>>42419142

1 – Savannah - high food, high threat, high population, low disease, medium water, moderate climate (hunting rolls have higher DC, but passing them brings much larger rewards)
2 - Tundra - medium food, low threat, low population, no disease, high water, harsh climate (hunting is good here, but agriculture is nearly impossible, will have to pass freezing checks in bad weather)
3 - Cloud Forest - high food, medium threat, medium population, medium disease, high water, moderate climate (many animals to hunt, but most of them dangerous. high chance for injuries to become infected)

Food refers to anything you can hunt or gather in your starting area. Threat includes both hostile fauna and hazardous terrain. Population is an aggregate of local fauna and other sentient groups, who will be rolled for from pic related. Disease and water are both pretty self-explanatory, I feel. Climate refers to severity of weather and seasonal temperature swings.

>>42419147
>3 - Cloud Forest

Rolled 89 - 20 (1d100 - 20)

OP, do you know the syntax for subtrahends on /tg/?

File: ggggg.png (6.44 MB, 2300x6400)

6.44 MB PNG

>>42419147

Forgot image.

cloud forest

>>42419201

Looks like you got it.

1d100+10 would be dice+1d100+10

1d100-10 would be dice+1d100+-10

>>42419183
>>42419224

These were just samples, I have a longer list if you guys want the full one. I was just going to leave it to you guys to write in whatever setting you wanted, but I'm fine with just providing several.

>>42419147
>Cloud Forest

Honestly, I feel like the natural evolution to the "Civil thread with a plot" concept is something along the lones of that Orc Warlord Quest.

>>42419272
>These were just samples, I have a longer list if you guys want the full one.
lets see the full list then

>>42419272
>>42419272
Fine with Cloud Forest but you can post the longer list if you want.

>>42419284

I love that quest, so consider this a less rape-y version.

>>42419306

Sure.

>>42419394

1 – Savannah - high food, high threat, high population, low disease, medium water, moderate climate (hunting rolls have higher DC, but passing them brings much larger rewards)

2 - Tundra - medium food, low threat, low population, no disease, high water, harsh climate (hunting is good here, but agriculture is nearly impossible, will have to pass freezing checks in bad weather)

3 - Cloud Forest - high food, medium threat, medium population, medium disease, high water, moderate climate (many animals to hunt, but most of them dangerous. high chance for injuries to become infected)
4 - Grasslands - medium food, high threat, medium population, medium disease, medium water, mild climate (easy to find game and drinking water, but no lumber for building, must follow herds for food)
5 - Tropical Island - low food, low threat, medium population, high disease, medium water, harsh climate (start relatively unopposed, but reach carrying capacity of the island quickly without naval research)
6 - Mana Wastes - medium food, high threat, low population, high disease, low waster, harsh climate (bonuses to magical study, but mana-based disease is prevalent and animals here are twisted, aggressive, dangerous)
7 - Oasis - medium food, low threat, low population, low disease, low water, harsh climate (perfect starting area, but will be targeted by wandering bands for water, as well as large, migratory beasts)
8 - Cold Desert - low food, low threat, low population, no disease, low water, harsh climate (very harsh environment, will be difficult to keep warm/fed/hydrated, but will receive survival boons)
9 - Boreal Forest - high food, high threat, low population, low disease, medium water, harsh climate (many large animals, but not all of them friendly. will have to pass freezing checks)
10 - Deciduous Forest - high food, medium threat, medium population, medium disease, medium water, mild climate (high supplies of lumber, game, and arable land, but also crowded)

>>42419408
>6 - Mana Wastes

>>42419408

Formatted that poorly, apologies. Any more votes or are we sticking with cloud forest?

>>42419408
Eh i'll go
>Mana Wastes
Warped animals are always fun

>>42419408
>6 - Mana Wastes

>>42419522
Still sticking with Cloud Forest.

Mana waste is too tryhard

>>42419460
>>42419546
>>42419574

Seems pretty unanimous then. Mana Wastes it is.

Now, I'm going to need two rolls from you anons. First roll for each counts, just rolling a 1d10 for the number of people in your tribe. Second roll 2d30 for neighbors from this >>42419212 image.

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>42419614

Rolled 19, 12 = 31 (2d30)

>>42419614
>>42419635
Nice!

Rolled 1, 15 = 16 (2d30)

>>42419614

Rolled 20, 21 = 41 (2d30)

>>42419614

>>42419272
I was just wondering, because a lot of people say they want to use modifiers, but only know the syntax for addends.

>>42419635

Looks like you've got a lot of company! That's actually a pretty good advantage, given how harsh the setting is.

>>42419665

And neighbors have been rolled for. Now, onto PC generation.

Write-in for name and any particular personality quirks or physical attributes. Whatever gains the most traction is what we'll go with.

Now, when rolling for actions, the modifier is based on stats -

Agility
Strength
Charisma
Intellect
Stamina

Some of the boons you can choose will grant you +5 of a given stat. When making rolls that utilize that stat, you'll be given a +5 modifier to that roll, 1d100+5. All stats begin at zero.

Boons

Wild's Calling - bonuses to hunting, tracking, archery, stealth, +AGI

Inner Fire - bonuses to combat, command, intimidation, endurance, +STR

Spirit-touched - begin with basic understanding of shamanism and spirit magic

Silvertongue - bonusus to persuasion, diplomacy, charm, morale, +CHA

Mental Gymnast - bonuses to technological research, construction, sanity checks, tactics, +INT

The Talent - begin with one elemental attunement of your choice (fire, air, earth, water)

Forms & Poems, by Alwar-Thalak - begin with understanding of written language

Indomitable - bonuses to survival, immunity, recovery, loyalty, +STA

>>42419756
Spirit-touched - begin with basic understanding of shamanism and spirit magic

We native american boys

>>42419756
How many boons can we choose? If only one, Spirit-Touched of course.

>>42419813

Only one.

>>42419756
Spirit-touched
How about magical Aztec Empire?

>>42419859
>>42419813
>>42419803

Spirit-touched it is, then. Writing.

>>42419756
Shar-Tal

Born under a new moon when the hiss-kar emerge from their skins, Shar-Tal was touched by one of the spirits of the night. Dark black hair and glinting eyes like onyx set him apart from his lighter haired brethren. Attempts to tame a native beast to gain a hunting partner and protector from the screeching haunts that fill the night. Bears the scars of the hiss-kar's three talons across his chest from his earlier failed attempt.

It all began with a tic, a nervous habit. You would rub your hands together while accompanying the other men on the hunt, anticipation rising in your gut. You noticed something, then, with all that friction. It made heat. One week later, you were grinding small sticks into each other until they began to smoke. The others have been watching you for nearly an hour now as you set up a small circle made of haphazard stones and piled dried, twisted leaves pulled from the nearby flora. The plants around here spring up from nothing and die within months, a life cycle drastically accelerated by the presence of crystallized mana.

And then, in an instant, the fire is lit. In a burst of blue flame, the detritus began to burn, slowly turning to a deep orange. You look around you, and see nine pairs of wide eyes flitting back and forth between you and the freshly lit fire. And further, beyond them, the faint wisps that form a subtly humanoid shape. You’ve seen them all your life. Your mother, before she passed, used to tell you that you had been touched by something beyond the veil of death. Everyone else simply called you mad. But you felt as though this, this fire, what they stare at with such awe, wouldn’t have been possible without their guidance. It took years to master, but you finally managed to tune out enough of the outside world to hear their whispers.

More disturbingly, however, is that you do not see your mother among their spectral forms.

>Who are you?

>>42420089
Justin Wong international man of mystery

Im terrible at coming up with this stuff

>>42420089
Guys we gotta get crazy blue glowing mana tatoos for us and our friends

>>42420089
Tezozomoc Yacateteltetl

>>42420223
>>42420159
>>42419935

Seeing one vote for spontaneously conceptualizing nationhood, one vote for blue tattoos. And one actually pretty detailed backstory. I think I'll definitely use the hiss-kar part, although starting out with a hunting companion sounds like a bit too much. If you want, that can be your first order of business once the rest of your tribe calms down about the fire.

>>42420089
PROMETHEUS, LORD OF THE FLAME

>>42420261

I dig the dedication to the Aztec theme. Want me to somehow combine these votes: >>42420305
>>42420261
>>42419935

?

>>42420280
Shar-Tal will do as a name, I do like this 'Lovecraftian prehistory' stuff.

We've always lacked the toughness of our brethren, and have had to find another way. We have a reputation for being a little mad, a little feared, a sideways thinker.

Sounds good. Writing.

>>42420376
I'm ok with it

“Shar-Tal,” says a voice, both feminine and gravely all at once, “How did you...”

Turning, you see the sand-smeared, somewhat wrinkled face of Val-Dai. The woman had seen some thirty winters, and was one of the older members of the tribe. She has always been stern with you, never tolerating your ravings about the spirits of the dead and the living force you can feel emanating from the mana crystals that dot the landscape for miles around. Since the death of your mother several years ago, she has softened somewhat. She still never indulges your propensity to speak about ghosts, but she’s definitely less harsh.

“Spirits led the way, I only walked their path,” you proclaim proudly. Val-Dai’s lack of understanding cannot possibly sour your mood. In fact, your mind is racing. You have tamed fire now, the primal force of heat. There are so many possibilities, so many things that could be done.

“Teach us how to make this,” comes a low growl. A broad, towering man, hooded and cloaked in the tanned hide of a juvenile hiss-kar, a deep purple just shy of blackness reflecting in the meager light of the fire. Turuk-Zon. Not truly the leader of the tribe, not in its full sense. But when a man of that size gives orders, people listen. He always seemed the most content when out hunting, or fighting – the latter of which he always does with a broad, wild smile stretched across his face. Turuk-Zon has always been somewhat wary of you, as though the things you saw, the things you said made him uneasy. Luckily, you’ve never had to brawl with the man.

>Be authoritative – “Bow, Turuk-Zon, and I will show you the way.”
>Be friendly – “Of course, come over here, we can make another one together.”
>Be rude – “Go catch us something to eat and I’ll think about it.”
>Write-in

>>42420440
I imagined the Hiss-Kar as a strange, magically warped mix of a snake, owl, and raptor. Now that I think of it, more like a hydra with beaks and a forked tongue.

>>42420641
>Be friendly – “Of course, come over here, we can make another one together.”

>>42420678

We're on a similar page. Large, beaked serpents who will often slither beneath loose sand in the wastes to wait for prey to wander by.

>>42420641
Be mysterious - "Pay proper respect to the spirits and they show you the way"

>>42420641
Friendly - "Of course. With the secrets of the spirits and the words of our anscestors, we will all prosper and hunt well."

“Of course. With the secrets of the spirits and the words of our ancestors, we will all prosper and hunt well. And now,” you gesture over to the glimmering fire, “we will all stay warm at night as well.”

A look of extreme unease comes over Turuk-Zon’s face, for the briefest moment, folding into a frightened grimace. Then he wills it away, and rolls his shoulders. He marches towards you, and sits down, gesturing you to do the same. You pull some of the dry tinder from the edge of the fire where it has yet to be set alight, and set it down in front of Turuk-Zon. Then you take two sticks, and sharpen the edge of one with a piece of stone, holding it out in front of you so everyone can see. Then, you begin to grind it into the other stick. Slight trails of smoke begin to form, and you pick up the pace. Then you plunge the sticks into the tinder, and blow. Small sparks of burning wood fly into the tinder, and it sets alight.

Turuk-Zon watched the whole time with an impassive look on his face. The rest of the tribe whispered and muttered amongst themselves, some gasping as the tinder caught fire. You thought you heard the word “demon” uttered somewhere. As the flame burns, the crowd settles down, and finally, Turuk-Zon speaks.

“You said,” he begins, and then pauses for a moment, “you said the spirits showed you how to do this?” You nod in reply. Another grimace flashes across Turuk-Zon’s face for a brief second before he, again, stifles it.

“Very well. I will not mislead you, Shar-Tal. You worry me. I do not like your methods, your visions, your communing with the dead. It reeks of some abomination to me,” he says, voice stern and face set grimly, “But I cannot deny that you have brought us a gift. Thank you, Shar-Tal. You have my gratitude.”

>How do you respond?
>Do you leave the fire burning overnight? You have no idea whether it would attract predators or dissuade them.

>>42421109

>And, would you like to meet the other members of the tribe tonight, or would you like to skip to tomorrow morning, where you can decide what action you take?

>>42421109

>"Thank you for looking past your unease, Turuk-Zon. We will all sleep warmly and well tonight."

>Yes

>Skip to morning

>>42421109
You frown, a passing thought lingering on your mother.

"No one ever truly dies, Turuk-Zon. The legacy that our ancestors pass on us is their wisdom, as is what we will pass on in time to our children. Should we not honor them?"

>>42421109
Leave the fire burning overnight. And lets meet the other members of the tribe by firelight. It will help us prepare for the morning.

>>42421387
>>42421405
These two together.

You frown, a passing thought lingering on the memory of your mother.

“No one ever truly dies, Turuk-Zon. The legacy that our ancestors pass on to us is their wisdom, as it is what we too will pass on to our children in time. Should we not honor them?”

Turuk-Zon eyes you warily, then gives a bestial grunt and shrugs. He immediately begins picking up dried plant matter and small, tough twigs from the ground, apparently intending to practice firestarting immediately. You grin slightly.

A small girl, her dark hair matted and messy atop her head, steps forward and, after a moment’s hesitation, gives you a hug. Sal-Lia. Her twin, Tal-Lia, looks practically identical. Both girls were twelve winters old, thin and twig-like, with eyes just slightly too big for their faces. She pulls away suddenly, and surges back to her sister and father, who musses her hair affectionately as she attempts to burrow into his side, trying to hide herself. Her father, Mor-Xat, gives you a weak smile. His mate, the girls’ mother, passed of a scorpion sting just this year. You imagine the hurt is still fresh, for both him and the girls.

A bout of bellowing laughter pierces the silence of the moment, and you turn to see Ghal-Orok nearly keeling over in hysterics. He comes up for air, his face red.

(cont.)

>>42421899

“If I knew something like this would have gotten me such attention from the ladies, I would have thought of it myself!” His voice, boisterous and booming, nearly echoes across the meager camp. Ghal-Orok had been this way as long as you could remember – loud. That said, he was always fun to be around, even if he had scared away many a hunting party’s intended prey with boasts and bawdy tales. His mate, Kee-Tha, smacks him on the back of the head, frowning. Like a reflection in the polished blue of a mana crystal, she was the perfect opposite of her mate, face perpetually wrinkled in dissatisfaction. The rumor around the tribe was that neither had ever known another lover, despite Ghal-Orok’s stories.

You feel a hand clap down roughly on your shoulder, and turn your head to find Bo-Sol, the closest thing you’ve ever had to a friend. He regularly listened to your off-color rants, and observations about a world he, nor anybody else in camp, apparently, could see. Although he never wished to accompany you to commune with the spirits (you’re not sure he even could, but you wanted to try), he supported you in the venture of taming fire readily and eagerly, often going out into the woods with you to help you find materials. He smiles broadly.

“For once, Turuk-Zon has the right of it. Well, somewhat,” you hear Turuk-Zon grunt at this before returning to work, “We are in your debt, Shar-Tal. What do you think we should do with it? Because I was thinking weapons, flaming weapons! Or, or, Shar-Tal, you remember that one time, that lightning struck the outer edge of the forest, and all those plants burned? They made us all dizzy for a week! We should go find more of those...”

You had nearly forgotten that Bo-Sol had as much a propensity for rambling as you do.

(cont.)

>>42421924

Finally, still seated a little further away from the commotion around the fire, sits Mae-Von, looking ever so slightly less pale in the warm light of the flames, her legs drawn up to her chest and arms huddling her entire, frighteningly thin body. She smiles at you, and then dips her head down into her knees again. Mae-Von was born one winter before you, but she always carried herself like a younger person. Constantly sickly as a child, she grew shy and introverted, rarely conversing with other members of the tribe. Even Ghal-Orok. And that man was difficult to ignore.

>Call it a night, it's getting late. Turuk-Zon will probably stay up, but so long as he isn't terribly loud it's not a big deal. (Skip to morning)
>Talk to someone (who?)

>>42421899
>>42421924
>>42421955

Lost my name. Apologies.

>>42421955
Smile at Sal-Lia and her father.

Lets talk to Mae-Von. She sounds like she has no one - at the very least we can ask her to help us with our communing.

"Are you cold? With this fire, now, we will not have to worry about being cold at night. The beasts will stay at bay and we can be safe."

>>42421955
In regards to the hallucinogenics, did we find we had a greater spiritual connection at the time?

And what weapons do others use? Fire weapons seem impractical without bows.

>>42422134

No, you don't recall the dizzy-grass improving your connection with the spirits of the land. If anything, it might have hampered it somewhat. This isn't to say that there aren't tons of hallucinogenic plants in the waste that would improve your connection to the spirits, though. You're in a land overrun with crystal mana deposits, shit is going to get weird often.

In regards to weapons - Turuk-Zon wields a massive wooden club, you doubt you could even left it. Everyone else has small hatchets with wooden handles and stone heads. Which should demonstrate to you anons that Bo-Sol, while quite amicable, isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.

>>42421955
>Talk to someone Mae-Von

>>42421955
>>Talk to someone (who?)

Mae-Von

>>42422338
Did we ever get any mana crystals themselves? May make some interesting jewelry at least.

Have to step out for about a half hour, will write talking to Mae-Von when I return. Keep thread bumped, please.

>>42422518

There is a superstition that prolonged contact with mana crystals causes a rabies-like madness that inevitably ends in death, but only after the victim because blindly violent and immensely strong. You're not sure if there's any truth to the rumor, as you've been in prolonged contact with the crystals many of times. Then again, you always have been a little different, maybe they affect you in another way?

>>42422578
A slow start. Hopefully things won't die off.

Thank you for your patience, anons.

Mae-Von’s mother died on the birthing bed, a winter before you were born. She was said to have been lovely, once – full figured, with wide hips and a bright, beaming smile. She took ill while pregnant, one of countless maladies and afflictions that call the wastes home, and the struggle of delivery proved more than she could bear. The illness ravaged her body, turning her gaunt and pale, not unlike how Mae-Von has looked for as long as you can remember.

You motion for her to come over and join you by the fire. She frowns, stands up, and walks away into the darkness. You’re confused, until you hear the sound of shuffling feet slowly making their way back over towards the fire. Mae-Von reappears, her massive knot of leathers and furs in tow, straining with the effort of pulling her makeshift bed. Even in the heat of the wastes she was prone to shivering, and you always figured the monstrosity of a bed she kept was meant to combat that somewhat.

She finally drags the furs and leathers close to the fire, and promptly falls flat onto them, stifling a laugh. She looks up and smiles again.

“This is nice,” she says softly.

“Warmer?” you reply. She nods vigorously. Or as vigorously as she is able to. “Good,” you say.

“Shar-Tal?”

“Yes?”

She lowers her voice a little more, and sits up to whisper to you.

“I saw you and Bo-Sol sneaking off into the woods for the last few days. Were the spirits out there? Is that how you spoke with them?”

>How do you respond?

Also, I made a twitter to keep you updated on threads. @sparkQM

>>42423200
>>How do you respond?

They are everywhere, and nowhere. Our ancestors are always watching over us.

>>42423200

"The forest gave me this." point to sticks and tinder, "But the spirits showed me the way."

>>42423200
"The spirits are in the shadows. But you can only see the shadows when there is light."

>>42423318

Seconding this, we'll start an Ancestor Cult if it's the last thing we do

“They are everywhere and nowhere. Our ancestors are always watching over us. They guided me to the forest, I learned this from them there. The forest merely provided the materials,” you say. Mae-Von looks a little confused, but she nods her head in assent anyway, before curling up into a ball, wedged between furs and leathers.

“Thank you,” she says, and then goes quiet once more.

The morning wakes you, intense sunlight pouring through your eyelids and rousing you from restful sleep, something you feel not many of the tribe have had in a long time. As you get up and stretch, however, you see a number of dark clouds to the west. There’s no telling whether or not the storm will head in your direction – the winds of the wastes are quite fickle – but should it come to meet you, you’ll need to find some more adequate shelter, or risk being washed away by the frequent flash floods that accompany seasonal storms.

You look over the tribe, several of them wide awake. Turuk-Zon nods his head when you meet his gaze, a gesture you return. Ghal-Orok and his mate are still dozing peacefully, as is Bo-Sol, but everybody else appears to be up and about. Mae-Von sits at her normal distance from the rest of the camp, weaving pieces of dried, dead grass together, likely for another basket. As she was too frail to hunt or even gather food, she often contented herself to manage the camp whenever the others were off looking for food, weaving baskets and creating small figurines from reeds, grasses, and dried tendons from kills.

You suppose you shouldn’t be surprised, but everyone has begun to stare at you expectantly. Even Mae-Von takes her eyes from her handiwork to gaze upon you.

What should you do today?

(cont)

>>42423523


>Meditate, listen to the spirits. The tribe seems to be looking to you for guidance, but you haven’t the faintest idea how to lead them.

>Accompany Turuk-Zon on the day’s hunt. You’ve never been a terribly skilled or strong hunter, but you’re light on your feet and can read trails preternaturally well if you allow yourself to close off from the material plane and listen to the spirits of the wastes, or the crystal voices.

>Help Mae-Von with the chores and basketweaving. You're not exactly experience, but you feel you have nimble enough fingers for the task.

>Goof off with Bo-Sol. He’s always a good time, and last night seemed to put him in a stellar mood.

>Study or practice something (write-in)

>Other (write-in)

>>42423542
>>Meditate, listen to the spirits. The tribe seems to be looking to you for guidance, but you haven’t the faintest idea how to lead them.

And then depending on how long this takes either accompany Turuk-Zon or if he has left already help Mae-Von, gotta stay useful

>>42423570
Seconding except not the basket weaving

>>42423542
>Accompany Turuk-Zon on the day's hunt.
>Water seems scarce, but maybe there is an area where there is mud for brickmaking.

>>42423542
thirding

>>42423613
>>42423570

Meditating then going hunting. You can do both, meditation will be cut short a little bit, though.

Just to inform you, meditation will gradually up your shamanic abilities. This allows you to become more in touch with your surroundings, eventually being able to manipulate the energy of living things. You will be able to heal yourself and others, strengthen your mind against the many strange mental afflictions that are abound in the wastes, and even drain the life energy from foes, should you wish to.

Writing.

>>42423668
Can we also imbue the life energy of our surroundings in others? Heal in a more spiritual sense?

You announce with no small amount of brevity that you will be meditating for a while, and then you approach Turuk-Zon.

“Will you please rouse me when you are set to leave on the hunt?” you ask. He grunts, then shrugs, and walks away mumbling. You’re pretty sure that’s a yes. You walk some ten minutes away from the camp, where a low overhang of rust-colored rocks peaks upward like a wave from the packed earth of the wastes. Your people always made sure to camp in areas where the ground was firm, not loose and sandy, as the latter often hid hiss-kar just beneath the surface. Fully grown, the great serpents could easily pluck any number of your group, even the towering Turuk-Zon, and drag them under the sand to die in an instant.

You walk into the shade beneath the outcropping, and sit down with your legs crossed, letting your entire body slacken and relax. Your head bows slowly downward as you attempt to find the trance. It is elusive at first, but you are able to calm your mind and focus, and suddenly, you feel it. Feather-light, nearly weightless, you feel yourself drifting. When you open your eyes, the world is not as you left it. The entirety of the wastes are a deep, dusky shadow, the only light provided by the soft glow of anything living. Some small shrubs twenty paces from you, small insects occasionally skittering along the ground, trailing a soft white light behind them as they go about their day.

As you slip deeper into the trance, you see the faintest outlines of faces begin to appear, most completely unrecognizable and hardly detailed. But the harder you focus on them, the more they seem to fade.

Roll 1d100+5, best of first three, rolls without modifier will not be counted.

>>42423686

You could, but the land around you isn't exactly fertile, and life energy imbued with such excessive amounts of mana (as practically everything is in the wastes) could have unintended side effects, potentially dangerous ones, on those you wish to heal.

Rolled 8 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>42423790

Rolled 46 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>42423790

Rolled 12 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>42423790

>>42423810
>>42423821
>>42423844

51 highest roll. Near failure. Writing.

You attempt to calm your mind, to try and bring the spirits into focus. That state of harmony between the material and the ethereal eludes you, however, and you spend the better part of an hour simply trying to find your rhythm. The faces flicker in and out, never fully forming in your visions. Furthermore, you still haven’t seen the one person you look for, even subconsciously, every time you slip into a trance. Mother.

A massive hand lays its weight upon your shoulder, and you are roused from your meditation. Above you stands the massive Turuk-Zon, accompanied by Bo-Sol and Ghal-Orok, both wielding wooden spears with sharp stone tips. Turuk-Zon hefts his massive club over his shoulder with his free hand.

“Are you ready, Spiritwalker? It’s getting hot.”

You nod in assent, and Turuk-Zon hands you a small hatchet, the stone head of the weapon looking freshly sharpened. When you place your finger to the edge, it draws a drop of blood.

The hunting party takes off, marching outwards into the eerie silence of the wastes. However, it does not stay silent for long.

“I cannot thank you enough for that fire, Shar-Tal,” he says loudly, and pats you on the back so brusquely you nearly choke. “My woman couldn’t keep her hands off me all night long. Fire does something to them, I’m telling you!” He laughs. Bo-Sol grins wickedly, and punches Ghal-Orok in the side. Turuk-Zon, as usual, looks on impassively. After an hour of walking, the massive man turns to you.

“Find us a trail, Spiritwalker.”

>Roll 1d100

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>42424013

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>42424013

Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>42424013

>>42424062
>>42424044
>>42424023

70 highest. You've definitely caught a trail. Writing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pcGGKtPpSE

You sit down once more and close your eyes. The sounds of Bo-Sol and Ghal-Orok ribbing each other with a variety of colorful insults begin to drift away from your focus, and within minutes, you find a different world before you. Small trails of light linger, shooting in seemingly every direction. As barren as the wastes can seem, entering your trances is always a reminder that the place is nowhere near as dead as it looks. Most of the trails are tiny, small critters and insects no doubt, and not exactly what you’d want to bring back from a hunt. You let the calm wash over you, and the faint outline of a much larger trail makes itself visible, heading north. You snap back to the material.

“This way,” you motion, and begin walking where the trail points you. You can still hold enough focus to see traces of light at the corners of your vision, subtle cues that let you know you’re heading in the right direction. After walking some ways, the party comes to an area overgrown by twisted, oddly colored vegetation and several large blue mana crystals jutting outward from the ground at sharp, violent angles. You push your way through the growth, brushing against the crystals with ease. When you turn your head, you see that everyone else in the party is looking at them nervously, shying away from contact.

(cont.)

>>42424276

As suddenly as it appeared, the vegetation and short trees give way to a clearing. And in the clearing, five large quadrupeds, digging in the grassy ground with their horrifying mandibles – two sharp, spiny claws protruding on either side of their toothy maws which dig at the packed earth like tiny hands. They are covered in fur so coarse and thick it is nearly like the spines on either edge of their mouths, rust-colored like so much of the dirt and rock around here. Each of them is nearly eight feet in length, broad and walking low to the ground, save for one, who is a great deal bigger than the rest of the pack, nearly twice the size of the others. You suppose that would be the matriarch.

Kovos, you were told to call them on one of your first hunts years ago. Rare, and amazingly useful creatures whose pelts can be converted to sleeping bags and tough cloaks, who are often loaded with great stores of fat in their broad bodies to keep them nourished during thin times, and whose bones are strong enough to use as weapons. The matriarch’s femur was probably so large only Turuk-Zon could wield it.

>Will you attempt to bag the matriarch, or settle for one of the smaller Kovos

>Write-in a plan of attack. The better the plan, the lower the DC.

>>42424298

Settle for one of the smaller Kovos, we need to find a way to split them from the group, harass them from the edges and when they circle up of flee go for the one most apart from the others.

Are they carnivores or herbivores?

>>42424298
The males will defend the matriarch most likely, and they all are quite larger than all of us. Lets watch the group for signs of weakness, and study the surroundings and their behavior. With just our axes, this will be quite a challenge.

>>42424431

Herbivores. They are absolutely terrifying to look at, but they use those freaky mouths to dig around in the earth for roots and tubers.

>>42424459

Excellent, this means we can use the herd mentality against them, first though, as >>42424440 said we need to stalk and study them. Watch for weakness.

>>42422338
>You're in a land overrun with crystal mana deposits
How does it look like? I can't picture it in my head

>>42424484

Think barren badlands with sparse vegetation, something like the southwestern USA. Then replace a solid half of all those free standing rock outcroppings with towering blue crystals. And make the plants look weird and mutated.

>>42424512
Lets take a piece of crystal back for study later.

>>42424480
>>42424440
>>42424431

So we're content to observe for now, and will focus on one of the smaller males. Did you guys want to try to separate one from the herd, and surround it? The animals are not very fast, but they could easily just walk right over you.

>>42424298

Have Turuk-Zon sneak around the edge of the clearing to the opposite side, then us, Bo-Sol, and Ghal-Orok will run out screaming and waving our weapons around, and try to force the herd to run towards Turuk-Zon. He'll hide behind some bushes until one gets close, then jump out and smash it over the head with his club.

Do we even know how tough the hides of these animals are?

>>42424551
That's an important behavior. Do they startle easily? If we shocked the pack and split them up, we could whittle them down that way. Indians with the buffalo. Sans cliffs.

>>42424576

This seems like a solid plan, but try to force the herd off to the side of Turuk, we wouldn't want him to be trampled by the herd then he can ambush one of them as they run past

>>42424576
I like this plan. Is there anyway to get a better weapon than a club though?

Rolled 19, 22, 77 = 118 (3d100)

>>42424628

They're difficult for a lot of wasteland predators to take down, so they aren't hunted often. But if a bunch of odd creatures on two legs rush at them screaming loudly and waving sharp things around they'll probably try to get the hell out of there.

>>42424643

Currently you only have stone tools. You can always spend time developing more advanced tools, but you will need their prerequisite materials and some good rolls. Remember, this is Stone Age stuff.

There will, however, be some timeskips as the quest progresses, so you could always save your technological research for those, if you don't want to be it on-screen all the time.

>So, we're sending Turuk around to deliver the death blow while we spook the creatures to head in his direction?

Roll me 1d100 for how well you perform. My rolls are for Turuk, Bo, and Ghal in that order.

Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>42424699
Rollin'

Stone is good, as long as we can skin the bastard and make spears /axes.

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>42424699

Come on, we need to cover for Turuk

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>42424699

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>42424699

>>42424756

Nice save. Writing.

You detail the plan to your compatriots, and Turuk sets off to sneak around the edge of the clearing into the growth at the opposite side. You, Ghal-Orok, and Bo-Sol all group up together, knocking your heads together lightly as is custom before a hunt. However, as Turuk-Zon pads along the edge of the clearing, the man’s size and broadness make it impossible for him to do so unheard, and the sound of crunching leaves, broken twigs, and scattered rocks draw the cautious stares of the Kovos. They see the massive man crouch in the brush opposite you, you’re sure, but to his credit Turuk sticks to the plan.

You raise up from your crouch, hatchet held above your head, and let out the fiercest scream you can muster. All that time spent floating amongst the spirits of the forest has endowed you with quite a bit of familiarity with the living denizens of the wastes, and the sound you make is absolutely bestial. The Kovos interest is drawn immediately away from Turuk to you, and you emerge running from the vegetation surrounding the clearing, weapon raised. The rest of your party follows you, Ghal-Orok moving surprisingly quick for his girth, and Bo-Sol lagging behind, holding his spear over his shoulder as though preparing to throw.

The Kovos react immediately to your charge, and seeming to forget about Turuk, they attempt to flee in his general direction. You can see Turuk crouching amongst the shrubs and trees, trying to move to a position where he can intercept the fleeing beasts. When they reach the hunter, he explodes out from the brush in a flurry of leaves, club held high. He swings downward to meet one of the smaller male Kovos, but the blow is glancing, and Turuk is thrown off balance. This proves costly for the man, as the matriarch sees her opportunity and rushes forward to defend her mate, and slams into Turuk, throwing him backwards. Suddenly, you see a spear arc over the edge of your vision, and land harmlessly to the side of the matriarch.

(cont)

>>42424950

Ghal-Orok surges past you with a speed you didn’t know he had, and he leaps atop the nearest male Kovo, digging his spear deep into the animal’s back. The beast screams and attempts to flee, but Ghal holds on to the weapon tight. The creature’s coarse, bristly fur, however, is enough to score a series of deep cuts into your comrades chest, arms, and thighs. The blood runs, but none of the cuts, for the moment, look very deep.

Inspired by Ghal’s performance, you let out another roar, and charge forward, leaping into the middle of the herd.

>Try to save Turuk from the matriarch (1d100-10)

>Help Ghal-Orok wrangle the male Kovo (1d100+10)

>Other (write-in)

Rolled 40 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>42424971
Try to save Turuk from the matriarch.

Hard, but not impossible.

Rolled 66 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>42424971

Rolled 38 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>42424971

>>42425089
That was meant to be a 10 -

>>42425116

You will have to re-roll then, my friend. Unless you want to keep that roll for helping Ghal-Orok.

Rolled 75 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>42424971

Help Turuk

>>42425168
Let's just use this roll...

Rolled 91 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>42425063

>>42425175

There does seem to be a pretty solid consensus for helping Turuk. Writing.

Rolled 1 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>42425129
Fuck that
>>42425168
Thanks you
>>42424971

>>42425191

That should be three rolls with the proper modifiers

>>42425194
God damit! And thank god that didn't count

>>42425194
All 4 hunters die then the Kovos run into the camp and kill the women

>>42425255
It was a + so it still don't count

81, success.

You leave Ghal-Orok to continue his surely painful riding of the small male Kovo, and you see Bo-Sol rushing to pick up his spear out of the corner of your eye. You, however, rush towards Turuk and the matriarch. The animal has just flung him backwards, the large man attempting to recover his balance as he shakily rises from the blow. The matriarch seems determined to show no quarter, however, and she rushes Turuk. She could do some serious damage with that sort of momentum, and you decide you have to put a stop to it, lest the tribe lose its strongest member.

You get a running start, and leap onto the side of the matriarch. She stands much taller than the squat males, her legs both longer and more powerful. You bring the hatchet down with one hand and grab onto a clump of coarse, spiky fur, scoring a series of shallow cuts into your palm. You fight through the sting, however, and find purchase. Your hatchet is buried deep in the creatures side, and it shrieks loudly, veering off course and allowing Turuk time to rise and get his wits about him.

As the matriarch veers off from your comrade, she banks steeply to the side of her you’re holding onto. Your weight is apparently throwing her balance off by no small amount. As she turns violently, she crashes into one of her males, causing her to stumble and the male to tumble underneath her. You barely manage to pull yourself up in time to avoid being crushed as the massive creature topples onto her side. The male is clearly dazed, and looks to be going nowhere fast. The matriarch however, is clawing for purchase on the ground, trying to right herself. You sit straddled on the opposite haunch you assaulted, the hatchet still buried into the creature’s thick hide, out of your reach for now.

(cont)

>>42425411

You hear a roar from behind you, and for a moment you panic at the thought of a terror bird coming to claim your hunt, or your life. Turning to meet your doom, you instead see Turuk rushing towards you, a flurry of movement. For his size, he is extremely strong, and can move with incredible speed when motivated, even if he can’t turn on a dime like you or Bo.

He charges and raises his club, bringing it down atop the matriarch’s head as she attempts to scrabble up onto her legs again. The blow dazes the massive creature, but she is far from out.

>Get the hell off this thing, Turuk is safe now and it’s far too dangerous. Focus on the male she nearly crushed beneath her.

>You’ve already come this far, go for the kill. A matriarch would keep the tribe fed for a while, and there’s a lot of warm hide to be had.

>Abandon ship completely, grab Turuk and run towards your other tribesmen to help.

>Other (write-in)

Roll me 1d100 along with your plan of action. Remember that clever write-ins can lower DCs.

Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>42425430
>>You’ve already come this far, go for the kill. A matriarch would keep the tribe fed for a while, and there’s a lot of warm hide to be had

It would be best to go ahead and kill the biggest threat while we've an advantage

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>42425520
this

>>42425430
Do we have any other weapons now that we've lost our hatchet?

Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>42425430
>>You’ve already come this far, go for the kill. A matriarch would keep the tribe fed for a while, and there’s a lot of warm hide to be had.

Not to mention that she is currently crushing a male as well, that even more meat and hide.

Swing off of her and recover our hatchet. Then while she is dazed go for her throat. We have a sharp weapon and it should be exposed. While we do this if we can reach out to her spirit and life energy and thank her for her help to the tribe. Making sure that we are strong and well fed.

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>42425430
>You’ve already come this far, go for the kill. A matriarch would keep the tribe fed for a while, and there’s a lot of warm hide to be had.
Go for the head

>>42425554

You do not. But Turuk has his club. And you did just roll a 90. As the consensus seems to be going for the matriarch, that's what I will write.

The matriarch rears up in shock after Turuk’s savage blow to her head, and she bucks wildly, trying to throw you off as she dismounts the male, who quickly scrambles in the opposite direction. The matriarch begins to run again, faster than the males but not fast enough to outpace Turuk, who is following you in a sprint, trying to bash his club against the matriarch’s legs at the joints in an attempt to knock her off balance.

“Shar-Tal, get off! Did you hear me? Get off its back!” he yells between his panting breaths. You have another idea. A better idea.

You pull yourself further up the beast’s back until your head is right above its. You clamp your legs down on either side of the Kovo’s broad neck, tightly enough to draw the creature’s attention. It’s two ovoid, beady black eyes rotate up to meet your gaze just an instant before you plunge your hands downward, gripping around each thick, sharp mandible tightly. And with the purchase gained from your thighs gripping the matriarch, you straighten your back and pull with all your might. For a moment you think you have just made a tremendous mistake, the strength with which the mandibles are trying to retract seems more than you can bear.

You close your eyes and roar once more, redoubling your efforts. A strange shudder passes through the body of the beast, and when you open your eyes something is different. A light is emanating not just from the animal, but from you as well. In fact, it almost appears to be evaporating out of the Kovo like so much steam, and flowing directly into your chest. You’re not sure what it means, but you do have an idea. You lean back and pull again, attempting to will the light of life away from the matriarch and into you. And it does.

(cont)

>>42425822

The feeling that surges through your body makes you ecstatic, exulting in the pleasure of inhuman strength. You pull, and the mandibles snap clean off, leaking bright red blood from their severed stalks as you hold them in your hands. In the corner of your vision, Turuk stops running, coming to a dead stop. You rotate the sharp mandibles in your hand, and let out a fierce roar before you plunge them by the sharp end into each of the Kovo’s eyes. It squeals hideously, and stumbles to the ground. The force of the fall pushed the spikes deeper into each eye, apparently reaching the brain, as the massive creature slackens harshly and tumbles to the ground, tossing you off its neck violently.

The wind is knocked from your lungs as you slam into the ground, and you feel the power in your chest a second ago flood out of you. You feel limp, odd, somewhat nauseous even. You lay on the ground for what feels like forever, trying to regain and regulate your breathing. When you open your eyes, the shadow of Turuk-Zon looms over you.

“You are most definitely an abomination, Spiritwalker. Congratulations on your kill, this is our most successful hunt in many seasons, thanks to you,” the broad hunter turns around without ceremony and draws a small stone knife from his pocket, walking toward the felled Kovo. He feels with his free hand along the creature’s neck for a moment, and upon finding his mark, plunges the knife in deep. When he withdraws the blade, blood comes out in a torrent. It will take considerable weight out of the corpse when you haul it back.

>Respond to Turuk?

>Go find your other companions?

>Write-in?

>>42425837

I would still like to perform a small ritual to thank the Kovos spirit and to perhaps bless the next hunt. We're the first shaman of the tribe and thus it is up to us to figure out the magic and use it to the benefit of our tribe.

I have to idea how to respond to Turuk

>>42425837
>Go find your other companions?

>>42425837

Supporting this >>42425899

Mention that the hunt is not over yet, there could be things that are hunting us right now.

>>42425837
Spread some of the Kovo blood in the ground and meditate over it. Try to make some ritual or enter in contact with the matriarch spirit to honor it

>>42425837
Respond say to him

" I am not an abomination, clan mate, just a conduit for the life energy that flows through us and all living things."

Also take the mandibles as some sort of trophy blade. Maybe make some shaman kit with some of the creature, either a necklace or bones or the mandible blade etc...

>>42425899
>>42425952
>>42425968

Writing a ritual commune with the spirit of the dead Kovo matriarch (roll me 1d100+5 for this action), and then finding your other two friends.

Rolled 23 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>42426026
Lets hope we don't freak out Turuk by covering ourselves with blood.

Rolled 42 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>42426026
>Writing a ritual commune with the spirit of the dead Kovo matriarch (roll me 1d100+5 for this action),

Rolled 4 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>42426026

>>42426089
We gave him fire and food supplies enough for a long time. He can't contest us

>>42426021

Supporting the taking of trophies

Rolled 46 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>42426026

>>42426134
>>42426021
>>42426021

Most definitely the trophy and shaman garb

You get up and walk over to the matriarch’s corpse, and hold your hands out beneath the puncture on her neck where her lifeblood is draining away steadily. With two hands full, you then dump the blood atop your head, letting it trickle down your bare chest to your sweat-stained leathers below. Cupping your hands beneath the puncture again, you take several more handfuls, and begin to draw a circle around yourself with spatters of thick, sappy blood. The smell, like copper and pine, sticks in your nostrils. As you clean up the edges of the circle with more blood, Turuk turns to you and gawks.

“Spiritwalker, what the fuck are you do…” His voice fades away into obscurity as you take a seat and enter your trance, the connection with the Kovo matriarch made stronger and more immediate by the copious amount of her blood you have taken for use in the ritual. When you blink your eyes open, you see the Kovo standing in front of you, sharp and vivid. So lifelike, in fact, that you nearly stumble over your own feet trying to leap backwards, away from the beast. It simply stands there, placid and unmoving, but staring into your eyes without blinking.

“Thank you, spirit, for the bounty you have given us,” you say. You don’t exactly know where to start with this sort of thing. You’ve never communed with the spirit of anything you’ve killed yourself. Until you managed to draw some of the life from the Kovo into yourself, you didn’t know any way to do so. Tugging on the primal energies of the animal bestowed something upon you, although you can’t quite figure out what it is yet. The Kovo makes no response, vocal or otherwise, so you continue awkwardly.

“I am sorry for having taken your life, spirit. It was not in malice…” you begin, only to be cut off by a loud snort coming from the animal. It looks at you now with unmistakable hatred in its eyes, and without warning charges directly for you.

(cont)

>>42426368

The spirit passes through you, doing seemingly no damage to your person but leaving your chest knotted in phantom pain. You double over, thrown for your trance, and vomit into the middle of the ritual circle on the material plane. Your eyes adjusts to their changed surroundings, only to be once again met by the concerned glare of Turuk-Zon. Despite his grim visage, however, part of you feels at peace, and an idea springs into your head unbidden, seemingly from a force outside yourself.

You should not apologize for taking the Kovo’s life. It is against the order of things, for the predator to beg forgiveness from its prey. The matriarch knew the way of things, she was probably more connected to the natural order of the universe than you are or will ever be. That is the wisdom of the wild – the knowledge that all nature’s moving parts, no matter how gruesome or cruel, serve the purpose of balance. Death is not to be mourned by the deceased, but celebrated by the living. For this death has served a purpose.

“Back so soon?” Turuk chides. You nod, and rise, still covered in blood that is quickly becoming sticky and uncomfortable. Still, you feel a certain pride, coated in the life of your fallen foe. You feel powerful.

Turuk states that he will stay behind and guard the corpse, and you make your way back to the clearing. Ghal and Bo are nowhere to be seen, and neither are the male Kovos. However, you do hear a rustling coming from the vegetation on the far side of the clearing.

>Investigate?

>Call out for your companions?

>Other (write-in)

>>42426379
>Call out for your companions?

>>42426379
>Use our spirit voodoo to see

>>42426379

They may be stalking or hiding themselves and shouting would give away their position. On the other hand it might not be them at all so yeah investigation seems smart

>>42426477
Dey dead, nigga

>>42426477
Try this , if not just call out. Fight whatever tried to take our food

>>42426379
investigate

Sensing danger, you crouch low and approach the rustling brush with meticulous caution, making certain to keep your footsteps as quiet as possible. Luckily, sneaking about has always been one of your strong suits, and when you reach the bush you feel as though you have made it there undetected. Slowly you brush the leaves and branches, gnarled and twisted things the color of a sunset, to the side, and peer into the vegetation.

Bo and Ghal are squatted over the corpse of one of the male Kovos, hastily cutting into the animal while they survey their surroundings fervently. Ghal has his stone knife plunged just beneath the beast’s hide, skinning it, while Bo works at the thicker cuts of flesh on the flanks and haunches, a small pile of fillets stacked up next to him atop a piece of tanned leather.

You immediately roll your eyes back into your head in an attempt to summon the spirit world to your vision without sitting down to meditate. It only works for an instant, but that instant is enough to inform you of the reason for your comrades’ haste in butchering the animal. Two lithe, tall shapes atop long legs ending in long, sharp talons, hidden in the brush, simply observing for now. Terror Birds. Your friends must have heard the pair squawking to each other, and are trying to pry as much off the corpse before the birds arrive.

>Get their attention, convince them to flee. You have another kill you can take back, let the birds have this one

>Call out to the Terror Birds and try to draw them into the open. They are absolutely deadly when they strike from the shadows, but in the open where they are more visible you will be on more even footing. [ROLL HIGH]

>Grab a few of the fillets Bo was cutting and toss them where you saw the faint outlines of the Terror Birds, maybe it will distract them enough to cover your getaway with meat and hide in tow.

>Other (write-in)

>>42426778

And I forgot to mention, roll me a 1d100 for whatever action you choose.

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>42426778
>Grab a few of the fillets Bo was cutting and toss them where you saw the faint outlines of the Terror Birds, maybe it will distract them enough to cover your getaway with meat and hide in tow.

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>42426778
First option. Let's not push our luck, grab what they have and go.

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>42426824
this

>>42426824
Nvm , I switch my roll (>>42426834) to vote for this high one.

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>42426778
Let the birds have the male.

>>42426778
In the future, it would be better to choose the action first, and then have folks roll on it.

Rolled 21 (1d100)

Drop a Road Roller on the Terror Birds.

Show them the power of The World.

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>42426824
this

>>42426824

Writing for this.

While I do so, why don't you anons vote on whether you want to change the system to this anon's suggestion: >>42426880

Actually, can we refer to the spirits in general, or at least the nature and all as The World? Preferably mispronounced sometimes as Za Warudo?

Please?

We would have proper bestial roar: Wryyyyy....

>>42426975
Yeah, that's the way it's usually done, choose then roll. Stops people choosing their votes based on good or bad rolls.

>>42426975
8 hours so far, spark. An impressive marathon session.

>>42427013
Yep.

>>42426975
Will you be making this threads daily? I'm leaving but want to keep in touch

>>42427198
He did drop a twitter back there.

You surge forth from the bushes, drawing twin looks of shock from both Ghal and Bo, the former quickly replacing his surprise with an index finger held over his lips, motioning for your silence. You ignore the man, and instead reach down to Bo’s pile of fillets and begin tossing them in the general direction of the terror birds, eliciting loud squawks of surprise and delight. The vegetation rustles where you chucked the steaks, and you grab Bo by the scruff of his neck.

“We got the big one, grab everything you can carry and come with me. Let the birds take this one,” you say. Ghal nods vigorously and rips the piece of skin he was working on from the corpse with a savage violence. Bo looks downtrodden as he gathers up the rest of the meat he’s pried from the Kovo’s bones, but he follows the order as well. The three of you run out into the clearing, Ghal and Bo following you towards where Turuk is guarding the bigger kill. When you arrive there, all is well, Turuk leaning lazily on the haunch of the fallen matriarch.

“Spirits, Shar. You took this thing down?” Bo says, wrapping his various fillets in a strip of dried leather and tying the top with twine, a simple, thin braid of dead grasses.

“I’m still not quite sure what he did to it. Stank of –“ Turuk begins, only to be cut off by Ghal-Orok.

“Abomination,” Ghal finishes the big man’s sentence for him, “So fucking what, Turuk? Look at the size of this thing. We ought to be able to sit on our asses for at least a couple days with a catch like this.” The bearded man is practically beaming, his wide smile plastered across his somewhat pockmarked face. He claps you on the back with, again, far more force than is appropriate for the gesture. But you recover quickly this time.

“We should get moving. What I tossed those birds won’t be enough to hold them over for long. Let’s drag the corpse back to camp, we don’t have time to butcher it here.”

(cont)

>>42427281

“You got it, chief,” Bo says with mock reverence. Turuk gives your friend a withering stare, and you think you saw Bo take a nervous gulp. He averts his eyes from the massive hunter, and begins to pull various thin leather ropes from a satchel slung over his back. The four of you converge on the ropes, tying them in knots around various parts of the dead Kovo, and then wrapping them between and through your fingers to get purchase. Lifting both arms over each shoulder, you each take your places on the same side of the Kovo, and you start to pull.

You, and surely the other members of the sortie, feel a moment of sheer panic as the corpse at first refuses to budge. But with a mighty pull, Turuk roars and strains his muscles harder, and the beast comes lose from the earth’s grip. Travel will be slow with such a weight dragging behind you, but you head off in the direction of camp all the same.

>Roll me 1d100+5 for the return journey

>>42427056

Thank you. Although I'm a very slow writer, so it kind of evens things out.

>>42427198

Probably not daily on the regular, but I will be running tomorrow.

Re-dropping twitter. @sparkQM

I'll announce threads ~1 hour before they go up.

And consider the rolling mechanics changed. Vote, come to consensus, then roll.

Rolled 91 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>42427297

Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>42427297

Rolled 24 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>42427297

>>42427297
Hrm. I was hoping for a Strong Hunter + Mental Oriented Mage combo, but it seems that our friend is too small-minded. That's a problem.

Rolled 66 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>42427297

Rolled 43 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>42427297

>>42427322

Writing for this roll.

We'll be winding down after this post, but I'll stick around for some Q&A, suggestions, etc. afterward.

>>42427368
Some suggestions:
Write up a bestiary in detail with some descriptions so it's easier to copy-paste than having to write things fresh.
Its good if you can do a lore dump of what the character knows so we are on a better planning footing.

>>42427368
Damn it I was too late.

Much to your surprise, once you get a little bit of momentum going the four of you synergize quite well, and make much shorter work of the trip back than you had expected. As you walk, however, you feel an odd sensation settle in your gut. A feeling like you are being beckoned, even seduced.

“Stop, please,” you state simply. Ghal and Bo both gladly obey, and drop their part of the load with contented exhaustion, quickly doubling over and trying in vain to catch their breath. Turuk glares at you.

“We’re close, Spiritwalker. We should push forward,” he says.

“We’ll get moving shortly, I promise. I just…need to check something. I have a feeling gnawing at me.”

“Better listen to him then,” Bo says between ragged breaths, “He’s usually not wrong about these sorts of things. One time, oh, I don’t know, three winters ago…was it three, Shar? I can’t quite –“Your friend’s voice filters into white noise as you make your way towards a thicket of purple plants, and you push through them without concern. It is frightfully overgrown here, and some of the branches hold spines that prick you hard enough to draw a small quantity of blood. But, given the amount that you’re already wearing, you doubt anyone would even notice.

Finally, the thicket clears out some, revealing two towering blue crystals sitting on opposite sides of a small pool, azure blue. Beyond the pool a sheer hill face sprang up, like one side of a small canyon. Within the rock, however, was a cave. Sharp rocks hung down from the upper lip of the cave entrance, giving the impression of fangs. You are still some distance away from the cave, but you try to stare into its inky blackness anyway. You feel your eyes are about to cross from the focus you’re exerting, and then you see a flash of light. Not the soft white glow of a living creature, but rather a cloyingly bright green, bright enough to leave a spot in your vision.

(cont)

>>42427801


“We need to get a move on, Shar!” you hear Turuk-Zon call for you in the distance, the sounds of your companions suddenly not sitting so far back in the distance of a trance. You take one last look at the cave, and return to the corpse. Bo and Ghal seem to have caught their breath, and stand at the ready. Turuk stands with both hands bound in leather cords, stamping his foot against the earth with anxious energy.

“I don’t want to be out here when it gets dark, Spiritwalker. You may be able to commune with the night cats, but I seem to lack such skill. Forgive me for not placing my security in you completely,” he says, voice dripping with sarcasm and irritation. Not wanting to provoke the man, you merely nod your head in assent and re-wrap the leathers around your hands. With a grunt, the four of you are on the move again, less than an hour before you reach camp.

As you walk it occurs to you that, even after hours of pulling the heavy corpse, you aren’t all that tired.

***

You’re going to have to get used to seeing that expression on people’s faces, you think as you approach. The look of shock, disbelief, tinged ever so slightly with a trace of pure, animal fear. Panic at the coming of the unknown. Val-Dai and Mae-Von are looking at your hunting party with very same expression painted across their faces. It’s Val-Dai who breaks through her shock to speak first, however.

“What’s the occasion?” she quips, apparently enough to draw Mae-Von out of her reverie. She giggles softly. Mor-Xat and his daughters come to you as well, the older man trying to hold his children in check as they struggle to break free of his grip and come flying over to the corpse of the matriarch.

You merely smile, and remove the two sharp mandibles from where you had nestled them amongst the Kovo’s coarse fur.

(cont)

>>42427818

>Would you like to attempt to craft something out of the mandibles or any other part of the kill? Something practical, such as a weapon, or symbolic, such as a trophy necklace or some kind of fetish to be hung about our person? First to three votes

As the tribe all eagerly digs into the massive corpse of the Kovo matriarch, you afford yourself a moment to relax and reflect. Turuk isn’t exactly prone to exaggeration – he spoke true when he stated that the animal will keep the tribe well-fed for days. You let your gaze wander off towards the horizon, the setting sun casting rays of light so deep and dark they could almost be burgundy in color. Probably one of the nicer parts about life in the wastes, you muse.

A pungent smell brings you back to your senses, and your stomach begins to groan in frustration. You turn back to the camp and see Mae-Von huddled next to the fire, a small piece of meat skewered on a wooden stick roasting over the flames. The rest of the tribe looks on in confused curiosity, before they eventually imitate the frail woman. As you walk back to join your fellows around the fire, however, your gaze wanders upwards once more, to the west. And you see a bank of dark storm clouds, drawing ever closer.

***

Thank you all so much for playing. I really enjoyed the participation and write-ins we had today, and I’m definitely in debt to you anons who helped imagine such a fully-formed PC for me to work with. I’ll be around for the next hour or so to answer any questions you may have, and I would personally love any criticism or suggestions you have for me. Next thread tomorrow, I’m aiming to start at 11AM PST. Check the twitter for a proper countdown.

>>42427568

It's okay, we'll be running for even longer tomorrow, so feel free to drop in and say hi.

>>42427447

I'll get at least a rudimentary version of a bestiary up on a pastebin before the next thread. Lore dump might take a little longer, probably a couple of days at most.

>>42427833
Small dagger possibly to be used in rituals and a fur blanket for Mae-Von to shelter her from the cold.

>>42427833
A question. Did our rolls for neighbors net us Giants and Insects?

>in b4 macro-magical realm

>>42427916

You're only half right. I'm not going to spoil which half.

>>42427833
We could use a dagger, or another type of weapon that we can wield with ease. We should also take the spine or other joints and string them together into a necklace or headpiece. It would be nice to insert crystals into the bone as well, to protect others from contact while allowing their use. Might be pretty, might be useful.

>>42427833
I strongly recommend for you to watch the movie 'Quest for Fire'. Believe me, it's a masterpiece and totally related to our stone age civ

http://putlocker.ms/watch-quest-for-fire-online-free-1981-putlocker.html

>>42427933
giant insects?

>>42427962

The mana crystal jewelry sounds interesting, but that level of precision will take a high DC. You could always ask Mae-Von to help, but her health is poor and mana crystals seem to be hazardous to most.

>>42427833
So they don't even know how to cook meat over the fire? Time to learn to smoke dry and preserve what we can. We also need to make blankets or sleeping bags to protect against the cold.

>>42427994
Can we lower the DC by practicing over time and learning from Mae-Von? She doesn't have to handle the crystals, but she could carve the bone appropriate. And if there are a lot of crystals around, we can learn from her and practice carving stones.

>>42428001
It's just the day after fire was discovered, not everyone becomes a master chef just by looking at fire.

>>42427833
Daily thread? That's great, so sad it only happens during weekends. I'm rarely home on weekends.

>>42427833
Thanks, remember to archive!

>>42428088

Probably won't be daily, but should only be several days apart. Tomorrow I am fortunately quite free.

>>42428128

Will do.

Nice thread. 10/10 would read again.