Dawn of Worlds

[William Swiftfoot]

Need to conserve points so my only action for the turn:

(5)Advance Civ-Glyph Scarred: Corruption As the shard has ordered, the Glyph Scarred has increased their skills at conversting other to the way of the Glyph...

Also, the Greryn along the desert border will probably see the Fennecs as cousins, and happilily attempt to setup relations with them.

As for the Rakey, as long as they don't come into direct buissness conflict with the guild they don't care. There are several jobs along the land in their opinion, who does it dosen't really matter to them. Money is money after all.

[Dragyn]

Command Avatar: Command Race (-1):

Noctellus gives the same order he has every century, and so the Noctus continue to spread, in the hopes of finding new shadows to travel through, and new races to interact with.

Command Race:  Build City (-4)
 The Cult of the Animate Shadow realizes that a single tall structure could cast a long shadow, allowing the Noctus to travel long distances in a single shadowstep, as long as they timed it correctly.  The build a city, Longshadow, atop the tallest mountain in G7. 

Advance City: Longshadow Spires (-4(?))  (Shadow Travel)
  Longshadow is equipped with massive spires, casting a shadow in much the same way as a sundial, allowing shadow travel for miles in any direction, if only at certain times of day.  Longshadow becomes a hub of Noctus travel, and welcomes any other travelers to accompany the Noctus through their shadowwalks.

(This will likely allow the Noctus to meet most, if not all, of the races on the Southern continent this century, even if their spread doesn't reach quite that far.)

[Donnie]

Sorry for my delay. The allergies here are just killing me with the chronic drowsiness. Lets see if I can put my mind together for a short time.

Starting Points: (10)

Advance Civilization: (-5)
The Krump: Big, boisterous, brutish, and highly protective of their flowers. For centuries the Kycamuuni have labored tirelessly to convert these wayward giants, often by attempts at forced conversion via replacing flower patches with mushrooms. Most of the times these actions ended in the squishing of many loyal Kycamuuni Templars. However, one day a Kycamuuni metal smith had some free time with his many apprentices (and hatchlings) taking the hard work and thus began to experiment with various alloys and mixtures. Following a mysterious explosion in his smith, he emerged with a new metal forged using top secret ingredients. He presented this sacred metal, shaped as a massive shield, to the High King of Argonev. This metal was light as a feather but resisted shock as if it were made of cotton and as hard as diamond. The smith called it Kycalloy, and this new metal has been distributed amongst all Kyca soldiers. Full Kycaloy armor is given to the various Legates and High Templars of the Kyca army.

Kycalloy Armor
A strong armor, often decorated in elaborate and artistic curves and designs, that is capable of turning the small and meek (though fiercely armed) Kycamuuni the hardness of the greatest of beasts. They are now well protected from attacks.


Command Order (-3)
After centuries of failed conversion of the Krump, the Kycamuuni made a new push to get the Krump to see things their way. A method of confusing the Krump to see flowers as shrooms and shrooms as shrooms. Or at least just to get them to acknowledge the Mushroom and worship it as they have.

Command Avatar (-1)
After giving wisdom to the Oryxians, the Lord of Balance travels up the thin strip of land bridging the continents and starts to weave some mischief. Within the home lands of The Scourge, a strange group of Scourge arose whom advocate 'control' and 'moderation' and is gaining momentum, permeating through Scourge society. Claiming there is only so much land and laying down theories that rapid voracious expansion generally ends badly, despite their birthrate. This group, if successful would cause a slight modification to the Scourge's world view.

Remaining Points: (1)

[nagolinc]

One Correction: The Order of Secondmost is  Kycamuuni, not Krump

Staring Points: (11)

Advance Civilization: (-5)
In their quest to create increasingly awesome sweaters for Miserable Failure, the Edraei become skilled in the use of magic-infused fabrics.  They can make cloth that is as light as silk and as strong as steel or "thermos" cloth that keeps you cool in the desert but warm in the snow.  Alas, even with all their magic, they can't make a shade of plaid that Miserable Failure looks good in.


Advance Race: (-5)
As they venture further into the bottomless pit, the Dreonin discover a rock outcropping that juts further out from the pit-wall than in most places.  Here like thousands of bodies of those who have fallen to their doom.  With such an ample supply to work with, the Dreonin soon discover the secret of necromancy.


Command Avatar: (-1)
(Create Order)
Miserable Failure is evicted from Kyacamunni lands when a group of anti-squid zealots sieze him and throw him into the ocean.  He sinks deeper and deeper till he comes upon the home of the wattors.  Seeing a slight resemblance between Miserable Failure and themselves, the Wattors take pity on Miserable Failure, declaring him "and odder wattor than most".  The laid-back Wattors create the Well, Let's Celebrate society, which spends most of its time throwing extremely lavish parties in Miserable Failure's honor, although they occasionally fail to invite the avatar, stating that "he complains too much... he's a real party pooper" and the like.

Ending Points: (0)

[PrincessHotcakes]

Deep trouble brews in the lands of the Scourge.  Unknowing of the supernatural influence that has affected the thoughts of some of them, a greater awareness the limitations of their land and numbers.  Although raiding takes place upon the frontiers, the path to the land of the Goblins is blocked by mountains, the Jaeskine by a long, winding and easily defensible ithmus, and the Glyph Scared have no lands worth taking, worth only war and sharpening of martial skill.  Debates about how to sustain rampant population growth are usually handled through civil conflict, but the excess growth that is occurring is too much even for these wars.

The Temple of the Maw convenes a special conference of the leading clans to decide what action to take, if they should perhaps choose a new path for Scourge civilization…

After weeks of deliberation, the hierarchy of the Maw comes to a decision.  If there’s even more population than normal, then the solution is obvious: an even bigger civil war than normal!  The Temple promptly has half the clan heads killed and frames evidence in every which direction against nearly every other clan imaginable.  Diving in like there’s an all you can eat buffet, soon nearly every single Scourge is at war with their neighbor as the basic clan structure suffers a complete fracture.
The resulting  War of the Clans is long and brutal, and results in a massive 70% population decline.  In the end though, in addition to the dramatically lessoned population pressure, the authority of the clans is severely, irrevecobly weaked.  While still keeping the clans around as a useful means of dividing the Scourge into competitive units, the Temple of the Maw moves to cement itself as the center of Scourge life, and enforces its ruthless bloodthirsty doctrines directly on the populace without having to worry about clan politics watering down the effects.  As a result of this, the Scourge further descend into evil and become a -3 evil civilization.  (3 points)

As for their neighbors, the Scourge regard them all principally as vermin to be conquered.  The Jeaskine are viewed as possessors of incredible durable weapons and craftsmanship, and as such are prized raiding targets.  Many a Swarm have thrown themselves upon Jeaskine targets to try and obtain their wares.  

The Goblins are viewed primarily as uninteresting to the Scourge, notable only for resistance of the mountains and the fact they seem to taste rather good.

The Glyph Scared, by contrast, represent the height of unedibility, as Scourge consider eating dirt with lots of rocks in it to be more tasteful, not to mention less prone to rendering oneself Glyph Scared.  The near zombie hoard is relished, however, due to the fact that they have a need to attack that is as deeply woven into their minds as it in the Scourge, if not more so in some respects, a prospect which makes every Scourge squeal with bloodthirsty joy.

In the southern continent the Krump find themselves woven closer and tighter into the social fabric of the neighboring Kycamuuni.  Centuries of contact and constant conversion pressure from the diminuative fluffballs have (after many a grisly footstompings) eventually resulted in a cultural attatchement to the Kycamuuni.  While not QUITE viewing mushrooms and flowers as the same thing, the Krump’s outlook has changed enough that they stop trying to step on every Kycamuuni they see and even cooperate with them, going so far in some case where they consent to use as mounts for Kycamuuni warriors (provided they are compensated in their own weight in flowers).

The Red Reyn the Krump regard with a great deal of distrust, but they always trade well in flowers, so they see little reason in going out of their way just to crush them (though if they just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time they are as susceptible to becoming toejam as anyone else).

Meanwhile Andarcus, while finding the Scourge quite amusing, gets bored of watching them endlessly kill each other.  Mindless carnage can be entertaining for only so long, and he decides to seek out where Miserable Failure has gone so he can go mock him.  Having no idea where he is located, he heads across the northern ocean, and arrives in the land of the Turu’rhaim.  There he is delighted to find a race utterly obsessed with making things go boom.  So enthralled is the mad inventor with the Turu that he actively tries to help “enhance” some of their explosions… resulting in many collapsed ancient tunnels.  

Already facing growing population pressures, this even acts as a catalyst for building new tunnels and for expansion.  (command race 4 points)  The Turu’hraim found the city of Ysrhealkt deep in the mountains of B12.  They also burrow westward into non volcanic but still glacial land of A10, A11, B9, and B10.  They have less geological and volcanic activity to warm themselves with, but on the other hand the climate is not quite as arctic as it is in the mountains of their sprachbund.  

Ysrhealkt quite impresses Andarcus, who, stepping just a taaaad lighter this time, helps the Tururhaim expand their newfound capital, (Command Avatar, 1 point), advancing the city with mining and tunneling till the center of the city is a massive 3 mile deep cylinder bored right into a mountain, descending deep into the crust and radiating outward in many directions.   While many small settlements appear in Turu’hraim land, none compare to Ysrhealkt.

The expansion brings close contact with neighboring races.  The Tek the Turu’hraim find most intriguing, and they frequently press for access to explosive and tunneling magics.  The Tek trade and aid them somewhat, however they find the Turu’hraim to be rather anarchic and chaotic, especially considering the fact they value large explosions and great underground works more valuable than many lives.  Trade is thus halting at times, but there is limited contact beyond this due to the Turu’hraim’s dwelling underground in arctic climates.

The Phoraj continue their reclusive existence south of the Turu’hraim, sharing some volcanic habits and finding it useful to trade, but just as often they dispute over land and the fact that the Turu’hraim have the bad habit of collapsing tunnels when Phoraj are venturing in them (often even knowing the sulfur feeding creatures are present).   Over time this devolves into localized small scale conflict, which after one particularily bad incident where some clueless Turu’hraim kidnaps a male Phoraj for ransom, erupts into a series of bloody confrontations all through the southern mountains.  

With new territory opened in the west, the Turu’hraim see little reason to stay in hostile country and caverns, so largely vacate B13 and C13 to the Phoraj.  Despite this, the trading relationship is barely dented; indeed in the decades afterward it even flourishes.

10-3-4-1=2 points remaining

[PrincessHotcakes]

http://dow.crimsonflagcomic.com/doku.php

Thanks to Virmir for setting up the site, and Fax to getting to filling and organizing it all out.

Edit.  In the (current on wiki) turn Ten territory map the Scourge's territory is shown as it was before a subsequent correction edit.  Just mentioning this so to potentially avoid those old borders being used in the forthcoming turn Eleven territory map.

[Fax]

Ok, so apologies for the delays in getting updates up. I'm hoping to have the next update ready on thursday or friday evening. Also, if you want to make additions to the wiki send me a message and I'll set you up with an account. (Well, that or you can ask Toast and presumably he'll say either yes or no)

[Fax]

Command Avatar (Garath Copperspire)(command race: Expand) (-1) - Garath one day looks out to the north and the great glacier that has so long formed a barrier of the norther Jaeskine lands and sees great opportunity, Perhaps there are lands and incredible things to see beyond its borders. To further this end he and a company of fellow explorers go out to see what might be there. They return with stories of strange objects and buildings trapped deep within the glacial ice. This draws the curiosity of the rest of the Jaeskine and a number of expeditions move to explore the wonders discovered in the north. Many decide that they wish to stay there, near the wonders they find and so settle the areas surrounding the great glacier as well as a number of the islands even further north.

Command Order (Bordermarch Gvantanz Regulars) (-3) - The Bordermarch has become ever more acutely aware of the gradually approaching hordes of the Scourge. Knowing that it is only time before the monstrous beasts turn their eyes on Jaeskine lands they construct the massive fortress of Gaertanz on the one island along the land bridge that connects the southern and western continents to control the passage.

[Fax]

Fax - 8 - 4 + 10 + 3 =  17
Dragyn - 17 - 9 + 7  =  15
Kenku - 8 - 5 + 7 + 3 = 13
Fen - 17 - 0 + 9 = 26
EccentricOrbit - 18 - 10 + 8 + 3 = 19
Raf_Cian - 10 - 10 + 10 + 3 = 13
Radioactive_Toast - 10 - 8 + 7 + 3 = 12
Nagolinc - 11 - 11 + 8 + 3 = 11
Donnie - 10 - 9 + 11 + 3 = 15

Alright, given that its been about a month since the last update I'm going to assume that Fen is not making a move this turn. If you do want to make one, let me know and I'll add it in.
Secondly, I'm going to say for this next turn we will continue in the second age, however I'd like a vote on who wants to move to the third age after the turn has finished.





 
 



Avatars

an eldritch abomination - sleeping somewhere deep and dark in the world
-Created by Fax
Tek'Rael, The Grey Father - a giant eyeless, tailless grey quadrupedal skink
-Currently residing in the floating city of the Tek
-Created by Fen
The Grand Dragon, Raval Brightwing - wandering the skies the world round
-Created by Fax
"The Flames Hand" - a 9 tailed kitsune associated with the burning lands
-currently in the burning lands
-Created by Kenku
Miserable Failure - A depressed walrus monoped in a knit sweater
--Currently in self exile north of the burning lands
-Created by Nagolinc
The Lord of Balance - A potent grey fox who is a lord of balance and order.
-currently somewhere in the Oryxian lands
-Created by Donnie
Noctellus, the Animate Shadow - A shadow Demon based out of the southwestern island chains
-Created by Dragyn
Andarcas, the blond afro'd inventor - big talking, lazy bully of Miserable Failure
-currently in the burning lands
-Created by Radioactive Toast
Garath Copperspire, Brother of the Azure Flame - A Jaeskine explorer knight
The Takers - A group of Rakey who took power from the great red crystal in the middle of Recycled
Shard - A fragment of the great Glyph


Races
-Turu'hraim - a reptilian-like race with a love of explosives
-Neutral (+0)
--Order: The Cult of Kerspelowd - a religion focused on explosives and explosions
---Subrace: Hraim'turu - A subrace of the Turu'hraim primarily focused on implosions
-Advance - explosives & explosive excavation
-Created by Radioactive_Toast

-Phoraj - a sulphur dwelling race of crustacean like traders
-Neutral (+0)
--Order: The Guild of the Flaming Ice - The Phoraj's guild of traders and merchants/ diplomats?
-Created by Radioactive_Toast

-Edraei - A race of faries dedicated to serving the avatar Miserable Failure
-good (+2)
--Order: Order of the Plaid Sweater - Dedicated to creating a beautiful sweater for Miserable Failure
--Subrace: Glueiao - an offshoot of the Edraei who believe Miserable Failure doesn't need a new sweater but rather something else entirely that has yet to exist
--Advance: magic-infused fabrics
-Created by Nagolinc

-Larepin - Extremely individualistic rabbit-fox-cat people created by the Lord of Balance
-Chaotic neutral (0)
--Order: Order of the White Eagle - Warrior Priests dedicated to guiding the Larepin and providing them with wisdom
-Created by Donnie
--Subrace: White Larepin - Tolerant albino larepin
-Advance City: Gurrier - Martial Skill and Minutemen
-Advance City: Irfang - Magitek Capabilities


-Oryxians - Oryx people
-Good(+1), The Oryxians are very much of family based society that does its best to keep everyone within it safe and protected.
--Order:Ring of 5 and Council - Leaders of the 5 major villages(not yet cities), and the council of representatives below them, elected by the villages.
--Advance - Agriculture
---Note: Currently recovering from widespread paranoia due to the actions of the Lord of Balance.
-Created by Kenku

-Greryn - A race of Grey Fox people
-Nuetral(0), Wealth can lead a person down many a path
--Order: Merchants and Explorers guild: Wealthy Nobles of the Race who lead expansion and trade.
--Order: The Humane Society - A group dedicated to putting Miserable Failure out of its misery
--Advance - Naval Powerhouse
-Created by Kenku

-Jaeskine - Ferret-Squirrel-Taur metalsmiths and miners
-Neutral (+0)
--Order: The Order of the Rune Smiths - Teachers of the art of metalsmithing
--Advance - Metalsmithing
--Advance - Rune Enchanting
--Order: The Brotherhood of the Azure Flame - Wandering, benevolent explorer/ guardians tasked with protecting the common people of all races. They are to act in accordance with what they believe is right.
--Order: Bordermarch Gvantanz Regulars - Guardians of the Bordermarch based out of Gvantanz, an organzied military force.
-Created by Fax

-Rakey - a race of tree dwelling monkey-rats
-Good (+1)
--Order: The Watchers - A group of Rakey who are mesmerized by the great red crystal of their island and work to protect it
--Advance: Architecture
--Subrace: Resalk - Much more rat-like cousins of the Rakey
       -1 army
       -Advance Civilization : The art of Prolonged Warfare
--Order: The Guild of Towers - The Rakey Trade and development guild
-Note: The city of Recycled is currently Neutral (0)
-Created by Raf_Cian


-The Goblins - A race of fruit bat people
-Neutral (+0)
--Order: The order of the spiral nerd-glasses (aka the mathematicians guild) - exactly what it says on the tin. Also they act as teachers and students
--Advance: Abstract Thought and Higher Mathematics
-Created by EccentricOrbit
--Subrace:The Vampires - Goblins who drink the blood of innocents to extend their own lives.
-Order: Vampire Circles

-Tek - Magical grey lizard people, children of Tek'Rael.
-Good (+1)
--Order: the Grey Robes - 'a religious/magi group based in the capital city, devoted to discovering new magics and worshiping Tek'rael.'
--Order: The Scales - A group dedicated to exploring the world outside of the boundries of the Green bastion and Tek lands in general.
--Advance: Magic
--Order: Cothar's Blades
-Created by Fen

-Noctus - Bipedal red marked black wolves created by Noctellus
-Neutral (+0)
--Order: the Cult of the Animate Shadow - A religious cult dedicated to the demon Noctellus
--Advance: Shadow Magic
--Sybrace: Abyssus - Aquatic Noctus focused on the deep sea trench
--Advance: Longshadow Spires/ Shadow travel
-Created by Dragyn

-Krump - Aggressive Giant flower lizards
-Evil (-1)
--Order:  Templarians - A faction that constructs temples entirely out of flowers
--Order: The Society for Appreciating the Subtle Artistic Difference between Flowers and Walruses - The society dedicates itself to expressing the beauty of flowers through art, primarily in the form of paintings similar to the Japanese style of painting water-lilies.
-Created by Radioactive_Toast

-Dreoinin - quarrelsome Bat-like cliff dwellers of the bottomless pit who believe all others to be lesser than they.
-Evil (-2)
--Order: Bottomless Secrets Society - a society dedicated to seek out the secrets hidden in the depths of the bottomless pit
--Advance - Dark Magic
--Advance - necromancy
-Created by Nagolinc

-Kycamuuni- A race of very fuzzy four tailed zealots
-Chaotic Evil (-1)
--Order: Order of the Shroom - An ultra-religious cult that worships EDOPS
--Order: Order of the Secondmost - seeks to understand the mystery of Miserable Failure's misery
--Advance: Kycalloy Armor
-Note: The Kycamuuni continue to attempt to convert the Krump over to their mushroom loving ways
-Created by Donnie

-Red Reyn - distant relatives of the Greryn
-Evil (-1)
--Order: Assorted Pirate Ships
--Advance - Naval Powerhouse
-Created by EccentricOrbit

-The Scourge
-Evil (-3)
--Order: the Temple of the Maw
-Advance - Swarm
-1 army
-note: Currently the Lord of Balance is encouraging a group of Scourge who preach the ideas of 'Moderation' and 'Control', particularily with regards to the Scourge's massively expansionistic worldview
-Created by Radioactive_Toast

-The Glyph Scarred
-Evil (-1)
--Order: the Shard Blessed - The Glyph Scarred with the greatest "Crystal Corruption"
-Advance - Corruption
-Created by Kenku

-Wattor
-Good (+1)
--Order: The Circle of the Dead - a religious order dedicated to listening to the wisdom of those who have passed away
--Order: Well, Let's Celebrate Society - A group of Wattor who spend their time throwing lavish parties in honor of Miserable Failure
-Created by Raf_Cian

-Fennecs - A race of desert dwelling fennec foxes living in the eternal desert
-good (+1)
--Order: Desert Rangers - The Fennec Desert Rangers are a group that keeps the peace in Fennec territory. There is no place too barren for these foxes to survive, or too remote for them to reach. They have a proficiency with skirmish tactics, and know how to hide in desert territory.
-Created by EccentricOrbit




-Misc. Orders
--Order: The cult of the true seeing eye - the cult is composed of all races, drawn in by the Eldritch Abomination. Their primary goal currently is simply to spread the word of the abomination worldwide, however they are currently situated primarily on the southern continent.

[William Swiftfoot]

Command Avatar(-1) Shard - Glyph Blessed: The command goes out, the Shard wants more to become as them, and orders thoes of the Scarred lead by the Blessed to march on the Scorge!

Command Avatar(-1) The Flame Hand - Create Order: As time has passed, the godly kitsune has slowly gained interest into the race of his homeland the Edraei, and decides it is time to curry some favor. Appearing to them as images of fire and flame, he is able to teach the people the way of fire in a style of magic that very much compliments thier skills in sewing and making clothes. These lessons cause for the creation of a skilled group of Edraei called "The Fire Weavers". Masters of the flaming loom, and caretarkers of the landscape to which their magic is fed.

Catastrophe!(-10) Goblins In one night, the history of the Goblins were changed forever...Within the city of Archive, all had been calm and quiet, when suddenly a great explosion was heard and seen from the center of the city, which buildings were soon shacken and rocked by the sudden shockwave after. Most buildings stood the shock with only minor damage, but it did not stop the screams, as soon as the shockwave had stopped, citizens of the city realized that they were all melting, as if their bodies had turned to liquid, until all that was left of the cities population was a pool of silver liquid.

Several hours passed, as thoes outside the city morned and started to investigate the disaster, when something happened. From within the pool, things started to rise and form...things that looked like the Goblins that had melted the night before, and it was realized. The Survivors of Archives are now Shapeshifters ()

[nagolinc]

Starting Points: 11

Command Avatar: (-1)
(Create Order)

Miserable Failure eventually tires of his life with the wattors, after not being invited to one-too-many parties held "in his honor".  He staggers angrily into the party and shouts frantically about not being appreciated and how it's unkind to throw parties for people and then not invite him.  

The wattors hardly notice Miserable Failure's brazen speech, however, since they are having too much fun bobbing for apples in a hottub filled with apple-sauce.  Feeling awkward and somewhat embarassed, Miserable Failure retreats from the party and attempts to drown his sorrows in a barrel of caramel.  The next day (containing a sticky Miserable Failure) is mistaken for trash and cast out to sea.  

After floating for countless days, Miserable Failure eventually washes ashore on a beautiful looking land.  
  The sun is shining, the meadow in front of him is full of flowers, and happy little bunny-rabbits prance around looking as though they couldn't be happier.  Unfortunately for Miserable Failure, what he mistakes for happy little bunny-rabbits are actually the Scourge.  Spying his walrusy haunches hungrily, the Scourge immediately decide that they would like to eat Miserable Failure.  To this end, the form the order of Bite his Butt!.  All members of this order make it their goal to take a chomp out of Miserable Failure's tasty tush.





Corrupt Civ: (-3)

As the secret of necromancy continues to spread through Dreonin society, some turn this vile magic on themselves, turning into undead litches.  These litches soon come to dominate Dreonin society, turning it from a chaotic free-for-all into a finely-tuned killing-machine with NAZI-like control over all aspects of society.  Eagerly, the Dreonin look outwards beyond their bottomless pit, searching for more lands to control.

The Dreonin are now a (-3) Evil Civilization.




Create Avatar: (-7)

While hanging out with the Turu'hraim, Andarcus foolishly attempts to punish a rock for being in his way by kicking it.  Unsurprisingly, he stubs his toe.  His toe swells up to enormous proportions, turning an odd shape of purple and finally falling off.  

Andarcus, not sure what to do with an enormous purple toe, abandons it in one of the many tunnels that run underneath the mountains in which the Turu'hraim live.  Incubating in the cool tunnels, the toe continues to grow till it has formed into a full-sized man (well, more of a boy actually).  One that is the opposite of Andarcus in almost every way.

Toe-stub, as he calls himself, grows to immaturity in the dark caves till finally he feels it is time to set out into the wider world and see how he can best make his fate.

Ending Points: 0


PS. I vote for moving on to the 3rd age

[PrincessHotcakes]

Even as the Glyph Scarred launch assaults upon Scourge land, the Swarm itself is far more preoocupied with the arrival of the one known as Miserable failure.  Indeed, the Order of “Bite His Butt” soon gains massive appeal as in his journey Miserable Failure literally finds himself constantly besieged by tens of thousands of swarming Scourge.  Even though he repeatedly demonstrates his immortality, and it becomes immediately apparent that he can never actually be eaten, myths and beliefs arise insisting that chewing on Miserable Failure is good luck and increases one’s killer instinct.  As the years pass, a mobile shrine is set up around wherever the monopod travels, and he finds himself not just chewed upon relentlessly, but revered even in some respects (though always seemingly in some fashion that is unpleasant and involves pain ).  Thus, Miserable Failure finds himself the world’s first bona fide chewable idol.

Though fortresses are routinely erected and torn down in Scourge lands, several outposts last longer than most.  Noticeable is the castle Gotidle in the middle of the islands of D2, and Yaliwali in the crystal lands of C4.

Meanwhile, in the northern reaches of the world, the Phoraj have long stuck to their sulfur caverns, trading extensively with themselves but with few outsiders save the Turu’hraim.  After the explosive loving troublemakers had to be driven from Phoraj tunnels, trade continued but at a somewhat less enthusiastic pace.  With few customers among themselves and many willing sellers, competition among merchants becomes intensely fierce, with bartering and mercantile skills, already highly valued in Phoraj society, becoming even more prominent and even held as the highest of virtues.  The Guild of the Flaming Ice promotes these activities, and this encourages an age of expansion in ideas.  

For centuries, the Phoraj have had to keep to their mountains, having to keep near their sulfur vents for their survival.  The Guild however, has discovered a way to package sulfur in many compounds, encouraging ways to find easier methods of storage and transport for consumption over greater distances .  Foremost among these discoveries is a substance that seems like gold but actually contains sulfur, as well as valuable iron, it turns out.  Phoraj discover that if they injest this “fool’s gold” they gain sulfur nutrients but excrete a more or less elementally pure iron.  This discovery sends shockwaves throughout their society.  Iron is a normally hard material to obtain in pure form, yet the Phoraj now know they can do so with their very own bodies.

Trade explodes, as  the Phoraj finally start venturing from their mountain homeland (Command Race, 4 points).  Expanding into the low plains and the ithmus of C12 and D12, they discover the non volcanic, but minerally rich mountains of E12, and settle the region.  In addition, at the footsteps  of their original home range of C13, where the mountains meet the sea and the plains, they found the sprawling tunneling city of Lythr, a trading city that mushrooms quickly in size.  They attempt to base the city initially on the Turu’hraim metropolis of Ysrhealkt, but find themselves spreading more horizontally instead of straight down as they lack the tunneling prowess of their explosive loving neighbors.

Trade wise, the Phoraj grow to love the Tek, as the reptiles hunger for magical knowledge ravenously uses up mineral wealth.  Though a strange, exotic looking and acting race, the Phoraj behave more amicably on the whole than their Turu’hraim neighbors (who they insist are insane), and are less likely to blow you up when dealing with you.

To the south, tentative contacts are made with the Fennecs, who do not on the whole react apprehensively to the bizarre looking sulfur eating tunnel dwellers, so immediately the Phoraj work to establish trading relations.  

In the new lands villages sprout, principally as trading outposts that grow as they establish tunnel systems below.  These networks are reasonably extensive, but nowhere near as elaborate as those of the Turu’hraim (but with far less death among miners as well).  In C12, the principal municipality is Alyu, in D12, Zly, in E12, Anuor.

In the north, Ysrhealkt remains the principal Turu’hraim city; indeed the metropolis is unrivaled as it explodes and grows in population, fed by immense and well kept fungus and geophagus vermin farms.  Other communities come to exist, though far smaller,  throughout their original home range, and new colonization and tunneling efforts seed the northern glaciers and mountains.  Zalah’kluot grows in B11, Quodlkud in B10, and Fidauk in A9 grow to prominence.

Meanwhile, frustrated with his inability to locate Miserable Failure, and smarting over the toe stubbing incident, Andarcus makes his way south to The Lands that Burn, hoping to find clues in the land of the monopod’s origin.   Instead, he is assaulted with cheery greetings from the Edraei and endless artistic dances, plays, architecture and works of art praising the name of the self hating walrus thing.  At first Andarcus is nauseous… but then he realizes how much Miserable Failure had to have hated this so takes a sadistic delight in the process.  Spending time among the fairies, he discovers a small offshoot, who call themselves the  Glueiao.   Always seeking to outdo their Edraei cousins in glorification of Miserable Failure, for centuries they have been little more than a footnote, existing only on the fringe, trying to make themselves heard but having very little luck.

This Andarcus decides to change; what better way to spur efforts to glorifiy Miserable Failure (and thus make him more miserable) than to truly encourage competition between his “children?”  Of course, this has to be done in style, preferably with cool things.  Like… weapons!  These are fairies after all, they have untold magical ability!  Thinking of all the swords, enchanted armor, elegant bows and even siege weapons that could be produced, Andarcus rallies the Glueiao together and (Command Avatar, 1 point) advances their civilization to be the most elegant weapon smiths in the world.  Crafting imposible geometries, the offshoot fairies get to work.  They don’t actually NEED these weapons themselves, but they’re just making them for the glory of Miserable Failure!  So…. What’s the harm in selling the weapons then?  The Gray and Red Reyn traders of the seas seem more than eager enough to buy such finely crafted implements of war.

Spurred on by the blond afro inventor, the Glueiao expand (Command Race, 4 points), principally to the east into the barren tundra of I12.  Here they found the citadel city of “His Name Will be Known to the Ends of the World”, a glistening capital rising out of the gently rolling plains.  Here the offshoot fairies establish themselves firmly, and prove once and for all that they, not the Edraei, are the more fervent believers in Miserable Failure’s name.

(12-4-1-4=3 points remaining) And I vote for moving on to the 3rd age I guess too.

[Raf_Cian]

Starting Points: 13
Command Avatar: Create Order (-1)
The Takers, sensing the age of action quickly approaching, make another move in preparation for their eventual glory. Escorted with a very select group of Seekers and Blades, the Takers approach the Red Reyn with the vague desire of improving relationships. The meeting itself comes of nothing, it wasn’t designed to of itself. What it was designed to do was expose select soldiers with less desire for more combat and less discipline to the Red Reyn culture, and for that exposure to be alongside of Seekers who where under orders to display sympathy to the select Blades’ viewpoint.

Once the meeting was over, a decent number of the singled out Blades left to Las Flotas. Along with them left a proportional number of the chosen Seekers, with secret orders. In the city they’ll try to survive the only way Resalk can in a hive of scum and villainy: with violence.  Guided by the secret orders of the former Seekers, the Resalk stick together and pull native Red Reyn into a gang. When the pirate captains start to take notice, they’re collective approached with an offer... of employment.

This Red Reyn/ Resalk gang hire themselves out to the pirate lords as mercenaries, and as bodyguards for the taverns and tradesmen of Las Flotas. They’re kept alive from local recruitment and a controlled stream of Resalk ‘undesirables’, many of who follow the Seekers’ command. It’s only after a few decades when select members of the Red Reyn are given secret audience with the Takers that the plan fully takes shape. The Red Rats are the influence that the Takers need within the Red Reyn society, to tap into their power without unmaking them.

Advance City (-4)
The Taker’s ultimate plan isn’t to impose order within Las Flotas. If anything they want the Red Reyn , and the slowly growing Resalk subpopulation, to be even more volatile. They just want to want to take that violence and tell it who to bite. So just as they ordered Resalk society to be the perfect enduring war machine, they order the secret leaders within the Red Rats to make Las Flotas generate most deadly one on one fighters in the world.

This order takes the form of elevating the street fights. Free for all are formalized, private duels becomes become public betting sports, and select open marks have sections of their grounds taken over by small gladiatorial rings. All the while the Red Rats develop fighting technique incorporating Resalk physical discipline and Red Reyn ruthlessness. The techniques and mindset proliferate, and by the end of the century Las Flotas becomes advanced in gladiatorial combat.

Command Race (-4)
Meanwhile, the Guild of Towers continues pushing the Rakey in a different direction than their warlike cousins. Rather than slipping in to be secret masters, their slipping in to be a new foundation. Having infiltrated the various port cities last century, the Guild of Towers select one of the ports to elevate above the rest: Virmir.

Slowly but surely over the century, the Guild of Towers focuses its construction efforts on the small port of Virmir. It will happen slowly over the decades, to the point that there won’t even be a spit take when the port of Virmir gets promoted to a city. It’s a city by Rakey design, so above all its tall, but tall isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it comes to shipyards. It starts shipyards at its foundation, is topped by luxury houses for the nobles of the Merchants and Explorers Guild, and a rather substantial Rakey district sneaked somewhere in between.

Ending Points: 4
Vote: Move onto the 3rd Age

[EccentricOrbit]

Wow, you leave your people alone for a week and all of a sudden their city is gone, and they’re shapeshifters. :-P

EccentricOrbit: Starting Points (19)

The Goblins are at first devastated by the loss of their home city and main sanctuary of Archive, especially given the horrible and inexplicable deaths of the residents therein. Later, when the strange liquefied remains of their city-folk begins seeping out of the ground and talking to them, they are greatly alarmed. Approaching even this traumatic event with their typical detachment, they carefully capture this bizarre fluid and start testing it. It doesn’t take long to figure out that *somehow* the Goblins of Archive are still “alive”, and thinking, though in a rather frightful state. The Goblin researchers quarantine the shapeshifters until they are sure that it isn’t a contagious illness, and are glad that, however strange the reunion, their fellow city-folk aren’t dead.

Of course, that means, rather horribly, that in the collapsed sections of the city, their newly shapeshifting cousins are trapped in the rock. While they would prefer to recover the remains of their city carefully and slowly, as is their wont, so as to preserve the surviving art and literature, time is clearly of the essence. The Goblins, hearing of the mining and engineering prowess of the Turu’hraim, and the Jaeskine, send to them for aid in blasting their way into the caverns of their ruined city. Meanwhile, other Goblins begin researching a way to plug their prodigious ears, so as to tolerate the blasting and hammering to come.

In the meantime, they spread out among the orchards planted around their mountain-ranges, and begin repopulating their old tree-houses.

Meanwhile, the Goblins send word to the Larepin, in order to give them due notice, and not to alarm them, that several frightening threats have forced them to begin arming themselves.

Three Goblins make their way to Irfang, to speak with the people in charge. Of course, Larepin being insistent individualists, the closest the Goblins get to finding “someone in charge of the defense” is the headquarters of the order of the White Dragons.

Albaek shifted and squinted at the light from the windows. With such a glare reflecting off of every surface, he could barely see where he was going. “Must they all keep such ridiculous hours?”, he complained.

Eric hummed a tune while covering his eyes with a wing, and felt the room vibrate around him, so as to see where he was going. The sound reflected off the sturdy walls of the structure, and allowed him to image his hosts.

“I believe”, said the guide they hired in the city, “that these gentlemen may be of assistance, if you are looking for someone to talk to about defense. That is, unless you want to get up in the town square and start shouting at people. That’s really the only way to reach ‘everybody’ in Irfang”.

Albaek shook his head. “Well, thank you. We will at least have informed someone who should know.”
The Goblins began to make their case to the Larepin.

“A great many things have gone so horribly wrong in the past few years”, Albaek began. “First, there were the murders by that vile cult of dark magic users in our city. We are still trying to find them all, but they are very elusive. These vampires look like us, and act very much like us, but prey on people in their horrible rituals. If they manage to go abroad, others must be warned.

Then, we discovered this … species that lives to the south of us. Following standard contact procedures, our researchers attempted to communicate with them by leaving various puzzles, books, and gifts in their path. These creatures did investigate the puzzles quite intelligently, and used them in most creative ways-

“-yes, used them to creatively kill their companions, then eat them,” Eric said.

“I had no idea you could even *do that* with a Rubik’s cube”, Albaek said, feeling ill. “We very carefully set up contact with a band of scourge moving through the swamp south of the crystal forest. When the forward research team announced themselves, the creatures ran towards them, screeching unintelligibly. Team A fell back, while Team B watched from the air above the swamp. Hundreds of these creatures surrounded and converged on team A and … ate them.”

“Team B found these structures at the center of their nests shaped like a giant mouth filled with teeth. These creatures would bring in cartloads of animals – anything they got their hands on from the swamp, including their own kind … and eat them.” Eric continued.

“While it is certainly not a uniqueness proof for the range of possible actions, any deviation from this behavior would at this point carry significant entropy”, Albaek said.

“And, in the absence of variation, their expected behavior extrapolated from past trends point towards these ‘Scourge’ attempting to kill and eat anything in their path. In the event they move north of the great crystal forest, we must be prepared to fight them off. And so, we are preparing to arm ourselves, to deal with our present problems at home and abroad. We hope to remain good neighbors with the Larepin, and even to aid each other against these threats, though we are new to warfare.”
With that, the diplomats awaited the reply from the order.

Moves:

Create Order (6): Goblin Skirmishers
The Goblins raise an army to defend their newly scattered population from the Scourge. The Goblins are physically rather frail, and so don’t do well in massed melee formations, but have a few advantages going for them in skirmishing combat.

They can fly, and fight from the air with projectile weapons, favoring poison darts and arrows launched from cover and high treetop positions. They can coordinate their movements stealthily using tones too high for most creatures to register, as they harass enemies entering their territory, relying on distance, reconnaissance, and maneuvering room to wear them down.

Create Order (6): Shapeshifting Spies

The Goblin shapeshifters eventually learn to control their form, and resume something resembling a normal life. But if they can manage to reattain their former shape, they discover they can mimic the forms of any of the other races of the world, even that of inanimate objects. These Goblins make use of this new ability to study the other races of the world more directly than ever before.

These spies don’t necessarily think of themselves as such (though their mileage may vary as to how others perceive them). They think of themselves as going native in their new lands, *very* native – adopting the language, appearance, and customs of the people they blend in with, and participating at ground level in their society. While neophytes can be picked out by their mannerisms, within a month or so, it can become almost impossible to tell that they are not what they seem. Information about their travels filters back to the Goblin homeland through letters that these shapeshifters enthusiastically and quite innocently write to each other in the codes and mathematical puzzles that Goblins love.

Re: the Red Rats - yep, it all fits nicely. What's not to love about some crazy dudes you can unleash on any troublesome landside resistance? And if you managed to hold down a shop in Las Flotas, a little protection would not be unappreciated. Furthermore, capturing people from around the world and making them fight to the death is hilarious as well as educational.

Command Order (-3): Red Reyn Pirate Ships:

The Red Reyn pirate captains are fond of shiny loot, and the Jaeskine have lots of it. Unfortunately, the master-smiths of the Jaeskine are rather well armored and pointy on land, and so it is difficult to directly take it. On the other hand, the Jaeskine nation is divided between two continents, with many fat merchant vessels making the run between them. The pirates begin to prey heavily on Jaeskine merchant and treasure ships moving between the south central and north central continents.

Purify Civ: Goblins (3):

The Goblins have only ever loved peace and quiet, and the discovery of new and interesting ideas. And with the choices they have been forced to make lately, it is becoming clear to them that evil is ... well ... irrelevant, pointless and sad. The Goblins, while eccentric, private, and very nerdy, are relatively benign neighbors.


Vote: Move to the 3rd age next turn.

[Donnie]

Starting Points: 15

The revelation given to the Order of the White Dragons came at a harsh surprise. Not that it was not to be expected, however. The interracial politic that has dominated Larepin interests for centuries has resulted in a partial blindness to their surroundings. Not that things got any better. Seeking to better relations with the Goblins, the White Larepin deployed several of their White Guard and shipments of Magitek weaponry in which to arm themselves and a select few of the Goblins to improve aerial skirmishing. However the sudden deployment of arms and armies did not go unseen.

After a few weeks of cooperative training, two dozen Normal Larepin suddenly appeared from the mountains in Goblin territory. The group was led by one 'Ambassadeur Joliis' escorted by a fairly tall Larepin clad in red cloth and steel and holding a massive spear lance. Following the two were twenty two yeoman from the capital. Joliis and his men came into the camp oddly without question, the White Larepin from Irfang failed to mention their neighboring kin.

Joliis shifted his eyes watching the Goblins straining to train under sunlight hours. 'All hour/weather' training the Whites claimed. "I demand an audience with the commanders of this camp." he demanded to a young Goblin. Joliis was taken to the commander's tent.

In the tent was an aide to the Goblin commander as the commander was currently napping under the strain of daylight training.

"The Whities are a minor offshoot of our race, I am honestly ashamed they failed to mention our very existence the Goblins. I am quite certain that they were surprised by the presence of a hostile force south of your borders yes? Well I say two can play at that game..." Said Joliis, curling his long head fur, "Our fishing fleet spotted what appears to be a race of cannibalic and evil.... 'bunnies' advancing through the crystal lands. We have known of this threat for a while and have trained our vast militias to fight this strange foe when the time comes. Perhaps you can 'convince' our kin to open the border for our armies to come and assist you. In fact... I suggest you... 'transfer' your inexperienced White allies someplace where they won't get themselves into trouble when our spears and bows do the heavy lifting."

With that message, Joliis and his guard retreated into the mountains once more to evade Irfang border patrols.

The Goblins now have a rough choice. The vast militias and armies of Guerrier are able to assist the Goblins during any possible conflict, however the relations with Irfang could be strained and the use of advanced Magitek weapons taken away from any upcoming battle. Granted the Goblins could play both sides of the game, but neither Larepin race enjoys being used. Or perhaps a joint agreement can be made by the Goblins to placate both sides.

Command Order: Order of the White Dragons (-3)

There is a saying: "The jig's up." The White Larepin rush to secure their assets now that they have been revealed. They quickly set up a fortress to surround the Blue Crystal in D6, constructing a single massive fort west of the crystal and a long wall spanning the crystal's cool borders and the coast to the south. They erect magitek guns on the cliffs to the east of the crystal to prevent any sort of sneak attacks against their source of power. The fort is named Eis Wand, the Wall of Ice.

Seeking to improve their infrastructure and economic security, the White Larepin establish two towns. The town of Fisch is established south of Wand on the west coast to act as a sea port and fishing center. The town of Grenze is established between Irfang and Eis Wand along the cliffs of C6 and is equally armed with Magitek cannons facing the sea and land to the south.

Create Order: Ministry of Order (-6)

Magic has never been a strong suit of the master Larepin race, they often preferred the strength of steel and sweat. The frantic fortifications the Irfinians have been up to came as little surprise when it became known the Guerriers knew about the Goblins and Scourge all along. However despite their ability to easily prepare a defense through levvying their hundreds of thousands of highly trained militia, there may come a time where aggression is needed. The Ministry of Order's current goal is to prepare for potential hostilities as well as an ambitious project to be performed in due time.

The Ministry of Order sets down guidelines and resource requirements for a sea base in the seas west of Guerrier. The fortress would be large and require a significant amount of poured concrete, wood, and metal to be constructed. Such a project however would take a full turn to be started due to the size of it.

MEANWHILE....

...in a land Far Far Away...

"Kick your Kybutts in line meat!" screamed a Kycamuuni construction foreman...

Command Order: (-3)

The victory of converting the Krump began a new age for the Kycamuuni, they began to build villages in the territory bordering the Oryxians and Krump within F8 to act as proxy villages so to establish a firmer trade and spreading their faith in the Mushroom. An additional village has been built on the coast of the lake southwest of Argonev in F8. The village bordering the Oryxians has been named 'Kyxian' while the village bordering the Krump has been named 'Kycump'. The fishing village has been named Kysh.

With their new Krump allies, the Kycamuuni formed the Kyriup Mounted Forces, a joint Kyca/Krump organization that manages relations between the groups. The Order of the Shroom orders their new mounted corps to take to the lands and seas to spread the faith of the shroom! Specialized ships for the new mounted missionaries are built, small craft that contain plenty of herbivore food and nutriants to sustain one Krump-Mounted Kyca on a massive journey in the seas. First thing's first... the Kycas send four missionaries to the Greyn lands and bring gifts of shrooms with them. Although the individual Kyca are excited to meet old acquaintances... many in Argonev say their farewells in case the Greyn do not receive the gifts kindly...

15-12: 3 points remaining.

Eep forgot. Third age HERE WE COME