The Sacred Time before the beginning of each year is when we reflect on how well we have done over the past year. We find that we have 17 more clan members, 5 more cattle and 24 more sheep. We also consumed less food than we produced and thus have a small reserve, though some of it is lost to spoilage. It is worth noting that the herders will automatically slaughter cattle, pigs and sheep at appropriate times to supplement the food supply but we can also cull our herds for emergency food when needed. In essence, the herds act as a store of food for bad times.
We choose not to make any changes to our allocation of clan magic but we do note the auguries for the year. The god-talkers say that Orlanth has let them know if we sent no more than a dozen warriors along, our first cattle raid of the year will be extraordinarily successful.
Our first act in the Sea season is to send a trade delegation to the Apple clan, whose tula is located just east of our own, to ask to establish trade relationships. Unfortunately, not only did they refuse regular trade, they also provided us with inferior quality goods. Next, we recruit some promising weaponthanes from our cottars though each must be provided with a horse and equipment. We recruit five weaponthanes, bringing our total to 15. At around the same time, some followers of the god Odayla show up. They offer to perform a ritual that should improve the hunting in our area. Rather than offend them, we agree to their proposal and give them gifts worth about 14 cows.
But our weaponthanes still complain that we have an insufficient number of warriors. We finally agree to take on only the very best of our clan members as additional weaponthanes and end up hiring another three of them, for a total of 18. Since each weaponthanes fights as well as five normal clan members, this makes for quite an effective fighting force. When the Fire season arrives, we invest in a stake perimeter to help us defend against mounted raiders. All these investments cost us most of our goods but hopefully we can earn it back later in trade.
Quite unexpectedly, we discover that a clan of duck-like creatures have settled on rich tract of farmland not far from us. Some of us are tempted to attack these seemingly weak creatures and seize their land, but we content ourselves to demanding that they pay us an annual tribute of food sufficient to feed 50 of our clan members each year. We are pleased that they readily agree. If they stick to the agreement, the extra food would be a nice cushion against bad times.
Finally, just before the end of the Fire season, we launch a cattle raid against the Eagle clan, with whom we have a feud. As Orlanth promised, our raiding party of nine weaponthanes and three accompanying footmen manages to sneak in and make off with 36 heads of cattle, an impressive number. It is always a good idea to heed your god’s advice. If you choose to do nothing when they send you a sign, they may not talk to you again or could even take offence.
As the Earth season, we learn that our earlier sacrifices to Odayla were effective in increasing the game around our tula. We send a delegation to the White Horse clan, together with a small gift, to discuss an alliance. They agree after we appeal to their sense of greed. Since we have excess food, we end the Earth season by holding a feast and inviting our neighbours to come and join us.
In the Dark season, we offer a sacrifice to Vinga and learn the Pathfinder blessing which will help our explorers be more successful. We immediately build a new shrine to Vinga to make the blessing permanent. We also receive the promised tribute of food from the ducks.
Some worshippers of Chalana Arroy show up in the Storm season offering healing in exchange for a favour that they will call in sometime in the future. We are uneasy about taking on an uncertain obligation but since we do not yet have a temple to the goddess of healing, quite a few of our people have become sick. We finally ask them to heal half of our sick and wounded in exchange for the favour.
Towards the end of the year, we send an exploratory party out of our tula. They wander near Mount Quivin to the south and come across a cave inhabited by a wyrm. After some debate, we send our entire fighting force to attack the wyrm, a dangerous endeavor, but one that our ancestors would surely be proud of given our history of animosity against dragon-kind. Our warriors successfully kill the wyrm. While it turns out that its hoard contained no magical treasures, its wealth does refill our own depleted treasury. Our ancestors too were pleased, resulting in an increase in our clan magic.
So ends another year in Dragon Pass.
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