Players have visited 60% of all inhabited regions.

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 )                                                                         (
(                             NewOrigins Events                             )
 )                            November, Year 1                             (
(                                                                           )
 )    Numerous druids are talking about a clash between hostile forces     (
(         happened in the swamps of Quaytre where battle ended in a         )
 )       slaughter of one of the sides. This battle will be known as       (
(                 Battle near the ocean of Atlantis Ocean.                  )
 )                                                                         (
(                          .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.                          )
 )                                                                         (
(       Numerous wanderers are worried about a clash between hostile        )
 )     forces happened in the desert of Blecishchan where 1 combatant      (
(     was killed. The attackers slaughtered all defenders. This battle      )
 )           will be known as Battle of the city of Knotjeholm.            (
(                                                                           )
 )                         .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.                         (
(                                                                           )
 )     Several druids have heard about the skirmish between combatants     (
(       happened in the plains of Pretcong where 101 combatants were        )
 )    killed. The attackers slaughtered all defenders. This battle will    (
(             be known as Battle near the town of Coprengville.             )
 )                                                                         (
(                          .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.                          )
 )                                                                         (
(      Numerous pilgrims are talking about the battle between enemies       )
 )       happened in the desert of Wholtecla where battle ended in a       (
(        slaughter of one of the sides. This battle will be known as        )
 )                Battle near the ocean of Atlantis Ocean.                 (
(                                                                           )
 )                         .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.                         (
(                                                                           )
 )      Handful bards are discussing about the town of Ceoghvale that      (
(     lies in the Rianmoss swamps, where a partisans massacred guards.      )
 )                                                                         (
(                          .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.                          )
 )                                                                         (
(     In the jungles of Dyni, near mountains of Dayiam, Anacondas (402)     )
 )           who continue to cause terror to local inhabitants.            (
(                                                                           )
 )                         .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.                         (
(                                                                           )
 )     In the caverns of Stoprosm, near town of Warntis, Dragon (1023)     (
(             who continue to cause dread to local inhabitants.             )
 )                                                                         (
(                          .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.                          )
 )                                                                         (
(      A group of rangers massacred the Crocodiles (363) who inflicted      )
 )       horror on the inhabitants of the Haerum swamps near town of       (
(                                  Icpool.                                  )
 )                                                                         (
(                          .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.                          )
 )                                                                         (
(     In the mountains of Sweron, near volcanoes of Prodon, Giant Birds     )
 )        (330) who continue to cause horror to local inhabitants.         (
(                                                                           )
 )                         .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.                         (
(                                                                           )
 )    In the forests of Sawood, near town of Lelcoerport, Undead (1149)    (
(             who continue to cause fear to local inhabitants.              )
 )                                                                         (
(                          .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.                          )
 )                                                                         (
(      Worrisome news were coming from the swamps of Quaytre. Citizens      )
 )      were shocked by the assassination near the ocean of Atlantis       (
(                  Ocean. The assassin escaped unnoticed.                   )
 )                                                                         (
(__       _       _       _       _       _       _       _       _       __)
    '-._.-' (___ _) '-._.-' '-._.-' )     ( '-._.-' '-._.-' (__ _ ) '-._.-'
            ( _ __)                (_     _)                (_ ___)
            (__  _)                 '-._.-'                 (___ _)
            '-._.-'                                         '-._.-'

Swamp denizens are the worst kind. 

So our Neighbours, who we gave access to our lands, seems to want to block their lands. Oh well, this means they are now blocked.

Maybe I should send in my cavalry to see if they can catch them.

Shaving problem looks like to be solved. The new generation of Beavers has grown with hedgehog needles instead of fur. It can be shaved and someone may feel beaver's bristle but it will be much harder.
Now it's time to invest into the transportation technologies.

You're probably tired of us endlessly complaining about bobbing about in the ocean. I can assure you we are much more tired, as it is we, doing the bobbing.

Quest: In the mountain of Dayiam lurks the Dragon (1039).  Free the world from
this menace and be rewarded!

The slightly-tanned lord gazed upon his board.

The wax was thick, and the wood was strong.  But he was certain that there could still be more than this.

Soon he would see if the enchanters could better it.

il est temps de se rassembler

Mistakes were made...

Honk honk honk.... honk honk? Honk!

I have lost men to assassins, so, please, if you meet one of my units and are not revealing, contact me.

It seems dragons don't stay in their cave for ever...

It's dark underground, and there are many beasties. But the luminescant flowers are pretty, so we're going to sit and watch them for a bit.

Angry people are like a whirlwind,
They destroy everything in their path.
But with kindness and compassion
You can heal their hearts.

Act One, Fifth Scene.

The Lord's chambers. Council meeting. Migration policy is on the agenda.

The Commander complains:
-The migrants are completely arrogant! They don't obey commands, they don't walk in formation, they don't wear uniforms! They're waving swords! They ruined my uniform!
The lord objects:
-But migrants give me honor and praise and votes! The peasants were calmed down, the entertainment industry began to bring in more income, the neighbors began to be afraid, the big monsters stopped bothering, well, the population increased!
Vasily supports the Commander:
-But expenses have increased, the same peasants are getting poorer, taxes are coming to the treasury less, entertainment is dangerous, there are gervais among artisans, tourism is languishing, no one wants to be robbed and raped. And your support, Your Grace, can quickly turn into open rebellion if you stop paying benefits.
Lord:
-They forgot to ask you! As long as we are united, we are invincible! And you, Polkan, be polite to migrants! The green skin matters!
The Earth Magician:
-Oh, I feel that this migration policy will not end well! they'll put our skins on drums, and the rest will be fried on a bonfire to the sound of these very drums!...
Lord:
-So, who is the enemy of tolerance? Who would want he to be canceled? I'll concoct a decree in a flash and I'll order you to hang it on the social square! Not document be hang, but man! Be silent! Migrants are a new symbol of our greatness!

Others do not understand our mission.  They stand in the way of Knowledge.  Perhaps they need things explained to them again - perhaps with fire, sword, arrow, wind, and lightning...

Not much happening over this side of the world!

Have you seenthe view from this here tower.. Beautiful.

Sails up.

It is possible and necessary to negotiate. 
War is for idiots. 
But if a fight is inevitable, then you need to hit first

We confidently moved along fallen gray wooden trunks.
It feels like someone very big made a division between districts.
The terrain on which we were moving was too damp and swampy.
A very large number of insects tried to find a way to feed on me, but here my eyes, through which I could see well, came in very handy. And the insects could not get to the food.
We were moving too fast, it seemed to me that the fact that I used to be human must have had an effect here. Although we were moving fast, I did not feel tired.
And finally my friend, whose name was Zashius, by the way, exclaimed:
- Get ready! Protect your back!
Before I could understand, a dark green crocodile jumped out at us with an unpleasant sound.
- Today we will eat, - said Zashius through his teeth, - deliciousness.
And with a wild cry and a gleam in his eyes, he began to hit the crocodile right in the mouth.
I felt sick, it was too scary, the open mouth of the crocodile was more than a meter long. And I could not count the number of teeth at all. The monster's roar had a very unpleasant effect on me. My legs buckled, all I could do was just stand with the spear up and pretend to cover my back.
Finally, the roar began to change to an unusual sloshing sound.
- Everything! Get your ass over here, let's get started! - said Zashius.
And my vision began to blur from the amount of blood that was everywhere.

Mmmmm.  Those dice didn't work.  Let's find another set.

This world seems sorely lacking in mithril to reinforce our armies. The Admiral of the Four Winds has been instructed to build ships to search for mountainous or volcanic islands to help rectify this situation.

The sun rises and the smell of fish drifts from the market. Looking for a shipbuilder, the elves reluctantly decide to hire the lizardman when none of their pretentious high elf cousins will agree to the terms. "If it sails, there's scales," they snicker to one another, but their reptilian neighbors swim like fish. 

There is nothing better in the world,
Than to wander friends around the world.
Those who are friends are not afraid of anxiety,
Any roads are dear to us,
Any roads are dear to us.

We will not forget our vocation -
We bring laughter and joy to people.
The palaces have tempting vaults
They will never replace freedom,
They will never replace freedom.

Our carpet is a flower meadow,
Our walls are giant pines.
Our roof is blue sky,
Our happiness is to live such a fate,
Our happiness is to live such a fate.

------------------------------------------------------------
              Squirrel Chatter                first November
------------------------------------------------------------


The  underforest  village  of  Lutfirth  seems  a  pleasant,
peaceful place  to settle.  There are  so many  happy, safe,
friendly places in this world.
                                --Mister Underblaze, Tahimmo

After  a  month of  trying  to  carry supplies  to  starving
squirrels,  I  find  myself  still  in  Eckhif,  my  journey
southwest  blocked  by  the  same one  man  protester  whose
guarding   blocked  all   squirrel   taxation  last   month.
Last  month,  I  thought  that  one  man  guard  was  either
inexperienced,  so not  knowing  the  damage their  guarding
would   cause  to   local   squirrel   nut  harvesting,   or
experienced, and just mean. Now I think neither of those can
be correct, and I'm just confused. That one man protester is
not inexperienced; he  (or she) blocked my  attempt to carry
food  and silver  into  the tundra,  but  still allowed  the
squirrels  in that  tundra to  tax. Experts  know how  to do
that; novices  do not. But  that one  man guard is  not mean
either, if he or she were  mean, then surely his or her unit
description would  include the line "mean  unit that starves
squirrels." Also,  if he or she  were mean, he or  she would
not have  allowed the squirrels  farming the tundra  gate to
tax last month. Now I'm just confused.
                                  --Ernam Adilodkish, Eckhif

Starving was frightening.    Can't rely on the state forever.
We need to become self sufficient; we need to start producing 
our own food locally.
                         --Dallith Thikentogum, Phonlirgpiam

I seem to have forgotten what  I was doing and wandered off.
I am supposed to be healing tundra.   This doesn't look like
tundra  anymore.     There are too many wood elves, and  not
enough ice.   My mind  isn't as  sharp as it  was when I was
younger.   I wonder where I am now?  Why are there all these
guards?
                                --Tinoth Nothisosed, Prandme

The escape route  worked. I had to ride  past some besiegers
who tried to stop me, but  that worked, and I am now outside
the plain town of Coprengville, which looks like a pleasant,
peaceful place to settle.   It is good to be out of besieged
Baimark and back in peaceful, friendly lands.
                                  --Mister Sandwich, Pestflo

I met someone today who really doesn't like squirrels.  Says
we are unfriendly, and breed too fast.   Hmm, I WISH we bred
too fast, but the treasury section  at the top of our report
says many  readers of  the Times  breed faster.  Which makes
sense, because squirrels are spending time exploring that we
could be spending  breeding.  Yet saying "no, we don't breed
too fast" is arguing with  this individual instead of trying
to learn how to make him happy.  Squirrels should figure out
how we are causing unhappiness. He also complained we "climb
into all the  cracks".  Perhaps that means he disapproves of
squirrels exploring the world  instead of entering the world
in one place  and concentrating on rapid growth  in that one
place  to  create a  strong,  compact  area of  strength?  I
guess   that's  fair.   Squirrels   never  considered   that
exploration  would make  the game  less fun  for players  of
strong compact regions.    Perhaps using gates to explore is
bad?    Squirrels shall think on this; we don't want to make
anyone unhappy.
                                 --Bara Ithithi, Rhuvarstwun

Osnung wants help getting his farm  set up, but as soon as I
finish  helping  with  that,  I'll hurry  back  to  see  the
skeletons and  undead again.   Perhaps I can send my student
Sluro to them?
                                            --Ethel, Ianatbu

I reminded the Bog Thing about improving the drainage of the
crypt the skeletons and undead live in.    He said skeletons
and undead are good fighters but poor workers;  you couldn't
get them to produce  anything, except sometimes more undead.
The Bog Thing doesn't want to do all the  work himself.  Not
sure what squirrels can do to  help with this; we don't know
anything about crypt drainage.
                                                --Wara, E'in


------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Be with us next time for
                                  "Feud for thought"
                                  or
                                  "Hominy grits can you eat"
                                                 --Squirrels
------------------------------------------------------------

les affaires vont bien pour le moment

Small delay, as you apparently can't automatically claim silver to pay studying costs. Should still be out of here in about 5 or 6 turns.

The boat-building team is about ready to get started building a boat; a scout has been sent to find a launch point. They'll be on their merry way in about 3 turns.

Trouble is coming. The roads are blocked, and the same soldiers blocking them are coming close.

     The young man ran through the deep woods, dodging branches and leaping over fallen logs.  Dry, crisp leaves of autumn crunched underfoot as he sped on.  Without breaking stride,  he imperceptibly turned his head to the right, slightly cocking it to let long golden locks fall clear of the right ear.  Eyes narrowed and brow furrowed as he heard what would have remained soundless to any other around, had they been there.
     One on the right was closing in; two on the left were beginning to draw abreast out of sight beyond the trees, but angling closer, ever closer.  More followed behind, relentless in their pursuit.
     Suddenly, he burst through the trees into a clearing which extended about fifty feet to a steep granite cliff towering above the forest.  At the base of the cliff yawned the entrance of a dark cave.  Would he be able to gain its refuge before his pursuers appeared?  Just then, a large, furry body leapt past him, barring his way, and he found himself staring down a huge black wolf with bright yellow eyes.  
     The wolf lifted it muzzle to the sky and howled its victory to the world.  The rest of the wolves, who  by now had surrounded their prey joined in and began to slowly, cautiously circle him.  A reddish brown wolf stepped forward in front of him, crouched and launched itself at him.
     He took the impact full in the chest, and the two bodies hit the ground together, rolling over and over, finally coming to rest with the young man sitting astride a beautiful redhead, who pulled him down into her embrace and warmly kissed him.  The howls morphed to cheers and laughter.  The wolves were gone, replaced by a jovial group of young men and women, ready for adventure and merriment.
     Many hours later, sometime between the witching hour and darkest hour before dawn, a mighty, magnificent silver wolf with amber eyes lit from within arose from the rocky floor of the cave where it had lain curled with the red wolf and surrounded by their comrades and made its way deeper into the cave.  The wolf retook his human form to better examine his surroundings and began to investigate the cave wall where the rock had a lighter hue.  
     After a while he was interrupted by a faint rumbling that grew louder and louder as the entire cave began to shake violently.  He heard the distant mingled shouts and howls of his pack, but they were drowned out by the increasing fury of the quake.  The rock wall he had been interested in collapsed and a bright light shot out enveloping the young man.  When it faded, he was gone.

It's really inconvenient that horses can't use stairs. Maybe camels can?

What is that rumbling sound?

TIP OF THE TURN 10!

#1 Buy centaurs as much as you can!

The best way to get something done, if you hold it near and dear to you that you uh, um like to be able to uh... Anyway uh, we're gonna get a lot done!

Who will be first to circumnavigate the world doughnut?

L'un pour l'autre

The rumours of unprovoked attacks have become reality in our neighbourhood.  Pilgrims attacking hard working dwarves.  Who would have thought violence was really the answer!  Perhaps they could respond to our communications, and we could resolve any issues through dialogue.  Until then the guards stay guarding!

Suddenly its getting crowded around here

Tensions Flare at the Carnival Grounds

What began as another evening of wonder and spectacle at the Carnival of Shadows took a sudden turn into chaos last night when a fight broke out between the Carnival's famed Strongmen and a group of self-proclaimed "Traders" from a mysterious faction calling themselves the Traders’ Enclave.

According to witnesses, the brawl erupted near the carnival’s main tent after an intense verbal exchange between the two groups. The Traders, who arrived claiming to be seeking an audience with Old Jobobo, allegedly confronted the Strongmen, accusing them of “guarding more than just the carnival’s attractions.”

"It started with words," one onlooker said. "But it escalated quickly. Next thing we knew, one of the Traders threw a punch, and it was all fists and fury after that."

The Strongmen, known for their impressive feats of strength, were quick to defend themselves, and the traders soon found themselves overpowered. Crates were smashed, and onlookers scattered as the traders, armed with nothing more than words (and a few broken chairs), struggled against the might of the Strongmen.

Now watch your future’s end.

I'm a gambler and I'm a runner, but you knew that when you lay down.
I'm a picture of ugly stories, I'm a killer and I'm a clown.

Lumberjack:
"Sharp axes cut deep,
Ancient giants fall to earth,
Earth sighs, shadows fade."

Foreman:
Cut the poetry, cut the trees ... or I'll cut yer wages!

Orthogonal, the pet rock, was bored. Sure this new world is nice and warm, but there's just nothing much to interest your average rock. And my new master just doesn't understand rock psychology. If you take me to Book Club again there better be something other than Tale of Two Cities and Pride and Prejudice. Or windows will get it...

Only my last master truly understood him. He was best master ever, for a rock. He knew we rocks just love hexagons. We jump up and down with glee when we see one. And if you've got three eyes everything looks like a hexagon. Sometimes I'd tell him about an intriguing one I saw and he would pick it up, establish its centroids and create a centroid hexagon for it. Then I would orthogonally project it so we could play 3D Chinese Checkers on it. Happy days! 

Did you know a lot of minerals are hexagonal and are ores of magical metals? Or can lead you to them? For example  drakonite or illyithrdite are often associated with Mithril and Adamantium. We rocks are born in the Underworld, of Earth and Fire, so know these things. A lot of us are Lodestones 

Maybe that's why the six-pointed star, or hexagram, is the main symbol of our religion. Each of the Six Holy Points has one good and one not-so-good aspect. Total six good sides and six not-so-good sides. Our sole deity, Lith, is imprisoned within the centroid hexagon trying to reconcile the two groups. One day They (Lith's preferred pronoun) will be freed and return full ownership of Atlantis to us poor oppressed rocks. Trees will never again send down their roots to crack us. Grass will not hide our sun from us. Even the moss will not smother and etch us ever again. The races will no more mine and crush us to forge their futile weapons or fertilize their plants. Never again will anyone exploit us. Or so we believe. 

  
We rocks have been around a very very long time so know a quite a bit about the Ancients. But nobody asks us.

We get along with all the Underworld natives too. They're used to us, so leave us pretty much alone. In fact I got a lift halfway here with a friend of a friend - a Mr Devil. But his plane was on-time when it was supposed to be late and he got mad at the pilots. He threw me at them. He threw me so hard I ricocheted off both and took out most of the airport security guys too. Then he was furious at me. I don't know why, he threw me after all. Then my new master picked me up and after some more adventures here we are. With my own private Hell every Tuesday - Book Club! 

Devils are always angry but a furious Devils are furiouser angry. One thing I will tell you is I would not have liked to have landed in the region he ended up landing in...


Gotta go... Baaa's at the door. We're going to a sports bar to play bottle-bowls.  


As Orthogonal left Narochka whispered a warning to him. "Don't let Baaa get you drunk and talk you into anything..."


He woke up at the bottom of a whisky barrel with a hangover. Baaa fished him out and put him to work milling silver from the edge of coins. Just a tiny bit from each. But there were thousands of them...

The Great Map Grows!!!

now supporting 573 hexes and growing! join today, explore the world, share the knowledge!

please allow faction 69, cartographers access to lands, we will not stay and will move on to leave you be. we respect your right and will not linger or trade or tax.

yours in knowledge of the Globe
The Cartographers

Who knew it, leaders are capable of ignoring orders and doing there own thing

The Pied Piper looked concerned.....
bears and an Ice Dragon! what a place to land... hoping to escape notice , he once more attempted to jump into the shadows...

however another problem plagued the Troope, he needed to collect revenue now to expand his entertainers. a few spots looked ideal. we claim the forests around Seshec, with exception to prior arrangements with two other factions on the island. 

All are welcome, we are peaceful entertainers. however please ask before taxing and trading. we hope this little slice of an island can assist us spreading merriment through-out the lands! now to find some lizardmen dancers......

Groo started to train, the monsters would soon feels his bladss of steel

yet he needed more men to replace the ones that keep getting eaten.......

maybe he should wander off this cursed island

We have no limits!

Here goes nothing

Lucky Luke was a little worried... almost two months and no reply.

he had hoped the dice had been bountiful when he had cast them.... seeking new friends and allies in this world is no easy feat.

again he reached out whilst the posse started to form about him.

... try and try again!

Only willpower and the power of friendship can overcome a ruthless Nature. "Pitus Van de Cul" (Nordic wise man)

Where is this carnival?

They say that Body Artist likes hearing rumours about himself.

Autumn twilight chills
Once-bold leaves fade to yellow
Like allies' courage