File: 1358827176760.jpg-(153 KB, 1277x540, Great Cave Quest 2.jpg)

---
DRAGONFALL CLAN SAGA
---

Though we now dwell in the great cave, our people's story is long and varied, stretching back into the past far beyond memory. The most distant legend is of our joining with the Gods. One was revered above others by our people, and we carry that reverence even today - our tribe's ancestral deity is Aasterinian, the dragon god of invention, from whom our ancestors drew cleverness.

Our ancestors' struggle to survive was not all we remember. In time, they prospered, and their legends grew many as hatchlings from a rich clutch. Our people's earliest legend was when Astilabor went to the hidden hoard and returned to us with a treasure.

Our ancestors prospered well with the gifts of the gods, and in the First Time they gained enough strength and percieved enough mysteries that others came to join their tribe. Our ancestors greeted those that joined their tribe as adopted clutch-mates.

The foes of our ancestors were many, and our people fought hard against them. Our greatest enemies are the aboleth-kings, cold in their hatred, many in their arms.

The First Time ended when the earth itself was sundered and broke apart, and the world was shadowed and strange. The sky was all around us, and the winds tore at us, and so we retreated beneath the world into what remained of the sheltering caves. The Gods were silent, and we knew the world to be in the Sundered Age.

When we re-established ourselves after the many black years of the sundering taught us new ways, we yearned to hear the voices of our gods. Our priests first renewed our bond with Aasterinian, the dragon god of invention.

File: 1358827268693.png-(218 KB, 256x226, Great Cave Quest 6.png)

Things changed greatly since the Sundered Age began, and the Retreat was not the weightiest difference. The Gods no longer walked among us, appearing only in dreams. The affairs of our people were much diminished, and we became fewer in number, though stronger in wit and cunning.

One day, we were approached by a dragon that sought to offer us and many other tribes its knowledge, patronage, and guardianship if we were to serve it and add to its hoard. It was not the first such offer, but it was the most important in our history. Though some chose to simply go with it, most opted for a tribal decision.

Our tribe showed the dragons outright hostility. Many were injured, and some died, but all heard of our battles against them.

Those of our tribe that went with the dragon disappeared from our lore for generations, as did many tribes given similar offers by other such beasts. In time, we heard that they established a number of villages, but when things became difficult for the dragons this did not end well. Today we still come across the occasional skull marked with their great claws in bonding ceremonies, but the dragons and their tribes are nowhere found except as old bones.

Over time, the old hunting grounds were not enough to hold us, and we could not find the food or the spears to keep the enemies at bay. We marched for many weeks until one day the tribal elders felt the call of the Gods, and that day we came to the Great Cave, where many things dwell. Its walls are high and its caverns many, and the central chambers are so large that no light has ever pierced them all, but there is water and food and much besides. We claimed these places for our people, and none could take them from us and no trouble has shadowed over us yet. Some came to us, and we gave them refuge and a place at our hearths; now we are of the Great Cave Tribes, and so face what may come.

File: 1358827460218.jpg-(121 KB, 833x692, 1302396683012.jpg)

We have lived in the Great Cave for three seasons now, and have fought and built and studied and learned much.

After much searching, gold and iron are both within our grasp. We can have a proper hoard, and guard it well.

We are becoming likelier to war with the goblins to the east. We have raided the spiders to the south in retaliation for capturing our craftsmen.

We have brought a colony of Muls into our village, and built a roost for Urd scouts and a barracks for Kreen warriors. We have built much besides.

Other clans in the Great Cave seem to look to us more and more for leadership, and for strength.

At the end of last season, we broke the goblin siege that threatened the Redtooth clan village, and thus reconciled our rivalry with the Redteeth. Our champion's raid to rescue the craftsmen captured by spiders on the south shore of the river lead to cold relations with the beasts, as would be expected.

The feast of the new season was only days ago, and we strengthened our friendships and bonds with others as well as trading for a new treasure - a tube that casts thunder on the enemy. The week had barely ended when we found ourselves the target of a goblin raid, and with traps and harassment tactics and the aid of allies attacking from over the hill we broke the raiders and turned them back - but we have learned since that this group we defeated was perhaps a small or a medium force.

File: 1358827571212.jpg-(120 KB, 600x664, Great Cave Quest 4.jpg)

---
RECORDS OF THE DRAGONFALL CLAN
---
FIRST WEEK OF BRIGHT SEASON
---
[The scribes say these figures and notes do not reflect current numbers, as they were counted before the attack. They will bring us something more up to date as quickly as they can.]

SETTLEMENTS: Dragonfall, clan village.

POPULATION: 1419 Kobolds, 394 Muls, ~100 Thri-Kreen, ~200 urds
-We initiated 101 children as adults at the beginning of this season, bringing the number of adults in the clan to 867
-Our scribes recorded 86 new births and fosterings at season's start, bringing the number of children to 552
-Of the adults, 363 can currently be fielded as hunters in a raid or war, and 22 were promoted into the veterans' ranks at last season's end, bringing veteran numbers up to 116.
-Your clan has 64 nobles, elders, master craftsmen, scribes, shamans, mages, and priests, who are said to have DETERMINED minds.

Significant persons:
Fírnen, leader of the Dragonfall clan, who is said to have STUBBORN willpower.
Glaedr, master craftsman, said to be of STEADY mind.
Falkor, a fast kobold runner, who ably swam past aboleths to reach the lake-isle and found our first stock of ioun, STEADY in his will.
Katla, winner of the games, a sprightly kobold and a good speaker, STUBBORN in her mind.
Olumek, winner of the games, a good warrior with an OBSTINATE mindset, eager for battle.

Treasures:
Blades of mystic sharpness (6), firey gem, human warrior's armor (Red Marshal's vestments), Kreen healing scroll, Kreen healing scroll [copy], chest full of books on military history and strategy (tomes of the Red Fellowship), lanceboard and tokens (chess set), missal of the Red Knight, mold-eaten mathematical treatise on geometry, pulsing Goblin gem, rings of fertility (50), rules of Xorvintaal, true-shot bow, warforged trophy, warforged commander's head.

File: 1358827604080.jpg-(53 KB, 597x640, Great Cave Quest 5.jpg)

Values:
CLEVERNESS, INVENTION, TRIBES, artisanship, assault, concealment, critical thought, defense, entertainment, fate, fear, freedom, healing, history, hoards, humor, independence, justice, lawfulness, manipulation, mercy, mining, night, originality, psionics, raiding, paranoia, peace, property, protection, retribution, sanctity of death, sanctity of life, secrecy, security, sorcery, spycraft, stealth, storytelling, tolerance, trade, trapmaking, trickery, Xorvintaal

CULTURAL ANIMOSITIES & HATREDS:
Slavers, Dragons, Aboleths

REPUTATION:
FIERCE - you are seen capable of ferocity in battle.
SCHOLARLY - needs defining

---
Military
---
UNITS:
[ELITES] - The Dragonfall clan has some dozens of veterans armed with poor quality iron spears, good quality wood bows with spider-silk strings, and poor quality leather armor.
[REGULARS] - The clan has some hundreds of unarmored hunters armed with poor quality obsidian spears and organized in squads lead by veterans.
[AUXILIARIES] - The clan has hired on a force of mercenary thri-Kreen, of which about a hundred are available at any time for one battle per season. This force also harasses one enemy of the clan per month.
BONUSES:
[CONCEALMENT] - The clan's forces are far more difficult to ambush, ambushing is easier, and scouting is more effective.
[DRILLED] - Dragonfall's warriors are well trained and do not often make rookie mistakes. Reduction in critical failure effects, faster training.
[FURIOUS CHARGE] - The clan is likely to gain advantage when first entering combat against a foe unless a charge is attempted on a strong defensive position.
[TRIED BY CONTEST] - Dragonfall's warriors go through competitions of might, speed, brawn, and wit in the village arena, and are better fighters for it. Bonus to personal combat.

File: 1358827636250.jpg-(45 KB, 260x328, Great Cave Quest 7.jpg)

---
FURTHER RECORDS
---

Buildings, improvements, and goods:
EXCELLENT:
SUPERIOR: Clan Hall, forge (+2 WEALTH, +1 bronzeware), Temple to Aasterinian
GOOD: dwellings, farms (fruit-tree orchard, mushrooms, fungi) [+3 food], resource production (logging camp [+3 wood], quarry [+3 stone]), school, smelter (+1 bronze, +1 tin, +1 copper), village defenses [stone wall, spike pit, watchtower(two), wooden gate(single)]| Bows
SUFFICIENT: Arena, armory, fish-farm [+0 fish], hospital, Kreen barracks, mines (+0 coal, +1 copper ore, +1 tin ore), scriptorium (+2 parchment), warrior-lodges, hall of shrines
POOR: Arena, brewery (+1 ale), coal-mine outpost, embassy, roads (Blackrocks, Smokescales), roosting tower, tavern (+1 goodwill)
INFERIOR:
WORTHLESS:

Resources & stockpiles:
ABUNDANT:
PLENTIFUL: mushroom tree wood, peat bricks, sand, water
IN SURPLUS: coal
SUFFICIENT: FOOD (fruit bats, fish, mushrooms & fungi), GOODWILL, HEALTH, MILITARY STRENGTH, TERRITORY, TOOLS, WEALTH, fish, fungus, leather, mushrooms (medicinal, useful for toxins or alchemy, etc)
WANING: WEAPONS, clay, homing bats, refined metal (copper), spider silk
SCARCE: ARMOR, WEAPONS (Bronze), bronzeware, obsidian, parchment, psychedelic mushrooms (ritual use), refined metal (bronze, tin)
RARE: bone (goblin), gems, giant cave spider eggs, iron, ore (copper, tin), stone, venom
UNAVAILABLE: IOUN

Arts, crafts, and other learning:
SUPREME: literacy (dark dwarf, draconic, drow), medicine
SUPERIOR: ARTIFICE, CRAFTSMANSHIP (obsidian-crafting, woodworking), chymistry, hunting, METALWORKING, mining, smelting, war production (weaponcraft) | SCHOLARSHIP
GOOD: Animal husbandry (bats), cooking, fishing, leathermaking, war production (armorsmithing), toolmaking
FAIR: ARCHITECTURE, MECHANICS, personal defense, recordkeeping | AGRICULTURE, mathematics, shipbuilding,
POOR:
INFERIOR:
WORTHLESS:

File: 1358827725801.jpg-(73 KB, 695x625, Great Cave Quest.jpg)

Relations, trade, & diplomacy:
EXEMPLARY: Blackrocks (trade route), Smokescales [Bonded] (trade route)
EXCELLENT: MULS, TOHR-KREEN
GOOD: Blueleaf Clan, Grey Bat clan, KOBOLDS
AVERAGE: Redtooth Clan, THRI-KREEN, URDS, Wind Brothers clan
FAIR: Blueleaf clan, Cold Hearth clan, Earthshaker clan, Firewing clan, Frogleap clan, Glowberry clan, Greenspear clan, Rootnose clan, Tall Tree clan, Thunderheart clan, Turtle clan, Water Quartz clan, Wide Ear clan
POOR: DEEP DWARVES, GOBLINS, LIZARDMEN, SPIDER-MEN, TROGLODYTES
COLD: BUGBEARS, DRAGONS (Hostile), DROW, SPIDERS, WARFORGED
HATRED: ABOLETHS (Ancestral Enemy)

RUMORS:
-There are roving bands of warforged barbarians on the surface.
-There is a DEMAND in the market for Lanceboard sets.

[ACTIONS PER WEEK: 6]

We have burnt cinders for a gate, and unless the repairs are sped up it will take our craftsmen two weeks to see the defenses repaired.

[Oh, and it's the third week of bright season now. I seem to be having difficulty getting back into rhythm, apologies, should be sorted fairly quickly.]

HELL YES. I've been looking for this all day. I didn't see a twitter update since dec so didn't know where else to look.

>>22725941

Im gonna let a few more people join in before I start suggesting stuff.

as of now my ideas are to fix the gate upgrade the brewery and find a way to make more thundersticks.

>>22726038
[There was a twitter update pretty late in the day, but unfortunately I'm having to deal with unforeseen real life responsibilities so things have been dicey. Life is exciting with the party van around even when you're not the one they want to have a chat with.]

Arena is listed twice in the buildings section.
>Repair gates
>upgrade logging camp
>upgrade stone quary
>scout out goblin village near obsidian deposit
>research better armor
>send out hunting party to clear the spiders away from the iron mine

>>22725913
-Repair/Reinforce Gate
-Study the Missal
-Improve metalworking
-Improve Trap making
-Study the Thunderstick
-Seek Mutual Defense Pacts from other tribes

>>22726168

I agree with most of this. My votes are

repair gates
upgrade logging camp and quarry
scout the village
Brewery upgrades (we need people happy and allies)
thundersticks or armor upgrades

possibly even go to allies for help to see what they want to do about this new goblin force. might even get new allies out of this.

>>22726112

I understand. Real life sucks and is awesome sometimes. I'll follow the new twitter soon (I was following the old one apparently). Glad everything is manageable though. How long you plan tonight to play?

[Got to roll over to another computer now.]
>>22726234
[Thanks, going over the lists, glad you spotted that.]
>>22726168
[Thanks. There's just the one twitter, which is https://twitter.com/GreatCaveQuest and I have no idea how long I'll be here but it should at least be three hours. Possibly six.]

Looking, we have a really high medicine amount. any chance we can use that to minimize deaths from this?

>>22726377
3 to 6 hour of this glorious quest? Well there goes any sleep I was going to get tonight.

>>22726499

Yeah. I've got an 8 am course. so much for sleep for that ^_^

I'm f5ing like mad but just wanna bump this to make sure

I'm bumping this and jumping in the shower. hopefully its going once I get back

File: 1358832259306.jpg-(22 KB, 200x285, rune_of_protection_black.jpg)

>>22727316
We ought to be using the magic system a bit more/creatively. Can we make rings enchanted with something like rune of protection so that the wearer ignores the first powerful (magical or otherwise) attack that hits them. The ring crumbles to dust after that.

Or we should use spells like Giant Growth in combat, or as the captcha recommends: >gooomsy vortex

Create a vortex of psychedelic mushroom spores that incapacitate the target, cause they're tripping balls.

File: 1358832695068.jpg-(135 KB, 580x435, Please_Stand_By.jpg)

[Dealing with more personal responsibility and a computer issue, please stand by.]

>>22727464

I agree. we do need to be thinking about our magic system better. I'm gonna gloss over the stuff and see what I can come up with myself too

>>22727636

No worries JPH, I was bumping more so other players could see. It reached like the 4th page at one point I believe.

>>22727464

So, looking this over, I'm not sure how to determine what our magic capabilites are. However. I see we are superiror in

Metalwork

chymistry (assuming the science right? its spelled differently and google has nothing else for that spelling)

War production in weaponcrafting

Smelting

Scholarship

Artifice

Hunting

I may be wrong, but we should be able to use all of these things to make more thunder sticks or superior weapons than anything anyone else has.

>>22726168
>>22726205
>>22726206
Looks like you're speeding up repairs for the village defenses.
As for your other five actions, I need one of these dropped or other choices presented for consensus:

>(2) Upgrade logging camp
>(2) Upgrade stone quarry
>(2) Scout goblin presence near obsidian deposit
>(2) Research better armor
>(2) Study the thunder-tube
>(2) Seek mutual defense pacts from other tribes


>>22726496
You mostly have been, actually. Though improving your hospital would be helpful.

>>22726537
>>22726499
Sleep is important, folks. No, really.

>>22727464
If you did it right, they wouldn't necessarily have to crumble the first time. Remember - a willpower rating is how much you can change the world while you're thinking about it. Inscribing runes on something makes that altering affect permanently part of an object. With Ioun and perhaps other things you find with mystic properties, you may be able to do yet more.

>>22727874
This is the line of thinking that will help matters. Bear in mind that 'superior' and the other values on the adjective ladder are patterned around the idea of tribal life, and that when you advance to something more on a societal or national level that assessment may change.

>>22728002

My vote is to drop armor for now. I think (especially after the DM hint basically) that the thunder tube has potential to be a game changer at this stage of the game, though I could be totally wrong.

>>22728002
drop the armor

>>22727874
We should enchant the thunder stick we have as well. Have some kind of dispel magic enchantment on the gun placed on the barrel that makes the bullets fired out of it can nullify magical effects/powers on that person. Would that kind of enchantment have a base Willpower threshold that the target has to overcome or would it be based on the users Willpower level versus the targets?

>>22728002
I would also say drop armor

I'm going to get some dinner, but i'll be back in about 30 - 45 minutes.

>>22728304
Lets not experiment with our only Boomstick until we figured out how it works.

>>22728304

I like the idea of this. but what if we had a power that duplicated the ammo we fire after it left? Imagine if we could have a hundred or a thousand balls from one gun firing, and as long as the spell doesn't work until it leaves the barrel (we could make a mini magic field around the horn of the gun so it duplicates as it crosses a point, thereby not harming the gun), then the recoil and everything else is the same, but the AoE is much more, and I think it'd be easier to do this spell than a dispell magic just because I imagine it'll have an opposed caster check of some kind.

>>22728336

Of course. don't mess with it till we get a few more no matter what IMO.

>>22728271
>>22728076
>>22728002

The clan undertakes to secure its defenses, and the gate is soon rebuilt to its previous level of soundness.

>Defenses are no longer [Broken]
>Wood is more scarce

The logging camp is further expanded and its machinery improved, growing to truly impressive proportions. It is thought that few clans can rival your ability to harvest wood from the nearby mushroom trees.

>The logging camp is now SUPERIOR.

The quarry is likewise given more workers, machines, and relevant tools. Soon the flow of cut stone increases.

>The quarry is now SUPERIOR.

The elders ask the clan's scouts to look into the matter of the obsidian deposit, and the scout-force returns with news that the goblins have so far increased their presence to around five hundred, most of which are busily collecting obsidian and shaping it. It seems they're wasting no time ensuring that they have quality arms to bring to bear against the denizens of the Great Cave.

>Actions taken near the deposit in the next few weeks will now be likelier to succeed due to your scouting the area.

Clan artificers and scholars are given permission to investigate the weapon, and though they gather a good deal about it, the product is mostly that they can explain what is necessary to load and fire the thing and produce more ammunition for it. They badly need a general source of information on the thing, and are quite stumped until two ideas arise - they could ask the Kreen weaponsmiths, or study the mentions of unknown ranged weapons in the Red Knight's missal.

>You have gained knowledge of firearms. Your knowledge of firearms is WORTHLESS.
>[Good start, guys. Now, capitalize on it.]

>>22728361
[The mystic willpower required to essentially turn energy into matter would be far greater and far more susceptible to outside tampering than the mystic willpower required to, for example, take a block of raw material and stamp it into ammunition. Not gonna give you free ammo that easy either, but you can have ammunition manufacturing attached to the gun if you really want...including specialty shells, possibly. Then again, it's just one more potential point of failure, and in this your mileage will vary with more careful thought and consideration.]

>>22728304
[This kind of abjuration/nullification stuff would be dependent on the mystic will of the mages present with the force of gunmen.]

look into the book about guns.
Research better armor
produce bronze weaponry/armor

we got the bronze we should use it. I am hoping to have our basic forces equiped with leather/bronze armor and weapons, While our elites will have iron.

>>22728411

Ok, here's what I'm thinking.

We go all in on this boom stick for now. It's our best bet for the superior numbers the goblins have IMO.

We invite the Kreen over and ask about the weapons and use an upgraded brewery or tavern to give us a boost. AND we read up in the missal (we need to read on it anyway).

Then we take more stone and reinforce our Door even better if possible. While we do this, we research enchantment magic that can be used on ourselves or our weapons in general.

so it'd be something like

Improve Gate defenses more
Improve Brewery or tavern
Contact Kreen to help with weapon
Read missal (especially on the weapon)
Magic research, specifically on enchantments

and then... for the 6th I'm not sure.

Armor enhancement/Lanceboard production/improve our medicine infrastructure. Maybe you guys have better ideas for this

Guys, we've had everything necessary to send supplies for that translation effort on the military history books to the kreen for weeks now. Those books are all about the fallen nations that existed before whatever clusterfuck screwed everything, and they probably go into detail about the guns. It should be one of our actions this week.

>study the missal
>improve the brewery
>improve the gate
>expand another building for the Mul
>send out a hunting party to clear the area around the mine
>upgrade smelter

If we want good guns we are gonna need that iron. Bronze can work but it isn't optimal

>>22728531
This with bronze armor production in the 6th slot.

>>22728587
spidersilk armor is better then bronze

>>22728599
then use that then. the point is we need to armor our dudes up.

>>22728587

I agree. let's do bronze armor for the 6th slot then.

I'm hoping by the end of the season we'll have guns in as close to mass production as we can get.

>>22728599

If spidersilk is better let's do that

spider silk should be for elite forces, bronze armor goes to basic forces meanwhile.

>>22728745

I'm thinking Spidersilk mages/heroes/vets/as many as we can.
bronze everyone else

but right now we can only do one, so let's go for spidersilk I think.

>>22728411
[Almost forgot your last action.]

The clan sends messengers to many of its neighbors, and the closest ones and those at intermediate distance agree on the strength of our reputation to set up a system of messengers and beacons - but none of the others will commit to more than a means of knowing who is being attacked and when.

In addition, you only have enough homing bats to spare to give to your nearest neighbors.
>If the Blackrocks, Smokescales, Blueleaves, Grey Bats, Redteeth, or Wind Brothers are attacked, you will know about it quickly. Of further neighbors are attacked, you may learn of it soon. Sending out weekly patrols may be wise if you wish to learn more.

Rolled 16

>>22728859
It is the fourth week of Bright Season.
[Rolling to see if anyone gets jumped.]

[You have six actions remaining this week.]

>Action?

>>22728816
I agree with the first part but not the second. Our elite forces actually HAVE some kind of armor. Our general forces meanwhile are stuck with whatever happans to be on their back.

>>22728899
see
>>22728531
>>22728581
>>22728587
>>22728599
>>22728647
>>22728685

>>22728899
Research spider silk clothing/armor
research bronze armor
produce bronze weapons/armor
read book that had info about the thunder stick in it.
contact Kreen smiths about thunder stick
upgrade brewery or tavern

>>22728998

Yep these. I agree with them all.

also. I think we need to start brainstorming for general magic abilities here. something the DM said about my idea got me,

>Then again, it's just one more potential point of failure, and in this your mileage will vary with more careful thought and consideration.

I may be reading too much into it, but I think the more specific we are with what we want/need our spells to do, the less chance of failure we're gonna have (because less possible outliers to factor).

[Monthly resource update incoming.]

>>22728581
[Supported options are as follows.]
>(3) Study the missal, especially as pertaining to the gun
>(3) Improve the brewery [Note - you need a tavern big enough to sell all the ale in one go or a bigger brewery is just making trade goods. Not that that's a bad thing.]
>(2) Improve village defenses, specifically the gate
>(2) Send supplies to the Kreen in order to study the history books or create a dictionary
>(2) Armor production

[One more action needs to be chosen.]

>Contact the Kreen for assistance with firearms.
>Research artifice
>Expand another building for the Muls
>Send out a party to clear the area around the iron mine
>Upgrade the smelter
>Research armorsmithing
>Speed up bronze weapons or armor production (choose one)

[I'm just going to remind you guys that you're leaving some tech trades on the table. If those clans get hit hard, the trades may not be available.]

>>22729054
[It's more that better-thought-out magical actions will have a better chance of success, whether it comes to spells on the battlefield or works of artifice or trying to figure out some mystic puzzle or dealing with gods.]

[When you guys decided to kill the enemy leaders during the goblin raid and specified hitting the enemy troops with a fear spell AFTER their leadership got shot up, that was a clever thing and more likely to work in this game. Make sense?]

[Some people like to run games according to Rule of Cool. In my games I try to go for the smarter plan - Rule of Wits, if you will.]

>>22729054
You know what might be fun. Somehow "bottling" illusions so our non mages(like our scouts/sneaky dudes) can fuck with our enemies.

>>22729227
Your mages inform you that they can, in fact, create something like a runic phantasm grenade. It'll cost you significant resources, including psychedelic mushrooms. Which you have basically a dried stock of as you're not growing any.

>Expand another building for the Muls
I support this and next turn we can do the rest of those tech trades

>>22729226

What tech trades are we leaving on the table as of right now may I ask? or did I overlook them above?

>>22729226
Speed up bronze armor

>>22729273

Yeah let's get another building for the muls and do all of our trading and more gun research next turn

>>22729277
[They're from the previous thread, as they were offered at the feast. Reposting below.]

The clans offer the following knowledge:

The clan's ARCHITECTURE could be improved by the Blueleaves in exchange for our hunting knowledge.
Our warrior's personal defense could be improved by the Redteeth if we tutor them recordkeeping.
Our AGRICULTURE could be improved by the Smokescales for the price of our skill in armorsmithing.
We could learn shipbuilding from the Wind Brothers if we teach them better metalworking.
There's an offer to learn animal husbandry from the Blackrocks if we teach them about chymistry.
Our cooking would be improved upon by the Glowberries' tutelage if we let them in on the secrets of obsidian-crafting.
Our fishing could be improved by the Grey Bats, in exchange for teaching them of smelting.
Our leathermaking could be improved by the Wide Ears if we taught them more of mining.

[You'll need a separate action to send a party of scholars and craftsmen to each clan to facilitate the transfer of knowledge to them and train some of your own people well enough to establish the new technique among Clan Dragonfall.]

[I'll give you guys some time to deliverate, got to finish this update the clan records anyhow.]

>>22729325
>deliverate
[Deliberate.]

>>22729325

I'm voting we go for architecture and defense first over all of these.

but I still think both can wait till next turn hopefully if nobody disagrees

>>22729325
how this a tentative plan for next turn.
-Clear iron mine
-Contact Kreen for firearms
-Upgrade smelter
-Trade knowledge with Blueleaves
-Trade knowledge with Redteeth
-Produce some kind of armor for our regulars

>>22729442

I like this also. I want to see for sure what our actions cause. but as of now I'll agree to this completely.

>>22729469

I'm sadly not going to be able to stay up much longer. I'll wait for the next update and post that then probably head to bed. 8 am classes are no fun.

>>22729442
Aren't we doing >>22729226
I'd say we should expand the tavern as the sixth one.

>>22729914

We are. this is for the NEXT turn after what we already posted.

File: 1358841326614.jpg-(135 KB, 784x536, Great Cave Quest 11.jpg)

Your scribes have finally updated their records.

---
RECORDS OF THE DRAGONFALL CLAN
---
FIRST FOURTH OF BRIGHT SEASON
---

SETTLEMENTS: Dragonfall, clan village.

POPULATION: 1366 Kobolds, 394 Muls, ~70 Thri-Kreen, ~200 urds
-We initiated 101 children as adults at the beginning of this season, bringing the number of adults in the clan to 814
-Our scribes recorded 86 new births and fosterings at season's start, bringing the number of children to 552
-Of the adults, 311 can currently be fielded as hunters in a raid or war, and 22 were promoted into the veterans' ranks at last season's end, bringing veteran numbers up to 116.
-Your clan has 64 nobles, elders, master craftsmen, scribes, shamans, mages, and priests, who are said to have DETERMINED minds.

Significant persons:
Fírnen, leader of the Dragonfall clan, who is said to have STUBBORN willpower.
Glaedr, master craftsman, said to be of STEADY mind.
Falkor, a fast kobold runner, who ably swam past aboleths to reach the lake-isle and found our first stock of ioun, STEADY in his will.
Katla, winner of the games, a sprightly kobold and a good speaker, STUBBORN in her mind.
Olumek, winner of the games, a good warrior with an OBSTINATE mindset, eager for battle.
Resov, a thief paying his debt to the clan through indentured servitude. We treat him fairly. Recently caught a hobgoblin that sought to escape the battle.
Hobgoblin prisoner. Little is known of this creature.

Treasures:
Blades of mystic sharpness (6), human warrior's armor (Red Marshal's vestments), Kreen healing scroll, Kreen healing scroll [copy], chest full of books on military history and strategy (tomes of the Red Fellowship), lanceboard and tokens (chess set), missal of the Red Knight, mold-eaten mathematical treatise on geometry, pulsing Goblin gem, rings of fertility (50), rules of Xorvintaal, snapping turtle colony, strange firey gem, strange gun, strange metal containers, warforged trophy, warforged commander's head.

File: 1358841375547.png-(552 KB, 800x450, 800px-Pandora_bioluminescent.png)

Values:
CLEVERNESS, INVENTION, TRIBES, artisanship, assault, concealment, critical thought, defense, dominance, entertainment, fate, fear, freedom, healing, history, hoards, humor, independence, justice, lawfulness, manipulation, mercy, mining, night, originality, psionics, raiding, paranoia, peace, property, protection, retribution, sanctity of death, sanctity of life, secrecy, security, sorcery, spycraft, stealth, storytelling, tolerance, trade, trapmaking, trickery, Xorvintaal

CULTURAL ANIMOSITIES & HATREDS:
Slavers, Dragons, Aboleths

REPUTATION:
FIERCE - you are seen capable of ferocity in battle.
SCHOLARLY - you are seen as possessed of a store of knowledge, and interested in acquiring more.

File: 1358841424498.jpg-(286 KB, 779x1008, Great Cave Quest 10.jpg)

---
Military
---
UNITS:
[ELITES] - The Dragonfall clan has some dozens of veterans armed with poor quality iron spears, good quality wood bows with spider-silk strings, and poor quality leather armor.
[REGULARS] - The clan has some hundreds of unarmored hunters armed with poor quality obsidian spears and organized in squads lead by veterans.
[AUXILIARIES] - The clan has hired on a force of mercenary thri-Kreen, of which about a hundred are available at any time for one battle per season. This force also harasses one enemy of the clan per month.
BONUSES:
[BATTLE MAGIC] - The clan's mages are able to lend assistance in battle, helping to shield your forces from enemy power and improving the odds in your favor.
[CONCEALMENT] - The clan's forces are far more difficult to ambush, ambushing is easier, and scouting is more effective.
[DRILLED] - Dragonfall's warriors are well trained and do not often make rookie mistakes. Reduction in critical failure effects, faster training.
[FURIOUS CHARGE] - The clan is likely to gain advantage when first entering combat against a foe unless a charge is attempted on a strong defensive position.
[TRIED BY CONTEST] - Dragonfall's warriors go through competitions of might, speed, brawn, and wit in the village arena, and are better fighters for it. Bonus to personal combat.

---
FURTHER RECORDS
---

Buildings, improvements, and goods:
EXCELLENT:
SUPERIOR: Clan Hall, forge (+2 WEALTH, +1 bronzeware, -1 bronze, -1 copper), resource production (logging camp [+4 wood], quarry [+4 stone]), Temple to Aasterinian
GOOD: dwellings, farms (fruit-tree orchard, mushrooms, fungi) [+3 food], school, smelter (+1 bronze, +1 tin, +1 copper), village defenses [stone wall, spike pit, watchtower(two), wooden gate(single)]| Bows
SUFFICIENT: Arena (+1 on champion willpower), armory, artificer's workshop, fish-farm (+0 fish), brewery (+2 ale), hospital, Kreen barracks, mines (+0 coal, +1 copper ore, +1 tin ore), scriptorium (+2 parchment), tavern (+2 goodwill, monthly +1 to relations with a random kobold clan), warrior-lodges, hall of shrines
POOR: Coal-mine outpost, embassy, roads (Blackrocks, Smokescales), roosting tower
INFERIOR:
WORTHLESS:

Resources & stockpiles:
ABUNDANT: FOOD (fruit bats, fish, mushrooms & fungi)
PLENTIFUL: GOODWILL, peat bricks, sand, stone, water
IN SURPLUS: coal
SUFFICIENT: HEALTH, MILITARY STRENGTH, TERRITORY, TOOLS, WEALTH, fish, fungus, leather, mushroom tree wood, mushrooms (medicinal, useful for toxins or alchemy, etc), obsidian, parchment
WANING: WEAPONS (Obsidian), clay, homing bats
SCARCE: ARMOR, WEAPONS (Bronze, Iron), ink, psychedelic mushrooms (ritual use), refined metal (bronze, copper, tin)
RARE: bone (goblin), gems, giant cave spider eggs, iron, ore (copper, tin), raw spider silk, venom
UNAVAILABLE: IOUN, luxury good (bronzeware, lanceboard sets)

File: 1358841494794.jpg-(128 KB, 680x680, Great Cave Quest 8.jpg)

Relations, trade, & diplomacy:
EXEMPLARY: Blackrocks [Allied] (beacons, trade: +1 obsidian, -1 lanceboards), Smokescales [Allied, bonded] (beacons, trade: +1 ink, -1 bronzeware)
EXCELLENT: MULS, TOHR-KREEN
GOOD: Blueleaf Clan [Favorable] (beacons, trade route), Glowberry clan, Grey Bat clan (beacons, quarreling traders), KOBOLDS
AVERAGE: Redtooth Clan [Favorable] (beacons, trade route), THRI-KREEN, URDS, Wide Ear clan [Favorable], Wind Brothers clan [Favorable] (beacons, trade route)
FAIR: Blueleaf clan, Cold Hearth clan, Earthshaker clan, Firewing clan, Frogleap clan, Greenspear clan, Rootnose clan, Tall Tree clan, Thunderheart clan, Turtle clan, Water Quartz clan
POOR: DEEP DWARVES, GOBLINS, LIZARDMEN, SPIDER-MEN, TROGLODYTES
COLD: BUGBEARS, DRAGONS (Hostile), DROW, SPIDERS, WARFORGED
HATRED: ABOLETHS (Ancestral Enemy)

RUMORS:
-There are roving bands of warforged barbarians on the surface.
-There is a DEMAND in the market for Lanceboard sets.
-Winged, Tengu-like creatures have been seen to the east.
-There are hobgoblins and other new beasts coming from the direction of the waterfall.
-News has come from the plains from further lands of strange figures in dark armor.

The end of the month brings some changes to your stocks.

Your logging camp has produced timber!
Your quarry has produced stone!
Your farms have produced food!
Your mines have produced ore!
Your smelter has refined metals!
Your forge has produced wealth!
Your forge has produced bronzeware!
Your brewery has produced ale!
Your tavern has improved the clan's GOODWILL!
Your scriptorium has produced parchment!

You have less copper.

Your trading partners improve your stores of ink and obsidian, taking their share of bronzeware and lanceboards as agreed.

You have no more lanceboards!
You have no more bronzeware!

[And of course, I forgot some things.]
The Kreen and Urds take their share of food!
Food is now IN SURPLUS.
Leather is now SCARCE.
Wooden armor, obsidian weapons, bows, and slings looted from the goblins are now available to your troops.

>Battle loot from the siege has been accounted for.
Wood is more abundant! It is now available IN SURPLUS.
Obsidian is more abundant! It is now available IN SURPLUS.
Goblin bone is more abundant! It is now SCARCE.
Leather is more abundant! It is now WANING.

Rolled 12

[Rolling for increased relations with a kobold clan due to the tavern.]

>>22729226
>>22729273
>>22729283
>>22729308

>Study the missal, especially as pertaining to the gun

The elders tell the scholars and priests they need some divine enlightenment in a particular area, and after a week of pouring over the missal, they get it to some extent.

>Strategy has become a value of our clan.
>Firearms knowledge has become INFERIOR, but can now be improved.

The scholars say that the missal mentions these guns being fired by standing forces of professional soldiers, and give much insight into rudimentary firearm tactics, the various forms firearms can take, and common problems.

The clan's chymists and artificers feel that they are now somewhat better informed about what actually goes on inside these things, and the military leaders understand their use better as well.

>Improve the brewery

The clan decides it needs to be making rather more booze.

>Stone and wood are less abundant!
>The brewery is now reckoned a pretty GOOD one.

>Improve village defenses, specifically the gate

Bronze bars and bracing are added to the village gate.
>Bronze is less abundant!
>Village defenses have improved!

>Send supplies to the Kreen in order to study the history books or create a dictionary

It's finally time. A party of scholars is gathered and sent with guards and the appropriate supplies.

>Leather, ink, parchment, and food are less abundant!

>Armor production

As your rank and file have something like a sufficiency of looted goblin armor, you decide to do something with all the raw silk lying around and create padding for the veterans.
>Silk becomes less abundant!
>Your Veterans are now better armored!

>Expand another building for the Muls

You decide to expand and improve the warrior-lodges.

>Muls can now be recruited into your military!
>Bronze, wood, and stone are less abundant!

>>22730287
>12
The Firewing clan, having had many of its members spend the night in our tavern, now thinks better of us! Relations are AVERAGE.

>>22730287
Finally read that fucking book.

Anyone else around?

>>>22730334
I am

>>22729442
How about this plan with the armor production replaced with expanding the tavern in slot 6

File: 1358843652431.jpg-(58 KB, 400x545, Great Cave Quest 3.jpg)

[Updated again, now up to date.]

Values:
CLEVERNESS, INVENTION, TRIBES, artisanship, assault, concealment, critical thought, defense, dominance, entertainment, fate, fear, freedom, healing, history, hoards, humor, independence, justice, lawfulness, manipulation, mercy, mining, night, originality, psionics, raiding, paranoia, peace, property, protection, retribution, sanctity of death, sanctity of life, secrecy, security, sorcery, spycraft, stealth, storytelling, strategy, tolerance, trade, trapmaking, trickery, Xorvintaal

Military
---
UNITS:
[ELITES] - The Dragonfall clan has some dozens of veterans armed with poor quality iron spears, good quality wood bows with spider-silk strings, good quality leather slings, and poor quality leather and silk armor.
[REGULARS] - The clan has some hundreds of hunters armed with poor quality obsidian spears, good quality wood bows with spider-silk strings, good quality leather slings, and poor quality wood and leather armor. They are organized in squads lead by veterans.
[AUXILIARIES] - The clan has hired on a force of mercenary thri-Kreen, of which about a hundred are available at any time for one battle per season. This force also harasses one enemy of the clan per month.
BONUSES:
[BATTLE MAGIC] - The clan's mages are able to lend assistance in battle, helping to shield your forces from enemy power and improving the odds in your favor.
[CONCEALMENT] - The clan's forces are far more difficult to ambush, ambushing is easier, and scouting is more effective.
[DRILLED] - Dragonfall's warriors are well trained and do not often make rookie mistakes. Reduction in critical failure effects, faster training.
[FURIOUS CHARGE] - The clan is likely to gain advantage when first entering combat against a foe unless a charge is attempted on a strong defensive position.
[TRIED BY CONTEST] - Dragonfall's warriors go through competitions of might, speed, brawn, and wit in the village arena, and are better fighters for it. Bonus to personal combat.

File: 1358843719849.jpg-(20 KB, 400x267, cave1 (1).jpg)

---
FURTHER RECORDS
---

Buildings, improvements, and goods:
EXCELLENT:
SUPERIOR: Clan Hall, forge (+2 WEALTH, +1 bronzeware, -1 bronze, -1 copper), resource production (logging camp [+4 wood], quarry [+4 stone]), Temple to Aasterinian, village defenses [stone wall, spike pit, watchtower(two), wooden gate(single)]
GOOD: Brewery (+2 ale), dwellings, farms (fruit-tree orchard, mushrooms, fungi) [+3 food], school, smelter (+1 bronze, +1 tin, +1 copper)| Bows
SUFFICIENT: Arena (+1 on champion willpower), armory, artificer's workshop, fish-farm (+0 fish), hospital, Kreen barracks (-1 food), mines (+0 coal, +1 copper ore, +1 tin ore), scriptorium (+2 parchment), tavern (+2 goodwill, monthly +1 to relations with a random kobold clan), warrior-lodges, hall of shrines
POOR: Coal-mine outpost, embassy, roads (Blackrocks, Smokescales), roosting tower (-1 food)
INFERIOR:
WORTHLESS:

Resources & stockpiles:
ABUNDANT:
PLENTIFUL: GOODWILL, peat bricks, sand, water
IN SURPLUS: coal, obsidian
SUFFICIENT: FOOD (fruit bats, fish, mushrooms & fungi), HEALTH, MILITARY STRENGTH, TERRITORY, TOOLS, WEALTH, fish, fungus, mushrooms (medicinal, useful for toxins or alchemy, etc)
WANING: WEAPONS (Obsidian), clay, homing bats, mushroom tree wood, stone
SCARCE: ARMOR(leather, wood, silk), WEAPONS (Bronze, Iron), bone (goblin), leather, parchment, psychedelic mushrooms (ritual use), refined metal (copper, tin)
RARE: gems, giant cave spider eggs, ink, iron, ore (copper, tin), venom
UNAVAILABLE: IOUN, luxury good (bronzeware, lanceboard sets), raw spider silk, refined metal (bronze)

File: 1358843755646.jpg-(35 KB, 461x307, 061026-fungi-glow_big.jpg)

Arts, crafts, and other learning:
SUPREME: Literacy (dark dwarf, draconic, drow), medicine
SUPERIOR: ARTIFICE, CRAFTSMANSHIP (obsidian-crafting, woodworking), SCHOLARSHIP, chymistry, hunting, METALWORKING, mining, smelting, war production (weaponcraft)
GOOD: Animal husbandry (bats), cooking, fishing, leathermaking, war production (armorsmithing), toolmaking
FAIR: AGRICULTURE, ARCHITECTURE, mathematics, MECHANICS, personal defense, recordkeeping, shipbuilding
POOR: Animal Husbandry (spiders), politics
INFERIOR: Firearms
WORTHLESS:

Relations, trade, & diplomacy:
EXEMPLARY: Blackrocks [Allied] (beacons, trade: +1 obsidian, -1 lanceboards), Smokescales [Allied, bonded] (beacons, trade: +1 ink, -1 bronzeware)
EXCELLENT: MULS, TOHR-KREEN
GOOD: Blueleaf Clan [Favorable] (beacons, trade route), Glowberry clan, Grey Bat clan (beacons, quarreling traders), KOBOLDS
AVERAGE: Firewing clan, Redtooth Clan [Favorable] (beacons, trade route), THRI-KREEN, URDS, Wide Ear clan [Favorable], Wind Brothers clan [Favorable] (beacons, trade route)
FAIR: Blueleaf clan, Cold Hearth clan, Earthshaker clan, Frogleap clan, Greenspear clan, Rootnose clan, Tall Tree clan, Thunderheart clan, Turtle clan, Water Quartz clan
POOR: DEEP DWARVES, GOBLINS, LIZARDMEN, SPIDER-MEN, TROGLODYTES
COLD: BUGBEARS, DRAGONS (Hostile), DROW, SPIDERS, WARFORGED
HATRED: ABOLETHS (Ancestral Enemy)

[There we go.]

>>22730381
Or we could bump up our firearms knowledge, maybe with the knowledge from the Kreen and some of our own independent research, we can reliably make guns that won't explode and kill us.

>>22730381
>>22729938
>>22729914
>>22729397
>>22729308

[There seem to be some notions about doing more knowledge trading this turn, but aside from that the stated plan seems to carry consensus.]

>>22730468
Contacting the Kreen is getting knowledge from the them not buying. I worded it poorly.

>>22730491
>>22730468

Honestly given the risk all the clans are exposed to, we should get all the tech trades out of the way this week.

We got jumped by enough goblins to seriously change our priorities if we'd lost, maybe annihilate us completely. We shouldn't take a risk that a trading partner might get destroyed if one of the offers can advance our knowledge by more than one step.

Rolled 52

[Almost forgot your Urd scouts' exploration roll.]

Your Urds prepare to give you a report of what they've seen in the last month...

>>22730513
I doubt the Goblins are going to attack again that fast. We got some time. Plus half of the plans actions are gaining knowledge. The other half is improving our infrastructure so we can capitalize on the knowledge we get about guns and increasing the our goodwill with other tribes.

for the tech trades I think these would do well this turn:
>The clan's ARCHITECTURE could be improved by the Blueleaves in exchange for our hunting knowledge.
>Our warrior's personal defense could be improved by the Redteeth if we tutor them recordkeeping.
>Our leathermaking could be improved by the Wide Ears if we taught them more of mining.

for the other ones
>build a spidersilk den
>clear out the spiders around the iron deposit
>build more obsidian weapons

>>22730569
The Urd scouts inform the clan that they have seen a clash between a number of Tohr-Kreen and their Thri-Kreen mercenaries on one side and hobgoblins with bugbears to support them on the other.

The Kreen were using great big things like the clan's thunder-tube, the larger Tohr-kreen using some variation of the big ones in pairs, two to each pair of arms, or four smaller firearms. The Thri-Kreen were not trusted with the more interesting ones (the Urds describe them as 'more shiny and blasty'), but were firing guns also. This was in the midst of magic and melee clashes as well, and though the hobgoblins and bugbears were dying in droves, the Kreen withdrew first.

If raging Thri-Kreen are extremely efficient killers and fearsome warriors on the battlefield, Tohr-Kreen are absolutely horrifying foes. Whether wielding huge melee weapons or heaps of extremely effective ranged firepower or merely their own powerful magics and willpower, they are as close a group of warriors to the legends of demigods as the clan knows of - each is perhaps like unto a living siege weapon. The Urds give a description of Tohr-Kreen in mid-battle in their halting draconic that essentially renders them as hammering bloody chunks out of the foe, whether reducing them to gibs at range or in gore-flinging brawls.

>>22730640
....Thank god they like us.

[Here are the actions as I see them:]

>(2)Clear iron mine
>(2)Contact Kreen for firearms
>(2)Trade knowledge with Blueleaves (improved ARCHITECTURE for improved hunting)
>(2)Trade knowledge with Redteeth (improved personal defense for improved recordkeeping)

[More consensus on these, please:]

>Produce more armor
>Build a silk spider farm
>Produce more obsidian weapons
>Trade knowledge with the Wide Ears (improved leathermaking for improved mining).
>Upgrade the smelter
>Research gunsmithy

>>22730733
The smelter needs upgrading, I think. And we need a silk farm last week. OP said the stuff can stop bullets.

>>22730831
sounds good to me

>>22730733
I'd say those first 4 are fine, the other two should be:
>Research Gunsmithy
>Offer Resov a chance to join our Civilzation as a member of our tribe.

The way I see it, Resov could be our sneaky guy, helping us do all our espionage. He may be more willing to join us and stay with us after watching that battle, and getting that hobgoblin he easily could have just let go. We might be taking a risk, but I think we've shown him our capabilities and I feel like we could use some espionage in the future.

>>22730831
this works

>>22730831
Agreed.

On a side note, here is some long term weapon kobold weapon ideas:

-Gatling guns
-Incendiary grenades/mines
-A combined Illusion(runic based)/Hallucinogenic(chemical based) grenade
-sniper rifles

>>22731084
I meant long term kobold weapon ideas.

>>22730831
>>22730842
>>22730859
[The smelter and the silk farm it is.]

When Resov is approached by his handler or those that typically work with him, he does not seem terribly well disposed towards the tribe. He is, if anything, rather neutral - and the idea of using him in some capacity strikes the elders as rather a large risk. They suggest giving the idea a few more months - in the meantime, Falkor is plenty sneaky.

>Clear iron mine

As you seek to create a permanent presence at the iron deposit, you'll need to ferry goods across the river in order to do so. Some troops are sent in the direction of the deposit, but in the meantime you craftsmen have begun building several barges at the riverbank.

>Wood is less abundant!

Who leads the troops? What is the size and composition of the force?

>The elders do not recommend sending away more than a hundred warriors.

Continued.

>Contact Kreen for firearms

You send an inquiry to the weaponsmiths, and a Tohr-kreen pays you a visit a few days later. Over a large meal, the mantis-man informs your artificers, chymists, craftsmen, and military leaders of the nature of firearms. The Kreen informs your clan of the intricacies of possible mechanisms, of wicks and firing pins and a host of other matters, and of tactics. He stresses that simpler designs are better to start with, leaning towards hand bombards initially, and explains that the weapon you have in your treasure-hoard is a very efficient thing with great potential, a single-shot muzzle-loader free of recoil due to its having a barrel open at both ends that uses magically formed water-ice as a propellant.

He further informs you that the Kreen weaponsmiths mostly create arms that are mystically attuned to the appropriate group of users so they cannot be used if stolen, have assistance in aiming, and break down if improperly maintained by the untrained should their fidelity-wards be overcome. He'd tell you more but, well, that you've learned this much is a sign of how much the Kreen like you.

He warns you to be careful not to let too many foes know you have firearms until you're ready, and then bids you farewell.

>You may now build a gunsmith's workshop, though I'd really work on things like chymistry first. You'll need Ioun, iron, more bronze production, certain exotic substances, and more to start producing guns in appreciable numbers, though simple hand-bombards are more easily attainable.

Continued.

>Trade knowledge with Blueleaves (improved ARCHITECTURE for improved hunting)

The clan sends its best-prepared minds to the Blueleaves, and by week's end they're far better hunters and we've learned quite a good deal about brick-and-mortar construction, multi-storied building, and quite a bit about we need to know of how to shore up tunnels should we wish to build several levels of basements and underground burrows. They also give us the secret of a quick-drying material that sets as hard as the weaker sorts of stone - cement! Our knowledge of mathematics needs to be improved before we learn much more, though, or we won't benefit further.

>ARCHITECTURE is now SUPERIOR.

You will need water, sand, earth, stone, and clay to make the best cement, though it will be made in large quantities with more available ingredients.

>Trade knowledge with Redteeth (improved personal defense for improved recordkeeping)

A delegation is sent to the Redteeth. With energetic work, we learn of their techniques and desseminate them among our hunters and veterans and soon our personal defense can be assessed as GOOD by any visiting warrior - and their recordkeeping is certainly better than before.

>Improve the smelter

Your craftsmen do their best, and their effort bears fruit after several days of screwing around with designs for better-insulated, hotter-burning furnace chambers and better systems for pumping in air. They also experiment with a number of different kinds of fuel, eventually creating a method using refined coal ground down to a powder.

>The smelter can now reach sufficient temperatures to refine and cast iron, and can also handle a larger amount of ore at a time.
>The smelter requires more coal fuel than we are currently mining per month.
>Stone is less abundant.
>Clay is less abundant.
>Peat bricks are less abundant.

Continued.

Rolled 12

>Build a silk farm

The clan's new spider-handlers undertake an effort to create a nest for the eggs the clan has acquired with plenty of advice from the Muls. The end result is perhaps less than pretty, but will do a decent job of housing spiders.

>You have created a SUFFICIENT silk farm.
>Wood is less abundant.
>Stone is less abundant.
>The silk farm will require food each month until improved sufficiently; the amount of food will vary based on the abundance of spiders.

[EVENT]

You get word that a more distant clan of Kobolds was hit by a raid. Casualties are significant, and their defenses are in a very bad state of affairs. Your neighbors inform you that it was the Water Quartz clan, and that word was slow in coming due to their distance from you and your neighbors.

>Offer aid?
>Send supplies?
>Send troops to secure their defenses?

Your scouts have also seen increased activity near the outpost protecting your coal mine, north of the mushroom tree wood.

>>22731185
Send aid and supplies.

It is the fifth week of Bright Season.

[You have six actions remaining this week]

Force size, leadership, and composition has not been decided for the expedition to secure the iron deposit.

The question of assistance to the Water Quartz clan has not been decided.

There is increased goblin activity near your coal mine and its protective outpost. A response has not been decided.

>Action?

>spiders
Send Katla and 80 hunters backed with 20 elite

>goblins under attack
send aid and supplies

actions
>improve the forge
>improve chymestry
>Our leathermaking could be improved by the Wide Ears if we taught them more of mining.
>There's an offer to learn animal husbandry from the Blackrocks if we teach them about chymistry.
>improve the coal mine
>produce more silk armor

>>22731205
>Build chymestry workshop
>Improve coal mine
>Fortify coal mine
>Build boats
>Start producing obsidian weapons for our rank and file
>Trade chymestry for better animal husbandry

>send supplies

>>22731253
>>22731202
>>22731309

The scattered reports of your neighbors and the struggling answers given by your Urd scouts indicate that the Water Quartz clan probably needs food, water, wood, stone, healers to care for their wounded, and obsidian or something better to create weapons from.

>Send all of this yourselves
>Send some of this yourselves
>Ask your neighbors to help [delays response, chance of failure on some or all requests]

>>22731321
Send some healers and food

I think we can afford to send most of it. And them facing the goblins means we will have to face less later.

>>22731309
This. am not against making more silk armor but we don't have silk right now.

Send food, water, wood, stone and healers. Encourage other tribes to help

Send everything but the building materials, ask our allies to send those ASAP. The rest will keep the Water Quartz from losing their people and warriors.

>>22731403
We could also send an important figure with them and try to do some magic healing.

>>22731465
[Any particular person in mind?]

>>22731501
If we send the chief, this will be viewed as an official action of the clan as a whole. We should probably keep Olumek home, as he's our defensive keystone.

>>22731202
>>22731253
>>22731309
>>22731344
>>22731403
>>22731420
>>22731423
>>22731465
>>22731558

[Unless someone has a problem with sending Katla with twenty veterans and eighty regulars, that's what the clan's doing.]

[Same deal for sending Fírnen and his honor guard along with the thirty or so caravan guards and water, food, healers, and possibly obsidian to the Water Quartz village and asking your allies to send the rest.]

[A bit more consensus on these would be good, as they're all individual ideas.]

>Build chymestry workshop
>Improve coal mine
>Fortify coal mine
>Start producing obsidian weapons for our rank and file
>Trade chymestry for better animal husbandry
>improve the forge
>improve chymestry
>Our leathermaking could be improved by the Wide Ears if we taught them more of mining.
>There's an offer to learn animal husbandry from the Blackrocks if we teach them about chymistry.
>improve the coal mine
>produce more silk armor

>>22731625
Actually the trade with the Blackrocks got seconded as well as improving the coal mine.

I'll support that, and second better fortifying the outpost, improving chymistry, the other trade, and producing obsidian weapons.

>>22731625
-no problem
-no problem

>Improve coal mine
>Fortify coal mine
>Build chymestry workshop
>Trade chymestry for better animal husbandry
>improve chymestry
>Start producing obsidian weapons for our rank and file

>>22731641
I can agree with this.

>>22731659
sounds good

>>22731659
backing this Idea

>>22731681
>>22731679
>>22731659
>>22731641
[Choices locked in. Writing update after I take a short break, expect it in `20 minutes. I suspect we're closing in on the end tonight, as it's somewhere between three and six in the morning for US folks and I myself am not all that awake, but one or two more weeks is doable.]

Rolled 41, 42, 9 = 92

>Trade knowledge with the Blackrock clan

The clan sends its messengers to the Blackrocks and comes to collect on the exchange of knowledge, and by end of week has learned much of working with animals. Our spider-handlers are now significantly safer, and our bat-handlers far more productive. We can also produce more from our herds, as well as maintaining bigger ones.

>Animal husbandry is now SUPERIOR.

>Improve chymistry knowledge
>Build chymistry workshop

As the clan's sages can think of no better direction of learning than that of practicing their skills, they resolve that they'll need to build a workshop. This they accomplish as quickly and efficiently as they can. They feel that the structure they've created is SUFFICIENT to clan needs for now, and they have a chance to begin to develop a set of processes that will grant them a capacity to better understand substances.

>You have built a chymist's workshop!
>Wood is unavailable!
>Stone is unavailable!
>Our clan's knowledge of Chymistry is now SUPERIOR to anything we've seen fellow kobolds accomplish thus far.

>Improve coal mine
>Produce obsidian weapons

As we cannot accomplish much of these actions without additional resources, we turn to gathering what we'll need for the efforts in question.

>Wood is now SUFFICIENT!

>Improve coal mine

After several days of careful expansion, construction, and the installation of new machinery, our coal mines are expanded. The Muls, more than a touch familiar with mining, consider the product of our efforts GOOD.

>Wood is less abundant!

>Create obsidian weapons.

With volcanic glass, leather, and wood, our crafters create spears, axes, hammers, and even arrowheads for a good third of our troops.

>Leather, wood, and obsidian are less abundant!

>>22731979
>Fortify the outpost protecting the coal mine

As we lack the materials for a proper job, we have attempted to make do with what we can gather this week. Even with the help of tireless Mul laborers, our efforts are not all they could be.

>The coal-mine outpost's defenses are now SUFFICIENT, but also [Flawed].

The clan sees off its chief and about fifty guards to protect him, a number of healers, and wagons carrying jars of food and water and a good deal of obsidian for the Water Quartz clan, and bats are sent to request that our allies send them stone and wood; the Blackrocks and Smokescales pledge their assistance.

On reaching the Water Quartz, it is immediately evident that their defenses are on the verge of failure. Our food and water help in alleviating their crisis and between that and the healers we manage to aid them in preventing outbreaks of plague or losing hundreds, but over half their warriors are wounded and they need more craftsmen to complete repairs even if they get supplies in time.

The surrounding clans have helped as it is, but fear for their own safety - there are reports that a raiding force of significant size is still in the area.

Katla reaches the riverbank without problems with her hundred men - a fifth veterans - and they board the newly created boats and sail to the other side with few troubles. It is there that things begin to become more complex; they harry the spiders and are harried in turn, but manage to reach the iron deposit.

[Roll 1d100 for repairs, 1d100 for healing, and 1d100 for Katla's attempt to clear the deposit.]

[It appears that I'm slower than I thought.]

>>22731987
And before I forget, I'm averaging the first three results.

Rolled 24, 3, 5 = 32

>>22731987

>>22732008
Oh god.

>>22732032
Put 'dice+3d100' in your email field, without quotes.

Rolled 19, 72, 18 = 109

>>22731987

Rolled 34, 54, 6 = 94

welp

Rolled 5, 53, 8 = 66

oh dear god

Rolled 36, 79, 50 = 165

>>22732008
>>22732042
>>22732050
this could have gone better

Rolled 85, 58, 21, 58, 53 = 275

The chief manages well in helping the Water Quartz clan to shield themselves from their greatest loss - that of their people. Losses to death and disease are largely averted, with only the worst of the wounded and fevered passing away thanks to the capability and acumen of Dragonfall medicine.

In pursuing speedy repairs, however, things are not nearly so successful. Between the troubled state of Water Quartz architecture, the delays in delivering supplies, and the fact that much of the suffering clan's manpower is at best recuperating or needed elsewhere, things are not nearly as successful. At least the larger gaping holes in their walls are closed, and stone delivered to the various necessary sites for later efforts.

Katla, for her part, manages a stalemate. Her troops are constantly getting attacked by venomous beasts, stumbling into webs, and becoming separated in unfamiliar territory, but the spiders aren't having an easy time either. Though most survive, things aren't at their best and control over the deposit is far from steady - one day they must stage a retreat, the next they drive back the spiders.

>>22732115
The tribe's wounded and ill near the deposit number about a fifth of their force, with none dead yet but twenty-one troops unfit for fighting by week's end. Katla's courier message strongly advises the elders to get the supplies prelared and underway as quickly as possible, and to consider sending more troops.

At about this time, goblin activity near the coal deposit increases and a raiding force of some six hundred greenskins led by dozens of hobs is sighted from the Water Quartz watchtowers.

Fírnen is alerted, bringing him out of a meeting with the Water Quartz elders in which he was discussing the possibility of trading for their advanced understanding of shipbuilding, mathematics, and mechanics, which were among the most advanced he'd seen in the Cave.

It is the sixth week of Bright Season.

[You have six actions remaining this week.]

>Action?

>lay traps along the goblins path.
>send another 50 more hunters to Katla along with healers to take that mine
>trade with the Water Quartz tribe tech for the rest of what they need
>Olumek, the Thri-Kreen, 200 hunters and 90 elites shall harry the raiders near the coal mine, try to avoid outright battle. This will be guerilla warfare.
>improve the spider farm
>improve the forge

>>22732200
Do we get wood and stone every week? Because if we don't, we should drop improve spider farm and forge, and collect stone and fix the coal mine fortifications

>captcha: gardalf proper
its a sign

... if the goblins have a balrog with them I vote we lead them to the aboleths.

>>22732277
At this point I'd give it to you every week if it didn't make things more difficult at the end of the month provided you upgrade again - if you get +5 stone next week, it kind of creates a lot more calculation for me.

Alternatively I could just tell you that between the bureaucratic troubles and the packaging and the craftsmanship and the cost in time and energy in shipping it, it's only available at the beginning of a new month. So I'll go with that.

Otherwise we may reach a point where updates between turns take half an hour eventually.

It's looking like we can't get a confirmation, let alone a different plan, for the content of this post >>22732200

If that doesn't change in fifteen minutes I'm declaring this session ended, as it's five-thirty in the morning here and everyone probably has shit to do.

>>22732200
do it

>>22732526
Hey guys am I late to the thread?
Also seconded

>>22732200
The clan elders point out that the idea of sending the clan's greatest Kobold military leader and possible its greatest warrior and mage with nearly the entirety of its forces out of the village would leave the clan virtually defenseless and forbid it. The Mul members of the clan council also note that they'd walk out the gates and take refuge with the Kreen before they took full responsibility for defending the village.

[It would be a very, very bad idea to be defenseless in Bright Season. This is summer - it is a very good time for military actions, and consequentially if you are defenseless you're just a huge target. There are also thousands of goblins and probably hundreds of hobgoblins in the cave - trying to harass them on their own territory with the force you're sending in their direction, with your present level of technology, is rather suicidal. I'd reconsider before you found yourself using six actions a week to train new warriors.]

darn, oh well, how many would the elders recommend. thats a large force to allow wander our territory

>>22732663
Alright, rather than sending Improving our forge Recruit some Kobolds
And rather than improving our farms recruit Muls
Also keep 50 of our hunters and Olumek home, send our sneaky guy with the guerilla army

>>22732683
sounds good

>>22732663
We should just send the thri-keen to harass the goblins and keep our troops home at least until helping the other village is over

>>22732712
Are troops are good at concealment, sending them on a mission like this would be an ideal time to test their worth

>>22732677
The elders recommend working with other clans to create military security when it comes to securing the coal deposit. Having other clans share a mine isn't nearly as problematic as having no mine.

Of course, you could just let the outpost burn or abandon it in hopes of later recapture. There are other things that might be used as fuel.

The clan's military advisors say that if the clan wanted to garrison the outpost protecting the coal deposit, it could be done with relatively few people and make effective use of its defenses - especially in their currently flawed state. The effectiveness would largely be increased if other clans assisted in this endeavor.

The military leaders also maintain that it would be extremely foolish to have less than half of clan forces home, and that waging skirmish warfare on the goblins would be problematic given that they currently outnumber Clan Dragonfall forces by AT LEAST ten to one. Even with help, it would be difficult.

[The goblins and etc have enough warriors running around to push a 'guerilla' force around enough by weight of numbers to cancel out any advantage your troops might have for now. They literally have enough people to make you take the field - they'll simply encircle an army of ~500, tighten the cordon, and kill you like bitches. I'd think outside the box.]

>>22732720

Man, our troops' concealment seems to be for scouting and the element of surprise. I don't think that's enough to take down a horde of goblins for which the 1500 guys that attacked us was a smallish raiding force.

>>22732732
>>22732741
Fair enough
Alright, I suggest we keep those recruitment actions.
As for the attack....
Would the Water Quartz be open to a temporary extraction? I mean this seems like a lost cause at this point, and the best way to solve it would be to fall back on a stronger defense, which would of course be our city. So I'd suggest seeing if they were open to that

Hmm alright replacing
>lay traps along the goblins path.
>Olumek, the Thri-Kreen, 200 hunters and 90 elites shall harry the raiders near the coal mine, try to avoid outright battle. This will be guerilla warfare.

with
>appeal to our allies to help reinforce the coal mine outpost in return for sharing use of the coal mine
>improve the defences of the coal mine outpost

>>22732772
A few homing bats and sheepish Urd scouts pressed into messenger roles are employed in examining the issue of temporarily relocating the Water Quartz clan. It is quickly evident that Clan Dragonfall is a tad smaller than many of its neighbors, and this becomes a major factor.

The core of the discussion is this - if the clan has an idea for how to safely transport a few thousand kobolds, plenty of which are wounded or unfit for combat because of age, vulnerability, or lack of training, with a guard force of a few hundred, well...the Water Quartz are all ears.

>>22732819
And how many days approximately do we have until the goblins attack? Or did our scouts not get that info

I don't think moving them is going to be possible in the time we have. But if we did have it... how about going all mad genius on them and making their entire village walk.

if thats not clear I;m talking aobut turning it into a mech.

>>22732858
What about sending some of our craftsman over with some iron to strengthen their wall, as well as some of our bows to arm them and a guard troop of 50 archers?

>>22732831
The goblins near the coal deposit are merely more numerous and active, and not necessarily about to attack.

The goblin raiding force near the Water Quartz clan is coming to attack them within the week.

>>22732858
It would indeed take a mad genius to turn a village that has a few capable mechanics in it who create things like millstones and clever traps into a facility capable of creating a walking castle as in the days of fallen empires, but in the time you have you'd be better off trying to get them all to disappear up their own assholes. At least they'd have everything they needed for the job, unlike the massive amounts of runic steel required for the legs of a walking settlement.

>>22732882
>>22732873
Alright Im going with this option
How many Water Quartz are capable of fighting?

>>22732873
This is considered much more plausible by the military leaders and builders on the clan council, provided it's stone and not iron used - the iron is mostly available to the clan in the form of weapons carried by veterans, tools employed by skilled laborers, or fist-sized lumps used for repair. Stone, on the other hand, is available enough.

>>22732898
I want to bring something to strengthen the gate, as archers are probably going to be the source of this victory. Can we bring something to bar the gate?

>>22732897
The Water Quartz clan has around a hundred and ninety of its irregulars, hunters, and rank and file troops capable of taking the field as well as eighty or so veteran warriors well enough to stand and fight.

Up to three hundred more combatants could be brought to the battlefield if they weren't wounded or ill.

>>22732904
Wood works perfectly well, as does bronze. The Water Quartz clan isn't much for ironsmithing - you'd have to build a forge capable of working the metal locally.

Incidentally, the wood and stone your allies sent last week has finally gotten to the Water Quartz village.

>>22732919
Well wood and stone it is

>>22732919
Alright.

Let's do this:

>Send fifty Kreen to the Water Quartz
>Send fifty troops to Katla
>Speed up repairs using whatever materials are available, it sounds like their village wall still has holes in it
>If possible, speed up healing on the Water Quartz wounded
>Collect stone
>Send wood and stone to Katla so we can build an outpost near the iron deposit

The coal deposit will keep at least a week, we can deal with it then. If we don't get stone now we'll just have to do it later, and we have enough troops to meet defensive minimums and reinforce both outer positions if we don't overcommit anywhere.

>>22732980
>>22732971
>>22732904
>>22732897
>>22732873
>>22732862
>>22732858
>>22732778
>>22732772

Folks, I'll be glad to take all these thoughts into account and even make them the default actions for the next thread but it's a few minutes to seven and I've been running this game for nearly six hours. I'm going to have to bow out and come back later today, I'd guess no later than 18:00 eastern if things go as planned.

I want to thank you all for playing despite my lateness and difficulty keeping in touch and on schedule over the past few days.

The thread's been archived as usual, don't forget to upvote so we stay in the archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Great%20Cave%20Quest

Twitter is still here, and even has the occasional timely update now: twitter.com/@GreatCaveQuest

See you next thread!

>>22733094

I know this thread is gone. but I hope some people are still looking. if Not I'm sure I'll find it next time around.

But basically. I have an insane crazy batshit potentially epic idea for this problem. Hopefully it'll work and if not it'll still not hurt us as badly as it could.

>>22733917

It's 10:27 central time for me right now, and I have a bio lab in roughly 4 hours. and it's 3 hours long. so I want to at least get my idea up to see.

Basically, we send out best mages to work with their mages, and we create an enormous illusion.

Either

A: we make our armies look largely more numerous than they really are, and use basic rule of battle to scare them into thinking its an unwinnable battle.

B. We use that same illusion to make the city look completely destroyed or empty (or both) so that they give up. And for those who do cross this visual horizon point, we can ambush them quickly and those viewing would simply think they disappeared completely into thin air possibly thinking its a magical effect that took our city out.

What do you guys think? My personal preference is the first one. and we fake our armies size by doing most of our real units into archers or close line fighters, that way the arrows or ranged attacks ARE real, and they are unable to distinguish that the others are fake.

>>22734067

I like the idea. not sure if it will work and its risky as hell, but if it does its the best choice