Strangers in a Strange Land

Distant lights danced across the dark gloom of the evening, small pinpricks of dozens of individual lights spilling into the shadows of the night, each pushing back a small part of the darkness around them until they became one cohesive mass that beckoned those from all around to come and see what spark of light flitted through the night cycles, to what revelry it held and what life grew in that strange light. Here and there the orange tinged wisps of fire light and torch oil burning jumped and spluttered through the other more bright but soulless lights like two great swarms of insects caught in some symbiotic dance across the various surfaces of the buildings they inhabited. Below them other smaller lights moved in patterns circling the others like onlookers to some great ritual or gathering, stopping and starting with regular monotony until they became lost in the chaotic movements and patterns, all the while the sounds ringing through spoke of a beating heart behind the individual actions of each light. Sitting on the rusted gantry the view and silence of the dark cycle could almost be peaceful, with the distance lively dance of lights and the cool silence of the night air swirling around her bringing a strange sense of familiarity with it until she almost felt as if she was home amongst the sea of tents and camp fires that was her tribes’ lands. Letting her legs dangle from the edge she rested herself against the handrail so that she could let her head rest on its old mottled surface as she let the sensation roll over her, the moment of calm causing a small smile to spread across her face. She reckoned that from her perch she could watch the light show all evening at the same time, as another soul within the dance of lights was doing the very same looking out into the very darkness, their gazes crossing paths but never realising the other was there as they were reflected in one another, the dark looking in on the light whilst the light peered out into the darkness. A slight sound below her pulled her from her thoughts as she glanced downwards, one hand on the quiver by her side as she spied the cause coming round the corner of the very building she was perched on. A lone figure dressed in the black war paint of an Ashened; carrying a short spear by their side, looked up at her shaking their head with an amused smile of their own, mimicking the expression she had just been wearing herself but a few moments ago. Wordlessly the Ashened made their way up the ancient ladder she had climbed herself an hour or so ago and within a minute or so was crouched beside her, a look of friendly mischief glinting in his eyes as he spied what she had been watching in the distance. “I’ll never understand your fascination with the brass wearers Seer” the Ashened grinned at her as Seer made a gesture with her free hand that left him smirking at his friends feigned irritation, “that’s because you spend all your time in the soot playing with your sticks cold walker” Seer glanced over at her friend as he pantomimed insult at her words before they both snorted in amusement at one another, “They walk their own paths with such confidence that they spread their light to the darkest places with a surety that I can’t help but admire the strength of purpose they hold themselves to” Seer spoke softly as she closed her eyes for a moment. “They know their place In the way of things and will fight to claim what they see as theirs, even if blood must be spilt” Cold walker nodded, “They are brave, arrogant, but brave in their own way, I will give them that” he looked at Seer as she nodded in agreement with the Ashened hunter. “I take it the war band is on the move again and the chief sent you to find me?” Seer sighed as she turned to properly face her friend, “Yes, the war-chief has decreed we are to move north, apparently the Brass Wearers tyrant chiefs make war with the mutant kind and we have been invited to join them in this” the Ashened shook his head as Seer raised an eyebrow, the silver mark she wore across her right eye twisting. “Do not ask me why” Cold walker raised his hands at the unvoiced question from his gifted friend “I’m as happy to kill the darkness's’ spawn as the next hunter, all the chief says is that we are to walk the paths and avoid the larger camps of the brass wearers, he wishes to give them no reason to fight us to the tribes of the brass wearers who live where we raided last season” Cold walker shrugged. At this Seer nodded, she knew from her own tribe that in the cycles past when bad seasons had come the hunters would rove the nearest lands for signs of supplies, and if they came across a large camp they would raid, and leave the camp to avoid sparking a drawn out fight, returning periodically if they direly needed too. Her thoughts now though turned to something she had wondered as she had watched the lights from the mech-corp gatherer camp in the distance. The Peoples were a collective of different tribes and they had fought with small isolated groups before now, never had they raided a group as large as the mech-corp tribes in recent memory, part of her said that the tribe affected would have just moved north and the others would take them in as would happen in the peoples, but another part of her worried what if they had it wrong with that and the mech-corp responded as one, being one enormous cohesive tribe rather than a collection of smaller ones bonded by a common name as the Peoples were. She shook the thoughts from her mind, putting them to one side as she stood up and decided when she had time to talk to the acolytes of her warband about it, for now she needed to concentrate on other matters as the war band prepared to move onwards. Sensing his fellows apprehension the Ashened laid a hand on her shoulder, the look of habitual mischief replaced for a moment by worry as he let her gather her thoughts, turning her head she nodded and a small smile pulled at the corners of her face as her friend grinned, his teeth glinting in contrast to his soot coated skinned, the black wode stripped across his face rippling. Picking up her bow the pair of them began their descent back to the debris strewn paths below, amongst the silent towers and burnt out buildings. Glancing over her shoulder one last time she watched as the lights flitted across the night cycles sky, like embers dancing around the edge of a fire...

Military Campaign Progress
For as long as there has been human civilisation, from the simple tribes at the dawn of the era of what could be recognised as modern man through to the greatest of the ancient empires and on into the ages of expansion and discovery, curiosity has been a constant double edged sword carried by humanities side as it has pushed ever onwards. Where one may give form to a new way of thinking or forging a new invention that would see the progression of humanity take yet another step onwards other humans have been drawn to watch and learn about this new marvel, with great debates and arguments held over it as some have adopted the latest creations into their way of life whilst others have rejected it and in turn created their out marvels of ingenuity that has started the cycle a new for each in turn. Each spark of human endeavour though has cast a shadow where curiosity has led to mutual understanding and a common ground by which others may come together and form a new, in others it has sparked rifts or resentments that would see the destruction of one, or the strife of another brought to the fore so that one may reign supreme in the short term in their own eyes. This constant twist between the light and dark of the depths humanities civilisations curiosities in one another has woven a tapestry of history that each era in turn would turn their eyes upon to try and learn something, or glean some truth that would in turn affect their cycle and so setting the entire motion into pace once more for another series of generations in time to come. In this chaotic churn of different thoughts and ideals the seeds of the next cultures to come are formed, with their equals and opposites born from the same origin point that would see their shared point of birth become the very curiosity that would draw some closer whilst at the same set them so far apart.

For the varied tribes that make up the collective culture known as ‘the Peoples’ to the wider cultures in the darkened ruins that humanity finds its scattered embers entwined within this sense of curiosity both defines and marks them apart. For a civilisation they hold on their spiritual beliefs marks that apart from all others, every tribe holding their ancestors that have come before tight to their beings, evoking their protection in times of fear and seeking their guiding hand in times of strife or war. Every aspect of their lives are steeped in this system of belief and reverence for the actions of those that have come before them as they walk the shared debris and dusty ruins of humanities shared doom. To outsiders this system and sense of faith can be intriguing as to the strength it lends the peoples as a whole can not be denied, shared determination coming from a common ground seeing those that would show simple curiosity in these beliefs treated as earnest learners; honest questions met with honest answers by tribal shamans and tribal elders, whilst at the same time those that view this ancestor worship as nothing but the mad ramblings of barbarians and savages in turn treated with scorn and distain by the peoples at their lack of understanding as these curious traits are viewed as throw backs to a time when humanity had lost itself in the sway of the lunacy of religion by those from beyond the sight of the ancestors light. This sense is itself flipped into the reverse for the peoples when they peer outwards into the darkness at the other civilisations surrounding them, the sense of wonderment at the odd and unique being matched by the sense of wrongness and emptiness in equal measures when they tread the lands of others shards of humanity, and so leading to those so precarious of edges from within and without to come to blows.

The first days of the new season would see the quiet step resting within their various war camps still radiating in the success of the great raid and the bounty it had brought for the peoples as a whole, staving off starvation for a couple of seasons more and allowing some form of plan to be brought together by the war chief and tribals elders under the advice of the Shamans of the iron tree. Those few casualties from the raid itself would find themselves recovering enough here and there to return to the fight from amongst the few seriously injured so that by the end of the first week the army as a whole whilst still feeling the grip of some what empty stomachs across every hunter and gatherer within the army, morale would be steady across each war band as what food had been kept for the army was spread around with great pots of broths and stews being handed around by travelling packs of gatherers; carrying steams pots from central points in the various camps, huge boiling cauldrons leaving steam raising into the air and the growl of gurgling stomachs ringing across each face in turn as they sat quietly taking in their meal whilst chatting amongst friends and kin, as some of the more energetic of their number practiced and sparred to keep their minds and hands busy. This sense of serenity would continue for another week or so as the army drew back together and re-prepared itself for what was to come as small bands of gatherers and hunters alike arrived and left the central camp surrounding the war chiefs tent. This in itself wasn’t unusual as the train of foot messengers and small traders that followed the army would bring information back and forth, what catches a few chiefs eyes though is the arrival of a fresh faced warband from the home territory during the dusk of one morning. They set about establishing their camp before the bands chief presented herself to the war-chief, this scene would play out again and again over the course of the next handful of days until a full 300 new faces sat encamped alongside the quiet step. Calling the chiefs together alongside the acolytes of the Iron tree and other shamans during the midst of the fourth day of the third week the war chief would hold council with his fellows as the question of the new faces rippled across many faces within that very meeting. All would be answered by the voice of the new chief represented the collective bands that had arrived over the previous days, with the securement of a node within the green lands by the war chief and fellow peoples steady streams of food had begun to make their way once more into the stockpiles of the tribes allowing those hunter bands and gatherers that wish to reinforce the army to cease there constant search for other sustenance and join the quiet step in force this season after coming together and marching to join them. The news of the reinforcements from home would soon spread across the quiet step after this leading to great cries of celebration and bonding between new bands of hunters as they spent their first nights together. Further elation would soon follow as come the closing days of the first month of the season a steady convoy of gatherers escorted by weary hunters would arrive in camp, larges packs carried on their backs and pulled on carts behind teams of gatherers working together. Laden in the back of each cart would be stacks of food and other bits of supplies that the quiet step has been sorely lacking and the edge of facing starvation only a few short months ago.

The dawn of the second month would see many nights of celebration by the multitude of war bands as the acolytes of the iron tree walked amongst the army seeing to the spiritual needs of those gathered within during the private ceremonies and massed army tenants. Come the start of the second week of the second month however the quiet step would find itself once more on the march, this time though with a far different aim pushing their steps onwards through the darkness of the ruins. Collecting together every chief amongst the army and holding a benediction before speaking with the amassed leaders of the army the war chief would set out before them what had occurred and the deal struck with the brass tyrants of the Mech-corp’s war chief during the excursion into the green lands. For some time they had been engaged in a brutal war with the dark spawn of the mutant kind in rusted lands to the north, in short the war was not going well and should they fail they would have to see to their lands evacuation and the defence of their home lands, leaving this swarm of filth unchecked and on a clear path south towards the peoples. The history between peoples and mech-corp was not a peaceful one but even the war chief understood what letting a swarm run amuck unchecked would mean for the scatter shards of humanity, and so the quiet step went to true war for the greater good. With this the army would break their various camps and by the third day of the second week the army would be on the move as a whole heading for the very territory they had raided during the previous season in order to head further north to reinforce the so called ’Old Guard’ of the Mech-corp. Some would question this as the columns of war bands made their way through the twisting and turning path ways and rusted gantries of the ruins,  the more cautious amongst the army would worry about any potential retribution from the tribes of mech-corp that had lived here whilst others had questioned not simply heading northwards through the quiet lands there. The first would be answered with agreement from some chiefs as the army would keep to the outskirts to avoid any potential retribution from angry tribesmen that the mech-corp could not control, whilst during the rest of the night others would draw a simple symbol in the rockcrete dust as an answer as to why they could not have march northwards, the symbol of the soldier born, Hive-Sec. The older more wizened hunters amongst the army would tell firelight stories of  the hive-sec to younger hunters who would learn that is was better to leave the lands of the hive-sec well alone unless you were truly prepared, and that was why they would not tread northwards and would pass through the Mech-corps lands to their ‘aid’. Come the midst of the fourth week the burnt out settlement of the mech-corp from the last season would come into view of the quiet steps scouts as they formed a picket line for the army to follow around the settlement, leaving it in peace as they passed by. The reports back should that unlike when a peoples camp was raided the mech-corp were resettling the land in the same spot, crafters and workers could be seen enacting simple repairs and the sparks of metal forgers setting up their electric lights once more, all whilst under the watchful eyes of a large force of brass hunters, groups of four or five of them patrolling in tight rings around the settlement. The war chief’s orders to give the settlement a wide birth seem prudent now as the army passed by practically unseen by the settlers and their guards as come the final days of the second month they come into sight of the pathways that would lead them yet further north.

These last few days of the second month and the first of the third would see the quiet step encounter their first real issue since they had set out, following along in the wake of their scouts the army would find itself seemingly crossing a strange boundary from the settled ruins they had previously encountered into lands that had known continued occupation and steady work since they had been taken some time before hand by the mech-corp. In the place of empty silent forests of ruins sparsely light path ways led the way forward deeper into mech-corp lands; signs of clearing work to open road ways and shift debris evident alongside small safe houses or lay overs, here and there travelling bands of merchants of one form or another trod these paths as well from the sounds coming from ahead. Upon encountering the lead war bands of the peoples these initial small pockets of Mech-corp would scatter and either attempt to hide or turn back around and flee back towards their origin point in the face of the quiet step. Come the end of the first week of this strange behaviour in the face of the quiet step the warbands of the army would spend their rest time in quiet confusion as they had been invited into these lands to move northwards, some guessed it would simply be a case of these tribes here had not been told or were members of the tribes that had left the lands that had raided before. The next few days of progress would see the peoples ignore this behaviour and continue their progress through the road ways and tunnels that had lead them into this much more settled mech-corp land, here much more of the land had been settled with small clusters of home steads set up with simple rings of walls protecting them whilst in the distance a far larger and well established camp could be made out by the lead scouts. By the end of the week however the army would become aware that they were being tailed, during the early morning of one day as the army broke camp and made to head further onwards small pockets of armed tribesmen were spotted watching them from high positions as well as small groupings of more uniformed hunters from those chiefs that had encounter mech-corp warriors before. Calling together a meeting of the chiefs the war chief reiterated his stance of avoiding confrontation here and keeping the army close together to lessen the chance of a misunderstanding between themselves and the strangers who land they found themselves now in. This plan of sorts would continue to work as the army pressed onwards, their small entourage of observers following behind them at a short distance. The first real sign of a problem would not occur until they had reached the far side of the main settlement close to the end of the third weeks’ fifth day, the lead scouts from the lead war band for the day returned reporting a large Gathering of gatherers from the mech-corp or at least their equivalent, supported by a few hunters brandishing weapons and large tools that had set up a barricade blocking the route they had to take to move onwards from these lands to meet up with the ‘Old guard’ beyond. Calling a halt the war chief would recall the quiet step’s scouts back to the army and instead let a collection of the quiet steps more veteran warbands lead the front as they came to this blockage on their route northwards, putting them within sight of this barricade and its occupants. Letting the various chiefs of those warbands assess the situation for themselves before reporting back, the identity of the aggravated mech-corp soon became apparent as the investigating warbands draw closer to the blockade. Rough hewn banners of hessian are hung around with ’MURDERERS GO HOME’ daubed across them, “REMEMBER MORSVILLE” painted across others still as the warbands look on at the collection of people on the barricades of broken furniture, rockcrete debris and rusted metal. Inevitably drawing this close to the barricade would  draw a reaction from its occupants as the closest hunters find out as a deluge of chunks of rockcrete comes hurling at them alongside a mixture of petrified wooden fragments and a small number of badly aimed rifle rounds go zipping over their heads. Most of the afflicted warband duck out of the way or get behind their number that carry shields whilst others jump into cover, unfortunately a couple of the slower members are hit by the debris as one is knocked out by a chair leg to the head whilst another catches a ricocheting round  in the leg as he makes for cover whilst trying to help a fellow who had been knocked over by a larger section of hurled metal. The situation could have deteriorated from there as less experienced hunters may have lashed out in response however the chiefs quickly clamp down on it as they pull their investigating groups back out of range of the adhoc barrage to the gloating shouts of the barricades occupants, the words of their War chief ringing in their ears. Reporting back to the war chief and army as a whole the chiefs make their observations known to their equals amongst the other war bands, the mob before them are from the market settlement they raided the previous season, that much is evident from their reaction. This also explained the reaction of the bands of mech-corp they had encountered as well as the tailing observers, rather than assistance against the mutant kind what they saw was an invading army acting weirdly in their homelands and the fit enough members of the ruined market town had come to take some form of revenge as an act of defiance. Calling together his chiefs once more the war chief sends one to call in a group of the observers into their camp as clearly these mech-corp wouldn’t listen to a word they would have to say. The chief sent out returns a little over an hour later saying that when he had called out to the observers they had scattered to the winds, sitting back down with a look that could be best be described as ‘lacking’ in confidence would be an understatement about the likelihood of someone coming forward. For the next few days it appears his pessimism is well placed as nothing happens beyond a couple of further clashes with the barricade occupants and the quiet steps scouts keeping an eye on them. Come the eve of the second the last day of the third month however a small collection of uniformed brass hunters arrives the edge of the peoples rest camp, suspicious eyes glaring at them with tense hands on their rifles as the war chief comes to meet them. Amongst the group is a small delegation from the local settlement as well as a couple of chiefs for the local hunters as the peoples equivalents, the meeting is short and over in little under 30 minutes at the camps edge as the war chief explains the agreement made with the ’Old guards’ war chief and their intentions, whilst the mech-corp delegation listen and make their stance clear as well. The military are aware of this arrangement hence their tailing observers how had radioed them upon the shout from the chief from the quiet step a few days before hand. The local councilmen as the settlement elder is called seems relieved that the peoples’ are civil if not friendly as the situation with the barricade is discussed. In short the rest of the army soon learns they will have to stay put for the next week as the local garrison is called in to shift the blockage and then escort piece meal the Quiet step to their supposed rendezvous. At this the group of mech-corp disappears back from where they came leaving the War-chief to call a hurried meeting with his fellow chiefs and the acolytes accompanying them, in short the quiet step would not be reaching the ’Old Guard’ this season whilst the angered tribesmen from ’Morsville’ were moved onwards. Conflict had been avoided in this strange land but all gathered had the feeling that the only reason the mech-corp here was complying to help them was more out of following orders from their war chief, rather than actually wanting too. Some further suspected they would rather be on the barricade helping the aggressive Morsville tribe and shooting at them as well as the mutants further north...

Summary:

The quiet step has almost made it to the rendezvous agreed with the Mech-Corp ‘Old guard’ to assist them in their war with the mutant kind. Thanks to the securement of a node in the dome the quiet step has been able to reinforce this season due to have avoided any real conflict (Accordingly the Quiet step has regained 300 strength to a maximum status of 3000/3000 active combatants). The only downside has been the consequences of travelling through lands they had previously raided have begun to appear, with the army being delayed due to running into aggravated and openly hostile Mech-corp civilians, the war-chiefs orders to be cautious as they pushed forward definitely mitigated what could have been a serious clash otherwise.

New Wisdom From Old Voices
With the ongoing situation in the green place  ever shifting the appearance of food deliveries into the ancient stockpiles within the peoples home lands takes the gatherers working there by surprise, soon more follow as the old worn systems kick into life and a steady supply of food begins to mount up in the stock pile day and day. Shamans of the Iron tree come to see what is happening and hold a mass benediction at the entrance to the stock pile, the praises and prayers to the ancestors ringing high in the air above the collected masses of gatherers and hunters as work begins to deliver the food out to those still in need that had yet to be truly reached by the gains of the great raid in the previous season. Within a few days every tribe in the immediate vicinity of the stockpile are chewing on a steady solid meal each day  with small bands of gatherers guarded by hunters carrying large packs of food out to the new settlements in the lands beyond. Amongst the jubilation at this event a number of figures begin to praise it as vindication of their actions in the previous season that had so unsettled some tribes, walking amongst them like a prophet She-Who-Sits is spotted by some of the shamans of various tribes leading gatherings and spouting rhetoric about the will of the ancestors and how they should spread the light of their belief to new lands by force if necessary whilst in others she turns her words on the ‘old brothers’ and how if the need to raid some come again she would lead bands of those that would follow to raid their lands and hides. Whilst these gatherings in of themselves cause no harm a small knot of hardened supporters of the fiery gatherer are noted as beginning to form by a few shamans amongst those that tend to the Iron tree. Speaking at their next congregation the shamans come together to discuss the matter before taking it further with the tribal elders upon the next gathering in a few moons time, as well as to propose a potential solution to the situation faced by the quiet step…

1) With the control of a Node in the agri-dome the Peoples have begun to stockpile food once more, removing the threat of starvation for the time being. However the success of the great raid followed by the capture of a node has caused a small hard core group centered around the original protagonist of the great raid has begun to form, an acolyte will be arriving in camp during the course of Saturday morning to speak with the assembled Peoples in the dome about this situation.

2) The Quiet step has moved northwards to attempt to engage the mutant swarm located there, however as stated has been delayed due to the presence of aggravated settlers from the raided territory. As such two options have been suggested as routes for the quiet step to resolve this at the discretion of the War-Chief of the Quiet step. More information shall be available during the course of Saturday of the event.

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