Create-A-Village V3.5

My gallery · by **Wolfypoof** » Sun Oct 20, 2019 6:10 pm

Season: Sping
During the spring, birthings will be smooth and the chances of mothers or children dying during birth will drop dramatically. There is also a higher chance of catching more prey or finding new people and skilled animals looking for shelter, and the odds of sickness will drop.

Announcements:

Zeena wrote:Hey everyone,
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Please make sure all your images are free to use and to link back to any doll markers you use. However we cannot use RinmaruGames as their terms of service states their images can only be put up temporarily for personal viewing. You could also use linearts right here on CS.

Villages:
Black Rock Weyrhold | Mournstead | Skyhelm | Kaokay Clan | Liones Kingdom | Aurora Borealis Woods | Vertwyn |Vale of Archaic Corybantic | Ababwa | Foxbane Village

MistyAutumnDays wrote:Foxbane Village
One elk and one boar have been consumed, Maria patrols with Domineer, Sycamore and Sakurai hunt.

[Maria and Domineer find a hunter. Their traits are ST-B3 | HS-HC | HC-2 | EC-G2 | X | Huldra]
[Sycamore and Sakurai hunt x1 Elk]

My gallery · by **~Vincent-Valentine~** » Mon Oct 21, 2019 1:39 am

Foxbane Village
Number of People: 5
Number of Animals: 1
Servings Needed: 4
Next Visit to Ancestors: Today

(( I’ll write it later :I ))
One lima bean, two quails, and a pheasant have been consumed, Maria patrols with Domineer, Sycamore and Sakurai hunt, Jude hunts by himself for a pet or food, Sycamore requests a cemetrist.

My gallery · by **Arya22** » Thu Oct 24, 2019 4:18 am

Cyrrane
Number of People: 21
(10 Females 11 Males)
0-5 (0): 2 | 6-20 (1/2): 4 | 21+ (1): 15
Number of Pets: (1/4) 6
Amount of servings: 18 1/2
Next visit with Ancestors:This post

The weather was getting chilly, but the colors in the forest were absolutely stunning. Gusts of wind turned the air into a huge dancing floor for leaves of crimson red, warm orange and sunny yellow. The air buzzed with activity, whether it be squirrels quickly looking for all their hidden food, or insects searching for a place to hibernate in during winter. To Almtrude, this didn't feel like a patrol, it felt more like a comfortable stroll through the forest. Even Jaymes, who was usually tense and always looking down, was relaxed: a small smile played on his lips and he was looking around in amazement. Almtrude, feeling that this was a special moment, didn't say anything, despite the many questions that burned her tongue. What happened to his brother was the one she mostly wanted to know.. But it was a sensitive topic, not one to talk lightly of.

Through the rustle of the blowing wind, Almtrude suddenly heard another rustling. It was of a large creature, bigger than a squirrel. She looked at Jaymes, but she didn't even have to say anything: He had heard it too. Was it a person, or a wild animal? There was quick movement, and suddenly a loud bark. It was a dog! Almtrude was wary. All alone, dogs could be dangerous animals- especially large ones, like this one sounded. But the bark hadn't been aggressive, or dangerous-sounding at all. It had sounded.. Playful? Almtrude gestured to Jaymes that she was going closer. The dwarf stepped lightly on the ground, barely making a sound. After a minute of careful walking, she finally came in sight of the dog.

It was a medium sized dog, maybe on the large side. It was white and grey, with long fur and a wagging tail. It didn't look aggressive or dangerous at all: it was playfully chasing leaves. Almtrude remembered she had some dried jerky left in her pocket: maybe it could help. Slowly, ever so slowly, Almtrude took the meat out and started walking towards the dog. "Hey there." She called softly, to warn the dog. Immediately, it stopped its playful chasing and fixed its eyes on Almtrude. The ears were now pressed on the head, and the tail had stopped wagging: it was straight and tense. A low growling could be heard: this meant caution. Almtrude stopped walking and stopped, crouching, her hand out with the jerky. "Hey there dog, I don't mean you any harm, alright?" she kept talking softly, trying to show she wasn't dangerous for the dog. "You can have this piece of meat if you want, and I'm not going to hurt you." Almtrude made sure the dog saw that she was putting the meat on the ground, then she backed off. "I won't touch you if you don't want to. I'm backing off, and you can have that." Almtrude was five meters away when the dog slowly came closer. It had stopped growling. It sniffed the meat while Almtrude held her breath, then.. The dog ate the meat! Now, it was going to be easy to get that dog friendly.

~~~

When Almtrude and Jaymes walked back into camp followed by the dog, they received a lot of attention. Worried that it might scare the dog, Almtrude insisted that they be left alone in a room, just so the dog could get used to people slowly. By now, Almtrude had realized the dog was female, but they hadn't found a name. When Zaos heard that Almtrude and Jaymes had found a dog when on patrol, he had mixed feelings: elves did not have dogs, but he had seen several wild ones, and had often admired their looks and energy. But at the same time, he wasn't very happy because dogs could be dangerous and meant more mouths to feed. Laedrya, seeing his conflict, proposed that he ask to see the dog. Maybe it would help him see that this dog was alright. Zaos agreed and went to the house where Almtrude kept the dog.

As Zaos approached the house, loud barking could be heard. Ugh, it's going to be a loud dog too? he thought. Almtrude's voice rang out. "I'm sorry, we'll have to train her to stop barking when someone comes! You can come in, but don't make quick movements. She's still wary." Zaos didn't like being told what to do, but he complied. When the elf entered the house, he was surprised at how beautiful this dog was. She had bright, intelligent eyes and while she had stopped barking, she was alert and ready to fight in case he did something wrong. Surprising himself, Zaos spoke. "She's beautiful. Have you given her a name yet?" Almtrude, trying not to smile too much, shook her head. "No, but I need one quickly. She needs to get used to it." Zaos hesitated. The dog reminded him of the elvish legend that every elf was told as a child. It was about the beginning of day and night. "How about Iméra?" he proposed. It meant day.

Almtrude nodded. "That sounds great, Zaos." and while the elf crouched and extended his hand gently for Iméra to sniff it, Almtrude smiled. This dog needed to be trained to get used to people, and because she was so intelligent, it seemed to be working well. Zaos, too, seemed to need to get used to people. But thanks to many factors, including his wife, his children and now Iméra, it seemed to be progressing well.

~~~

"Myriam, Myriam, Gertrude had her kittens! Also Almtrude and Jaymes found a dog on patrol! Also we managed to hunt a deer and a cow and two rabbits!" Myriam, helping Aaron carry the deer they had hunted, was greeted by the ecstatic Pantaleon. "Wait really? You have to show me those kittens." she replied. She quickly carried the deer to the kitchens, then followed Pantaleon. "Make sure the deer is taken care of!" she called back at Aaron. The hunting chief grinned and nodded.

Myriam followed Pantaleon into the Healers Hut, where the cats had taken up residence. True enough, when she entered the warm room, she could see Gertrude with two tiny, barely moving.. Balls of not-so-much fur. Myriam smiled and got a little closer, though kept her distance to let the mother feel safe. "Have you named them yet?" she asked. Pantaleon shook his head. "No. The calico is female, the ginger is male. Do you want to name them?" he proposed. Myriam smiled. "How about.. Pumpkin for the boy?" she proposed, thinking of the pumpkins she had seen earlier today. It seemed appropriate. Pantaleon grinned and nodded. Just then, the calico kitten turned over and wriggled, making both laugh. "And this one will be Marbles!"

~

After talking for a while inside the Healers Hut, Myriam and Pantaleon went outside, and began strolling just outside the village. Everything around them was in warm shades of red, orange and yellow, and even the sky turned crimson with the evening sun. "Autumn is such a beautiful season!" Myriam exclaimed, radiant. "Not as beautiful as you- I MEAN YES YES I LOVE YOU TOO- I-I LOVE AUTUMN." Pantaleon stumbled over his words and became bright red. Myriam, having of course heard the compliment, blushed as well and looked to the side. The two kept walking for a little while, until Pantaleon stopped. He looked very nervous, twisting his hands.

"Look Myriam, well, you see, I mean, you remember a while ago, you told me that marriage is when people love each other and will be bonded with their loved one forever?" as she heard Pantaleon speak like that, Myriam felt her heart slow expectantly, and she stayed stockstill. The hobbit continued. "Well, I really really do love you, and I wanted to know if you also love me and if maybe you want to marry me too?" he opened his mouth to say something else, but stopped. Myriam, in front of him, was completely frozen in place. She finally understood her own shyness, her embarrassment at times, the little smiles and the hesitations. She understood all of this and yet was unsure of what to answer. "Panto, I really do love you too, I believe. You've been such a sweet person, and you always cheer me up and you're there for me. I think.." Myriam's thoughts went at 300 miles per hour, she felt something inside her rise up and she wasn't sure yet what it was- "I do wish to marry you, Pantaleon." and something exploded inside her: she finally understood what it was. A huge joy, relief and understanding, a joy that made her feel like she was on the moon, a joy that lit up her whole face and made her grin. Pantaleon, in front of her, grinned ever so widely too. "I'm so glad!" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly. Myriam realized how much he had matured in the last few years as she hugged him back. This felt right.

~~~

It was now late afternoon, and the sun was a brilliant gold, warm and soft to the touch. Zaos was leaning casually against a tree while he supervised his two hooligans, Arun and Rhys, who were playing in the leaves. His wife, carrying in her arms their latest child, Lyra, came up to him, a happy glow on her face. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, looking around. The warrior elf smiled a little. "Yes, it is." so peaceful, too. Laedrya held out her arms with Lyra in it, inviting Zaos to take her. "I'd like to wash up by the river, can you take care of her for a while?" Zaos nodded and took the toddler, while Laedrya nodded her thanks, then walked away.

Zaos set Lyra down, and the little girl stood, one hand tightly closed around his finger. "How about we go with your brothers, Lyra?" Zaos proposed. The little girl nodded energetically and walked towards the two boys, never letting go of her dad's finger. When they arrived, Arun grimaced. "Is it time to leave already, dad?" he asked. Zaos reassured him. "No, you've got a while left. But please take care of your sister and play with her." he said, while gently letting go of her finger and pushing her forward. The little girl stumbled towards her brothers and half fell on, half hugged Rhys. The blond child awkwardly patted her head. "Sure dad. Uh. Come Lyra, you can be the evil dragon."

While the three played, Zaos went back to lean against the same tree, his face softened with love for the three children in the grass. They meant so much to him, and he could not ever imagine losing any of them. And for once, Zaos found himself uttering a short prayer to Ilíos, the god of the sun, so that he would always brightly shine upon their heads. Zaos had forsaken all gods when he had run away from his clan after having betrayed them- but maybe, just for once, he could believe in Ilíos so he would protect his children.

~~

Despite the brilliant afternoon sun, warm and comfortable, there was one person who did not enjoy it as much as the others. Silas, in the shade at the corner of a house, almost resentfully watched the three elven children play and laugh in the grass. How lucky they were.. "Silas, why don't you go on a walk? It's such a nice day today." it was Almtrude who had approached him. The Dwarf, as ever smoking her pipe, had an eyebrow raised while looking at him. Silas shrugged, not looking her in the eye. "Don't want to." he mumbled. Almtrude casually leaned against the wall and tutted while shaking her head. "You may fool them, but I've talked to so many people, have heard many lies, and many unbelievable truths-but this wasn't one of them. Now, why do you really not go out?" her sharp eye didn't let anything escape. "Is it that pale skin you got that's bothering you?" the human turned away. "Leave me alone." there was a pause, during which neither talked. After several, long seconds, Silas gave in.

"Yes, yes it is! I've got this weird skin that burns in the sun. I've had it since birth, I don't know why it's so, and yes, that's the reason I am a miner and I ran away." Silas blurted out all this, then stopped abruptly and turned his back to Almtrude. He hated talking about this, it made him sound stupid, weak. He was surprised at how soft Almtrude's voice was when she replied. "Hey, don't get all scrunched up, kid. I may be curious, but I ain't insensitive. I saw it's a difficult subject for ya, but I also know that you were bottling it all up and it was eatin' you up on the inside. Don't keep secrets like that, the best they'll do is make you feel left out and lonely." Almtrude paused, and Silas could almost hear her smile. "I din't talk much when I was young, but when I finally showed everyone who I was and made my own decisions, it felt like the best thing ever. Now, care to talk about it? If it makes ya feel better, I promise I won't tell anyone."

Silas might be an adult in body and voice, but he was still young, and Almtrude's comforting voice was really all he needed. He nodded, though still without looking at her, and sat down against the house wall. Almtrude went to sit next to him, at a reasonable distance as not to crowd him. "I was born in a farmer family." Silas began. "I always had terribly pale skin and when I went into the fields to help them, my skin would burn and bubble and blister in the sun, and I would get blinded by how bright the sun was. It was awful, and got me often sick. I was useless for my parents." it felt so strange to finally say these words to someone. Silas had actually never told anyone about this, about how dejected he felt.
"My dad sold me off to a miner, and a part of what I mined would go back to them so it'd help them out. It was so much better to work without being burned and blinded, but it was terrible down there." an involuntary shudder shook Silas' body. "We would only get one meal a day, and it was usually just water and bread. Rarely, we'd get dried meat. It was so hard that I could keep it in my mouth an entire day and still it would be hard I chew. We slept only four or five hours per night, but since it was in shifts, there was always a lot of noise and it was hard to fall asleep. There was dust everywhere, that made us cough, and there was always the risk that the tunnels would cave in and kill us. I lost friends like that." Silas paused, while Almtrude regarded him with painfilled eyes. She was horrified at the things he had had to endure. Then, Silas continued.
"In the panic after one of those cave-ins, I ran away. It had been four years since I had last been in the sun, and it was even worse than before. I hid at day, walked at night, until I scared Myriam under the cliff here. I'm awfully sorry about that, too. I think I just bring bad luck to everyone."

"HELL NO." Silas sprung, looking at Almtrude with worried eyes. She had jumped up and was glaring at him. "How dare you say that you bring bad luck to people when people have been what's brought you back luck? You-" she jabbed her finger into his chest, "have been a victim of unbelievably selfish and greedy people, who have no care for anyone's well-being except their own, and who would cause any amount of suffering to others for their own gain. You-" Almtrude repeated the gesture, "are a great person. The sun hurt you? You still tried to go in the fields and help your parents. Got sold and made to work in a mine for the benefit of your parents? You stayed there FOUR. FUDGING. YEARS. And when you finally got the courage to stand up for yourself and make your own life, you accidentally scared someone, who was already in a pretty bad shape as I recall, and she hurt her wrist. Who fudging cares? You didn't mean to, you've apologized a thousand times, and you've shown you don't mean any of us harm. Now, stop living for others and do what's good for YOU."

The last finger jab was harder than the others, and Silas actually leaned back a little under its force. He rubbed his chest. "That hurt." he mumbled. But in truth, he was more than glad he had talked to Almtrude. She had shown him how maybe, he wasn't so cursed after all. "But thank you." he smiled shyly. Almtrude grinned and extended a hand to him, which he took. "That's what I'm here for, kid." she replied while pulling him up.

~~

Later, as the sun began falling lower and lower over the horizon, Myriam and Pantaleon walked back into camp. They were hand in hand, and got several curious looks from the villagers. Alkhas caught himself watching them as his mind drifted off to Bargas, who had been a real friendly person ever since they had arrived here. He glanced at him- only to turn away very quickly, a blush visible even on his darker cheeks. Bargas had been looking at him too.. Alkhas mentally face-palmed. He had to concentrate, fit in the village, not get distracted by anything and get accepted by everyone here.

"Hey, Alkhas?" a hand on his shoulder! The elf jumped. "Y-Yes, w-what is it?" he turned around and was even more surprised to see that Bargas had come and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm awfully sorry to have surprised you, Alkhas." the Dwarf said apologetically. "I had just heard that Gertrude has given birth, and wondered if you would like to go see the kittens together?" he smiled. Alkhas nodded quickly, stuttering almost too much to let out a real sentence. "Y-Yes that-that sounds g-good!" he grinned lop-sidedly while awkwardly holding his arm with his other hand. Bargas smiled and waved him on. "Then let's go!" and he began making his way to the healers hut.

Alkhas followed, almost stumbling on his own feet. He was terrible with words, always so so terribly awkward. It wasn't going to help his chances--wait, his chances? What chances? Alkhas shook his head. No, no, nothing was happening at all. They were soon in front of the healers hut, and Bargas knocked thrice- there was no answer, so he tentatively opened the door. "Excuse me, but is anyone here? We would like to greet the new kittens.." there was no-one inside, except for the mother cat with her two balls of not-so-much-fur. "Oh how cute!" Bargas walked in, and Alkhas followed suite. They really were cute. The mother was half asleep, her eyes just half open to watch the intruders. As Bargas arrived by the kittens, he crouched and extended a hand to stroke them- but his hand was grabbed by Alkhas. "Don't." the elf whispered. "The mother won't like it, you don't smell like a cat."

There was a pause. Then Alkhas felt heat rise to the tip of his ears as he realised he was still holding Bargas' hand tightly in his own. He let go, as if burned, and quickly stood up. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- I-I mean it wasn't to-" he stumbled back a step. Bargas stood up to. "Don't worry, Alkhas. I know what you meant, it doesn't matter." his voice was soothing, and Alkhas nodded, calming down a little. But what the elf did not notice was that Bargas had also blushed.

(Cyrrane was able to feed itself, 2nd post
Myriam requests a miner at the ancestors shrine
Rhys is testing scouting with Almtrude
Arun is testing hunting with Aaron
Joan researches medicine
Almtrude and Jaymes scout
Aaron, Nayah, Zaos, Myriam and Marya hunt
Pantaleon, Bargas and Alkhas hunt
Xzavier gathers
Tamara plants the cantaloupe seed
Silas and Rovi mine)
Mod notes: any injuries to anyone are fine, but please don't kill some! Most important ones: Myriam, Joan, Zaos, Almtrude, Pantaleon, Tamara, Xzavier, Rhys, Arun, Lyra. I'd still be sad for other deaths but they're not that important for plot reasons.
I still have to add: Myreon (adopted hobbit boy) and Maple and Calder Thornton (readopt humans)

My gallery · by **Simonpet** » Fri Oct 25, 2019 7:20 am

Spring
Spring is here! During the spring, birthings will be smooth and the chances of mothers or children dying during birth will drop dramatically. There is also a higher chance of catching more prey or finding new people and skilled animals looking for shelter, and the odds of sickness will drop.

Birthdays will be celebrated by hiding inedible painted eggs in the grass! Parents all over will rejoice as their children scramble and grant them a few moments of free time...right before planting season sets in and they start running to the storage sheds to get as many plants growing as possible before the scorching heats come.

Announcements
None

Villages
Athens | Cyrrane | Dovefeather | Drägen | Iron Rosette | Jurasul | Kanaka Helu | Mekhanikos | Solaris Canyon | The Timesnare | The Wayfarer

hazilnut wrote:

[ Ackerley gains 1 KP. ]
[ Quaide's patrol gathers x1 hopniss, x1 asparagus, x1 apple, and x1 blueberry. ]
[ Amicus's patrol finds a pair of siblings, an apprentice and a tester. They are found carrying x1 stone. ]
[ Aoife's patrol catches x1 trout, x1 deer, and x1 rabbit. ]

[ The hopniss seed begins to grow! It will bloom in two posts. ]
[ The blackberry seed begins to grow! It will bloom in two posts. ]
[ The asparagus seed begins to grow! It will bloom in two posts. ]

[ Custos learns self-defense. ]

[ The cats catch x3 mice. ]

[ The apprentice's traits are: ST - H11 / HS - LC / HC - 62 / EC - H4 / X / human. ]
[ The tester's traits are: ST - G9 / HS - LC / HC - 58 / EC - C10 / X / human. ]
[ The plot has miracled up a human warrior. Their traits are: ST - C10 / HS - LC / HC - 13 / EC - H7 / Y / human. ]

Dinolil1 wrote:

[ Solaris and Nyx find x1 leather and x1 cotton. ]
[ Thurayya's patrol catches x2 tench and x1 perch. ]
[ Astrophle finds a hunter. ]
[ Ayberk and Chandra gather x1 carrot seed, x1 carrot and x1 lettuce. ]

[ Astraea learns a skill as a warrior. ]

[ The hunter's traits are: ST - A3 / HS - LC / HC - 21 / EC - G3 / X / dark elf. ]

Arya22 wrote:
Cyrrane

[ Joan fails to gain 1 KP. ]
[ Almtrude and Jaymes find a warrior. ]
[ Aaron's patrol catches x1 deer, x1 hare, and x1 boar. ]
[ Pantaleon's patrol catches x1 bovine, x1 boar, and x1 hare. ]
[ Xzavier gathers x1 potato seed, x2 potatos and x1 blueberry. ]
[ Silas and Rovi find nothing interesting to mine. ]

[ The cantaloupe seed begins to grow! It will bloom in two posts. ]

[ Rhys successfully tests scouting. ]
[ Arun successfully tests hunting. ]

[ The warrior's traits are: ST - C9 / HS - AC / HC - 5 / EC - F2 / X / human. ]
[ The ancestors grant Myriam's request of a miner. Their traits are: ST - F7 / HS - S / HC - 12 / EC - F8 / X / dwarf. ]

My gallery · by **Kazin** » Fri Oct 25, 2019 8:10 am

Number of People: 031
Number of Animals: 002
Servings Needed: 28.00
21+ need 1, 6-20 need .5, under 6 need 0.
Animals need .25

The terrible twos. Elora finally understood why this phase of life had been deemed as it was, as she watched the chaos unfold in the nursery. Even with four mothers, two expecting, two with their own children, plus Elora and the fathers of each kid, it was chaos. The small voices of protest outweighed the voices of the calm adults, trying to work through the tantrums, the disrupt, the utter disarray that had become of the nursery. Elora founder herself reminded why she didn't want kids, and why she didn't like them. Sure, the first year with Zaida had been amazing, but Elora was now pulling her hair out.

But for some reason, it all just seemed to make Seraphim laugh. He seemed so good with all of them, that every single parent was always begging for Seraphim to take all four of the screaming toddlers - and he often did. He'd bundle them all up in his arms, gliding around until each one of them was giggling, their screams turned into laughter, their cries of "No!" turning into cries of "More!" Seraphim seemed just as happy as the children, his laugh chiming all around the village, contagious as the others would stop what they were doing to see, and hear, the laughter of child and adult alike. It was a great moral booster, Elora admitted to herself, seeing how it made each villager's eyes light up with happiness. Seraphim always seemed to have that affect on others, when he was carrying all four toddlers or when he wasn't. He was perfect, in every sense of the word.

How had Elora gotten lucky enough to have someone like him, she'd never know. But she'd be forever grateful for being able to call him hers, to be with him always and forever.

"Thank you," she sighed as he got back, four sleeping two year olds in his arms, gentle snores reaching her ears. Finally, peace from the screams. They had needed a nap, all of them, but were too wound to try. Seraphim was their last resort, and flying seemed like the solution to everything - when they needed to play, when they needed to sleep, when they were cranky for no reason. Flying healed all wounds, it seemed, though Elora completely understood why. It always made her heart soar when she and Seraphim would go up into the treetops to look at the stars, something they did whenever the night was clear enough.

"It's my pleasure," the harpy whispered, nodding as Neru and Vida took their kids back with their own sighs, Aelys and Mica looking out from the doorway to see if it was truly safe, that the tantrums were over. Each couple retreated into the hut, enjoying their time to talk softly and be with each other without having to worry about waking the babies up.

Elora looked at her partner with wonder, and she shook her head slightly. "I'll never understand how you're so good with them, no matter what they need."

Seraphim allowed a laugh, a smile spreading across his face as he rocked Zaida slightly in his arms. Her snores were peaceful, and it was clear she'd be out for quite some time. "I think it's because I'm still a kid at heart. And because I have wings. Wings always make things better." Elora laughed as well, shaking her head again. She couldn't really argue with that.

Though she couldn't lie, she couldn't wait for this part of Zaida's childhood to be over. At least as their kid got older, it would be easier to interpret what she wanted. But for now, they were handling it. They could do this. They had each other, and they had Zaida. Everything was perfect.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

"I wish I could be every single profession," Gyatso let out a dramatic sigh, harnessing his inner Seraphim as he talked with Elora. The young elf did seem like a more responsible version of Seraphim, if she was honest. He had the same enthusiasm, the same energy, and the same child-like wonder, even as he approached puberty. He was a hard-worker, too - meaning she had offered him an apprenticeship in whatever profession he wanted.

"I think..." the young elf scrunched his nose, thinking hard for a few moments while Elora waited. She didn't want to interrupt his thinking process. "I think I want to train under Demon Fang. I mean.. Vikram." Gyatso seemed uncertain of the warriors' real name, and it was strange to hear it as well. Everyone was used to calling Vikram by his nickname at this point, it almost seemed like it was his real name.

Elora gave Gyatso a nod. "Warrior, then. I'm sure if you decide to change your mind, that would be allowable. Warrior's are not unlike any of the other professions, they just do different things - scouts and hunters alike could use a warrior trained member anyway, if you did change your mind once you reach that age. So don't worry - I won't lock you into anything permanently, if you decide being a warrior really isn't for you."

Gyatso utterly beamed, a huge smile stretching across his face. He physically and visibly relaxed, an invisible weight coming off of his shoulders. "Wow, that's great to hear! Thank you so much, Elora!"

The village would be safe if they had kids like Gyatso as the future of the village.

New Members/Rank Up:
--> Gyatso is ready to become an Apprentice! He chooses the profession of Warrior. He would be apprenticed to Vikram.
--> The new mother is named Ambrosia.

Hunting:
--> Forest, Merope, Seraphim, Peter, Paradox, and Yuki hunt.
--> Finn and Syrinix hunt.

Gathering:
--> Aelys and Kyran go gathering.
--> Aelys plants a zucchini seed.

Patrols:
--> Cylia, Aara, and Polaris scout.
--> Laurel, Samael, and Atticus patrol the borders.
--> Vikram, Gyatso, Amara, Shylo, and Juno patrol the borders.

Training:
-->

Family:
--> Ambrosia gives birth this post! Her traits are ST - B10 / HS - HW / HC - 2 / EC - E5 / X / dryad. Father is unknown.

Other/Consumption:
--> Hawk Ridge consumes 3 salmon, 1 eggplant, 1 plum, and 1 honeydew (28 servings)
--> Elora requests a gatherer.

Head Chief
Elora | ♀ | 36 years
↪ ST - D9 / HS - HW / HC - 7 / EC - H2 / X / elf

Shaman
Astor | ♂ | 29 years | KP: 6
↪ ST- F3 / HS- S / HC- 61 / EC- B3 / Y / shapeshifter [kestrel]

War Chief
Laurel | ♀ | 33 years
↪ ST - D10 / HS - HC / HC - 6 / EC - D3 / X / human

Warriors
Samael | ♂ | 29 years
↪ ST-G1 | HC-3 | HS-S | EC-C8 | X | dryad
Vikram "Demon Fang" | ♂ | 25 years
↪ ST - D5 / HS - HW / HC - 3 / EC - B7 / X / shapeshifter [bear]
Amara | ♀ | 23 years
↪ ST - E10 / HS - AC / HC - 24 / EC - B3 / X / elf
Shylo | ♀ | 23 years
↪ ST-C11 | HC-49 | HS-HC | EC-C4 | X | Dryad
Juno / ♀ / 20 years
↪ ST - D1 / HS - HC / HC - 1 / EC - B5 / X / human
Atticus | ♂ | 20 years
↪ ST - B6 / HS - LW / HC - 37 / EC - A10 / X / Kemonomimi

Scout Chief
Cylia | ♀ | 27 years
↪ ST - D10 / HS - S / HC - 1 / EC - H2 / X / harpy

Scouts
Aara | ♀ | 30 years
↪ ST- C1 / HS- HC / HC- 8 / EC- G2 / X / harpy
Evidone | ♂ | 38 years
↪ ST-A4 | HC-38 | HS-AC | EC-Hazel | X | dryad
Polaris | ♂ | 28 years
↪ ST - B11 / HS - LC / HC - 18 / EC - E2 / X / harpy
Mica / ♂ / 27 years
↪ ST - A5 / HS - HC / HC - 3 / EC - D3 / X / shapeshifter [puffin]

Hunting Chief
Paradox | ♂ | 29 years
↪ ST- D3 / HS- LW / HC- 21 / EC- D1 / X / shapeshifter [ocelot]

Hunters
Seraphim | ♂ | 32 years
↪ ST - D9 / HS - HW / HC - 12 / EC - B4 / X / harpy
Merope | ♀ | 31 years
↪ ST - E2 / HS - HC / HC - 21 / EC - D1 / X / dryad
Finn | ♂ | 34 years
↪ ST-B5 | HC-19 | HS-LC | EC-A1 | X | Human
Yuki | ♀ | 27 years
↪ ST - C3 / HS - AC / HC - 62 / EC - H7 / Y / shapeshifter | [Lynx]
Syrinix | Non-binary | 23 years
↪ ST - C10 / HS - LC / HC - 63 / EC - D5 / Y / dryad
Peter | ♂ | 22 years
↪ ST-C5 | HC-32 | HS-LW | EC-F2 | Y | Human
Forest | ♂ | 22 years
↪ ST-D6 | HC-3 | HS-LC | EC-B4 | X | Human

Gatherers
Aelys | ♂ | 34 years
↪ ST - B9 | HS - LW | HC - 61 | EC - A7 | X | elf
Kyran | ♂ | 25 years
↪ ST - C7 / HS - LC / HC - 26 / EC - H4 / Y / human

Apprentices
Gyatso / male / 13 years
↪ ST - A1 / HS - HC / HC - 22 / EC - G2 / X / elf
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

Testers
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

Mothers
Neru | ♀ | 28 years | watching Pierce and Ivy
↪ ST- D7 / HS- LC / HC- 63 / EC- G6 / X / elf
Vida / ♀ / 28 years | Watching Theo and Zaida
↪ ST - B2 / HS - S / HC - 7 / EC - G5 / X / human
Clarissa | ♀ | 25 years | 2 posts til birth
↪ ST - F10 / HS - LC / HC - 62 / EC - C2 / X / human
Ambrosia | ♀ | 22 years | gives birth now
↪ ST - B10 / HS - HW / HC - 2 / EC - E5 / X / dryad

Children
Pierce | ♂ | 2 years
↪ ST-B9 | HC-63 | HS-LC | EC-A7 | X | Elf
Ivy | ♀ | 2 years
↪ ST-B9 | HC-63 | HS-LW | EC-G6 | X | Elf
Prometheus "Theo" | ♂ | 2 years
↪ ST-B2 | HC-7 | HS-HC | EC-G5 | X | Shapeshifter [auklet]
Zaida | ♀ | 2 years
↪ ST - E3 / HS - HC / HC - 8 / EC - G1 / X / human

Elders
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

My gallery · by **amethyst14** » Sat Oct 26, 2019 6:20 am

Season:

Spring

Weather:

The days are growing warmer now. Snow is no longer on the ground and in its place are abundances of flowers. Everything has grown easier during these warm days.

Announcement:

If I made a mistake please don't be afraid to pm me!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

爆殺王 wrote:(c)
Jareth patrols the Caves
Jareth looks for some food
Jareth asks the Ancestors for a Shaman

Patrolling
Jareth found a scout while on patrol.

Hunting
Jareth caught two moles and a badger while hunting.

Request
The ancestors sent a shaman.

Traits
The scout's traits are: ST- G2 / HS - LC / HC - 37 / EC - A8 / X / goblin
The shaman's traits are: ST - C7 / HS - S / HC - 10 / EC - E6 / X / dwarf

Kazin wrote:(c)
New Members/Rank Up:
--> Gyatso is ready to become an Apprentice! He chooses the profession of Warrior. He would be apprenticed to Vikram.
--> The new mother is named Ambrosia.

Hunting:
--> Forest, Merope, Seraphim, Peter, Paradox, and Yuki hunt.
--> Finn and Syrinix hunt.

Gathering:
--> Aelys and Kyran go gathering.
--> Aelys plants a zucchini seed.

Patrols:
--> Cylia, Aara, and Polaris scout.
--> Laurel, Samael, and Atticus patrol the borders.
--> Vikram, Gyatso, Amara, Shylo, and Juno patrol the borders.

Training:
-->

Family:
--> Ambrosia gives birth this post! Her traits are ST - B10 / HS - HW / HC - 2 / EC - E5 / X / dryad. Father is unknown.

Other/Consumption:
--> Hawk Ridge consumes 3 salmon, 1 eggplant, 1 plum, and 1 honeydew (28 servings)
--> Elora requests a gatherer.

Patrolling
Laurel, Samael, and Atticus returned with nothing. Atticus had gotten some scratches while on patrol. They were minor though and only need to be cleaned up.
Vikram, Gyatso, Amara, Shylo, and Juno found a scout while on patrol.

Scouting
Cylia, Aara, and Polaris found nothing.

Hunting
Forest, Merope, Seraphim, Peter, Paradox, and Yuki caught two squirrels and two catfish.
Finn and Syrinix caught two salmon.

Gathering
Aelys and Kyran find a honeydew seed.
Aelys and Kyran gathered two honeydew and a plum.

Crops
Aelys plants a zucchini seed.
The zucchini plant started to sprout.

Family
Ambrosia gave birth to one child.
Ambrosia had no complications during labor.
The child was born with a slightly twisted foot.

Request
The ancestors sent a gatherer.

Traits
The scout's traits are: ST - A3 / HS - HC / HC - 22 / EC - B1 / X / elf
The child's traits are: ST - B10 / HS - AC / HC - 10 / EC - E5 / X / dryad
The gatherer's traits are: ST - C6 / HS - S / HC - 9 / EC - H2 / y / kemonomimi

salvation. wrote:(c)
patrolling:
-evangaline and alice patrol the borders
hunting:
-anai goes hunting with evangaline
scouting:
-arlo goes scouting with nickolas
medic duties:
-alice studies medicine
gathering:
-jericho and winair go out gathering
ancestor requests:
-n/a
consumption:
-one fasting day left
new people:
-alice
births/deaths:
-n/a
training:
-n/a
mod notes:
-council members can't be found

Patrolling
Evangaline and Alice encountered an ox herd protecting its young. Evangaline started to chase off the herd and managed to scare them away. However the young oxen could not get up. Will your villagers care for the beast?

Scouting
Arlo and Nickolas found nothing.

Hunting
Anai and Evangaline caught a chicken.

Gathering
Jericho and Winair find a corn seed.
Jericho and Winair gathered a corn and a potato.

Medicine
Alice gained a knowledge point.
Evangeline needs to rest for a post as she got hurt with the oxen.

My gallery · by **Arya22** » Sun Oct 27, 2019 11:02 am

Cyrrane
Number of People: 25
(12 Females 13 Males)
0-5 (0): 2 | 6-20 (1/2): 4 | 21+ (1): 19
Number of Pets: (1/4) 6
Amount of servings: 22 1/2
Next visit with Ancestors:1rst November

Almtrude and Jaymes, out on patrol, were not talking much. Almtrude was still ruminating on Silas' story. She was completely indignant about the way his family had acted- he was their son, by Giyn's eye! But this wasn't the worst thing Almtrude had seen during her lengthy journey, and she knew that there was nothing to be done now. All of a sudden, a small hand on her arm surprised her. "Almtrude?" it was Jaymes. The Dwarf tilted her head. Had she really been so distracted as to miss a sound? Someone? "What is it?" she asked Jaymes, in the same tone. The younger scout smiled a little. "You look distracted. I think there's someone here." Almtrude listened for a second. Sure enough, steps. She nodded at Jaymes. "Yes, I was. But that isn't a habit." she made sure to precise. Just at that moment, someone came into view and stopped in their tracks when they caught sight of the two scouts.

The person who had appeared was tall, with ebony skin and long, black hair. Even from the distance, Almtrude could make out the dark, but slightly green eyes peering at them. "We don't mean you any harm!" Almtrude called out. "And I rather think you don't either." the woman came closer. "I don't mean me any harm, no." she replied. Her accent seemed familiar to Almtrude. The hint of a smile could be heard. Almtrude grinned and held out her hand once she was close enough to shake it. "Pleased to meet ya, miss. I'm Almtrude Lightfoot, of Cyrrane, and this kid here is Jaymes Weitzman." "I'm 23 years old." Jaymes muttered under his breath, but the woman didn't pick up on that. She shook Almtrude's hand, and the latter was happy at how firm the handshake was: this wasn't a weak woman.

"My name is Azelle. I'm looking for.. some people. You are from a village?" Almtrude nodded, and Azelle continued. "May I please follow you to your village? It has been a long time since I slept in a real bed and eaten a warm meal." Almtrude grinned. "Of course! Friends of my friends are my friends." she had added the last part quietly, and the woman wasn't quite sure if she had heard it right. But she didn't comment on it. As the three began walking back to the village, Almtrude kept shooting quick, amused glances at Azelle. She reminded her of a certain someone in Cyrrane.

"Hmm, you look a little like our Mr Serious-guy." Almtrude let out at some point. Azelle blinked. "Excuse me, who?" Jaymes, used to Almtrude's antics, couldn't hold back a smile. "Rovi, one of our warriors." he explained. He was startled when Azelle stopped walking abruptly, her hand over her mouth. "Rovi?" she asked in a small voice. Almtrude, behind, let out an approving grunt. She knew exactly what Azelle was going to say. "I-what's his last name ?" Azelle asked, and her voice trembled. "Rovi Wild." Almtrude said, and was rewarded by Azelle grinning while exhaling shakily, tears clearly visible in her eyes. "I can't believe it! He-" she ran a hand over her face. "Please, let's go there quickly. I need to see him." her voice was full of contradicting emotions, with love, relief, surprise and joy pushing each other. Jaymes blinked several times, glancing at Almtrude. How come she seemed to understand everything and he didn't get it at all? Almtrude caught him looking and winked. "Learn to observe." she advised, and walked on after Azelle. After a pause, Jaymes shrugged and went on after them.

~

Once at the village, Almtrude lead them to where she knew Rovi would be: sorting out what he and Silas had mined during the day. He was bent over piles of rocks and didn't notice them arriving. It was Azelle who spoke up first; her voice was shaky. "Rovi, it's been a long time." Rovi didn't look up at first. "Hmm, who is-" he froze suddenly in realisation, and slowly, his eyes lifted. He stood up as if in a trance, eyes fixed on Azelle's dark ones. "Azelle.. You, here-" and without any more words, the two threw themselves in each others arms. Jaymes, next to Almtrude, had still not put everything together. "Who is she?" he muttered. Almtrude shushed him. "You've got a lot to learn. Can't you see how similar they are? She's his younger sister." the scout leader whispered. Jaymes' mouth formed a little 'o' as he put the pieces together.

~~~

Myriam yawned while walking in the forest. She always did late nights, thinking about the problems within the village (or more recently about Panto as well) but at least the food problem was solved. The ancestors shrine was a very peaceful moment each time she went, and it definitely did her some good. But despite the yawning, Myriam stayed alert. It was always on her way back from the ancestors shrine that she met up with people.

And right she was. Upon arriving by the river, Myriam was surprised by a Dwarf mumbling in his beard while crouched, moving something in the water. He had olive skin and short, blonde hair. His beard was long and surprisingly well-brushed. Myriam stepped closer carefully. "Excuse me?" she spoke softly. The dwarves reaction was almost violent. He whirled around, grabbing a nearby axe with one hand and hid his other hand behind his back. "You're not taking my money! It's mine!" he growled, holding the axe high. Myriam stumbled back in surprise, hands in the air to show she had nothing to hide. Her eyes were wide. "No no, I didn't-" "I don't want your money either!" the Dwarf growled. "I'm keeping my gold!" Myriam shook her head, uncomprehending. "That wasn't-" "Well what do you want then? I'm not here to trade and I don't need your help and I don't wanna work with you." there was a pause, during which Myriam tried to think of the way to say it. "I'm sorry, sir, I believe I have mistaken you for someone else. I will go now.." slowly, Myriam stepped away, her hands still in the air. The Dwarf did not utter a sound. When she was a few meters away, Myriam turned around, and made her way back to the trail. What a curious incident! She felt a little ashamed. She had become used to meeting new people, and had become used to them wanting to join Cyrrane. She had turned this habit into something 'normal' and had now expected the Dwarf to behave like all others, and ask to join Cyrrane. What an embarrassing situation. Myriam decided to not talk about it.

~

Myriam was nearing the slope that led up to the village, when a sound made her turn. "Mhm. Miss?" Myriam was astounded to see the dwarf from earlier, leaning casually against his axe, right in front of her. "Yes?" she asked, wary but friendly. How had he gotten behind her, without her noticing? "You wouldn't happen to know, by any chance, if there is a village up there?" the dwarf pointed to the slope. Myriam, more and more confused as to why he was acting like that, nodded. "Yes, there is actually my village up there, Cyrrane. There's about 20 of us." the Dwarf nodded, eyebrows raised a little, seeming satisfied of the answer. "Hmm, you wouldn't happen to know if I could maybe join this village, perhaps? I have grown tired of living alone."

Myriam's first instinct was to say yes immediately. For a long time, she had longed for more people to join them, so they wouldn't starve. But this dwarf was a most peculiar person, and maybe a little too strange. "I'm sorry sir, but I don't know you, and the way you acted by the river-" "Oh." the Dwarf cut her off with a movement of his large hand. "I apologise about it. You see, I am a very poor person, and I do what I can to keep myself alive. I must protect my belongings." Myriam was not convinced, but she decided to not say anything, and talk to Rovi about it- not Zaos, he was a little brash about dwarves. "Very well, follow me then. We'll talk about everything on the way." Myriam smiled a little. The Dwarf easily swung his axe onto his shoulder and began to follow her.

"Miss, may I know your name?" "I am Myriam Sheherezad. And you?" "Jorund Thunderpike." and that was all.

~~~

Tamara, coming back from a day of gathering, looked around with a little smile. Spring was a great season. Back home, they'd eat a lot of sweet things, especially chocolate, and eggs, and they would even look for them- wait a second. Tamara paused. Spring was the season for Easter, which meant egg-hunting! The smile broader, Tamara picked up her pace to get home sooner. She had always loved egg-hunting when younger, except when the eggs were hidden in dirty places, or dark places, or places with insects.. Anyway, there were several children here, maybe she could organise something! She would ask Myriam and Zaos about it, maybe Aaron too, since he seemed like the unofficial caterer, and he would know if there were any eggs around.

~

"Alright children, you have here several eggs, and you've got, well, what's supposed to be paint. I'm not going to show you how to do it because I might get my dress dirty, but you're smart enough, you can figure it out." Tamara pointed to the things in turn. Rhys, Arun and Lyra were sitting at a small table in one of the village houses, and Lyra had already dipped her finger in the green paint. "Anyway, go ahead and start, children- no, Lyra, not like that.." Tamara sighed. As soon as she had spoken, the two boys had begun taking eggs and either dumping them in the paint pots, or dipping their fingers in to color the eggs. Tamara gave up, letting them do as they wanted.

The egg-painting lasted until lunchtime, after which the children's parents were horrified at the quantity of paint spread on all the hands, heads and clothes. Tamara only shrugged apologetically at their angry looks, though in truth she was more than sorry for it. She excused herself early from lunch, and, making sure she wasn't seen by anyone, went to hide the eggs around the village. It wouldn't be funny if they knew where she had hidden them. Once all the children had finished eating lunch, Tamara led them back to the table where they had painted eggs. "They all gone!" Lyra exclaimed, looking distraught. Rhys was suspicious. "Did you eat them?" he asked Tamara. The woman looked horrified at the very thought. "No, no! They were taken by the Easter rabbit, and he hid them somewhere around the village. You've got to find them now." Arun huffed. "Idiot. If he wanted to hide them, he shouldn't have put them in different places. There's a much higher chance of us find them then." Tamara opened her mouth, then closed it again. This wasn't the answer she had expected.

Laedrya came up behind her. "What she means, children, is that this is a sort of hide-and-seek. Your mission is to find the missing eggs and bring them all back here!" her jolly tone excited the children a lot more than Tamara's hustle-bustle and stressed out one. "Yayy !! Hide-and-seek!!" Lyra seemed especially keen on going. Zaos, who had also arrived, held up a finger. "Boys, please let Lyra find a few." he smiled a little. He knew that Lyra could get mad if the boys found them all before her. "And always keep an eye on her." After a quick nod, the three children ran off excitedly.

~

"I find one!" Lyra laughed, pouncing on a brightly colored egg in the grass. "Well done Lyra!" Rhys helped her put it in his basket. He had seen the egg a lot earlier, but was following his father's instructions on letting Lyra find a few. His eye caught some red in the grass a few meters away, and, grinning, ran over to get it. This one was for him! But just as he bent down to grab it, he heard a scream, and his face became livid- it was his sister's scream. Heart pounding, Rhys whirled around: Lyra was gone. Without missing a beat, Rhys ran in the direction he heard heard the scream coming from. This was definitely not respecting his father's second instructions: to watch over his sister. What had happened? Was she hurt? Attacked by a vicious beast? Fallen in a hunters trap? Rhys heard his brother's footsteps behind him: surely, Arun had heard the scream too.

After running around a bush, Rhys felt his heart come to a stop as he witnessed his worst nightmare: his sister was sitting in the grass, looking up at a huge, great wolf, standing over her. Its mouth was slightly open, ready to swallow her whole. "Get away from my sister!" Rhys yelled, grabbing a stick and throwing himself at the wolf without hesitation- and was stopped right in his tracks by a firm hand on his collar, which lifted him right off his feet. "Hey there kid, don't go attacking poor Jagged. He's-OW!" the voice was deep, but had suddenly gone high-pitched at the same moment the hand let go of Rhys. The young elf tumbled to the ground and looked at whoever had caught him. It was a tall, dark-haired man, with a stubble of a beard and dark, dirty clothes. He was doubled over, hands around his weak spot. Next to him, a triumphant Arun. "Thank you." Rhys muttered while he turned around towards his sister- only to freeze in horror.

The wolf had turned away from Lyra and was now right above him, growling menacingly and yellow eyes flashing. Terrified, Rhys closed his eyes, certain that it was all over- "Hey, stop scaring my brother!" Lyra had stood up and was holding on to the wolves pelt, pulling it away from Rhys. Both Arun and Rhys were dumbstruck. The wolf didn't seem to mind.. And actually sat down, no longer growling. "Lyra, what are you doing?" Arun muttered. Rhys stood up shakily, but didn't dare going to his sister. "Do you know this wolf?" Rhys asked. "She damn well doesn't." the man behind him muttered. "And Jagged isn't supposed to listen to anyone else but me. Come here, you." obediently, the wolf trotted over to the man and sat down next to him, whining. "Yeah, yeah, I know. They're kids. Still, this one has a pretty strong kick." the man seemed to be talking to the wolf. Arun and Rhys looked at each other, shrugging.

"Calder, what happened?" another person appeared. It was a woman, about the same age as the man, with fair skin and blonde hair. Next to her strode a white cat. When she saw the children, the woman paused. "Who are they?" she asked. The man named Calder shrugged. "I don't know, Maple. First the girl came, got scared by Jagged then these two hooligans appeared, and attacked Jagged and me." the wolf gave a short bark. "Yes, yes. The blonde one went to protect his sister." Calder amended. "But shouldn't you be resting?" he strode over to the woman, putting a hand on her stomach. Rhys noticed that it was all swollen, like it has been when Lyra was still in his mum's stomach. "I worry, Calder, and when I heard all this noise I wanted to know what was-Aah!" violently, the woman bent over, hands over her stomach. She looked up at Calder and whispered, eyes full of fear. "The baby's coming."

Changing completely from his stern, bad-tempered attitude, Calder looked around in panic. "The baby's coming. Oh no, the baby's coming. No no no, not now. The baby's coming. Aah!" he jumped when Arun tapped his arm. The black-haired child waited a second before saying, almost in a whisper, "We're not far from home, Joan can help if the baby is coming." Calder nodded quickly. "That would be-that would be awesome. Thanks kid. Uhh where to? Is it far?" Arun shook his head and pointed in the direction of Cyrrane. "I'll go ahead with Lyra and warn Joan!" Rhys said, and held out his hand for Lyra to grab- which she did immediately. Arun nodded, and the two ran off.

~

At the village, Zaos was pacing anxiously. He should never have agreed to this, letting the children go hunting eggs on their own was not safe. What if something happened to Lyra? What if the boys got hurt? What if, what if? "Daaaaaaad!!" his worst fears seemed to be confirmed: Rhys and Lyra, hand in hand, were urgently running to him. "Where's your brother??" Zaos asked, half walking, half running to them. Rhys was out of breath. "He stayed back--he stayed back to guide them. The woman--she's having a baby so- so she needs to see Joan for help. So I ran ahead to ask Joan to prepare." Zaos blinked, looking from one to the other. "I saw a wolf!" Lyra giggled. Zaos opened his mouth, paused, then closed it again. "Go see Joan then. I think she's in the nursery, with Hilda." he said, and Rhys hurried off; Lyra stayed by her dad. Zaos watched Rhys go away, scratching his head. What had he been up to again?

~~~

A little earlier, Tamara had been sighing as she saw the children run around. Zaos and Laedrya were much better at this than her, she had completely failed at getting them to understand the spirit of Easter. "Greetings, beauty. What troubles you so?" Tamara didn't even need to turn to know who it was. "Xzavier, I'm not in the mood." she almost snapped. The man held up his hands. "I apologize, dear. I just thought you might enjoy a little company from a more.. Civilised person." Tamara looked at him sharply. "Because you are?.." Xzavier seemed shocked. "Why, haven't you noticed? Xzavier Findlow, son of the wealthy Horacio Findlow? Does it not ring a bell?" Tamara shrugged. "I never had much contact with the outside world, we lived in a lone house, with our servants." she didn't add that she also lived pretty much without a father too.

Xzavier tilted his head. "How did you become rich? You must've been rich, if you had servants." Tamara shrugged. "My father was a successful merchant, and he made a lot of money. I'm not rich though, it all burned down and I'm stuck here." she huffed. Xzavier took a good look around him. "Well you know, there's some good potential around here. You could follow in your father's footsteps, trade within this village or surrounding villages too. You could be rich again." he titled his head, grinning. Tamara followed his line of sight. The fields, below, the lake, and the mines. There were many things. "Not bad." she said to herself, thinking about the possibilities. Xzavier stood up and laid a hand on her arm. "Well, tell me if you need any help, sweetie." he patted her arm, then left. Tamara, looking at him go, had a small blush on her face.

(Cyrrane was able to feed itself, 3rd post
Murdoch and Gertrude breed
Maple gives birth!
Joan is helping Maple
Rhys is testing fighting with Zaos
Arun is testing scouting with Almtrude
Joan researches medicine
Almtrude, Pantaleon and Jaymes scout with Iméra
Aaron, Nayah, Zaos, Myriam and Marya hunt
Bargas and Alkhas hunt
Xzavier gathers
Tamara plants the potato seed
Silas and Jorund mine
Azelle and Rovi patrol
Cats hunt (-;
The cantaloupe seed will bloom next post)
Mod notes: any injuries to anyone are fine, but please don't kill some! Most important ones: Myriam, Joan, Zaos, Almtrude, Pantaleon, Tamara, Xzavier, Rhys, Arun, Lyra. I'd still be sad for other deaths but they're not that important for plot reasons.
I still have to add: Myreon (adopted hobbit boy)

I've accomplished something!
Achievement(s) You've Accomplished: When a Baby Laughs, It's Only a Flesh Wound, a Spoonful of Sugar, Jack of All Trades, We Call Him 'George', Ol' McDonald, Hamlet, Enemy of Mine Enemy, Hannigan or Warbucks?
Total Prizes:70 yemons, 5 random items

My gallery · by **hazilnut** » Sun Oct 27, 2019 12:27 pm

nυмвer oғ vιllagerѕ: 14
nυмвer oғ anιмalѕ: 4
ѕervιngѕ needed: 13
neхт conѕтrυcтιon: xx/xx/19
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It had long since stopped being a surprising sight: Ackerley sitting under the table in Princeps’s office, fiddling with a spring or scrap of metal. With a mental decry that their joints were really too old for this, funny for the fact that they were only going on five years, Princeps eased into a sitting position on the packed earth besides Ackerley. The head chief had brought down a clipboard of tasks to work on if Ackerley didn’t feel like talking and, avoiding looking at the mechanic as one might avoid looking at a skittish cat, began to meticulously print the following week’s to-do list.

The scratching of metal on metal grew more agitated as Ackerley worked the spring into a useless knot, and then gradually grew quieter before the mechanic sighed and put the scrap metal down. Hugging their knees to their chest, Ackerley whispered “Keiran wouldn’t talk to me today.” Princeps set down their clipboard and turned to face Ackerley, trying to look as attentive as they could without actual eyes. “I had an idea for sprinklers, so the gatherers wouldn’t have to spend all day hauling water, but ei wouldn’t even look at me when I came to the field- just kept weeding.”

“Cultor?”

“Said I should probably come back later. But when’s later?” Growing more audibly distressed, Ackerley had tucked tighter and tighter into themselves until their soiled shirt collar muffled their cracking voice.

Princeps let out a sigh of hot steam. “It’s only been a few weeks. Everyone needs more time to reconcile what happened; especially the golems.” Evidently this was not what Ackerley was hoping to hear.

“I don’t know where I went wrong.” Their voice cracked pathetically around parched lips. “I don’t understand. The crystal wasn’t even being used.”

Tugging the jacket they had taken to wearing more frequently tighter around their torso, Princeps took a moment to settle into a better position before speaking. “It’s more than cultural, I think. Golem force isn’t like hair or teeth- it keeps living after being separated from the body. I just don’t think anyone knew how much so.”

“How could I have known?”

“I don’t know. But what happened, happened and we’re all just trying to figure out where to go from here.”

Ackerley swiped a hand roughly across their eyes, sniffling. “Then what can I do?”

Slowly and deliberately, Princeps placed a hand on top of Ackerley’s and squeezed. “Wait.”

—-

Custos had been fairly certain they were alone in this particular clearing of the woods. Amicus had watched them like a hawk for several weeks following the incident but more recently had been spending more and more time with Aoife, and time with Aoife and time with Custos couldn’t overlap. So feeling more put out by the isolation of waiting for their mentor in the watchtower for hours on end than scared of what Genaine might do, though the terror was still sharp, Custos had gone off to mope in the woods.

They hadn’t expected to find another person in the clearing they had chosen as sanctuary, let alone hear music. So caught up in the moment was Custos that they didn’t notice the end of the ancient stairs that wrapped the hill they were descending.

Upon hearing Custos’ yelp of surprise at a drop-off larger than they expected, Tonus abruptly stopped fiddling and turned around. Deft movements retuned the instrument as Custos checked over themselves to make sure nothing was broken, turning the instrument into an approximation of vocal cords.

“Hello Custos,” Tonus greeted them warmly, beckoning the apprentice over. Feet dragging, Custos inched their way out of the shadows and into the pale sunlight. Tonus patted a spot in the grass beside them and Custos gingerly kneeled down. “What brings you out here?”

“I was tired of being cooped up in the watchtower all day.”

Tonus nodded sympathetically, though the motion seemed empty to Custos. What exactly had this robot gone through in their one and a half years of life that enabled them to relate to Custos? Fortunately the apprentice was too morose to voice such a question. Instead they scrutinized Tonus’s instrument. “Nice isn’t it? Songs, words, arrows- this baby can do it all.”

“Have you killed anything with it?” Custos supposed the hunter was probably deeply disturbed by their morbid question, but Tonus’s painted on eyes didn’t give them the means to display incredulity so Custos didn’t particularly care about how they felt- only their answer.

There was a mournful edge to Tonus’s response: a lingering low note. “Yes, but I don’t like to.”

“Good.” The tension in Custos’s body released a little and they slid into a fully seated position.

“I’d rather play music with it. I’d rather play music than speak honestly. There’s something magical about song.” Custos nodded in agreement. “You have such a nice voice so of course you know what I mean. Shame not to hear it more often.”

Turning away from Tonus’s empty eyes, Custos took to tearing out strands of grass and tearing them lengthwise with great concentration. “S’not my voice.”

“Of course it is.”

“It’s not! It’s Aoife’s and fa won’t even talk to me.” The high-pitched protest in Custos’s voice quickly became a pathetic squeak. They scrubbed at the corners of their eyes, where tears shouldn’t be able to come. “No one will talk to me.”

Tonus sunk back into the grass. “Talking’s overrated. Adults like to talk-talk-talk but they never say anything.”

Custos’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. Finally they sputtered out an accusation. “Aren’t you an adult?”

Shrugging, Tonus went back to tuning their fiddle. They played a few notes, adjusted, and played a few more. They began to coax a melody out of the instrument, yearning and visceral. Custos let the music wash over them as they watched the sun creep ever closer to the canopy, and slowly they began to hum.

—-

The cats twisted around table legs, purring wildly as Keiran and Aoife cleaned fish. Every so often Keiran would toss a scrap of meat behind eir head to keep the three beasts satisfied, but didn’t glow with amusement as ei usually did when Calpras and Hehimm started wrestling for a fin. In fact, the golem was gutting a salmon with such intensity that Aoife physically leaned away from eir cutting board despite not having any fleshy limbs to endanger.

“Keiran, are you alright?” asked Aoife when Keiran was between massacring fish.

Keiran thrust the knife down with a splattering of fish juice. “How are you not angry?”

Aoife didn’t ask: “angry about what?” because fa knew exactly what feir friend meant- what everyone meant when they avoided Aoife’s gaze or rescheduled feir hunting trips. What people wouldn’t say. “I am angry,” fa insists but a pebble skips and uncertainty enters feir rumble. “I’m just, confused I guess?” Fa didn’t want to see Ackerley, or Custos for that matter, but was that anger? Past experience said that anger was heavy and hot, but right now Aoife felt more empty than anything. “I don’t know what to do. I just need space.”

“Okay.” Keiran picked up eir knife again and grabbed another fish. “Okay. I’ll try and keep people away from you then.”

“Thanks.”

Alas, Keiran wasn’t around the following day when Aoife was down by the river lining a set of old baskets with fresh clay to extend their lifetime. The burbling of the river reminded Aoife of old times, in a way that was peaceful rather than overwhelming as was oft the case, and in this new-found calm fa had taken to flexing feir magic.

Hey ho willow on a hill, cat in the kitchen licking up the spill
Hey ho shadow in the brook, pot on the campfire heating up to cook

The words the golem sang were not meaningless, however silly the ditty might seem to an observer. Rather, they suggested the shape the clay should take- the properties it should cultivate. Aoife sang of holding and cooking, binding and storing, lasting and guarding and the clay took on its shape in turn. It was nothing fancy or world-shattering, just simple magic for a simple task, still singing never failed to lift Aoife’s spirits and the golem was glowing by the time fa had finished feir first set of pots.

As fa was setting aside the half-dozen baskets fa had brought down in the first trip to dry in the sun, a peculiar sound intertwined with chuckling brook and rustling branches.

In the garden, flowers bloom
Quiet where none can see
In the garden, children play
Laughing for all to hear
In the garden you scrape your knee
Shocked to tears you run to me
I pick you up and sing this song
And hold you tight where you belong

Looking up, Aoife saw the violet-covered limestone of Quaide hovering just where the forest bled into the riverbank. The words kai sang were soft and unsure but reached Aoife with terrifying clarity. Fa wasn’t sure whether the pressure on feir chest was from wanting to cry or scream.

“That’s a new song,” said Aoife thickly as feir composer’s lullaby trailed off. Quaide evidently took it as an invitation to come closer; Aoife could hear the soft shifting of sand as kai approached.

For a while the pair just watched the river, but the activity that had been so peaceful only moments before now only furthered Aoife’s sense of trepidation. In some ways Quiade’s silence was worse than when kai spoke because in keir silence Aoife could imagine thousands of expressions of disappointment: half-way sighs and chastising utterances of feir name. But when Quaide speaks for once it isn’t to lecture.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

“You’re sorry?” The words don’t feel right between Aoife’s stones. They’re too fragile; the slip of one pebble could crush them to dust.

“Everything that’s happened, I-I’ve been bad at adjusting.” Quiade flinched under the weight of Aoife’s guarded gaze, turning keir attention to the river instead. “What Ackerley did isn’t your fault.”

“I know that,” murmured Aoife, but kai can’t quite disguise their surprise at Quaide saying so.

Quaide went silent for a moment, and Aoife had to fight down that familiar rush of guilt at upsetting feir composer before kai spoke again. “Hunting and Amicus- I don’t understand it. But I guess I haven’t been trying too hard.” Kai laughed, a soft shushing of violets. “I want to be someone you can turn to when you’re hurting, Phe.”

This time, it was Aoife who turned away from Quaide. “Like you said: you don’t understand. How am I supposed to come to you when all you’ll do is make judgemental comments?”

“Oh Phe,” sighed Quaide, but Aoife refused to be baited. Fa remained quiet and still until Quaide was forced to fill the silence. “I do want to understand, I do. Aoife- please will you help me?”

And now Aoife turned back around to meet Quaide’s gaze, holding it evenly. “If we’re going to have a relationship I cannot carry you up that hill. Find your feet and meet me at the top.”

“When did you grow up?” Though Quaide didn’t adknowledge what Aoife said, there’s a tenderness to keir voice that makes fa hopeful that maybe, just maybe, the message had sunk in. But for now fa was exhausted.

“I have a lot of work to do.”

“Of course. I’ll leave you to it” For a moment Quaide looked as if kai might try and give Aoife’s force a comforting squeeze, but kai thought better of it and opted for a small wave before departing, leaving Aoife alone with the river, the trees, and feir thoughts.

---

Cultor wasn’t supposed by Genaine’s reaction to the trio’s arrival: a snarl of “Hasn’t one human caused us enough trouble?”, but what was unexpected was Keiran’s muffled rumble of assent. Cultor didn't have enough time to ask their apprentice what the matter was when the trio of humans, escorted by Amicus, reached the center clearing of Mekhanikos.

“I am Hanna,” the tallest human, to whom the two smaller ones stay close to, announced. They were probably around Ackerley’s age, though Cultor wouldn’t be the one to ask about human life cycles. They did possess a commanding aura that led them to appear far taller than the mechanic who stood besides Princeps to greet the newcomers.

“I am Princeps, leader of Mekhanikos. What is it that you seek?” After the voice of Hanna, Princep’s own sounded especially monotone. How much of that was in comparison, Cultor wondered, and how much was due to discomfort at acting out unfamiliar formalities?

“We seek refuge. A civil war tore apart our home region and we’ve been looking for a peaceful place to stay ever since. My cousins Rowan and Ezekiel-“ Hanna gestured to the larger and smaller children in turn, “are tired of wandering. We want to build.”

Cultor didn’t believe Ackerley, who had perked up considerably at the mentioning of building, noticed that Hanna’s attention was focused almost entirely on them rather than Princeps. The head chief, though, did, and took a step back to let Ackerley and Hanna converse.

“Do you mean build as in build a home, or build as in build things?” asked the mechanic curiously.

Hanna glanced around the gathered robots and golems, nodding appreciatively. “A home mainly, but I would enjoy learning from a master of mechanics such as you. Amicus-“ they tested the name out on their tongue, “said you made them? Did you make everyone here?”

“Most,” acknowledged Ackerley with a bashful twist of their hands. “The golems I only found.”

“I’m a bit of an inventor myself.”

“Really? Oh you guys have to stay! Mekhanikos is a great place to make your home.” The pleading face Ackerley gave Princeps was not unlike those Keiran would give Cultor when a cat or two would sneak into eir tent on long gathering trips: a little guilty but not enough to stop.

Princeps gave a ticking, steam-filled sigh. “Well we can’t really turn away refugees.”

“Wonderful.” Hanna smiled and bent down to be eye-level with Rowan and Ezekiel. “This is going to be our new home. Go get the cornerstone will you?”

The children nodded seriously bur couldn’t help but scamper as they went over to retrieve a large velvet bag that Amicus had been holding. The robot helped steady the pair as they brought the bag back to Hanna and revealed a homely rock carved with symbols that Cultor couldn’t make out.

“This is the cornerstone,” Hanna explained, “it was the first stone laid when in our grandfather’s house. We were hoping to start our own home with it.”

“Of course! Pick anywhere you like.”

Princeps quickly undermined Ackerley’s generous generality and began to explain good possible building sites, and the crowd of assembled synthetics gradually began to disperse as details were worked out. Cultor wasn’t sure the implication of the addition of the three humans, but they weren’t going to lose any metaphorical sleep over it. Not when there were plants to be tended to.

---

“This is amazing!” Ackerley couldn’t help the smile that split their face as Hanna ambled around the workshop, peering at half-started projects and peaking in drawers. They had been concerned she would laugh at the mess the place was in, but they supposed even a workshop overflowing with springs and sheets of rusting metal would seem special after wandering in the woods for months. “Is this where you made all of the robots?”

“Yeah!” Grasping Hanna by the hand, she didn’t seem to mind, Ackerley gave her a tour of all the various desks and lathes that they had drafted, prototyped, welded, wired, and assembled the mechanical denizens of Mekhanikos, eagerly answering questions as they arose. When it came time, Ackerley practically dragged Hanna over to where they had carefully constructed the AI of their friends. It was far from the most modern set up, given the limited resources Ackerley had to work with, but they still believed that the glowing and beeping patchwork that filled half the room was the most beautiful thing they had ever laid eyes on. “Everything starts out as these cards punched with holes,” Ackerley explained as they pulled open drawers upon drawers of pockmarked cards. “The computer translates the patterns of holes into information, and that information becomes Amicus or Cultor!”

“You make people out of punch cards?” Hanna was staring, transfixed, but at Ackerley rather than the computer. Suddenly nervous under the weight of her attention, the mechanic laughed awkwardly.

“Sort of? I’m honestly not entirely sure why those I build here developed free will and full personhood when those I built back at home up north never did. I do have theories-“ Ackerley had begun rustling through papers to find the notebook they had dedicated to the subject when Hanna interrupted their train of thought.

“Does it really matter?”

Ackerley stared at her, dumbfounded, papers spilling from their hands. “Of course it matters! Actual AI, people AI is revolutionary.”

Sensing Ackerley’s distress, Hanna took the mechanic’s hands in her own and murmured apologetically. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply it wasn’t. It’s just-“ she seemed to be looking past Ackerley for a moment, “after witnessing civil war, it makes me wonder whether free will is worth the pedestal we place it on. Robots with actual minds of their own seem more trouble they’re worth in some ways.” Ackerley pulled their hands away to run them through their hair, turning away from Hanna to stare at the computer’s mesmerizing light show. Thoughts of Custos and Genaine’s word and Amicus who was still avoiding them came to their mind, unwanted.

“I-“

“I’ve upset you,” Hanna noted sadly, “I apologize. Sometimes I philosophize too much for my own good.”

Ackerley turned back around to read the genuine disappointment in Hanna’s eyes. They couldn’t bare that look, not after seeing it in countless eyes for the past months. “No, no it’s okay!” They assured her, not at all sure of that themselves. “You’ve been through so much. I can’t blame you for your ideas.” Relief flooded the mechanic as Hanna’s sad smile grew more genuine.

“I won’t bother you more today. You’re still okay with Zeke shadowing you though, right?”

“Oh yes of course!” And after just a moment of hesitation: “You’re welcome back too you know. It-it’s good to have someone who likes creating around.”

Hanna’s smile bloomed and Ackerley felt the uncertainty that had wedged itself in their chest give a little. “Thank you.” Her tone was warm and genuine. “I’ll be back tomorrow then.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

---

Custos’s habit of slinking around the forest was a recent development, born of the warring of continual boredom and fear. It had been several months since the incident and the human’s recent arrival had taken some of the lingering heat off of Custos, so the apprentice had grown more bold in their explorations away from Amicus’s watchtower. Sometimes they hung out with Tonus, others they just picked their way through the overgrown remnants of Caling, trying to imagine how grand the terraces and temples must have looked before losing the fight to time and nature. Custos liked to think they had a worthwhile aesthetic sense, though today the beauty that had captured their imagination was not of the architectural variety.

They had just wanted to catch a glimpse of the humans whose arrival had stirred up so much interest, so Custos had jangled their way through the underbrush towards town in the hopes of seeing what the fuss was all about. Custos had paused at the outskirts of the farm, hovering just within the treeline. They watched two of the humans train on a bit of land that had been recently cleared but not yet tilled. The taller human, who could only be Hanna by Amicus’s descriptions of the arrivals, paced around the smaller, Rowan, Custos believed, observing and making minor corrections to the apprentice’s form. They spoke too softly for Custos to make out the actual words of the lesson, but that didn’t stop them from mirroring Rowan’s practiced movements with clumsy imaginary strikes. At least, until a particularly overshot step that sent the robot scrabbling for balance caught the attention of both humans.

Custos stood very, very still as Hanna retrieved her polearm and strode towards the woods. If Custos had any breath to hold as the warrior poked around the treeline, drawing ever closer to the robot’s hiding spot, they would have gone blue in the face with holding it. Before Hanna found the apprentice and ended their life before it had really begun, a deer came crashing out of the woods, catching her attention. Rowan gave a greatly relieved chest-laugh as Hanna muttered something about city life, shaking her head as she wandered away from Custos’s hiding nook and back towards Rowan. What she told Rowan before slinging her polearm back over her shoulder and starting back to town was lost on Custos, partially due to distance and partially due to the robot’s preoccupation with being unexpectedly still alive.

Gradually Custos calmed enough to watch as Rowan, now alone, continued to train. They didn’t have any frame of reference to tell if the other apprentice was any good at what she did, but that didn’t prevent them from drinking in Rowan’s every move like she was a nymph dancing on air. So glued to the scene was Custos that they failed to recognize anyone was behind them until a delicate hand tapped them on the shoulder.

With a high-pitched yelp, Custos whirled around to find a pouting Lumina, arms crossed and shaking their head. “You’re really no good at this hide and seek thing are you?”

Custos pressed a palm to their throbbing power core, trying to slow their racing pulse. “Lumina! I, uh, I didn’t know we were playing?”

Lumina just tutted as they scampered easily back up the tree they had presumably come from. “If you’d known I’d have been doing it wrong.” And before Custos could say anything back about that not being how games worked, Lumina’s and their tell-tale blue glow had already vanished into the canopy.

Custos didn’t have time to process exactly what happened before another presence made itself known to them. “S-state your business,” demanded a trembling voice which, as Custos learned upon slowly turning around, hands up, belonged to Rowan, who brandished her training spear at the robot. Custos just blinked at her, too surprised at being spoken to to be particularly threatened.

“I live here?” they managed finally.

“Oh. You’re one of the robots Ackerley made?” Rowan kept the spear trained on Custos’s chest.

“I’m Custos.” When Rowan didn’t respond Custos gave up trying to keep their attention on the human’s weapon. It was a fruitless effort when Rowan’s clothes and hair were so bright and distracting, especially up close. “I like your-” Custos struggled for the right word. “-shirt?”

“Dress,” Rowan clarified. She let the spear droop and scrutinized Custos. “Do you not have dresses here?” She sounded genuinely curious and a little indignant.

Custos shook their head. “Princeps has- a jacket I think you call it? We have hats though, two kinds! The round kind and the kind that looks like a duck’s bill.” Rowan laughed and Custos felt like they were glowing; not that they could of course, not being a golem and all. The human planted her spear in the ground and leaned against it, swaying slightly. Custos couldn’t take their eyes off the swishing green silk and Rowan, noticing, laughed again and offered a sleeve for the robot to feel.

It wasn’t as soft as they had expected. The cloth was coarse and damp with sweat and wrinkled from when Rowan had cuffed it for training, but that didn’t stop Custos from stroking it as gingerly as fine silk. “It’s wonderful,” they breathed.

“I had a really lovely velvet gown back at home. My papa had is custom made for me because I didn’t fit the department store women’s sizes.”

“What’s a department store?”

Rowan’s eyes lit up and she began to animatedly describe the wonders of the department store in the city where she grew up: the perfume department, the seasonal displays, the rows upon rows of hats and stockings. Custos thought it sounded like heaven.

“Do you think,” they asked finally, “if I went to a department store I could be like you? What’s the word- feminine?”

“Oh!” Rowan exclaimed, clapping her hands. “Oh! You don’t need a department store for that- you can just decide. And Hanna and I can make a dress for you and you can look at the the jewelry I bought and oh!” She grabbed Custos by the hands and spun the pair of them around. “This will be so much fun!”

---

If there was one thing Genaine was good at doing, it was making people uncomfortable. A newly resurrected piece of Keiran relished in it, even if the more sensible bits of em winced at just how much ei was enjoying seeing Ackerley skirting around the menacing coal golem and Hanna herding the little humans away from air accusing gaze. But the spring rain was washing away valuable topsoil and eroding Keiran’s body and patience alike. A few days of downpour ei could have handled, could have been grateful for even, but weeks? Keiran was going to go mad if ei had to stay indoors any longer!

At least the golem wasn’t pouting alone. Sheherr, Hehimm, and Calpras were also forced to shelter from the weather in the ramshackle barn and were just as displeased about the whole thing. Keiran’s only comfort was the fact that Cultor wasn’t doing very much without em. The robotic farmer wasn’t much more waterproof than Keiran was and had been spending most of the recent days going over infrastructure with Princeps. Still, ei would much rather ei and Cultor were out in the fields, or at the very least reorganizing the barn together. Winnowing grain and pickling carrots alone was terribly boring and tending to Velox, who Keiran was ninety-percent certain maintained a grudge about the one time ei had switched horse duty with Lumina and something unknowable but obviously horrible had gone down that had left Velox a shell of his former self, was terrifying, but what was infinitely worse were the long stretches of time with nothing to fill them. There could not possibly be, in Keiran’s humble opinion, a worse hell than sitting idly in a barn.

Keiran had changed eir mind. There was a worse hell and it was home to a demon with bright red hair splattered in mud up to the armpits. Keiran had bribed Ezekiel to quit his game of “how much hay can I sprinkle on Velox’s rump until he decides to kick my teeth out” with the jerky ei had been planning to snack on. Perhaps it would be more correct to say Ezekiel blackmailed Keiran, pointing out that the golem couldn’t taste anyways so wouldn’t the jerky mean so much more to a poor starving little boy? He had flat out refused to help air out the chaff or look for a leak because Keiran was, quote, “Not his dad or his papa nor even Hana”. Keiran wanted very badly to wipe the smirk off the kid’s snotty face at using ‘nor’ correctly and thus obviously proving his superiority.

When Ezekiel wandered off to poke his head in every cobwebbed nook and dripping cranny, Keiran had been grateful for the peace. Ei hadn’t had enough experience with children to learn that when the obnoxiously loud were suddenly quiet they were in the eye of the storm. It wasn’t until a sudden caterwauling split the current of rain like lightning that Keiran’s metaphorical heart dropped out of eir metaphorical chest.

Damp clay thudded against the floor of the barn, straw sticking to the bottom of Keiran’s boulders as ei thundered towards the sound. Within one of the stalls stood Ezekiel dangling Calpras by a tail fluffed up to thrice its size. The wildcat wailed loudly as Sheherr and Hehimm hissed and spat from the corner of the stall, looking more electrified beaver than feline.

“Drop her!” Keiran bellowed, drawing up to eir full towering height, and Ezekiel did just that. After collapsing rather inelegantly to the ground, Calpras wasted no time in scoring a deep mark in her tormentor’s exposed leg and scampering off before Ezekiel could grab at her again, tail dragging uselessly behind her. The boy let out a cry of shock at the sudden pain, collapsing to the floor and hugging his bleeding thigh. Utterly devoid of sympathy for Ezekiel, Keiran leered over him practically shaking with anger. “What were you thinking? You horrible child! You absolute beast!” Whether Ezekiel was crying from pain or terror it was hard to say but tears and snot streamed pitfully from every orifice.

“I want Daddy!” he wailed. “I want Papa! Hanna!” The boy’s cries were ear-splitting and obtained the desired result. Within a few moments a soaking-wet Hanna and an assortment of other villagers came crashing into the barn to see what the fuss was about. Amicus just barely managed to restrain Hanna, who was armed with a polearm that she seemed extremely ready to drive through Keiran.

“What did you do to him?” the human demanded, struggling ineffectively against Amicus’s unrelenting metal arms. “Let go of me! Zeke is hurt!”

“It’s just a scratch,” snarled Keiran. “Less than he deserved for breaking Calpras’s tail. Do all you humans insist on ruining everything you touch?”

“Tail? Ruining? It’s just a stupid cat! Zeke needs medical attention- let me go to him!”

“Amicus-” Keiran hadn’t even noticed Ackerley was in the room until they stepped out from behind the armored robot, a pleading hand on their arm. With a small nod Amicus let Hanna go and watched stoically as she pushed past Keiran to scoop up her cousin and rock him against her chest.

“I want Daddy,” he sobbed pitifully into Hanna’s shoulder. “I want to go home.” Hanna shushed and rocked him, murmuring what sounded like a song into Zeke’s hair until his breathing sounded more human and less like a suffocating fish.

The other villagers in the barn shuffled awkwardly in the aftermath of the scene, not exactly sure what they should do. For eir part, guilt had begun to sneak up on Keiran as ei listened to Ezekiel cry for a home and family he couldn’t return to. Ei didn’t like the tide of sympathy and eir own repressed feelings on the subjects of family that was rising in eir chest so, excusing emself to whoever was close enough to hear, they shoved their way through the crowd and out into the still-drizzling rain.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

「xxxxxxxxxxxPlot requests another human warriorxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxAckerley researches mechanicsxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxQuaide, Cultor, Keiran gatherxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxKeiran tends to the hopniss (1/2 years)xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxCultor tends to the blackberries (1/2 years)xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxQuaide tends to the asparagus (1/2 years)xxxxxxxx
xxxxxAmicus, Lumina, Custos patrol the forestxxx
xxxxxHanna & Rowan patrol the forest (using x1 glass jewlery)xxx
xxxxxxxxxAmicus instructs Custos in armed combatxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxHanna instructs Rowan in martial tacticsxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxEzekiel tests mechanicsxxxxxxxx
xxxAoife, Genaine, Princeps, Tonus go hunting (bringing Velox)xxx
xxxxxxMekhanikos consumes x2 deer, x3 mice, x1 blackberryxxx」

нead cнιeғ
Princeps | "Prince" | 5 y.o. (47 equivalent)
↪ ST - G8 / HS - LW / HC - 4 / EC - G2 / X / Robot
↪ they/them/their, neutral descriptors, nonbinary

мecнanιc
Ackerley | "Curly" | 25 y.o. | 4 kp
↪ ST - C11 / HS - S / HC - 9 / EC - E1 / X / Human
↪ they/them/their, masc descriptors, demi-guy

war cнιeғ
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

warrιorѕ
Amicus | "Amy" | 7 y.o. (31 equivalent)
↪ ST - A10 / HS - LC / HC - 24 / EC - H5 / X / Robot
↪ they/them/their, fem descriptors, demi-gal
Hanna | "Nana" | 24 y.o.
↪ ST - C10 / HS - LC / HC - 13 / EC - H7 / Y / Human
↪ she/her/her, fem descriptors, woman

ѕcoυт cнιeғ
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

ѕcoυтѕ
Lumina | "Lulu" | 4 y.o. (24 equivalent)
↪ ST - C11 / HS - HC / HC - 4 / EC - B2 / X / Robot
↪ they/them/their, flux descriptors, genderfluid

нυnтιng cнιeғ
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

нυnтerѕ
Aoife | "Phe" | 258 y.o. (30 equivalent)
↪ ST - G3 / HS - LW / HC - 11 / EC - H1 / X / Golem
↪ fa/fem/feir, neutral descriptors, agender
Genaine| "Gen" | 471 y.o. (51 equivalent)
↪ ST - G11 / HS - LW / HC - 22 / EC - A6 / X / Golem
↪ ai/aim/air, neutral descriptors, agender
Tonus | "Fiddler" | 2 y.o. (25 equivalent)
↪ ST - I7 / HS - S / HC - 20 / EC - E3 / X / Robot
↪ they/them/their, neautral descriptors, nonbinary

gaтнererѕ
Keiran | "Kee" | 144 y.o. (20 equivalent)
↪ ST - A11 / HS - S / HC - 19 / EC - F2 / X / Golem
↪ ei/em/eir, neutral descriptors, agender
Cultor | "Teach" | 6 y.o. (61 equivalent)
↪ ST - E5 / HS - HC / HC - 65 / EC - C3 / X / Robot
↪ they/them/their, neutral descriptors, genderfluid
Quaide | "Q" | 582 y.o. (62 equivalent)
↪ ST - G6 / HS - HC / HC - 21 / EC - G6 / X / Golem
↪ kai/kem/keir, neutral descriptors, agender

apprenтιceѕ
Custos | "Angel" | 3 y.o. (15 equivalent)
↪ ST - G7 / HS - AC / HC - 9 / EC - A6 / X / Robot
↪ she/her/her, feminine descriptors, woman
[url]Rowan[/url] | "Rory" | 16 y.o.
↪ ST - C11 / HS - LC / HC - 62 / EC - H4 / X / Human
↪ she/her/her, feminine descriptors, woman

тeѕтerѕ
[url]Ezekiel[/url] | "Zeke" | 10 y.o.
↪ ST - F9 / HS - LC / HC - 61 / EC - C7 / X / Human
↪ he/him/his, masculine descriptors, man

coмpoѕerѕ
Name | Gender | Age
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My gallery · by **obnixious** » Tue Oct 29, 2019 5:26 pm

Number of People: 003
Number of Animals: 000
Servings Needed: 002½ [fasting for 4 more posts]]
Next Visit to Ancestors: Nov. 11, 2019
← © →

It's been a fun few months, trying to fix up the crumbling buildings of Black Crystal. For the first month Jareth had been worried about getting lost in the caves and not finding his way back, but it seems like now that he has found it, it's more impossible to find a way back out.

Which, for the record, he's pretty happy for. He doesn't plan on leaving this place any time soon.

Regardless, it's now been a few months since he's first got here that a second person appears.

He freezes up, and so does the other Goblin standing just a few feet away. They eye each other warily, and when Jareth takes a step forward they screech and dart off in a random direction.

"Hey, wait!" he calls after them, but that just seems to make them even more freaked out. Jareth can hear how ragged their breathing sounds, and he momentarily feel bad about startling the poor thing before he heads back to the Village.

When he gets there, he finds them kneeling down in front of the largest building. It's the one with the writing above the door that Jareth first entered all those months ago, and also so happens to be the one he took as his home and has cleaned up the most. It's practically shining with the glow of the crystals from how much he's scrubbed the outsides, and the etching above the door shines a brilliant gold. They were that colour originally, it's just it had been so long since it was last cleaned, that the dirt had caked over it to make them practically invisible when he first looked up at it.

Clearing his throat to get the attention of the other Goblin, Jareth begins to approach them. However, before he can say anything they get to their feet and whirl around to face him with their head held high.

"I'm so sorry for running away screaming like that! I lost some of my friends in the Caves and I, uh. Well, we were never told anyone lived here, so seeing you was. Really scary. I'm so sorry, man. I'm Box! You, uh, haven't seen any of my friends, have you?" their last question comes out really softly, and Jareth frowns sadly at them.

"It's alright, Box, that's understandable. I only started living here a few months ago, and I certainly haven't gotten around to telling anyone about it yet." He stops for a moment, thinking, before his frown deepens. "I'm also very sorry to tell you that I haven't seen any of your friends. In fact, you're probably the first living creature I've seen in almost a year; bar the exception of the badger I hunted down a while ago. I hope they find their way here."

Box clearly droops at this, and their entire body seems to sag back down to the floor until they're laying down and staring forlornly up at the roof.

"Yeah, that's, uh," they pauses here for a few moments, and wets their lips before speaking up again. "We used to hear stories about this place, y'know? About how it was cursed. How if you ever are lucky enough to make it to the center of the labyrinth, you'll never get out again. It probably won't even do me any good to try to find them. They have to make their own way."

Jareth mulls over this new piece of information. He's never heard that rumor, but it does make sense as to why he hasn't been able to get out of here in all the months he's been living here.

"Well, it's been nice to meet you, I suppose, Box. I'm Jareth, and I'm planning on making this a lively Village, like the tales I used to hear about it back at my own home. You can feel free to come stay in my place for now, and we'll fix you up one of the other buildings of your choice starting tomorrow. For now, though, you definitely seem like you could use soe sleep."

Box smiles up at him sadly, and rolls onto their hands and knees before getting up. Jareth politely turns away and pretends he doesn't see the few tears fall from their face and onto the dirt, and leads the way into his home with the younger Goblin sniffling quietly behind him.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Eribaeg scowls as he stumbles out of his bed, and glares groggily at the two Goblins he's been living with for the last week. He had really hoped to find some peace and quiet out here to practice medicine, but they're the exact opposite.

Jareth is loud and boisterous, and seems to think himself as some kind of King or something. Which, yes he is the Chief of their ragtag trio of strangers he's calling a Village, but he's really got to stop letting it get to his head.

Box isn't as bad, but the little genderless Goblin is just as loud in their own way. While they may not speak as much, they definitely make up for that in how much they move things around. They're constantly working on the different buildings around the Village when they're not out doing Scouting, and while it's quieter than Jareth's loud monologuing, it's certainly just as annoying.

There's definitely something homey about the whole scenario, but Eribaeg refuses to address it out of pure spite over how insufferably loud they've been. Instead, he steps back into his own little home, and slams the door shut behind him. It makes a paper slide off his desk, and he gives a wordless scream of annoyance before going to pick it back up, and then settling back down to try and do his research despite the Goblins constant noise.

He knows, deep down, that eventually it will be a soothing kind of background noise, but that eventually is not today, and therefore he does not appreciate it.

Yet.

Black Crystal fasts
Box goes on a Scouting Patrol
Eribaeg researches medicine
Jareth goes gathering
Jareth requests another member (can they be a Vampire, please :0)

Village Residents wrote:
Head Chief
Jareth | ♂ | 35
↪ ST - I7 / HS - LC / HC - 62 / EC - D10 / X / goblin

Shaman
Eribaeg | ♂ | 39 | 0KP
↪ ST - C7 / HS - S / HC - 10 / EC - E6 / X / dwarf

War Chief
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

Scout Chief
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

Hunting Chief
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Warriors
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

Scouts
Box | ⚲ | 19
↪ ST- G2 / HS - LC / HC - 37 / EC - A8 / X / goblin
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

Hunters
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

Gatherers
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Apprentices
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

Testers
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

Mothers
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

Children
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

Elders
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A
Name | Gender | Age
↪ N/A

↻

Information wrote:
Ally Villages
Village Name | Username
Village Name | Username

Enemy Villages
Village Name | Username
Village Name | Username

Border Villages
North | Village Name | Username
East | Village Name | Username
South | Village Name | Username
West | Village Name | Username

Food Storage
Bat | x0 | 1 serving
Mole | x2 | 1 serving
Badger | x1 | 3 servings
Cony | x0 | 3 servings
Mushroom | x0 | 2 servings
Potato | x0 | 3 servings
Zucchini | x0 | 4 servings
Blackberry | x0 | 1 serving
Gooseberry | x0 | 1 serving
Rhubarb | amount | servings
Total;; 4 servings

Item Storage
Item Name | amount | uses left/craftable
Item Name | amount | uses left/craftable

Pets
Name | Gender | Age | Type | # of times bred | Looks
Name | Gender | Age | Type | # of times bred | Looks

Mentors
Mentor | Apprentice | Profession | No. of training sessions
Mentor | Apprentice | Profession | No. of training sessions

Deceased
Name | Cause of Death
Name | Cause of Death

Family
Name and Name | Kids
Name and Name | Kids

My gallery · by **jazz.** » Wed Oct 30, 2019 5:34 am

________________________________________________________________________

The Carmina Abyssi are a small band of sirens that pride in their high record of sailor deaths in their waters. While they click and gesture to understand each other, their haunting music is irresistible to anyone within earshot. Sirens are rarely born but rather created. As a sailor is slowly losing consciousness underneath the waves, the siren has an option to try to turn them into a siren themselves. The success rate varies as it seems to be easier to turn younger humans with older sirens. If the siren fails to turn their victim, the victim painfully dissolves until they are just a pile of teeth.

________________________________________________________________________

xxx

Sirens are usually dark colors regardless of having natural or tropical colors to survive in the dark ocean. Their hair and eyes can be any color, but it usually stands out leaving them with a striking, unforgettable appearance. Their ears essentially look like small fins but are usually kept flat against their head for more aerodynamic swimming. They do have a very flat nose, but it is not functional as their large gills along either side of their neck filter out oxygen from the water.Their teeth and claws are particularly sharp designed to tear food with ease.
xxxThe sirens are usually quite slender allowing them to swim quicker and fit into smaller nooks and alcoves to find food. Other than webbed fingers and speckled or other patterns covering their body, the sirens' torsos look remarkably human. Since most sirens start out as humans, they don't have the traditional tail like in most mermaid tales. Their human legs are still pronounced but are bound together by flaps of scar tissue twisting around both legs. Their feet are less human and more finlike with a more webbed structure.
xxxThe most noticeable feature of each siren is a glowing stone embedded into their skin in the center of the base of their neck. The purpose of this stone is to assist the siren's night vision in the dark parts of the ocean. The stones can be varies shapes but each is about a fist's size. They are usually a bright color that contrasts against their skin.

________________________________________________________________________

This pod of sirens are very playful, though their "play" usually ends in a drowning. They pride themselves of luring sailors to their doom and will fight with anything who thinks differently. The sirens wear the teeth of failed turnings, not to show off they were unsuccessful but as a tally on how many drownings they've accumulated.

________________________________________________________________________

With the sirens' bloodthirsty streak, many species steer clear of them trying to not end up as one of their tooth trophies. The sirens prefer this, however, as they are naturally not very social creatures and only live together to raise the chance of survival.

________________________________________________________________________

While sirens are sea creatures, they only live in the sunlight zone ranging from the surface down to 656 feet. Light and heat from the sun are still filtered at these depths leaving sirens with a variety of food options. This also provides sirens with easy access to new victims. The Carmina Abyssi reside in under an outcropping of rocks right beside a bright coral reef.

________________________________________________________________________

The Carmina Abyssi named their head chief's position to mock the very same people the spend their pastime drowning: Captain. The other ranks are the usual names.

font: shardee

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