Legacy of Atlantis - Beckoncall FNB - MAIN

[Elucid]

Spoiler: Music & Mentions

OOC: This music makes me wanna plough fields
Beckoncall & Bone2pick

Act I : Manifest Destiny
26th of Sun's Dawn ~ Settlement of Brigdūnon

"Go, thoughts, on golden wings;
Go, settle upon the slopes and hills,
where warm and soft and fragrant are
the breezes of our sweet native land!"​

Thus sang the geàrrach as they went about their daily labors, thankless and without praise. Theirs was a pitiful existence, for to most they were little more than chattel, fit only for back-breaking toil and eventual death. They had come to accept their lot in life, to be seen but not heard, for as a geàrrach a "diseased soul" , you learnt quick that resistance only brought with it misery and death.

Wiomach had spent the better part of the day in the privacy of his newly minted living quarters. It was naturally more spacious and meticulously decorated than the other accommodations, especially those on the lower levels to be occupied by the geàrrach who were to make do with sharing particularly tight spaces. The walls had been colored in different shades of green and blue with materials hastily collected in and around the plateau. His personal coat of arms, worn on the shields of all his loyal retainers was draped across one of the walls and perched above it was the carcass of a sand shark, displayed in all it's splendor. A spacious hammock was strung out in the middle of the room, made out of netting and twine tied onto two protrusions on opposite ends of the cavern a sharp contrast to the blood grass that had been carpeted onto the floor to add a bit of flare. It was of course nothing compared to the comfortable spaces he was used to back home but an expedition like this required sacrifices, he reasoned.

His rest was interrupted however when Fulke one of his men-at-arms announced himself before parting the seaweed barrier between his domicile and the rest of the ocean blue.

"Mormaer, please forgive the intrusion, but our sentries have spotted what seems to be a party of Schyphons fast approaching." announced imposing figure, with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

Relations between the Schyphons and Pelagians had never been what you would call cordial, his people being a rather martial race themselves, raiding neighboring realms was commonplace and ofttimes encouraged. Besides, many among his kind found the stories about the matriarchal ways of the Schyphons to be rather disconcerting. Wiomach, distrustful as he was by nature would not let his prejudices come in the way of his ambition however, who knew what kind of dangers lay await? Doubtless, having a friendly if not tolerated neighbor would be an acceptable state of affairs.

"Ready the guard, do your upmost to make them feel welcome." Wiomach ordered, with an air of regality.

The ensuing conversation was for all intents and purposes fruitful, the female Schyphon Jeipha that the crone had sent was well versed in the ways of the Pelagians and every etiquette was adhered to. Wiomach even found her to be rather charming, for a Schyphon. Much of their dialogue was spent in pleasantries but valuable information about resources and manpower were shared, with promises of trade in the future. Before the emissaries were sent on their way however, they were given a small token of the Mormaer's appreciation, in the form of freshly harvested globe-light fruit and some modest amounts of bone-fish meat, he only hoped that they shared a similar palette. They were also left with a message, there existed close to where they had made camp a large shark-like creature which his people called Kurasalache or "Sea King", he requested aid in ridding the seas of this creature lest their newfound home be threatened. In return he promised to come to the Schyphon's aid if any such threat were to befall them in the future.

Orders​

• Five of the Pelagian Elite and another five of their mounted counterparts were left to guard Brigdūnon, with them taking turns as sentries to warn of incoming danger.​
• Fifteen Unskilled workers supervised by seven skilled ones continue to work on carving and constructing habitable structures within and around the basalt pillars.​
• Seven hunters, four skilled workers and five unskilled ones are tasked with hunting and capturing sand sharks and bony fish for purposes of husbandry. 5 Pelagian Elite accompany the troop just in case something were to go awry.
• Seven hunters and three skilled workers are put to work on gathering greater numbers of sea cows and tending to the globe-light fruit, trying to figure out whether there might be any types of natural fertilizers around to make the process of growth faster or make the fruit more abundant.
• Seven skilled workers and five unskilled ones are made busy working on establishing a functioning tannery near the source of the salt and making some protective armor off of the sole shark-skin they'd managed to prize away with promise of more to come. They are simultaneously tasked with beginning work on smelting the iron they had found into useful tools and equipment for easier construction and mining. The are accompanied by 5 of the Hippocampi Cavalry for protection.
• Seven hunters, five of the Pelagian Elite and a dismounted Wiomach head to the Jelly Shroom Caverns, this time with a plan. They leave a sea cow tied to a post in front of the caves with hopes of attracting the eel like creatures. As soon as one was spotted leaving their domains the hunters and the Pelagian Elite would descend upon them with their arrows and spears. None would go close to the creatures unless necessary. As soon as a few of them had been cleared, they would free the sea cow, if it was still alive and use the meat of a dead sea cow supplemented with that of a sand shark as bait. It was hoped that if the eels were to fall for the ruse, it would become much safer to venture forth into the caverns.

 

[Beckoncall]

Heyitsjiwon :

Work continued on the deathbulb fishery -- making it the darkest, safest, and most nutritious place to rest. The deathbulb completely covered was linked to various outer structures by sand/mucus/ceramic tunnels, and some tubeworm tunnels were annexed into the deathbulb structure making movement through their part of the shallows safer and faster. By limiting the number of apertures that were larger than a Polypal to get through, it was an exceedingly defensive structure. It also turned out that protein byproducts from the mucus were a good incentive for small species of crabs and mollusks to gather around the structure, increasing ready access to food. As long as the Polypal could stay ahead of the curve on nourishment, they would not need to ravage the corals as they had.... though doing so made the tendrils very happy.

The Goodwill Trade mission reached The Mantis shrimp territory without incident, and the two factions will be able to freely trade commodities for the time being. The swarm finds a tube-worm tunnel that leads from the middle of the shallows under the western kelp fortress into Mantis shrimp territory, and bumps into SpiralErrant 's faction in the peak shallows as well!

The swarm exploring the shallows east find a strange and large sand-field filled with weathered and eroded spheres of Titanium (Titanium resource can be mined here!) There is nothing to these chunks of titanium -- only evidence that long ago they might have been an integrated whole, whose purpose is now unguessable. The swarm is attacked repeatedly by sand-sharks searching the borders of the southern border of the shallows -- which drop down into a massive canyon full of brown rock and RUINS. No casualties are sustained, but it seems the vertical drop from the shallows into the ruins area is a breeding ground for sand-sharks...

The northern kelp forest is quickly searched and mapped out... trace amounts (1 unit of silver, lead, gold, iron) seem to rest in a heap in the eastmost part of the kelp -- in some kind of abandoned nest -- it appears shining rocks and metals were gathered here to attract a mate or some such? the sand is loose around the "treasure" that rests in an oddly stalker-less area of the Kelp... It seemed like easy resources, but would the swarm take them or did the easiness give them pause? The Stalkers that DID occupy this small kelp forest were smaller in size and more pack oriented than in other regions of Kelp forest. The stalkers seemed to welcome the great flurry of movement the swarm created, using it to ambush prey that scattered from hiding wherever the swarm moved... capitalizing on their presence and following them.

The Purphorite forge was indeed successfully constructed and approximately 50 sets of tools were produced from table corals, lead and titanium... finally the swarm had something to work with that would not waste their tremendous energy!

The swarms infestors had a clever idea -- which yielded fruit -- by parasiting the "alphas" of a couple of pack stalkers -- the infestors were able to take over the stalker pods entirely, turning the stalkers into potential guards and foragers! Polypals gain 15 Stalker-fish as usable units!

 

[Beckoncall]

Pat :

The message continued to elude them... but parts and patterns in the chaos emerged. They were repeatedly called the "Set aside" -- and there were repeated references to "the clock" -- "and when the time is right, rise or collapse..." ... it was still a great mystery even when large numbers of runes were transcribed together -- but this was proof the reclaimers could from almost nothing have a good chance of restoring the mural and the information that might give explanation to their protection/imprisonment and why they were given the jewel of divinity...

Everyone :

The Reclaimers build advanced tools out of very basic and shoddy materials -- they won't last, but ALL NAA FACTIONS gain bonus to work product for a short time. Giving superior materials for Reclaimers to synthesize tools may create greater and/or more enduring bonuses!

 

[Beckoncall]

Bone2pick :

The Emissaries met at an intermediate point before setting off in different directions to make contact with their new neighbors. Neither could deny that they had been looking over their shoulders once too often and seeing the Kuraselache. To share the sea with this beast was one thing, it was another to know you were being hunted by it. It is one thing to be cautious, but to be fearful was not the way of the Scyphon. Something would need to be done about this, before the beast chose it's own time to attack... This was concerning with the large stalker-fish also a threat.. The jellies would have to be spread further -- the territory of Scyphon would have to be made in the image of the old lands where the Pelagian was at the top of the food chain... (Contact made with neighbors!)

With improved tools from the Reclaimers, a great amount of gold was harvested quickly from the tunnels with no sign of it petering out... Plus 2 wealth!

Wax, Rubber and Lubricant become renewable resources for the Scyphon -- farms are set up to harvest the densest bulbs of creeper-fruits. It had the additonal effect of increasing lighting in the holdfast of the Scyphon, increasing morale. Scyphon morale raised to Fair!

Care for the stalker eggs resulted in a few hatchings. it seemed stalker-fish seemed to "imprint" on creatures nearby to when they hatched, and could be taught to retrieve fish for metal objects or trade metal objects for fish! This would have to be investigated at a higher level, as stalkers potentially had merits, if they could be trained, to gather food and or metals for the colony!! Slight boost in food gain and 1 unit of silver obtained.

When the battle-group saw the collection of bones around the lair of the great-stalker, it became obvious they needed more help -- the patrol task force was called in to support their endeavor and together 12 battle-sisters, 21 Harpooners with outswimmer guides and two witches for support prepared to do battle with the creature... The outswimmers laid a baited trap-snare outside the lair once they knew it was occupied and the battle sisters formed a supporting block directly in front of the snare to draw the great stalker into it -- it was then that the harpooners would surround and hopefully as a group they would slay the creature. On the outswimmer's chumming of the trap, the great stalker charged out of it's lair -- and was ensnared fighting in close with the excited battle sisters. True to the plan, the harpooners swept in from behind the creature and perforated it with spears.... the witches provided paralyzing jelly-poison to the harpooners with their magic, and an enchantment spell that made the attacking forces smell impalatable to cause hesitation on the part of the stalker... which worked beautifully. All told without magical support casualties amoung the harpooners would have been significant, but thanks to the excited and spirited fearless fighting of the battle-sisters and the magic of the witches, casualties were averted... It could not be questioned however that the original hunting party could not have done near as well without the aid of the patrol forces to jump in and help. The Scyphon gain Great stalker skin (both it's living skin and a number of sheddings that made up a kind of bedding in it's cave) and a great supply of animal bone that filled the lair of the great stalker. Large stalker eggs were found in the lair as well, but it was a question of eating them as a delicacy (which would raise morale) or daring to attempt husbandry with them as the smaller ones had shown promise...

It was a good day for the Scyphon and the Pink of the cloud-jellies expanded to fill their area of kelp forest... if it were not for the Kuraselache shadowing them, they would call the area safe... but lo, it was not.

 

[Beckoncall]

GraveTrout :



The Kochma and Longbraj had arrived in the secret sea -- and made a direct line for the deep dunes area of the ecosystem.

They quickly had to make a choice of where to settle... there was a shadowy and dark area in the lee of the shallows, or a deep and inviting sink-hole that didn't seem to be occupied by any creatures, but might contain metals and other debris collected in it. There was greater access to easy food in the shallows if they made their base in the dark cliffs, but the Sinkhole seemed even more defensible and had potential industrial applications.





Besides these two places to initially settle, the Dunes were undeniably deep water. Even during the day visibility was low, partly due to the thick ice that sifted the sunlight from above, and partly due to smoking vents that popped up all over the dunes themselves. The skeletons of large predators could be found laying in valleys in the dunes -- letting them know that super-predators and even leviathans could be active in this biome. A great blue whale and it's young passed overhead from break in the ice to break in the ice, breathing at the surface... The large cetaceans made the Kotchma Hungry...

One thing could not be denied -- the Lonbraj had brought heavy magical support -- the archmage's efforts alone guaranteed the safety of the landing operation, but the mages and priests had to work together to keep the faction safe until they could settle... they had brought a small amount of tools and building materials with them, but they would have to find more if they were to settle here in comfort.

The dunes shifted with great currents and the Kochma could sense pressure differentials that indicated the movement of very large creatures... including a species of giant floating manta-like fish which had entire sea ecosystems growing on their back! These "Island Fish" made tremendous bass-noise calls out to one another in the deep -- seemingly some kind of echolocation to keep the lazily swimming creatures from crashing into each other. Further study of them was necessary.

It was also noted that a great amount of silver dust was in the silt of the dunes, and if a means to extract it efficiently were to be developed it could have material and wealth generating applications... for now it just made the dunes shine dimly in the nights and glimmer brightly here and there during the days....

The Lonbraj would need to command their forces and get things rolling quickly before something nasty showed up!

 

[Pat]

FC513 sends out a large work party to find and collect any gold deposits encountered within the safe shallows region that they had been recently awakened in, retreating whenever threatened. Perhaps their wealth was merely a way to acquire the services of the foreigners that had come to the Golden Grotto, but they weren't leaving that to chance. When they did realize their purpose for being here, and they refused to believe that they were imprisoned when they were so vulnerablel, they resolved to not be surprised by any sudden need for the precious metal. Should they be pleasantly surprised with the discovery of any ruins or artifacts while out on their swim, well, that was just a plus. The construct then retasks the stone golems, making them focus on creating a reinforced door for the cave to make it more defendable in case of attack, leaving them alone in the dark with their thoughts. They were obscured from the eyes of the gods that had undone their age, 'set aside', so that they may unbury the way along 'rainbow road', on the path to perhaps the Golden Grotto itself. What concerned them most of all, aside from not knowing if this was for their own benefit or to bring their masters back from the grave, is that they did not know if their meager time to do so was running out, or it must instead be done at the right time if their efforts were to not be in vain...

Orders​

1. Ten stone golems create a reinforced door to make the cave entrance defendable if attacked.

2. Twenty Reclaimers roam the region that they had started within, searching for gold as well as ruins and artifacts to further their studies.

3. FC513 idly scans their collective memories for references to what the runes described so far.

4. Five Reclaimers assist their polypal allies in neutralizing the giant stalker fish as a threat.

 

[Beckoncall]

SpiralErrant :



The patrols sent out were a resounding success when bordered with the kelp fields -- The stalker-fish were faced off with and largely driven from the shallows with something to think about should they care to return. The grassy plateau to the east was another story -- Far below, Circles and circles of sand-sharks stirred the very ground with their burrowing, making huge clouds of silt with their turbulence. Although high upon the shallows cliff the Merfolk were safe, exploration east was definitely not encouraged by the scouts that viewed the border. The shallows the merfolk had chosen were indeed safe, though dark things (mostly stalker-fish, folk hoped) moving in the kelp forests were indeed forboding.

The building teams got to work in earnest -- choosing the longest and widest tube-worm tunnels they punched holes on each side at regular intervals, that initially flooded the tunnels with sand. With the initial debris cleared and such an ample supply of loose rock and corals in the shallow -- many sub-ground dwellings and foundations were constructed. Brought a steady supply of materials by the other building team, Table-coral and stone structures began to pop up on either side of the tube-runs, becoming streets after a fashion. Because of the safety of the environment and the security of the patrols, workers could put their whole hearts into the project and the upper surface levels in lines and double-rows -- it looking very much like secret "roads" hidden from view dictating the explosive radiating growth of structures in swooping parallel lines. Although it took great amounts of table coral and stone, the initial large home structures and some smaller dwellings were nearly if not actually completed, their windows open onto the bright shallow of the reef, their doors secure and hidden within the tube-network.

Lastly the magos and priests combed every inch of the central shallows for evidence of magic and archaeological finds. While the mages found nothing but another field of titanium chunks to gather, the priests had an extreme breakthrough -- a part of the sand fell away beneath them revealing the mouth of a great but badly weathered temple! the pillars had all been buried of weathered away by the pounding tides of the shallows, but in the center of the structure was some kind of offering hole or sacrificial pit... which once the layer of sediment over the hole was clear, revealed a yawning void that was FULL of EURIPATIDS -- dark blue sea scorpions. Metal... dare the priests say treasure, could be seen sparkling below -- but it was all the priests could do in their surprise to ward the hole and keep the sea-scorpions from boiling out and causing havoc. Perhaps with troop support or with all magic-users working together they could purge this blight on their otherwise placid environment, and the place could be looted for treasures... for now the discovery was sufficient.

 

[Northless]

The Mantis shrimps may never admit it, but they were glad they had teamed up with another race to attempt to hunt the sea cows more effectively. It might have been the remnant need for more of the mammal's meat, but the punch mace warriors diligently stood between the polypals, looking at their surroundings in anticipation. The contrast between both their colors was equally disgusting and fascinating for the group, it would seem.

Still without proper tools to extract the deposits, a group began to try and make artificial explosive artifacts with the sulphur they had collected and the provided ceramics from trade, while another group attempted to figure out if it was worth it to try and take care of the Crashfish's eggs. Even if they didn't get to use them as weapons, to be able to domesticate them or find a way for them not to be an issue while securing they wouldn't go extinct for good sounded like a good enough plan to try it out. They had already changed the ecosystem a lot just by being there...

Between the stone brought from trade and the one available nearby, a small group began making small fences for the farm, to keep it from being damaged by strong water currents or animals too fast or sneaky for them to care try to catch. The settlement was bustling with activities, the shrimps not this preoccupied in new ventures since so long ago...

1) 15 mace punch and warriors and 10 warriors with gear will attempt to hunt the sea cows with polypal's support.
2) 6 skilled workers research the making of sulphur/ceramic based bombs (outside of the caves)
3) 20 unskilled workers, 6 skilled workers and 5 warriors with gear attempt to raise the group of Crashfish's eggs.
4) 20 unskilled workers 8 skilled workers reinforce the farm with low stone walls
5) 8 mace punch warriors to go in groups of two and patrol the settlement's surroundings

 

[SpiralErrant]

The progress on their modest residential street had snuck up on Astor. For so many days it had seemed like a slow going and dusty mess. Then, as if overnight, the bare frames had sprung up and filled themselves out. How little Astor knew about the arts of architecture and construction. It left him feeling like even more of a fraud when he took in a full inspection tour of the lower levels. Yet what a work of rugged beauty they had turned into. They were nothing like the sweeping vistas of the Vythan peaks but the quiet sense of security and cosiness the tunnels gave off had its own charm. The streets that formed up above, though empty looking at first, held a certain sweeping symmetry to those that knew what was held below.

How little Astor knew indeed. Watching a town built from the ground up and take shape as it was forged by new arts and techniques could make for a fine work of social history. An educational and enlightening piece to busy that many a scholar would be happy to put their name to. But not Astor, at least not today. Because today he was seeing to a scorpion infestation and a dwindling food supply!

And yet none of the dread such situations would conjure in a sane mind could dampen Astor's spirits today. Because they had made the archeological find of the century! After finding the Golden Grotto itself obviously but Astor got to be here in person for this one.

The soldiers had gathered together in battle lines that were somehow loose and pristine at the same time. It was something the professionals called a parry point formation. Astor had been reading up on such things and considering how dramatic warfare was supposed to be the records on the matter were beyond dry. It took 3 pages just to sum up the idea of keeping a flexible battle line and splitting into smaller squads.

The attack force was all arrayed and ready to start clearing out the temple ruins. With the magos and tide readers assembled behind them as if they were living artillery pieces, ready to sling spells, blessings and curses as needed. And who better to keep them in concert than Astor himself? Oh his bodyguard was most disapproving of the prospect of his charge risking a pit of scorpions, even if it was from the back lines. Astor himself was quaking at the prospect, but he had to prove himself an active force in the colony and if he couldn't stand up to a bunch of insects then there was no way anyone would take him seriously. Besides... he could show them there was still some power in the old siren songs yet! And with the launch of their assault Astor let forth a noble (in his opinion) pluck of his lyre, sending arcane notes vibrating through the air.

*****​

Meanwhile the civilian population would need something to keep their minds active and distracted from the impending doom of scorpion invasion. So what better way than to put them to work battling their impending doom by starvation.

The shallow clifftop was dotted with coral reefs that bloomed with scattered plant life. Some of it had to be edible. The closest thing they had to hunters were currently busy with an extermination. So for now the duty of filling their dinner plates fell to gardeners among them.

Hopefully the verdant sands they'd found themselves on would prove as fertile as it looked.

____________________________________
Orders​

1) Military attack on the temple ruins to clear out the scorpion infestation.
- Soldiers enter as smaller squadrons to form containment and stop possible escapes and the spread of the scorpion menace. (45 spears, 9 armour clad sergeants. Split into 9 squads of 5 spears with 1 sergeant)
- The magos and tide readers make up the outer line, combining magical powers from range. (5 mages, 5 priests)
- Astor and his bodyguard (1ac) deployed in support, providing bardic inspiration and coordination.

2) The working populace sets to work scavenging edible plant life and cultivating crops. (20 skilled workers. 60 unskilled workers.)

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

The Tendrils in their tentacles brought back samples of goods and resources from the Mantis Shrimp people. They had quite a feast available to them in their habitat and some unique minerals and metals. The Polypals had quite a... "charcuterie board" prepared as they sampled the goods. The swarm devoured the samplings and swiftly broke apart into different shoals and schools. One to the north to return to the Kelp Forest. Another color flashed over to the Forge. A third went to the south east, but then a large host remained near the lair and it's surrounding regions as the Stalkers swam circles around the area, making sure that no hostile intruders would disturb the work of the Polypals.

There was so much to do that the Polypals desired to get accomplished, but limited manpower made it difficult. Certain things had to be left alone until later despite their urgency. Regardless, the Polypals prioritized. Their continued survival stood more pressing than any other topic or issue that had presented itself to the Polypals so far. Thus, the continued work to secure the Lair and its neighboring regions would not cease. The Polypal swarm would not rest nor would it stop. It had to means to proceed and tirelessly the Polypal slithered forward.

---

Orders/Summary

1. Searching the treasure hoard in the Northern Kelp Forest for any particularly interesting relics and items that are not just boring old metal.

The Primus, 1 Infested Alpha Stalker, 2 Infesters

2. Further forging projects. Now that we have tools, the Polypals must also be armed. The Polypals will start forging metal "claws"/picks to attach to the ends of the tentacles of all the Polypals to make even the smallest Tendrils more able to fight, grab/dig/mine/claw better.

50 Tendrils, Titanium, Lead, Purphorite Forge, Reclaimer Tools, Inspiration from Natural Designs (such as the teeth of Stalkers?)

3. A trap is laid out for the Behemoth Stalker in the Southeastern Kelp Forest so that it can be slain, lair/treasure taken and the forest claimed. The trap will consist of a large chunk of metal that can hide an Infestor in it. Since stalkers are drawn to shiny metals, the Behemoth Stalker is expected to eventually come and grab it with it's mouth. At which point the Infestor will leave it's hiding spot and make a beeline into the mouth of the Behemoth Stalker and infest it. A swarm will be hiding/watching the bait and sit in stand by to intervene/support/attack/ambush as needed.

15 Infesters, 5 Reclaimers

4. Begin establishing mining operations of all the deposits of metal and minerals found so far around the lair and make stronger ceramics/composites with the chunks and layers of Cadhochrysotile that was discovered before.

50 Tendrils, 50 Polypal Tools, Reclaimer Tools

5. Spreading of Mucus/sediment/ceramics/composites around the lair and outwards towards territory secured by the Polypals that will provide a rather sticky and viscous network around the region and deter any hostiles (essentially kind of making a large sea mine field, but with fields and towers of mucus/rocks/ceramics/sediments). In addition the Mimics helping will take on traits from the coral/reefs/flora devoured to turn the mucus into a growing object.

100 Tendrils, 20 Mimics (w/ flora/coral traits), Reclaimer Tools

6. Patrolling/Guarding
2 Infested Alpha Stalkers, 15 Stalkers

 

[Bone2pick]

​

The giant stalker-fish had been tracked and slain, and its skin paraded through the colony. Shirvein took advantage of the triumphant moment to announce the new enclave's name – Mirith. Her people were still celebrating. The sounds of conviviality drifted up to the Crone and Jeipha as they swam above Mirith, a pair of battle sisters behind them.

"If Wiuhomarn aid, then he will have it," Shirvein said.

"Wiuhomarch," Jeipha corrected, though her crone didn't appear to notice.

Shirvein continue, "You will lead a warparty back to the pelagian colony tomorrow, at first light. And after the beast is destroyed, express to Mormaer Wiuhomarch, that we hope he will come to us in the future, should he need another favor."

Jeipha smiled widely at her Crone before nodding in acknowledgment. A moment later the emissary's smile vanished. "What of Shalmel's visit, if I may ask?"

Shirvein frowned and then dived towards the enclave's surface, Jeipha and the battle sisters did likewise. "A dead end," the crone said. "The polypals weren't interested in building a relationship, or even in us for that matter. Shalmel isn't sure if they're even capable of such things."

Jeipha went silent for a moment, then shrugged. "Their disinterest doesn't benefit us, but neither does it threaten us."

"Perhaps," Shirvein said. "Though I hoped more from an alliance member."

As they neared a kelp-frond and stone hut the crone shed her pensive demeanor and flashed a toothy grin at Jeipha. "Let me show you something."

The emissary raised her eyebrows before following Shirvein into the dimly lit hut. In the center of the room, perched on a wide coral pedestal, was a clutch of enormous fish eggs. An attending artisan bowed at the crone and emissary, and then went back to work placing kelp-fronds around the eggs' base.

"What are they?" Jeipha whispered.

"It's not what they are now, Jeipha; it's what they will be."

- - - ORDERS - - -​

1. 1 emissary, 2 witches, 10 battle sisters, and 20 harpooners sent to the pelagians to help slay the Kuraselache. And in a gesture to strengthen the relationship between our two people, the scyphon gift them a greater stalker-fish skin and skin sheddings. Elucid
2. Crone Shirvein uses her nature stone of divinity on the large stalker-fish eggs with the intent to make them easier to train / bond with, as well as immune to jellyfish stings, similar to the scyphon.
3. 15 artisans continue to mine gold in nearby caves, & 10 artisans gather scallops and any other food there, 6 outswimmers accompany them for security
4. 6 outswimmers are sent into the eastern grassy plateau to explore and report back their findings
5. 3 artisans train and care for young stalker-fish and tend the large stalker eggs
6. 4 battle sisters, 15 harpooners, and 1 witch patrol the enclave

 

[Beckoncall]

Elucid :

Brigdūnon was being kept safe, but that safety had to be EARNED. Sand sharks slowly crept back the the large swathes of land on the plateau that the Pelagian had claimed... and they were NOT smart about learning quickly that this was no longer their hunting ground. Still, not even sand sharks sought the flesh of dead sand-sharks -- and soon enough, one hippocampi charge at a time, the sharks accustomed to making these seas their hunting grounds turned tail, or died by the lance. Injuries were sustained by the protectors, but nothing that could not be handled -- mostly bruising under armor and abrasions from fighting the sharks in the sand. These things were supposed to be ambush predators -- but they were not hunting the Pelagians. For that, they could be thankful because a sand shark laying in wait was infinitely more dangerous than one blundering into a farm area kicking up silt looking for easy prey.

More homes were built into the basalt towers, wearing the limited supply of good tools in the hands of the colony thin -- basalt was not a rock that was easy to work with. They also could not help but to think that more labor would make the job go faster -- but slowly and surely everyone would soon have a home as the pelagian were not too numerous and the underclass could be crowded into dwellings suitable for much smaller numbers of higher caste. The homes of the basalt towers were nearing completion, but they'd need another push and more tools.

Working together with the patrols, the shark hunting group were given ample opportunity to capture sand-sharks for the supposed purposes of husbandry... they seemed to promise to be erratic mounts, made great messes in the silt when they travelled close to the bottom, and were generally very ill tempered. Each skilled worker in the group came up with their own ideas for capturing the things, but only one skilled worker emerged with a consistent solution -- imitating mating behavior. This brought the sand-sharks in on great waves of silt (part of their courtship displays apparently) but it brought in bigger specimens and in more docile moods than the plains hunting ones. Seven Sand Sharks are captured but little can or is done about their training, yet. Because of constant clashes with sand sharks, Sand Shark Leather, Teeth, and bones become renewable resources. A crude corral of binded creepvine and corals hemmed in the docile-kept bulls they captured, feeding them to keep them listless and letting them settle deep in the sand to keep them sedentary. The hunt paid off... now what to do with them?!

The number of herded Sea-cows rose to Thirty, not tame or truly captive, but just kept herded on the blood-grass of the pelagian holdings. It was learned that Sea-cow feces was a GREAT fertilizer for light-globe fruits... but an even greater fertilizer called to the pelagian just out of reach -- they had seen through various incident occasionally a bulb-plant collapse, break or be eaten by large herbivores out on the reef... and wherever these bulbs died plant life of all sorts sprang up in every kind of splendor... The pelagians had not dared to go onto the great reef -- but there were MANY bulb-plants growing just a few hundred meters from the colony -- and their applications as fertilizer were undeniable. Still, their fruit crops were slowly growing as the sea cows were utilized to make patches of enriched sand and soils.

With so much shark leather coming in, the tannery was a worthy addition to the Pelagian colony. The second half of the same structure became a slipshod smith of sorts, taking heat through glassed-sand channels to make a simple forge. From the forge new iron tools were being made, as well as a few key pieces of armor (helmets and pouldrons) -- there was even some rough experimentation making spears and weaponry with shark teeth. Armor upgraded for elites and cavalry... 4 units of metal tools generated. (each unit suitable to a group of 50) Leather Armor becomes a sustainable trade good, and people adopt the new clothing and it becomes a fashion amoung higher pelagians. Morale increases to fair!

The final project was that of Wiomach and his hunters and five elites to bait the holes above the jelly-shroom caves. The hunters were skilled at baiting the animals and studying their behavior, giving the elites great efficacy in their attacks against the eels that sought to claim the sea cow -- each time it was pulled away and the hunters baited and snared the eels while the elites made vicious work of them. In total 5 eels were sent slithering back into the depths from Pelagian aggression -- until they set the captive sea cow free (who miraculously survived) and traded the bait with dead sea cow mixed with sand-shark meat. They were not as zealous in defending their new bait -- and the eels found the sand sharks repulsive even when mixed with sea-cow... this lead the eels that remained to grow disinterested with the cave opening, as it rapidly became clear that hunting for prey here was more trouble than it was worth -- and the eels, though not completely abdicating the area, enabled Wiomach and his hunters to enter the cave...



What greeted them was an isolated ecosystem unlike anything they sawa on the surface.... black "Web Corals" glittered with tiny gems of mineral deposits, and the jelly shrooms themselves bathed the chamber in an odd and unsettling purple light. Samples of Black Web Coral proved to be excellent promises for building material and construction of tools and furnishings... were a way to safely exploit them present themselves. The Pelagians learned that the tops of the jelly shrooms were open, and actually the nests of eels, often filled with eggs. The elites dares not descend with the hunters and Wiomach as their armor made seemed to make them slower and more attractive prey to the eels that, not hunting in the cave, seemed more absorbed with the business of visiting each others shroom-dens for mating -- or in the cases when males met males, fighting for rights of use to a particular den. Shrooms occupied by females, especially those with eggs, were particularly dangerous prospects as the female eels would attack anything coming near the nests -- mostly stumpy biting fish but more than once a large female eel was seen eating would-be mates approaching their egg-nests -- only a male that could overwhelm a female in combat was able to enter the lair of the female to fertilize her eggs, after which the shroom-nest would fill with foam and be abandoned. Wiomach and his hunters kept to the foamy mushrooms in particular for safety and gathered two units of Shroom Gems and 2 units of Web Coral. when not occupying the area around fertilized nests the safest place to swim was in the vast collections of stalactites that covered almost the entirety of the cave's ceiling... sharp rocks where the eels did not care to hunt and their preferred prey and natives to the cave-environment preferred to stay.


Wiomach was fearless... but he was no fool -- there was no discovering easily how deep these caves were... but they were at least three tiers of different cliffs growing increasingly large jellies -- with increasingly large eels in their vicinity. the mineral gems would need to be identified -- but the ones in deeper tiers were a brighter radiance and deeper color of pinks and purple which promised they might be valuable or even have industrial applications.

Deep, deep down in the jelly shroom caves Wiomach could see mushrooms that seemed to grow into the shape of a runway terminating at a great circle -- not wild or random growth, but some kind of organization -- of planning. Wiomach decided again that rather than risk one or more deaths that the group should retreat as they were already laden with sample goods.

The Jelly shroom caves promised much but revealed little -- perhaps with the guidance of more hunters and an expedition in force more could be learned or gained... for now it seemed naught but a beautiful deathtrap...

 

[Beckoncall]

Pat :

The reclaimers would not be caught flat-footed as it were - as they had taken to defending their cave with a new reinforced door. Given the labor output of a single golem -- a door to be built by 10 was to be daunting indeed. Made of tirelessly chiseled and hammered stone, inlaid with multiple coats of pulverized coral, the door to the chamber of the reclaimers was restored and frankly not letting anyone in unbidden. They couldn't help but think it could be made of better materials, but stone and coral would suit well enough.

The reclaimers, 20 in all, marched the entire length of the shallows from east to west, combing the ground for any valuables, commodities, and treasure -- gold in particular. Reclaimers gain 5 units of quartz, silver, copper, salt, iron and 2 wealth in gold.

In addition some additional points of interest were found -- A deep cavernous tunnel more than 75% filled with sand... lined on each side with a statue of foreboding octpoid figures. Strange slithering noises emanated from inside the (mostly) sunken lair or shrine as it seemed... and the structure was not in the reclaimers collective memory...

Besides this find the reclaimers Find a great emerald hammer in a weathered and collapsed tomb carved out of one of the caves in the shallows. nothing else, not even the burial remains are left behind -- but the hammer is unmistakably magical, and while normally a two handed weapon for any other creature, it is distinctively one handed in the arm of a reclaimer.

FC513 begins the long and arduous task of reading through the reclaimers collective memories... with considerable time invested it yields no further fruit, but the reclaimer leader can't shake the feeling that at any moment he could be close to another breakthrough...

 

[Beckoncall]

Northless :

Hunting with the Polypals, even though they swiftly had to leave -- was much easier... Not confined to the ocean floor as tightly as the mantis shrimp, the swarm gathered Ten or so Sea cows and drove them directly to where the Mantis warriors lay in wait... the combination of grabbing by the claw-armed and the knock-out punches of the Mace-fisted made short work of the sea cows when they could be run to ground. The Mantis also learned that hunting sea cows could be done far more easily on the plateaus for mantis shrimp as they could lay in wait in patches of bloodgrass that would attract the cows and make their ambushes even more surprising. With TEN cows caught, the entire mantis colony ate a glut of blubber and flesh, and were truly happy at the feast the Polypal had given them. (polypal gain 1 influence!) Heyitsjiwon . Mantis morale rises to good!

Many different variants of bombs, from grenades to petards were hastily designed for the small team of skilled workers to deal with... sadly the limited amount of labor lead to some mistakes that couldn't be recognized or handled in time. 2 skilled workers DIE as a result of experimentation with bombs, but working prototypes that are indeed safe when TEN OR MORE workers are assigned to make them come into existence... the prototypes the shrimpies develop are 1) "Noise Grenades" which are great deterrents but do little damage, 2) "Cannon-balls" -- usable only by mace punch warriors they are ignited by cavitation bubbles and explode after speeding towards a target and suddenly stopping. 3) Heavy Petard -- takes at least 5 shrimp to move one, but it's basically a giant siege mine. Any of these types of explosives can be developed to become standard issue. The mantises mourn the sacrafice of those who died to perfect the plans...

The crashfish eggs hatch rapidly when exposed to higher levels of sulfur, but the attempts to raise them and bitter-sweet. The first generation of Crash-fish (there seem to be two more) were not given enough sulfur and while not particularly more friendly, they are unable to blow themselves up before they are domesticated... it is learned however that if not in their own caves, crash-fish will GATHER sulfur -- so the considerably large generation (partly due to the scale of unskilled labor) make poor potential for weapons but great gatherers of sulfur for the colony. Sulfur becomes a renewable resource. the mantis shrimp can try TWO MORE TIMES to domesticate a weaponized type of crash fish... but so far they might have discovered something at least as useful.

With considerable labor the anemone and fruit farms are surrounded with a significantly-high tide-wall... improving growing conditions and starting to produce a stable amount of food for the colony -- anemone in particular regenerate very quickly in the shallows and are quite nutritious... the rows of farmable animals and plants criss-cross the mantis living area and add a layer of beauty to the community. It also begins to attract more sea cows, which the mantises are getting a LITTLE better at hunting.

The patrols are alarmed by the series of explosions (including the fatal one) but are able to keep security on the periphery of controlled territory. A small amount of food is punched senseless and brought back to the colony as well.

 

[Beckoncall]

SpiralErrant :



It was no contest -- with such magical support and warrior forces -- the euripatid temple (sea scorpions) were dealt with swiftly and without mercy -- the first swarms that boiled out were confronted by the solidery, slowed and iced by the casters, and massacred. Before entering the temple complex itself -- the Magos threw forth great bubbles of force and boiling tides -- nothing that approached, either to escape, or assault could make it to the aperture unscourged, much less put up a fight to the warriors that waited on the surface. Care was used swiftly after the initial attacks to use magical forms that would not cause damage to the structure or artifacts but still slay euripatids... sandblasts, magical blade barriers -- the casters working in a unit were terrifying to behold. When the carnage ended, the temple was cleared of the dead -- mounds of euripatids, some very large -- were dragged to the surface -- Chitin is now a renewable resource for the faction. It was wondered how they could use it all but it's applications as light armor and camoflage (deep blue and black) were obvious.

Only at the end of the mop-up and looting of the temple did something distressing come to notice... some of the largest euripatids died EMBRACING one-another -- and seemed to have crude tools and weapons they were bringing to bear before being destroyed by spellfire. Could these greater euripatids only have been bitter enemies? They did represent an infestation but there was no indicator of any culture or intelligence until it was too late and they were sorting through corpses and Debris.

Merfolk gain 2 units of ancient pottery, 1 wealth, a FONT OF HOLY WATER (Mana source!) and the structure for repurposing if they so desired....

Items found: "Sacred Canopic Chest", "Ring of Bane", "Horn of Precognisance"

Equally successful but perhaps not as grim was the great labor placed in gathering edible plants and concentrating them ever more centrally in the shallows. Tiny Jelly shrooms and spicy acid shrooms were a big hit with the merfolk, as was "Snowy Corals" that seemed to grow faster when they were broken up, and were indeed edible. Shallows-grass and anemone are gathered also -- along with ovoid clams and great oysters found in the most current-filled parts of the shallows. By the time the endeavor was done, the Vythan were starting to live on a virtual mountain of food, as long as they were willing to be mostly vegetarian in their diet. Sand sharks eyeballed the merfolk working without protection, but there were enough eyes for quick escapes to be made. Vythans had solved their housing and immediate food needs.... and morale rises to Good.

 

[Elucid]

Spoiler: Music & Mentions

OCC: Kinda feels like we're going on a crusade no?
Beckoncall
Bone2pick
SpiralErrant

Act I : Manifest Destiny
3rd of First Seed ~ Settlement of Brigdūnon​

The first few nights spent on this new frontier seemed to be rather promising, the people's spirits were up and Wiuhomach could not help but feel hopeful. There was much to be desired however, building a sustainable colony was paramount if he wished to have any success in mounting future expeditions into the unknown, in search of fabled plunder. His continued absence chasing after the indigenous wildlife, at least in his mind had meant that the colony was not running as efficiently as it could be. With the captain back on board however, they could begin dealing with their first and foremost priority, creating an effective fighting force. The plateau had proved to be well endowed with sources of food and nourishment. What they needed at the moment was a well protected and well trained corps of fighting men, especially with the Kurasalache roaming overhead. Teams of men armed with significantly more efficient iron equipment were sent out with the aim of collecting as much iron and other such mineral deposits as they were able to, meanwhile the smithy they had hastily constructed near the thermal vent was already in full swing, with Wiuhomach himself overseeing the work. They began by first obtaining the abundant amounts of rawhide from the sand-sharks available to them and putting it through a process of boiling, this was done with the aid of the tanners who were of course accustomed with such work. The resultant material was thicker and less prone to being penetrated by a blow than leather that had been tanned with salt. This was then supplemented with another layer of thinner rawhide to provide greater protection. When and if the necessary iron could also be procured, they would begin making small rectangular plates layered with the previously prepared rawhide. These small plates would then be laced into horizontal rows that would eventually form a full suit of armor, that provided a great deal of protection while using up a lesser amount of metal pieces.

The rest of the workforce was made busy setting up enclosures for the wildlife they'd managed to tame with the aid of some of the basalt, stray rock and seaweed netting. Hunters along with some of the particularly skilled workers however, were instructed to pursue means of capturing bone-fish in order to breed and rear them, not only for their nutritional value but also for their use as armor.

All of this activity and the sense of urgency surrounding it perhaps gave the large host so graciously supplied by the Scyphon a sense that they were truly at war. But despite the fact that they now had a substantial force, looking at that creature gave Wiuhomach pause. They would have to leave a few men to protect their settlement, even if that precaution wasn't made victory was not quite assured. It was for this reason that he assigned his trusted man-at-arms Fulke along with two of the other cavalrymen to accompany half the Scyphon contingent northwards, where the Merfolk had settled. He was loathed to ask for help from their kind, but this was beginning to look like a combined effort to deal with a shared threat by a group of races that had what could be called a natural affinity and even he couldn't deny that that sounded more than a little appealing.

Orders​

• Since they were stretched rather thin that day, only five of the Pelagian Elite were left to guard Brigdūnon, with them taking turns as sentries to warn of incoming danger.
• Five unskilled workers supervised by three skilled ones continue to work on carving and constructing habitable structures within and around the basalt pillars. Despite fewer numbers, better tools and longer hours it is hoped will finally finish the job.
• Fourteen hunters, four skilled workers and five unskilled ones are tasked with hunting and capturing bone-fish in order to breed and rear them and to use for making armor pieces.
• Three skilled workers and five unskilled workers and put to use, creating separate enclosures for the recently caught sand-sharks and sea cows with the aid of materials such as basalt, stray rock and seaweed netting while also tending to the globe-light fruit that have been fertilized by sea cow feces. Furthermore they're also engaged in milking & slaughtering a few of the sea cows who's hide is to be used in the armory. Five Pelagian Elite accompany the troop just in case something were to go awry.
• Five of the unmounted Hippocampi Cavalry along with four skilled workers are tasked with taming the sand sharks to allow for any rider to mount the beasts, the cavalrymen being already quite experienced with unruly mounts would probably be a valuable asset. They work with five of the sharks first, coaxing the other two into mating.
• Seven hunters are tasked with going southwards toward the kelp forest and gather as much kelp as they are able while also trying to cautiously prize away some of the blub-plants growing nearby to the colony. This kelp is then promptly converted into kelp nets by those working at the armory, complete with sand-shark teeth and stone weights, to be used by the hunters in the future to either slow down or capture prey.
• Three of the priests (less powerful) are engaged in healing the wounds faced by the Pelagian Elite the night before.
• Fulke along with two of the other cavalrymen accompany half of the Scyphon contingent northwards in order to ask the Merfolk for military aid. One witch, five battle sisters, and ten harpooners are left behind at Brigdūnon.
• Wiuhomach along with two of his Hippocampi Cavalry for protection, oversee the work of the tannery and the sister armory set up at the thermal vent nearby, here seven skilled workers along with ten unskilled workers labor continuously without rest or respite, some out of a fear of the Mormaer and some out of a fear of the mythical sea king. They are engaged in making armor of the kind described in the post above, the pictures below provide a basic understanding of the finished product. If any iron remains thereafter it is used to cover up weak spots in the armor supplemented by sea-cow hide to provide comfort and prevent scraping as suggested by the Mormaer. If any further material remains they are used to make pointed spears and such for the rest of the army.

Spoiler: Images

Armor made out of tiny plates of boiled rawhide, rawhide (thin) & iron laced into horizontal rows,

Shoulder and vambrace armor made out of bone-fish bone and boiled rawhide.

• Once and if such armor is created, priests (the powerful ones) are summoned to bless these objects of war, with hopes of making them sturdier and more durable.

 

[Beckoncall]

Heyitsjiwon :

The Primus and his group sifted through the debris of the stalker breeding bower... but none was so agile and effective than having a stalker body to help, which had very interesting eyes for contrasting metals... it wasn't the brightest objects that the infested stalker zoned in on... Treasures under the lumps of metal...

Polypals gain "Triumph Hand", "ark of Fertility" and "Destiny cube" -- they would need to be examined to reveal their uses, but rough descriptions named them --
The Triumph hand was a man-sized hand of seamless and flawless ivory -- as if carved from the heart of a much larger tooth or bone. It's fingertips were perforated with the spongiform holes one would find in the marrow of a bone, which made the hand produce an interesting if off-putting noise when whipped through the water. When held aloft, it created radiating disturbances in currents originating from the palm of the hand...
The "Ark of Fertility" was either magically growing plants the boiled out of it the moment it was opened, or was full of some mundane but very effective fertilizer... it was decided to best keep it closed, so as not to drain it's power if such was a condition of it's use.
The "Destiny Cube" was either something that predicted the very near future, or was a simple but brilliant magnifying object. Creatures seemed to appear in the cube moments before they were seen with the eye, silt looked more settled in the cube than it did actually settling... as if the cube was slightly "out of time" with everything around it.

They were quite certain there were no more treasures to be found here, but quite glad that they had checked...

Crafting of weapons went on without a hitch... for each unit of metal consumed, 50 weapons could be made -- (and polypals can dual wield if they like) so it was a question of how much metal they had on hand to make serrated and pointed claw-weapons that could also serve as tools. Metal tools become renewable trade good, as do "Improvised weapons"

It turned out the plan to infest the great stalker went over without a hitch... merely rolling an infestor into the area inside a globe of titanium brought him out, and it was a brief but dangerous dive down it's gullet before it seized control of it's Central nervous system and made the thing a host for it's parasite. Polypals gain "Great Stalker Host" and 4 units of shark-skin. This greatly tamed the southern kelp forests -- which began quickly to light up with activity in the absence of the constant hunting behavior of the great stalker. Packs of team-hunting stalkers quickly moved in and gave the polypals a wide berth.

The lair was filled with Bones, making Bones a renewable resource for the polypal. The Reclaimers and the rest of the task force gathered all they could and returned to the deathbulb. mining is also extremely fruitful with reclaimer and other tools, making non-unit deliniated deposits RENEWABLE RESOURCES for the Polypal, for now until the mines petered out. (Note this) (includes Cadhochrysotile)

Pat : RECLAIMERS SEEN AS MOST SOCIAL/HELPFUL FACTION SO FAR! THREE INFLUENCE GAINED!

Generation of a kind of "Creep Mucus" by the polypal was well underway. so virulent in spreading it became the dominant carpet lifeform in the south central shallows in a matter of nights -- when it always seemed to grow the fastest... it had a tendency to PEEL coral and it's polypal tower "nodes" would sway attracted by motion to catch fish -- to the point where polypals ceased to feed on their surroundings and instead drew sustenance directly from "the creep" -- anything smaller than a stalker was fair game to be eaten... and the creep rapidly grew around and surrounded the reclaimer holdfast Pat -- who might not approve opening their new doors to find the ecosystem overrun by nutrient-leeching slime. Creep however was easily cleared when the tendrils experimented with it, evenly distributing the nutrients contained in it enriching the soil and sand overall. Polypals until further notice are set for sustenance and do not need to acquire food.

It is noted however that sea cows completely abandoned the area plagued by the creep... as grazing animals they found it a threat or repulsion.

The creep also hardened and reinforced the growing number of polypal structures in the shallows -- with the direct application of sand or Cadhochrysotile armoring it.

 

[Pat]

FC513 idly swings the emerald enchanted maul found in the tomb experimentally in one hand after it was meticulously inspected. This was something sung about, passed down for generations, a symbol as much as it was an implement for cracking skulls. Truly, it was special indeed to not only have been buried with it's wielder in life, but to perhaps outlast every other item that they possessed even in death. The gaudy weapon tenuously reminded them of the tunnel filled with sand and statues and snakes, at least, from what little the initial reconnaissance provided to them suggested. Once preparations had been made, they would get to the bottom of what was hidden inside with lethal efficiency. But for now they could afford to wait.

Orders​

1. Twenty Reclaimers and ten stone golems begin to create a road network between the known colonies in the Golden Grotto, marked occasionally with nautical milestones and helpful road signs. Ten of the Reclaimers in two rotating shifts keep guard to ensure everything goes smoothly.

2. Five Reclaimers make an exquisite hospital near their cave open to the public that offers low cost health and medical services. Using five quartz, two silver, and two copper. The metals largely adorn surfaces that would be touched by patients in order to help facilitate a clean sterile environment. Two more silver and two more copper are used to make medical supplies and equipment.

3. FC513 begins to make maps of the region on stone tablets to distribute to other leaders, as well as their subordinates, should they accept them.

 

[Beckoncall]

Pat :

The Reclaimers began arming themselves. Something about holding weapons seemed to cause static in their programming -- this was something they were really meant to do and designed for, or something strictly forbidden. FC513 got an intrusive thought -- "Do not fight a losing battle to defend the sanctum. Use the gem and the Pacification device to purge the region of undesirables." -- Confusing... but to hear a sentence so complicated in atlantean might give him new insights into the language or writing...

The golems quietly and slowly begin their sapping into the buried tunnel-structure... but the moment the reclaimers set up the barricades and man them in defense, a great gulping of water pulls at the barricades and sucks all of the sand blocking the tunnel into the depths of the tunnel's maw. The barricades shake.. but hold. the clattering of metal (the girding of armor and brandishing of weapons) is heard within the structure... and the barricade shakes again... this time with a magical force...

...But the reclaimers know how to make a barrier just as they know how to break one. Numerous dull white eyes glow in the darkness at the very cusp of sight... showing bronze weapons and the occasional bit of armor... A croaking voice issues from the tunnel...

"You have contained us for the moment... and we cannot smell your blood but we know you are there. Tremble now, for we WILL come for you in time... Yes... hide your presence from us... we will find you..."

 

[Beckoncall]

Bone2pick :

The Scyphon Task force left Mirith to join the Pelagians and whoever else would join their coalition to slay the dreaded Kuraselache... (to be continued)

________

Crone Shirvein held the gem of nature in her hand covered by the other, the green light pulsing through her hands making them look reddish-blue in color as not even her flesh and bones could contain all the light it radiated... Unleashing the smallest wave of intent through the gem -- she willed the Large Stalker eggs to become part of Scyphon -- to share the affinity of the Jellies, and fall in line with their nature and their beings. The eggs were bathed in a smoky cloud of greenish light the seeped from the gem, turning the large eggs and the creatures inside PINK and BLUE like so much else in kinship to Scyphon. They grew faster -- and it seemed they would all be born as big as hippocampi. The creatures seemed to turn their bellies in invitation towards their new crone master -- submission and obsequious behavior -- even in the womb. These creatures would hatch to die for Scyphon... and live for it. The gem's glow dwindled slightly, but barely noticeably. This relic was powerful.

2 wealth is produced by mining gold, the nuggets all of generous size and carried to the coffers. Scraped from the walls are fields of scallops, leaving enough to milt and breed back up to former strengths and increasing food stores. There didn't seem to be even a slight dent in the gold vein... more labor could be applied. Within the vein, a fist-full of "Geomutanite" -- a highly magical transmuting mineral was found by sheer chance. not much -- definitely not enough to experiment with -- this substance has been known to convert lesser materials into far greater counterparts. (one use only)

husbandry with the stalker was becoming second nature to the Scyphon, and some of the folk had even begun to be able to hand feed them in the wild to pacify them... this kelp forest was theirs, and the stalker-fish seemed to know innately that they would have to change with it to remain hunting. They brought metal to Mirith (territorially claiming Mirith as their mating zone) and cautiously waited to see if the Scyphon would dismantle their mating patch. (You can loot this for 3 copper, 1 silver, and 2 iron -- or you can wait and see what the bower means for the colony -- state action when can.)

The six outswimmers sent to examine the grassy plateau were surprised by what they found... HUGE sand-sharks.. too big and lazy to even bury themselves in the sand occasionally ripped into frenzies of activity to chase down smaller-sleeker ram-horned reptile predators about the size of a normal sand shark. The great sand sharks basked in the long shadows cast by SUNKEN SHIPS that lay throughout the plateau -- all ancient, some mere skeletons of wooden craft that looked like they went down in fire, others more odd -- like an ancient iron-clad craft with a surface deck indicating it once floated in rejection of the thing's obvious weight. Deep into the Plateau there was a shelf with a sleek sloop-like craft that could've been of ancient elven design -- split in the bottom as if broken by force from underneath. They counted 7 wrecks in all that they could see, and much salt and quartz crystals shining in the lighted areas of the plateau... and in one place, the footprint of a ship that was nothing but a huge puddle of lead slag... such a deposit could be mined for great duration if claimed. Not wanting to risk casualties and eager to report findings, the outswimmers returned from scouting with tales to tell...

 

[Beckoncall]

Pat Everyone :

The reclaimers set up a road network that linked all the known factions together -- most notably in the shallows, they utilized the tube-worm tunnels for speed and safety as well as clearly marked direct routes that could be followed easily even at night. Topographic changes were addressed with winch/zipline so even cargo and goods could be moved throughout the community along a path of least resistance. (when lines are drawn, Reclaimers gain 3 influence! Northless -- the mantis shrimps, who contributed to helping find the best tunnels (which was difficult for the reclaimers) gain 1 influence as well!) Roads brought all the communities closer together... and was the first step in establishing a communal economy/market that all could benefit from. For their intel and physical help, Heyitsjiwon gains 2 influence!

The Reclaimers also prune back the creep from the immediate surroundings of their cave so they can build a HOSPITAL for the colony -- using clean surfaces and instruments, the reclaimers storied healing skills could help all in need. (Reclaimers gain 1 influence!)

Elucid -- Brigdūnon becomes accidental but de-facto hub of the road network! Brigdūnon gains 5 influence!

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

With the discovery of the artifacts, the Primus was left wondering their abilities and history. Knowing that the Reclaimers valued such history, the Primus had figured that he would approach FC-513 and ask it to take a look at the artifacts. It would benefit the both of them, as usual. The new friends of the Polypals proved to be rather respectful, useful, working relationship with the Polypals, more so than the Polypal's time and experiences in the Alliance. Though the Polypals knew that it was folly in the back of their mind to be too reliant on others. Few things were eternal. Their friends could be gone tomorrow for all the Polypals knew. Existence was fragile and ephemeral.

Regardless, for now, the Polypals would cooperate as they all explored these strange new waters. There seemed to be one constant so far. Power in numbers, and that was something that the Polypals understood very well. Thus, when the Reclaimers requested assistance in forging weapons, shields and armor for them, the Polypals were quick to agree. The Reclaimers wanted their iron turned into weapons, but the Polypals had titanium as well. A bounty that they were willing to share. Thus, the Polypals set forth to forge Titanium-Iron alloys to make spears and shields out of for the Reclaimers.

In addition, the creep mucus proved to be rather daunting and troublesome for the Reclaimer's construction of a hospital. It was too good at what it did. Thus, the Polypals agreed to assist in its construction as well. In addition, to improve colonial communications, the Polypals, followed in the Reclaimer's steps and began to work on safe ways to travel through the shallows, namely tunnels. People might not always have military escorts, thus, a network of tunnels for hidden and safe travel would be helpful indeed. They had already found one that led to the Mantis Shrimp. Building others to their fellow alliance members seemed to be a grand idea. Thus, work began working with the Reclaimers to build load "roads" of tubes of composite and ceramics.

In addition, seeing the Mantis Shrimp's markets, it became clear to the Polypals that if they desired resources from their partners and friends, then they would need wealth or equivalent goods that are desired. However, it became obvious to the Polypals that their appearance seemingly put off many others. Thus, taking some inspiration, among other things from the strange colorful Icaroid like butterflies that the Mantis Shrimp had captured, the Polypals worked on their appearance and colors to make themselves seem more beautiful.

Then there were rumors of other issues and concerns that could harm the colony as a whole. These threats had to be dealt with, decisively.

---

Orders:

1. Forging Pikes and shields for the Reclaimers with Titanium and Iron Alloy
50 Tendrils, Metal Tools, 5 Units of Iron, Titanium Deposit

2. Assist in building/cleaning the Hospital
50 Tendrils, Metal Tools, Creep Mucus

3. Assist in roadworks by building tunnels/expanding existing tube worm tunnels already found in exposed regions of the "road"
100 Tendrils, 10 Mimics, Metal Tools, Composites

4. Adopt/Experiment with Butterfly colors to make the Polypals not as aesthetically foul. We want to be beautiful like butterflies too!
1 Infester, 10 Mimics

5. Send a swarm to assist in the Kuraselache hunting mission
1 Great Stalker Host, 10 Infesters

6. Join FC-513 in venturing to the "temple" that the Reclaimers had found.
The Primus w Triumph Hand, and Astral Tear as back up, FC-513 w Weapon and Shield
5 Infesters, 3 Infested Alpha Stalkers, 15 Stalkers in reserve

 

[Pat]

​

FC513 knew that the way the coming struggles were resolved would shape the very fabric of the diverse community that had come to call the Golden Grotto's waters their home. They never had much need for hope. Atlantis built her constructs with a certainty of purpose. But nonetheless they felt a strange optimism for the coming future to be undoubtedly shared with the Polypals as well as their bureaucratic N.A.A. taskmasters. They still had their doubts, though. Of course they did, with how stubborn their newfound allies were in following convention rather then adapt. But the former even with their stated loveless practicality had shown a beautiful willingness to reciprocate the favors done for them out of kindness. And as for the latter, well, at least it could said that they could accept the fact that their old preconceived notions of Atlantean constructs had their exceptions. "Fathoms!" FC513 bellowed in the center of the painted rune cave surrounded by a circle of their fellows, their massive enchanted emerald warhammer of sundering held aloft in one metal hand. "We do battle tonight brothers, not to sacrifice our own ageless existence to save the fleeting lives of our organic allies, praying that our aid will show them that our cause is their own, but to give ourselves a purpose for what comes after the day the message of our masters is read, and we carry out the last of their instructions. I now ask all of you to fight so that generations to come will remember our deeds otherwise unsung. It is time for us to no longer merely serve the ancient empire that had wrought us into being from earth and given us sentience, but to forge an everlasting legacy of our own!"

Orders​

1. Five Reclaimers wait outside of the tunnel as reserves and to heal any wounded, friend, or, potentially should it be advantageous, foe. They enter behind FC513 whenever commanded to.

2. Twenty Reclaimers sit in the back of the hunting mission, ready to provide healing to those that become injured, and keeping the leviathan at bay with the resolve of their iron shields and pikes. When they sense that the monster is nearing death, they enter the fray to deliver the killing blows so that they can fully attend to their patients' needs.

 

[Bone2pick]

​

A pair of glowing jellyfish were fixed to Shirvein's shoulders, their pink tendrils cascading down her back like a cape. Her dark tail flicking calmly back and forth as she paddled around the inside of her brightly-lit tendrilla. For the past ten minutes Shirvein had listened to Idirna's – her chief outswimmer – report of the eastern grassy plateau

"Just how large are they?" Shirvein looked up to ask.

"Large enough to prey on standard adult sand sharks," Idirna said. "An outswimmer of mine nicknamed them sand tigers."

The crone scowled, "Are you concerned they'll find their way into our kelp forest?"

Idirna considered the question for a moment before answering. "They might, but not until they run out of things to eat where they are. And from what I saw, that won't be for a while."

Shirvein finally allowed herself to smile. "You've done well. When cleared of those . . . sand tigers, that field of shipwrecks will undoubtedly be a treasure trove for our enclave. As soon as the rest of our warriors return from the pelagians, I'll send a warparty there – along with a team of your outswimmers – to clear out the beasts."

Idirna grinned and nodded. Then Naveath, the enclave's youngest witch, entered the crone's tendrilla. The witch's arrival prompted Shirvein to dismiss the outswimmer with a wave of her hand. Idirna promptly left as commanded.

"You're late." Shirvein snapped.

"My apologies, my crone. I lost track of time while marveling at our new stalker-fish."

"They aren't stalker-fish, Naveath." Shirvein stroked her divinity stone. "Not anymore."

The young witch's brow furrowed. "I guess that's true. But what should we call them?"

"Man o'wars."

- - - ORDERS - - -​

1. 8 artisans construct crab traps
2. 12 outswimmers (4 teams of 3) set crab traps throughout the kelp forest and along the edges of the grand reef.
3. 12 artisans & 1 master builder construct crab farm(s?) in Mirith
4. 5 artisans care for and train the new man o'wars, working them in with battle sister and harpooner patrols
5. 15 artisans continue to mine gold in nearby caves
6. 4 battle sisters, 15 harpooners, and 1 witch patrol the enclave

Edit (action): wild stalker-fish nest/bower metals are not harvested, and their eggs are permitted to hatch

 

[Beckoncall]

Elucid :

Things were spread thin in Brigdūnon this day -- too thin.

A tragically small task force was overworked constructing housing -- which it did, but the project was not completed. They needed more labor. Project stalls.

A hunting task force dared to cast nets and bait onto the great reef to capture Bony fish came back with only two catches, but one of them was quite large. They could slaughter them now for 3 units of bony plates, or attempt to raise and mate them -- which judging by their presumed size at sexual maturity might take a great amount of food. They couldn't help but think they could have gotten luckier by catching more fish -- but they were getting better at luring the fish by casting VERY long lines and letting nets fall almost out of view.

Shoddy and hastily built structures were made for the sand sharks, but there was not time enough to create an enclosure for the sea cows who had a propensity to knock over the walls and piles of building materials when the enclosures were being tested. Milk collecting and sea cow housing Project stalls.

On a better note, it turned out the hippocampi cavalrymen were quite apt with training sand sharks to serve as mounts. They were quite erratic and had very asymmetrical movement and charges in 3-dimensions... but all five of the sharks put up for training became worthy as beasts of burden, and with more labor they could be made into combat steeds. Mating the sharks however seemed to remain elusive in captivity however.

Another hard pressed group was a handful of hunters that had been assigned to gather voluminous amounts of sea kelp and make weighted nets -- which they did ably and aptly. 1 unit of combat/hunting nets produced. They were also assigned to gather some bulb plants from the kelp forest -- Bulb plants become a renewable resource.

On the plus side, 30 suits of boiled shark leather with under-iron plating were produced, using up every last bit of the iron they had on hand and even rounding up a little more off the plateau. They were subsequently blessed with powerful defensive enchantments and containment dreams to increase their power... this made the suits officially magical.

Those that remained in the colony were exhausted, spread thin, and in total disarray by the end of their projects. Morale falls to Poor!

Lesson Learned: Colony only has logistics or 6 projects at a time, more labor must be applied to jobs to see them bear fruit at this time, though this may change with improved buildings/logistics.