Evolution... Again! (Material Plane)

[purepolarpanzer]

Toskirk Turn 2
THE CHILDREN OF FOURSTRIPE IN THE LAND OF PROSPERITY
The Toskirk leader Fourstripe had indeed been right in leading his people to their old home in the warm plains. A river flows through their new land, and many Toskirk were surprised to find a land where the sky is not a constant overcast and snow and permafrost were not a constant. But in this warm land, they found many edible plants, many animals to hunt, and most importantly, they found the Derack. These small lizard-like creatures were the nightmares of Toskirk young, fast, tiny, gnashing balls of claws and teeth. However, those who entered the warm plains found that the Derack were not the terrors of their past. The Toskirk had grown stronger, faster, and mainly more aggressive since their departure from these lands. As Fourstripe and his people approached the lighter grass of their new homeland, a squadron of Derack screeched and raced across the grassland. The Toskirk roared and raised their weapons, some feeling an ancestral sense of fear. However, after the rush of scales and teeth met the fur and ferocity of the Toskirk, much of that fear was eliminated forever. Bone clubs and horns smashed tiny bodies into pulp, and even those that got through the first line of defenders only scratched and clawed at tough fur of the strong warrior race. Blood was drawn, but soon after a pile of lizard bodies was assembled and burned. Howls of victory and glory raced through the Warmlanders, and many looked out at their land with a new sense of hope.
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Fourstripe looked out over his herd and smiled. He had led them here years ago, and they had prospered. Life was hard, but not as hard as that of his family in the cold lands. Not long after settling, the Toskirk had begun communicating, trading, and associating with their kin in the cold home, and now the warm lands is treated just as another section of plains. Many of the Toskirk on the border now regularly crossed into the warm lands, where food was abundant and the weather was nice. While other herds were still skeptical, Toskirk were growing strong in this new land.

THE COLD PLAINS
Grey Beard long dead, his son, Scruffy Head, carried on his father's legacy of innovation. Innovation, however, tasted bad. He was experimenting with various plants from the plains, combining them with junk grass to try to help with the Blight. Though they were combating it, it still plagued his people. He had not cured the blight, but he had been watching his people carefully, taking the advice of his father. Coats grew stronger now, as everyone had begun chewing junk grass. It tasted bad, but many simply chewed it out of habit. Some had even come to like it. But Scruffy Head was taking sweet grass, red grass, and even the rare and smoky shadow grass and experimenting with them on their own and in combination. He was indecisive on whether or not this would have any effect on the blight, but he had discovered a combination that cured stomach pains and head aches. Many Toskirk were appreciative of this, and many more were appreciative of the combination that caused a slight light headed feeling. Scruffy Head, on the other hand, was happy to see that Toskirk from other herds were taking these recipes with them whenever there was a gathering and spreading the word of Grey Beard's medicine. Grasses were becoming more available, too. Since the Great Gathering hunting had become the norm as other Toskirk grew enthusiastic about hunting with new ideas and coordination. These were not complex or even practical, but the seed was planted and many Toskirk were eager to try themselves in combat against the plains animals. The cows of the herd were cooing and mooing over the new bulging muscles as the warrior ideal began to take root. Scruffy Head simply sighed. He was not as strong as his hulking friends in his generation, but he hoped that his efforts would help his people much more then their simple fighting. He was interrupted by a chorus of roars and bone horns as another herd approached his, and he hurriedly put away his herbs, eager to go meet the newcomers and romance their cows.
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Is that thing safe? Nakaugs are fast. Strong. Lean meat, but not terrible.
A circle of Toskirk surrounds another, larger bull from the herd that had come in the night. The massive black furred bull, who called himself strong back, smiled and scratched the fur on the smaller beast before him, which grunted and snuffled its large snout on the ground. The nose was similar to the Toskirk's own, but that is where the similarities ended. Whereas Toskirk were protected from the cold by thick fur, the Nakaugs only had a thin coat of oily hair. Under that, a thick layer of fat protected them from the worst of the cold. The creatures have vicious teeth, but their thick, trunk like legs ended in short, useless claws. Used for digging to search for food, this creature was one of the few on the plains who used only teeth to attack prey. This one, however, simply rolled over as the Toskirk scratched its stomach.
It's safe. Round Stomach still bites at people, but if I feed him he doesn't attack me. And if I set him loose, he will run down prey. Then I give him meat, and he leaves the prey to me. Great for Kigs and other fast things.
Another Toskirk reached tentatively down and touched the Nakaug, which immediately rolled over and lashed out, biting the offender, who bellowed and reeled back. The Toskirk who traded him to me said he had a bad temper. He had three more of the beasts!
There were murmurs at this. Some didn't believe it. It was strange enough to see one Nakaug panting at the Toskirk's feet, but no one could imagine animals as anything but prey or this minor amusement. One tentatively stepped forward.
Will you trade for him?
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The tent of the herd leaders was smoky and shadowy, a small fire in a pit in the center. It was much larger then normal, almost three times the size of the standard tents, and the skins were finely crafted, a tribute to the herd leaders by the best skin crafter of the area. The assembled party of leaders ate and drank out of stone bowls. There were polite murmurs about good food and drink, compliments to the cooks. After the meal, the bowls were sent out and the council of leaders began to talk business. Both blighted and full bodied were now welcome, which led some to avoid this gathering completely. However, most now believed that in the spirit of brotherhood and Toskirk that it was better to all work together and die to the blight then it was to watch herds die alone. Some leaders were challenged over this, but not very many fell to new leadership. Strong conditions breed strong leaders, and herds were beginning to follow their leaders much more strictly, both because of recent prosperity and because of the dire nature of the blight that threatened them. Many were jealous of the rumors of easy living in the warm plains, but nothing had risen above a whisper.
I still protest the blighted being allowed here. We must keep the blight away, family or now.
NO! As Toskirk we live and die together. this is what Toskirk means!
There were roars and feet digging at the dirt, as yells for or against this filled the tent. The debate raged for almost an hour, but at the end of the argument cooler heads had prevailed- the Toskirk would act as one, and if the blight struck them, they would suffer it as one. Then came stories to increase the sense of brotherhood- stories of their suffering in the warm lands, suffering in their new, frozen home, suffering at the hands of beasts and monsters, but also tales of how unity would carry through the strong.

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+1 To Thick fur, from the cold lands Toskirk needing more insulation, and for the plains Toskirk needing armor.
+1 to Strength for the additional hunting and plains combat
+1 to grasping appendage as the Toskirk learn to use their hands better
+2 to beast taming as the Toskirk begin to tame Nakaugs
+2 to Society as leadership is cemented and affirmed, as well as the idea of helping Toskirk is made the one universal law.
+1 Skin crafting as tents, clothing, and armor become more sophisticated
+1 to bone crafting as some Toskirk are recognised for being better at making tools and being to make them more exclusively in herds.
+1 to herbalism as more plants are used in experimentation by certain Toskirk.

[Maldiem]

@Erren: Leaving the hills seems to have worked, and those Erren who have escaped are untroubled by the tremors. Penalties to growth as before to Erren still near or in the red hills.

@Hylinks: The parasite fades from contributing to a higher mortality rate as the Hylinks are now almost entirely resistant to it. It will occasionally infect an old or sick Hylink, but it is not a major concern any longer. The shift in emphasis to greater plant consumption also helps. The Hylinks grow at a normal rate.

@Lam Nur: The shift into more reliable sources of food serves the Lam Nur well in the drought, which inures them to much of the hardship they would have faced otherwise. The drought lessens in intensity toward the end of the turn, but abnormally dry conditions continue. -1% growth for the Lam Nur.

@Varadesh: While there are several good strategies in use to defend against the river beasts, none of them are sufficiently advanced to do much good. The presence of Ki's avatars once again helps a great deal, and prevents the river beasts from impacting growth.

@Lükaverka ((I didn't see any EP expenditure. Care to retcon it in?)): Waiting on EP spending.

@Toskirk: The same things that helped the Toskirk combat the blight last turn help them once again, though progress is slow. -1% growth for all Toskirk.


Turn 2 is over. Turn 3 will end next Saturday at 5 pm Texas time (or therabouts)

[Emperor Demonking]

Hylnks

3.1: To F19

In a last ditch attempt in order to keep the large tribe together, after it had fallen apart in all but name. The tribe leader convinced the leaders of the other two packs (Though he'd never call them that.) to follow him to pastures new. The hope being that the fear of being in unexplored territory would convince them to become more unified.

[Aux-Ash]

The Varadesh. Turn 3.0

The air in the yurt was thick and heavy, so very hot and moist that it was almost difficult to breathe. Despite this it was actually cooler than in the sun, but not much. The thick skins did their part in keeping the heat of the sun out, but the embers in the centre and the presence of people made the tents very warm very quickly.

Athu, carefully stepped into the darkness. Varily looking around himself as his eyes got used to the small amount of light spread only by the embers. He kept his arms close to his body, as if afraid he'd lose them, and his hands grasping each others just in front of his mouth. Slowly, taking each step hesitantly, he approached the figure lying wrapped in the heavy furs.

It was frightening to see the man like that, he who had always been so strong. Now he lay almost immobile, pale, sweating and shivering at the same time. His hair all grey and most of the time lacking strength to eat, sit or even relieve himself on his own.

The child carefully took another step, standing next to the frail man and hesitantly spoke with a hushed voice, as if afraid to disturb the man.

"Grandfather?"

It wasn't his grandfather per se, it was his father's grandfather. But when Athu had clumsily tried to adress him as such the older man had just laughed, patted him on his head and told him to just say grandfather and then taught him how to throw a spear. It was hard to imagine that it had been not even been a season ago.

The man stirred and turned his head towards Athu, opening his unseeing eyes and "looking" straight at him with that eerie precision of the blind.

"Athu? What is it my boy?"

The voice was so weak, so quiet. It brought tears to the small boy's eyes and he sunk to his knees next to the bed, grabbing the hand of the elder.

"What is wrong with you, grandfather?"

The older man adjusted his position slightly as best he could.

"I am old, Athu. Old and tired."

The boy shook his head, thinking this was nothing more than one of those lies adults sometimes tell children just to make them not worry. There was something wrong with his "grandfather", he knew that.

"I get tired too, like at the fire when you told us the story of Ark. It's nothing like this. All you do is sleep and eat but you never get better!

The older man carefully pulled himself up, his entire body shaking as he did so. Athu thought he looked frightening, almost all the muscles ahd dwindled away and he was so thin you could see the ribs.

"Do you remember the knife I showed you and how you had to sharpen it to be able to use it? Eventually it grew so dull and old it couldn't be sharpened anymore and I had to replace it. Do you remember that?

It's like that. My body is so old I cannot sharpen it anymore. It's slowly breaking and withering. It is like that when you're old"

"You'll die?"

"Yes, Athu. I will die."

The little boyed hugged his grandfather tightly, he could feel how tears ran down his cheeks and he couldn't stop himself from sobbing loudly. His father always told him that true Varadesh men didn't cry, but he didn't care.

"I don't want you to die! I want you to get better so you can show me how to hunt gazelle and buffalo and bird and show me how the riverbeast lurk in the sun and how to make a spear and and and..."

The elder gently stroked the boy's back as the boy cried loudly, hugging him and hushing. As the boy seemed to slowly calm down he spoke.

"Athu. Listen to me. I am not afraid of dying. I have lived a long and happy life and I am proud of all of my kin. You are the best thing that I have ever done and do not cry because I will never leave you.

When I die, my spirit will leave my body and be free like the birds. It will fly away and settle in the sky as a star and I will look down upon you and help you when I can.

I will always be there to help you and guide you, so do not cry."

Athu looked up at his grandfather who used his hand to wipe away some of the boy's tears.

"Athu, I would really like some fish to eat today. Do you think you could help your mother bone one for me? It would make an old man, really happy."

The small boy nodded, if that was what his gradfather wanted then that is what he would get for him. He hugged his grandfather one last time and then rushed out of the tent to find his mother. While he no longer could see, Khut listened after the small boy as he ran off and felt proud. He had done a good job with his family, he knew they'd do well without him.

----

As Athu passed the bananagrove he stopped and looked at the huge stoneslab in the middle of it. He had sometimes seen the elder hunters sit there and ask that Ki about good hunting luck or anxious fathers asking him to spare their wives as they were giving birth.

He wasn't sure what Ki was, but he was clearly someone you asked for stuff you couldn't affect yourselves...

Perhaps...

The small boy went to the huge stone and looked around, noone to ask how to do it. The boy wondered where Ki was. Was he in the rock? In the sky perhaps? Then again... if he had been in the sky then there would have been no need to place the rock there. It was probably best to adress it.

Athu kneeled before the rock, as he had seen others do and silently prayed

"Please, mighty Ki.
When my grandfather... my father's grandfather... Khut of... Khut's tribe dies... Could you please look after his spirit and make sure he reaches the stars?
I love him very much and I want him to be there and look after us all...

I hope I do this right... I'm not really sure how I am supposed to pray to you...

I just want to help my grandfather when he dies... I hope that isnt wrong of me to ask...

Please...

Athu slowly rose and took a step back from the rock and wiped another tear out of his eyes. He hoped that was right and that he hadn't offended Ki. He looked up in the sky once more before he hurried off to find his mother.

[El_Frenchie]

Ki and the Varadesh, Turn 3.0

Ki could never really hear the prayers of the Varadesh. At least not aloud. Rather, they were more like whispers carried by the Wind of the Unplane. Something elusive that his hearing as a god could only perceive as indistinct murmurs.

There was, sometimes, words that did reach him, however. He wasn't aware of how they reached him or why, but it seemed that his hearing would perceive great distress or great need. And as Athu prayed at the Shrine of Khut's tribe, Ki heard a few of his words.

These Words were met with a certain amount of uncertainty. In a part of his mind, he had known Khut was going to die. He, however, had trouble conceiving death. He was a virtually Immortal being. Death seemed like an unnecessarily complicated thing. He did not comprehend it.

He knew one thing. He would sorely miss the Varadesh. He had been a most avid learner and a most intrepid hunter. Khut stood still when Ark had uprooted that tree. Stood his ground in front of Godlike might. He had children, and a tribe to whom he taught the basics of hunting and introduced prayer to them.

Ki owed the man some form of thanks. His eyes lit up and he sent Ark to the Varadesh.

----

The yurt was opened and a tall man, peered inside. It was Ark.

"Greetings, Khut, old friend."

He bowed his head down and entered, taking a spot by Khut and sitting down comfortably.

"I have been called by someone to help you cross over, Khut. He's a good spirit, a giver of his heart and a stout defender of his folk. If just a boy in body, he's already a man in mind. Your grandson is worried about you, my friend."

He paused, examining Khut. Normally Ark would never show emotion, but to all the Varadesh in the yurt, his expression was one of sorrow, and as far as they could remember stories about Ark, he was as old, if not older than Khut, yet he did not appear to be dying or, as a matter of fact, aged compared to their chieftain.

"Khut, your life should be an example that all Varadesh should follow."

He turned to the people in the yurt tending to the old man. "Listen well. Khut is not just a Varadesh. He is The Varadesh themselves. He should be an example, to all of you. As a father, as a hunter, as a farmer, as a chief and as a friend. He respects strength and wit and knows when he is a match, or outmatched. All of these qualities, he has taught them to his children, to his sons and daughters. But he also tried to teach them to you: His people. that is what makes him different. That is what sets him apart. When the next chief rises, and the one after that, they should aim to better the lives of The Varadesh, as Khut has done in his time."

Ark bowed his head down towards Khut and talked to him softly.

"I am truly grateful to have met you on my first journey to your world, Khut. I have no doubt I will see you in the next one. Not to worry, I will make sure to watch over your grandson and have his wish fulfilled. For now, why don't we talk a little? For old time's sake."

[purepolarpanzer]

Toskirk 2.0-.1

Warmlands
Scruffy Head was beginning to witness an oddity among the Toskirk. The youngest generation of bulls and cows had begun to walk straight. They still used their hands to aid locomotion, but their backs were rigid and upright. They had to stretch their arms more, but it was not uncommon to see this young crowd hooting and racing through the village with new found speed, standing heads above their elders, who only stared at the dirt and grumbled about crazy kids. Scruffy tried this method of locomotion once or twice, and fond that it worked just fine, even allowed a greater range of movement, but settled back down to his customary hunch. Let the young ones change tradition. He snorted a laugh and went back to mixing his potions, attempting to uncover the mysteries of life in the plants around them.

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Spending 5 EP on Bigger. Might as well spend the EP on what I was already envisioning the Toskirk as. I do plan on evnetually spending the full 10 to meet up with the height I imagined them having.

[Zweanslord]

Turn 3

The journey ends, G19, F18, F16, E17

The Erren residing on the plains (G19, F18) finally meet their end destination, the forests (F16, E17). They have moved along the plains, looking for a suitable location out of the red hills and in better area's. Now that they have found the forests, they are happy to stay, unlike when they resided in the plains.
It has been a long journey, one only finished in the last years. With the forests, the Erren are reasonable comfortable and feel much better than they did compared to live in the plains. With no ability to travel further either, for there is only sea and oceans beyond, the remainder of the travellers has settled in the forest area at long last.

Adaptation to circumstances

With most of the travelling being finished up by the Erren in the plains, they no longer see an increase in speed. Instead, the various Erren groups have started to adapt to their new environment, learning about it, but mostly seeing their bodies adapt to it. Those in the forests adapt to the nuts and the like sometimes raining down from the trees, where as those in the mountain adapt to the sharp rocks and stones lingering about. They have become tougher and more resilient to whatever the environment throws at them, be it temperatures, predators or bad food.

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10 EP invested in Toughess: 10 -> 15

All Erren in G19 & F18 move to F16 & E17.

[Emperor Demonking]

Hylnks

The Hylnks grew stronger, faster and tougher as well as developing a greater knowledge of the animals that surrounded the area

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2 in Toughness
2 in Agility
2 in Strength
4 in Animal Knowledge

[Aux-Ash]

The varadesh. Turn 3.0-

Khut and Ark talked alone for many hours before the old man felt his body demand sleep. Later, in the early morning hours before first light, one of the women that had been treating Khut ran through the camp, asking all those related to the chieftain to come to the tent.

As they all gathered in the tent around the old man, they each took turn in saying their farewells to the dying man. Slowly, one after another, with tears in their eyes. As dawns first light came, Khut drifted slowly into the sleep eternal. Taking his last breath with a smile on his lips.

After he had closed his eyes for the last time, his family wrapped his body in furs and cloth. Covering it completely. Like the varadesh had always done, his body would then be left on a hill, overlooking the river. The whole tribe would be there and everyone who wished to do so would be allowed to speak and praise the recently departed one.

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Ep spending for turn 3:

Brain - 2 ep
size - 1 ep
Strength - 1 ep
Toughness - 1 ep

Bows - +2 ep
Fire - +1 ep
Wells - +1 ep
Farming - +1 ep

[Ambon]

The Lam Nur

Turn 3

Crunch

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EP expenditure

• +1 Int
• +1 Horticulture
• +2 Spear Fishing
• +2 Slash-and-Burn Agriculture
• +4 Canoes

I've been extremely busy this week, unfortunately, so I haven't had time to come up with appropriate fluff prior to the deadline. I'll edit this post to add some as soon as I can.

[El_Frenchie]

Ark had enjoyed his conversation with Khut, and was in the fields all night long, tending to them as the rest of the Varadesh took to their yurts to sleep. He was still in working as the light started coming up, when the woman tending Khut finally found him to tell him the news.

It wasn't long before he reached the yurt, came in, and whispered his farewells to the hunter. There was nothing ceremonial about it, nothing special. It was like seeing a Varadesh say his farewells to a friend.

When Khut finally gave his last breath, Ark stood up and spoke.

"I would like the grandson of Khut, Athu, to come. I would like to give rest to two souls this day."

With these words, he took the body in his arms and stepped out of the yurt with several people in tow. Khut felt light, lighter than even some banana clusters. Perhaps the soul and its size gave weight to the being. Or perhaps it was merely Ark's strength. He had never lifted a Varadesh before. He held him carefully.

He went to a hill overlooking the river, as the Varadesh expected, and there waiting for him was Varad, the Varadesh-looking man of Ki. A strange stone was on top of that hill. It was square, fashioned so that it looked odd in nature. As they approached, they saw a hole in the ground, with freshly dug Earth lying on its side. In the stone was engraved the symbol of Ki, the circle, and underneath it was strange runes that Varad had etched. They somehow knew, however, what those runes were for. They were Khut's name, in the language of the gods.

Ark rested Khut in the tomb, and waited for Athu to come. When he did, he spoke aloud.

"'I have heard a prayer' is what Ki said to me. 'A young man named Athu is about to lose his grandfather.'"

He paused, his eyes looking towards the river.

"Khut has lived his life here, among the Varadesh. He has worked hard to live on this land, despite the Riverbeasts. He has spent his energy hunting, teaching and living. And everyone should respect that he was able to do so."

"Energy flows like a river. It is hidden in all of you. It is made out of water, out of food, out of sleep. All you can do with it, is make sure you respect it. You can make sure you never run out of water, food or sleep. To do this, you need to approach life as Khut has. Know your limits. When your energy can't allow you to hunt anymore, use it to farm. When your energy doesn't allow you to farm anymore, use it to teach."

"Ki gives his energy to you, the Varadesh, so that you would use it to better your lives. Like Khut, respect that gift. It comes in everything living. The Riverbeast, the trees, the gazelles and even the smallest of creatures. Do not waste it. Use it the very best you can, for it will disappear one day. As it has for Khut."

"I want you all to think of what Khut has done to this village. It is not impossible to achieve. He has taught you all that he knew. If everyone can live through life using their energy in the same way as Khut, then I can say to you that the Varadesh will live longer and better lives without fail."

"As for the young boy that has prayed to Ki for this moment. Ki will indeed help Khut come to the stars. Ki will help all Varadesh come to the stars. Your body will rest in the Earth, and your mind will come to me. This hill will be the place where your body is laid to rest. But not to be eaten by hungry wildbeasts. Let us give Khut a stone and a place inside the very Earth. He has earned that you do not forget him. Come see where his body rests sometimes. And when you do, ask yourself whether you are living your life as he had."

Ark placed his index against his chest and motioned a circle, Varad doing the same, as if to seal the words and the speech in Ki's power and symbolism. Once everyone was done saying their farewells, Varad murmured a few words and Ark started closing the hole back with the freshly dug earth. Ark looked towards the grave, then slowly up in the blue sky.

"Eternal Sleep for the body. Eternal Energy for the mind. Farewell, my friend."

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In the next 5 years... Varad will be creating tombstones for anyone that so wishes. They are generally buried on the same hill, away from the village, overlooking the river. Ark stays in the fields and teaches the young very early about plants and their growth. He contributes and teaches the older Varadesh as well with new techniques, like selecting certain breeds of plants that grow faster.

Varadesh Culture has seen... The introduction of energy, ceremonial burial and religious hand signs ...and may do whatever they wish with those.

[purepolarpanzer]

What some had thought to be a fads soon became everyday life to the Toskirk. Before long, every Toskirk under a certain age was walking without their customary hunch. This made them much larger and more imposing, but older bulls still grunted in laughter at this antic, calling them trees, saying they were as easy to tip over as the scrub trees of the plains.

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Lacking much imagination for this turn, the last 5 go into Bigger as well, pumping the Toskirk up to size.