Six Ages: Ride Like The Wind AAR

[Valmy]

I say you play on. Overcoming challenges is what strategy gaming is all about.

[Solmyr]

Orala's Year 19

The oracles predicted that our crafters would have good luck this year.

The Sorandings gained many shaggy cows by performing a Gods War ritual. That's great, and here we are losing cattle to overgrazing.



Our leading farmers noted that our fields were just beginning to show signs of exhaustion. Our land is really getting overworked!



We cleared fields and held a ceremony for the Barley Goddess and Earth Mother. Hopefully this will give our fields some new life.



We heard that the Blue Crests were one dispute away from declaring a feud against us. We sent Otoren to offer placatory words. They said that mere words could not compensate for the wrongs we had done them.



Plant folk gathered in our foraging grounds without permission. We performed an earth magic ritual to ward them off. Nyalda the earth mother drove them off with visions of cultivated land, on which they would be imprisoned and then harvested for food. The priests said we would not be bothered by elves for 15 seasons, at least. At least something is going right.



Wild dogs killed 40 of our goats. We called wolf spirits to drive them off. The shamans drummed for them, and they howled in response. They would feast on those dogs, who would trouble us no more.



The effort to restore our pastures made little progress.



Yatakan told us that the clan ring members all had a strange dream.



We sent Otoren with gifts to the Jade Colts. They were happy with us, and told us about their exploration.



The Gryphons called in a favor, asking for 17 cows. We gave them what they asked. They thanked us and departed. Now is not the time we can afford to give away cows, but what can you do?



We sent Derenei to the Brighteyes to try to exchange treasures with them. She traded the Raven Rock for their Shining Sun Mask.



Many of our horses fell sick. We called on the spirits for aid. Our shamans drummed up good spirits to chase out bad.



Blue Crest emissaries came to discuss overgrazing. We asked for their help to perform the "Busenari Finds the Light" ritual. They made no promises. We also bought some cows from them, though they seem to think we can actually keep them alive.



Churka and her party never returned from an expedition to the north. And like that, our most skilled clan leader is gone.



We reorganized the clan circle. Ayvtu was chosen to replace Churka. She is one of those children blessed with fire magic. Unfortunately, we can no longer maintain the representation of all seven families on the clan ring, but we need skilled leaders right now.



Our herds continue to die off due to overgrazing. So far, our restoration efforts have been unsuccessful. At least we have a good amount of magic, so we can put it into important things.

[Solmyr]

Orala's Year 20

The leaves of the oak trees fell off early, but nobody agreed what this signified.

We sent Otoren with gifts to the Brilliant Hoofs, who seemed well-disposed towards us.

We heard that the Ku-Randeri had enriched themselves considerably.



We found out that Shining Blossom shamans were saying the next person to marry into our clan would die. We spread word that our own spirits said otherwise. We performed a divination to be certain. Our shamans understood immediately that the curse was a nonsense story, spread by untutored spirit-callers who did not know how to inhale smoke properly. Though we told the truth to anyone who would listen, the rumor persisted.



We sent Otoren with gifts to the Flint Hearts. They were pleased.

The Jernelthi raided us. We did not detect them in time, and so had to fight against a larger force. We were driven from the battlefield and looted. We also suffered bad losses.



Kosralod, a visitor from far away, told us of the Last Tablet Plateau, where dwelt a priestess who was the daughter of Hyalor and the elf goddess, Aldrya. This caused consternation. We sent a priestly mission to the plateau. Over a period of days, Kosralod gave Ayvtu very detailed instructions. Ayvtu committed these carefully to memory, then set off for a long journey.



Ergeshites came wanting to trade some of their goats for trade goods. We entered into negotiations. We bargained shrewdly, gaining 20 goats for goods we valued as being worth eight cows. The people chattered excitedly as they examined the new additions to our herd.



We are now getting quite low on food as well. To make matters worse, our hunting and foraging missions have failed to find anything.



The Brighteyes announced a race day. We sought to smooth over differences. As the spirit of sportsmanship reigned, we talked to leaders from a clan we would not normally encounter in friendly circumstances.



The wandering Starmane clan sought permission to briefly pasture their cattle on our lands, before moving on. We asked them for cows. They gave us two sleek calves. They took pains not to overtax their welcome, proving a reticent lot.



Sacred Time is here again and we take stock. Our herds continue to dwindle badly, and our clan is not growing. Have the gods cursed us?

[Solmyr]

Orala's Year 21

The oracles forecast a mild Dark season.

Otoren told us a story about some Rams beating each other up. Our people had a good laugh about it.



Ayvtu returned from the mission you sent to the far distant Last Tablet Plateau to confirm that the priestess Cenala lived there, and was the daughter of Hyalor and the elf goddess Aldrya. We sought to share this revelation with Hyaloring neighbors. Otoren traveled among the clans, spreading the word of Cenala. Three of our Hyaloring neighbors accepted these revelations, as we had. Seven said we had to be wrong. Seems we might be starting a new cult soon. Otoren recommended that we build a shrine to Hyalor to receive extra benefits from this revelation.



Charioteers of the Mor-Kagini came to us for help, their horse herds afflicted with hoof rot. We performed a ritual to bolster their priests and priestesses. We called on Gamari. The Mor-Kagin priests felt the goddess' blessing upon them. They expressed their gratitude, and said that when their war leaders chose their next target, we would most definitely be spared.



The Old Eagle clan saw our troubles and offered help. They gave us 27 cows. We agreed that we owed them a favor.



We were raided by the Varlevings. Otoren injured a sweaty, screaming Ram and was surrounded by enemy spearmen, who cut him down. And thus our most promising young shaman was killed. We were driven from the battlefield and looted.



We reorganized the clan circle, appointing Angakon in place of Otoren as our magic expert.



Cows, separated from their owners by mischief spirits, wandered onto our lands. We kept them. Right now we'll take any cows we can get!



Families from the Flint Heart clan wanted us to weigh in for them as their elders mulled who their new chieftain would be. We interceded, as they requested. We made clear which choice of chieftain would please us. Not wishing to attract either our wrath or our mockery, they saw the wisdom of our choice. Heladivus, who owed his position to us, would surely do as we wanted in the future.



We sent a mission to the Flame Singer clan to request food in exchange for the favor they owed us. Angakon asked for the usual amount. The Flame Singers provided us with the food without complaint. Angakon said that we are now better at diplomacy, having sent an emissary to every Rider clan.



Henedra continued the slow process of burning unwanted growth, spreading manure, and dealing with erosion. Our pastures are still in very bad shape.

Manifesting our new understanding of Hyalor's elf connection, our shrine to him sprouted a beautiful flowering vine. We invited nonbelievers in Cenala to witness this manifestation. Four of the skeptical clans accepted that our revelation was true, and that Cenala was the daughter of Hyalor and the elf queen. Our cult continues to grow!



Our fellow believers in Cenala said we should do something about one of the last few holdouts. We let them be. People were glad that the circle saw no need to force its truths on others.



We were raided by the Blue Crests. We did not spot them in time and were badly outnumbered. We were driven from the battlefield and plundered. They plundered the Bowl of Healing Smoke.



The Shining Blossoms raided us. We drove the Shining Blossoms off, and were happy to have survived the battle. All this raiding is taking a toll on our people.

[Solmyr]

Orala's Year 22

The oracles expected that our esteem among the other clans would increase. That would be nice.

Yatakan and our hunters searched high and low, but were unable to find new game trails. They brought back what they could. Our food situation continues to be bad.

Insinor, the child adopted earlier by chief Orala, has grown into a young man.



Lankarn, the Gryphon war leader, wanted us to play chadash with his men, using the head of the Erthaling chieftain as the ball. We played the game. They won the match, but praised our high-spirited play.



It has become clear that the only way we will restore our pastures is by conducting a ritual to enter the Gods War and seeking the aid of Busenari. Here is what we know of the story.



We decided to ride to Busenari for a blessing. Riders who shared our belief in the Cenala revelation agreed to lend their worship. We also sought aid from the Wheels. Wheel chieftains who respected us agreed to lend aid.



We chose Derenei to enter the Gods War, even though is not a worshipper of Busenari. She is the most skilled person we have for this task.



*
Derenei found Busenari's daughters alone in a chilly pasture, threatened by wolves. Derenei sang the cows a calming song. The song that came to her lips was called Let Elmal Worry About What Lays Beyond the Fields. Busenari's daughters lowed, taking heart from its ancient melody.



Busenari's daughters scattered in the darkness. Derenei reassured them. Another song came to Derenei's lips, and it was called Now is the Time To Gather Ourselves. And gather themselves they did.



Ice came to fill the pasture, killing the grass. Derenei led them south, which was the Right Direction. Foes both ancient and new harried them on their way. Many of Busenari's daughters were lost.



Derenei led the daughters of Busenari to Gamari, who said their home was now everywhere. They did not seem so pleased to hear this. Derenei urged Gamari to give the daughters her joy in wandering. Gamari snorted. If cows were meant to be brave, they'd have been born horses instead.



Busenari thanked Derenei for herding her daughters to their new home. Busenari restored our damaged pastures.
*
The clans who supported our rite shared in its benefits. They banged cowbells in salute to Derenei. Our success caused clans who resisted the truth of Cenala to question their certainty. If Busenari still blessed us, how could we be wrong? The Wheels in attendance said we had achieved admirable dominance over the feminine impulse. This was their way of paying a compliment. We were not in a mood to reject a show of respect, no matter how oddly phrased.



The Ar-Tarimae raided us for 54 goats.

A Jade Colt war party wanted us to broker ransom for Blue Crest prisoners they had taken. We agreed. The Blue Crests paid the ransom, but we could tell that they associated us with the acts of the Jade Colts.



Doren and his party never returned from an expedition to the north. Another skilled noble lost.

The Shining Blossoms wanted our help fighting bandits. We said we would help. Yatakan led them to the bandit lair, and the battle began. The bandits proved surprisingly adept. They staged an effective fighting retreat, thinning our ranks as they escaped. Of our force, four warriors were killed and eight were wounded.



Derenei led a caravan to trade with the Flint Hearts. We traded 33 cows' worth of goods for less than 4 weeks of food.

While exploring our lands, we found nine cows worth of gems.

Rams of the Erthaling clan requested an afternoon's hospitality. They had prisoners from their rivals among the Soranding clan, who they intended to sell as slaves. We declined. We told them that the Swift Mare clan would never tolerate slavers. This vexed them, pleasing our people.



Derenei convinced the Flame Singer clan to create a new trading route. We also made a small profit from the trip.

The Brilliant Hoof clan announced a hawking competition. We sought to smooth over differences with hostile Rider clans. As hawks coursed the sky above our heads, we talked to leaders from clans we would not normally encounter in a friendly way.



Sacred Time is upon us. Our herds are still declining, but it will hopefully get better soon. Our magic is very low, so we put it into the bare necessities.

[Solmyr]

Orala's Year 23

The attention of the Sky Court was elsewhere, because sorcerers attacked Nyalda's palace. Our clan magic suffered as a result.

Henedra said that the Brighteyes continued to increase their large herds. She recommended we either ally with or raid them.

Over several weeks, Henedra led our herders in tending to sick animals. Thanks to her efforts we saved 17 cows that we would otherwise have lost.

The Urkarning clan swelled in numbers as fellow Ram People came there to settle. We told about this to our allies Old Eagles, known as the Ram Killers, a Hyaloring clan that hates the Ram People. The Old Eagles received our news with stoic gratitude. They did not say so, but we gathered that they were planning to hit the Urkarnings before they got too settled.



Our food is running very low. Ayoga led our foragers in searching for additional food around our clan lands, but was unable to find much.

We also sent Henedra with a small party to forage in the northern woods. Bandits attacked our foraging party in the north. Henedra tried to avoid the fight and save the group, but the bandits attacked anyway.



Yatakan said that the Old Eagles raided the Ram settlement, killing many. Some new immigrants decided to settle elsewhere as a result.



Ayvtu reported that our food situation is dire. However, the only choice would be to slaughter our cattle, which would be even worse in the end. We decided to pray to the gods and hope for the best.



Elves asked us to perform a restorative ritual. We asked for valuables. We struck the deal. We performed an earth magic ritual to bless the elves. We saw the elves become greener, and they pronounced themselves satisfied with the trade.



The Orvisi stole 20 cows.

Henedra's foraging party was confronted by elves. She talked to them about Cenala. At first they didn't believe her. Then they thought it was some sort of "meat people" joke. They did give her some food.



Brilliant Hoof shamans wanted to trade for our Whistling Wind spirit. We declined. They thanked us for our attention and departed.



We sent Derenei to the Blue Crests to try to exchange treasures with them. She traded the Stone of Mostal for their Bowl of Healing Smoke.

We asked the Old Eagles to offer a gift on our behalf to the Shining Blossom clan. The Shining Blossoms refused to accept it, let alone end their feud.



Lyafor, who left us ten years ago as a young man imbued with fire magic, returned to us, mighty but a little mad. He offered to lay low one of our foes, all by himself. As he wished, we sent him by himself to fight one of our foes. We chose the Varlevings. Soon we heard of the great carnage he wrought, before being cut down himself. Half of their elite warriors, and many others besides, breathed their last that day, dead at the hands of a great Elmali hero.



The Shining Blossoms raided us. Jade Colt forces appeared to launch a surprise flanking attack against our foes. Yatakan called Elmal's blessing upon them. Elmal imbued the Jade Colt weapons with solar light. They fought with vigor against the Shining Blossoms, and so did we. We drove the Shining Blossoms off, and their survivors left without looting us. Insinor, who was rescued from the Black Eel as a baby, distinguished himself in the fighting.



It is Sacred Time again and our magic is still low. The herds are still low, but did we not lose as much as we feared. At least, the seers predict that next year will be good for foraging. To help with that, we put some magic into Wilds.

[Solmyr]

Orala's Year 24

Our seers predicted that the foragers would find plentiful food this year. We should do some of that.

Our clan circle member Henedra's ability to provide food was acknowledged to be of heroic level. Henedra spoke to the circle, telling us about some strange sounds from the sky reportedly heard by some herders. The sound of the gods fighting, perhaps? Henedra also said that our fields are beginning to be exhausted. We should do something about that.



Afterwards, Angakon reported that the Yellowhills, despite being very poor, gave a large gift to the Blue Crests (the Pure Horse clan) as a result of a vision from Gamari. We received no such visions, and certainly couldn't afford to give such a gift anyway!



The Nordon family, though small, still deserves a representation on the clan circle. We decided to remove Eleen from the circle and replace her with Derenei, who has served the clan for many years. Derenei is older, but is a renowned negotiator and, at the moment, the only suitable noble from the Nordon family.

Taking Henedra's advice to heart, we cleared fields and held a ceremony for the Barley Goddess and Earth Mother. Henedra said that our fields should do better now.



The Ram Killer clan wanted our help with a ritual that would give substance to the ghosts of Elempur, who would then attack the Jernelthi. Our magic is nonexistent, but Yatakan said that our shamans could conduct minimal rituals in order to not spend any. We promised that our shamans would take part. The shamans pronounced the ritual successful. They could sense a great host of Elempurite shades gaining substance and howling their way to Jernelthi lands. Soon we heard that our targets had suffered a terrible blow. Later, though, the Jernelthi apparently used a divination to discover our involvement, so now they hate us too.



It's Fire Season and we have not raided for a while. Some clans are already losing respect for us. We want more cows, so first we staged a herd raid against the Varlevings, the Ram clan across the river. We were successful and stole 13 cows from the Varlevings.

Emboldened, we raided the Varlevings again, now in force. We were spotted, but still the forces were fairly equal. Just as the Varlevings sent a herald, we began shouting war cries, and they were greatly intimidated; their herald turned and ran. We then charged, hitting the enemy before they could complete their war rituals. There was fierce fighting, but we were fiercer. We drove the Varlevings from the battlefield, and were able to plunder their lands.



Through messengers, the Varlevings accused us of cursing them. We conducted a divination to learn the truth. In the story tent our spinning priests saw that the Paral-Uni were the guilty clan. We sent the Gryphons to tell them the Paral-Uni did it. The messengers departed. When they returned, they told us that they still did not believe us. The Varlevings would spread word not only of our use of curses, but our slanderous attempt to shift blame for them. Well, another clan that hates us.



We had Ayoga lead foraging parties, but unfortunately good omens did not translate into good fortune. Ayoga found nothing useful.

We heard that the Brighteyes clan hated us. Our leaders said this should make our people proud. Our people seemed to take this well, with clan mood improving.



We sacrificed to Zarlen, who finally revealed to us his first blessing, Safe Travel. This should help prevent ambushes against our parties.

Henedra's foraging party in the northern woods was confronted by elves. She talked to them about Cenala. They didn't respond. Henedra ignored them and continued foraging. She did find some seed pods and tubers, which would be enough for at least a few weeks.

We were raided by the Trolls. They slipped past our patrols and we could only muster a smaller force. We tried to skirmish, but our bows were dismayed by the trolls' drumming. While maneuvering into position, the trolls shot slingstones at us with deadly precision. The fighting went badly. Jereno felled one troll and saw two others about to pull Dunradin apart and eat him. Jereno rode over to engage them hand-to-hand. Shrugging off his blows, the trolls bashed Jereno from his horse. They commenced to eat Jereno, Dunradin, and the horse besides. The horror of this sight sapped our will. Trolls surged at us. We were driven from the battlefield and looted. They seized the Mighty Whooping Rattle. They also ate a lot of our cows. Damn it! We are really having the worst luck with our herds.



With Jereno dead, we had to choose a new member of the clan circle from the Dasano family. Our choice was young Josadivus, a worshipper of Elmal. He is not yet amazingly skilled at anything but farming and herding, but hopefully he will improve in time.



A great elk asked us to stop hunting for two years, promising better hunting for the four years after that. Although our food situation would not be improved by no hunting, we agreed, hoping to benefit in the future. After all, we already had a similar bargain in our early years here. Our hunters pledged to zealously uphold the bargain.



We were raided by the Shining Blossoms. We spotted them in time and gathered all our warriors. Yatakan said that their chief was noted for his caution, and their clan of course still fears us. We began skirmishing, but the Shining Blossoms quickly rushed us. Endarei saw Yatakan suffer a terrible injury, as his throat got slashed open. Endarei rode alone to Yatakan's side under the protection of Erissa's banner. The Shining Blossoms, known for impiety, fired on her nonetheless. They struck her with an arrow, wounding her. Orala rallied our side to furious wrath. We would use our hatred of these despicable foes to destroy them. Our warriors fought with berserk fury and prevailed, inflicting many casualties. We drove the Shining Blossoms off, and their survivors left without looting us. Yatakan and Endarei were taken home for healing.



Revenge! We sent a small party to raid the Shining Blossoms' herds. With many of their warriors wounded, we slipped past their patrols and stole 22 cows from them. Take that, you bastards!

Sacred Time has arrived. Our herds have actually remained stable, but that was only due to our successful cattle raids this year; a lot of cows were eaten by trolls. We are also no longer known for being bullies, but instead are now famous for our skilled and heroic clansfolk. The Gods War still rages, so our magic is low. We put it into Diplomacy, Pastures, and War, to help with our herds as well as manage relations and fight better in the coming year.

[Solmyr]

Orala's Year 25

It was predicted that many children would be born this year. Eleen also told the circle that the Brilliant Hoofs received a visit from a star, showing divine favor. In the meantime, Derenei visited several clans in the valley, telling them about our exploration (such as it is). Hopefully this will pave the way towards shared knowledge and better relations.

Dwarves came to trade for our cows. We told them we did not wish to trade, as our herds are so low. They said this was our prerogative as vermin infesting the World Machine. The people were glad we did not truckle to them.



Yatakan led the clan's warriors in mounted drill to better prepare them for combat. Many, however, claimed that they were too busy to attend. Also, four new warriors were promoted.

The Lastralings raided us. We spotted them, but were still outnumbered. They conducted a ritual causing winds to blow strongly against us. They then managed to outmaneuver us and win. We were driven from the battlefield and plundered. They plundered the Bowl of Healing Smoke. Well, our combat preparations so far did not work out very well!



We now have lots of wounded people, so Endarei conducted a sacrifice to Erissa. Mercifully, the goddess healed 37 of our wounded.

Soon after, the Varlevings raided us, but we spotted them also. We performed the Battle Glow ritual, while the enemy also performed their magic, causing the winds to pick up. We charged and fought fiercely, and this time managed to counter their advance. We drove the Varlevings off, and their survivors left without plundering us. Still, we suffered a few deaths yet again.

The Gryphon clan saw our troubles and offered help. They gave us 23 cows. We agreed that we owed them a favor.



Yatakan promoted four more warriors to help with our depleting force.

Hesten of the Dasano family found an honor belt dropped by fleeing bandits. We really do not want more clans disliking us, so we returned the belt to the Yellowhill clan. Doren went to deliver it, with Hesten leading an escort for safety. The Yellowhills thanked us. The family of the noble who had lost the belt sang us a song of praise, and gifted us with everlasting blossoms.



Our Old Eagle allies sought our aid in a mission against Vestantes raiders from the southern Ram kingdoms. We sacrificed to Elmal on their behalf. In our temple to Elmal our priests whirled in warlike fashion, leaping to Elmal's side. He said he would grant aid to the Old Eagles. Soon we heard that they fared poorly against the raiders. The Vestantes had drawn on the barbaric power of their own gods. Oh well.



We sent Angakon with gifts to the Paral-Uni, one of those Wheels clans who are pretty hostile to us. They praised the gifts, but still think poorly of us. Well, baby steps and all that.

The Old Eagles wanted our help fighting scorpion folk. We said we would help. Hesten took ten warriors and joined the hunting party, but could not find the scorpion folk. But neither could the Old Eagles. We were relieved, and hoped the scorpions had moved on. The Old Eagles are really bothering us with all these requests lately! Well, they are our allies and we'd rather keep them that way.



We sent a herd raid against the Varlevings but had to abandon it because they spotted us. No new cows for us!

It's Sacred Time again. Our herds still remain more or less stable, though we would really like them to grow! Our clan is actually losing people, even. At least the Gods' War seems to have ended, so our magic is better this year. We put some in War to help in case of fighting, but also some more in Diplomacy. Hopefully this year we can mend some relations with other clans. We will also try to explore a bit, and reserve some magic to help with that.



People still reading this?

[ulmont]

People still reading this?

Yes.  Person, anyway.  Not always a lot to say though - just watching how it goes.

[Solmyr]

Orala's Year 26

We predicted a bitterly cold Dark season.

We could no longer afford to maintain our shrine to Busenari. That is annoying, as it helped our herds at least a little bit. We will need to rebuild it soon.

We heard that the Paral-Un clan had recruited many warriors. Too bad, as they don't like us very much.

The elders agreed that the valley was getting colder since our arrival.



Henedra led our people in foraging, but it was not very successful. The valley is indeed getting colder, and food is becoming scarce. However, we had Ayvtu give some clan magic to the Sow spirit, who agreed to help with food for the next five years.

We heard that the Rams of the Lastraling clan mocked us as weaklings. We cannot really raid in Sea Season, so we told the Ram Killers that they ought to raid the Lastralings. The Old Eagles thanked us for this news of their hated foes. On the way back from the Ram Killers, Angakon was attacked, but returned home with his escort.



Come Fire Season, we did raid the Lastralings. Sadly, we were unable to penetrate their defenses. We were driven off and had no opportunity to obtain booty.

Young Beren befriended another boy with the same name, from the Yellowhill clan. The two suggested that the other boy should live with us for a year of training. We asked the other boy's clan. The Yellowhills agreed that this would motivate both boys to excel. They foresaw a great destiny for him, and wished him to be strong, and happy.



We were raided by the Shining Blossoms, who slipped past our patrol and so managed to outnumber out defenders greatly. Ayvtu slew an enemy noble and was surrounded by enemy Bows. Ayvtu rode one of them down, galloping to rejoin her comrades. After fierce fighting, we drove the Shining Blossoms off, and were happy to have survived the battle. Unfortunately, we sustained some casualties.

We learned that many emissaries were visiting the Jernelthi. Our priests learned that there would be a kite-flying festival. We couldn't interest other Riders in a hawking competition. Not long after, we heard that the Jernelthi kite festival had been a big success. Every Ram clan was blessed by Vingkot, their founding demigod.



Yatakan reported that the Old Eagles, the Ram Killer clan, waged a large battle against the Rams and lost. They blame us for their failure, for some reason. Bah.

We sent Angakon with gifts to the Mor-Kagini. They are one of the Wheel clans that like us, and were happy to receive our emissary. We have now sent an emissary to every Wheel clan in the valley, which should further help our diplomacy.



Chief Hyarnan of the Jade Colts sent word that we could consider a favor paid if we told him about Eveltan of the Old Eagles. They asked us if Eveltan was miserly or generous. We said it depended on the situation. A few days later, they returned to thank us for the information, which had steered them right. They said we could consider our favor paid in full. It had aided them so well, in fact, that they further rewarded us with two horses.



We had Derenei oversee crafting of fine ritual masks from ebony, resulting in a profit of 34 goods. This should give us some spending ability for a while.

The Dark Season was indeed very cold and icy, and we lost several cows and horses to both cold and predators.

Derenei led a ritual to Ekarna, learning the Understanding blessing. This helps our dealings with foreigners.

Wheels of the Ar-Tarima clan asked one of us to take the enemy role when they performed the Rogoros Four Trader ritual. We said we would do it for 30 cows, which was more than they were offering. They didn't like it, but they agreed. Just in case something would go wrong, we chose Endarei to act in their ritual, as she is expendable. Endarei watched as one of their nobles took the role of Samnal's son Rogoros and enacted the Rogoros Four Trader ritual. Endarei submitted to role of ceremonial villain, showing Rider spirit even though her defeat was foreordained. Her fervor somewhat reduced the magic loss we would suffer for doing this. Their officiant returned exultant from the Gods War. The Ar-Tarimae would have strong trade relations as a result of their magical efforts. We took our cows and returned home as they rode around in celebration.



Come Storm Season, we sent young Hesten with a party of explorers, to prove himself. They traveled northwest past the Gryphon lands. We also sent a foraging expedition to the northern woods. Also, Henedra said that the great elk was true to his word, and our woods are teeming with hunting game.

Paral-Un charioteers blinded Lankarn, one of our young warriors. We are in no shape to raid the Paral-Uni, but there is no reason we could not grant Lankarn's request. We conducted the skyrise ritual. Many called for the ritual to be stopped when they felt the flame. Lankarn however walked onto the pyre platform unflinching. He said he would praise us to the gods, when he met them. That night we saw a briefly shining new star in the sky. This was Lankarn's entry to the company of Elmal. The people rejoiced.



It is once again Sacred Time. Not a great year for us, as the food situation is still very bad and our herds are not growing much. The priests said that traveling to the Otherworld will be risky next year, so we will not be doing any rituals. We put magic to help with the usual things, Wilds epsecially to take advantage of better hunting.

[Oexmelin]

I am enjoying this greatly.

[Solmyr]

Orala's Year 27

Hesten returned from his exploration mission. He said that he did not find anything of note in the area he explored, but on the return trip the party was attacked by bandits. In the first moments of combat, four warriors died. The rest of them bolted away. We lost the horses of the dead, as well as the goods and equipment they carried. Well, Hesten's first mission is not promising.



We heard that the Ku-Rander clan was visited by the Black Death. We hope the plague won't spread to us.

Eleen oversaw our artisans crafting exquisite ivory statuettes, altogether worth 35 cows.

Meanwhile, Ayvtu keeps reminding us that our food situation is dire. There's not a lot we can do about it right now, though. We did send Derenei to buy some food from the Brilliant Hoofs clan.

Plant people attacked our fields, blighting our crops. As if we need more troubles with our food! We sacrificed to Hyalor at our vine-covered shrine. The priests received clear visions that the elves would not bother us, at least for a while.



Old Eagle emissaries came to discuss how the world was getting colder. We agreed, but there is not much to be done. We don't have the wealth for a sacrifice, and our relations are such that any Rider kingdom is out of the question. We were noncommittal, and the Old Eagles accepted it.



Fire Season was a disaster for our clan. We were hit by two cattle raids: the Lastralings stole 18 cows and the Blue Crests stole 29 cows. Then starvation hit, with many dying and many more becoming sick. Is this the beginning of the end for our clan?



Henedra led our hunters in search of a new hunting ground. At last, she was successful! We found a new area where game was plentiful, likely to last us for a year. Maybe we should thank that great elk!

Derenei also traded with the Brilliant Hoofs. They took an exorbitant amount of goods for less than a season's worth of foods. Bastards are profiting from our misfortune!

Yatakan said that the other Beren, friend to our own Beren, has returned to his clan, the Yellowhills. He was happy and will commend us to his people.

The Gryphons called in a favor we owed them, asking for 17 cows. This was less than would normally be customary. Not a great time to be giving away cows, but we don't want to go against tradition. We gave them what they asked. They thanked us and departed.

Bardalor (remember him?) led a foraging party to the northwest and encountered a strange fairy. He decided to offer it some clan magic, and it proved the right decision. The fairy led the party to a grove full of nuts! Bardalor actually managed to help the clan greatly this time.



Back home. Endarei led a sacrifice to Erissa to heal some of our sick.

Hesten's exploratory mission to the northern mountains came upon Rams about to ambush dwarves. Hesten had to quickly decide what to do. He warned the dwarves. At first, the dwarves looked confused, ready to fire their crossbows at us. Then the Rams, seeing that two foes flanked them, fled, and the dwarves understood. Their leader thanked us. "You have protected our home from greedy Rams, who say this mountain belongs to Orlanth, merely because his clouds enshroud it." They gifted us with iron beads worth seven cows. Hesten did better with this one!



The Flint Hearts wanted to hire some of our elite warriors as mercenaries, to defend against a Brighteyes attack. We agreed, since we certainly want more cows as payment. We sent four warriors to help the Flint Hearts. Later we heard that the attack did not occur, and so the warriors returned home with five cows in tow.



Outlaws attacked our exploration party in the clan lands. Derenei blustered and shouted at the outlaws, driving them off. She did not find anything of note, though.

We were raided by the Shining Blossoms. The Shining Blossom clan hero, Inrana, charged us, horse wreathed in divine flame. Yatakan asked Elmal to wreathe his steed in flame. Elmal answered the call. Yatakan met Inrana's charge head-on. Sky fire leapt between the two heroes' horses as they fought. When it was all over, it was Inrana who fell from horseback, wounded. Her fellows groaned in disbelief. We drove the Shining Blossoms off, and were happy to have survived the battle. Luckily, there weren't many casualties on our side, and Yatakan proved that he has Elmal's favor.



People complained of a circle member, Josadivus, and his frequent recourse to lawsuits. Josadivus's fellow councilors asked him to refrain from further requests for judgment. Josadivus admitted that his behavior had been excessive and promised to stop.



We sent a herd raid against the Ar-Tarimae, but were spotted. We charged at them, and their footmen could not withdraw in good order. We drove the Ar-Tarimae from the battlefield, and were able to plunder their herds, taking eight cows and two horses.

Ayoga and her party never returned from a foraging expedition to the north. It has been a year, so we have to pronounce them dead. Ugh.

We sent Derenei to the Ku-Randeri to try to exchange treasures with them. They offered us the Reverberant Drum, but at the moment we need silver more. We sold them the Master Sword for 41 cows worth of goods.

Sacred Time is upon us. Our herds took a dive again, which is bad. I wonder if we can ever get out of this poverty. This time, our magic is plentiful, and we spend it liberally on everything that could possibly help us. We especially want to maintain our wealth, our food, and our herds. We also lost people to starvation, but the seers say that many new children will be born next year. I don't know how we will feed them, though!

[Solmyr]

Orala's Year 28

Orala tells us about the Brilliant Hoof clan's new unpredictable chieftain. It's a tradition with them.



Meanwhile, Autronos of the Char-Orisa clan has grown into a fine young man. The Char-Orisa actually like us, maybe we should ally with them.



Bandits are becoming a problem lately. Derenei led a party to root them out, finding and killing many.

We sent Angakon to try and resolve the feud with the Shining Blossoms. They don't sell slaves and accept the Cenala revelation, just like us, so it would be good to make peace with them. As soon as they saw Angakon's peace delegation, the Shining Blossoms attacked it. Outnumbered, Angakon called for an immediate retreat. The delegation escort killed a few Shining Blossoms in the process. Though Angakon proved himself in a crisis, peace with the Shining Blossom clan now lay even further away.

A Ram girl, Karendra, ran away from her clan and was found in scandalous embrace with one of our young men, Parastak. Our clan is starting to buckle tradition, so we decided to be merciful this time and exiled them from our lands. They left together.



Yatakan said that we should intimidate the Shining Blossoms into making peace with us. We raided the Shining Blossoms and eluded their patrols. After long and fierce fighting, we drove the Shining Blossoms from the battlefield, and were able to plunder their lands.



We were raided by the Varlevings. They eluded our patrols and we had to fight outnumbered. We were driven from the battlefield and looted, though thankfully we were able to withdraw without significant casualties.



Traders from the Blue Crest clan arrived, wanting to purchase all our beer for the next seven years. We actually need the silver right away, so Derenei negotiated to receive 40 cows worth of goods from the Blue Crests. More importantly, the Blue Crests no longer hate us so much!

The wandering Starmane clan sought permission to briefly pasture their cattle on our lands, then keep on going. We asked them for cows and they gave us four sleek calves. They tarried for a brief while, proving a retiring lot. They also said that the world was growing colder everywhere.



The Ram girl who seduced one of your men returned to her clan. The man apparently died. Oh well, at least nothing bad came of it.



Gryphons wanted to stage a rite in our temple, petitioning Elmal to erect a fiery shield against demon-men from Alkoth. We agreed, but asked for compensation. We want cows, of course. Their priests whirled in our temple. Afterwards they said Elmal had granted the boon they asked for.



We sent a delegation to the Shining Blossoms again, this time taking 20 swords as an escort to better show our strength. It still did not go well. As soon as they saw Angakon's peace delegation, the Shining Blossoms attacked it. We hit the trail but not before one of Angakon's escort suffered injuries. Well then, war it is.

When ravens nested on our spirit rocks, shamans said it would be a good time for a Raven Festival. We sent hunters to seize a captive. They crept around the Shining Blossom clan lands but found no chance to grab a suitable captive unawares. However they did come upon a herder of the Jade Colt clan, taking him instead. The festival brought cheer to the people, especially when we used the captive for target practice and left his corpse for the ravens. Let's hope the Jade Colts won't hate us too much for it.



Eleen visited various clans, sharing our recent explorations, most importantly about the Ram ambush of the dwarves we witnessed in the Imther Mountains. The Paral-Uni told us about a secluded lake in Rams lands.



Derenei led a sacrifice to Ekarna, who revealed his Market blessing. The priests at our temple will now pray for it, helping our market make a profit.

The elder Chanla wanted us to send a shaman on a spirit journey to confirm that her dream about ice receding from the Golden City was true. The circle gave her permission, but warned people not to expect too much. The people did not want to hear anything but support for Chanla's vision. The shaman Chanla chose went into trance. He rode north in spirit form on a fiery horse. When he returned to ordinary awareness, he shook his head sadly. Nivorah lay beneath impenetrable ice, crushed beyond recognition. Still, Orala said that we should not give up hope, as the city was destroyed through combined actions of gods and men, and thus may yet be restored in the same way.



The Shining Blossoms raided us, and our patrols spotted them. This time, we were aiming to kill as many of them as possible. We charged at them and fought fiercely, and it was soon over. We drove the Shining Blossoms off, and their survivors left without looting us.



Derenei led a caravan to trade with the Paral-Uni. They don't like us much, but were still willing to trade. Derenei's silver tongue managed to get us an excellent deal, as she bought 52 cows for only 40 cows worth of goods. With this, we have sent a caravan to every Wheel clan in the valley, and will be able to create another permanent trade route.

We spotted a herd raid by the Ar-Tarimae. Yatakan said that their chief was known for his caution, so we charged right at them. After we killed or wounded most of them, they decided not to stick around and withdrew without plundering our land.

Ayvtu became pregnant, inviting the mockery of rival clans. We promised to raid the first clan that dared mock her. This vow roused the people from worry to a healthy belligerence.



It's Sacred Time again. Amazingly, this year went pretty well! Our herds are growing again. Let us hope this trend continues. We've put magic into various important things to keep up the growth.

[grumbler]

Thanks again for creating this.  It's an interesting tale, and I'm glad you kept at it in spite of the string of bad luck (which made for a better story, IMO, though I hate it when it happens to me in games).

[Solmyr]

Orala's Year 29

The oracles heard whispers in a strange language, but could not make out the meaning. Derenei told us that there were other strange tidings afoot: we keep hearing some sort of creaking or groaning from the sky - not thunder, but something else ominous. Dalasha, meanwhile, had a troubling dream, in which she saw our lands ruled by dragons, dragon-men, and men who had the tongues of dragons; even the clouds and the sun in the sky were dragons. These are interesting times.

We need more trade goods, and could have another permanent trade route. Let's use the fact that the Char-Orisa clan like us. Derenei traveled there and convinced the Char-Orisa to create a new trading route.

A chasm opened up in our pasture land. We don't have much magic to spend on rituals, and redistributing land sounds like a way to induce tensions between the families. So we just posted some herders to watch the hole.



Bandits are again a larger problem in the valley, so Derenei led some warriors to search for them, although the search was fruitless. Meanwhile, Henedra reports that our leading farmers noted that our fields were starting to show signs of exhaustion. And Ayvtu says that while our food stocks are adequate at the moment, they could be depleted in the coming year, so we'll have to watch the situation.

With Fire Season it is time to raid. Let's hit the Shining Blossoms again! We eluded their patrols and outnumbered them. As before, Yatakan noted that they are very cautious and may be vulnerable to a determined attack. We performed the Battle Glow ritual and charged! They tried to retreat, but we pursued relentlessly. In the heat of battle, Yatakan saw that the enemy had dropped an apparent magic weapon. Yatakan fought his way to it. He dealt hard blows to those who stood in the way. He snatched up the weapon, later identified as the Hollow Spear, a magical treasure that helps us prevail in battle. Yatakan then ordered a risky attack and we pushed forward as the enemy tried to conserve their strength. We drove the Shining Blossoms from the battlefield, and were able to plunder their lands. We captured 27 cows (yay!) and one horse. Casualties were light all around, with only one of our raiders killed and none wounded.



Dwarves prowled our pastures. We asked them to close the sinkhole and leave. They said that we were pests who engaged in disruptive vibration. And that they owned the land below our feet. Ergo, to fulfill our requests was not correct. Attacking the dwarves sounds dangerous, so we waited for them to leave. Eventually they did, disappearing down into the sinkhole. Unfortunately, it is still open, causing stress to our pasture land.



We conducted a herd raid and stole 24 cows from the Ar-Tarimae.

The Char-Orisa clan mocked us because Ayvtu became pregnant outside of marriage. We had promised to raid the first clan who disrespected her. This is unfortunate, as the Char-Orisa like us and we are their trading partners. Why did they have to mock us?!

We sent Angakon with gifts to the Varlevings. They were pleased, but still think poorly of us. However, this is the start of our diplomatic contacts with the Ram clans.

Mischief spirits bewitched Jaranak and made off with 21 of our cows. We don't have the magic for a divination and we don't want to upset our neighbors by interrogating them about this. The circle urged people to accept the loss. The people agreed that they should not let the actions of capricious spirits govern their mood.



Ayvtu gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Aniga. Elmal devotees say that the child is also blessed with Elmal's fires.

Hesten went to explore lands to the west, near the Oslira River. Outlaws attacked our exploration party in the west. Hesten attacked, but was wounded and had to return home. So far, Hesten's exploration missions have failed more often than not. Hopefully he will improve!

Henedra led the people in clearing our fields. Some grumbled about the hard work, but eventually it was done. We cleared fields and held a ceremony for the Barley Goddess and Earth Mother.

Gryphon and Brilliant Hoof delegations arrived to demand redress after Bardalor promised each he would lay a trickster curse on the other. Well, Bardalor keeps delivering in his own trickster ways. We do want more cows, but we also don't want to upset too many people. We returned cows only to the Gryphons, our allies. The Brilliant Hoofs took this badly, of course, but not as badly as we feared. We let the matter rest with Bardalor.



Ayvtu led a sacrifice to Zarlen, learning his Pathfinder blessing. This should help our explorers, hopefully.

Though it's not great, we did make a promise to Ayvtu about raiding the first clan that mocked her. So we sent a raid against the Char-Orisa. We eluded their patrols and outnumbered them slightly; Yatakan also said that their chief was noted for caution. The Char-Orisa sent out a herald, who taunted us. We responded to their taunts with our own. Neither side was shaken, though. We finished the Battle Glow ritual and charged, though some of our warriors seemed nervous from the sound of Char-Orisa war bells. We fought fiercely, but their front rank held, letting those in reserve rest a little. They held their ground and we could not break them. We were driven off and had no opportunity to plunder them. At least the casualties were very light; only one of ours wounded, while three of theirs were killed and three wounded. Hopefully this raid will satisfy Ayvtu.



Traders from the southern Vestantes kingdom of Rams wanted to trade for one of our treasures. They offered 60 cows worth of goods, which was very tempting! We decided to offer them the Shining Sun Mask, which brings courage to the fearful. Hopefully we won't be too fearful without it. They found the trade satisfactory.



Ayvtu conducted a sacrifice to Inilla, learning her Rootle blessing. This can help our foragers find food, which may be necessary again soon.

The Ar-Tarimae stole 23 cows in a herd raid. Oh well, at least it's one less than we stole from them in Fire Season!

Dalasha died of old age. She was one of our clan's fine magicians.

Sacred Time is upon us! The clan has done reasonably well, and our herds are a little bigger than they were a year ago. Our food stocks are also reasonable. And we've even got plenty of trade goods! Our magic is high, so we use it on many important things to support our clan. Most notably, priests say that Zarlen wants us to go exploring next year, so we devote some magic to that. Seems learning his Pathfinder blessings was just at the right time! We must obtain it before sending out an exploration party.