This here is the largest tribe of skeletons, living out in
stabblledpoison swamp, where they are left alone by the Flesh dwellers
Here we see a friendly warforged, a living construct, attempt to to make
contact. Detecting him as a living being they chatter their teeth in an
intimidation tactic, brandishing scimitars. However, as their serrated
poisoned tipped spears have little effect they realize he has no flesh
and he is accepted into the tribe. There will be celebration tonight.
The full moon draws near, the skeletons of the Stabbleedpoison swamp
tribe adorn themselves in ceremonial poisonous barbed armour. Spear and
scimitar in hand they make sacrifices to their fertility gods for a
large bounty. Under the light of the full moon they march out, tonight
there will be a flesh reaping.
The skeletons return as the sun rises, their bounty contains in cocoons
of grass and mud. The harvest bore much fruit this year, but it was not
without loss, the bodies of the fallen skeletons carried home by family
in sacks on their back, to never forget the burden of continuing their
tribe.
As night settles in the grass cocoons are submerged in the ichorous pond
in the centre of the village and large ceremonial pyres are lit. They
will dance until midday, returning the dead to the ash we all come from,
as they greet in open arms the youngest of their tribe as they emerge
from the sacred waters.
The winter comes to Stableedpoison swamp, and it is time for the young
to become adults. Each hopeful is given a ritual rusted scimitar and
ramshackle wooden shield and is to set out for a cave or dungeon to find
and slay an adventurer or traveller. Once returned with proof of their
kill they will be accepted as adults. Not all will return from this
journey, but those who do will help strengthen the tribe.
This winter is particularly harsh for the Stableedpoison tribe. A record
cold season has frozen their ichorous pond of spawning, and wilted the
plant life from which they craft their armour. As well hunters encroach
on their lands. Clerics of the Golden Fist Church stalk the frozen
swamps. Not content to merely destroy the members of the Stableedpoison
tribe they adorn themselves in the flesh of animals to further infuriate
them.
The noble hunters of the swamp must use all their cunning to defeat these flesh laden intruders.
The Golden First Clerics prove to be cunning but fallible quarries.
Their initial underhanded tactic of smothering their flesh in metals
proves at first to be difficult to overcome, in time however the poisons
of the swamp prove to be too much. However this bleed shed does not sit
well with the clan's adviser, Metalbones, who argues for peace.
Eventually they set out on their own to meet with the Golden Fists to
come to an agreement, hoping their position as neither fleshbearer nor
bonekin will give them leverage.
The tribe itself prepares for war.
Talks reveal that the Golden Fist Church is here to stop the moonthly
Flesh Reaping, a hallowed night for the tribe members of Stableedpoison
Swamp. Metal-bones purposes an agreement where every full moon local
villages bring out those no longer using their bones as tribute to the
bonekin. Neither side is too pleased with the propitiation, but it gives
the two sides pause to think and plan their next move.
It is the Golden Fist Church to first reveal their treachery. Summoning a
being from beyond this world, what few clerics remain able to walk
march on the Stableedpoison village. Fortunately the tribe elder was
prepared, and calls forth their great protector, a gigantic bone dragon.
The battle rages on for some time, but in the end the Stableedpoison
tribe is victorious, but there is no celebration. Heavy losses, and the
destruction of their ancient guardian alone would be enough to mourn but
with the Spawning Pools still frozen none may join the tribe until this
winter is over.
The aftermath of the attack continues to affect the tribe, their
previous elder slain in combat its second in command takes lead and
proves to be a paranoid traditionalist. Accusing the construct
Metal-Bones of betraying them to its fellow 'Livings' they administer
the worst punishment they could reasonably carry out on Metal-Bones:
Exile. Striped of all markings the warforged is sent out into the frozen
swamp lands, where it will likely continue to not require food or sleep
and will reach the other side with no real hardship.
Back at the village the new elder sets about to thaw the ichorous pond
through their own means, for the full moon draws close and this will be a
flesh reaping for the ages.
As the full moon rises the entire tribe prepares for the harvest, none shall remain behind to prepare. Splitting into different groups the Stableedpoison tribe intends to regain numbers lost from the last attack. As they set out into the lit night it is not long until smoke and screams fill the air outside of the swamp, this will not be a night soon forgotten. As dawn falls onto the land the bonekin return home, carrying a bounty not seen in generations. their permanent smiles well deserved today as much greater numbers than normal also return home.
They will work tirelessly to prepare their birthing rituals, the pool finally liquid enough to use. The new tribe Elder receives much praise this day, as his reign promises much prosperity.
Once again, the young burst forth from the ichorous pond inside the
Stableedpoison Village but the celebration has a dark cloud over it.
while the next day is typically a day of celebration of new life this
time instead to settle down to the tireless task of rebuilding.
Fortunate that they can not tire as it will take them several days to
simply restore the buildings to their formal glory, let alone new
lodging for the young.
It does not remain bleak for long however, as new adults begin to return
to the tribe in record droves. Free of the bitterness left from the
Golden Fist Church attack the tribe has a chance to heal at long last.
There appears to be a rift forming within the tribe of Stableedpoison
Swamp, as the young adults returning home are having difficulty to the
changes that have gone on since the attacks. Many are unsure that is
such a large reaping was a good idea, while others are not able to
simply grieve over their losses due to the rest having moved on already.
Tension is on the raise these days, as spectral blood metaphorically
boils, it is only a matter of time before one of the young adults
challenges the elder's right to rule.
One of the young adults seems to cultivating a following as they begin
to openly challenge the Elder's rule. Adorning themselves in face paint
to show their displeasure and calling for a new way forward. They have
since abandoned the traditional rusted scimitar in favour for a weapon
resembling a bulawa as a symbol of defiance, and is openly encouraging
others to join them. The Elder of the Stableedpoison Tribe has taken
note of this, but in the light of Angryface's popularity their choices
of handling the situation are limited. Excile might start a rival tribe,
and execution would could start open revolt.
After much conflict the one called Angryface has finally issued
challenge. Surprisingly thereis not a lot of tradtion around such an
event and they are forced to improvise. The terms are agreed to be a
fight until deanimation with the winner serving as the new tribe leader.
Both prepare themselves for a fight to the end while the Stableedpoison
tribe prepares for possibly having the youngest Elder of all time.
The duel started at moonrise, in a stage above the spawning pool. The
current Elder armed with shield and scimitar, while e young upstart
Angry face is armed with buckler and bulawa. The fight is unexpectedly
brutal, Angryface losing his shield arm just moments in but the
advantage of his crushing weapon proves to be enough as the former
Elder's head and chest easily cave in.
Drunk on victory the elder once known as Angryface dives into the
ichorus pool wi the corpse of the form and emerges a changed being.
From the ancestral spawning pools rises an entirely new being. The one
formally known as Angryface returns triumphantly now bear four arms and
appears to be taller than before. At first they are greeted with
apprehnension but soon the tribe accepts the rule of Four-Arms the
Tyrant Slayer.
As a new Flesh Reaping draws near, the new leader of the Stableedpoison
Tribe orders restraint. The last reaping has produced so many juveniles
that despite the larger numbers helping to rebuild, training for
hunting, gathering, and spookery have slowed to a crawl. Instead, those
who will go out for the harvest are ordered to follow restraint. Though
some understand the wisdom in this, those who once backed the previous
Elder claim it is a sign of weakness. None would would openly defy this
new Elder, being an eight foot tall four armed monstrosity, but a new
season of distrust is brewing.
Luckily as spring comes to Stableedpoison Swamp, the fear of the Golden
First Church is finally dying down. Perhaps with external threats
removed time can smooth over the bumpy past.
The spring remains peaceful for the Stableedpoison Tribe as they fall
back into their normal cycle of training, hunting, and birth. Though not
fully recovered, many feel safe once more. The search for a new
guardian is a point of frustration however, as the once large lizards of
the area have died off ages ago, and the creatures that replaced them
are not nearly an impressive. As they resign themselves to thoughts of a
small horde of bone crocodiles instead of their once proud bone dragon,
a hunter in training comes running into the village square claiming to
have found the perfect replacement. Lead back to a cave just outside of
the swamp, looking to have been untouched by any being for an
insurmountable time they discover what the young hunter spoke of. Bones
of beasts none alive or otherwise have ever laid as on. Something so
old, they don't even have words for them.
Four-Arms calls out in celebration, a new village guardian has been found.
The retrieval of the new guardian is slow moving. Despite the tribe's
excitement, the task is proving more difficult than originally thought.
The bones of such an ancient being requires them to be a level of
delicate they are not accustomed to, as well as they are working outside
of the swamp they much be careful while moving its bones typically only
moving in the dark of night. Luckily things are otherwise quiet for a
time.
When the new Flesh reaping comes, the tribe elder sends the hunters out
to one of the flesh settlements reaped hardest. It is their hope that
that will ensure another small harvest. Four-arms doesn't realize how
small until none of the young hunters return the next day.
The next night Four-Arms sends out a veteran band of hunters to discover
the location of the previous party. Though some don't see the point of
the search, assuming they have just failed in the harvest something does
not sit right with their leader. It is not until the next day they
begint o gt a glimpse of what is happening. One of the hunters returns,
half mad, raving about a flesh bound shaman stealing the minds of the
others. Through the flapping of his meat face and a have of his hands
the other hunters turn one one another in a terrible fight.
A necromancer now sits outside of Stableedpoison Swamp.
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