Clan Markings with the Raa'tir
Turn 4
In this turn:
The Eekraw of the forest start using luminescent moss to mark clan signs on trees
Expansion into a tropical deciduous forest to the southwest of the original biome
Coastal tribes start making basic woven baskets to carry things in flight
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 surprised by the results.
Turn Order:
The turn order (with the new additions/changes from the last turn) is:
Random Event: Roll on the random event table, then roll to see what region it occurs in
Activation: Roll a die to decide which region to ‘activate.’
Expansion: The activated 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. I’m adding a rule that 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.
Language Development: The activated region and expanded-to regions will undergo language development
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 a round of language development.
Random Events:
I’ll use a still shortened table, since I think it’s too early to implement some of the more drastic things I’ve thought of for the table.
An animal migrates from one region to another.
A new species becomes prominent.
A new variant of a species becomes prominent.
A new plant becomes prominent.
Society evolves - complexity is added.
Society changes - some aspect of society changes.
Culture Evolves - complexity is added.
Culture changes - some aspect of culture changes.
Technology evolves.
Genetic change - develop new feather colors, for example.
I rolled a 7, so complexity is added to a culture in one of the regions. I’ll now roll to see which region - and region 4 is the lucky winner.
Their current society/culture/technology summary is below:
Social Structure:
Clan units of related nest groups, limited specialization
Specialization is at the nest level (i.e., there is a nest of Yeek)
Trades younglings between clans to create new nests. For example, two clans might agree to combine their most promising younglings to create a new nest in one or the other clan. Or a clan with a nest that has lost a member might request a surplus member from another clan. This also creates ties between clans.
Culture:
Reverence for the sun
The Fark are evil shadow spirits (originally based on a predator of an ancestral biome)
The Yeek (priests) conduct rituals to try to drive the Fark away spiritually
Raa’tir (Luminescent moss) is used to mark territory, and also primitive art
Technology/Tools
Shelter: Nests in the forest, lined with insulating moss
Possible Changes:
Here are some possible ways their culture could change:
The Eekraw start making totems representing the Fark to try to keep them at bay or appease them
The Yeek could start interpreting dreams as messages or omens
The Trara’varkre, the buoyant floating creatures, could become central to folklore
Introduction of a festival to celebrate the integration of a youngling into their new clan
A festival involving using Raa’tir moss to make paths in the forest to guide spirits and promote good fortune
Sun festival, with Eekraw launching from a Tavark (launching-point) just before sunrise with their feather painted with Raa’tir moss to represent the sun’s rays
Ritualistic/ceremonial combat between Eekraw males
Migration songs, including details of past locations and where the best spots are
Art using the Raa’tir moss represents specific clans, left behind on trees after migration for others to find
Use the Raa’tir moss to create art on the body, creating glowing patterns
I roll a 9, so these Eekraw use Raa’tir moss to create specific symbols to represent their clans, so other clans will know when they’ve crossed paths. There’s no sense of territory, though, as they all migrate constantly. Instead, it’s used in a ‘we were here’ kind of way, to show other clans that they had passed through this area of the forest.
I thought about creating some clans and their specific symbols, but I think I’ll leave that for a later date, if I do it at all. It would make sense if I start differentiating their language and culture too, but that might be too much complexity, particularly at this point.
Now I’ll do a language evolution on the tribe in region 4. First I’ll just put in the standard prompt, which will give me a few words across the entire lexicon to do changes to. Then, I’ll roll to see what category evolves - I roll a 1d8 and get 3, so category 3 changes.
Descriptors (3):
Yota - bad
Yitit - very bad
Jilkai - good
Jilkai’jil - very good
Tiku - shadowed/obscured
Activation/Expansion
Now activation - which region activates? There are 6 inhabited regions, so I roll a 1d6. I roll a 1, so the original mountain biome in Region 1 activates. I roll a 1d2 and get a 1, so they expand into one nearby biome. There’s really only one biome they can expand into, the tropical deciduous forest to the southwest.
Thus, the tropical deciduous forest is now the new region 7.
Biome Generation:
First, I take a creature from each of the nearest biomes and move a variant into the new. From region 1, there’s one creature that it makes the most sense to take - the Varkee, the large predators of the mountains that also are associated with evil spirits.
From region 3, I don’t have any specific ideas, so I roll 1d13. I got a 9, meaning the following animal has a relative in the new region 7: Small Prey Animal: Bioluminescent beetles that live in colonies and feed on tree sap, release a noxious gas when threatened
Finally, from region 4 I pick the Raa’tir, the luminescent moss, as it had such an impact on the culture of the Eekraw in that region.
After making variants of these, I’m trying out a new prompt for biome generation:
“The year is 2100. You are an expert in xeno-biology. You are brilliant and well-read in all the textbooks on xeno-biology. Help me brainstorm the major lifeforms in a tropical deciduous forest biome on a planet. Be creative and think through how such an ecosystem would function and what creatures would live there. Use the concepts of energy flow through ecosystems.”
I think this helped, and made things more interesting, but I’ll have to try a few more times to see. Overall, the biome generation part of these turns is getting less and less interesting, honestly, even while I’m enjoying the language and culture part.
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 segmented worms that feed on dead plants and animals
Major Prey Animal: Large herbivore with armored hide and two large horns
Medium Prey Animal: Large insects with a gas-filled cavity to make them buoyant enough to easily climb trees.
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 creature, rodent-sized, with long snout to draw nectar from flowers
Staple Food: Star-shaped fruit produced by one of the tree-species
Staple Food: Ground-based fungi that forms in piles of dropped leaves
Resource: A bioluminescent moss that exists in a symbiotic relationship with the trees of the biome and grows on their upper canopies
I also change the ‘shelter’ attribute of this region’s societal overview to read “Nests burrowed in dead trees, with glowing moss lining the inside,” since they don’t have caves in this region.
Language Evolution:
Now it’s time to come up with words for the new things, and then conduct language evolution.
Here are the names for each of the new creatures, including their explanation. The Varkee and Turjekt are similar enough to creatures in the new biome that I just kept the name.
Varkee - Large avian creature, large light-sensitive eyes, hunts nocturnally. Will snatch a fully grown Eekraw if they are alone
Jilktal’teek (lizard-dangerous) - Large predator reptile, has strong, wide tail with spikes on it
Kra’tir’skikka (defense-harmless creature) - Large herbivore with armored hide and two large horns
Skikka’var (harmless-above) - Large insects with a gas-filled cavity to make them buoyant enough to easily climb trees and eat their fruits.
Turjekt - Small creature, rodent-sized, with long snout to draw nectar from flowers
Ree’skikka (sun-harmless) - 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.
Tikru’teek (untrustworthy-dangerous) - Dog-sized insect, with green camoflauge skin and strong legs. Ambush predator
Teek-skikka (harmless-dangerous) - A medium-sized creature with tough skin and sharp tusks, dangerous if provoked
Tal’Teek (ground-harmless) - Large segmented worms that feed on dead plants and animals
Talri’teer (glowstone-plant) - A bioluminescent moss that grows on the upper canopies of trees in the biome
Tirt’r’var (tuber-above) - Star-shaped fruit produced by one of the tree species
Tal’teer (ground-plant) - Ground-based fungi that forms in piles of dropped leaves
Now, language evolution. As before, I’ll just put in a broad prompt first, changing a few random words as examples, then I’ll roll for a specific category. I rolled a 4, so the verbs undergo a process of language evolution. The new words are below:
Verbs (4):
KrVee - to fly
KrVar’ree - to succeed/excel
Krji - to use
KrJil’teer - to harvest/forage
KrTalvar - to land on a tree
KrTaltal - to land on the ground
Kra’teer - to defend/protect
Kr’ekit’ra - to care for/nurture
KrTavrek - to challenge
Talri’KrJil - to light/illuminate (i.e., with talri’teer)
Now, I’ll do the same thing to region 1. I rolled a 6. Here are the updates to category 6 in region 1:
Environment (6):
Re’kree - sun/daytime
Re’kru - night
Re’kro - sunset/sunrise
Ta’ - ground/stone/soil
Tor’ - underground
Traki - water
Vara- air/above
Talra - Stone that emits a low glow, can be used for lighting in caves
Tav’ka - jumping off points for flight - cliffs or tall trees
Vark - flight
Teer - something that is reflective (metal or water, for example)
Technological Development
Finally, it’s time for technological/societal development. With 7 inhabited regions now, I’ll roll a 1d7. I roll a 5, so region 5 undergoes development.
Again, I’ll roll a 1d3 to see how it develops. 1 is technological, 2 is social, 3 is cultural. I roll a 1, so region 5 undergoes technological development.
Again I use ChatGPT to come up with a few possible ideas for how technology could advance. Here are a few of the ones I liked best:
Talon attachments - simple tools made from hard materials are attached to foot or wing talons (scooping implement for digging, crushing implement to break the hard shelled nuts in the biome).
Develop the use of fire to provide light, heat and prepare foods
Lightweight baskets, allowing food storage/transport
Basic fishing nets to more easily catch the Tark’jilk fish
Simple device to gauge wind speed and direction
Simple flight harness to carry stuff while flying
Build basic platforms in the canopies for nesting
Sharpen stones to hurl at larger prey, such as KrVarkee’Sika or Jilk’vara
It also suggested they might hollow out Dal’Tavak resin balls and fill them with plant fibers to light, making simple torch. This one is cool and interesting enough I wanted to bring it up, but as none of the Eekraw have developed fire yet, I’m not going to include it as an option to roll for, but I did want to mention it.
I rolled a 3, so the Eekraw in this region start making basic baskets to carry things in. They name it the Jilk’Vtal (food-move).
Finally, I do a round of language development for region 5. Again just do the basic prompt to get changes across the language, then roll a 1d9 (there are 9 language categories in region 5) and get an 8, so I specifically change the creature category.
Creatures (8):
Tigg - any ground-based predator
Vatik - any air-based predator
Sikdal - any creature that lives on the ground
Sikvarti - any creature that lives in the trees
Jikta - any small creature
Raiktaluv - Large, slender creature with long, whip-like tails equipped with barbs. They have potent IR vision and can sense vibrations. They are a nighttime ambush hunter which lies in wait in the forest’s undergrowth then spears prey with its barbed tail
Taraktik - semi-amphibious predator with a tail that rapidly vibrates to propel itself as well as disorient creatures. Hunts aquatic and terrestrial creatures
Vakraik - Nocturnal, winged creature that spring from trees and pounce on animals on the forest floor. Not dangerous to Eekraw
Sika’Kraitir - A slow quadruped with a long snout and a strong, armored back. Excretes dissolving enzyme to soften tough materials
Jilk’vara - Medium-sized floating creatures that are buoyant due to gas-filled sacs within their body, use their long prehensile appendages to grab fruits from the lower branches. Can release the gas to disorient predators and change altitude rapidly
Varkeesik - A medium-sized bipedal animal with prehensile tail, jumps between trees and feeds on fruits
Dojik - Small, quill covered creature that feeds on fruit and insects, rolls into a spiky ball when threatened
Vajilk - Small bird with irridiscent feathers, uses long tongue to drink nectar from flowers
Takjilk - Small, quick fish that feeds close to the islands. Very tasty to the Eekraw who is willing to fly out from an island to catch one
Region 5:
Finally, just to showcase the results of my worldbuilding so far, I’ll give a full description of Region 5.
Region 5 is a set of coastal regions and islands in a tropical deciduous forest biome.
Societal Overview
Social Structure:
Clan units of multiple related nests, limited or no specialization
Culture:
Revere the forest canopy (Tavak’Vara) as being placed by the ancestors/spirits to facilitate travel between islands and protection of the Eekraw
Some trees drop hard balls of resin (Dal’Tvak) that can be shaped, viewed as gifts of the spirits as well
Tools/Technology:
Shelter: In the canopies of the trees
Use Jilk’Vtal (flimsy and improvised baskets) to carry food and small goods while flying, especially between islands
Language
Basics (1):
Aki - me
Yuku - you
Ryik - you as a term of respect
Eiru - them
Erku - us
Iki - yes
Ikru - no
Society (2):
Eraw - nest group
Ek’ti - nestmate
Erawi - clan
Eikrawi - safety/safe place
Sika - youngling
Culture (3):
Yekri - elder
Yeekree - wisdom/knowledge
Ra’Dor - respected stubborn one
Tavak’Vara - The tree canopy as a whole, revered by the tribe as being placed for them by spirits/ancestors to allow jumping off to travel between islands
Dal’Tvak (ground-sacred tree): Certain trees produce a hard resin that hardens over time and falls to the ground as a stone-like material that can be shaped to some extent. Revered by the culture
Taluvark’wi - old/previous living place
Jilktal (food-move) - a flimsy, basic basket to carry food or small goods while in flight
RaJilk (respected-food) - feast or grand meal
Descriptor (4):
Dor - hard/stubborn
It’tek - traitor/murderer/evildoer
Verbs (5):
Krarkee - to leap or glide
KrVawi - to fly between islands
KrV’tal - move/migrate
Kitalu - to stand/land
KrTikvar - to hunt
KrTal’jilk - to forage
Kratir - to defend
Krila - to eat
Krati - to end an activity
Krakuki - to start an activity
Other (6):
‘tiy - suffix for small
‘lar - suffix for large
‘wi - suffix for place
Ra’ - prefix for respect
Jilk - food
Environment (7):
Raa - sun
Dal - ground/soil/land
Tarak - water/below
Varak - air/above
Aikur - night
Ayru - day
Varkree - flight
Varsti’wi (tree-place) - forest
Tarak’wi (water-place) - ocean
Dal’wi (land place) - island
Rati - sunset
Rakuki - sunrise
Tal’raak - creek or stream
Creatures (8):
Tigg - any ground-based predator
Vatik - any air-based predator
Sikdal - any creature that lives on the ground
Sikvarti - any creature that lives in the trees
Jikta - any small creature
Raiktaluv - Large, slender creature with long, whip-like tails equipped with barbs. They have potent IR vision and can sense vibrations. They are a nighttime ambush hunter which lies in wait in the forest’s undergrowth then spears prey with its barbed tail
Taraktik - semi-amphibious predator with a tail that rapidly vibrates to propel itself as well as disorient creatures. Hunts aquatic and terrestrial creatures
Vakraik - Nocturnal, winged creature that spring from trees and pounce on animals on the forest floor. Not dangerous to Eekraw
Sika’Kraitir - A slow quadruped with a long snout and a strong, armored back. Excretes dissolving enzyme to soften tough materials
Jilk’vara - Medium-sized floating creatures that are buoyant due to gas-filled sacs within their body, use their long prehensile appendages to grab fruits from the lower branches. Can release the gas to disorient predators and change altitude rapidly
Varkeesik - A medium-sized bipedal animal with prehensile tail, jumps between trees and feeds on fruits
Dojik - Small, quill covered creature that feeds on fruit and insects, rolls into a spiky ball when threatened
Vajilk - Small bird with irridiscent feathers, uses long tongue to drink nectar from flowers
Takjilk - Small, quick fish that feeds close to the islands. Very tasty to the Eekraw who is willing to fly out from an island to catch one
Plants (9):
Tira’tiy - plant other than a tree
Sktira - trees
Dal’jilk Nutrient-rich fruit that has a luminescent glow
Varsk’ti’jilk - Seeds with hard shells that are a delicacy to the Eekraw
The Eekraw of Region 5 have very limited social development, still in hunter/gatherer clans that migrate between islands. They’ve developed very basic and flimsy baskets that allow them to carry small amounts of food while flying, but otherwise have no technological development. However, they live in a lush paradise, with plenty of food available, and their main predator, the Raiktaluv, is land-based and can therefore be avoided relatively easily. They see all of this, and especially the forest canopy that allows them to launch into flight across islands, as a gift from their ancestors or the spirits of the forest (they haven’t developed sufficiently to really firm either belief up).