- Invitation Status
- Looking for partners
- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per day
- Multiple posts per week
- One post per week
- Slow As Molasses
- Online Availability
- On fairly regularly, every day. I'll notice a PM almost immediately. Replies come randomly.
- Writing Levels
- Adept
- Advanced
- Preferred Character Gender
- Primarily Prefer Male
- No Preferences
- Genres
- High fantasy is my personal favorite, followed closely by modern fantasy and post-apocalyptic, but I can happily play in any genre if the plot is good enough.
Tagata had to give the tuaega that had settled in the cavern credit; the luko had done a marvelous job transforming what had once been little more than a hole in the ground into something that felt like a village, and a home. She and her vaega had helped scout this location only a couple of moons ago, joining a number of other vaega that had been set out to find a home for the new settlement. Back then, this cave had seemed like nothing more than a dark, damp hole in the ground. However, during these two moons, craft vaega had apparently been sent out en masse, and their effort already showed. The groups of luko craftsmen had transformed the narrow cracks in the earth into spacious hallways and rooms, carving out places for luko to live and work, gather and play.
After that, the luko that had chosen to settle here brought in all the trappings of home. Each luko had decorated her personal living space with strings of beads, fine pelts, and colored tapestries, setting out blankets on top of beds and chairs, filling empty floor space with tables and chairs and woven baskets. Every inch of available floor space had been filled with dense carpet, transforming the ground from hard dirt into a more yielding surface.
Tagata glanced behind her as she walked, quickly surveying the six luko that trailed after her. The members of her vaega all walked with a fluid, professional stride, and Tagata couldn't help but smile in pride as her team members received looks of admiration from the other luko that had gathered at the edge of the hallway. They all walked tall with pride, luma tucked behind their back with hands curled, making sure neither palms nor claws were exposed to potentially risk offense.
All the same, despite the fact that she could practically feel the satisfaction bubbling off the other members of her vaega, Tagata couldn't say she was glad to be here. The luko had not really expected to return to this settlement after their initial scouting expedition was done. She and her vaega weren't craftsmen or home-makers, they were soldiers. Nor were they guards, assigned to remain in one place and see to the safety of the tuaega. No, they were the roaming elite, sent out on missions that required speed, subtlety, and power. Their presence here showed that this young settlement had already found itself in grave danger.
Of course, there was always danger in new settlements. This one, in particular, had stepped firmly into the no man's land at the edge of luko territory, running right up against the edge of human territory. That was part of the reason that so many vaega had been sent out to find the settlement's new home. They needed to give it the best chance of survival as possible, in a land fraught with peril.
This cavern had seemed like the closest thing they were going to find to perfection. It was located near a jagged cliff, the ground sloping steeply up to the cave entrance, and mostly cleared of trees to present a clear view of the surrounding hills. The entrances to the cave were also plenty narrow, ensuring that even a few old luko with spears could block invaders from entering, let alone properly trained fighters. The Tama of the other nearby tuaega had all agreed that the humans would have a hard time dislodging them from this foothold, even when they inevitably found the new settlement. All of the luko who settled here were well aware of the risks, but agreed to inhabit the settlement with pride. It would be, after all, another step in the direction of reclaiming their ancestral territory, which had been all but overrun by humans.
Tagata and the rest of her vaega were led deep into the cavern settlement, before finally being asked to wait outside of a room covered by a light curtain. Their escort nodded politely, before ducking behind the curtain. A moment later, a soft voice bid them entrance.
The Tama of this tuaega was an old teine, the traces of black in her fur fading towards grey, short height shrunken further by the burdens of age on her bones. All the same, she stood up from the table where she'd been seated with a fluid grace, a soft smile crossing her face. Tagata had heard many stories about Atamai Tupu o Tele Loto's great leadership, and she couldn't help but bow her head, almost reverently, in the teine's presence.
"Tagata Ola o Ata Lafoia," Atamai said gently, her luma reaching forward with a closed fist to bump gently against Tagata's luma knuckles, even as her toma reached forward to gently cradle one of Tagata's toma hands. "I'm sorry you've had to return so soon."
Tagata's eyes closed gently, but when they opened again, they were filled with steely determination. "We're here to help," she swore, the rest of the luko behind her nodding their heads seriously.
"That's good," Atamai acknowledged, before releasing Tagata and turning back to the table, beckoning Tagata along. They stood before a pile of marked papers, covered in Atamai's spidery script. "The humans have already sent three scouting parties in the past four days. Our guard vaega have managed to chase them away without incident so far, but it is clear they are planning something. We need to figure out what and find a way to…"
"Tama!" Atamai's words were cut off when a lean brown and grey luko burst through her curtain. "My scout reports a human army is approaching!"
Atamai stiffened, before turning to Tagata, a determined look on her face. "No time for strategies now. You need to find out what they are planning, so we have time to prepare. Our guards will hold them off as long as they can. Go!"
Tagata stepped away, before crossing her luma over her chest fists still closed, in a sharp salute. The members of her vaega immediately followed suit, before they all turned to race out of the room and down the hallways, towards the front of the cavern.
After that, the luko that had chosen to settle here brought in all the trappings of home. Each luko had decorated her personal living space with strings of beads, fine pelts, and colored tapestries, setting out blankets on top of beds and chairs, filling empty floor space with tables and chairs and woven baskets. Every inch of available floor space had been filled with dense carpet, transforming the ground from hard dirt into a more yielding surface.
Tagata glanced behind her as she walked, quickly surveying the six luko that trailed after her. The members of her vaega all walked with a fluid, professional stride, and Tagata couldn't help but smile in pride as her team members received looks of admiration from the other luko that had gathered at the edge of the hallway. They all walked tall with pride, luma tucked behind their back with hands curled, making sure neither palms nor claws were exposed to potentially risk offense.
All the same, despite the fact that she could practically feel the satisfaction bubbling off the other members of her vaega, Tagata couldn't say she was glad to be here. The luko had not really expected to return to this settlement after their initial scouting expedition was done. She and her vaega weren't craftsmen or home-makers, they were soldiers. Nor were they guards, assigned to remain in one place and see to the safety of the tuaega. No, they were the roaming elite, sent out on missions that required speed, subtlety, and power. Their presence here showed that this young settlement had already found itself in grave danger.
Of course, there was always danger in new settlements. This one, in particular, had stepped firmly into the no man's land at the edge of luko territory, running right up against the edge of human territory. That was part of the reason that so many vaega had been sent out to find the settlement's new home. They needed to give it the best chance of survival as possible, in a land fraught with peril.
This cavern had seemed like the closest thing they were going to find to perfection. It was located near a jagged cliff, the ground sloping steeply up to the cave entrance, and mostly cleared of trees to present a clear view of the surrounding hills. The entrances to the cave were also plenty narrow, ensuring that even a few old luko with spears could block invaders from entering, let alone properly trained fighters. The Tama of the other nearby tuaega had all agreed that the humans would have a hard time dislodging them from this foothold, even when they inevitably found the new settlement. All of the luko who settled here were well aware of the risks, but agreed to inhabit the settlement with pride. It would be, after all, another step in the direction of reclaiming their ancestral territory, which had been all but overrun by humans.
Tagata and the rest of her vaega were led deep into the cavern settlement, before finally being asked to wait outside of a room covered by a light curtain. Their escort nodded politely, before ducking behind the curtain. A moment later, a soft voice bid them entrance.
The Tama of this tuaega was an old teine, the traces of black in her fur fading towards grey, short height shrunken further by the burdens of age on her bones. All the same, she stood up from the table where she'd been seated with a fluid grace, a soft smile crossing her face. Tagata had heard many stories about Atamai Tupu o Tele Loto's great leadership, and she couldn't help but bow her head, almost reverently, in the teine's presence.
"Tagata Ola o Ata Lafoia," Atamai said gently, her luma reaching forward with a closed fist to bump gently against Tagata's luma knuckles, even as her toma reached forward to gently cradle one of Tagata's toma hands. "I'm sorry you've had to return so soon."
Tagata's eyes closed gently, but when they opened again, they were filled with steely determination. "We're here to help," she swore, the rest of the luko behind her nodding their heads seriously.
"That's good," Atamai acknowledged, before releasing Tagata and turning back to the table, beckoning Tagata along. They stood before a pile of marked papers, covered in Atamai's spidery script. "The humans have already sent three scouting parties in the past four days. Our guard vaega have managed to chase them away without incident so far, but it is clear they are planning something. We need to figure out what and find a way to…"
"Tama!" Atamai's words were cut off when a lean brown and grey luko burst through her curtain. "My scout reports a human army is approaching!"
Atamai stiffened, before turning to Tagata, a determined look on her face. "No time for strategies now. You need to find out what they are planning, so we have time to prepare. Our guards will hold them off as long as they can. Go!"
Tagata stepped away, before crossing her luma over her chest fists still closed, in a sharp salute. The members of her vaega immediately followed suit, before they all turned to race out of the room and down the hallways, towards the front of the cavern.