Empire!7 - Into the Depths: Out-of-Character Thread (CWBG)

[Epinephrine_Syn]

Here's an artifact pitch, I can go to more mild ones in a lot of ways, but I figured I may as well post the most interesting one first.

Maleficent Jello

Turns out, engineering the immortal jellies to have incredibly powerful toxins has had side effects. Vicious side effects. If one were to get into the weird, esoteric fantasy beliefs held by those such as Skullbloom and Stick, magical.

In small doses, the ink is instantly lethal, but in large doses... it's still lethal, but it radiates. Emanating power, pulsing into a shape that could be molded into anything, should one live long enough to manipulate it. With great scientific work, the grand excess of their years long research was coalesced into a blob. Was it alive...? Skullbloom seemed to think so. Violet had her doubts.

What was verifiable was that any vines (or indeed, any organic material that got near it) died within the hour, and nothing has survived more than two months of contact. Fortunately, the memories of the Medusa are stored elsewhere, and long as one was willing to 'cut off the hands' so to speak, there was little cost.

Perhaps isolates with more sturdy bodies could survive prolonged contact? Questions for later. The Medusa were large, but very fragile.

Yet, there was potential here. This wasn't merely hazardous waste. This could be shaped into Raw Power... to do something. To do lots of things, one suspects that its power is only begun to be harnesses.

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Twice per turn, you may pay 1 Treasure to activate the effect of any artifact you have, or the effect of any artifact a player you have a Trade Route with (with said player's permission).

As a persistent effect, any empire that possesses this artifact for any length of time during a turn loses 1 Unit. No ill effects if there are no units to be decayed away. Players giving permission to have their artifacts copied do not decay a unit. Any player stealing or receiving this artifact in a trade does decay a unit.

(I'm not sure if the downside is interesting enough, I think it's fun. Not sure if the upside is reasonable, or requires a downside at all, it's already got a cost even before considering the downside of the artifact as a whole.)

[LapisCattis]

Here's an artifact pitch, I can go to more mild ones in a lot of ways, but I figured I may as well post the most interesting one first.

Maleficent Jello

Turns out, engineering the immortal jellies to have incredibly powerful toxins has had side effects. Vicious side effects. If one were to get into the weird, esoteric fantasy beliefs held by those such as Skullbloom and Stick, magical.

In small doses, the ink is instantly lethal, but in large doses... it's still lethal, but it radiates. Emanating power, pulsing into a shape that could be molded into anything, should one live long enough to manipulate it. With great scientific work, the grand excess of their years long research was coalesced into a blob. Was it alive...? Skullbloom seemed to think so. Violet had her doubts.

What was verifiable was that any vines (or indeed, any organic material that got near it) died within the hour, and nothing has survived more than two months of contact. Fortunately, the memories of the Medusa are stored elsewhere, and long as one was willing to 'cut off the hands' so to speak, there was little cost.

Perhaps isolates with more sturdy bodies could survive prolonged contact? Questions for later. The Medusa were large, but very fragile.

Yet, there was potential here. This wasn't merely hazardous waste. This could be shaped into Raw Power... to do something. To do lots of things, one suspects that its power is only begun to be harnesses.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Twice per turn, you may pay 1 Treasure to activate the effect of any artifact you have, or the effect of any artifact a player you have a Trade Route with (with said player's permission).

As a persistent effect, any empire that possesses this artifact for any length of time during a turn loses 1 Unit. No ill effects if there are no units to be decayed away. Players giving permission to have their artifacts copied do not decay a unit. Any player stealing or receiving this artifact in a trade does decay a unit.

(I'm not sure if the downside is interesting enough, I think it's fun. Not sure if the upside is reasonable, or requires a downside at all, it's already got a cost even before considering the downside of the artifact as a whole.)

It's interesting fluff, though I'm not quite sure how the fluff aligns with the artifact mechanics.

The main issue is the "no ill effects if there are no units to be decayed away" since then a nation with no units could just continue to use it with no penalty (beyond the treasure cost).

One suggestion is to alter the downside to:

Once per turn, you may spend an action to pay 1 Treasure to activate the effect of any artifact you have, or the effect of any artifact a player you have a Trade Route with (with said player's permission).

And remove the unit decay altogether

[Epinephrine_Syn]

It's interesting fluff, though I'm not quite sure how the fluff aligns with the artifact mechanics.

It is a combination of raw magical power source, capable of lending power to reverberate and amplify magical effects. Fuel, in a sense, or perhaps a power stone (now that reference brings me back to dreamcast days).

The main issue is the "no ill effects if there are no units to be decayed away" since then a nation with no units could just continue to use it with no penalty (beyond the treasure cost).

This would only be "No Penalty" if you consider "Literally Not Having Units" to not be a penalty. Might be better to save that for another artifact though, in any case.

One suggestion is to alter the downside to:

Once per turn, you may spend an action to pay 1 Treasure to activate the effect of any artifact you have, or the effect of any artifact a player you have a Trade Route with (with said player's permission).

And remove the unit decay altogether

I would be fine with this iteration of the artifact though, although I'd have to slightly tune down the 'dangerous' aspect of the fluff for that variant, make it more purely beneficial. Also, incase it isn't obvious, copying the effect of the other artifact doesn't prevent that other artifact from being used (otherwise would would even be the point).

I didn't realize you added "it costs an action" as well as costing the treasure. I'm a little more hesitant on that right now, because it'd be in most cases only as good as a seek aid, but it could still be potentially workable.

[Volthawk]

Passing thought for making it have that active cost rather than passive drain but keeping the fluff - what if the cost was 1 Unit rather than 1 Treasure? So it still eats organic matter when you try to use it, just in the turns you're not actively using it you can keep it safely stored somewhere (or at least safely enough that it's not a mechanically significant amount of nomming).

[Epinephrine_Syn]

While interesting, it messes with the fluff in the sense that it's meant to be dangerous as a substance to be around, but not actively a "consuming living flesh to function" sacrificial altar, and messes with the mechanics insofar as the function was meant to take edge on me being a non-military power, because it is a downside to not have an army. If I force myself to build units to use it, that defeats the entire purpose of its functionality.

[mystic1110]

While interesting, it messes with the fluff in the sense that it's meant to be dangerous as a substance to be around, but not actively a "consuming living flesh to function" sacrificial altar, and messes with the mechanics insofar as the function was meant to take edge on me being a non-military power, because it is a downside to not have an army. If I force myself to build units to use it, that defeats the entire purpose of its functionality.

The issue with the Flavor is that Units are the only things that represent "people" that can be lost to a "Dangerous" substance - if you want to show the danger of the substance without losing units, perhaps something with supports going from Support>Open>Unruly from those members of your populace dying from handling such dangerous substance. So what about:

As an Economy Action you may pay 1 Treasure to activate the effect of any other artifact you have, or the effect of any artifact a player you have a Trade Route with (with said player's permission) - if you do GM's will roll a 1d4 (1 - Aristocratic, 2- Merchants, 3-Clergy, 4- None) to see if members of your population suffer any ill effects from handling the dangerous substance. An effected support goes one down the unruly scale but cannot become rebellious in this manner.

Balance wise the downside is offset by you being able to use this any amount during the round, as long as you have the actions and treasure for it. Note - that your original suggestion had the effect as a non-action, but Lapis's fix had it as an action, so I'm hewing towards Lapis' balance more than your original suggestion.

[Epinephrine_Syn]

Honestly, either or of those might work on the whole. I personally feel like spending an action to mimic stuff is a little high of a cost, but it might be workable.

Though an alternate suggestion that I think would work better for the artifact's dangerous yet malleable nature might be to shift it out of the Artifact space. Namely:

Once per turn, you may do one of the following:
As a non-action, you may add +1 to a roll you are spending at least 1 treasure on.
As a faith action, you may spend 1 treasure (going over typical treasure spending limits) to add a +1 to any roll you make.

[Tychris1]

The tac man bonus for my battle is wrong. I should have a +8 due to the combination of my perfected tactical doctrine and my artifact. Therefore only my tac doc should apply, creating a discrepancy of 27 to 16 putting us in the 9-12 losses range. With my tac docs 20% adjustments that should leave us at 40% losses for both sides.

So I should lose 1 unit and the coalition should lose… 2 units?

[Torv]

Miracle time (and a couple more things)!


1) Is a HS 15 bonus to impress actions okay?


2) Would the following change to the Kelpie and Mare require any action on my part:
The Kelpie and Mare yearns for attention, stealing them does not require a spy.
The above was my original intention, I had just missed the new theft rules for E7.


3) Miracle suggestion, Sea of Delights:

During the rein of [next ruler] faith actions count twice for stat gain and other stat gain is halved. FAY becomes unable to resist any other rolls than faith and invasions as the population is submerged in constant revelations.
No special actions besides faith may be taken during this period.

It is enough to distract minds rather than destroy them. The desired import changes from Neurotoxins to drugs (other than Delight) and requires two TP's to be fullfilled during [next ruler's] reign.

The merchant support of region 17 becomes reaved and FAY must permanently spend two treasure for each +1 as the kelp takes hold in the merchants and make them disappear.

The banished merchants appear in a random capital each round providing the owner with 1d4 treasure upon their leave. On a 4 the landscape is also scraped bare and a Support begins to grow unruly.
They trigger the Kelpie and Mare if they appear in the same country, providing no other benefit while doing so.

Edit suggestion: While FAY's Merchant Support is reaved their stat gain is capped at +3 per round.
Realized keeping the DI unfullfilled wouldn't amount to much, as there'd be no merchants left to be mad about it.

[Epinephrine_Syn]

I'm feeling increasingly likely to just take the suggestion Lapis made for the alteration, though I wouldn't want to be burdensome either way, and may wind up using it this turn.

[LapisCattis]

Honestly, either or of those might work on the whole. I personally feel like spending an action to mimic stuff is a little high of a cost, but it might be workable.

Though an alternate suggestion that I think would work better for the artifact's dangerous yet malleable nature might be to shift it out of the Artifact space. Namely:

Once per turn, you may do one of the following:
As a non-action, you may add +1 to a roll you are spending at least 1 treasure on.
As a faith action, you may spend 1 treasure (going over typical treasure spending limits) to add a +1 to any roll you make.

Just to clarify, are these to replace all of the other effects or only some of them?

Miracle time (and a couple more things)!


1) Is a HS 15 bonus to impress actions okay?


2) Would the following change to the Kelpie and Mare require any action on my part:
The Kelpie and Mare yearns for attention, stealing them does not require a spy.
The above was my original intention, I had just missed the new theft rules for E7.


3) Miracle suggestion, Sea of Delights:

During the rein of [next ruler] faith actions count twice for stat gain and other stat gain is halved. FAY becomes unable to resist any other rolls than faith and invasions as the population is submerged in constant revelations.
No special actions besides faith may be taken during this period.

It is enough to distract minds rather than destroy them. The desired import changes from Neurotoxins to drugs (other than Delight) and requires two TP's to be fullfilled during [next ruler's] reign.

The merchant support of region 17 becomes reaved and FAY must permanently spend two treasure for each +1 as the kelp takes hold in the merchants and make them disappear.

The banished merchants appear in a random capital each round providing the owner with 1d4 treasure upon their leave. On a 4 the landscape is also scraped bare and a Support begins to grow unruly.
They trigger the Kelpie and Mare if they appear in the same country, providing no other benefit while doing so.

Edit suggestion: While FAY's Merchant Support is reaved their stat gain is capped at +3 per round.
Realized keeping the DI unfullfilled wouldn't amount to much, as there'd be no merchants left to be mad about it.

1) I don't see why not

2) No, I'll make a note of it in the Round 7 Opener and again for Round 8 to remind folks

3) These are really interesting impacts, but balance-wise it's more like 2 Miracles being proposed in one.

• During the rein of [next ruler] faith actions count twice for stat gain and other stat gain is halved. FAY becomes unable to resist any other rolls than faith and invasions as the population is submerged in constant revelations.
  No special actions besides faith may be taken during this period.

^ This could be a Miracle all on its own, with the rest of your proposal being a separate Miracle.

The tac man bonus for my battle is wrong. I should have a +8 due to the combination of my perfected tactical doctrine and my artifact. Therefore only my tac doc should apply, creating a discrepancy of 27 to 16 putting us in the 9-12 losses range. With my tac docs 20% adjustments that should leave us at 40% losses for both sides.

So I should lose 1 unit and the coalition should lose… 2 units?

Right, we did miss your +8. With the updated math, you should've lost 1 unit and the CCC would've lost 1 unit since Aristocratic units are calculated separately

[LapisCattis]

Region 75
The Plains of Sarkenos

Spoiler: Geography

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Situated in a rather plain territory of rolling seafloor vegetation and occasionally rising cliffs between it and many of more important regions surrounding it, the Plains of Sarkenos are a curious case of “good enough” terrain. Defensible, but not the most. Have their share of holy sites, but not the most holy. There is a measure of natural wealth to harvest, but only truly enough for one trading post to take advantage of without intensive measures. Simply speaking, the Plains are a borderland.

Settlements in this terrain mostly fit for fish-farming and other simple agricultural projects tend to be smaller communities, dotting the plains wherever they have found a particularly ample spot to settle themselves. Often these communities can even be quite mobile, some of them being mostly made up of tents and other structures easily packed and moved when situation calls for it. The most established of the various villages and small towns is the township of Plain Current, from which the more important people of the region (and its chieftain) attend to administrative functions of the scattered community. Founded upon the side of one of the larger rock formations in the region, the place is fairly defensible, and hosts the mining operation of magnetic sand.

Spoiler: People

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Borderlands attract migrants, and as such it has population from many of the surrounding civilizations, simple folk that have gathered together into small communities. Most of the people inhabiting the Plains are not particularly wealthy, simple bartering and communal goodwill worth more than riches or rigid rules. There are races from most surrounding regions, often people seeking to escape the constraints of whatever has alienated them from their home…and over time, their descendants have grown more accustomed to community of many mingling races.

The daily lives of the people inhabiting this land are mostly focused on making certain essential tasks are done. Herding schools of fish, maintaining housing, tending to fields of seafloor crop and attending to mining of the magnetic sand prized by traders are all common ways to spend one’s time, and only a few take to administrating, matters of faith or fighting full-time. Still, the chieftain has mandated a measure of militia drills to drive away marauding beasts or occasional band of raiders, something that has proven to be a wise choice.

While the communities of the plains are generally allowed a fair degree of self-governance, they are still expected to follow the mandates arriving from the chieftain reigning at Plain Current, as well as to pay a measure of taxes. Regardless of this, many find this relative freedom compared to the neighbouring empires of the region a pleasant change of pace.

Since the Hegemony’s takeover of the area, relatively little has changed. The soldiery of Kar-Nath mostly patrol the border regions and leave the commonfolk of the Plains to their business, much to everyone’s relief. While still nominally part of Hegemony's territory, the Plains are offered almost full autonomy by the deal struck between their chieftain and the Frozen King, and as such they can expect to see relatively little of their overlords at any given time while reaping the benefits of being protected by a larger nation.

Spoiler: Resource & Requirement

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Resource: Magnetic Sand
Mined out of the deeper-reaching iron cliffs of the plains, Magnetic Sand is somewhat of a peculiarity. While not an item of massive import for day to day life, it is often sought out as magical material by many, and is seen as status symbol or academic curiosity across the seas. As such, it makes for a good trade good, even if its use in the region itself is highly limited.

Requirement: Toxins
The business of cultivating crops and herding schools of fish brings about its own challenges, and some of the most pressing of such are parasites, unwanted weeds and potentially invasive species that threaten such humble livelihoods. The people of the Plains have found a solution in various toxic mixtures mixed up depending on the pest they are supposed to guard against, and require constant supply of such products or risk losing harvests of fish and flora to such common misfortunes.

Spoiler: Faith

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As a loose community, those finding their home in the Plains of Sarkenos do not have a codified religion. Preachers of many varieties ply their trade in the small villages and townships, and thus far no faith has united the people. Many worship their deceased ancestors or subscribe to various faiths they have brought with themselves from the empires around the Plains, but it is often seen as polite not to bring one’s faith up too often.

While the lack of codified faith has resulted in no new holies being truly raised, there are certain natural formations that often draw people’s worship. The Roil (HS 1) is an inexplicable whirlpool near the very center of the plains that seems to have dug through the seafloor itself, with many whispering of its unique properties in tones of reverence or fear. The Claw of Sarkenos (HS 2) is the highest rock formation on the plains, curling out of the ground akin to four-clawed hand of a massive beast, made of unique dark stone none have been able to identify.

With Blossiming Sequence having moved into the territory from the neighboring territory of Bastion, they have quickly opened up modest reliquary temples to invite theological discussion from the locals. While not yet a dominant faith of the region, their influence is regardless growing.

Approved! You can add this to your Waters of the World post or make a new post for it

[Epinephrine_Syn]

Just to clarify, are these to replace all of the other effects or only some of them?

Oh, yes, if we were to go with the amplification artifact becoming below, that would be the complete text of the artifact.

Maleficent Jello

Once per turn, you may do one of the following:
As a non-action, you may add +1 to a roll you are spending at least 1 treasure on.
As a faith action, you may spend 1 treasure (ignoring typical treasure spending limits) to add a +1 to any roll you make.

With the intention that the faith action one could be applied regardless of other factors, such as type of roll or whether the roll's made. Though I am kind of liking the first suggestion you made, tbh. It's growing on me and taking root, and I wouldn't be strictly opposed to implementing that one.

[Corona]

Tropics map for round 7. SBK has been taken up as a NPC, so I kept it on the map.

Spoiler: map

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• During the rein of [next ruler] faith actions count twice for stat gain and other stat gain is halved. FAY becomes unable to resist any other rolls than faith and invasions as the population is submerged in constant revelations.
  No special actions besides faith may be taken during this period.

^ This could be a Miracle all on its own, with the rest of your proposal being a separate Miracle.

My two cents: I think this part would be a pretty terrible miracle, the only benefit is that faith actions count twice for stat gain... mostly the effect would be that you'd quickly max out at 10 faith again. That would make getting the next miracle quicker, but then, you could just do that next miracle in the first place with your current ruler without all the downsides. Torv, I don't think your miracle would suffer thematically or mechanically if you cut this part out.

---

@GM special actions for approval:


Cultural Identity Let's have a cuppa: 2d8 to Swaying.


Tactical Doctrine Graceful Show of Force:
Roughly using the 2-point budget with adjustments from round 3 opener:
-2: -20% enemy casualties
+2: -20% own casualties
-2: +12 to enemy leader loss roll
+1: +2 to own leader loss roll
+2: Make a Sway attempt against a support of your choice in the battlefield region (regardless of the outcome of the battle). If you already own all supports, get a +2 to battle roll instead.
+1?: +1 to tactical maneuvering

The explanation is such that the general avoids bloody engagements while swaying the local populace to their side by winning skirmishes, making those wins look bigger than they are, giving speeches, creating networks of Lojanese supporters and informants and reinforcing garrisons to boost morale. If the populace is sufficiently convinced of the general's cause, volunteers will even join their side (that is the +2 when you have all supports).

[Volthawk]

Oh right yes, keeping up to date with temperate maps here as well as in the temperate discord channel was something I was trying to do:

Spoiler: Political

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Spoiler: Economy

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Note: The Gotezhar city is actually in 136, as I autopiloted putting it in their capital and it turns out that wasn't the plan.

Spoiler: Faith

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Note: 97 should have a TP owned by an NPC faith, as when it was revealed I misread "one of these and one of these" as just one HS, and it evaded people's notice until now. Whoops.

[Torv]

My two cents: I think this part would be a pretty terrible miracle, the only benefit is that faith actions count twice for stat gain... mostly the effect would be that you'd quickly max out at 10 faith again. That would make getting the next miracle quicker, but then, you could just do that next miracle in the first place with your current ruler without all the downsides. Torv, I don't think your miracle would suffer thematically or mechanically if you cut this part out.

Yes. It's intentionally flashy while being mediocre at best. It amounts to somewhere about +1 or +2 in [stat] upon ruler generation for the next two rulers while adding a bunch of negatives on top (assuming you're taking +1 to +2 worth of stat gain in [stat] anyways).
A permanent +1 to [stat] upon ruler generation would win out pretty quickly without any of the downsides.

I do still need some of the statgain for reasons but the merchants are the fun part of it anyways.

1) I don't see why not

2) No, I'll make a note of it in the Round 7 Opener and again for Round 8 to remind folks

3) These are really interesting impacts, but balance-wise it's more like 2 Miracles being proposed in one.

• During the rein of [next ruler] faith actions count twice for stat gain and other stat gain is halved. FAY becomes unable to resist any other rolls than faith and invasions as the population is submerged in constant revelations.
  No special actions besides faith may be taken during this period.

^ This could be a Miracle all on its own, with the rest of your proposal being a separate Miracle.

1) Great!

2) Thank you!

3) How about the below instead?

[Next ruler's name] gains +1 faith and -2 economy during their generation.
No I won't think of the economy, JB
It is enough to distract minds rather than destroy them. FAY's desired import may be changed from Neurotoxins to drugs (other than Delight) as a great project using economy.
Okay, maybe
The merchant support of region 17 becomes reaved and FAY must permanently spend two treasure for each +1 as the kelp takes hold in the merchants and make them disappear.
Yeeeet!
The banished merchants appear in a random capital each round providing the owner with 1d4 treasure upon their leave. On a 4 the landscape is also scraped bare and a Support begins to grow unruly.
They trigger the Kelpie and Mare if they appear in the same country, providing no other bonus while doing so.

[JBarca]

Hello! I've got a MilTech proposal/request!

Devolving Standardized Integrations
Requirement: Graduated Symbiosis

The Doflein and their biologists continue to work toward perfecting grafting on a mass scale. While individuals have permanent features added, much of this relies on the Doflein ability to recover from otherwise fatal wounds in the healing stasis they can achieve. The first major strides have been made, though, and Nautilites can now be outfitted with the most important features of other races. These grafts, though, are temporary at best and often leave the soldiers in question weaker than before once their augmentations rot on their bodies.

Effect: Following a victory in battle, the victorious commander gains a +1 to battle rolls for a number of rounds equal to half (rounding down) the number of units the opponent lost.

[Minescratcher]

Tactical Doctrine Graceful Show of Force:
Roughly using the 2-point budget with adjustments from round 3 opener:
-2: -20% enemy casualties
+2: -20% own casualties
-2: +12 to enemy leader loss roll
+1: +2 to own leader loss roll
+2: Make a Sway attempt against a support of your choice in the battlefield region (regardless of the outcome of the battle). If you already own all supports, get a +2 to battle roll instead.
+1?: +1 to tactical maneuvering

The explanation is such that the general avoids bloody engagements while swaying the local populace to their side by winning skirmishes, making those wins look bigger than they are, giving speeches, creating networks of Lojanese supporters and informants and reinforcing garrisons to boost morale. If the populace is sufficiently convinced of the general's cause, volunteers will even join their side (that is the +2 when you have all supports).

I don't really have any mechanical feedback, but I wanted to say that this is incredibly thematic and cool!

---

Anyway, writeup for approval, with particular apologies to Potato_Priest for the linguistic butchery I have committed:

* * *

Region 127
Ke Yi Ade, the White Sands

Spoiler: Geography

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The first thing any traveler to Ke Yi Ade notices is the bone-white sand that gives the region its name, in stark contrast to the clear blue waters above. Dull green seedgrass and brown Ray-Ear Seaweed grow in clusters, forming islands of stable sand in a seafloor ever shifting with the currents and tides. To the north, the vast coral forest of Ngù Fe Ave stretches across the bleached sands, the red flowercups of the Three-Arrows Coral a beautiful prize for any willing to dare its painful spines. Turtles feast on coral and seagrass, retreating into their muted brown armor as one of the great grey Lãkuviatowo lumbers across the seafloor, its claws sending vast clouds of swirling sand upwards as they uproot clumps of seaweed and buried oysters. In the distance, the plaintive call of the four-finned saber seagoats echoes through the waters, interrupted by the clashing of their long shell horns as they challenge each other for dominance, and in the saline waters of the western marches and the coastal brack to the east, the dark-eyed pupfish dart back and forth, so named for their resemblance to the children of the inhabitants, the Tomelãwo.

Spoiler: People

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The intelligent populace of Sedadzi, the Tomelãwo, are nearly unique among the creatures of the region simply for being carnivorous. They are large, flat fish akin to Earth’s electric rays, with a wide, toothy mouth, a circular "head," white skin flecked with blue patches, and the ability to generate electric shocks of up to 200 volts from their heads. A single Tomelã hunts by wrapping its flat body around small prey like the pupfish and electrocuting it, while hunting parties working in concert can take down even an enormous Lãkuviato. However, the religion of Central Intelligence forbids the use of electricity against another thinking creature, and warriors typically rely instead on the sharp horns of saber seagoats or simply grappling. Tomelãwo are ovoviviparous, and spawn litters of up to 10 pups about every two years.

Tomelãwo society was once organized into a hierarchical feudal system, but the ascension of King Agbeli began a period of significant centralization of power, with the lesser nobility retaining or even expanding their wealth and status but losing much of their political power. By the time of his death and succession by his daughter Queen Esenam, the monarchy had become absolute, and the royal court merely a series of hunts and dances to keep the nobles occupied.

Spoiler: History and Government

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Prior to the War of Sky and Sea, Ke Yi Ade was ruled by Queen Esenam, the only surviving child of the previous King following a period of fratricidal infighting upon his death. She maintained near-absolute power in the region, relegating the nobility to a position of subservience with their power limited to their role as leaders in hunts and in war; the ultimate symbol of this hierarchy was the fortress and palace at Togbe dzi Nofe, built three years before the outbreak of the war. Aside from its defensive features and its halls of treasures and royal artwork, it contained enough rooms to quarter every major noble in the realm, allowing the Queen to keep a personal eye on any plotting and ensure loyalty.

Of Queen Esenam’s ill-conceived challenge to the armies of the temperate waters, enough is said elsewhere, and it will suffice to note that in the face of what they perceived as a threat or an insult, the Ironkelp Order and the reigning Profundus of the Gotezhar allied and invaded Ke Yi Ade. Despite trading evenly in casualties, the extreme tactical and operational flexibility of the combination of Middish and Gotezhar fighters, combined with the sense of abandonment among the defending Tomelãwo after the Queen retreated to Togbe dzi Nofe, rapidly overwhelmed the defenders, and the coalition army seized the fortress, the Queen, and the vestigial nobility in a matter of weeks.

In the aftermath, many Middish disinherited children and lesser nobles, many of them Knights in the invading army, attempted to establish their own realms in the queendom’s corpse as had occurred in Ektalithiades. Notably, in the north, the Insmiddish Knight Lieutenant John Donne elevated himself to Duke of the Forest of the Trinity, encompassing most of Ngù Fe Ave; in the east, the half-Scoshmiddish, half-Alehmiddish Knight Frederick Christy seized the waters about Christy Pit following his gallant performance in the nearby Battle of the Basin; and in the south, the capital city and old royal palace at Sedadzi were captured by Knight Lieutenant Felipe Lucero of the Hislangue, now Prince of Lucero. Despite the significant de jure shakeup, however, the remnants of the old Tomelãwo nobility bear no love for the Order, and it remains to be seen whether any of the new princes can truly enforce their will within their realms.

Spoiler: Resources

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One of the most abundant plants in Ke Yi Ade is a brown seaweed, dubbed Ray-Ear Seaweed for its similar shape to the bulges around the Tomelãwo’s eyes containing their electrical organs (often misidentified as ears). Its blades are edible, though tasteless; the real value lies in the seaweed’s remarkably developed rhizome-like holdfast, which, when ground, is a potent spice and incense akin to ginger.

The merchants of the region desire Hard Minerals, as the sandy seafloor is extremely mineral-poor, and the Tomelãwo require specialized tools to build or dig in the sand and desire weapons of superior materials.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

The native faith of the Tomelãwo is called Nunya vevi ade or Central Intelligence. It is henotheistic, holding that each species has its own god or gods, and that the Tomelãwo’s deity (it is rarely properly named or referred to with gendered terms) long ago fixed its great Eye upon Ke Yi Ade. The force of its gaze, which sees all that occurs in its waters, bleached the sands white. As its chosen people, the Tomelãwo are blessed with plentiful food and comfortable waters, but those blessings can be withdrawn at any time if they do not hold to a strict moral code, which prohibits consumption of plants or coral except in extreme circumstances, use of electricity against other thinking creatures, willful deception, consumption of mind-altering substances, adultery, and cross-species grafting.

Two major holy sites lie within the region. Roughly at the center lies a wide circular basin, said to be the pupil of the Central Intelligence’s gaze, now referred to as Christy Pit after Knight Frederick Christy, who seized the waters after the Battle of the Basin. Further north and west, the old royal palace in the city of Sedadzi serves a significant spiritual role, with a large temple annex dedicated to ensuring that the leaders of the Tomelãwo float correctly in the Intelligence’s sight.

[LapisCattis]

+2 to battle rolls only in regions where I have a Merchant Support seems a lot weaker than the -10% casualties would make up for (especially also limited), considering it could just be +2 Battles everywhere, right?

That's fair. Another option from the GM team is:

+3 to battle rolls in regions where you have Merchant Support, and -10% Own Casualties in regions where you have a Trading Post

3) How about the below instead?

[Next ruler's name] gains +1 faith and -2 economy during their generation.
No I won't think of the economy, JB
It is enough to distract minds rather than destroy them. FAY's desired import may be changed from Neurotoxins to drugs (other than Delight) as a great project using economy.
Okay, maybe
The merchant support of region 17 becomes reaved and FAY must permanently spend two treasure for each +1 as the kelp takes hold in the merchants and make them disappear.
Yeeeet!
The banished merchants appear in a random capital each round providing the owner with 1d4 treasure upon their leave. On a 4 the landscape is also scraped bare and a Support begins to grow unruly.
They trigger the Kelpie and Mare if they appear in the same country, providing no other bonus while doing so.

That looks good!

Hello! I've got a MilTech proposal/request!

Devolving Standardized Integrations
Requirement: Graduated Symbiosis

The Doflein and their biologists continue to work toward perfecting grafting on a mass scale. While individuals have permanent features added, much of this relies on the Doflein ability to recover from otherwise fatal wounds in the healing stasis they can achieve. The first major strides have been made, though, and Nautilites can now be outfitted with the most important features of other races. These grafts, though, are temporary at best and often leave the soldiers in question weaker than before once their augmentations rot on their bodies.

Effect: Following a victory in battle, the victorious commander gains a +1 to battle rolls for a number of rounds equal to half (rounding down) the number of units the opponent lost.

I love that fluff. No issues with this proposal!

@GM special actions for approval:


Cultural Identity Let's have a cuppa: 2d8 to Swaying.


Tactical Doctrine Graceful Show of Force:
Roughly using the 2-point budget with adjustments from round 3 opener:
-2: -20% enemy casualties
+2: -20% own casualties
-2: +12 to enemy leader loss roll
+1: +2 to own leader loss roll
+2: Make a Sway attempt against a support of your choice in the battlefield region (regardless of the outcome of the battle). If you already own all supports, get a +2 to battle roll instead.
+1?: +1 to tactical maneuvering

The explanation is such that the general avoids bloody engagements while swaying the local populace to their side by winning skirmishes, making those wins look bigger than they are, giving speeches, creating networks of Lojanese supporters and informants and reinforcing garrisons to boost morale. If the populace is sufficiently convinced of the general's cause, volunteers will even join their side (that is the +2 when you have all supports).

Cultural Identity is all good!

On the TacDoc, your Sway can be either a randomly rolled Support or a specific Support, not a Support of your choice. If you'd like the +1 to tactical maneuvering, the "If you already own all supports, get a +2 to battle roll instead" also needs to be taken out (so choose one of these). This isn't because of the budget, but because of how tactical maneuvering and the pre-existing Support bonuses work.

Region 127
Ke Yi Ade, the White Sands[/CENTER]

Spoiler: Geography

Show

The first thing any traveler to Ke Yi Ade notices is the bone-white sand that gives the region its name, in stark contrast to the clear blue waters above. Dull green seedgrass and brown Ray-Ear Seaweed grow in clusters, forming islands of stable sand in a seafloor ever shifting with the currents and tides. To the north, the vast coral forest of Ngù Fe Ave stretches across the bleached sands, the red flowercups of the Three-Arrows Coral a beautiful prize for any willing to dare its painful spines. Turtles feast on coral and seagrass, retreating into their muted brown armor as one of the great grey Lãkuviatowo lumbers across the seafloor, its claws sending vast clouds of swirling sand upwards as they uproot clumps of seaweed and buried oysters. In the distance, the plaintive call of the four-finned saber seagoats echoes through the waters, interrupted by the clashing of their long shell horns as they challenge each other for dominance, and in the saline waters of the western marches and the coastal brack to the east, the dark-eyed pupfish dart back and forth, so named for their resemblance to the children of the inhabitants, the Tomelãwo.

Spoiler: People

Show

The intelligent populace of Sedadzi, the Tomelãwo, are nearly unique among the creatures of the region simply for being carnivorous. They are large, flat fish akin to Earth’s electric rays, with a wide, toothy mouth, a circular "head," white skin flecked with blue patches, and the ability to generate electric shocks of up to 200 volts from their heads. A single Tomelã hunts by wrapping its flat body around small prey like the pupfish and electrocuting it, while hunting parties working in concert can take down even an enormous Lãkuviato. However, the religion of Central Intelligence forbids the use of electricity against another thinking creature, and warriors typically rely instead on the sharp horns of saber seagoats or simply grappling. Tomelãwo are ovoviviparous, and spawn litters of up to 10 pups about every two years.

Tomelãwo society was once organized into a hierarchical feudal system, but the ascension of King Agbeli began a period of significant centralization of power, with the lesser nobility retaining or even expanding their wealth and status but losing much of their political power. By the time of his death and succession by his daughter Queen Esenam, the monarchy had become absolute, and the royal court merely a series of hunts and dances to keep the nobles occupied.

Spoiler: History and Government

Show

Prior to the War of Sky and Sea, Ke Yi Ade was ruled by Queen Esenam, the only surviving child of the previous King following a period of fratricidal infighting upon his death. She maintained near-absolute power in the region, relegating the nobility to a position of subservience with their power limited to their role as leaders in hunts and in war; the ultimate symbol of this hierarchy was the fortress and palace at Togbe dzi Nofe, built three years before the outbreak of the war. Aside from its defensive features and its halls of treasures and royal artwork, it contained enough rooms to quarter every major noble in the realm, allowing the Queen to keep a personal eye on any plotting and ensure loyalty.

Of Queen Esenam’s ill-conceived challenge to the armies of the temperate waters, enough is said elsewhere, and it will suffice to note that in the face of what they perceived as a threat or an insult, the Ironkelp Order and the reigning Profundus of the Gotezhar allied and invaded Ke Yi Ade. Despite trading evenly in casualties, the extreme tactical and operational flexibility of the combination of Middish and Gotezhar fighters, combined with the sense of abandonment among the defending Tomelãwo after the Queen retreated to Togbe dzi Nofe, rapidly overwhelmed the defenders, and the coalition army seized the fortress, the Queen, and the vestigial nobility in a matter of weeks.

In the aftermath, many Middish disinherited children and lesser nobles, many of them Knights in the invading army, attempted to establish their own realms in the queendom’s corpse as had occurred in Ektalithiades. Notably, in the north, the Insmiddish Knight Lieutenant John Donne elevated himself to Duke of the Forest of the Trinity, encompassing most of Ngù Fe Ave; in the east, the half-Scoshmiddish, half-Alehmiddish Knight Frederick Christy seized the waters about Christy Pit following his gallant performance in the nearby Battle of the Basin; and in the south, the capital city and old royal palace at Sedadzi were captured by Knight Lieutenant Felipe Lucero of the Hislangue, now Prince of Lucero. Despite the significant de jure shakeup, however, the remnants of the old Tomelãwo nobility bear no love for the Order, and it remains to be seen whether any of the new princes can truly enforce their will within their realms.

Spoiler: Resources

Show

One of the most abundant plants in Ke Yi Ade is a brown seaweed, dubbed Ray-Ear Seaweed for its similar shape to the bulges around the Tomelãwo’s eyes containing their electrical organs (often misidentified as ears). Its blades are edible, though tasteless; the real value lies in the seaweed’s remarkably developed rhizome-like holdfast, which, when ground, is a potent spice and incense akin to ginger.

The merchants of the region desire Hard Minerals, as the sandy seafloor is extremely mineral-poor, and the Tomelãwo require specialized tools to build or dig in the sand and desire weapons of superior materials.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

The native faith of the Tomelãwo is called Nunya vevi ade or Central Intelligence. It is henotheistic, holding that each species has its own god or gods, and that the Tomelãwo’s deity (it is rarely properly named or referred to with gendered terms) long ago fixed its great Eye upon Ke Yi Ade. The force of its gaze, which sees all that occurs in its waters, bleached the sands white. As its chosen people, the Tomelãwo are blessed with plentiful food and comfortable waters, but those blessings can be withdrawn at any time if they do not hold to a strict moral code, which prohibits consumption of plants or coral except in extreme circumstances, use of electricity against other thinking creatures, willful deception, consumption of mind-altering substances, adultery, and cross-species grafting.

Two major holy sites lie within the region. Roughly at the center lies a wide circular basin, said to be the pupil of the Central Intelligence’s gaze, now referred to as Christy Pit after Knight Frederick Christy, who seized the waters after the Battle of the Basin. Further north and west, the old royal palace in the city of Sedadzi serves a significant spiritual role, with a large temple annex dedicated to ensuring that the leaders of the Tomelãwo float correctly in the Intelligence’s sight.

Approved!

[Corona]

On the TacDoc, your Sway can be either a randomly rolled Support or a specific Support, not a Support of your choice. If you'd like the +1 to tactical maneuvering, the "If you already own all supports, get a +2 to battle roll instead" also needs to be taken out (so choose one of these). This isn't because of the budget, but because of how tactical maneuvering and the pre-existing Support bonuses work.

OK, I'll make it a randomly rolled Support (among those I don't yet own, I assume) and remove the potential +2 to battle roll.

[Volthawk]

Colony writeup! Given I'm fully settling it this turn, I've written this from the perspective of next turn onwards (so besides the settling thing, I have their import and feather's taken their clerical support in this) so it doesn't immediately become out of date, hopefully that's fine.

Pyl-Garat (129)

Spoiler: Geography

Show

The terrain of Pyl-Garat is somewhat similar to that of Cyph-Arel, the rocky landscape continuing southwards. Down here, rather than the many smaller scattered patches of soil that form the cores of settlements in Cyph-Arel, there are a small amount of vast stretches of very fertile silt. Some are mostly clear for use, featuring a small variety of easy to handle or remove plant species and the handful of mostly herbivorous animal species that feed off them, but others are overgrown thickets, the silt patches dominated by two plant species - one woody species that rapidly grows tall to get as close to the sun as possible, and another parasitical species that forms long interwoven vine networks that stretch from trunk to trunk of the first species and feed off them (the appearance of the two together giving rise to the term "vine forest"). The two species together provide an ample supply of food for the animals found in these overgrown forests (although only their fruits are particularly edible for most people, unless one wants to modify themselves to eat something considered thoroughly unappetising), in turn giving rise to several predatory species, and various other plants that can find a niche not taken up by the dominant two grow where they can in the shade below (or above the vine layer, for some of the more interesting plants). The understanding of the Cyphiri that live here is that the only reason the other silt fields haven't become one of these overgrown silt forests is simply that the two species aren't particularly efficient at spreading themselves out of their native field to others, slowing the spread enough that even now there are unaffected silt fields.

Spoiler: People

Show

The population of Pyl-Garat is primarily Cyphiri. Various families are represented, but it is the Pylet family who are dominant here - they spearheaded the early colonisation attempts despite internal opposition, convinced other families to come along and more recently have put all their financial assets into the region, cementing their hold on it. They have great influence among the Cyphiri living here, and have grown increasingly aloof and independently-minded towards the rest of the Union Council (of which they are a member), despite having strong obligations towards the Hallus for their support in the colonisation. The other families present are much like those of Cyph-Arel - some are from families with presences in both regions, while a considerable number are new families created by those wanting a fresh start and new opportunities of their own. The latter category are those most loyal to the Pylet, who typically invests in all such families in Pyl-Garat to give them a head start, and Pylet family members frequently encourage those of other families who are considering going it alone to go for it and accept their support.

The Cyphiri who have settled here live in two kinds of settlements. The older settlements are found around the vine forests, the original colonies who relied upon what they could gather from the wilderness for resources - it was much faster than waiting for crops (although some farms have been established on the edges of the patches in the years since), the fruits are fairly tasty, and there was quite a lot else of interest there from a scientific and curiosity-driven perspective. These settlements have developed into the major towns of the region, and the places the Pylet are strongest. They're quite similar to the communities found in Cyph-Arel, with the major exception being the lack of a central farm to be built around - instead, they're set up in rows facing the overgrown silt fields, the closest being the most prestigious properties (particularly in recent years, with hunting being more controlled and formalised excursions into the wilderness becoming a status symbol) and newer buildings layering backwards from them.

With the growth the region has experienced in recent years, there have been more of the second kind of settlement cropping up - those based around the silt fields that are far enough away from the vine forests to be clear for the Cyphiri to properly utilise. While some have been built into farming communities to help secure a local food supply, the majority of these so far are focused around 'silt mining', gathering the silt itself and packing it for transport and sale elsewhere. These settlements are a little less well-built than the wilderness-edge settlements - the farmers aren't as well established yet, while the silt miners intentionally live in tents and other structures made to be easy to take down as they reckon that no silt field will last forever and they'll eventually have to move on to another one.

Not everyone here is a Cyphiri, of course - besides the usual gaggle of mercenaries and adopted family members from other species, the Sakura-Jin are here and have been here for years before the Pylet sent their first colonists here. Upon finding their missionaries across the region, the Cyphiri decided to leave them be and let them do as they wished - if any wanted to join one of the colonial settlements, they were allowed in, and those who wanted to stay distant were left alone. Over the years, many Cyphiri have begun to listen to the missionaries and accept their teachings and beliefs over the typical Flowing Way-aligned way of thinking of the Cyphiri, leading to a second group of Sakura-Jin arriving specifically to better provide guidance to their new converts.

Spoiler: Resources

Show

The main export of Pyl-Garat is the Nutritious Silt they gather from some of the silt fields found here - many are overgrown or used for other purposes, but enough are clear and capable of being harvested from that some Cyphiri have set up a brisk trade in gathering and selling on the fertile soil. After all, good nutrient-rich soil like this is something a clever merchant can make a decent amount of coin with, so they've already been sending sacks of the stuff north into Cyph-Arel to top up the lower-quality soil there and sending opportunity scouts out into the wider zone to look for other potential buyers.

A quirk of Pyl-Garat culture that those back in Cyph-Arel find quite fascinating is their taste for Meat. It started early into the colonisation of the region, as the initial colonists found that farming was taking too long to yield enough food and foraging from the overgrown patches wasn't enough, and so began to hunt the animals that lived in and around them. They found that they quite liked the taste, and enjoyed the act of hunting itself (a little unusual, given the normal Cyphiri attitudes towards getting involved in violence themselves, but then again these early colonists were particularly adventurous and willful Cyphiri). These days, the increase in the population of these settlements means there isn't quite enough hunting to go around, and the Pylet have begun to control and legislate around the practice - hunting is now usually the privilege of Pylet of good standing in the family, or those of other families on good terms with them, although some other Cyphiri still hunt anyway. The need for meat has remained though, the early colonists still wanting their supply and the Cyphiri arriving later being influenced by the culture and diet the former set into place.

To compensate for this, the Pylet have begun to arrange for imports of sea cows from the north through Tellan contacts to provide a source of meat that, while not as fun as hunting your own meal, is undeniably tastier than the things they were hunting before and it's proven quite popular - the northern farmers may raise a good sea cow, but it's the Cyphiri of Pyl-Garat that know the best way to cook it up, using special jars of hot ashes also obtained from the Tellan (eating it raw, while perfectly possible for them to do, is seen as a little uncivilised these days and cooking is preferable despite the large amount of extra effort involved).

Spoiler: Faith

Show

The Pylet family have never been particularly dedicated followers of the Way - in fact, Hapat Pylet (the current head of the family) has attracted scorn from several of the more prominent adherents to the Flowing Way in Cyph-Arel for his comments on the merits of the faith and the viewpoint it encourages. Many of those who came with the Pylet to settle Pyl-Garat were of a similar mindset, or at least weren't so invested in the Way that they avoided dealing with the Pylet. In the years since settling the region, many of them have begun to find themselves swayed by the words of the Sakura-Jin nuns, finding comfort in the answers they present compared to the endless questions of the Way. Widespread adoption of their mandates has been slow, even among those most convinced, but has been becoming more common in recent years after the arrival of a second detachment of missionaries from the World Garden. Few of the Pylet themselves have converted though, Hapat reportedly finding the tenets of Sakurado not much better than the lessons of the Way but seeing little reason to interfere in the religious business of other families.

The Chambers of Garat: Located in the largest of the forest-side settlements, the Chambers were originally built to house any Sakura-Jin visiting to spread their teachings, and have been expanded several times since - the first few times to provide a permanent residence for the Cyphiri that were converted to the faith and wished to directly contribute to the faith, and again in recent years to provide proper homes to some members of the second Sakura-Jin contingent and provide a proper place of worship for them to operate out of. It's grown to cover a good amount of space, situated on the very edge of the vine forest and its bounds including some of the silt field to provide a space for their gardening.

[LapisCattis]

Colony writeup! Given I'm fully settling it this turn, I've written this from the perspective of next turn onwards (so besides the settling thing, I have their import and feather's taken their clerical support in this) so it doesn't immediately become out of date, hopefully that's fine.

Pyl-Garat (129)

Spoiler: Geography

Show

The terrain of Pyl-Garat is somewhat similar to that of Cyph-Arel, the rocky landscape continuing southwards. Down here, rather than the many smaller scattered patches of soil that form the cores of settlements in Cyph-Arel, there are a small amount of vast stretches of very fertile silt. Some are mostly clear for use, featuring a small variety of easy to handle or remove plant species and the handful of mostly herbivorous animal species that feed off them, but others are overgrown thickets, the silt patches dominated by two plant species - one woody species that rapidly grows tall to get as close to the sun as possible, and another parasitical species that forms long interwoven vine networks that stretch from trunk to trunk of the first species and feed off them (the appearance of the two together giving rise to the term "vine forest"). The two species together provide an ample supply of food for the animals found in these overgrown forests (although only their fruits are particularly edible for most people, unless one wants to modify themselves to eat something considered thoroughly unappetising), in turn giving rise to several predatory species, and various other plants that can find a niche not taken up by the dominant two grow where they can in the shade below (or above the vine layer, for some of the more interesting plants). The understanding of the Cyphiri that live here is that the only reason the other silt fields haven't become one of these overgrown silt forests is simply that the two species aren't particularly efficient at spreading themselves out of their native field to others, slowing the spread enough that even now there are unaffected silt fields.

Spoiler: People

Show

The population of Pyl-Garat is primarily Cyphiri. Various families are represented, but it is the Pylet family who are dominant here - they spearheaded the early colonisation attempts despite internal opposition, convinced other families to come along and more recently have put all their financial assets into the region, cementing their hold on it. They have great influence among the Cyphiri living here, and have grown increasingly aloof and independently-minded towards the rest of the Union Council (of which they are a member), despite having strong obligations towards the Hallus for their support in the colonisation. The other families present are much like those of Cyph-Arel - some are from families with presences in both regions, while a considerable number are new families created by those wanting a fresh start and new opportunities of their own. The latter category are those most loyal to the Pylet, who typically invests in all such families in Pyl-Garat to give them a head start, and Pylet family members frequently encourage those of other families who are considering going it alone to go for it and accept their support.

The Cyphiri who have settled here live in two kinds of settlements. The older settlements are found around the vine forests, the original colonies who relied upon what they could gather from the wilderness for resources - it was much faster than waiting for crops (although some farms have been established on the edges of the patches in the years since), the fruits are fairly tasty, and there was quite a lot else of interest there from a scientific and curiosity-driven perspective. These settlements have developed into the major towns of the region, and the places the Pylet are strongest. They're quite similar to the communities found in Cyph-Arel, with the major exception being the lack of a central farm to be built around - instead, they're set up in rows facing the overgrown silt fields, the closest being the most prestigious properties (particularly in recent years, with hunting being more controlled and formalised excursions into the wilderness becoming a status symbol) and newer buildings layering backwards from them.

With the growth the region has experienced in recent years, there have been more of the second kind of settlement cropping up - those based around the silt fields that are far enough away from the vine forests to be clear for the Cyphiri to properly utilise. While some have been built into farming communities to help secure a local food supply, the majority of these so far are focused around 'silt mining', gathering the silt itself and packing it for transport and sale elsewhere. These settlements are a little less well-built than the wilderness-edge settlements - the farmers aren't as well established yet, while the silt miners intentionally live in tents and other structures made to be easy to take down as they reckon that no silt field will last forever and they'll eventually have to move on to another one.

Not everyone here is a Cyphiri, of course - besides the usual gaggle of mercenaries and adopted family members from other species, the Sakura-Jin are here and have been here for years before the Pylet sent their first colonists here. Upon finding their missionaries across the region, the Cyphiri decided to leave them be and let them do as they wished - if any wanted to join one of the colonial settlements, they were allowed in, and those who wanted to stay distant were left alone. Over the years, many Cyphiri have begun to listen to the missionaries and accept their teachings and beliefs over the typical Flowing Way-aligned way of thinking of the Cyphiri, leading to a second group of Sakura-Jin arriving specifically to better provide guidance to their new converts.

Spoiler: Resources

Show

The main export of Pyl-Garat is the Nutritious Silt they gather from some of the silt fields found here - many are overgrown or used for other purposes, but enough are clear and capable of being harvested from that some Cyphiri have set up a brisk trade in gathering and selling on the fertile soil. After all, good nutrient-rich soil like this is something a clever merchant can make a decent amount of coin with, so they've already been sending sacks of the stuff north into Cyph-Arel to top up the lower-quality soil there and sending opportunity scouts out into the wider zone to look for other potential buyers.

A quirk of Pyl-Garat culture that those back in Cyph-Arel find quite fascinating is their taste for Meat. It started early into the colonisation of the region, as the initial colonists found that farming was taking too long to yield enough food and foraging from the overgrown patches wasn't enough, and so began to hunt the animals that lived in and around them. They found that they quite liked the taste, and enjoyed the act of hunting itself (a little unusual, given the normal Cyphiri attitudes towards getting involved in violence themselves, but then again these early colonists were particularly adventurous and willful Cyphiri). These days, the increase in the population of these settlements means there isn't quite enough hunting to go around, and the Pylet have begun to control and legislate around the practice - hunting is now usually the privilege of Pylet of good standing in the family, or those of other families on good terms with them, although some other Cyphiri still hunt anyway. The need for meat has remained though, the early colonists still wanting their supply and the Cyphiri arriving later being influenced by the culture and diet the former set into place.

To compensate for this, the Pylet have begun to arrange for imports of sea cows from the north through Tellan contacts to provide a source of meat that, while not as fun as hunting your own meal, is undeniably tastier than the things they were hunting before and it's proven quite popular - the northern farmers may raise a good sea cow, but it's the Cyphiri of Pyl-Garat that know the best way to cook it up, using special jars of hot ashes also obtained from the Tellan (eating it raw, while perfectly possible for them to do, is seen as a little uncivilised these days and cooking is preferable despite the large amount of extra effort involved).

Spoiler: Faith

Show

The Pylet family have never been particularly dedicated followers of the Way - in fact, Hapat Pylet (the current head of the family) has attracted scorn from several of the more prominent adherents to the Flowing Way in Cyph-Arel for his comments on the merits of the faith and the viewpoint it encourages. Many of those who came with the Pylet to settle Pyl-Garat were of a similar mindset, or at least weren't so invested in the Way that they avoided dealing with the Pylet. In the years since settling the region, many of them have begun to find themselves swayed by the words of the Sakura-Jin nuns, finding comfort in the answers they present compared to the endless questions of the Way. Widespread adoption of their mandates has been slow, even among those most convinced, but has been becoming more common in recent years after the arrival of a second detachment of missionaries from the World Garden. Few of the Pylet themselves have converted though, Hapat reportedly finding the tenets of Sakurado not much better than the lessons of the Way but seeing little reason to interfere in the religious business of other families.

The Chambers of Garat: Located in the largest of the forest-side settlements, the Chambers were originally built to house any Sakura-Jin visiting to spread their teachings, and have been expanded several times since - the first few times to provide a permanent residence for the Cyphiri that were converted to the faith and wished to directly contribute to the faith, and again in recent years to provide proper homes to some members of the second Sakura-Jin contingent and provide a proper place of worship for them to operate out of. It's grown to cover a good amount of space, situated on the very edge of the vine forest and its bounds including some of the silt field to provide a space for their gardening.

Approved! Go ahead and plop it in the Waters of the World

[TheDarkDM]

A region for review.

Kemenangan Adiratna (Region 28)

Spoiler: Geography

Show

Kemenangan Adiratna (Region 28)

In the farthest reaches of the civilized tropic seas, this sparsely-populated border region endeavors mightily to support life in defiance of the enervating currents that drift south from the toxic sea. Lacking the vibrant corals that characterize the more hospitable waters to its south, the seafloor of Kemenangan Adiratna alternate between smooth stretches of inhospitably bone-white sand and pockmarked flows of exposed bedrock. The currents of the area rise up from the hidden volcanic fissures that rent open the land in antiquity, funneling the water up and banishing the lingering toxins of the frontier. The borderlands between these shrouded refuges and the stark white of dead sea are ironically, heartbreakingly beautiful patterns of coruscating sand, silt, and minerals vomited forth from the heart of the world, the fundamental seeds of life trapped in a frozen dance with their own destroyers.

Spoiler: People

Show

Bleached Hymenocera

Identical in origin to their cousins to the East, the hymenocera of Kemenangan Adiratna have suffered both physiologically and societally from their environment. Though the cave systems they call home provide refuge from the terrors both invisible and unnameable that emerge from the toxic sea, generations of exposure have left the normally resplendent coloration of the hyumoneceran shell bleached the mottled dun of sand. Robbed of the foremost indicator of rank in their regimented society, the bleached hymenocera struggle to maintain order in their petty kingdom, even as the best among them recognize the cruel necessity of centralized power in the face of their peoples’ many challenges. It is for this reason that each king or queen of Kemenangan Adiratna took great pains to both surround themselves in what trappings of wealth they could manage and distribute that self same wealth to their most loyal supporters. It was an imperfect system, and one that proved all-too-easily manipulated by the Lambent Syndicate.

Alerted by her agents that then-King Elyfos’ grip on power was waning in the face of dwindling food supplies in what was then Spilai Kochys, Lucent Mistress Adiratna set in play an insidious ploy. Rerouting her own shipments of Siren to the southern kingdoms of the Seablood Khanate and The Unity, she tempted the region’s vaunted Shell Guard into raiding the lightly-guarded caravans, depositing a wealth of Siren at the king’s feet. Unfamiliar with the eastern substance beyond whispered rumors in his court, Elyfos claimed his prize, and was soon ensorcelled by it. Yet in the weeks before it stole his lucidity from him altogether, the grateful king rewarded his most powerful and most faithful followers with their own small mountains of Siren. In mere months, the entire leadership of the region was firmly in the grip of addiction. And then the Lambent Syndicate’s shipments through the region ceased. The supply, which once seemed as an ever-flowing river, now began to dwindle. Nobles that had once sworn eternal friendship now looked jealously at any apparent surplus of the precious substance, and in his rare moments of lucidity King Elyfos was faced with the looming threat of civil war.

Then emissaries from the Syndicate arrived. With honeyed words and fresh caskets of Siren, the kucen quickly gripped the reins of power in Spilai Kochys. Though lesser functionaires and the heirs of the nobility cried out for resistance in the face of the Syndicate, the most noble and notable among them were swiftly and permanently silenced. The king’s court, reduced now to a luxurious Siren den, took little interest as Syndicate soldiers crossed the border to secure the canyonways linking the region, and it took little more than the threat of cutting off his supply for King Elyfos to sign away his autonomy and his kingdom’s name to something more of Adiratna’s choosing. Now, the noble court survives as something akin to a curiosity to the distant Lucent Mistress, and true power is concentrated in a regional governor of Adiratna’s clan and a network of collaborators less principled than their dearly-departed fellows.

Spoiler: Resource

Show

Tiny Turtles

While the treacherous waters of Kemenangan Adiratna have had the most dramatic effect on its hymenocera inhabitants, they have changed every species that calls the region home. Nearly as ubiquitous in the caverns and canyons of crab-folk is a subspecies of flatback sea turtles rendered in miniature, a pygmy species that the hymenocera natives see as personifications of soon-to-be-born hymenocera. Certainly, the turtles’ vibrant green and orange coloration recalls the faded memories of the hymonecera’s own shells, and centuries of religious devotion has led to a relationship somewhere between pet, guardian spirit, and omen. The arrival of the Syndicate has led to efforts to corral and control the turtles “for the good of the population,” and the bleached hymenocera have no need to know what befalls the Tiny Turtles dispatched to the outside world.

Resource Requirement: Meat

Cruelly, though the bleached hymenocera’s devotion to the Tiny Turtles feeds their spiritual lives, it does little to truly feed them. What game exists in Kemenangan Adiratna is either too small or too rare to adequately supply even the modest communities of the caves, which has forced the bleached hymenocera to rely on a nutritious but foul-tasting kelp for sustenance. A reliable supply of animal protein, such that their cousins to the East enjoy, would go a long way to earning the loyalty of the common folk.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

Suntouch Rise: A rarity in the tide swept waters of the tropics, Suntouch Rise is a string of seamounts large enough to border on islands rising from the largest of the region’s canyons. Breaching the distant surface, the sandy beaches atop the seamounts serve as the essential breeding grounds of the Tiny Turtles. Only vaguely aware of the cycle of life and death transpiring above their heads, the bleached hymenocera nevertheless recognize the stone pillars as the wellspring of their beloved turtles, and so have carved a series of shrines and altars at the base of the rock to channel their devotion heavensward.

The Lost: A location of local myth, The Lost is seen by the bleached hymenocera as the birthright denied them by the toxic sea. An expanse of dead coral rising in lonely monument above the white sands, the remains of The Lost speak of a proud city fallen to the ravages of time, broad boulevards of stone slabs and many-hued towers of coral left to wither beneath the distant sun. In years past, the most devoted among the bleached hymenocera would embark on pilgrimage to a hermitage at the heart of the city, but it has lain abandoned for many years.

[Volthawk]

Round 8 Temperate maps:

Spoiler: Political/Military

Show

Spoiler: Economy

Show

Spoiler: Faith

Show

[Corona]

Tropics R8 map

Spoiler

Show

[LapisCattis]

A region for review.

Kemenangan Adiratna (Region 28)

Spoiler: Geography

Show

Kemenangan Adiratna (Region 28)

In the farthest reaches of the civilized tropic seas, this sparsely-populated border region endeavors mightily to support life in defiance of the enervating currents that drift south from the toxic sea. Lacking the vibrant corals that characterize the more hospitable waters to its south, the seafloor of Kemenangan Adiratna alternate between smooth stretches of inhospitably bone-white sand and pockmarked flows of exposed bedrock. The currents of the area rise up from the hidden volcanic fissures that rent open the land in antiquity, funneling the water up and banishing the lingering toxins of the frontier. The borderlands between these shrouded refuges and the stark white of dead sea are ironically, heartbreakingly beautiful patterns of coruscating sand, silt, and minerals vomited forth from the heart of the world, the fundamental seeds of life trapped in a frozen dance with their own destroyers.

Spoiler: People

Show

Bleached Hymenocera

Identical in origin to their cousins to the East, the hymenocera of Kemenangan Adiratna have suffered both physiologically and societally from their environment. Though the cave systems they call home provide refuge from the terrors both invisible and unnameable that emerge from the toxic sea, generations of exposure have left the normally resplendent coloration of the hyumoneceran shell bleached the mottled dun of sand. Robbed of the foremost indicator of rank in their regimented society, the bleached hymenocera struggle to maintain order in their petty kingdom, even as the best among them recognize the cruel necessity of centralized power in the face of their peoples’ many challenges. It is for this reason that each king or queen of Kemenangan Adiratna took great pains to both surround themselves in what trappings of wealth they could manage and distribute that self same wealth to their most loyal supporters. It was an imperfect system, and one that proved all-too-easily manipulated by the Lambent Syndicate.

Alerted by her agents that then-King Elyfos’ grip on power was waning in the face of dwindling food supplies in what was then Spilai Kochys, Lucent Mistress Adiratna set in play an insidious ploy. Rerouting her own shipments of Siren to the southern kingdoms of the Seablood Khanate and The Unity, she tempted the region’s vaunted Shell Guard into raiding the lightly-guarded caravans, depositing a wealth of Siren at the king’s feet. Unfamiliar with the eastern substance beyond whispered rumors in his court, Elyfos claimed his prize, and was soon ensorcelled by it. Yet in the weeks before it stole his lucidity from him altogether, the grateful king rewarded his most powerful and most faithful followers with their own small mountains of Siren. In mere months, the entire leadership of the region was firmly in the grip of addiction. And then the Lambent Syndicate’s shipments through the region ceased. The supply, which once seemed as an ever-flowing river, now began to dwindle. Nobles that had once sworn eternal friendship now looked jealously at any apparent surplus of the precious substance, and in his rare moments of lucidity King Elyfos was faced with the looming threat of civil war.

Then emissaries from the Syndicate arrived. With honeyed words and fresh caskets of Siren, the kucen quickly gripped the reins of power in Spilai Kochys. Though lesser functionaires and the heirs of the nobility cried out for resistance in the face of the Syndicate, the most noble and notable among them were swiftly and permanently silenced. The king’s court, reduced now to a luxurious Siren den, took little interest as Syndicate soldiers crossed the border to secure the canyonways linking the region, and it took little more than the threat of cutting off his supply for King Elyfos to sign away his autonomy and his kingdom’s name to something more of Adiratna’s choosing. Now, the noble court survives as something akin to a curiosity to the distant Lucent Mistress, and true power is concentrated in a regional governor of Adiratna’s clan and a network of collaborators less principled than their dearly-departed fellows.

Spoiler: Resource

Show

Tiny Turtles

While the treacherous waters of Kemenangan Adiratna have had the most dramatic effect on its hymenocera inhabitants, they have changed every species that calls the region home. Nearly as ubiquitous in the caverns and canyons of crab-folk is a subspecies of flatback sea turtles rendered in miniature, a pygmy species that the hymenocera natives see as personifications of soon-to-be-born hymenocera. Certainly, the turtles’ vibrant green and orange coloration recalls the faded memories of the hymonecera’s own shells, and centuries of religious devotion has led to a relationship somewhere between pet, guardian spirit, and omen. The arrival of the Syndicate has led to efforts to corral and control the turtles “for the good of the population,” and the bleached hymenocera have no need to know what befalls the Tiny Turtles dispatched to the outside world.

Resource Requirement: Meat

Cruelly, though the bleached hymenocera’s devotion to the Tiny Turtles feeds their spiritual lives, it does little to truly feed them. What game exists in Kemenangan Adiratna is either too small or too rare to adequately supply even the modest communities of the caves, which has forced the bleached hymenocera to rely on a nutritious but foul-tasting kelp for sustenance. A reliable supply of animal protein, such that their cousins to the East enjoy, would go a long way to earning the loyalty of the common folk.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

Suntouch Rise: A rarity in the tide swept waters of the tropics, Suntouch Rise is a string of seamounts large enough to border on islands rising from the largest of the region’s canyons. Breaching the distant surface, the sandy beaches atop the seamounts serve as the essential breeding grounds of the Tiny Turtles. Only vaguely aware of the cycle of life and death transpiring above their heads, the bleached hymenocera nevertheless recognize the stone pillars as the wellspring of their beloved turtles, and so have carved a series of shrines and altars at the base of the rock to channel their devotion heavensward.

The Lost: A location of local myth, The Lost is seen by the bleached hymenocera as the birthright denied them by the toxic sea. An expanse of dead coral rising in lonely monument above the white sands, the remains of The Lost speak of a proud city fallen to the ravages of time, broad boulevards of stone slabs and many-hued towers of coral left to wither beneath the distant sun. In years past, the most devoted among the bleached hymenocera would embark on pilgrimage to a hermitage at the heart of the city, but it has lain abandoned for many years.

Approved! You can go ahead and add to the Waters of the World

[JBarca]

Submitting a region for review! Thanks in advance!

Sketi [Region 68]

Spoiler: Thalassography

Show

Sketi is cold and, oddly enough, dry. Much of the seafloor in the region is hilly, with peaks home to small coral systems and their symbiotic partners. The valleys come in two varieties. First and most commonly are the “still valleys,” places where the seafloor is sandy, covered in plant life, and home to the various peoples of the region. A fair few of these lower depths, however, are constantly shifting and are covered in valuable mineral deposits. A process that takes place deep under the seafloor produces pockets of air that percolate up through these valleys, creating shifting waves of bubbles rising through the water. Some valleys are filled with hydrophobic salts which catch large “rafts” of air, which the locals often use for anything that requires dry work.

These bubble columns dot the landscape, keeping visibility strangely limited from some angles. Travel across the region is also bound to established routes that are clear and safe, creating a sort of populated highway through Sketi.

Spoiler: People, Government, History

Show

Sketi is populated by two main groups, and a number of smaller peoples. The majority of Sketii are Carstalts. Carstalts are short, flat-bodied crablike creatures whose shells are open on either side, behind the large claw arms. Mating is a permanent prospect for Carstalts, as a mated pair merge into one wide creature, with the exposed flesh on the side of each growing together. More mates can be added to this pair, however, and it is not uncommon to see a Carstalt with a dozen or more members. For this reason, the Carstalts make exemplary production workers, as they can form a line of semi-independent craftspeople who can each specialize and still work in near-perfect coordination. Carstalts have long been content working hard and raising their children - they do not tend toward ambition or aggression.

The second largest population is Mer, who make up much of the wealth and power in Sketi. Prior to the conquest, Sketi was ruled by a queen and her two consorts. When a queen died or abdicated, her favored consort would depart with her, while the other would stay in the role with the following queen, thus guaranteeing a smooth transition and constancy in rule. Ostensibly, this remains the case, though the Ennead now chooses the queen and her consorts and there is no promise of continuation.

A small population of Nautilites is present in Sketi, as well, though they claim no kinship with the Danabaeans and view the northerners as nomadic barbarians.

Spoiler: Resources

Show

Export: Gravelglass. The mineral salts of Sketi have proven incredibly useful for the production of strong and colorful glass products. Most commonly, this is made into gravelglass to sell to the wealthy looking for a colorful accent to their properties.
Import: Textiles. The tiny population of true fauna in Sketi, coupled with the difficulty in keeping softer materials in good condition around so many claws and hard shells, has created a huge textile demand.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

For generations, the Sketi largely practices small, familial faiths. With the encroachment of the Pattern, though, their have been a number of unifying movements, though these have been far from successful.
The Three Peaks: There is a place near the center of Sketi that is off the beaten path where three large hills seem to lean into each other. At their peak, a large coral colony grows into a single crown, creating a hollow under which monastics and pilgrims can meditate or pray in peace.
The Open Vent: A place of quiet contemplation, meditation, and medicinal vision-seeking, the Open Vent is as it claims to be. There is a hole in the ground, from which flows a near-constant, wide tunnel of air, directly to the surface. It is calming to look at, strange to think about, and fascinating to study. People of all faiths and creeds can find something worthwhile in the Open Vent. In recent years, the people of the Pattern have begun using it as a tunnel to the surface, a strange new interpretation of the faith that sees adherents suffering the dry air to look directly into the sky above. This is frequently lethal.

[LapisCattis]

Submitting a region for review! Thanks in advance!

Sketi [Region 68]

Spoiler: Thalassography

Show

Sketi is cold and, oddly enough, dry. Much of the seafloor in the region is hilly, with peaks home to small coral systems and their symbiotic partners. The valleys come in two varieties. First and most commonly are the “still valleys,” places where the seafloor is sandy, covered in plant life, and home to the various peoples of the region. A fair few of these lower depths, however, are constantly shifting and are covered in valuable mineral deposits. A process that takes place deep under the seafloor produces pockets of air that percolate up through these valleys, creating shifting waves of bubbles rising through the water. Some valleys are filled with hydrophobic salts which catch large “rafts” of air, which the locals often use for anything that requires dry work.

These bubble columns dot the landscape, keeping visibility strangely limited from some angles. Travel across the region is also bound to established routes that are clear and safe, creating a sort of populated highway through Sketi.

Spoiler: People, Government, History

Show

Sketi is populated by two main groups, and a number of smaller peoples. The majority of Sketii are Carstalts. Carstalts are short, flat-bodied crablike creatures whose shells are open on either side, behind the large claw arms. Mating is a permanent prospect for Carstalts, as a mated pair merge into one wide creature, with the exposed flesh on the side of each growing together. More mates can be added to this pair, however, and it is not uncommon to see a Carstalt with a dozen or more members. For this reason, the Carstalts make exemplary production workers, as they can form a line of semi-independent craftspeople who can each specialize and still work in near-perfect coordination. Carstalts have long been content working hard and raising their children - they do not tend toward ambition or aggression.

The second largest population is Mer, who make up much of the wealth and power in Sketi. Prior to the conquest, Sketi was ruled by a queen and her two consorts. When a queen died or abdicated, her favored consort would depart with her, while the other would stay in the role with the following queen, thus guaranteeing a smooth transition and constancy in rule. Ostensibly, this remains the case, though the Ennead now chooses the queen and her consorts and there is no promise of continuation.

A small population of Nautilites is present in Sketi, as well, though they claim no kinship with the Danabaeans and view the northerners as nomadic barbarians.

Spoiler: Resources

Show

Export: Gravelglass. The mineral salts of Sketi have proven incredibly useful for the production of strong and colorful glass products. Most commonly, this is made into gravelglass to sell to the wealthy looking for a colorful accent to their properties.
Import: Textiles. The tiny population of true fauna in Sketi, coupled with the difficulty in keeping softer materials in good condition around so many claws and hard shells, has created a huge textile demand.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

For generations, the Sketi largely practices small, familial faiths. With the encroachment of the Pattern, though, their have been a number of unifying movements, though these have been far from successful.
The Three Peaks: There is a place near the center of Sketi that is off the beaten path where three large hills seem to lean into each other. At their peak, a large coral colony grows into a single crown, creating a hollow under which monastics and pilgrims can meditate or pray in peace.
The Open Vent: A place of quiet contemplation, meditation, and medicinal vision-seeking, the Open Vent is as it claims to be. There is a hole in the ground, from which flows a near-constant, wide tunnel of air, directly to the surface. It is calming to look at, strange to think about, and fascinating to study. People of all faiths and creeds can find something worthwhile in the Open Vent. In recent years, the people of the Pattern have begun using it as a tunnel to the surface, a strange new interpretation of the faith that sees adherents suffering the dry air to look directly into the sky above. This is frequently lethal.

Approved! Male anglerfish must be jealous

[Torv]

Sorry for getting to this so late in the round, no worries if it doesn't get reviewed until after the opener.

Artifact Proposal

The Withering Everlight

Appears in a random capital each round, providing a +1 to a faith roll during its stay.

Triggers the Kelpie and Mare.
When it appears in the same region as the Banished Merchants they gather 2d3 treasure instead of 1d4.

[Gengy]

Based on my knowledge of how rolls work, I should be laying claim to a new region this round. I had the spare time, so I wrote this up for approval.

B’kini Bottom
(Region 139)

Spoiler: People

Show

Those whom live within B’kini Bottom – pronounced (pa-Key-knee Bot-tum) – are mostly hardy warrior Mer, mixed in with a small smattering of dedicated Gotezhar who protect the surface waters.

B’kini Mer tend to be larger of frame than the average Mer, sporting more muscular bodies, and very few whom are overweight or weak. They also have more visible scar tissue, as though they have been fighting all their lives.

B’kini Gotezhar tend to have Shards with a bright white coloring; a distinction that may have been the reason for their separation from Ezcorher, though neither regions have histories to confirm this. B’kini Gotezhar are fierce to protect their clouds and also any Mer villages that live below them.

Spoiler: Geography

Show

B’kini Bottom is a land with many beautiful reefs, but also many shallow valleys. Though the waters don’t run particularly deep, there are still some areas close to the south and east edges of the region that have vast sections of underwater cracks in the ground, leading into dangerous cave systems. Within these caves lay both boon and bane of the region: the miraculous Fertilizing Seeds, and the terrible B’trick Stars. The Stars are starfish of equal size to the average Mer, but they possess dense skin, making them difficult to kill, unless one manages to strike inside their mouths on the underside of their bodies.

The B’trick Stars must be fought regularly – the reason for B’kini Mer being warriors – for allowing them to eat too many of the Fertilizing Seeds will spread their number beyond what can be safely contained. This has caused entire floods of Stars before in living memory, necessitating the need for B’kini Bottom to have a large standing army to push their enemy back into the caves. It has been thought impossible to fully destroy the Stars, as in addition to the Seeds, the large starfish feed and grow on the toxic waters that float from the south and east of B’kini Bottom… but in recent years, Mer who venture too close to that border have found it far more bearable. Something seems to have happened to the toxicity, making it brackish still, but not dangerously so. Fewer and fewer Stars are being born, opening more areas for the Mer to live in, and fewer fights for the Fertilizing Seeds.

Spoiler: Resource

Show

Export: Fertilizing Seeds grow from within the cave systems. They are enormous clusters of three-inch spheres, where the cluster itself is almost six feet in diameter. Each sphere – also known as a Fertilizing Pod – has a wood-like exterior that contains a pocket of air to perfectly preserve a single spike-covered seed. Managing to eat this inch-sized seed in it’s entirety has noticeable effects on a Mer’s desires for procreating, and in woman of age in the right time of their cycle, makes it far more likely for them to become pregnant, often with more than one child at a time; thus the name ‘Fertilizing Seeds’. How these seeds do this is unclear.

What is clear is that the seeds are not a casual food. In times of desperation, they can be eaten, but that is not the practice of B’kini Bottom, as it results in many more mouths to feed some many months later, only adding to those desperate times. Instead, the Seeds are cultivated for their mysterious properties and the military uses. A cluster of Pods, if cracked all at once, with force, bursts not just the air pockets within, but scatters the spike covered seeds in a violent manner. In this way, the Seed Cluster can be dropped from on high down unto unsuspecting Stars before the very things that the starfish want become their doom. In theory, the Seeds could be fired out of some kind of artillery weapon, but it was not until the Gotezhar from Ezcorher shared the Orope secrets of Supermarine Artillery that this was realized. Though the explosive nature of the Fertilizing Seeds is different from the Orope Giantsbane Seeds, the resulting destruction is similar.

In recent years, the more industrious B'kini Mer have cultivated their own cave system to cultivate their own Fertilizing Seeds, allowing ease of access to the Seed Clusters, and making it viable to sell the Seeds to outside sources, along with the safe methods of extracting the spiked seed from inside it's pod.

Required Resource: Unskilled Labor
There are many things in B'kini Bottom that need doing that are seen as beneath a warrior's responsibilities. It is with great reluctance that the warrior Mer and B'kini Gotezhar take up these tasks, especially when they could be more useful watching out for dangers on the borders. The people of B'kini Bottom are more than ready to do things that take skill and expertise to accomplish, but something that 'anyone' can do? Unskilled Labor is not fit for a warrior.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

Long ago, or so the stories tell, there was a particularly difficult flood of B'trick Stars. The people of B'kini Bottom were caught unprepared, and would have been wiped out, if not for the timely arrival from the south of a house-sized crustacean, so caked in dirt and grime that it was dubbed by children 'The Krusty Krab'. Regardless of the origins of it's name, the Krab was a terror in battle, greedy to the extreme for it's next meal. It ate and ate of the Starfish, seemingly never stopping to fight the flood until the last of the Stars were slain and consumed. Then it settled on the ground for two days and nights, unresponsive to anything. When it finally moved again, it grabbed the corpse of one more B'trick Star, and scuttled back to the south, never to be seen again.

To this day, the warriors of B'kini Bottom worship The Krusty Krab as a mighty warrior-god made flesh, and shape their society around the humble Krab. Tough on the outside, soft on the inside, but deadly to their enemies, and unafraid of danger.
The spot where the Krab is said to have rested is considered to be a Holy Center, and a building that is one part temple, one part restaurant - serving starfish meat, of course - has been erected there. There is another temple restaurant farther to the north that was made as a tribute to the Krab, but holds no further divine significance beyond making it an easier place for families to travel to.

Once a year, in the middle of the summer sun, all of B'kini Bottom rests for two days and two nights, eating and drinking. Traditionally, this is a meal of B'trick Star meat. Additionally, as part of the celebration, warrior families find a crustacean and have their children whom are coming of age do battle with it, before consuming it and using the outer shell as armor and weaponry. In this way, they honor the Krab's tenacity. It has also caused the region to be a prolific breeding ground for crabs, as the Mer and Gotezhar of the region find them both a curious pet and viable food source.

Holy Site: "The Krab's Rest"

A temple and restaurant honoring the Krusty Krab, and site of where it supposedly slept after it single handedly defeated an entire wave of B'trick Stars with it's mighty claws.

Holy Site: "Mister Krab's"

A temple and restaurant honoring the Krusty Krab in the northwest. A viable alternative to worship and feast at, if one cannot travel for days to the southeast.