian law before accomplishing their mission, or even striking the wrong target.
>>6122541 Drom-Domo > Western Rush (Expand x2) > Raid areas surrounding new lands? 9/20 (Raid mostly results in internal infighting and violence against remnants of the Goretusk)
Domo settlers spill out across the grasslands that once belonged to the Goretusk. A vast network of villages and towns forms across the prairies. Few of the goretusk remain, mostly isolated homesteads held by the elderly or deranged. They speak of a ‘calling to the south’, some divine mission that called most of their people to build boats and set out across the water. All that remains are a few herds of goretusks gone feral and the capital of the mob fallen into ruin. As the borders push against the land of wizards to the east, a certain degree of friction springs up as ideal settlement locations become scarce, and no small amount of internal warfare springs up among the domo, though fortunately it manages to settle over the first winter in their new home.>>6122564 >Krawl The higher minds of the Krawl set to work on themselves, with Maja focusing on the construction of great plates of chitin with which to armor themselves while in their monstrous krawl forms. A bit of clever design allows the new armor to be designed as interlocking thick chitin plates, as suitable for the high krawl as it is for the mindless rank and file. Meanwhile Novenary focused on repairing damage done to his body in recent conflicts against the molluscoid menace. Rather than simply focus on his own body however, he weaves lesser krawl into oozing pits that steadily fill with a golden gel he names Ambrosia. When applied to wounds it triggers an acceleration of wound healing, a fact he used to rapidly repair his body in days rather than weeks.
>>6123259 >Krovian Bands The sanctity of bloodshed, a hundred and twenty line epic poem, is painted onto a Krovian who stands motionless as each brushstroke draws a line of blood along his body. When the krovian’s blood wrath is raised the dark red lines will flare a vibrant glowing red, the symbols forming patterns of teeth and thrashing prey. As long as the heart of the Krovian sings the bloodsong, the runes will burn bright and the warrior will battle, far longer than any mortal has the right too. Blood of course can only be acquired so quickly, and while the blood of a raging enemy is best, an ostrich works in a pinch. The sharkmen gather together a great many of the birds, pinning them in and breeding them for number, though as a pleasing side effect feather pillows, mattresses, and giant omelets become quite commonplace in the nation.>>6123786 >Vitruvia The local jungle buffalo has long been more a pest than anything else to Vitruvia, munching on fields of reagents, stumbling into alchemy cauldrons and emerging to have long winded arguments, and generally just depositing their waste in inconvenient locations while menia queue up waiting for one of the beasts to exit the path, however there’s no denying that the sheer size of the beasts could have merit as a food source. Fence and pastures are built up, wild specimens are gathered, and soon enough a steady flow of the beasts are delivered to the rookery in the mountain where rocs fall upon them with savage delight. Keeping the rocs well fed quickly proves an important component in keeping them calm and pliable. Several generations of careful management of the birds ensues, selecting for loyalty and imprinting instincts, as well as trimming out the aggressive territorial nature of the birds. The end result is a far cry from the original rowdy and barely tame specimens that once savaged their handlers. Attempts to produce a cavia strain of the rocs has mixed results. Many of the attempts die outright, as the magic of the cauldrons attempts to twist the bodies in unpleasantly fatal ways, while the few survivors tend to be philosophical, weepy, and painfully uncoordinated. Nonetheless they are incredibly intelligent and cunning, when they can be persuaded to not spend all their time penning sonnets about the endless march of entropy and the beauty of a life unconsidered.
>>6124333 >Orcmanie The tradition of archery among the Orcmanie inevitably leads to the creation of the Garde Forestier, an elite cadre of professional archers and soldiers. One of their favored tools (though certainly not exclusive to them) is the Whound, a warg hybrid that while not quite the horse sized menace they call their ancestor, is still a massive and intelligent beast. The whound serves well as a both a tracker and attack dog, with civilians often using packs of the beasts to bring down bears in the forest that have menaced their homes and pastures. Many a harpy scout soon finds themselves ruthlessly tracked by the beasts, forced into the air over and over until they either retreat to the hills, or crash to the ground and are mauled by the beasts. The Garde Forestier tracks down the ‘Barbarian Scion’, discovering he is of some forgotten tribe hailing from Ordelan. He has a surprisingly sizable force he has gathered, one that he could prove useful, though his primary goal is revenge on Ordelan, which could prove problematic. According to him, his people were unjustly wiped out by the Ordelan in times past, though it is unclear if he is referring to the Tellden empire or Ordelan itself, the man inevitably falls to raging and shouting on the topic. For the time though a hefty payment of gold coins points him and his men at the harpy menace instead.>>6124566 >Habitun cult Training the Medqa to make dramatic leaps is fairly straightforward, the large beetles tend to make rather enthusiastic bounds whenever a well rotted tree is present, a favorite treat of theirs, and their trainers have mastered wafting a bag of old pine needles to trigger the lunging instinct. Maintaining position on the beetle on the other hand is quite the trial. The shell of the beetle splits, revealing a dozen wings that buzz rapidly, avoiding the branches of their forest home with surprising grace, propelling the creature forward. Unfortunately this process inevitably sendings any cargo, passengers included, flying in all directions. A clever saddle design of adjustable ropes however allows passengers to ride under the beetle, neatly allowing them to strike out with long spears from the belly of the great insect. Excavations and prospecting in the tunnels, and careful analysis of shadow ant movements, has revealed a curious phenomenon. A deep network of tunnels, too deep to full explore currently, has been discovered fill with a strange glittering vapor. Consumption of the vapor triggers hallucinations and euphoria, though in full Shadows this is coupled with an increased ability to shapeshift and transform their forms, allowing them to temporarily split into multiple forms. Curiously the shadows of those who consume the gas regularly appear to brighten however, a cause of no small amount of concern. mildly addictive>>6124736 >The Urotti Prospectors discover a curious new material as they comb the depths. It appears to be large stones of golden amber, but far harder than the stone typically should be. When heated it becomes soft, then liquid, quite quickly, able to be easily shaped and worked even with simple thick gloves. In no time at all the smiths have produced a coat of golden scale male for the king, as sturdy as any dwarven ironwork, as long as the king doesn’t stray too close to the roaring fire of the great hall anyway. For once the cold clime of the north is a boon. Engineer, mason and architect work furiously to stand up new fortifications to protect Thul Urdor, but the effort is barely too late. The walls are half built when the two armies clash in the city. The Urotti mount a ferocious defense of their home and greatest city,, but the sheer weight of the Habitun advance overwhelms their best efforts. Axemen are driven back, step by step, through the streets of the city until the central keep itself can no longer be defended. Even still, the soldiers hold the line until the last women and children can evacuate through tunnels. These remnants flee north, leaving Thul Urdor a battered wreck of a capital. Many among them vow revenge upon this new blood-enemy, who inflict callous violence even upon those they call brothers. The northern climes are harsh, but the Urotti find blessings in the hardship. An easily mined outcropping of black stone, a smithery to craft finer items out of the little metal they have, and a new city for the remnant peoples to settle in. A place to rebuild, and tell the children of what they have lost
>>6125638 >Kingdom of Ordalan A great deal of woodwork begins in Ordalan this turn, though it is of very different styles and intentions. Along the river a great lumbermill, supplied at great expense with a fine orc iron saw blade rips and tears the great trees of the forest into planks and posts for the future construction projects of the kingdom. The work is hard but the pay is good, even if more than a few nix lives are cut short hauling the ropes that hoist and shift the great trees about. In a quieter part of the woods however the shouting and hard labor of the lumbermill is replaced by soft song and the delicate sounds of silver instruments. Here the old magic of the Arrowsong is invoked, an ancient gift from the gods. A verse for an arrow, a song and a promise for a bow, though only the singer knows the nature of the promise, they shall not tell what price the wood asks in exchange. A nix who performs the ritual almost always goes on to be a fearsome huntress with her singing bow, though they rarely smile except when their prey falls to the forest floor.>>6125681 >Vasileus of the Barzaentine On the southern border of the nation great slabs of stone are pulled from the deep places of the earth using a sequence of old rituals passed from even before the Tellden empire came to this land. Even as stones are raised, shaped, and set into place, forming the sturdy bones of a mighty fortress, news comes from the Vizari to the south. The Gorehorn who had once lived here have left on some heretical mission into the southern sea, leaving only ruins, scattered herds of grummtusk beasts gone feral, and a few isolated hermits. The southern lands now belong to Vizari settlers, rickety mage towers springing up surrounded by hamlets and villages. In the capital, grand efforts to revitalize ironworking have begun. While the common efforts of common smiths has undoubtedly improved, it is a temple prophet who creates something truly worthy of the Barza. A collection of hammers are created, each embossed with an image of a letter. Seventy seven versed of the words of Luxos are pounded into the metal, one letter at a time. The resulted Prayer Folded Steel is among the finest the Barzaentine have ever seen.
>Adenai Jockeying and jostling, and so. many. meetings. Nearly every hour the same tired joke about elvish indifference to the passing of time. Already some complain that perhaps the Confederacy’s Thorns would be a better name, though others claim they certainly aren’t children of a thorn tree. Still by the end the professional army of Adenai has been organized and leaders found for it, though unfortunately the venture is proving quite expensive. Already bitter arguments about budgets, land rights, and the cost of armaments has begun, many influential figures within the twigs protest the very idea of a standing professional army, after all are the harpies not in retreat and far away besides?
>>6125859 >Tagaya A bureaucrat's work is never done, but much has been done this tyrn to grease the wheels. Substantial agreements have been put into place, warehouses bought, permits stamped, and occasionally officials bribed, or whooed. Great quantities of trade now flow easily through Tagaya and the connected lands, enriching all within the trade network. Orcish steel and gold, Nixon silver, Elvish gems and Changeling cloth all serve to make the region the richest in the world.>>6125873 >The Divine Republic of Guliseare Black clouds of tribulation loom. Cursed lessers encroach on the sacred lands of Guliseare, soiling the land with their feet and worse still the air with their breath. In this trying time the high temple is filled with songs, of mourning and desperate prayers, and that desperate prayer is at long last answered. Blessings of light fall upon the most faithful of the Aripan, the tips of their feathers transforming into a pure snowy white. The glory of Aelelox shines within them, and through them, lancing down from the heavens to blind and burn the wicked and empowering the righteous and holy. Let the lesser beware! Judgment is coming!
>>6125889 >Skrit Colonies Thousands of ants move in their steady processions, trailing patterns of pheromones, carrying bits of information encoded as chemical ooze. Bit by bit these offerings, alongside bits of plant and animal and dirt and stone make their way to the ‘brain’s of the Skrit, pools of clear gel constantly stirred by hundreds of mite sized ants. In goes the offerings, thousands of pieces of separate information. They sink into the gel as the tiniest ants swarm over them, slowly collecting at the bottom. The Skrit mind forms a greater picture of the world. Near central a pleasing confluence of soft soil, shielded valleys and steady access to water has been found, and a more local intelligence has already begun the process of preparing the area for large scale farming. More supplies are dispatched, as well as a few medqa to help with the initial tilling. The next report comes from an obsidian queen, whose ethereal children have apparently discovered a vast pit of diamond gemstones. Further investigation reveals a mix of coal and diamonds, though the obsidian queen continues to insist the area exclusively contains diamonds. Most curious. The glittering clear to white gems quickly prove popular in petty trade with the Venks and Svaltar, providing a useful surplus of mundane supplies.
>>6125917 >King of the Venks The Uhgul dam, (the king insists humbly it is in honor of his father and not himself, though many of the court have their doubts) is a marvel of construction. Great sluice gates that require two dozen men to lift allow the flow of the river to be diverted or blocked. Perhaps the Skrit could be persuaded to sell a few of those giant beetles to haul the ropes? In but a few years great swathes of the swampland transform from stinking marsh to pleasant meadows, though the land may never quite remove its abundance of frogs. Much of the water is instead redirected to newly minted farmland tilled under the shadow of the great wall, the soldiers still stationed there eat well indeed! Curiously, one season after the dams completion, there is a shudder of the earth, and a sudden great ripple in the lake. For a few weeks villages on its shore live in ill ease, but nothing appears to have come of it.>>>WAR: The Defense of Guliseare The season of war continues. Nixen forces push forth into the mountains themselves and despite the best efforts of the harpies remain grimly effective in spite of nearly unending harassment from the feathered folk. Silver touched scouts develop an uncanny talent for finding Aripan ambushers, and more importantly for discovering planned rockslides and safe caverns where forces are lurk until circling harpies briefly retreat. When the two sides rarely meet in direct combat the arrows and javelins of the Nixen prove deadlier. Ultimately it is logistics, not tactics that prevent the Ordelan advance however. Silver touched scouts spark stepping from stone to stone can travel easily enough, but wagons of supplies and stumbling ponies are easy prey for the harpies, forcing Ordelan to pull back the hills as the chill of winter settles in.
To the west however the unrelenting Orcmanie see a measure more of success, their rugged steeds managing the hills and their heavy armor and shields defending the comparatively lighter harpy weaponry. Still it is a merry chase for orc knights to hunt down the skirmishing bird folk, and they only manage to take the northern hills, isolating the harpy controlled lumber camp. A dire situation for Guliseare, who must depend on what little lumber they can scavenge from the hill country around their home.
>>> WAR: Vizari Iron Conflict In a surprise to no one, a sizable force of Krovians strike out from their lands, crossing the waters separating their land from that of Vizari and attacking the land of the wizards.While the isolated villages and towns along the sandy shoreline fall quickly to the invaders they meet stiffer resistance when they attempt to take the first of the iron mines, with Vizari golems and homunculi holding the line, managing to force the sharkmen into retreat. Time will tell if the wizards can force the sharks back into the water, or if this is just the first bite of a feeding frenzy.>>> WAR: The Defense of Thul Urdor The Habitun forces begin their attack against Thul Urdor under cover of darkness, attempting infiltration to take the city as quickly and painlessly as possible. Unfortunately those Shadows who attempt to slip into the city find precious few points of entry, even for their malleable forces, the fine precision of dwarven craft leaves not even a door jam to slip under, and those shadows who contort through keyholes find themselves the unpleasant experience of a torch thrust in their face. Attempts to use rapidly growing trees to surround the fortress also fail, the soil is simply too rocky to support such a thing, with the trees contorting and withering as they desperately seek purchase against unyielding stone. Nonetheless as more typical battle begins the efforts of medqa ram teams does what trickery and magic cannot, managing to collapse the outer walls of the city. The Uttir do not give up the defense of their capital easily, forcing a bloody melee for each street and building. The battle lasts for five days and five nights, and by the end both armies have been shattered--but a Habitun banner flies over the keep of Thul Urdor.
---------------------END OF TURN 8------------------>>6128682 1. Ballistic Magics The Krovians have struck, shattering the illusion of a peace through trade that some still held, and others approach the new settled lands that the settlers say kill each other for the slightest offense. War has come to Vizari, and will no doubt be a part of life that we can not escape. The art of telekentics, the manipulation of physical force through magic, is the first any aspiring mage learns, more easily able to equate the use of power to the motions of their own body, and if fine tuned can become a weapon in the arsenal of any wizard; and what Vizari needs now is wizards that can use those weapons. Wizards, honed in the telekinetic arts, and armed with bolts and blades of iron, are trained for war and ready to bolster the defense of the republic.
2. Construct more Riptide Pylons Improvements are made to the riptide pylons. Formerly of stone the new pylons are forged of copper glass and infused with their magic. While physically weaker it will allow their magics to be stronger and over a wider range. These improvements will be critical as the pylons are spread along the south eastern coast; creating a wall of currents the Krovians will be hard pressed to approach and prevent them from simply swimming around any armies.
War: Push them back into the sea. Defenses are maintained until the iron mines are protected by the new pylons; and once the sharks have nowhere else they may land to avoid the armies the glass soldiers will be unleashed; the armies aim to push the barbarians from the peninsula. The Krovians have shown their willingness to bite and claw their enemies; which will be quite interesting to watch them attempt with the burning armor of the glass soldiers. Not that they have much else for tools as their bronze is traded away for the stumble birds. The wizards have noted a strange magic, where the Krovians don't seem to tire as most do in battle, but with the rise in war mage numbers increase an extra rotation of wizards to supply magic is brought in to make the golems as tireless if not more so than before in the grueling battles.
