REFUGEVILLE

REFUGEVILLE

A Family of Three finds an abandoned house next to a river. This will be a good place to stop running. The mother and twins examine the area.



The stone house is empty. The inside is bare. There is nothing but floor, roof and walls. Not even a window. The front door lies on the healthy grass, with numerous signs of tampering. Whoever lived here was robbed clean, but it seems to have happened decades ago. Strangely, the stone axe placed next to the house was not taken.

The house has just enough room for five people to sleep in.

The river has fish aplenty, with bits of silver flowing. There are some trees nearby, with wood strong enough for tools and furniture, perhaps even some simple spears. The bushes have poisonous berries.

More refugees will come from the west. All of them running away from the Signet. Tired. Hungry. The Family of Three will prepare for them.

How will the Family of Three prepare?

>_

Population: 3 out of 5 shelter spaces
Wealth: 0 crumbits
Animals: 0

Weapons:
Stone Axe x 1

Stockpile:
Nothing.

Blessings:
None.

Curses:
Marked By The Signet - The Signet will never stop sending scouts.

Explore the woods, gather fallen branches, gather the seeds and prepare to replant what you cut down

^ Agree with that. Do it near the river if you can, so you can check for resources in that as well.

Explore the woods, gather fallen branches, gather the seeds and prepare to replant what you cut down

^ Agree with that. Do it near the river if you can, so you can check for resources in that as well.

The Family of Three explore the nearby woods. They gather what they can and cut branches.

They manage to gather 12 tapioca seeds and 10 saplings which appear to be mangould trees. Mangould fruits are very bitter but they have medicinal benefits.

They take 40 branches for miscellaneous use, and add them to the stockpile. 12 edible and fully-grown mushrooms were found. The Family of Three waste no time in planting the seeds and the saplings they found. Thankfully, the soil is very soft and the river provides enough irrigation. The river itself has numerous fish, but all of them swim too fast to catch. However, they did manage to get some bits of silver, enough to trade as 3 crumbits.

They also find a dog in the woods! They immediately name the dog Relief, as it is the first friendly face they have seen since they ran away.



If they take good care of Relief, they might earn a Blessing from the god of dogs, Rimewulf. Relief will periodically hunt small animals that are too fast to catch without weapons. Relief will also bark when intruders are nearby, giving the population time to defend.

A new group of refugees arrives. Another family of three. A son, a father, and a grandfather.

There is also a Signet abductor, right behind them. Soulless. Mindless. A machine. But utterly sinister.



The Signet abductor senses the father and sings the hymn of False Purpose. The father hears and jumps onto the awful machine, allowing The Signet to take him away.



The mindless drone promptly leaves. The son bawls and the grandfather sobs. The Signet have won again. Had the abductor been with an escort of living agents, this place would have been doomed.

The rest of the day is spent grieving and praying for the father’s soul. The Signet will never let him go until he dies in their palace, an abominable construction larger than any natural continent.

Night falls. A fire is made out of the wooden door on the grass. The god of fire, Arara, whispers through the flames, his ruined face thankfully unseen.



He is completely incoherent, which makes sense since the Signet stole his brain. Arara only has enough strength to allow fire to continue existing now.

The people cook their meals, whispering their gratitude to Arara. 8 mushrooms are consumed, and they sleep with Relief on guard.

A new day dawns, and a merchant has come. Her legs are numerous and she carries an enormous bag.



The merchant wishes to set up a shop. The people are concerned that she might be a Signet spy, especially after yesterday’s attack. She holds up the Sigil of Courage, a drawing that vehemently denounces the Signet, and the people calm themselves.

Her name is Kori. She sells weapons and tools. She offers a ‘free sample’. The people may choose either a fishing rod, an iron knife, a tiny crystal shrine for rituals or a book on building wooden structures, free of charge.

The refugees discuss. The fishing rod will no doubt be useful for food, but the iron knife can be used to make tools, weapons and furniture easily as well as some measure of defense on its own. The tiny crystal shrine is also tempting, as it might grant them a Blessing if they sacrifice an animal or plant on it to a deity. The book on construction might be helpful, though it’s unclear what they could build with what they have now.

What should they take?

>_

Population: 5 out of 5 shelter spaces
Wealth: 3 crumbits
Animals:
1 Dog (Relief)

Plants:
12 tapioca (seedling)
10 mangould (sapling)

Weapons:
Stone Axe x 1

Stockpile:
40 branches
4 mushrooms

Buildings:
1 stone house

Blessings:
None.

Curses:
Marked By The Signet - The Signet will never stop sending scouts.

Take the Knife, offer the crumbits for the book on construction. You should probably build a new door, in case that can provide shelter in case of another attack.

>Ask prices first on each of the four items in crumbits
>If the water is passable and not dangerous, set the grandfather and boy to a mixture of checking the water for silver for crumbits, and training Relief to hunt the rabbits across the water
>Ask Kori if she has any value on the poison berries, and if they could negotiate some poison berries and crumbits for a second of the four instead of one

Strategy wise we could grab the shrine, nab a rabbit via Relief, and sacrifice it to Rimewulf
All four items take a priority, but I'd agree with btp except more on....
>Fishing Rod, then do the negotiation for the shrine

>Ask prices first on each of the four items in crumbits
>If the water is passable and not dangerous, set the grandfather and boy to a mixture of checking the water for silver for crumbits, and training Relief to hunt the rabbits across the water
>Ask Kori if she has any value on the poison berries, and if they could negotiate some poison berries and crumbits for a second of the four instead of one

Kori explains that each of the four items are of equal price, after giving an overly-detailed explanation of how the world market works and a short lecture on the principles of supply and demand. They are all worth 12 crumbits each.

The poisonous berries have a value of 1 crumbit for a fist-sized amount, but warns that holding them in one’s hands should be done carefully because the juice can penetrate skin.

The people look at the river, and considering the possible opportunity of getting more resources, test the waters. Luckily, the water’s flow is slow and it is only waist-deep. They tell Kori to wait, and they begin searching for more bits of silver as well as getting Relief to catch some rabbits.

Noon arrives, and the people manage to get silver worth 4 crumbits, poison berries worth 3, and rabbit fur worth 5 crumbits. 12 crumbits! They can get a second item today.

Take the Knife, offer the crumbits for the book on construction. You should probably build a new door, in case that can provide shelter in case of another attack.

Strategy wise we could grab the shrine, nab a rabbit via Relief, and sacrifice it to Rimewulf
All four items take a priority, but I'd agree with btp except more on....
>Fishing Rod, then do the negotiation for the shrine

The refugees get into an argument about what they should take. They compromise and decide to get the knife first, and then buy a shrine. They reasoned that with a god’s blessing, it could be just as beneficial as anything they can build right now.

Kori gives them the knife, which proves to be of high quality. They keep it in the stone house.

Kori also hands them the miniature crystal shrine. It bears a talisman, written by the monks who blessed it. They place it next to the house.



The people wonder if they should dedicate this shrine to a specific god for more powerful blessings. They try to recall the full pantheon, but can only remember the following…

Arara, the Ruined God of Fire. Though his brain was stolen by the Signet, his mind will slowly return through sacrifice, though the sacrifice must be great to replenish the mind of a god. Dedicating this shrine to him will allow the people to sacrifice for protection from fires and sunny days.

Rimewulf, the God of Dogs and Wolves. A constant companion to all who do good, Rimewulf will grant blessings to anyone kind to the canines. Dedicating a shrine to Rimewulf guarantees protection from all wild wolves and dogs, and allows those devoted to him to transform into wolves at night.

Zalana, the Goddess of Justice. She grants powerful blessings for fighting the undead and the Signet, but these blessings will only be upheld if the people do not commit the sin of taking slaves or murdering enemies that have surrendered, for Zalana despises these acts. Dedicating this shrine to her means that all undead will die at the first strike with a weapon, and the Signet cannot take anyone without them suffering casualties.

Orkonas, the Goddess of Wealth. She will only bless those who give her a piece of silver or gold every day, for that is her fee since the birth of time. Dedicating a shrine to her increases the chances of merchants to travel here and buy or sell goods. Her followers gain a permanent discount on all goods, the amount of which depends on the person selling.

Alstalti, Goddess of Healing. One of the newborn gods, Alstalti has only existed for two centuries. She grants protection from disease and the spoilage of food. She will also share the secrets of medicine to her most devout worshippers, granting them the ability to help people survive even the worst injury.

They could let the shrine remain free to all gods, but the blessings will not be as powerful… or even guaranteed to occur. The gods tend to dislike having to share a shrine.

>_


Population: 5 out of 5 shelter spaces
Wealth: 3 crumbits
Animals:
1 Dog (Relief)

Plants:
12 tapioca (seedling)
10 mangould (sapling)

Weapons:
Iron Knife x 1
Stone Axe x 1

Stockpile:
40 branches
4 mushrooms

Buildings:
1 stone house
1 shrine

Blessings:
None.

Curses:
Marked By The Signet - The Signet will never stop sending scouts.

>That dear in the distance looks strange
>Use the shrine and axe to start building a sort of lean-to to house the shrine
>Ask the gods who would like the shrine, and ask if Rimewulf could bear to share the shrine with Arara until they can be given separate shrines

>Given what happened to the Father and how the Signet is a constant threat, one much more terryfying than any wolves or fire in it's own way as it cannot be fought by river or axe, one assume any settlement that doesn't intent to pratice slavery or gratuitous murder will eventualy ask for Zalana's protection. Though Alstalti and Rimewulf are a good bet for short term surivival.

But rather than cold logic, one would ask, what do the few villager beleive IN. What do they yearn for right now ?

Astalti, Rimewulf and Zalana are the best options early on. With Zalana, in order to keep favour with her all we have to do is be kind, which we would probably do anyway. With Rimewulf, we have the dog to take care of and Astalti doesn't seem to have issues with sacrifices or anything.

Rimewulf - By becoming wolves, people from our settlement can hunt for food at night in the wilderness without worrying about being attacked by common animals.
Astalti - No spoilage of food sounds incredibly useful early on for stockpiling, and healing in general is great (although with the Signet stealing the people away there might be nobody left to heal)
Zalana - Being able to discourage the Signet from taking people away could prevent them from taking more. The complete nullification of the undead sounds good too, although we don't know what circumstances cause undead to attack.

I say Rimewulf personally. I do wish we could worship both Rimewulf and Astalti (Rimewulf for food and Astalti for keeping it fresh) at the same time with both benefits occurring but that doesn't sound reliable.

I want to say Arara, but we need help now, not some potential reward for restoring the mind of a God.

Rimewulf is certainly a safe option, and the one I would pick, what with having no apparent strings attached.

Zalana is another good option, but it is far too early to decide how the settlement will proceed, or if her blessing would even help.

Orkonos sounds nice, but definitely a shrine to be built once the settlement is further established as we lack a reliable source of coin to offer just yet.

Astalti would be my other pick, no real downsides, immediate benefits, and somewhat easy to keep happy.

But yes, ultimately even if it is a poor decision, it would be for the best to hear what the villagers want for the near future. Incidentally, does the merchant have any news from where they came? Knowing more about the world at large can't hurt.

>That dear in the distance looks strange

The people notice, but see no reason to worry. The deer has been mildly deformed due to past Signet experiments on wildlife. They have become more common over the past decade. Luckily, such deer are still safe to eat.

Incidentally, does the merchant have any news from where they came? Knowing more about the world at large can't hurt.

The merchant Kori tells the people that she came from ‘Cilantro Peak’, a small settlement of spiderkin that were fortunate enough to buy wards against the Signet. They built a network of tunnels, and there is a tunnel nearby from which she emerged.

However, Kori warns that only spiderkin can use the tunnels, for they are filled with venom meant to deter intruders. Non-spiderkin could use them if they wear a protective mask, but such devices are very rare.

As for news, she explains that the Signet are still building more mines and portals. They remain dedicated to their goal of removing the local gods and eventually mastering the universe. Everyone to the south is fleeing the Undead Curse, which the Signet cast upon their most hated foes, the monks of Zalana.

She also informs you that this is actually the safest place for miles, as the Signet’s minions have begun building outposts in other regions. The soil here seems to be too soft to support their massive constructions.

But rather than cold logic, one would ask, what do the few villager beleive IN. What do they yearn for right now ?

They want Rimewulf, and it’s not just because they have Relief. It’s because Rimewulf is the most relatable and understands the best about the suffering of mortals. In the sacred lore, he visited the mortal realm numerous times as a wolf, and his prophets say he still does so, even fought the Signet all the way until their overwhelming victory over the gods. Rimewulf is different from most gods, for he understands hunger, pain, and fatigue. He even understands the need to pee, an alien concept for most deities.

The people clearly want Rimewulf. They wish to dedicate the shrine to him. One of them has even begun drawing his rune on the ground.



Do you allow it, Guiding Ghost of the Vereza Race?

>_


Population: 5 out of 5 shelter spaces
Wealth: 3 crumbits
Animals:
1 Dog (Relief)

Plants:
12 tapioca (seedling)
10 mangould (sapling)

Weapons:
Iron Knife x 1
Stone Axe x 1

Stockpile:
40 branches
4 mushrooms

Buildings:
1 stone house
1 shrine

Blessings:
None.

Curses:
Marked By The Signet - The Signet will never stop sending scouts.

Certainly. The people want Rimewulf, and Rimewulf they shall have. Aside from that, have we considered building a basement below the house? Having more storage room couldn't hurt.

Rimwulf it'll be for now, then. However we will tell the merchant we are interested in more such unused shrines should he manage to get his ... hands ? (legs ? claws ?) on more.

.... Although if we're the "Guiding Ghosts" of the Vereza Race shouldn't we get a shrine too ? :p

We're gonna need more buildings soon, that much is sure. Maybe a shed or two to cover things from the rain.

Dedicate it to Rimewulf, and build a dog-house for Relief.

>Of course
>build a lean-to for Relief

Let Relief sleep in your house with you you damn cowards

Let Relief jump up on the couch

Certainly. The people want Rimewulf, and Rimewulf they shall have. Aside from that, have we considered building a basement below the house? Having more storage room couldn't hurt.

Let Relief sleep in your house with you you damn cowards

Rimwulf it'll be for now, then. However we will tell the merchant we are interested in more such unused shrines should he manage to get his ... hands ? (legs ? claws ?) on more.

.... Although if we're the "Guiding Ghosts" of the Vereza Race shouldn't we get a shrine too ? :p

We're gonna need more buildings soon, that much is sure. Maybe a shed or two to cover things from the rain.

The people have chosen to dedicate their first shrine to Rimewulf. The moon appears for a brief moment, the god’s howl echoing across the sky. His rune is engraved on the crystal shrine, a mark of devotion.

With that settled, the people discuss how they can make their home more defensible and create more shelter. They concluded that digging underground, like what Kori’s people did, would be viable. They lack shovels though, and begin their project by digging with their nails.

The work is immensely painful and tiring, but they are able to make a simple underground room, enough space for 4 more people.

Night falls, and the people discover with amazement that they can, indeed, transform into wolves at will with Rimewulf’s blessing.



Relief can even speak with the people in their transformed state, and he shares barks of approval.

Rimewulf reveals that he shall share more of his power if the people perform sacrifices at his shrine. He hungers for the blood of leaf-eaters and the smell of bone.

The people are eager to try out their new forms. Two of them wish to explore some of the land outside of the settlement’s territory, but the others fear they might get abducted by the Signet.

As they argue, an undead creature appears across the river.



Its body twisted by the pain of a ceaselessly repeating death, the only way to send it to the afterlife without a blessing is to destroy the head or burn it completely. This one was once a fisherman. Now it is a ghoul, a tortured soul whose only comfort is from spreading the Undead Curse unto the living. Lacking any sense for hunting but sight, they move in random directions.

It is mercifully dark, and the ghoul should not be able to see them unless it crosses the river. For now, it seems to be standing still, as if waiting for a signal.

A lone ghoul is a minor threat, but they will scream when they find prey. Their screams can carry far, alerting both undead and their creators, the Signet. A single bite from a ghoul will end a mortal’s life, forever.

The people argue again. Should they hide in the house? Attack the ghoul in wolf form in the hopes of achieving a stealthy kill? Rimewulf assures his followers that the Undead Curse has no effect if one swallows their blood; the Curse only works if the ghoul succeeds in biting someone.

The people have enough branches to make their own torches, a good weapon against the undead. It takes three branches to make an adequate torch, but the light might attract more ghouls.

Kori begs them to hide in the house.

>_

Population: 5 out of 9 shelter spaces
Wealth: 3 crumbits
Animals:
1 Dog (Relief)

Plants:
12 tapioca (seedling)
10 mangould (sapling)

Weapons:
Iron Knife x 1
Stone Axe x 1

Stockpile:
40 branches
4 mushrooms

Buildings:
1 stone house (with basement)
1 shrine

Blessings:

Devoted Wolfpack: Rimewulf’s followers can transform into wolves at night, granting faster movement, enhanced senses and combat strength.

Curses:
Marked By The Signet - The Signet will never stop sending scouts.

The two keen to explore should fight the ghoul in wolf-form with Relief's aid - if its only functional sense is sight then night's the time to dispatch it.

>you could sjut hide behind the house.

>In fact is this creature interested in a nything else than other humans as prey ? Because right now you look like a pack of wolves in front of an old abandoned house...

>If a fight does break out, you have the form of wolves, powerfull fast running pouncingcanine who make a speciality of going for the jugular and this thing as an obvious weak point in it's looong yet slender neck. you should be able to ambush if and take out out quickly before it can get a scream if you come from the back.

>Then some people in the back in hulmlan form make torches and set that thing on fire quickly.

>And once you're done with the ghoul, weither fighting or hiding... you have the form of wolves, powerfull fast running pouncing canines who make a speciality of going for the jugular and there's a deer and you new god hunger for blood and you youself could probably do with a meal so y'know... dinner is served, eh ?

Minor update: fixed a contradiction regarding ghouls; they use only sight for hunting prey, but the alert scream is a very distinct noise that will get their attention. They ignore all other sounds.

Also, they do not ignore animals. That deer moved for a reason.

Ah. And how inteligent (as far as our villagers would know) would a lowly ghould be;, and how much of their mind and knowledge of when they were once alive remains ? Do they act entirely by senses and basic intincts/ basic programing or can they track and make some basic deductions (like for example seeing tracks and/or a house and deducing this might be a spot with people there, try comming back to a same spot later, etc...) ?

Because if it's the later, just hiding in the house won't do, might as well hide in the bsement and make sure the entrance is covered and concealed or frankly better to kill thetneutralize from behind by tearing it's throat (.. it still need a htroat to scream, doesn't it ?) before it can even see the house and burn it fast.

Ah. And how inteligent (as far as our villagers would know) would a lowly ghould be;, and how much of their mind and knowledge of when they were once alive remains ?

Ghouls move in random directions, stop moving at random times, and move again at random. They walk, crawl, bite, scream, and sometimes, pretend to sleep. They can think, but their only thought is freedom from their pain. Biting the living is the only thing that makes the pain stop, and they cannot kill themselves for their bodies are not under their control.

Ghost-talkers claim that being a ghoul is constant agony and the souls trapped within suffer from extreme guilt every time they feel pleasure from biting a person.

Unfortunately, a river is not much of a barrier for them. They would just keep crawling once submerged, able to move except in the deepest waters.

Hmm. Alright, threat/value assessment time.

Ghouls are incredibly dangerous, but the opportunity to... (vivisect? Dissect?) A ghoul would be invaluable. As-Is, I believe we have the tools to functionally neutralize the ghoul for study, remove the teeth/claws/vocal chords, etc.

As we lack the equipment to properly examine the body, we would only develop a rough understanding of Ghouls. Still, it would be an improvement from what we know. A small mercy would be that at least the Ghoul can't feel any MORE pain, right?

Anyways, hang out in the house. If the ghoul moves on by morning, that's fine. We lack the numbers/training/equipment to make capturing the ghoul worth our time/resources.

(Incidentally, do Ghouls regenerate if they are left alive? A ghoul butcher is potentially a source of meat, albeit one that would pretty much make Zalana and possibly Alstalti have second thoughts of accepting our worship. On the plus side, it means plenty of sacrifice material for Arara, but again that might have its own issues.)