Land of Despots

[grunterdb1951]

After several hours, the bears leave, but nightfall will be soon upon them.

Hoki sniffles, staring upwards at the sky as the others stretch their limbs out after the long wait. They move upstream a while before it gets dark before stopping and baking as the night begins to come upon them. They set up camp, and set up watch with two up and swapping out every couple of hours. Should nothing arise, they'll continue along the journey upriver, mapping it out all along the way.


Hoki and another younger warrior took up first watch. The two sat back to back, the fire slowly crackling nearby as they peer around into the darkness. "Hey," his watch-mate speaks up in a hushed voice, causing Hoki to turn his head slightly to him- eyes still stuck on his surroundings, "What is it?". "Why does the Halut-dan want us looking over this river anyways. We're heading far inland. What if we go too far, and get cursed?" Hoki snickers a little under his breath, causing the young man to turn back at him, "What? It's true. Go too far inland, and the roots will suck the blood out of you and the beasts will play fetch with your bones. My mother-"

"Is a very superstitious woman." Interrupts Hoki, his eyes finally on the man behind him before he looks forward. "We are on water, we will be fine. I suppose you think that the trees will sprout feet and replace your eyes with rat eating flowers?" The quiet growl from the warrior has Hoki quietly wheezing, looking forward before he lets out a sigh. "I don't know why. I imagine he's hoping to find something." There's a pause, and Hoki looks back. "If we stick to just the coast, they might find us. We've lost one home. Maybe he doesn't want us to lose another."

Humming with a bit of discontent from the answer, the young warrior shrugs staring at the edges of the light from the campfire. "It's odd. I was told we shouldn't go to places like this, but here we are just a few years later in one of those places.". "I told you, we're at the river. We'll be fine. No matter how bland this water is, there's still some salt in it." Hoki retorts. "Yeah... I suppose." says the young warrior. A glance up to the sky has him peering at the position of the moon, and he looks back to Hoki, "It's time for us to switch." Hoki looks up, and nods. "Yeah. Go wake up Hoag and Doth." he says, getting up and heading to his bedroll waiting for him.

[Ad Bot]

[SWAT One]

As the shift changes out, the howls of several wolves can be heard out in the forest. In mere minutes, glowing eyes silently observe them from the treeline.

[grunterdb1951]

As the shift changes out, the howls of several wolves can be heard out in the forest. In mere minutes, glowing eyes silently observe them from the treeline.

"Hey-- get up! Dogs!"

Hoki grunts at the commotion of voices and the heel that jabs into his side to wake him up. Grunting, he looks and peers out to the eyes staring back at them- his brows furrowing as he moves up to his feet slowly. "Not dogs. Wolves." he says, grunting as he climbs out of his bedroll and grabs his spear. He looks between his men- some of the younger ones looking shocked and at a loss of what to do before he pushes his weapon into his hands. "Don't falter. Don't fear." he says to them with pointed looks, before his gaze turns back over to the treeline.

"Largest in front." Says Hoki, and some of the older warriors move forward, brandishing their weapons. Hoki is one of those men, leaning down to grab a socketed axe. Grabbing it by its handle, he holds it up threateningly- letting the fire gleam off its iron blade as he stares at the beasts. "Look large. Don't stare for too long. Do not run." he says to the others, speaking loud for the creatures to hear. With everyone having grabbed their weapons, spears are pointed in the direction of the beasts as they work out a defensive formation between the 12 of them- trying to threaten them off rather than risk a fight.

[SWAT One]

As their eyes adjust to the darkness, the vague shapes of wolves become apparent. Eventually, the shapes take the definite form of wolves. The wolves at the edges of the group begin to peel away into the forest, and eventually, all of them turn tail and retreat back into the woods.

[Agent Legit 22]

The scouts feel stupid, head back. It seems like that the fishers have to do that on their own time. In the meantime, Scouts are deployed farther north to look up the river.

[SWAT One]

They find no river up north. (Look at the maps, Agent. If your people have been here for a while, they should know what the land is like and what it holds.)

[Agent Legit 22]

The scouts come back, and settle in for the winter. The people of Juralax finally get a metaphorical stable footing in the weather, in the form of a consistent food supply from the hunt.

[grunterdb1951]

As their eyes adjust to the darkness, the vague shapes of wolves become apparent. Eventually, the shapes take the definite form of wolves. The wolves at the edges of the group begin to peel away into the forest, and eventually, all of them turn tail and retreat back into the woods.

Hoki sighs as he sees the wolves take their leave, his right hand rising to wipe away the sweat from his brow as he looks back and forth along the treeline for a bit. "...They're gone. Back to bed- four of us stay up per watch now." Hoki looks between some of the standing men, before picking out two and ordering them to stay with the current watch.

The rest go to bed, and they continue camping until tomorrow to continue along with their scouting of the river come the following morning.

[SWAT One]

In the early morning, the men carry their canoes by land past some rapids and a waterfall, where the bears had been the day before, as there was no alternative way to pass it.

After they reach a part of the river with flow accommodating enough for canoe travel, they reembark and head upriver and arrive at a fork in the river.

[Agent Legit 22]

Some fishers start to try and saw out small holes in the lake in order to get to the fish.

[SWAT One]

It succeeds. They are able to catch a good number if fish from under the lake.

[grunterdb1951]

In the early morning, the men carry their canoes by land past some rapids and a waterfall, where the bears had been the day before, as there was no alternative way to pass it.

After they reach a part of the river with flow accommodating enough for canoe travel, they reembark and head upriver and arrive at a fork in the river.

Hoki glances back and forth between the two branching parts of the river. He looks back at the canoe travelling behind his, letting out a shrill whistle before waving his hand up around in a circle. The two canoes converge nearby along side each other and he takes to the man leading the boat. "Go up the right stream, we will take the left. Map it out, and when you reach the end come back and wait here if we're not back yet. Go on ahead if we take too long."

With that said, the man nods and gets his men rowing to head up the right(western) stream, while Hoki guides his up the left(eastern).

[Agent Legit 22]

The fishermen start to make hutts on the side of the lake in order to have a storehouse for their fish--However they can bring it back to the village in order to sell it or feed it to their families.

[SWAT One]

Hoki's canoe rows upstream for 2 days of fairly easy river travel. The going get's a little rough, however, when ice floes start to float downriver and threaten the safety of the canoe and those onboard. They suspect there is a lake ahead.

The other canoe has much trouble making it upriver as fast-traveling rapids prevent them from taking their water route upstream. After about three hours of deliberation, they begrudgingly decide to carry their canoe in the upstream direction, but eventually stop as they spot bears in large numbers feeding from the fish as they have before. They know they cannot fight off these many bears and keep the canoe near them.

The storage huts begin construction. Those in charge of the project say that it will be completed by late spring if they only build a few huts, and mid summer if they end up going ahead with the full project.

The source of deer from the forest causes an increase of pregnancies in Juralax.

[Agent Legit 22]

The Khan knows that the deer in the North of the village wont last forever, and sends his scouts the the wilderness once more for another source of food.