Festival of the Two Moons
Turn 6
In this turn:
I determine how many moons there are over the planet
Region 8 creates a new festival that celebrates an alignment of the moons every 16 years
A priest in Region 7 spreads the stories of all the clans of his tribe
The Eekraw spread to the edges of a third continent
Oral histories become vital to the rainforest tribe
Overview
I am doing a project of incremental worldbuilding. In other words, I’m taking aspects of worldbuilding and changing them slowly over time, in hope of creating a world that has the real weight of history behind it. In addition, I’m using randomness and ‘game-like’ mechanics, as well as assistance from ChatGPT, to help work my way through this process and ensure that I am sometimes surprised by the results.
The Eekraw are an avian species that has recently developed sentience. They’re slightly shorter than human height, and live around 80 years absent illness or injury. They can’t lift off vertically, requiring a cliff face or tree to jump off to successfully initiate flight. They have strong and dexterous foot talons, meaning their feet rather than wings are needed to work tools. They live in communal nests, with a nest of four-six raising their young together.
I’ve decided to make a few changes to the turn order starting this turn. First of all, as mentioned last turn, I’m adding a “Prominent individuals” round, in which a region has an individual come to prominence. In addition, the stories of previous prominent individuals undergo changes and move into history/myth.
Secondly, I’m going to change the language development process. Instead of doing language development to the activated and expanded regions, I’ll do just a basic language change to these regions (i.e., roll a single random lexicon category to develop) during the biome generation and expansion. Then, during ‘language development,’ I’ll roll a region, and do a ‘full’ development (i.e., I’ll do language development to all categories). I’m not sure how this will go, but hopefully it’ll work better.
Updated Turn Order
Random Event: Roll on the random event table, then roll to see what region it occurs in
Prominent Individuals: In any region that has a prominent individual, determine how that individual is remembered/how the remembrance has changed, then move them into Myths/History. Then, roll a region. If that region has anything in myths/history, see how that remembrance has changed over time. Then, roll a region. That region has a new individual come to prominence.
Expansion: Roll a region. That region will expand to 1d2 of the nearest regions. If the region is populated, that region will migrate to a nearby region, and the activated region will take their place (waves of migration pushing previous waves away)
Biome Generation: I will generate a biome for the regions that have been expanded into. One animal or plant from each nearby biome is present in the new one - this makes the biomes mesh better, and also can make some interesting ways in which the creatures change between biomes. New words are developed to describe all new creatures. The new region then undergoes basic language development (change to a single rolled category of the lexicon).
Language Development: Roll a region. That region undergoes language change in all categories
Technological Development: Finally, I will roll another die with the new number of regions. Whichever region is activated may have a new technology or cultural or societal innovation occur. I will roll a 1d3 - 1 is technological, 2 is social, 3 is cultural. Those will start off minor - things like some small amount of specialization or developing fire, not agriculture or iron-working. That region will also undergo basic language development.
Random Event
I decided not to reproduce the random event table here, it’s just the same as last time. It can be found in the post below, which goes over the rules I’ve developed so far.
My first roll, I rolled a 25, “prominent individual comes to prominence.” Since I had picked that one last turn, and added it to the turn order, I decided to discard that and roll again.
The second time, I rolled a 27: “Mystical/unexplained phenomenon causes new beliefs/myths.” That sounds intriguing, I like it.
Now, I roll a region: Region 8, the newly settled tropical deciduous forest island/coastal biome.
I asked ChatGPT for ideas by giving it the details of the species and particular tribe, and the following prompt: Give me ten ideas for an unexplained natural phenomenon that could occur in this biome and cause the Eekraw to think it mystical/supernatural.
There were several cool ideas, including atmospheric conditions that cause rings around the sun and luminescent algal blooms. But the coolest one by far was that every few years, the alignment of the two moons in the right atmospheric conditions and season causes a peculiar reflection of moonlight on the ocean, creating a shimmering bridge of light leading out towards the horizon. That’s super cool, but one problem is that it would be a global phenomenon, so every coastal Eekraw would see this, and it wouldn’t be localized to one region. However, I decide to go with it anyway - the random event says that this region has new beliefs/myths form, but other regions could later see it and form their own independently.
As I’m doing this, I realize that the length of a day and year, and the moons’ periods, play a role in this, so it’s about time I figure that out. I think it’d be convenient for the length of a day to be roughly similar to that on Earth, possibly a little longer as the tidal interactions with two moons slows it down. Therefore, I’m going to roll a 1d10+20, and that’ll be the length of a day on this planet in Earth hours. I rolled a 10, so a single Eekraw day is 30 Earth hours.
Next I’ll determine the length of a year. Assuming the star is the same mass and luminosity as Earth’s, if the planet is close enough for it to produce 1.05 times Sol’s light, the day would be around 0.975 Earth years, or around 355 Earth days. However, if this sun is colder and/or smaller, the planet would be closer. I’ll do roughly the same as I did above - I’ll roll a 1d20+335 (since I already established that the planet is at least somewhat closer than Earth is to the Sun). I roll a 19, so it’s barely closer - it’s 354 Earth days. 354 days is 8496 Earth hours, so the planet’s year is 283.2 Eekraw days
Finally, I need to figure out the moons’ periods. The moons should have a period somewhere between 1 day and 60 days, in order to be far enough to not be pulled apart by the planet’s gravity and close enough to be easily visible from the planet’s surface. I think 1 day is probably too little, so I’ll set a lower limit of, say, five days. Therefore, I’ll roll 1d55+5, and say the first moon has that period. The result was 51, so one of the moons has a period of 51 days. 1
For the second moon, the moon would likely be in a resonant orbit, which means it has a specific ratio to the other. For example, it could have a 2:1 resonance, so it has a period of a little over 25 days, or a 3:2 resonance, so it has a period of around 34 days. I’ll roll between the following possible resonant combinations:
1. 1:2 (25.5 days)
2. 2:3 (34 days)
3. 1:3 (17 days)
4. 3:4 (38 days)
I rolled a 2, so the second moon has a period of 34 days.
Therefore, every 102 days, both moons will be full. However, to make the large ‘solid’ looking reflection on the surface of the water, they both need to be near the horizon at the same time. I’ll say that that happens only when both moons are full on or near the spring and autumn equinoxes. There’s a python script in the footnote, with which I calculated how often that happens. 2
The result is that every 4794 days (roughly 16 Eekraw years), there’s a four-day span in which the moons are both full on the equinox, and on year 6 and year 10 in the intervening time there’s one day in which it’s nearly true.
I had to decide whether to add the sentence only to the ‘culture’ section of Region 8, or to the planet description. I decided to add it to the planet description, as the different regions might later develop different ways this is mentioned in their own culture, and it’s worth giving that option. Below is the updated planet description:
Planet:
Slightly smaller than Earth, approximately 0.9g gravity
A little bit closer to the system’s sun, meaning approximately 1.05 times as much light transmitted to the surface as the Earth
Day length: Approximately 30 Earth hours
Year length: Approximately 283 days (354 Earth days)
Two moons in orbit around the planet. Moon 1 has a period of 34 days, and moon 2 has a period of 51 days
Every 4794 days (roughly 16 years), there is a four day window where both moons are full on the equinox, creating a sustained reflection on the surface of the water at night that is bright and straight. On the 6th and 10th intervening year, there is a single day window where there is a lesser version of this event.
I can think of a few ways that the Eekraw in region 8 view this phenomenon, but I think the first one that ChatGPT suggested is the best. The Eekraw believe that it is a beacon to light the way for the ancestors to return to the world to bless their descendants. With this major change, I think I might remove the sentence ‘Revere the sun’ from their societal overview as that concept is so much less developed. I’ll roll a 1d2 to see if the Eekraw of Region 8 still revere the sun or if they’ve transitioned fully to ancestor worship. (1 is keep, 2 is drop). I roll a 2, so I drop that part of the culture of Region 8.
ChatGPT also suggested that the timeframe for the two-moon event roughly aligns with the time it takes for an infant Eekraw to become a youngling and for a youngling to become an adult, so it could be some sort of ritual adulthood ceremony, or perhaps youngsters born on this day are particularly lucky. I really like this idea, but I’m not going to add it to Region 8 this time, I’ll just keep it in my back pocket for a later cultural evolution.
So, their culture now has the following:
Culture:
The moons’ combined bright, sustained reflection on the water every 16 years is a beacon the ancestors use to fly back to the world and revisit their descendants.
The Fark are evil shadow spirits (originally based on a predator of an ancestral biome). The Yik (priests) conduct rituals to try to drive the Fark away spiritually. Only the Yik call the evil spirits Fark, everyone else calls the evil spirits Rakva to avoid drawing their attention.
These Eekraw use R’tere (luminescent moss) to create specific symbols to represent their clans, so other clans will know when they’ve crossed paths. Not a territorial thing, as they migrate
Now I’ll do language evolution for this region. First, I need to add extra words to describe these new concepts. To describe the ancestors I’m going to create the word “Ra’Ewa” which is basically ‘sacred-us.’
Then I’ll add the word “Ra’Ewa’Vakre” or ancestor-flight, to refer to the moonlight event that is the flight of the ancestors.
Next, I’ll do language evolution - first I’ll do a broad change to see some random words to change, then I’ll roll for a category. I roll a 7, so language evolution occurs to the creatures category.
Creatures (7):
Tiyo - dangerous creature
Skikka - non-threatening/harmless creature
Sika - nuisance creature
Skira - harmless sea-creature/fish
Kre’tiva - Large avian creature, large light-sensitive eyes, hunts nocturnally. Will snatch a fully grown Eekraw if they are alone. Relative of the Varkee of Region 1
Kre’Jilvar - Large reptile, has large tail with spikes on it
Tiktuti - Dog-sized insect, with green camoflauge skin and strong legs. Ambush predator
Torskar - Large segmented worms that feed on dead plants and animals
Skiratar - Large herbivore with armored hide and two large horns
Traratra - Medium-sized animal with hard exoskeletal shell, four legs and slightly webbed feet for swimming. Feeds on the star-shaped fruits and the funghi, travels in small family groups
Raisali - A medium-sized creature with tough skin and sharp tusks
Ra’orik - Bioluminescent beetles that live in colonies and feed on tree sap, release a noxious gas when threatened. Has luminescence that alters based on the season. Related to the beetles of region 3
Skitra’ti - Small, vibrantly colored fish which live in shallows and coastal pools, feeding on small insects and algae
Prominent Individuals
This is the new part of the turn order.
Altered Remembrance
First, I’ll go into region 2, and move Dol’ittik, the prominent individual from last turn, to a new ‘myths/history’ section. The following is the way she was remembered from last turn:
Dol’ittik: Dol’ittik was a young Eekraw who was generally derided as being clumsy (hence ‘ittik - from it’tik, which means screw-up). She assembled a hunting party, Talu’wi’Tik, Ekti’Chalu, and Dal’Vtal, and ventured into the savannah to take down a Tikku’Taluvark, the apex predator of the savannah. She was renamed Var’Doltik out of respect, and formed a nestgroup with her successful hunting party.
Here are some possible ways the memory/history change:
Largely stay the same.
Embellishment - she hunted not just one Tikku’Taluvark but three, and Dol’ittik didn’t just create a nestgroup but a whole new clan
Make it more solitary - the hunting party fades from memory, and she faced off against the Tikku’Taluvark alone
Perseverance - the focus becomes Dol’ittik overcoming her clumsiness and not giving up
Clumsiness - Dol’ittik succeeds by blundering into success accidentally, not purposefully
Mythization / spiritualization - Dol’ittik meditated under a Tavak (sacred tree) and got guidance from the ancestors
Deification - Dol’ittik was a spirit of some kind, or part spirit, not a normal Eekraw
Romantization - the focus is on the romantic bonds between the members of the hunting party
Betrayal story - a version adds a betrayal by one of the members of the hunting party
The hunt fades in importance, and Dol’ittik’s founding of her nest group and later guidance of the clan is emphasized
Injury - a version adds in a major injury, which had to be overcome
Change in character emphasis - one of the other three Eekraw of the hunting party is emphasized more than Dol’ittik
Additional character story - the story stays basically the same, but one of the other hunters gets a story of their own (kind of like the evolution of King Arthur’s round table stories)
Some of these are much larger changes to the story than some of the others. That’s intentional - I want to leave a lot of this to chance, both to make it so there are interesting and unusual combinations of cultural factors, and so that I’m surprised at times, to make it more fun for me.
I roll a 10, so the hunt fades in importance, while the nest founding and leadership role becomes more important. I also change some of the names, as such:
Dol’ittik —> Var’Doltik (the emphasis is on her later history, when that was her name)
Talu’wi’Tik —> Talwik
Ekti’Chalu —> Ekti’lu
Dal’Vtal —> Daltal’tiy (adding a ‘tiy because in later myth he was remembered as being small)
The new entry in the culture of the region:
Oral History/Myth:
Var’Doltik - Var’Doltik was a young Eekraw who was generally derided as being clumsy. However, she went and found several other Eekraw - Talwik, the brave male, Ekti’lu, the wise female, and little Daltal’tiy, the male tracker - and convinced them to form a hunting group, even taking down a Tikku’Taluvark. Her demonstrated leadership convinced the other three to form a nest group with her. Later, the rest of her clan decided to ask her to guide them, due to the noted success of her and her nest group.
Per the turn order, I should roll for a region which has a further change to the myth/history. However, since the story of Var’Doltik is the only one that exists, I’ll hold off on that until next turn.
New Prominence
Now, I’ll roll for a new region which will get a new prominent individual. There are eight inhabited regions now, so I’ll roll a 1d8. I get a 7, so in the tropical deciduous forest biome to the southeast, a new individual rises to prominence. 1 is male, 2 is female - I roll a 1, so he’s male.
Possible reasons for his rise to prominence:
A grand ritual - as a Yee’r (priest), he did a major ritual during the four day moon reflection window, and it seems that there was a reduction in attacks by Varkee (airborne predator)
The Challenge - A large and aggressive Eekraw wanted to lead his clan in a certain way. Through a series of KrTavrek (challenges), our prominent individual showed his worth and replaced the oppressive leader
Defender - as a member of an Ekra’tir (defense/lookout nest group), he defended the Ekra’trak (clan) against an attack by a group of Varkee at night
Distance flight - he made an incredibly long-distance flight, a distance previously thought impossible
He had an impressive wealth of knowledge of history and tradition, and shared it
As a youngling, he fended off an aggressive Jilktal’teek (large predator reptile) on his own
I rolled a 5 - probably the least interesting of the options, but oh well. Although I reserve the right to change a result when I need to, I also want to keep the randomness, because otherwise it’s not any different than me just writing a story on my own. Which, don’t get me wrong, I like doing that too, but it’s not the point.
Based on some suggestions from ChatGPT, I decide that his name is Krvar’ek (from the words KrVar’ree (to succeed/excel) and Ek’ (the prefix for related to the clan - though in this case obviously I use it as a suffix).
Is he a Yee’r (priest) or another Eekraw who happens to be very smart and remembers stuff well? 1 - Yee’r, 2 - not. I roll a 1, so he is Yee’r. I think the Yee’r are normally not concerned primarily with educating the clan. (i.e., is he exceptional in what he does, or just exceptional in how well he does it?) 1 or 2 to see if that is true - 1 again. So he’s a Yee’r, but unlike most of the Yee’r, who usually keep their learning to themselves, Krvar’ek takes it upon himself to share the history of the clan with the rest of the Eekraw.
I think he has a particularly devoted/successful pupil as well. Male/Female - female. She’s named KrVeekra (combination of KrVee - to fly - and Ekra - home).
I had some thoughts about adding additional nuance and details to the story, but honestly, that’s not neccesary. Part of the point of this is that the details and mythology gets added over time.
So, added to “Prominent Individuals” in region 7:
Krvar’ek - Krvar’ek was a prominent Yee’r. Generally, the Yee’r focus their efforts on protecting the clan spiritually, but Krvar’ek decided to try and spread his knowledge. He learned the history of the clan, and of many other clans, and recited it to spread to others. His most prominent student was KrVeekra, a female Eekraw. She learned his knowledge and continued his goals by spreading it further herself.
Now, I’ll do a round of basic language evolution for region 7. I roll a 3, so the following is the new category 3 (descriptors):
Descriptor (3):
Yigti - traitor
Tik’r - hidden/camouflaged
Skigskig - totally useless
Jilk - tasty/good-tasting
Jilkree - delicious
Expansion
Now it’s time for expansion. Again, there are 8 regions, so I roll a 1d8. I get a 7, so region 7 expands. That’s actually quite interesting, since it’ll give a chance next turn for me to see how it works when I take a prominent individual and see how they’re remembered in different regions. I roll a 1d2 and get a 2, so Region 7 expands into two different new regions. I’m still considering restricting it to one each turn, but I haven’t decided to do that yet.
I took a relatively contained view last turn on how large a region is, but this time I’m going to do the opposite. I’m going to say that region 7 is that entire tropical deciduous forest stretching from region 1 all the way to the coast. That means there’s three biomes it can expand to - the tropical rainforest in the river basin, the temperate forest along the mountains to the north, and the coastal/island tropical deciduous forest region between the central continent and the continent to the west.
I’ll roll a 1d3 (1- rainforest, 2 - temperate forest, 3 - coastal) for the first expansion. I get a 1, so region 9 is the river basin rainforest. Then I roll a 1d2 (1 - northern temperate forest, 2 - coastal/island region). I get a 2, so they expand into the coastal/island regions including parts of the western continent.
Here’s the new regions.
Region 10 is pretty sprawling, as is region 7, but I want to finish expanding across the world sooner rather than later.
Region 10
To save time, I’ll make region 10 be almost the same biome as region 8, I’ll just roll for one part of the biome to be replaced by a variant, and another to be totally new, but otherwise be the same. I would draw a species from region 7, but region 8 was already 90% the same as region 7. I’ll do region 10 first, so that region 9 has two biomes to draw similar species from, not just one.
So, I’ll roll for a species/resource to come from region 7. There are 12 entries in the biome, so I’ll roll a 1d12: 4. Therefore, the large segemented worm scavenger varies in region 10 from how it is in region 8. I’ll say that region 10’s variant is semi-amphibious and feeds on seaweed as well as other sea-based plant matter.
Next, I’ll roll for a thing to be totally replaced. I roll an 11, so the funghi staple food doesn’t exist in region 10. With ChatGPT’s help I came up with a couple of options, and the two best ones were:
Floating fruit-bearing plants tethered to the ground by long vines. They drift in the canopy catching sunlight, held aloft by gas-filled sacs next to the fruit.
Root tubers which grow in the sand along the coast, adapted to be fully submerged in seawater during high tide.
I think the first option is just cooler, so I’ll go with that.
Therefore, the full biome for Region 10 is as follows:
Island/Coastal Tropical Deciduous Forest:
Major Predator: Large avian creature, large light-sensitive eyes, hunts nocturnally. Will snatch a fully grown Eekraw if they are alone. Relative of the Varkee of Region 1
Minor Predator: Large reptile, has large tail with spikes on it
Minor Predator: Dog-sized insect, with green camoflauge skin and strong legs. Ambush predator
Scavenger: Large semi-amphibious segmented worms that feed on dead plants and animals, as well as seaweed and other ocean plant-matter
Major Prey Animal: Large herbivore with armored hide and two large horns
Medium Prey Animal: Medium-sized animal with hard exoskeletal shell, four legs and slightly webbed feet for swimming. Feeds on the star-shaped fruits and the funghi, travels in small family groups
Medium Prey Animal: A medium-sized creature with tough skin and sharp tusks
Small prey Animal: Bioluminescent beetles that live in colonies and feed on tree sap, release a noxious gas when threatened. Has luminescence that alters based on the season. Related to the beetles of region 3
Small Prey Animal: Small, vibrantly colored fish which live in shallows and coastal pools, feeding on small insects and algae
Staple Food: Star-shaped fruit produced by one of the tree-species
Staple Food: Floating fruit-bearing plants tethered to the ground by long vines. They drift in the canopy catching sunlight, held aloft by gas-filled sacs next to the fruit.
Resource: A bioluminescent moss that exists in a symbiotic relationship with the trees of the biome and grows on their upper canopies
Region 9
Now, for Region 9 I’ll take something from region 10 and from region 7. They have biomes that are very similar to each other, so it won’t necessarily be that distinct - so I’ll pick two random other regions and add a biome feature from them as well.
First, from biome 7: I rolled a 6, so I add a variant on “Large insects with a gas-filled cavity to make them buoyant enough to easily climb trees.”
Here are a few possible variants on that:
Reduced size
Larger size
hooks or suction-cup-like structures to hang onto vegetation in high winds
Water repellent exoskeletons
I roll a 3, so the creature is a “Large insect with gas-filled cavity that reduces weight to make climbing trees easier. Have heavy hooked claws to maintain their hold on trees in high winds and rain.”
Now, from biome 10, I rolled an 8, so it’ll be a variant of “Bioluminescent beetles that live in colonies and feed on tree sap, release a noxious gas when threatened. Has luminescence that alters based on the season.”
Possible variations:
Smaller
Larger
Nesting/burrowing into trees
Gas is used to release pheremones for mating instead of protection
Change in diet - eat decaying leaves and plant matter as well as sap
I roll a 1, so these beetles are even smaller. The new description is “Tiny bioluminescent insects that live in colonies and feed on tree sap, release a noxious gas when threatened. Luminescence varies based on season”
Now I’ll roll for two more regions to provide another feature. There are seven biomes other than 7 and 10 which already provided features. If I roll a seven, I’ll just draw from region 8 instead. I roll a 2 and a 3.
From region 2: I roll a 4, so “A flying creature that resembles a thin kite, that glides on thermals looking for the remains of dead animals, then settles on top of them to digest them. It is roughly the color of the savannah below, so when it settles on an animal, it’s hard to notice that there is something there”
The coloration obviously shifts, but additional variants are:
Shorter, stronger wings to fly instead of just glide
Migration habits
Amphibious - goes in and out of water in rivers
Enhanced camoflauge
I roll a 1, so instead of gliding, it flies, but otherwise is very similar. I rephrase it as “A thin, kite-shaped flying creature with strong wings to maneuver around trees. It lands on dead animals to digest them, using its natural camouflage to hide it’s meal from other creatures”
Now, for region 3, I roll a 5, so “Large herbivore with broad, leaf-like antlers. Have thick fur that helps keep them warm in the winter.” It will certainly have thinner fur, but other than that, here are some possible variations:
Elongated tongue or proboscis
Antlers with holes to reduce weight
Longer and more muscular tail for balance in slipppery terain
Split/webbed hooves for traversing muddy terrain
I roll a 2, so the antlers have holes to reduce weight. The updated description is “large herbivore with broad antlers full of holes, and light, slick fur.”
Overall, region 9 is as follows:
Tropical Rainforest Biome
Major Predator: A sleek, iridescent-skinned feline with six legs, and bifurcated tail with spiky end
Minor Predator: Bird-like creatures with razor-sharp talons, swoop from the treetops to grab medium to small prey. Not a threat to Eekraw unless injured
Minor Predator: Agile, bipedal beings with razor-sharp claws and prehensile tail, around 4 feet tall, hunt in upper tree canopy
Scavenger: A thin, kite-shaped flying creature with strong wings to maneuver around trees. It lands on dead animals to digest them, using its natural camouflage to hide it’s meal from other creatures
Major Prey Animal: large herbivore with broad antlers full of holes, and light, slick fur
Medium Prey Animal: Large insect with gas-filled cavity that reduces weight to make climbing trees easier. Have heavy hooked claws to maintain their hold on trees in high winds and rain.
Medium Prey Animal: Medium-sized marsupial with large hind legs for jumping, leaps between trees using prehensile tail for balance
Small prey Animal: Tiny bioluminescent insects that live in colonies and feed on tree sap, release a noxious gas when threatened. Luminescence varies based on season
Small Prey Animal: Small rodent-like creatures that feed on fungi and insects, live in roots and dead trees
Staple Food: Large, sky-blue berries that grow in the mid-canopy level of the rainforest
Staple Food: Tuber that grows in the ground in wetter areas of the forest that has a sweet taste
Resource: Bark of a certain tree is flexible but durable, could be used for weaving
Language Changes
Now, language updates to describe the new biomes.
For Region 9, here are the updated creatures and plants categories:
Creatures (7):
Teek - dangerous creature
Skikka - non-threatening/harmless creature
Tirteek - A sleek, iridescent-skinned feline with six legs, and bifurcated tail with spiky end
Varkee’tee - Bird-like creatures with razor-sharp talons, swoop from the treetops to grab medium to small prey. Not a threat to Eekraw unless injured
Varst’Tal Agile, bipedal, monkey-like beings with razor-sharp claws and prehensile tail, around 4 feet tall, hunt in upper tree canopy
V’kre’skikka - A thin, kite-shaped flying creature with strong wings to maneuver around trees. It lands on dead animals to digest them, using its natural camouflage to hide it’s meal from other creatures
Kratir’skia’teer - large herbivore with broad antlers full of holes, and light, slick fur
Skikkaar - Large insect with gas-filled cavity that reduces weight to make climbing trees easier. Have heavy hooked claws to maintain their hold on trees in high winds and rain.
Varskit’skig - Medium-sized marsupial with large hind legs for jumping, leaps between trees using prehensile tail for balance
Ree’skikka - Tiny bioluminescent insects that live in colonies and feed on tree sap, release a noxious gas when threatened. Luminescence varies based on season
Turjekt - Small rodent-like creatures that feed on fungi and insects, live in roots and dead trees
Plants (8):
Teer - plant
Varskit - bushes and small trees
Tav’k - tall tree that can be jumped off
Tirt’r’var - Large, sky-blue berries that grow in the mid-canopy level of the rainforest
Tal’Jilk’teer - Tuber that grows in the ground in wetter areas of the forest that has a sweet taste
Varskit’Riji - Bark of a certain tree is flexible but durable, could be used for weaving
Now, I roll for what other category is changed: 6 - so Environment:
Environment (6):
Re - sun
Talu - ground/soil
Traki - freshwater
Var’va - above the canopy
Varro - forest canopy
Var’Tav - under canopy
Vaskit - shrub layer
Rakay - day
Rikun - night
Ra’ki - sunset/sunrise
V’kreo - flight
Teera - something that is reflective (metal or water, for example)
Then for Region 10:
Creatures (7):
Teek - dangerous creature
Skikka - non-threatening/harmless creature
Varkee - Large avian creature, large light-sensitive eyes, hunts nocturnally. Will snatch a fully grown Eekraw if they are alone
Jilktal’teek - Large predator reptile, has strong, wide tail with spikes on it
Tikru’teek - Dog-sized insect, with green camoflauge skin and strong legs. Ambush predator
Tal’Teek - Large semi-amphibious segmented worms that feed on dead plants and animals, as well as seaweed and other ocean plant-matter
Kratir’skia - Large herbivore with armored hide and two large horns
Rateer’Skikka - Medium-sized animal with hard exoskeletal shell, four legs and slightly webbed feet for swimming. Feeds on the star-shaped fruits and the funghi, travels in small family groups
Teek-skikka - A medium-sized creature with tough skin and sharp tusks, dangerous if provoked
Reekikka - Bioluminescent beetles that live in colonies and feed on tree sap, release a noxious gas when threatened. Has luminescence that alters based on the season.
Jilk’Trak - Small, vibrantly colored fish which live in shallows and coastal pools, feeding on small insects and algae
Plants (8):
Teer - plant
Varskit - trees that are too short to jump off of
Tav’k - tall tree that can be jumped off
Talri’teer - A bioluminescent moss that exists in a symbiotic relationship with the trees of the biome and grows on their upper canopies
Tirt’r’var - Star-shaped fruit produced by one of the tree species
Var’tirt - Floating fruit-bearing plants tethered to the ground by long vines. They drift in the canopy catching sunlight, held aloft by gas-filled sacs next to the fruit.
And I roll for another category to do changes to: 2 (Culture):
Culture (2):
Yee’ra - priest/shaman nest
Ekratir - defense/lookout nest
Eki - youngling
Elraw - nest group
Ra’trak - clan
Var’ka - evil force of darkness
Traki - life
Era - home
Ekrit - shelter
Ekra’Teerra - family heritage (home-reflection)
Finally, language evolution for region 7, from which regions 9 and 10 came: I roll a 7 (creatures):
Creatures (7):
Taik - dangerous creature
Sikka - non-threatening/harmless creature
Varke - Large avian creature, large light-sensitive eyes, hunts nocturnally. Will snatch a fully grown Eekraw if they are alone
Jilkteek - Large predator reptile, has strong, wide tail with spikes on it
Kraskia - Large herbivore with armored hide and two large horns
Skikar - Large insects with a gas-filled cavity to make them buoyant enough to easily climb trees and eat their fruits.
Turjek - Small creature, rodent-sized, with long snout to draw nectar from flowers
Reeskik - Bioluminescent beetles that live in colonies and feed on tree sap, release a noxious gas when threatened. Has luminescence that alters based on the season.
Tikrutek - Dog-sized insect, with green camoflauge skin and strong legs. Ambush predator
Teekskia - A medium-sized creature with tough skin and sharp tusks, dangerous if provoked
TalTeek - Large segmented worms that feed on dead plants and animals
Language Development
Now I will do a full round of language development, in which, rather than doing just a single category, I’ll roll a region and do language development to every category. I have 10 inhabited regions now - and I roll a 3, a region that hasn’t changed its language since the very first turn.
Basics (1):
Ek’e - me
Yik - you
Eroo - them
Erae - us
Kii - yes
Ki’raa - emphatic yes
Hrei - no
Kre’raik - emphatic no
Culture (2):
Raa’yeek - elder
Ti’eke - youngling
Ek’yik - individual from my nest
Eek’wi - nest
Era’raa - clan
Rilk - food
Rilk’tal - a place where food is consumed
Rilk’tika - a feast
Descriptor (3):
Yikuik - misguided/wrong
Raik’tal - scared/fearful
Raa - blessed or sacred
Verbs (4):
Hrarki - to fly
Rilki - to eat
Haal - to stand/land
Hraal - to complete
Hraal’raa - to die
Hraitir - to defend
Ravi - to make/create
Varrik - to travel
Other (5):
Te’ - prefix for small
‘ka - suffix for large
Tal - below
Var - above
Environment (6):
Raa - sun
Taal - ground/stone/soil
Toor - underground
Tara - water
Varu - wind/breeze
Varu’raa - favorable flying weather
Raykri - day
Raikru - night
Aakriki - sunset/sunrise
Tavaa - jumping off points for flight - cliffs or tall trees
Creatures (7):
Tikk - predator
Siku - creatures that walk
Jilta - prey animals
Ra’kutik - Stealthy nocturnal predator with large, piercing eyes, solitary hunter
Skik’tik - Pack hunting creature with leather skin and a strong jaw that can crunch through exoskeletons
Varsitik - Sleek, elongated animal with a prehensile tail. Drops from trees onto their prey, have a venomous bite
Tikruir - Medium-sized beetle-like creature with a hardened carapace, eats decaying plant or animal matter
Trakti - Large herbivore with broad, leaf-like antlers. Have thick fur that helps keep them warm in the winter
Sijilkal - Medium-sized animal which eats the fern-like plant and moves in groups of three or four, easily startled
Taalarak - Amphibious medium-sized animal with webbed feet and a finned tail, lives in or near rivers and small lakes, hibernates in winter
Tuu’jekti - Small animal with vibrating whiskers and no eyes, lives in decayed roots of trees underground
Raik’raa - Bioluminescent beetles that live in colonies and feed on tree sap, release a noxious gas when threatened
Plants (8):
Til - plant
Varkti - trees
Vartur - Large sweet berries produced from a bush
Ratikri - A fern-like plant with nutrient-rich leaves which several animals eat. Eekraw cannot eat them
Tarkravi - tree-sap that hardens when exposed to water
Vas’tiravi - tree bark that can be beaten into clothing
Advancement / Development
Now, advancement. I’ll roll a region: 9. So the newly inhabited tropical rainforest region has some sort of advancement. 1d3 - 1 is technological, 2 is social, 3 is cultural. 3 - region 9 has a cultural advancement of some type.
Region 9’s current societal overview is:
Society/Social Structure:
Clan units of multiple nests, limited specialization. Specialization is at the nest level
Yee’r (priests) (at the nest level, i.e., one of the nest in a clan is the Yee’r nest)
Ekra’tir - a nest which is tasked with being lookouts/defenders for the rest of the clan
Culture:
Reverence for the sun
The Var’k are evil shadow spirits (associated with avian predators of a previous homeland)
The Yee’r (priests) conduct rituals to try to drive the Var’k away spiritually
Technology/Tools
Shelter: Nests burrowed in dead trees
Prominent Individuals:
Krvar’ek - Krvar’ek was a prominent Yee’r. Generally, the Yee’r focus their efforts on protecting the clan spiritually, but Krvar’ek decided to try and spread his knowledge as well. He learned the history of the clan, and of many other clans, and recited it to spread to others. His most prominent student was KrVeekra, a female Eekraw. She learned his knowledge and continued his goals by spreading it further herself.
Possible cultural advancements:
Dyes and feather art - use materials from the rainforest to make dyes and adorn feathers
Var’k charms - carve protective charms or amulets to protect from the evil Var’k shadow spirits
Clan histories - inspired by Krvar’ek, they start songs or chants that pass down histories or stories
Moon festivals - festivals for the two moons, perhaps especially the once every 16 years event
Dance of flight - synchronized/competitive aerial dances
I roll a 3, so the Eekraw of region 9 begin making oral histories, with chants that pass down the history of the clan.
I add a few words for that. R’Varek’kree already means educate, somewhat based off Krvar’ek’s name. I’ll add R’Veek’re (based somewhat off KrVeekra’s name) to mean “sing,” Ek’Veek’re to mean ‘clan song,’ i.e., the oral history of the clan, and Ek’Veek’tee (small clan song) to mean a verse of the clan song.
I also add the following to the societal overview: “Each clan has a Ek’Veek’re (clan song), an oral history of the clan that is sung to remember the past. The entire clan joins in to sing the Ek’Veek’re.”
Now, I do the basic language development for region 9 - I roll for category of language to change. I roll a 6.
Environment (6):
Rere - sun
Talu - ground/soil
Taki - freshwater
Va’va - above the canopy
Vao - forest canopy
Var’Ta - under canopy
Vakit - shrub layer
Rakay - day
Rikun - night
Raki - sunset/sunrise
V’kreo - flight
Teeraa - something that is reflective (metal or water, for example)
With that, I complete Turn 6. This turn was twice as long in wordcount as any of the preceding ones and took twice as long in time to complete as any of the others as well. Still, overall it was really cool, and I’m excited to see how the various new regions’ memories of Krvar’ek and KrVeekra morph differently.
I’m using ChatGPT to give me astrophysics information and math. Obviously, that’s a bit suspect, as it’s been known to hallucinate. However, I’m not necessarily concerned with being precisely right with the math of this situation - though I’d welcome any corrections if any reader has them. In this case, plausibility is perfectly fine by me, and plausibility is ChatGPT’s greatest strength - not good when it’s wrong in a factual matter, but fine in idea generation for fiction.
Here’s the python script I wrote, with help from ChatGPT. The Least Common Multiple of 102 and 141 (in a 282 day year, equinoxes occur every 141 days) is 4794. I therefore check every day from shortly before to shortly after that period, to see if (1) it’s within 2 days of a full moon for moon 1, (2) if it’s within 2 days of a moon 2 full moon, and (3) if it’s within 2 days of an equinox.
moon1_period=34
moon2_period=51
equinox_period = 141
count = 0
days = []
#loop through each day
for day in range(-10, 4800):
# Check the 5-day window before and after each equinox for a full moon.
moon1_full = any((day-d) % moon1_period == 0 for d in range (-2,2))
moon2_full = any((day-d) % moon2_period == 0 for d in range (-2,2))
equinox = any((day - d) % equinox_period == 0 for d in range(-2, 2))
if moon1_full and moon2_full and equinox:
count +=1
days.append(day)
print(count)
for day in days:
print (day)