Evolution 6.6 - The World

[slurpz]

Brian, Turn 3

"Alright if stealth doesn't seem appealing to you how about a test of strength?"

MAP:

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Zaali, Turn 3

The Zaali in that north central pack are slightly baffled. They had never before met a creature who spoke and didn't understand a simple dismissal.

Zavvi advanced once again, with the four males in the pack.

hzbuqi buqivf *hand wave* vffckbqiisrufcsw

The four Zaali behind Zavvi thump their right leg powerfully against the ground three times. Zavvi then lifted up his head and uttered a sound that pierced the air. All of the wildlife quieted down, and even after the call ended, you can still hear a slight echo trembling in the air.

After a couple moments, a slight rumble could be heard. The rumble got louder and louder until you realize that the rumble was caused by the feet of advancing Zaali. All of the Zaalian males had dropped what they were doing and advanced to the call of Zavvi. Coming closer, they encircled the strange creature. All of the Zaali males present were brandishing their axes, ready to leap in at moment's notice. You realize that a Zaal warrior standing upright with his wings spread looks a lot more intimidating than a Zaal simply running across flat ground on all fours, wings pressed back.

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The Ernvuld and Masstakran hear the Zaalian trumpet in the distance.

[Gourtox]

Brian, Turn 3

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Bold means talking really loud. Bold with an ! means yelling really loud. Also I'm not sure how you return to the mountain, but I think it is in a flash of light. If it isn't tell me.

"I see your force is great." He looks up at the sun to check the time. "I willl lose if I fight you of that I'm sure. I must return to my home and then I have to hunt. So let me leve you with this. You Zaali are a strong race and I respect you for that. I will lose if I fight you that you made sure. I also shall commend you for that, but Imust leave now and go hunt." He then returns to the mountain in a short flashh of light.

[Earl of Purple]

Masstakran
Turn 3

The masstakran of North Nest hear a strange noise. It sparks much discussion between the individual masstakra of the nest, each speculating as to what it may be. Some say it is a noise created by a section of the Tasty-Thing's Nest's roof falling in. Others think it is a great Danger-Thing roaring, and yet others believe that the noise was created by a flood.

The masstakran of Central Nest also hear the noise, and they know it is the Strange-Masstakra's master coming for them, so they sacrifice more often, now sacrificing once a Masstakrian Week (an average of about 1.5 sacrifices every solar week). The masstakran of East, West and South Nest did not pay much attention to the noise, each thinking it was a disused tunnel somewhere collapsing.

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The noise is the Zaali threatening Brian, but the masstakran don't know that. It has, however, sparked legends of a very large Danger-Thing in North Nest, and increased the sacrifices in Central Nest.

[Johel]

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New turn already ? I didn't see any message from Emperor but...
Also, does anybody know if Mephit is still playing ? I need Mar's teaching
Here is how the Roggae have improved.

Rogga

Running Herd

"-Hold Rope."
The order was not really necessary but the matriarch loved to boss the Roggae around. It was one of her privileges but also a responsibility : in the mind of the herd, any failure was hers first. And the crafting of new ropes was essential to the herd's success.

Though the smaller herds had migrated to find new lands, the Running herd and some others remained in the savanna of their homeland. After all, there was plenty of fruits and as soon as the fish began to go down from the lake, it was not necessary to travel anymore, the herds living on their fruit reserve while fishing all day long.

The fishing had indeed improved : two nets, each closing one side of a river to form a lock. Inside the lock were tall baskets filled with stones but also rotten fruits, rest of fish or even a carcass. In the nets, holes had been left to tie special willow "tunnels" with wide and smooth entrance but narrow exit barded with pointy dead reeds. As a fish would seek the bait, it would search the entrance of the lock, find it and, as its body would bend the tunnel's exit, force its way into the lock...where it was impossible to get out, as the fish could not even enter one of the tunnel. Should it tried that it would hurt itself. At the end of their Supply Shift, the Roggae had only to collect the trapped fish with only a minimum of effort.

However, while it was easier to find food, the logistic behind the system was taking more time than before. Ropes, for example, needed to be weaved in large quantities. A task any Rogga was bound to do. Sharp stones were also necessary to cut the plants, as the Roggae's claws weren't precise enough for this work anymore. Because the Roggae didn't know how to make stones sharper, they had to search broken ones along the cliffs or on the river's banks. Large canvas were also set to dry the willow and reed under the sun and to protect them from the rains.

[slurpz]

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Emperor really should start the new turn.

[Emperor Demonking]

Turn 4

The moon is getting greener.

5 EP

Alvatsot - 7% increase

Rogga - 6% increase

Ernvuld - 6% increase

Masstakran - 6% increase

Tempesta - 7% increase

Zaali - 5% increase

Zakrull - 7% increase

Poi: 6% increase
The Aephids also entered the world.

[slurpz]

MAP:

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Zaali, Turn 4

The Zaali continue working on their walls. A couple of the smarter Zaali realized that they could apply the same principle to their trees. This quickly spread through the consciences of the Zaali one by one as they focused their ability on thinking to each other. Thought travels much more quickly than sound does, and doesn't reveal anything to outsiders. As a result, each tree was completely surrounded by a thick stone wall, 1m thick, .5m tall, with one opening. This allowed them to glide out of the top of the tree if need by, without exposing the base of the tree to more than one route of attack. The Zaali in the tree slept more soundly at night.

As the Zaali continued to hone their minds, some of them realized that they could lift things with just their minds. Those who were able to manifest this trait were at first ostracized from society, as the Zaali valued direct brute strength, but that concept dropped when one of the hunters who had developed telekinesis went hunting and came back with one of the largest recorded kills, using nothing but the power of his brain. He had apparently lifted a rock and sent it flying at the beast's head.

Other people were also able to manifest psionic traits such as being able to read minds. While the Zaali were not a race prone to lying and deceit, the fact that they were no longer able to keep secrets from the telepaths greatly disconcerted them. To complicate this problem, the telepaths themselves leaked what they saw into the consciences of the rest of the Zaali, as they themselves could not stop the development of the Zaalian group awareness.

One additional pack split from the conglomerate behind the three walls to venture near the delta. They were pleasantly surprised when they observed the plentiful plant life and fertile soil.

Yet another pack moved out east and stopped when they reached the river. They saw that there was a forest on the opposite side, and they saw things moving around in the distance. To their surprise, unlike other creatures they have hunted and killed in the past, these creatures seemed to move around with a set purpose.

The southwestern most pack decided to travel more southwest. They reach the river junction and easily glide over it. They hear a crashing sound in the distance and move closer to investigate.

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Population: 110 + 5% = 115

Brains +2, Hive Mind +1, Innate Telepathy +1, Innate Telekinesis +1

[The Glyphstone]

High above the surface, isolated from the squabblings and machinations of the land-dweller things, the Alvatsoti continue to drift peacefully through the air. For a long while, they have remained the same, but now they begin to change. The eyespots lining their top sides, sensitive to both light and movement, now begin to appear along their edges and underside as well, allowing them a complete view of their surroundings in three dimensions. As their brain tissues become more complex to handle this new input without losing their ability to process distance, they now grow curious about the land beneath them now that they can see it. Some of the more 'adventurous' Alvatsoti descend to lower altitudes, where they can view the ground from a safe distance and observe what goes on there. The more conservative Alvastoti remain high above, now far safer from the winged-things-that-poke than they were before.

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Bank EP from turns 2 and 3, for 13 in bank.
turn 4, spend my bank points +2 for All-Round Vision, spend remaining 3 points in Brain (now Brain 6). With Vision 7, optimized for distance and movement, plus the all-round vision, I should be able to spy on the surface without danger - you might be able to see me, but without similar vision levels, I'd just be indistinct dots or blobs.

[Johel]

Rogga

When the practice of drying reed and willow on canvas was well-spread, many Roggae saw the potential use of it on themselves. After all, if a canvas could protect raw materials from the rain and wind, it could do the same for a Rogga. At first, it was only used to protect the entrance of the lairs, which could become very muddy otherwise. Then it was converted into true tents for the adults to be shielded from the weather. And finally, tents were worn. Simple cloacks at first, the canvas quickly become true cloths. As they didn't had to waste time digging and could even travel during rains, the Roggae went back to their nomadic roots. The era of great migrations was back. The herds moved further away from the homeland.

One of the two northern herds followed the coastline to the East, hoping for the legendary "Määr" to come back. Despite Rââz Who-Saw-Määr's death, the story of the Sea spirit was still popular but, unless said spirit would show himself soon, it would eventually become nothing but a tale for children.

The other decided to follow the Sea's Sister, the large river which crossed the lands. Though to deep to be a fishing ground, the Sea's Sister was still full of fish and it was possible to lure some near the banks.

In the south, the two small herds had fused into a big one, the Egg Herd, named as such to please "Ark the Trickster" and protect the Roggae from his magic. Yes, magic, as the southern herds believed deeply in the spirits and in the way they affected the material world. Some were even speaking of a "spiritual" world where the dead were traveling endlessly, having transcended their body's limits and now looking over the living Roggae.

The Running Herd was now a large family of 30 Roggae. It still remained in the homeland, traveling from one river to another. Though it did not make a lot of discoveries, it served for each herd as a beacon for the Gathering. For this reason, the Running Herd was a mix of all customs, believes and knowledges.

The two last herds went straight to the north, reasoning that, if Määr was not found East, he should then lay west of the bay where he had appeared.

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Population : 119, split among 6 herds

• Sea Herd (North-East, along the coast, 16)
• Sea's Sister Herd (North-East, along the main river, 16)
• Running Herd (Center, 30)
• Egg Herd (South, 25)
• the two Northern Herds (North, 16 x 2)

Brain +1 and Language +1, as social awareness increases with the global welfare, thanks to the improved fishing skills.
Tool crafting +1 : the need for logistic forces the Roggae to innovate to produce more items of ever improving quality.
Cloth making +1 : they are experts at weaving plants, are making nets and canvas. I guess it's the next step. Stack with Plants weaving, as most cloths are made out of plant fibbers.
Plant knowledge +1 : the Roggae's whole “technology” is based on plants. They should at least know a few things about it. Next step is Curative knowledge...

[Earl of Purple]

Masstakran
Turn 4

The masstakran of Center Nest continue to sacrifice at the increased rate, and individual masstakra begin to move to other nests and spread their belief, and it is discovered that bone daggers kill better than bare hands and jaws. The legend of the Great Danger-Beast also spreads throughout the nests, causing the race to associate the two so the Great Danger-Beast became the herald of the Strange-Masstakra's master, and some begin to believe that the vertebrae of a predator will ward off the Great Danger-Beast. This leads to an increase in creative thought and bonecraft, as they scratch crude designs into the rings. They also increase in digging proficiency in order to catch food easier.

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+2 brains, +1 digging, +1 bonecraft (jewellery), +1 bonecraft (weapons). Adds up to six, banked 1 EP last turn now used. Population: 131 (I think), new Nest founded to the North. Central Nest now 1st Nest, old North Nest now Middle Nest and new Nest is North Nest

[Carrion_Humanoid]

Aephids
Turn 4

The Aephidian Hive begins to Click and Whirr with new life. Most of the workers begin to dig out more tunnels, and they carry the queens Eggs into the birthing chambers. Those who are not carrying the Eggs venture out, searching for meat and fruits, to take and feed to the Queen. Those too young to work are laying outside of the Spawnholes, absorbing precious light and becoming greener and more energized. Those who are working find their Chitin armor to be somewhat tougher, and those who use their native tongue find their brains to enlarge a small bit. These traits are favorable and pass on to newer generations.

((I guess the Aephid Hunt team might find the Alvasoti))

[slurpz]

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Okay, movement is getting complicated. Please PM me or draw how you'd like to move your population. Johel sent me a PM that looked like this:

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Hi,

Can you move the Roggae on the map as follow ?

• The North-Eastern herd, 16 Roggae, the one which met Mar, (let's call it "Sea Herd") is following the coastline to the North-East and remains close to it.
• The Eastern herd, 16 Roggae, is moving North, following the main river's stream. It might meet the Sea Herd.
• Two herds, each of around 16 Roggae, are moving in the peninsula, in the North-West.
• The two small southern herds have fused in a single herd of 25 Roggae and are travelling South.

Thanks

It would help a lot.

[Copacetic]

Poi
Turn 4

The Poi have turned their new-found knowledge of lures and weaving into simple fishing poles: By tying a piece of unwanted fish meat to a simple pole, one poi would hold it out over the water, while one was waiting nearby with a fishing spear. Fish would come, get scewered, and become dinner. As the poi spend more and more time above water, they find themselves returning less and less. As such, many had begun weaving sticks, leaves and grass together to form crude wigwams.

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+1 brains, +2 Grasping apendage, +2 Lungs.

And the Map is excelent, thank you slurpz.

[Gourtox]

Brian, Turn 4

Brian's avatar appears near the Zaali tree and starts walking towards it, but once again stops once he gets near it. He stands waiting for the Zaali to come out.

[slurpz]

Brian, Turn 4

Brian's avatar appears near the Zaalitree and start walking towards it ,but once again stops once he gets near it. He stands waiting for the Zaali to come out.

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Which pack is he nearest? (Refer to the map)

[Gourtox]

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The one he visited before I beleive that is the main one south of the river.

[slurpz]

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Zaali, Turn 4

The Zaali see the strange creature appear near them again, but on the whole, have no reaction to it. They continue building the wall around the tree, only looking up once in a while to make sure that the creature doesn't make any hostile actions or step closer to the tree.

[Gourtox]

Brian, Trun 4

"Where is Zaavi? Tt is time for the hunt.

[Cruxador]

The Zakrull waited. The dog-beasts had been attacked before. The last time it had gone poorly. This time it would not. Zakrull were on the walls of the valley, and on the trunk of the Tree. Overhead, eggs hung, like fruits, ripe. They would hatch soon. The small Zakrulli forms could be seen through the transparent eggs. Down on the ground, the dogs chased away smaller creatures. Creatures that could be food. This had gone on long enough. One of the Zakrull, hanging on the trunk, had had enough. He let out an attack odor, and leapt down upon the dogs. The rest of the Zakrull on the Tree followed. On the cliff-face, the other Zakrull saw the sudden charge. Some were confused by this, but not all were. An attack scent permeated the air, and these Zakrull too, fell upon the dogs.
It was a massacre. Dogs were impaled on Zakrulli spines before they could move. Angry jaws met thin air. Corpses lay about the field, the few remaining dogs fled.

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Dog casualties: 59.67715
Zakrull Casualties: 0.3782244

+1 agility
+2 Toughness
+1 Strength
+1 Spines

[slurpz]

Brian, Trun 4

"Where is Zaavi? Tt is time for the hunt.

MAP:

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Zaali, Turn 4

The closest Zaal looked up at the strange creature.

fcswqi swxrisfc *wing wave*

A more grizzled Zaal crept down from the top of the tree. You recognize him to be the leader of the pack.

yekblnhzis *hand wave* vffckbhzisruqi uokbqihzfcxrkbqi *hand wave* fcswqi swxrisfc lnvf hzrtmnhzbuvf

He takes a look back at the Zaali behind him, who have all paused in their endeavors. At his glance, the rest of the pack continues to work.

Even as he talks, in the distance you see two Zaalian males coming to the tree, their backs burdened with game.

fcswqikbqi lnvf isnd fclnwuqi jyndkb swxrisfclnisru *squiggly hand motion* swxrisfclnisru lnvf hzrtmnhzbuvf

[Gourtox]

Brian, Turn 4

"Ah, but this is a special hunt on a special creature. Follow me." He walks towards their southern wall, but stops when he reaches it waiting for the Zaali to follow.

[slurpz]

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Zaali, Turn 4

Zavvi gestures behind him.

mnqi iehzhzrtln hzkbqi yexrvfbu

With that, he signals dismissal, and turns around to go back up the tree.

[Gourtox]

Brian, Turn 4

"Okay then, but be warned this hunt will be done by myself and it will be against a massive beast." He crouches down and then jumps over the wall clearing it by a meter. He walks out onto the plains until he spots his kill. He places himself so that when this animal charges it will hit the Zaali's wall. He fires his arrow at the beast to get it's attention. The beast then charged at him and Brian braced himself to dodge. He threw himself away at the last moment timing it so that he was just barely hit by the beasts foot. The beast then hit the wall.

[Turalisj]

Tempesta

The Tempestan continued spreading southward and northward. The ones to the north found a massive river, an endless expanse of water. The ones to the south found a wide river with a bounty of fish.

The Raijin formed into 2 larger Raijin for both protection and ease of hunting. To the north went sixty Tempestan, to the south went sixty as well. The northern group called themselves simply Lumo, while the southern ones called themselves the Umbro.

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Saving up EP this turn

[Carrion_Humanoid]

The Older Aephidians(Known as the Kootik) begin to make themselves more useful than simply relaying messages and soaking in the sun. They think of ways to better themselves, with little success. Some think of Singular Cells, and others think of Resource Control but all of these thoughts are considered "against the Queen."

[slurpz]

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Zaali, Turn 4

The Zaali were disconcerted to hear a sounds of a giant *WHOMPH* accompanied by the shaking of their entire wall, but outside of some fallen bricks, the wall stayed mostly intact, except for the section of the wall that the beast hit. There, the wall had taken on a depressed shape, the structural integrity of the wall compromised. The Zaali would need to repair that section of the wall. The beast however, was stunned by its impact against hard immovable rock and lay on its side on the ground.

The males of the 3 packs of Zaali streamed out from the walls, whooping. Taking advantage of the stunned beast, one entire pack leaped onto the beast's flank and slashed at it viciously. Two Zaali went around to the beast's hindlegs and hamstringed it. The beast moaned from the pain and thrashed its head violently. One Zaal was caught too close to the horns and crumpled to the ground, winded and bleeding. Two Zaali pulled the wounded Zaal back and started tending to his wounds.

Another pack of Zaali went around the beast's midsection and began making bloody gashes across the beast's abdomen. Another two Zaali hamstringed the front legs. Three more Zaali braved the horns of the beast and went straight for the jugular. Another Zaal got too close to the horns and was flung violently in the air. Luckily, he managed to stabilize himself slightly with his wings, and hit the ground hard, but not at lethal force.

Surprisingly still able to move its legs in its death throes, the beast managed to kick yet another Zaal. Two more Zaali dragged him out of the way before more damage could be afflicted. Then the beast moved no more. The three wounded Zaali were carried in, through the holes in the wall, by no less than ten other Zaali, already talking of the mighty beast kill.

Half of the remaining Zaali began cutting strips of flesh from the beast, while the rest began repairs to the wall.

[Johel]

Rogga

North-West

The Sea herd and the River herd continued to walk north, visiting often each other as they traveled. The stories, customs and believes of these two herds became nearly identical and only the paint on their cloth could now differentiate their members. This and their physical appearance.

The Roggae of the River herd, well fed thanks to the rich banks where they fished, were large and fat, with a joyful temper and a carefree personality. Their life consisted in long walks to find useful plants and tasty fruits. When the time to get back to their camp came, the Roggae on Supply Shift went to the nets and harvested their catch. This was a relatively peaceful lifestyle, without real worry about tomorrow.

The Roggae of the Sea herd, on the other hand, had far more difficulties to find enough fruits and fish to sustain themselves. The sea was supposed to be beautiful but few fish came that close of the coast, where the risk of beaching was high. As for the fruits, most of the coastal region was devoid of forests. The only reason why the Sea herd sticked to the coastline was the faith of its members. They all wanted to find “Määr the Sea Spirit”. The situation wasn't dire, as it was still possible to eat more common plants. But those weren't as nutritive as the fruits and the fish.

Many Roggae began to scavenge on a regular basis. But this went further when a Rogga killed and ate a small rodent. So far, never had a Rogga kill to eat. Of course, decades ago, they had begun to throw stones at other animals to train their aim, scaring away both predators and competitors. But they rarely killed their “preys”. But now, understanding the potential, they would hunt. At first, they were successful, as most prey weren't worried about the clumsy mammals. But after a while, animals staid at a safe distance from them. A distance longer than the Roggae's throwing range.

This problem was answered by the creation of a simple but very efficient weapon. Merely a way to increase the length of a hunter's arm, it allowed him to throw stones with more strength and speed, though accuracy decreased at first. The design was simple : three braided hemp ropes tied to a pouch of flax where the stone was loaded. By swinging the ropes together, the hunter could increase the momentum until it reached enough speed to hit the target with strength.

This weapon was the sling and even if a lot of practice was needed to become proficient with it, the increased range and firepower it gave was worth it. The discovery was shared with the River herd which, unlike the faith-driven Sea herd, would to join the next Gathering.

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The Roggae invent the sling.
They are not good at using it yet but they have it and use it to kill small preys like rabbits, rats, ect...
For now, it's only two herds.
Next turn, the knowledge will spread to the whole species.

[slurpz]

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Uh...you know you need a range of 10 right? So no, you can't make the sling yet.

[Quixotico]

Ernvuld
Round 4

The smarter, craftier Ernvuld continue to thrive. The tools get better, the skills follow, and soon crude structures begin to dot the landscape of the Ernvuldi territory. Minimal shelter and protection as they give, it is an important step in their society.

Furthermore, through the combination of their magnetic sense and their electroshock ability, the Ernvuld have discovered the ability to make parts of their skin into weak electromagnets. The impact on their culture is weak now, only allowing them to manipulate small bits of ferrous metal, but big things could be in store.

The green moon interests the Ernvuld. They are not superstitious as a species, however, and ponder the change. Their language denies them much speculation amid themselves, as limited as it is. Nevertheless, a small number of Ernvuld take it upon themselves to celebrate the green moon with night rituals of rhythmic humming and cooing. The night song under the green moon gains a special significance in their culture.

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+1 Brain
+1 Grasping Appendages
+1 Tool Crafting
+1 Structure Crafting
+1 Electromagnetism

[Johel]

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Uh...you know you need a range of 10 right? So no, you can't make the sling yet.

"Range" in itself should not be something we gonna put EP in. It does not sound like either a biological, spiritual or even cultural thing.

I would have discussed a point like "you don't have the strength to" or "you don't have the dexterity/grasping appendage to" or even "you need more Throw Objects rank".

I asked the DM in a PM at the very beginning of the game about what would be right to get a sling and I have the required abilities and skills.

"Range" is a parameter to resolve battle, not a EP ability to sunk EP in. I don't think the "Range" EP I would put for my sling should be stacked with the range of a missile or something. You get my point ?

Now, I agree that

• strength,
• training,
• intelligence,
• dexterity
• technology

are required to create and use a weapon like a sling.

• The Roggae are expert plant weavers and are very dexterous. They've been making ropes for now 2 turns without any complain.
• The Roggae are not THE brain but if they are smart enough to throw a rock, to make ropes into a net or to craft cloth, I guess they can understand that longer arms = longer range, especially when throwing.
• The Roggae are not very strong but they are still strong enough to throw stones or so I thought. Nobody complained when I said they were throwing them without having any "Range" EP.
• The Roggae only lack training, in fact. But they still know how to throw stone and make basic tools related to their lifestyle. Training is going to come soon, don't worry.