Quoted By:
Some of the new creatures are not simply content to travel – finding their natures, they reach out in friendship to sentients, hoping to forge a connection despite the gulf between them and lowly mortals.
Ihlathi stirs her branches in friendship – the remembrance of gifts once given to Her, long ago. The “negotiations” have begun in earnest, and She has successfully dissipated the fear of the sentients she now meets with. They are lumbering things – not like the humans She once knew – heavy creatures of shell and bone, snapping jaws and digging claws. The turtle-men are slow to trust – that much is clear – a gigantic moving tree has sparked their suspicion, rather than their joy. But over the last days, She has been a calming presence, making gentle gestures with her many limbs, singing sweet lullabies on whispered breath, and the Chief of this town - Ugwu Elu, it is called – has begun to speak with her earnest. It takes only another day for Ihlathi to learn to write the script of the Turtle-men and begin learning of them in earnest – they call themselves the <span class="mu-i">Nkume Mbe</span>, and long have they been at war with the <span class="mu-i">Ngwenya</span> of the mountains to the southwest.
“What can you offer, tree-god?” the Chief of Ugwu Elu asks.
If Ihlathi had a mouth, she might smile.
Ihlathi, this town is actually of medium-size, being a pentagon on the map, so you’ll need to spend another action next turn to wrap up the protectorate alignment.
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Across the world, Coatlutuan is showered in religious fervor – its obviously reptilian form and supernatural powers being immediately apparent to the <span class="mu-i">Nkume Mbe</span> of this rural town. Hardly any convincing is needed before gifts of meat, prayers of worship and smoking braziers of incense are lit. Would-be priests of Coatlutuan beg for divine relation – for teachings that they might adopt and spread, but for now, Coatlutuan simply exults in its new role of “Divine Protector”, flashing over the town in flight repeatedly, and listening to the Turtle-men beat their drums and sing their strange droning prayers. Of course, the Kaiju cares nothing for the great expense poured into its worship – it is right and just that some of these lowly creatures labor for its enjoyment, after all.
Protectorate achieved by Coatlutuan! Small towns are hexagons and require only one turn to negotiate with. On even turns, 1 Amandla will be delivered to Coatlutuan’s Amandla pool. Friendly reminder that Umrhaji-archetype Kaiju receive halved rewards from protectorate arrangements. Coatlutuan has made 1/3 progress towards the “Oathkeeper” milestone!
