>>5268199

"Same to you." You quickly draw your most recent weapon and jab it forth into the wounded torso of the treant. Wood ignites as the lightning willow stave is jammed inside, sparking its crystals with great violence. The body reels back from the mortal blow and falls off of you. Staggering to your feet, you have won a fine duel. Dare say Baphomet would be proud. "No chance for that chat now is there?"

The mage's puppet body writhes on the ground a bit, burning. "I see, more drastic measures should be taken..." It vainly attempts to reach for the scythe as it dies. "Well, no matter. All things decay with time, and you will be no different." Persistent pain now isn't he? Good riddance.

With some gestures and intent, your wounds stitch together messily. Others find it disgusting, but you quite like it. Too bad wood doesn't have blood. Speaking of wood, the magic tree is now yours and swiftly being chopped down. The warning of Krish'gah and what happened when you took that risk makes that decision plain. Like hell you'll be risking fighting another one of those things. When it's felled, it seems like the forest around you is a lot less lively. Some of the lesser shrubbery wilts a little and gets faded. These magical trees the source of the forest's growth it seems? No matter, the magical lumber you have now is a good prize. Some rest now would do nicely...

------------------------

>Magic soaked lumber obtained. The closest forest node has been severed, it's growth slows
>Great feat of combat achieved

DAY 76
KOBOLDS: 43
FOOD: Surplus
MORALE: Solid

[Choose a subject to focus on]
>Food
>Construction
>Exploration and Military
>Cultural and magic
>Tools and research
>Write-In

Previous threads: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=Kobold+swamp+survival

After a short break we're back in business

>>5268200
>Cultural and magic
Study the tree remains. Is it useful for more than wand-crafting? Can it provide sue in architecture? Can we incorporate it into our totem, attune it to our will? What about that of our partially-planty dragon?

>>5268200
>>Construction

>>5268200
>Cultural and magic
>Tools and research
Not sure which one of the two it is, but
>Study the applications of magic wood.

>>5268200
>Exploration and Military

>>5268200
>Tools and research

>>5268200
>>5268210 +1

>>5268210
>>5268257
>>5268539
>>5268632
>>5268677
>>5268774

The fine new material you brought in is thoroughly examined. It's pretty much just as it appears, mana soaked wood that's receptive to magic and useful in such matters. Though you're pretty limited in its supply, given that it was just one tree regardless of how sizable it was. You won't be able to use it for much.

Maybe some tools or such in your magic endeavors? The totem could use it for improvement as well... Maybe even decoration? Will have to decide on what you want to use it for later in the day.

>Make magic items out of the wood
>Incorporate it into the totem
>Ostentatious decor
>Write-in

While going about your business, a particular kobold decides to approach you and request to be assigned the position of 'Head of Excavation'. Quite audacious to just ask for that when you hardly know of them. They say that a great effort should be undertaken to delve deeper into the ground. A high amount of work and resources would need to be devoted to that though, especially considering you would have to be penetrating an aquifer to go below where you are already.

>Deny the request
>Follow through with the request
>Write-in

>>5269411
>Write-in
Build a hut to burn the wood in and soak/breath in the vapors for only yourself and the most magically attuned in special ceremonies

>Follow through with the request

>>5269411
>Incorporate it into the totem
>Follow through with the request

>>5269411
>Incorporate it into the totem
Make it a totem to all three gods, one by one; add a Krish'gah portion this time.

>Follow through with the request

>>5269411
>>Incorporate it into the totem
>Follow through with the request

>>5269411
>Write-in
>Improve the shrine to Tiamat using the wood
>Follow through with the request
Krish'gah said the earth holds great terror, what could possibly go wrong?

>>5269413
>>5269420
>>5269432
>>5269446
>>5269676

It's not like you have any reason not to put forth the effort towards mining downwards, even if it's another position handed off to someone. They wander off with their new recognition, muttering something about a central shaft and waste dirt.

Elsewhere it's decided that the wood is to be put to use in the totem, with reliefs, bits, and pieces. It's quick that you can see the influence. Compared to the other aspects added, the woods magic soaked nature improves its effects. The climate around her seems warmer all of a sudden. Less humid and more comfortable to what a kobold would want. Maybe this place might one day reach the climate of a desert if you keep going .

More labor is put into cutting down trees around the camp, which happen to be less vital in their growth rate recently. It's a lot of wood to work through, and you find yourself in an excess of logs. Your quartermaster personally suggests that you establish a sawmill to quickly process them and free up hands for other work. Your warmaster and new head of excavation seem to disagree and want to fully plunge into salvaging metal or digging it up.

>Build a sawmill using what little metal you have left
>Fully dedicate labor force to mining currently
>Organize another salvage expedition
>Write-in

>>5270823
>Build a sawmill using what little metal you have left

>>5270823
>Build a sawmill using what little metal you have left
>Organize another salvage expedition

We should probably commune with the God tomorrow, right? And a celebration to our victory!

>>5270823
>Build a sawmill using what little metal you have left

>>5270823
>>Build a sawmill using what little metal you have left

>>5270826
>>5270863
>>5270956
>>5271020

You choose to go through the effort of making a sawmill, though the water needed to power it is probably going to be the worst part of that work. The payoff though, is going to be a significant effort saver. The other two are disappointed that their suggestion was not taken, but that's how it'll pan out. The labor force is divided between the sawmills construction and the lower level mining work, trying to circumvent or pierce through the aquifer.


---------

By about eighty percent of the work on the sawmill is wrapped up and it'll only take a minor amount of craftsmanship to finish up its components and bits. Should get in motion by the next day or so. The laborers are quite thankful that they won't be manually cutting up the logs by hand as much. After eating and watching an arbitrated fight to start the day, the task of administration for the day is put forward.

>Sawmill constructed. Processed lumber will readily become available as a material

DAY 78
KOBOLDS: 46
FOOD: Surplus
MORALE: Normal
[Choose a subject to focus on]
>Food
>Construction
>Exploration and Military
>Cultural and magic
>Tools and research
>Write-In

>>5272192
>>Tools and research

>>5272192
>Write-In
have sex with hot kobold ladies. Gotta spread your superior seed to increase your population size.

>>5272192
>Exploration and Military
So the east is where we came from, there's a forest to the north, chasm in the west, but what's in the south? Just more swamps? Send an expedition there to see where (if) they end, maybe find something interesting.

>>5272192

>>5272238
Support. Make sure we sire as many offspring as possible.

Then:
>Exploration and Military
To the south! And we shall lead it.

>>5272192
>>Exploration and Military
Maybe have a scout for the Goblins again? They definitely haven't forgotten us.

>>5272192
>Construction
use the wood to make housing

>>5272238
>>5272283
This is a normal occurrence that does not need to be elaborated on.

>>5272214
>>5272264
>>5273257
>>5274032

After labor forces are settled in finishing and testing the lumber mill, you decide that exploration to the south is a worthy endeavor. You... Haven't actually explored that much in that direction. At most you know of the abyssal water pool, the stony plants, and that the frog witch lives over there. Probably time to get to learning? Your usual suspects are organized by the warmaster and the expedition begins.

>Cautious exploration (4d100)
>Standard speeds (3d100)
>Expeditious expedition (2d100)

Rolled 44, 8, 54 = 106 (3d100)

>>5274116
>Standard Expedition

Rolled 54, 16, 94 = 164 (3d100)

>>5274116
>>Standard speeds (3d100)

>>5274116
>Expeditious expedition (2d100)

Rolled 19, 49, 78 = 146 (3d100)

>>5274116
>Standard speeds (3d100)

Rolled 36, 71, 45, 49 = 201 (4d100)

>>5274116
>Cautious exploration (4d100)

Rolled 49, 18, 20, 81 = 168 (4d100)

>>5274116
>Cautious exploration (4d100)

Rolled 84, 97, 81 = 262 (3d100)

>>5274116
>Standard speeds (3d100)

>>5274136
>>5274148
>>5274485
>>5274486
>>5274500
>>5274506
>>5274616


54, 16, 94

As the usual expedition leader, you are the one to lead this exploration trip in place of the boss! And so, your troop marches south in search of whatever's there. Given the moisture and such, it's pretty unsurprising when it just gets wetter as you go further in. There's a lot of it, so much that the regular swamp might as well be transformed into a bunch of mini lakes.

One of the main curiosities you find is a strange form of plant that grows vigorously around here. It has large fronds covered in fine looking fuzz that actually seems to be needles. Its slender stem is surprisingly strong, leading to a purple fruit that ranges from apple size to engorge like a watermelon, almost seeming to burst its skin with swirling violet fluid.

A constant foggy mist covers the area here leaving it all damp with moisture. A light drizzle comes down where it didn't before at your home. It's pretty irritating to say the least.

>Keep your packs light and move on
>Attempt to harvest some fruits
>We have found our lunch
>Write-in

>>5275636
>Attempt to harvest some fruits

>>5275636
>We have found our lunch

>>5275636
>Keep your packs light and move on
Hallucinigenic fruits

>>5275636
>Attempt to harvest some fruits

>>5275636
>Attempt to harvest some fruits

>>5275879
>>5275762
>>5275669
>>5275662
>>5275642

It's decided that we attempt to harvest some of the strange fruits. It goes fine at first, however it seems the big ones are very delicate. One bursts over two bolds, showering them in purple grist. It doesn't stay though, immediately turning to violet smoke on contact with the air. The kobolds in question begin to hack and seize on the ground in pain as dark spots roam their scales. Everyone in the area can feel a malevolent force from it. Something not physical.

>Creeping Hex berries discovered

They don't seem to be dead yet, just miserable and completely unable to continue with a mission like this. They'll have to be dragged back home by another, leaving you down three. You don't really want to interact with the plants much after that... The thought of pushing forward brings you to two methods. The water here is extremely prevalent, and with some work you could get some sort of boat or raft in the works to save effort and time in the long run ignoring dead ends of ground.. On the other hand, you could move through a more solid but heavily brushed path to circumvent that headache.

>Set to floating on the waters
>Cut through the heavy brush
>Return home

>>5277351
>>Cut through the heavy brush

>>5277351
>Cut through the heavy brush
I feel like both of these options are somewhat dangerous, with water we don't know what lurks in the depths, maybe something that can flip over our raft, solid ground on the other hand we have little visibility and may end up at short range with some kind of monstrosity. At least we can hide in the bushes though. Thoughts?

>>5277351

>Cut through the heavy brush
Look for animal tracks and paths.

>>5277351
>Cut through the heavy brush

>>5277351
>Set to floating on the waters

>>5277351
>Set to floating on the waters

>>5277356
>>5277380
>>5277494
>>5277529
>>5277891
>>5278095

You choose to cut through the brush, looking for something more in the less watery part of the south. After a lot of slashing away at reeds, the terrain gets... Bumpy. There's neck deep divots in the ground everywhere. Across the terrain you can see weird looking birds with long stilt like legs and cow-sized large bodies that you doubt could ever fly. The jump about the dimpled plain with surprising force.

The sound of frogs has gotten very loud as well. Ocassionally you can see one of the indents filled with water and dozens of frogs loudly singing. That does remind you, if the other two magicians were in the west and north, then this is the frog witch's area.

>Continue traveling through the marked marsh (3d100)
>Attempt hunting one of the birds (3d100)
>Harvest the frogs
>Turn back

Rolled 83, 92, 39 = 214 (3d100)

>>5278956
>Continue traveling through the marked marsh

Rolled 34, 14, 13 = 61 (3d100)

>>5278956
>>Continue traveling through the marked marsh (3d100)

Rolled 77, 75, 49 = 201 (3d100)

>>5278956
>Continue traveling through the marked marsh (3d100)
Don't want to risk the frog witch's anger by killing local wildlife.

>>5278956
>Harvest the frogs

Rolled 37, 67, 37 = 141 (3d100)

>>5278956
>Continue travelling through the marsh

>>5279044
>>5279054
>>5279118
>>5279212
>>5280720

83, 92, 39

Well, no need to bother with anything beyond exploring. You simply try your best to navigate the less than ideal ground. Those cursed fruits are occasionally hiding in hard to see locations, and you can't tell what's inside some of these divots. The birds also don't give much concern to your presence and continue to stamp about, sometimes dangerously close.

After an hour or so of travel, you manage to come across a clearing. What looks like a old, decayed stone church laying in ruins amongst the reeds. Black briars spread around its foundation and twine its pillars. The sun appears to be heading lower in the sky, leaving you at about dusk. Inside there are rotting pews and a pulpit covered in books. They seem to somehow be in rough but still viable condition despite the environment they've been in. How long ago would it have been for a church to have been established in this place? Nevertheless you do manage to find a donation box stuffed into some obscure corner. It's tarnished, but there's at least a sack worth of gold coins to take.

>Rest here for the day
>Continue on through the night
>Return home

>>5281024
>Rest here for the day

>>5281024
>Continue on through the night

>>5281024
>Rest here for the day

>>5281024
>Rest here for the day

>>5281024
>>Rest here for the day

>>5281032
>>5281098
>>5281435
>>5281537
>>5281543

Everyone gets as comfortable as they can and settles down for the night. Salvaged tents are used to make it bearable out here. At the very least the roof of the crumbled church keeps the rain away....

----------------------------

A problem has occurred inside the mines. An inexperienced couple of miners have caused a significant amount of water to begin flooding in to a section of tunnels. If something isn't done, a large area will be rendered unusable, setting progress back by a large margin as you either dig around it, or bail out the sunken area. Pre-emptively stopping the leaks will take resources and is potentially dangerous as water flows and makes the soil softer. Luckily you've gotten the sawmill running so you have a ready source of milled wood.

>Let it happen and deal with the setback
>Risk stopping the flooding
>Stop it at later sections getting lesser setbacks
>Write-in

>>5282617
>Risk stopping the flooding

>>5282617
>Stop it at later sections getting lesser setbacks

>>5282617
>Stop it at later sections getting lesser setbacks

>>5282617
>Risk stopping the flooding

>>5282617
>Risk stopping the flooding

>>5282617
>Stop it at later sections getting lesser setbacks

>>5282617
>Let it happen and deal with the setback

>>5282620
>>5282686
>>5282698
>>5282700
>>5282702
>>5283378
>>5283750

>Tie with Risk stopping the flooding votes coming in first.

The efforts to stop the accident are quite frantic, and a little bit panicked. Blockage materials are quickly ferried down into the tunnels. Supports are staked into their places and excess soil shoveled to form walls and seal in danger zones. Most of it all done while the water is at ankle level and rising. One tunnel collapses while work is being done, crushing two unfortunate kobolds who were still in the place, undoing the work and forcing a block elsewhere. The majority of your excavation progress is saved at the cost of two lives, and the extreme exhaustion of your work crews. An utter pain to deal with and a pointed complaint to your head of excavation to monitor their workers better...

----------------------

Morning comes only for everyone to find themselves covered in black briars. The thorned vines grew over everyone in the night leading to terrible pains and cuts when they have to be peeled off and sliced away. Much cursing and annoyance ensues. Clearly, this entire southern section of the swamp seems to have a problem with curses and malevolence.

Moving past the damned church, you come to another watery plain. Lightly visible clouds of purplish fumes drift about the place, and you feel a little light headed and less energetic just staying here. The sound of frogs grows louder here, but not in a chaotic way. More like small bursts of organized cries. Great big lily pads dot the pond where throngs of frogs and toads sit upon or swim between, croaking in their little groups. One of the pads near you specifically has some quite special looking ones. Those being almost looking like their skin is silver, reflecting the little sunlight that gets through the heavy cloud cover. Peaking through the waters further in, dark violet crystal formations poke out the surface and illuminate the strange lake.

>Keep pressing further into the swamp
>Capture the shiny frogs
>Break away crystals
>Turn back home

>>5284213
>Break away crystals
then
>Turn back home
I think we've explored enough.

>>5284248
+1
Agreed, we might want to look into having some of our scouts work as Cartographers so we have an easier understanding of the swamp

>>5284213
>Capture the shiny frogs
>Break away crystals
Like we wouldn’t grab the loot before we return home.

>>5284213
>Break away crystals
>Keep pressing further into the swamp

Do NOT aggravate the only friendly spellcaster around here.

>>5284213
>Break away crystals
>Turn back home

>>5284248
>>5284276
>>5284757
>>5284758
>>5284829

It's a careful trek to try and reach an accessible crystal. Checking different little stretches of land for close crops of crystals and judging the distance. Eventually you sever a lilypad from its tether and use the huge plant as a makeshift boat to paddle over to one. It's a spindly formation that pokes up high with length over width.

Everyone hacks away at the shining pole to break it off, but at the first big crack, a pulse of deep purple bursts out of the cracked crystal followed by a smoky discharge. Those nearby fall over weakly and start vomiting while twitching where they lay. Those who can quickly paddle away from the damned rock so nothing worse happens. Eventually when it seems that they aren't dying, the gaze turns back to the crystal, that while maintaining a slight glow, has dimmed greatly. When you try to harvest it again there is no violent retaliation. You crave away what can fit in your packs and decide that this should be the end of your journey. It will be a long trip home...


--------------------

>Dull Curse Crystals obtained!
>Small amount of gold coinage obtained!
>Lumber mill is fully operational and mines have been reinforced after disaster

DAY 80

KOBOLDS: 45
FOOD: Surplus
MORALE: Mediocre

[Choose a subject to focus on]
>Food
>Construction
>Exploration and Military
>Cultural and magic
>Tools and research
>Write-In

>>5285831
>Tools and Research
Research the curse crystals
>Construction
Improve the housing and the camp in general using lumber. It'll make the Dragon happy.

>>5285831
>Tools and research
Crystals.

>>5285840
Support. And ask our dragon what it is she wants from us. Maybe she has a specific task which could improve her morale, and therefore (maybe) ours?

>>5285831
>>5285883 +1

She will definitely want the gold for her hoard

>>5285831
>Exploration and Military

>>5285840
>>5285859
>>5285883
>>5285940
>>5286536

Lyralia happily takes the coinage and adds it to her meagre hoard. With the abundance of lumber you also decide to put much effort into fully refurbishing the camp with it. Tree after tree are stuffed into the mill so you can finally get good furnishings. The main barracks doesn't even have any exposed dirt anymore! You consider asking your dragon if there's much more they want, but it mostly comedown to the generic 'want more gold' as they repeatedly sort the tiny pile of coins they now have.

In regards to the new crystals you quickly understand that they're essentially just storing pure curse and malice. As far as you can understand there's just something wrong with the south. Some great curse seeping from the ground so much that it builds up and crystalizes. It might be useful, but it's probably not going to be safe. Those that were down south have been reportedly 'extremely unlucky' since they came back, whatever that means.

As you continue to deforest around the camp, the forest becomes more active. Its occupants, being living wood creatures have begun appearing, attacking laborers forcing you to have guards whenever they go out. It's minor attacks for now but they seem to be increasing in intensity

>Actively seek out their source and break it
>Proactive forest fires
>Stand guards and continue the lumber milling
>Cease lumber production and stand guard

>>5287306
>Actively seek out their source and break it
We probably just need to cut down all the magical trees.

>>5287306
>Actively seek out their source and break it
That damn tree-wizard! Does he yet live?

>>5287306
>Proactive forest fires

>>5287306
>>Actively seek out their source and break it

>>5287361
>>5287367
>>5287517
>>5287764

You decide that taking out any sources of this woodland threat is a high priority. The sooner you nip the problem in the bud, the less chances of casualties you've got on your hands. Your warmaster though, wants to prepare more for the encounter. They say that spears and such won't be very effective against solid wooden creatures. That axes or something like that would be better suited, and that we should spend the metal to outfit your warriors with them or some other means of better fighting those things.

>Use your meagre metal income on axe heads
>Minor enchantment on regular equipment
>We will burn them out
>Negotiating with a dragon
>We will do fine as is
>Write-in

3d100 Bo3 for the coming seek and destroy

Rolled 74, 27, 44 = 145 (3d100)

>>5289209
>Negotiating with a dragon
>We will burn them out

Rolled 18, 18, 28 = 64 (3d100)

>>5289209
idk, all of these sound good.
>Minor enchantment on regular equipment

Rolled 19, 94, 50 = 163 (3d100)

>>5289209
>Use your meagre metal income on axe heads
>Minor enchantment on regular equipment
>We will burn them out
>Negotiating with a dragon

Total War: Vietnam Style

> Enchant an axe with the curse crystals

>>5289209
>>Use your meagre metal income on axe heads
>Minor enchantment on regular equipment

>>5289221
>>5289343
>>5289363
>>5289626
>>5289675

New weaponry might be a good investment, and if that fails the axes are still good for lumbering. There is one thing that you've wanted to try out for a while now though. Whenever you've enchanted an item it was with materials of great value, but there's other options. The war axes are made and feeling experimental, you decide to enchant them with various bits and pieces you find. The results aren't exactly... Exceptional? The end product is definitely always better in someway though, maybe it's just a little sharper, or a little lighter, but it's still an improvement in the end. They should be grateful that you're giving them that much...

After that work is settled and before you head out, a... Strange problem has popped up. The magical smelter you had made from those strange energy crystals has been preforming exceptionally well throughout its use, but there are now concerns with it. Those who have been working on it have been reporting symptoms. Lightheadedness, rash of the scales, nausea... They all blame it on the artifact and have gotten concerned enough about it that they're consulting you on it.

>We can discontinue its use for now
>The smelter is fine as is, it's probably something else
>Cycle its workers out?
>Write-in

>>5290625
>Cycle its workers out?

>>5290625
>We can discontinue its use for now

Son of a bitch is it radioactive?

>>5290625
>We can discontinue its use for now
Maybe perform some tests on local wildlife, place them near crystals and see if anything happens to confirm the source.

>>5290705

Support. Play it safe and verify.

>>5290625
>The smelter is fine as is, it's probably something else

>>5290627
>>5290642
>>5290644
>>5290705
>>5290847
>>5290974

You've got to much to deal with to worry about this now. As much of a pain as it is, you'll have to discontinue the smelters use for now and deal with it later. The mission ahead of you is what you'll focus your efforts on. Another attempt you take to prepare is to talk to Lyralia to convince her to help your attack. However, she simply denies you, stating that as long as the attacks are as minor as they are, and the fact that wooden things aren't likely to have good treasures, she doesn't really care and would rather laze where she is. Wonderful. Once everyone has their gear in order, the force marches onward to face the dangers.

19, 94, 5

The first few hours do not go well. You don't know where another one of those trees is so you're having to search for it. All the while there are those wooden creatures harassing you, meaning you can't exactly spread out for risk of death. Several times a kobold will get caught by surprise and savaged by a beast lurking in ambush. Though luckily for you, there's a good form of mitigation for that with your apprentices. The two you've taught in blood magic have been practicing in fleshworking. The magic is extremely helpful in mending wounds that would either be fatal or take days to heal. All it takes is a little bit of spare meat...

Eventually with enough bumbling, reasoning by rate of resistance, and your own magical sense, you manage to find what you believe to be another location of a magic tree. It's likely to be heavily defended after what you did to the last one. That mage probably won't be too happy to see you, nor will they underestimate you again. The last battle was close...

5d100 for any action taken

>Blitzkreig
>Encirclement hit and run
>Some other strategy to work with

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>5291759
>Blitzkreig

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>5291759
>Some other strategy to work with
Lure him out while others hide. Fleshwork him to the ground while he's distracted by combat, then mob him.

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>5291759
>Encirclement hit and run

Rolled 80, 11, 14, 35, 31 = 171 (5d100)

>>5291759
>Blitzkreig

>>5291760
>>5291772
>>5291840
>>5291776

80, 11, 14, 35, 31

Deciding that it's best to take things quickly you choose to charge towards the tree quickly. This goes... Less than ideal. They meet you with thorns and sharp wood. A timber bear breaks right through the front and kills two immediately. Another falls to a hail of spines before shields are raised. Immediately you've been surrounded and assaulted on all sides by a menagerie of dryad creatures. The axes are effective when put to use, but the pain is clearly felt all around by the time everyone is prepared to fight back. No sign of that magician yet? It's going to be a fierce fight here...

Another 5d100 best of 3. Bonus since there weren't all proper rolls last time

>Breakthrough towards Tree
>Defensive holdout
>Fighting retreat
>Write-in

Rolled 25, 39, 51, 64, 31 = 210 (5d100)

>>5293332
>Fighting retreat
Ok, let's try something else.

Rolled 61, 49, 50, 7, 78 = 245 (5d100)

>>5293332
>Fighting retreat

Rolled 75, 98, 43, 64, 86 = 366 (5d100)

>>5293332
>Fighting retreat
Maybe we can draw them to where Lyralia HAS to do something about it.

Rolled 29, 40, 1, 77, 76 = 223 (5d100)

>>5293332
>Breakthrough towards Tree

>>5293332
>Breakthrough towards Tree

>>5293332
>>Breakthrough towards Tree

>>5293349
>>5293439
>>5293481
>>5293757
>>5294258
>>5295018

75, 98, 43, 64, 8

The resistance is too much so you must fall back. the direness of the situation leaves you to firmly take the rearguard and shout out your orders to the kobolds around you. Being forced into a corner like this leaves your squad no choice but to fight to survive. A true leader must control the fear of their soldiers, so you do just that. The formation is tight and moves in unison, hacking away at any of the creatures that come near.

The retreat is ferocious in its defensiveness. A couple wolves lunge into the fold and are subsequently blocked by a shield barrier and hacked to woodchips. We work together, blocking any spines that are flung our way, taking hits for those who cant. It's actually quite surprising what you manage to fight through. They seem to even back off at your fierceness with how many of them you've mulched... Or maybe they're just on a tight leash around that tree?

>Return to camp and prepare yourselves
>Stake out and harass them (5d100 bo3)
>Get back into the fight with another charge (5d100 bo3)
>Write-in

>>5295479
>Get back into the fight with another charge (5d100 bo3)

Rolled 18, 17, 35, 50, 67 = 187 (5d100)

>>5295479
>Stake out and harass them

>>5295479
>Stake out and harass them (5d100 bo3)

>>5295479
>>Stake out and harass them (5d100 bo3)

Rolled 95, 71, 19, 76, 58 = 319 (5d100)

>>5295479
>Stake out and harass them (5d100 bo3)

>>5295480
>>5295500
>>5295508
>>5295979
>>5296523

95, 71, 19, 76, 58

Time will be taken to thin out their number over the course of days. You've done this before, and with some experience they hopefully won't be able to catch out and charge on any unlucky kobolds this time. Slow and easy is how it will be this time. Traps are laid and fall back positions are readied for the stakeout while you return home, dragging back wounded and the tired for the evening to settle matters and sending the fresh ones out.

-------------------

There's a trickle of creatures that your prepared warriors manage to take down but there always seem to be more. Perhaps they're growing them out of the ground then? It'll probably help in the end either way. In other news, there seem to be sightings of goblin activity in the west. Maybe they've decided to actually make a move on your settlement... And it might just be a false alarm, but there's one report of a human scout?...


DAY 82

KOBOLDS: 43
FOOD: Surplus
MORALE: Mediocre

[Choose a subject to focus on]
>Food
>Construction
>Exploration and Military
>Cultural and magic
>Tools and research
>Write-In

>>5296618
>Exploration and Military
More traps all around, especially to whittle away the woodland creatures, and go out with a warparty to capture the human scout and crush/enslave the goblins.
>Cultural and magic
Have a festival/ritual, sacrificing our captured enemies who wouldn’t make for good slaves.

>>5296618
>>5296638 +1

>>5296618
>Cultural and magic
Raise morale.

>>5296638
Supporting!

>>5296618

>>5296618
>Tools and research

>>5296746

Support. Happy bolds makes more bolds.

>>5296638
>>5296744
>>5296746
>>5296828
>>5296860
>>5296913

Might be best to hunker down for a while in your settlement. Defensive traps are the issue of the day, laid out in the forest line to stem any intruding forces for the time being. Two scout parties are sent out to potential destroy or capture some of the goblin scouts and the human one if they exist. After that, a small festival begins. Animals are sacrificed and food is splurged on to improve the mood of the whole camp. More kobolds will be a pleasant side effect down the road as it were. On another side note, the mining team seem to have finally managed to pierce the aquifer. Apparently they've reached a cavern too through its roof and are currently planning out a descent method.

Roll 4d100 bo3 for results in outward attacks

Rolled 36, 70, 57, 50 = 213 (4d100)

>>5297827

Rolled 67, 52, 31, 73 = 223 (4d100)

>>5297827

Rolled 87, 28, 22, 74 = 211 (4d100)

>>5297827

>>5297881
>>5297884
>>5297936

67, 52, 31, 73

The festivities go well. Everyone takes a break from their work to make merry and enjoy themselves to the fullest. It was probably wearing on the population to keep steadily losing others, even if the steady growth rate of hatchlings has started to increase now that everyone is settled in. They grow faster than they usually do here for whatever reason. Lots of those black scaled red eyed ones too.

By the time your two parties return the results are in for them. The first managed to actually find the goblin party and eliminate them. They even brought back a mangled captive! That one is happily sacrificed for the climax of the celebration. The act of driving the knife in is thrilling, almost like you can feel the flow of life force leaving it and grasp the strands. The second team confirmed that the human scout does exist, though they never managed to catch them. Seemed like a professional soldier? Fine armor and red decoration apparently. A matter for another day, you have a lady waiting you...

-----------

DAY 82

KOBOLDS: 46
FOOD: Fine
MORALE: Fervent

[Choose a subject to focus on]
>Food
>Construction
>Exploration and Military
>Cultural and magic
>Tools and research
>Write-In

>>5298802

>Exploration and Military
>Construction

Let's get down into that cavern below us. It's free real estate after we kill and eat whatever lives there. Let's build a way down and check it out.

>>5298802
>Exploration and Military
Go on the offensive, either Tree-wizard or the goblins, and search the human settlement for the soldier.

>>5298802
>>5298808 +1

>>5298808
Supporting. Let's do some exploring! The wizard and adventurer can wait.

>>5298802

>>5298808
+1

>>5298802
>>5298808
Support.

>>5298802
>Tools and research

>>5298808
>>5298812
>>5298820
>>5298842
>>5298866
>>5298985
>>5299910

The majority of your military settles for doing drills and practicing for what it means to be in a larger conflict. Clearly they need it after the ambush and how it went back in the forest.

>Ambush/sneaking training
>Flat out warfare drills
>Leadership tactics

Meanwhile, the caves down below need some exploring. Ropes are dropped, and then quickly some basic wooden scaffolds are made.

The initial cavern isn't all that interesting. Smallish chamber of softish stone, various holes that aren't quite large enough to squeeze through... And some very damp, cold air. Plenty of moss if that was what you wanted. One kobold seems to have found a winding tunnel that leads to an underground lake in a much larger opening. The passage however, would need to be expanded to provide any reasonable travel. The stone here is going to be much more labor intensive to clear compared to the dirt of before and you'll likely have to suspend any bog iron extraction to do so.

>Begin work on the tunnel
>Ignore it for now
>Explore other potential passages

>>5299967
>>Explore other potential passages

>>5299967
>Leadership tactics
I think if we establish a good leadership structure we'll make a flexible force that can both ambush and carry out regular warfare.
>Ignore it for now
I'd like to make a stockpile of iron in case we need to quickly craft weaponry or something.

>>5299967
>Begin work on the tunnel

>>5300505

Support.

An secure easily defended source of water and food if we can populate it with fish. Yes please. If we're ever in a nasty bind we can retreat down here and go Tucker's kobolds on their asses.

>>5299967
>Explore other potential passages

>>5299998
>>5300072
>>5300505
>>5301021

The work on the tunnel begins at a modest pace, though you're not entirely committed to it for now. Other nooks of the cavern are being explored as well to make sure of the extent of this place.

Above ground the drilling continues, emphasizing on the leadership and organization of those in the troop. Kobolds aren't the most orderly creatures and... Yours are especially so. Something about how our culture has developed here has lead to a little... Bloodlust. They may be able to pull it together when needed, but it's still going to be problematic when facing these larger engagements that are on the horizon. In fact, there's sort of been a push from a portion of your population to make the evening duels bloodier. Allowing real weaponry to be used, regardless of any potential casualties that might result.

>Allow the escalation of your daily dueling
>Curb the push towards violence

-----------------

DAY 84

KOBOLDS: 48
FOOD: Fine
MORALE: Fervent

[Choose a subject to focus on]
>Food
>Construction
>Exploration and Military
>Cultural and magic
>Tools and research
>Write-In

>>5301704
>>Curb the push towards violence
we dont have that many bolds
>Exploration and Military
channel the energy here

>>5301704
>Allow the escalation of your daily dueling
>Exploration and Military

>>5301704
>>Curb the push towards violence
>Construction

>>5301704
>Curb the push towards violence
>Construction

>>5301704

Glad to see you're still going QM

>Cultural and magic
>Tools and research

>>5301704
>>5301789
Support

>>5301704
>Allow the escalation of your daily dueling
>Cultural and magic

>>5301789
>>5301800
>>5301819
>>5302287
>>5302289
>>5302411
>>5302540

You try your best to discourage the escalation of violence with the daily fights in your camp. It's one of those few times you can actually see the discontent from the decision. At least there are some that support the decision, but they just seem to duck towards the mines to continue work on the tunnel.

Given the discontent you decide to take that and have an outlet. They'll be able to have a violent duel, but it's going to be with you. It goes about as expected with you beating the hell out of any challengers with relative ease and few wounds due to your skill. The rest of that time goes into pushing your leadership skills onto them as best you can...

---------------

The next day you planned to try and focus on improving your skills in nature magic, but some news comes in that sours that and interrupts the plans for today. One of your regular scouts that patrols the outer areas from time to time was found, strung up and flayed on a pole. The goblins seem to have been angered by your actions. A camp of theirs can be seen through smoke about half a days from the settlement. How bold of them...


DAY 84

KOBOLDS: 48
FOOD: Fine
MORALE: Snapping

[Choose a subject to focus on]
>Food
>Construction
>Exploration and Military
>Cultural and magic
>Tools and research
>Write-In

>>5302981
>Exploration and Military
Goblins gotta' pay. It's a good outlet for aggression, too.

>>5302986

Support. Let's fuck them up.

>>5302986
+1

>>5302981
>>5302986
Support

>>5302981
>Cultural and magic

>>5302986
>>5303078
>>5303155
>>5303275
>>5303377

This will not stand. An insult like this is simply not acceptable, and for them to take camp so obviously and so close to your own settlement? The greenskins will pay. It's going to be a good outlet for the anger building among the bolds. You're not a fool however, and make sure that the camp is well defended enough from any forest attacks. It won't do to be stretched out and eliminated so easily from carelessness. With the extermination squad of two dozen formed, all that's left is to simply march to your destination and eliminated the offenders.

>Cautious approach
>Standard march
>Berserker charge

4d100 best of 3 for your battle results against the goblinoids

Rolled 19, 84, 51, 92 = 246 (4d100)

>>5304013
>>Cautious approach

>>5304013
>Berserker charge

Rolled 27, 41, 24, 3 = 95 (4d100)

>>5304013
>>Berserker charge

>>5304013
>Cautious Approach
We are masters of traps so be on the lookout for any traps or ambushes

Rolled 6, 48, 31, 15 = 100 (4d100)

>>5304047

>>5304013
>Berserker charge

>>5304013
>>Cautious approach

>>5304013
>Berserker charge

>>5304013
>Cautious approach

>>5304024
>>5304032
>>5304037
>>5304047
>>5304049
>>5304190
>>5304195
>>5304311
>>5305458

19, 84, 51, 92

It's a straightforward march to the camp. Everyone is eager to get at the goblins, so once you're at a good distance it's a furious charged into the place. Only when you're there do you see that there's no one there. Arrows sing through the tree line and strike to the group, an effective trap. A couple kobolds fall down from injury, and the rest quickly rush into the trees to retaliate, furious at the attack. A few unlucky and close goblins are fallen upon and gutted, but it's quickly discovered that this place is also trapped, prepared in advance for your arrival. The numbers of the greenskins are unknown, but there's plenty of them in the forest.

3d100 Bo3 in this dire situation

>Reign in forces and advance in tight formation
>Spurn on the anger and push through as fast as possible
>Retreat and cover from the ranged attacks

Rolled 78, 71, 78 = 227 (3d100)

>>5305808

>Reign in forces and advance in tight formation

They want us angry, so let's be disciplined.

>>5305808
>Spurn on the anger and push through as fast as possible

Rolled 53, 70, 100 = 223 (3d100)

>>5305808
>Reign in forces and advance in tight formation

Rolled 58, 98, 69 = 225 (3d100)

>>5305808
>Reign in forces and advance in tight formation

>>5305808
>Spur on the anger and push through as fast as possible

>>5305808
>Reign in forces and advance in tight formation

>>5305834
>>5305858
>>5305861
>>5306466
>>5306486
>>5306554

53, 70, 100

Your training of the troops has paid off. They respect your cries enough to fall in line and not run off, leading to a tight, shielded form as you advance on the firing tree line. It's firm enough that you're entirely prepared when large spiders crawl from the underbrush to strike.

The line is held, and you take no injury from the beast. A coordinated slaying of the several spiders with surprising ease. Compared to the wooden beasts it's easy. With those slaughtered, the remaining goblins break into a full retreat, but you actually manage to capture a few of the goblinoids live. A miraculous victory with no casualties, one to be celebrated. The rest of tis place seems to be a bland façade of a camp, nothing more than empty tents and a fire. It's time to return home with pride.

>Seven live goblins have been captured

-----------------------------------------------------

DAY 85

KOBOLDS: 49
FOOD: Fine
MORALE: Content

[Choose a subject to focus on]
>Food
>Construction
>Exploration and Military
>Cultural and magic
>Tools and research
>Write-In

>>5307420
>Cultural and military
Time to hold a triumph, and to brand and enslave some goblins

>>5307420
>>5307433 +1

Any goblin that resists or is too weak to be useful as a slave will be sacrificed though

>>5307477
>>5307433
+1

>>5307420
>Write-In
Interrogate goblins about the location of the main camp.
>Tools and research

>>5307506

+1

>>5307420
>Construction

>>5307433
>>5307479
>>5307477
>>5307506
>>5307798

With the goblins stuffed into a small hut, we now enter into the problems with handling slaves. There is of course language. Most kobolds, we know draconic speech and that of common. It helps because dragons tend to learn and speak both. Goblins though, speech whatever their gutterish language is, making it an utter pain to communicate with them unless they're one of the rare ones that also knows common, meaning that the only real way to communicate is action. It is how you must keep them in line as slaves

Treatment
>Simply keep them contained
>Beatings and fear
>Kill one to set an example

And then comes what exactly you'll use them for. Many don't like goblins, yourself included. Sacrifice would bring much entertainment and Baphomet likely loves the sentience of them. There's also using them for hard labor such as mining or lumbering to save us the effort. Maybe even personal servants for those who earn them through efforts, though you're not sure who would want them.


Usage
>Blood sacrifice fodder
>Hard labor work
>Servants of those who earn them

>>5308647
>Kill one to set an example

>Hard labor work

>>5308647
>Beatings and fear
>Kill one to set an example (in a blood sacrifice)

>Hard labor work

>>5308647
>>Kill one to set an example

>Blood sacrifice fodder

>>5308647
>>5309250
Support.

>>5308647
>Simply keep them contained
>Servants of those who earn them

>>5309234
>>5309250
>>5309283
>>5309290
>>5309721

After a very prominent display of live bloody sacrifice, the example is set forth of how you will treat the slaves. Immediately they will be set to work in the mines, digging that tunnel for use. Treatment of the them will not be kind, and minimal care will be taken for them. Likely, they'll take the hint and understand what your actions mean.

In other news, a minor attack has hit the settlement from the forest creatures. It's not too serious, only a few injuries from the things. Might be a prelude to something later. And more interestingly, one of your apprentices has come up with results after preforming their own research on that smelter.

The energetic crystals are some form of energy conduit, that much you know. How they actually function is that they take in the ambient mana from the air and energize it, corrupting it in a way. Whenever it's drawn on it releases that energy as electricity and heat, but the tainted mana is also spread. It can soak into creatures, leading to the energy running wild in the body, causing symptoms like nausea, rashes, and overall decay of the body until its run its course. Considering the western ravine is completely covered in the things, it's a bit concerning. The taint only emits if they're in use so at least there's that?


>Slave policy has been settled
>Electric crystals understood

--------------


DAY 86

KOBOLDS: 50
SLAVES: 6
FOOD: Fine
MORALE: Pleased

[Choose a subject to focus on]
>Food
>Construction
>Exploration and Military
>Cultural and magic
>Tools and research
>Write-In

>>5310229
>>Tools and research
Better equipment is key.

>>5310229
>Tools and research

>>5310229
>Tools and research

Archiving this one and taking a small break. Next thread shall be posted on thursday

>>5310229
>Construction

>>5310229
>Tools and research
Figure out how to use the electric crystals' degeneration effects on the forest-wizard and his tree-creatures.

>>5312405
Thanks for running, bud!

>>5312405

Your tiny lizards fill me with joy.

>>5312405
Good thread.