Round 7: Writing and Divisions
We find the first written records around this time, in the central valley that dominates this area. Though simple and perhaps just a method of keeping track of numerical supplies, this represents a great leap forward. Among the northern tribes, there is evidence of a split between two previously thought interrelated groups, and large animal herds have led to migration, among others. In the west, evidence of an entire tribe disappears for a time, suggesting stagnation, starvation, or worse. In another forest area is evidence of a strange new ritual though to be related to blood sacrifice. Further, in the forest of the time, there is evidence of larger settlements in the area, and to the far east, there is evidence in leftover mud that several groups have reached what was once large bodies of water.
@agenttine- Akeer Directorate
Vote: Division of Labor (14)
Split Off (8/10)
Division of Labor
Akeer
The Akeer were in crisis, most had lost their homes, some had lost their families, and many were concerned about the future of not only themselves but of the tribe. It was only a matter of time before someone came along to use the crisis for personal gain. That person came in the form of a rather young but successful hunter. The young man had secured a reputation of bravery and cleverness, leading hunting parties to ensure his village plenty of prey before the disaster. During it, it was thanks to his leadership and coordination the village was able to secure most of their belongings during the journey, not to mention personal stories of bravery where he led men back into the fire to save the young and trapped. It was only natural that a well-known hunter would come into prominence during a time of hunger, especially one known for his insight into leadership and tactics.
So the young hunter took charge, at first merely as the coordinator of the hunting parties, attempting to ensure that enough food flowed in to stave off a winter of starvation. Elders convened a council of the formal leadership of the tribe. Any hope of the elders being a source of inspiration soon died off, the various Akeer leaders spending their time bickering over trivial concerns. Who would get what hunting grounds, were near the lake each village gets and mostly blaming each other for the disaster. Faith in the leadership of elders disappeared, all the while it was the young hunter who ensured that none starved, viewing the tribe as a whole as his village, and soon the tribe turned away from the bickering council to look towards the hunter.
Born of one of the border villages of the Akeer, the hunter had been raised in a lifelong philosophy; all must contribute in some way, or the Clan would starve. It was with this philosophy that the hunter viewed the bickering council as nothing more than a distraction during a crisis. With the support of the hunting parties, and with the people, the coup was quick. In a matter of hours, the tribe had new leadership, new philosophies, and any who wished to disagree would be banished just as the council had been. “We either all work, or we all starve. Anywho disagree shall not be Akeer.” And so the hunter became the first Akeer Direct. The tribe became split between those who hunt, those who build, those who fish, each given specific tasks that they must accomplish, and should they fail they shall be banished from the tribe, “those who work not, eat not.”
The elders were then not the only ones who were banished. Instead, whole villages who disagreed with the Directs tasks had agreed to leave behind the Akeer peacefully, going for the northern edge of the lake to create their society beyond the Akeer. It is to them that most of the tribes banished disappear too. A mixed bag, the new community, known as the Bananarama, provides a peaceful alternative to the potential fighting and slaughtering that banishment without such a back up would bring. Unfortunately, the Bananarama offers a solstice to dissidents, and almost half the tribe flees to the Banarama. This happens to solve the overpopulation and food problem; the Akeer now consists of a series of villages along the southern edge of the large lake, with hunting parties sent into the savanna beyond to support their population.
Stability: Stable (1)
Power: Tiny (1)
Notes
Location: Northern Savanna (lakes, berry bushes, quadruped prey)
Technology: Boomerangs (Flurks), Structures (Fences, Housing)
Domestication: Hunters (Carnivore hunters)
Population: ~2,500, (several villages, mainly centered around the south side of the lake)
Diplomacy: Bananarama Splinter (Amicable, northern neighbor, share lake)
Government: Authoritarian Dictatorship
Note: Lack of a permanent and reliable source of food has the population in an unfortunate hiatus
Previous Votes
Previous Votes: North (18), Ranged Weapons (10), Deal with the Hunters (20), Structures (19), Agriculture (13), Agriculture 2 (1)
@jellyfishmon- Ol’yamata Tribe
Vote: Division of Labor (18)
Division of Labor
Minor Status reached
Ol'yamata
The Ol’yamata tribe has settled well into their new homes, the creation of housing being the last major step towards a sedentary lifestyle. With plenty of food, a place to rest, and time on their hands, some Yamata has begun to experiment with different standard tools among the Ol’yamata. Others have started to use this time to debate the meaning of life philosophically. Others still use this spare time as a means to know more about the world as it exists. Regardless of what the individual Mata does, there is still plenty of time and food that their fancy does not get in the way of the tribe’s overall success. This discovery helps the Ol’yamata make a new decision. Uncommon in Ol’yamata culture is the idea that an individual can do something besides what the common Yamata does. A Mata is supposed to be able to support themselves. The Ol’yamatan leadership turns this idea around. Each Yamata relies on the other for the success of their daily hunts, gatherings, and even the tools needed to do such things. The extra time and resources that their new lifestyle affords mean that some can take their labor away from the hunt and focus instead on the creation of tools that would allow the success of the tribe. Traditionally this area has been the focus of the Matian or the elders, but now more sophisticated tools are needed more often. So the healthy may stay behind to help create these tools, as their success will allow the hunter or the gather to succeed. The Ol’yamata have then begun a sharp division of labor; each person is to be the best in their area of expertise to improve the tribe as a whole. Hunters, carvers, fishers, builders, gatherers, etc.
However, this amount of intricate work requires some form of permanent leadership and organization the Ol’yamata still lack. For now, the traditional leadership of tribal elders continues; it must become refined soon, or the Ol’yamata could find themselves missing critical pieces of resources.
Regardless, this division of labor has allowed specialization to occur, coupled with a permanent and reliable source of food and shelter, the Ol’yamata has become a minor power.
Stability: Sturdy (3)
Power: Minor (2)
Notes
Location: Western Forest (Streams, Trees, Forest Jumpers)
Technology: Storage Containers, Structures (Tree Buildings)
Domestication: FanGrass
Population: ~2,000 (recently settled in a major village around the stream)
Note: A lack of leadership could result in problems in the long term
previous votes
Previous Votes: West (17), Storage Containers (7), Portable Storage (16), Search for Water to the West (14), Agriculture (16), Structures (18)
@immortaldragon- Khurissa Tribe
Vote: Continue East (17)
Khurissa
The Khurissa know sacrifices must be made to reach the end goal of paradise. Knowing this since the beginning, they are reminded by the fiery rhetoric of the elders during the memorial. The lost are lost, and there is not much one can do for spirits on their journey to the spirit realm.
Now on the Eastern side of the river, The Khurissa spends some time gathering supplies before continuing on their journey, further east. Luckily for them, they manage to find a decent amount of supplies on this side of the river, untouched by their concentrated efforts on the far side of the river. They even manage to find some Tenhafen that had been lost in the chaos, reclaiming some supplies and importantly, morale.
After collecting their goods, the Khurissa journey across their desert to the east. The Tenhafen prove to be invaluable, carrying supplies and the young across the hot sand, and after some time of journeying, the Khurissa find themselves at a new land. The sand, coarse and rough and getting everywhere, eventually transforms into a new, much softer dirt, packed together and thick. Further ahead, what was once cactus turns into shade-providing trees, and also ahead of that seems to be a large body of water with large trees and more massive creatures along its bank, providing adequate food and shelter.
Stability: Steady (2)
Power: Tiny (1)
Notes
Location: Eastern desert (On the edge of the desert and something else)
Technology:
Domestication: Tenhafen (Herbavior pack carrying animal)
Population: ~1,500, (nomadic population)
Note:
previous votes
Previous votes: East (20), Go with the Flow (8), Scout the River (18), Check the River (10), Train Tenhafen to cross the river (16), Coherent Crossing (9)
@omnipotentfnarr- Ack Nan Hierarchy
Vote 1:Smithing (9)
Vote 2: Writing (19)
Points: 0
Ack Nan
The Crinat, the craftsmen of the Hierarchy, have come before the Kuna with a proposal. They know that the tools they craft breakdown rather quickly and easily, and knowing that this is a long term loss, believe that they can get around this by finding more durable material. The Kuna, being the long term thinkers they are, have approved groups of scouts to venture around and beyond the Valley of Ancestors for more robust materials than the sticks, stones, and bones commonly used. These scouts have so far reported very little progress; most materials they have found are not suitable for long term usage. One area does have some important stuff that may have future usage, but so far, the Ack Nan cannot get the rocks from the wall, their weak stone tools breaking when trying to chip off the metals.
Ack Nan society has become infinitely more complicated, new tasks, large quantities of materials, and multiple people needed to accomplish the necessary mundane activities for Ack Nan society to function correctly. As a method of keeping track of these extensive activities, the Kuna have developed a system of marking on tablets made from dried mud and bones. These markings are useful for keeping track of large quantities of materials, such as the daily input and output of food, and for the number of people assigned to any given task any given day. So far, these writings are more number-based and conceptual than able to discuss more specific ideas. These tools have been an incredible method of helping keep track of food, material, and general tasks, and have allowed the Kuna to organize better their responsibilities and available materials for those tasks, meaning overall efficiency has also increased.
So far, these tools are restricted to the Kuna clans, allowing them to organize better and control the other Clans, and keeping track of just how much food, materials, and especially the number of people each Clan has. While so far more conceptual than specific, the written language of the Kuna in particular and the Ack Nan, in general, will help the Hierarchy keep tabs on itself far more effectively than its contemporaries.
Stability: Steady (2)
Power: Minor (2)
Notes
Location: Valley of Ancestors (rivers, hilltops, trees, animal prey)
Technology: Housing, Writing
Domestication: Berry Bushes, Birds
Population: 5,000 (Villages centered around rivers and status based on Hierarchy)
Government: Organized Hierarchy
Note:
previous votes
Previous votes: Stay in the Valley (20), Agriculture (7), Domesticate the Birds (17), Agriculture (16), Housing (9), Trade System (12)
@serialkiller- Kometenvolk Tribe
Vote: Search for fertile land (19)
Komentenvolk
The Komentenvolk continue to follow their Guides, hoping to find better land suitable for their journeys. Their journey is long and hard, and after some time the Komentenvolk come across something that they have rarely seen in such quantities, water. And where this water exists, so does life. Plants, trees, bushes, grasses, and animals, some of whom look similar to the Guides and Herders, some who look far different and in all sizes. The water does not sit still either, flowing from where the sun rises to where the sunsets. Coming across this great find, the Komentenvolk are easily able to resupply their foods, waters, and weave more materials using the plants found in quantities not usually seen in the oases of the desert. This fertile land presents an excellent opportunity for the Komentenvolk to resupply consistently. Their leadership has taken the time to note how the sun rises and sets. During the night sky, the positions of the stars should allow them to know how to return to this place. This practice could prove helpful should the Komenenvolk return to the Desert living they have become accustomed to noting locations by how they look under the stars.
Stability: Steady (2)
Power: Tiny (1)
Notes
Location: Eastern Desert (Minor river, Oases, salt plains)
Technology: Star Reading
Domestication: Guides, Herders
Population: ~1,500 (nomadic population traveling from Oases to Oases with the help of Guides)
Note:
previous votes
Previous votes: East (8), Animal Friends (11), Retry Animal Search (17), Domestication (14), Domesticate a mount (18), Agriculture (4)
@teaking- Oprectim Triarchy
Vote 1: Council leadership (6)
Vote 2: Tribal Commandments (12)
Points: 1
Oprectim
The Volkids are wise, and so they know their place at the top of the Oprectim pyramid is as vulnerable as that of Temos; should they mistake their position and push too far, they could end up destroyed. The Volkids decided to create a council based on the one that existed among the Okrebs. The three wisest would rule the tribe as a whole, with each one looking after a specific aspect of the tribe. While the intent was that these three would be picked by the tribe as a whole, as the Gods picked the most capable, this is not what happened. Justifying themselves as the chosen of the Gods, the Volkid selected members of the council directly, each one gathering enough support among the class to be picked for the Triarchy that formed. Each member was tasked with looking after one aspect of the tribe, the Heart, the Hand, and the Head. The Heart consists of that which allows life to continue the fields that provide the food, and those that gather from those fields. The Hands are those whose existence provides for the materials of comfort, such as the artisans and the builders. The Head is those who think, who learn of the world, and whose efforts help bring about the divine. Each member of the Triarchy is responsible for the actions of their people, and each ensures that their people can work as needed for the success of the tribe, with the Head being the overall leader. The Volkid class chooses each member of the Triarchy, and believing themselves the wisest of all, they usually only select from within the class, meaning that members of the Hand and the Heart are often extremely limited in their ability to journey outside their class. So far, this is not much of a problem, but the future may speak of things differently.
To ensure that the Oprectim does not fall, the Triarchy has come up with a series of Commandments derived from reason and faith. Knowing that the Gods have placed each in their role for a reason, it is blasphemy to speak against the Gods, or their chosen representatives the Triarchy. They have also placed each in their position for a reason. Therefore there should not be any mixing between the Classes; each is born into a role, and in that role, one must live if they are to find the truth. Other commandments are relatively standard, that of killing and theft are rules that existed before the Triarchy. Taking from others has always been looked down on as an attempt to steal life, as it is life’s effort and labor that went into creation, and the destruction of others is censured. Violaters are banished from the Oprectim and presumably from the spirit realm as well.
Stability: Stable (1)
Power: Minor (2)
Notes
Location: Western Edge of Forest (Trees, minor streams)
Technology: Structures (Weak Housing, Fences)
Domestication: Giopek (herbivores) Berry Plants
Population: 4,500 (centered around the edge of Forest)
Religion: Oprectimishva
Government: Enlightened Theocraic Triarchy (Philosopher leadership)
Note:
previous votes
Previous votes: West (14), Agriculture (20), Found Oprectimishva (Star Gods) (20), Structures (5), Housing (6), Physics (12)
@MisterMustachio- BeastMen Tribe
Vote: Follow the Herds south (20)
BeastMen
The Beastmen know better than to stay where there is no prey. As such, the Beastmen follow the prey as they flee southwards away from the fires. This decision proves to be the Beastmen’s savior.
As they run south, the Beastmen find the strange stalks of grass fade away, and they find themselves in an area that does not come to resemble the plans that many have spent their entire lives in. These new lands have rolling hills of short grass, feasted on by creatures familiar and not. Some of these creatures are giants, quadrupeds that stand as tall as four Beastmen, and that have power and strength in every movement. Others are short, bipeds that zoom across the grasses almost faster than the eye can track if not for their colorful feathers. In the center of these rolling hills is a rather large watering hole, more significant than the Beastmen are used. Surrounding it are trees as tall as the giants, but for the most part, surrounded by small plants that contain berry bushes. This area has provided the Beastmen with plenty of food, both meat, and fruit. Both the fast animals and the large ones present unique challenges that Beastmen hunters strive to overcome. The fast animals are dealt with by the creation of little traps, created from the long strings provided by plants and animals and with rocks, these quick traps catch the legs of the creatures and tie them together after being thrown, enabling the Beastmen to close distance and finish off the animals quickly. The giant monsters require something farther and more deadly than even the slings the Beastmen currently posses. These creatures hide is too thick for even sharp rocks, so the Beastmen have to improvise with something more. Beastmen use sinew and the now available trees to craft bows, able to strike from a further distance than the slings. The additional power of the bow allows the arrowhead to pierce the hide of the creature though not with a lot of damage. While significant, these creatures are not as fast as Beastmen, so coordinated groups that serve to continually harass the animals while forcing them to change direction have managed to bring these creatures down or wear them down enough for Beastmen Champions to move in for the final kill.
This adventure has brought the Beastmen to a new place, with large quantities of prey, new technology to take them down, water, trees, and a feeling of plenty have led to prosperity among the Beastmen.
Stability: Prosperous (3)
Power: Tiny (1)
Notes
Location: Southern Savanna (Grasslands, hills, large lake, large prey)
Technology: Slings, Bows, Bolas
Domestication:
Population: 1,500 (Nomadic hunting parties loosely related to one another, currently based near a large grassland lake)
Note:
previous votes
Previous votes: North (14), Search for Herds (18), Hunt the Hunters (10), Improve Hunting (18), Housing (11), Agriculture (10)
@blackink- Morbus Tribe
Vote: Scoutwear and equipment (14)
“My feet carried me far, but blisters were holding the limits of my travels. And a large unknown field laid ahead of my sight, but with only the berries that i could hold in my hands there was no road that did not carry the chance of starvation […]” - Lazak the scout, on the difficulties of the job
Morbus
The Morbus know that there exists a world beyond their hills, so they wish to equip their people with tools that would help their scouts and gatherers on their journeys. First among these is better footwear to allow the Morbus to travel farther and stop less due to aching feet. The second is the invention of supply packs, which would enable both scouting groups to go added distance with fewer stops to gather food, and allows gathering parties to collect more before coming back to the tribe.
The dual inventions have helped the Morbus scouts travel farther in their journeys and report back to the gathering parties, which can now collect more food on each tribe to help supply the tribe. Now the Morbus can support scouting expeditions to other regions to be able to better explore the world around them. The Morbus are also better able to support their current tribal population and have a slight population expansion thanks to their equipment.
Stability: Stable (1)
Power: Tiny (1)
Religion: The Horned God of Life and Death
Notes
Location: Valley of Ancestors (Hills, small forests)
Technology: Bone tools. Footwear, Supply Packs
Domestication: Syrup Trees
Population: 2,000 (mobile population in the southeastern VOA)
Note:
previous votes
Previous votes: Southeast (11), Continue SouthEast (7), Settle on the Hills (13), Improve Tools (using the dead) (15), Agriculture (17), The Horned God (12)
@positivetower- Kurichen Tribe
Vote: Prikilism (18)
Religion
Kurichen
Maybe it’s the generations of survivors guilt, perhaps its something inexplicable, but the Kurichen have always felt as if their people had something to make up for, and that there is something malevolent beyond their world, tying across a screen depicting their fate. The Kurichen believe that this entity, beyond their current understanding, demands flesh to be satisfied. He rules their world, demanding destruction upon those who defy him, and among the true blood to be sacrificed. This practice is necessary for a good harvest and good fortune. It was the sacrifice of the lost ones that brought them to this paradise, a world earned through blood, and therefore to maintain this world, each faithful must be willing to give a portion of themselves to support it. To do this, a system has been enacted. Each person must, on the day of their birth and once past the age of 14, give a small sacrifice of blood to God. These ceremonies do not cause any permanent damage and are a means of uniting the tribe in their suffering and belief in the world.
Prikilism has been universally accepted among the Kurichen, every tribal member raised in this belief since their birth, and most do not question it. Those that do often keep their questioning away from the eyes of the public, and still partake in the many ceremonies of the Prikilist faith, though that is probably due to the rather public execution of the last person who disbelieved. The Kurichen are united in their belief and action, the prosperity of their tribe the highest its ever been. The Blood God has been satisfied, and so far, the Kurchien, at peace with nature and in penance of their past, see the brightest future they ever have.
Stability: Prosperous (3)
Power: Tiny (1)
Notes
Location: Western Forest (Major river, Forest)
Technology: Structures, Nets
Domestication: Berry plants
Population: 2,000 (Centered around a river just outside the Forest)
Religion: Prikilism
Note:
previous votes
Previous votes: Northwest (10), Decide to go West (3), Continue West (20), Agriculture (17), Weapons (18), Structures (12)
@zenzonegaming - Bananarama Splinter
Vote: Fishing (6)
Split Off (9/10)
Bananarama
The Bananarama exists out of the chaos of the Akeer. When the Dictate came to power, he banished the elder council that once ruled the tribe, with them went some of the villages that supported the rule of the Council. The Dictate agreed to let them go to avoid any bloodshed, viewing the Banarama as misguided souls and lost brothers. Subsequently, the Banarama population exploded with those banished from the Akeer for refusing to bow to the Dictate. As ousted members of the Akeer, the Bananarama possess all the tools of the Akeer to this point, including their simple housing structures, usage of fences to defend the village and cordon off food, ranged weapons known as flurks (boomerangs), and especially their hunter allies (coyote-like animals). The Bananarama have settled on the northern side of the lake that the Akeer fleed to after the fire. This lake is rather large, contains small trees and many small animals, and plenty of fish.
Knowing that they will need a source of food following their split from the Akeer and the loss of most of the hunting parties that sided with the Dictate, the Bananarama council has decided to utilize the lake in a way the Akeer have failed to. They have tasked artisans with creating a tool to fish with, but so far, no results have been had, the Bananarama forced to use their spears for the time being. Unfortunately, their status as a haven from the Akeer has resulted in a larger population than their fishing methods have allowed them to support, and there is a limited amount of food to go around on any given day, resulting in rationing by the leadership council.
Stability: Shaky (0)
Power: Tiny (1)
Notes
Location: Northern Savanna (lakes, berry bushes, quadruped prey)
Technology: Ranged Weapons (Boomerangs), Structures (Fences, Housing)
Domestication: Hunters (Carnivore hunters)
Population: ~1,500 (Centered around the northern side of the lake)
Diplomacy: Akeer Directorate(Amicable, southern neighbor, share lake)
Note: Low amount of food surplus
Previous Votes
Previous Votes: North (18), Ranged Weapons (10), Deal with the Hunters (20), Structures (19), Agriculture (13), Agriculture 2 (1)
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I believe my people have found their home.