I'm not saying his claims are valid.
But if he leads us to anything, we can still salvage it.
And if he doesn't, well.. the badlands are a dangerous place.
And then what
Should we be unknowing of our history forever?
Say we don't believe him.
Should we continue scouting aimlessly, and hope the past trips us up?
He obviously believes what he says.
Worst case I can think of is a spy might lead a scouting party into an ambush.
But what poor spy gets himself thrown in front of council hours after sneaking in?
Real talk—I’m just messing around. I’m pretty much playing a traditionalist. Contempt!!!
This is absolutely fine.
I'm absolutely going to take the opportunity to rail though.
If we ever want to understand our people's history, we're going to have to explore somewhere, after all.
Even if that desire runs up against the other ones
Guys, just a gentle reminder to be mindful of your responses based on the active players post.
When it comes to Declaring a Project, the only discussion to be had is how long the project should take. The project itself isn't up for discussion, the elements of the community that the active player represents have already put it into motion. All you need to respond with is your proposed project duration and, if applicable, your contempt.
No defense is needed of the project in motion nor the declaration of contempt. These things simply ARE. If this particular divide in the community is something you want to explore, reflect it in future Discussions or Player Actions.
Are there children in your community? If there are, what is their role in the community?
Despite everything the ability to have children is thankfully not lost. There are about three children per couple. Children make up 1/4 of the population, with no sign the next generation will choose not to have children themselves.
Children are raised by the community as a whole, and where promise is shown they’re snapped up to begin their apprenticeship in farming, crafts or junk scavengers—wherever they’d fit best. There’s a little leeway, but mostly the kids grow up to be whatever they were initially pushed into.
Even so, how many generations can this single settlement survive with such low numbers?
Action: Project
An established movement within the community agree that Dust should host a radio show that broadcasts on all available channels. It’ll take time to convert his shed by the western river into a tall radio tower, but it must be done if the settlement is ever going to get fresh blood. Plus a bit of music wouldn’t go a miss.
I says 5 weeks.
+2
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
"I hear all those bits and bobs they brought back from the yard probably might make cobbling together a radio station possible. Fortuitous!"
(As a real person with a literal electrical engineering degree, I wholeheartedly support a five week project time. Not that I've ever tried to build one. Noooope. Never.)
I guess directly west of the settlement on the opposite side of the river, purely because it’s getting crowded visually. It must be a slow section of the river with rocks to hop across, else they’ll need to make a rickety bridge too.
Don't be afraid of 'growing' the settlement. I do a wider view as a lot of the time players like to focus less on the settlement itself and more on the surrounding area. By the start of summer, if the focus seems to be more on the settlement itself I will 'zoom in' and allow the settlement a bit more room to spread out.
@Nips, you draw the Ten of Hearts! Your choice is as follows:
There’s another community somewhere on the map.
Where are they? What sets them apart from you?
OR
What belief or practice helps to unify your community?
Pick a choice, explain it, and take an Action.
Project: Dojo Construction has completed! Explain the outcome.
Steam: TheBrayster
PSN: TheBrayster_92
+1
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited May 2022
There’s another community somewhere on the map.
Where are they? What sets them apart from you?
One of our wreck scavengers catches a glimpse of an unfamiliar vehicle exiting the yard one afternoon, headed west. They follow as close as they dare and discover another settlement on the opposite side of the yard from our settlement about a half-day's travel away. These people are unlike us in that they do not follow the Manifold Paths of the Martial Form, the foundational philosophies behind our Kung Fu. Instead they seem to be fixated on constructing great works of practical art from the scrap of the wreck yard: mechanical arms that lift great weights to the sky, vehicles that slowly crawl while dredging the cracked salt earth, and more.
The Dojo Is Complete
Twig and Diesel, the masters of Closing Wing and Salt Fist, begin to take on students and combine their forms into a unified methodology. There is not a concensus yet of what the new blended form should be called, but it is clear something new and incredible is happening here. And its use must spread, for only through propagation will the form grow and take it's full shape.
Start a Project: Train In Kung Fu
The dojo, now truly open, begins accepting students. It will be some time before the first new practitioners will be experienced enough in the new form, but the enthusiasm of the community is not lacking.
This project will take five weeks, and may begin to address our Kung Fu scarcity.
Map Note: The "rivers" surrounding us are actually arroyos - the carved out courses of rivers that are (usually) dry or have a trickle going through them (since we're in a desert) but which turn into rivers when the rainy season and / or single random storm comes.
Kung Fu vote: 6 weeks, the max allowable, for a handful of gifted students with promise and a decent pack of half-trained, barely competent types at the end of it. Maybe by fall they'll be good.
Ugh, oops ... Missed this when I departed on Friday for a camping weekend.
You see a good omen. What is it?
In the interests of having a hopeful spring, we see a good omen.
Master Duan, of the Salt Fist School, was considered by many to be a particularly traditional master of the form, seeking perfection in the smallest movements, hewing close to the passed-down wisdom of former masters. Master Duan cheered the loudest when Master Diesel first appeared to win the duel versus Twig, and was the possibly the most disappointed when Twig was judged the winner. Master Duan joined the combined school of Closing Wing and Salt Fist, at best, under protest and only when directly ordered to do so by Master Diesel.
This week, the village celebrated the marriage of Master Duan, late of the Salt Fist school, and Sloane, of the Closing Wing school. The courtship was somewhat rapid, and none were as surprised by the outcome as Master Duan.
This is viewed as further proof that the joining of Closing Wing and Salt Fist will lead to the betterment of the community.
Hold a Discussion
The hideous monument of spikes - with its impaled dead - is a blight upon our landscape and a source of unease to our village; some have said it moves and, lately, it seems like the smell has gotten worse. Should we send our bravest acolytes to investigate it?
No.
We know it is dangerous and others have perished before us.
What we should do is monitor it, and scout around it, determining what exactly the threat is, before attempting to destroy it.
No. We’ve enough on our plate this year without seeking out threats. We spread too thin as it is. What we should be doing is building walls! Lots and lots of walls.
The site is plainly dangerous; we cannot allow such a source of danger to fester so close to our homes. We must understand that which we face before it is too late.
To the north of the meat factory, the otherwise featureless deserts dip slightly.
This shallow depression that extends for miles is normally a salt plain, but one of the twin rivers has kept it wet for these past months.
Knee-high brine has given rise to an unlikely abundance of life, enticing many flocks of birds to pass through the area, much to the chagrin of the Overseers, who have to devote no small amount of effort scaring them back out of the NuMaize fields.
These birds otherwise feast on the insects and reptiles that have sprung up all through the low lying lillies that commonly carpet the lake.
While traversing the lake is possible, the lake bed is still caked in salt, and it does not take much to break through the crust into sticky mud underneath.
A boat with a shallow hull could feasibly make it through, but that would require a boat. And some reason to paddle out.
The only other feature of note is that the lake appears to feed into the meat factory, long abandoned as it is.
Pipes jut out of the factory and into the water filled depression behind.
It is unclear whether these are intakes or outtakes, but the factory doesn't appear to have similar structures feeding into the rivers.
And I'm going to Start a project
Clearly the other tribe has a focus on Technology.
We should send an envoy to this other tribe to exchange ideas and information, and perhaps avail ourselves of their resources.
I suggest equipping such a party with our NuMaize beer and that this endeavour should take 4 weeks.
Alarming weather patterns destroy something.
How and what?
A twister blows through, shattering that wretched place of spikes. If it ever could move, as rumours said, it didn’t move fast enough. The twister heads north-east and once gone it’s as if it was never here at all.
Action: Discussion
There’s more to life than mere survival; we are beings with souls connected to a cosmic force. The community should worship nature as a great cleanser and redeemer.
No ending decision from me, just say what you think at least part of the community worships.
Posts
But if he leads us to anything, we can still salvage it.
And if he doesn't, well.. the badlands are a dangerous place.
He also appears to be far older than any of us.
Should we be unknowing of our history forever?
Say we don't believe him.
Should we continue scouting aimlessly, and hope the past trips us up?
He obviously believes what he says.
Worst case I can think of is a spy might lead a scouting party into an ambush.
But what poor spy gets himself thrown in front of council hours after sneaking in?
I'm absolutely going to take the opportunity to rail though.
If we ever want to understand our people's history, we're going to have to explore somewhere, after all.
Even if that desire runs up against the other ones
When it comes to Declaring a Project, the only discussion to be had is how long the project should take. The project itself isn't up for discussion, the elements of the community that the active player represents have already put it into motion. All you need to respond with is your proposed project duration and, if applicable, your contempt.
No defense is needed of the project in motion nor the declaration of contempt. These things simply ARE. If this particular divide in the community is something you want to explore, reflect it in future Discussions or Player Actions.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Resources:
Projects:
Dojo Construction: 1
Outpost Expedition: 5
Contempt:
Endless_Serpents
@Endless_Serpents , you draw the Six of Hearts! Your choice is as follows:
Are there children in your community? If there are,
what is their role in the community?
OR
How old are the eldest members of the community?
What special needs do they have?
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Despite everything the ability to have children is thankfully not lost. There are about three children per couple. Children make up 1/4 of the population, with no sign the next generation will choose not to have children themselves.
Children are raised by the community as a whole, and where promise is shown they’re snapped up to begin their apprenticeship in farming, crafts or junk scavengers—wherever they’d fit best. There’s a little leeway, but mostly the kids grow up to be whatever they were initially pushed into.
Even so, how many generations can this single settlement survive with such low numbers?
Action: Project
An established movement within the community agree that Dust should host a radio show that broadcasts on all available channels. It’ll take time to convert his shed by the western river into a tall radio tower, but it must be done if the settlement is ever going to get fresh blood. Plus a bit of music wouldn’t go a miss.
I says 5 weeks.
(As a real person with a literal electrical engineering degree, I wholeheartedly support a five week project time. Not that I've ever tried to build one. Noooope. Never.)
We might be able to cobble together a broadcast station in 3 weeks, but that would not have the same range.
But a radio tower..
Do we have the power for that?
Or the music?
And it would be .. quite the landmark regardless.
Maybe we could just erect the tower itself, and like hang lights off it?
I'd say this is doable in 4 weeks
Just need someone to go and chop down one of those metallic death spires as a mast.
Still credulous as to what we'd play on the thing though.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Also, project location - I know you said by west river. Is it right by the community or a bit further North? Which side of the river?
PSN: TheBrayster_92
I guess directly west of the settlement on the opposite side of the river, purely because it’s getting crowded visually. It must be a slow section of the river with rocks to hop across, else they’ll need to make a rickety bridge too.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Resources:
Projects:
Dojo Construction: Complete!
Outpost Expedition: 4
Radio Tower: 5
Contempt:
Endless_Serpents
@Nips , you draw the Ten of Hearts! Your choice is as follows:
There’s another community somewhere on the map.
Where are they? What sets them apart from you?
OR
What belief or practice helps to unify your community?
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Where are they? What sets them apart from you?
One of our wreck scavengers catches a glimpse of an unfamiliar vehicle exiting the yard one afternoon, headed west. They follow as close as they dare and discover another settlement on the opposite side of the yard from our settlement about a half-day's travel away. These people are unlike us in that they do not follow the Manifold Paths of the Martial Form, the foundational philosophies behind our Kung Fu. Instead they seem to be fixated on constructing great works of practical art from the scrap of the wreck yard: mechanical arms that lift great weights to the sky, vehicles that slowly crawl while dredging the cracked salt earth, and more.
The Dojo Is Complete
Twig and Diesel, the masters of Closing Wing and Salt Fist, begin to take on students and combine their forms into a unified methodology. There is not a concensus yet of what the new blended form should be called, but it is clear something new and incredible is happening here. And its use must spread, for only through propagation will the form grow and take it's full shape.
Start a Project: Train In Kung Fu
The dojo, now truly open, begins accepting students. It will be some time before the first new practitioners will be experienced enough in the new form, but the enthusiasm of the community is not lacking.
This project will take five weeks, and may begin to address our Kung Fu scarcity.
We could perhaps speed things along by sacrificing our student's health, but that seems ill-advised.
5 is right.
Kung Fu vote: 6 weeks, the max allowable, for a handful of gifted students with promise and a decent pack of half-trained, barely competent types at the end of it. Maybe by fall they'll be good.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Resources:
Projects:
Outpost Expedition: 3
Radio Tower: 4
Kung Fu Training: 5
Contempt:
None
@Elvenshae , you draw the Jack of Hearts! Your choice is as follows:
You see a good omen. What is it?
OR
You see a bad omen. What is it?
PSN: TheBrayster_92
In the interests of having a hopeful spring, we see a good omen.
Master Duan, of the Salt Fist School, was considered by many to be a particularly traditional master of the form, seeking perfection in the smallest movements, hewing close to the passed-down wisdom of former masters. Master Duan cheered the loudest when Master Diesel first appeared to win the duel versus Twig, and was the possibly the most disappointed when Twig was judged the winner. Master Duan joined the combined school of Closing Wing and Salt Fist, at best, under protest and only when directly ordered to do so by Master Diesel.
This week, the village celebrated the marriage of Master Duan, late of the Salt Fist school, and Sloane, of the Closing Wing school. The courtship was somewhat rapid, and none were as surprised by the outcome as Master Duan.
This is viewed as further proof that the joining of Closing Wing and Salt Fist will lead to the betterment of the community.
Hold a Discussion
The hideous monument of spikes - with its impaled dead - is a blight upon our landscape and a source of unease to our village; some have said it moves and, lately, it seems like the smell has gotten worse. Should we send our bravest acolytes to investigate it?
@Nips @discrider @Endless_Serpents
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
We know it is dangerous and others have perished before us.
What we should do is monitor it, and scout around it, determining what exactly the threat is, before attempting to destroy it.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Resources:
Projects:
Outpost Expedition: 2
Radio Tower: 3
Kung Fu Training: 4
Contempt:
None
@discrider , you draw the Two of Hearts! Your choice is as follows:
There’s a large body of water on the map.
Where is it? What does it look like?
OR
There’s a giant, man-made structure on the map.
Where is it? Why is it abandoned?
PSN: TheBrayster_92
This shallow depression that extends for miles is normally a salt plain, but one of the twin rivers has kept it wet for these past months.
Knee-high brine has given rise to an unlikely abundance of life, enticing many flocks of birds to pass through the area, much to the chagrin of the Overseers, who have to devote no small amount of effort scaring them back out of the NuMaize fields.
These birds otherwise feast on the insects and reptiles that have sprung up all through the low lying lillies that commonly carpet the lake.
While traversing the lake is possible, the lake bed is still caked in salt, and it does not take much to break through the crust into sticky mud underneath.
A boat with a shallow hull could feasibly make it through, but that would require a boat. And some reason to paddle out.
The only other feature of note is that the lake appears to feed into the meat factory, long abandoned as it is.
Pipes jut out of the factory and into the water filled depression behind.
It is unclear whether these are intakes or outtakes, but the factory doesn't appear to have similar structures feeding into the rivers.
And I'm going to Start a project
Clearly the other tribe has a focus on Technology.
We should send an envoy to this other tribe to exchange ideas and information, and perhaps avail ourselves of their resources.
I suggest equipping such a party with our NuMaize beer and that this endeavour should take 4 weeks.
@Nips @Elvenshae @Endless_Serpents
Well, they're about a week away, and we'd want our mission to spend some time there, so 4 weeks seems reasonable to me.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Resources:
Projects:
Outpost Expedition: 1
Radio Tower: 2
Kung Fu Training: 3
Diplomatic Mission: 4
Contempt:
None
@Endless_Serpents , you draw the Five of Hearts! Your choice is as follows:
There is a disquieting legend about this place.
What is it?
OR
Alarming weather patterns destroy something.
How and what?
PSN: TheBrayster_92
How and what?
A twister blows through, shattering that wretched place of spikes. If it ever could move, as rumours said, it didn’t move fast enough. The twister heads north-east and once gone it’s as if it was never here at all.
Action: Discussion
There’s more to life than mere survival; we are beings with souls connected to a cosmic force. The community should worship nature as a great cleanser and redeemer.
No ending decision from me, just say what you think at least part of the community worships.
PSN: TheBrayster_92