track is Forest of Dreams by Olexy from pixabay.com
The Main Character
(you)
About the main character!
Species: You can be Homo Sapien, Neanderthal, or a mixed species of the two!
Age at the beginning: You have just reached your eighth spring
Defining Traits: That's up to you! You get to decide what traits you value the most! Be a playful loner, a social gatherer, or a gentle hunter, the possibilities are endless within the games Stats!
Jobs, Hobbies, and Activities: You get to decide how you spend your time! Hunt or gather, make weapons or tools, make clothing, trade whatever you don't need for whatever you do!
Start of the Game
Where you first start the game is near the southern end of the Doggerland, a large piece of land that is now resting below the North Sea. Forest and minor cliffs dotted with caves.
Once across the newly formed chasm, the land opens to an open territory with fewer trees and rocky or sandy areas. It is very dry, with water that can be found in small newly formed streams, puddles, or from the rain. Very little vegetation is found here overall, but that is primarily because of the recent upheaval and because it is still somewhat early in spring.
A week's travel south there is an oval-shaped area with smooth ground. There are signs of previous inhabitants, with marks showing spots where temporary shelters had been erected for long periods of time and several campfire spots. A larger stream, deep enough for smaller fish can be found weaving its way downhill, with a shallow spot for gathering and soaking reeds and herbs.
Animals found here range from a herd of bison that migrates through, many smaller deer, and one herd of megaceros, to smaller animals like rabbits, hares, giant hamsters, and other animals found in these kinds of terrains. Ground nesting birds, like ptarmigan and grouse, are somewhat common and their eggs can be found during the beginning of the Encampment scene. Plants range from lilies to wheat to berries like wild strawberry or blackberry, while some nuts and tree fruits can be found in a large copse of trees near the encampment. A few water-based plants can be found in the small stream next to the encampment, mostly plants like cattail reeds, arrowhead, and spikewort. The plants in each terrain mimic what can be found, but in much smaller quantities, in each of the following paths.
Forest
Taking place in modern-day Germany/Netherlands, the forest varies between open spaces where a modern-day tank could fit without issues to so close a mouse would have trouble fitting through. A mix of spruce, pine, oak, and beech, as well a smaller assortment of other trees like ash or willow, the forest of the eastern lands holds a smaller variety of animals for hunting and tracking.
Plant-based food is more available here, with a more extensive variety of tree-based food like nuts and hanging fruits compared to the other areas. Large animals are rarer here, mostly hunted from the forest edge where people do not travel as often, and carcasses are usually too large to haul through the forest when hunted there. Many materials used for crafting can be found here, with most clothing and storage containers being made of plant material rather than pelts.
The people here are more secretive overall even, seeming as much a part of the forest as the animals. The settlement here is built into the trees, with rope & plank bridges leading from house to house, and crude steps made of ropes and wood or other stiff materials wound around the trees in such a way that people can walk up them like stairs to reach the overhead homes and buildings.
Creativity here is in abundance, with clothing being a point of pride, as well as creative ways to fix and prepare food. With the abundance of flowers, feathers, and other weavable materials, bare or simple clothing stands out here. And while meat is not the largest staple here, cooking is much more intricate, advanced, and simple meals are seen as bland even with more ingredients and presentation means a lot.
Plains
A large open area with few trees, mostly short shrubs and tall grasses, the plains are host to mostly large animals like bison, cave lions, steppe horses, caribou, and the rare mammoth. Plants are in large supply here, but mostly roots or low-lying plants that don’t need much shade. Grasses are plentiful here, sometimes reaching higher than a man, but the variety isn’t as good as the other paths. While the variety is smaller, the amount of each kind found is a much larger abundance. A somewhat shallow river runs through the center of the Crossroads, while deeper branches snake off into different parts of the plains. During the summer the water level is very low, but in spring time it can be quite deep and young children are not allowed to swim without supervision.
The plains settlement, found in a wide flat area of the plains, is spread out into large multi-family structures mostly, with a few smaller dwellings for the healers or crafters. Healing, physical rather than spiritual, is not as big here due to the lack of herbs that need shade or more water than the river that runs through the middle of the settlement, but crafters are in abundance, especially for weapons. Hunters are found in great numbers here, as the settlement host the best weapons and weapon crafters of any area known to most people here. Clothing is mostly made from pelts, as the abundance is staggering, and most clothing is decorated with everything from wolf fangs to slivers of mammoth ivory to porcupine quills, among other adornments from every animal found in the area.
The people here also boast about hunting mammoths, but as mammoths are largely extinct, especially this far south of the great walls of ice, most mammoth bone works come from the river deposits that refresh themselves during the spring floods. The people here are braggarts, bordering on arrogance, but as open as the skies they live under.
Many people here own animals, with most tamed animals being wolves. Wolves run around the village freely, though only the puppies truly steal from others. A few others have tamed horses, though the horses do not stay during the breeding season usually. Horses stay either within a nearby herd or sometimes in constructed shelters around the edge of the Crossroads. Colts and fillies explore the fringes of the Crossroads, and sometimes out into the plains, during the summer and fall.
Coastline
A coastline that stretches from the northeast to the southwest, large cliffs border it for most of the coastline with clearings, open spaces big enough for small herds of goats or similar creatures, and slopes leading to the plains and small woodland above. This path is made from the earlier sinking of the Doggerland, where a large chunk had already sunk decades before and allowed saltwater to erode the land and create the coast.
The settlement here is very new, created less than 10 years (or two handfuls) before. Some buildings are stone-based shelters, built by stacking stones, sand, mud, and thatch to create sturdy dwellings for a single family, while some are built using trees, bones, or more mobile-like summer shelters from travelers but made sturdy for a long-term stay. A marketplace, the first to be found anywhere, can be found here, with many people gathering here during the day to show off extra weapons, and clothing, or offering extra food in exchange for anything they need or like.
The plants here are mainly saltwater-based plants like seaweed, sea beets, daisy, lovage, and Irish moss. Some are harvested from the sea itself, while others can be found in nooks and crannies along the tideline, both above and below it, and some can be found in tidepools that form along the waterline.
Animals hunted here are primarily fish, with occasional small whales that may get beached but those are rare (they will be mentioned, even if it doesn’t happen while you’re there). Land animals range from wild wolves to goats, small herds of steppe horses, to the occasional Sabre tooth tiger that roams along the waterways draining into the sea.
Most crafts done here involve shells in some way, with an even mix of pelts and plants being used to make clothes and things like cups or bowls. While boats were not used until around 8000 years ago, the people here have made a sort of raft-like platform that is attached to the shore with long woven ropes or braids so they can safely drift out over deeper waters without needing to swim and be easily pulled back to shore. A few people can even dive for creatures that cannot be caught with nets or harpoons, like certain types of clams, starfish, or anemone.
Tamed animals are nearly nonexistent here. Horses can be found in a flat area midway up the slope leading towards the plains and cliffs and occasionally make their way to the surf in the summer, but not many are used for help. Wolves are not allowed to be brought in the Settlement except as meat, pelts, or carcasses but some packs can be found ranging the area. Strangely, deer can be found sometimes wandering the edges and helping lead people to good vegetation and hidden tidepools.
The Paths
The Leaders
Nomads
Craske - a male Homo Sapien, he leads the first group of humans that the player meets with his mate, Nikan, and their adopted son, Khekk. He is a master tool maker, knowing how to work and shape flint, stone, and obsidian better than anyone else, as well as crafting easy-to-dismantle and rebuildable portable large shelters from trees, bone, and various hides without damaging anything. His leadership skills are somewhat lacking outside of those instances though, and he turns to his mate for other moments as needed. He isn’t much of a hunter and has little to no knowledge of herbs and plants. He is the one who offers the player their first tameable animal and to travel with them when they leave the Encampment.
Forest Village
Shaman – simply known as Shaman, they are the pinnacle of spiritual enlightenment during this time. Possibly a mix-species human, or a disfigured Homo Sapien, they spend their time painting on bark shingles and trees, using drug-based plants for spiritual travel (such as mushrooms), and looking for signs that the spirits are watching. They are very open about the world of the spirits but closed off about themselves. The oldest human living in the forest, possibly the oldest in the entire game, at the time of the first meeting. If the player shows interest in the world of the spirits, they will gladly take the player on as an apprentice but believe that there can only be one shaman at a time so the player will not achieve this status until the shaman dies later on, and then only if they accept. If the player shows no interest in the world of the spirits, the Shaman more or less shuns them, and will be cold and distant when the player interacts with them.
Plains Crossroads
Lanshu (also called Lansu) – a strange Neanderthal who came from the Eastern lands, he is a master hunter and weaponsmith. He is technically the leader of the Crossroads but leaves the leading to the others when it does not concern hunting. He has hunted mammoths and wooly rhinos, even taken down sabres and cave lions, all with tools he made himself. His children adore him, though most other young humans avoid him, and the small pack of wolves he commands are loyal without fault. But the temper he wields makes him difficult to live with, and even when he’s gone from the main settlement during the summers he travels frequently and is known by most of the people living in this path. Learning from him is paramount if you plan to take down large or difficult prey on your own, but his extremely practical nature leaves no room for anything spiritual; he is one of the few humans in the entire game who rejects anything spiritual, even from the resident shaman. If you meet him or join him during a big hunt and he, or any others, is injured and you have focused on being a spiritual healer, he will refuse to let you help unless you adhere to his practical views and heal without the spirits.
Coastline Settlement
Greesh – a strangely tall Homo Sapien woman with alabaster skin and honey-blonde hair, her voice is a weapon that can defeat any foe, whether they are a foe or not. Learning from her means the player will be the most social, most vocally intelligent person after her in the settlement, but only if they can settle there. She has a strong fear of wolves and refuses to let the people of her settlement own and care for them, so if a player appears with a wolf they must either leave or get rid of their wolf, either releasing it and driving it away or keeping the pelt.
After arriving in her settlement she visits frequently at first, but becomes strangely distant fairly quickly after a few months. If you choose to live in the settlement she is seen more often, while living separately means you'll only see her leading hunting and fishing parties, while nomads rarely encounter her.
Overview
Obtained at different points that are dependent on the path you choose, each companion offers not only company during your travels and life, but each can also offer two skills. The species of each companion is listed below and is dependent on the path they are found in.
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Aside from the Wolf, carnivore companions must be tamed after finding an herbivore companion or you will be unable to tame an herbivore. Most carnivores are found after herbivores, while herbivores can be found in multiple spots at many different times.
Herbivores
Deer
The most docile of all the companions, the deer found in most places are actually based on the Red Deer found in this region but modified for each path.
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Omnivorous Black Deer, black deer with faint white spots and backward-facing antlers (males) and stripes and short dull antlers/horns (females), can be found along the Coastline. They gladly eat fish, clams, and occasional meat from carcasses as well as the usual but sparse vegetation found there. Seaweed is their favorite food and can be found in herds moving in the shallows even in the winter. Their fur is also thicker and denser than other species. They do not shed their antlers for some reason but the antlers become very brittle in spring and broken shards can be found in the sands often.
Red Deer, the largest of the deer species before Megaloceros, can be found scattered throughout the forest. Usually in small herds of two to three, usually one buck and a doe or two or does and their young, as well as young bucks traveling in groups of three to six before they find a herd of their own, they are surprisingly fleet and nimble among the roots and branches. Their antlers are smaller and typically pale ivory, but they shed them easily in the springtime.
Wheat Deer, named for their pure pale golden coats, are in abundance on the plains but are somewhat smaller than their cousins found in other paths. Preferring hay, wheat, and grains over other food, they have a diet somewhat closer to a horse rather than deer but can go longer between needing food than the others. Their horns, skinny and dark golden, shed in the fall instead of the spring; most often they are lost while fighting for females or dominance.
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Deer alert the player of vegetation and water, and can pull Small Sleds or Medium Sleds depending on the breed, but are very skittish and can disappear when predators show up. Once tamed, they no longer fear humans and will not react to them if they are around.
Elk
Much larger than the deer, Elk are slightly more versatile for the player when kept as a companion. While larger than horses, elk are not as social and their family groups differ in each path.
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Grey Elk, the smallest variety found in the game, roam in small mother-calf herds or singular males along the coast. They typically stay away from the sea, but their coats are the best at staying waterproof next to reindeer though they aren't nearly as warm. The only elk that can be tamed that shed their antlers, they do not fight for dominance but instead can be seen performing intricate, almost dance-like motions to impress females. The males will mate with up to two females for life, but the females will find another mate if theirs is killed. They prefer bushes and shrubs for food and will chase away anyone stealing berries they want.
Ash Elks can be found migrating in large numbers through the forest in the spring and fall. They can be found using ash trees to scratch itchy spots, help sharpen antlers, and eat the bark occasionally. Larger than Grey Elk, they are not as strong despite fighting for dominance against other males. Bulls are extremely territorial and will threaten anyone who gets too close to a herd, and herds can have up to three bull elk in the fall while only one travels with the mothers and calves in the spring; a herd of younger males and unclaimed bulls travel within a few days behind the females and young and provide more meat but are more aggressive and swifter.
Red Elk are the largest elk in the game and are found mostly on the plains, though they may appear on the fringes of the forest during the summer. Traveling in massive herds that are only rivaled by the bison, Red Elk are highly aggressive and love to fight anyone they deem as a threat. Their massive antlers, sometimes with as many as 14 points, are prized by hunters and while not as thick as a megaceros antlers, are used only by the best weapon and tool makers. The pelts are surprisingly thick but do not hold as much warmth as expected; pelts are typically used for cooking containers, footwear, or babies in the summer.
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Elk can pull Small, Medium, and Large Sleds, and Red and Ash Elk can be ridden once grown. They help the player defend against aggressive animals, alert them to predators, and are the only animal that will willingly travel across rivers without training.
Horses
Only one breed is found in the game, though the color is different for each path. Steppe Horses are thick, sturdy animals that can survive in a number of terrains as long as they have plenty of food and water, though climbing cliffs is much more difficult for them than other large herbivores.
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Salt Horses can be found along the cliffs on the coastline, are more skittish than the horses found elsewhere but can climb slopes easier and have a larger variety in their diet. Stiff manes and tails range from dark grey with light streaks to pitch black, with bodies that typically stay from pale grey to dark grey and sometimes speckled with white. Their legs, from hoof to midway up, are usually slightly darker than their bodies. Broad backs give them a stout appearance but they are long and lean.
Cave Horses are a peculiar and much smaller breed found in the forest, around half the size of typical Steppe Horses. Their manes and tails are softer and droop downwards more as well, and can range from dark brown to black with white or pale grey stripes. Their bodies are normally a muddy brown to dark brown color; their coats are normally shaggy and long. Their legs are usually the same color as their bodies but can be darker, while their hooves can be either black or white. They can be found normally hanging out in caves during the night, while daytime sees them foraging among the roots.
Golden Steppe Horses are found in larger herds on the plains, with one male and a head female leading mares and their young colts or fillies or smaller bachelor herds that tend to follow the female herds in the springtime. White-gold to dark gold coats, black manes and tails, and darker legs that tend to be stripped mark these horses apart from the others and match the ones drawn on walls during this time period.
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Aside from being able to ride Golden and Salt Horses, those two breeds can pull Small, Medium, and Large Sleds, can tow Large Carcasses, and can be used when hunting in groups to herd a large number of animals into a narrow defile, canyon, or structured blind.
Carnivores
Wolf
The first companion offered, they are the ancient ancestors of the Grey Wolf, sometimes known as the Pleistocene Wolf.
Around the size of a modern Grey Wolf, their heavy jaws and strong jaws were better suited to hunting down the available prey of this era. Thick fur helped them through the harsh winters, and their fur was possibly along the grey to brown to black range of modern wolves.
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For the character, they provide help with hunting and notifying the player of nearby enemies and prey, and can even provide pups during the breeding season which can be traded for tools, weapons, clothing, or food. They can be trained to pull a Small Sled, but tire quickly and will refuse to pull up or down slopes.
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Wolves are the only carnivore companion that will not attack other potential companions and are the only ones who will leave herbivore companions alone.
Cave Lion
Large carnivores that are the cousins of modern-day lions; they were bigger than the modern lions and had no significant manes. They were also picky about their food; modern-day lions will eat anything they can catch but Cave Lions would primarily go after reindeer or bear cubs.
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Sand Lions, the largest breed in the game, are found living in caves and under overhangs that stretch alongside the coastline. A light tawny to pale gold in the warmer months and white to pale grey in winter, their stub tails are usually black or dark brown. They live alone, unless they have cubs, and do not do well around others. Their litters are usually small, with usually no more than two or three at a time.
Stone Lions are the smallest Cave Lion breed and are found exclusively in the forest. With strong claws and sharp teeth, they are known to actually chew through trees and even soil to get to burrowing prey; this is the only breed that does not just hunt bear cubs or reindeer, they also hunt deer, elk, and moose. In the forest, the lack of caves can prove a problem and they are known to build their dens by toppling small trees or digging into stiff ground if caves of stone are not nearby. They usually travel in packs of three to four and have litters of up to six cubs.
Steppe Lions are nearly as large as Sand Lions, but they can be longer and leaner with short tails that end in a tuft of fur. They also have the largest mane compared to other lions, though it still isn't that large compared to modern lions. When reindeer are not available they will settle for bison, megaceros, or any large prey they can take down. Living in prides of one male and up to six females, they are highly territorial but will give way to Golden Sabres. They give birth to at least two cubs but sometimes have as many as eight.
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Cave Lions will help hunt and can be trained to pull small or medium sleds, though they will not pull them all the time, and will help locate prey for hunting. They will occasionally hunt on their own but sometimes require you to feed them. They are extremely protective of you and may see other humans as a threat, but can be trained to not attack others.
Sabre Tooth Cat
A large carnivore found in many colder environments, this large feline is powerfully built for the ambush, with large fangs that could crush bones easily. They could hunt even mastodons, woolly rhinos, and megaceros in packs, though these giant cats may have also brought down mammoths.
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Mist Tigers are solitary sabre cats that roam the cliffs along the coastline, only coming together to couple and then raise their young for the first six months of life. The smallest breed, they are much faster and nimbler than the others in other paths. A pearl-grey color most of the year, they become a somewhat darker mottled grey in summer to better fit in with the surroundings, darker stripes can be seen along their spines and the back of their hind legs. Their tails are usually absent, but can sometimes have a small stub. They can be seen hunting chamois and goats but sometimes they will go after horses. Rarely do they attack humans, and only when provoked.
Cave Sabres are nearly identical to Cave Lions, but tend to be slimmer and with the obvious longer fangs. They are slightly larger than Mist Tigers, but longer and have short tails. With dark mottled or brindled brown and fawn coats, they fit right into the forest and are excellent stalkers and climbers, though they don't usually go for birds or their eggs. In winter their coats fade to a very pale fawn to white color, though their paws and tail stay dark. More elusive than other sabre species, they are rarely spotted and no one has found their dens.
Golden Sabres, larger than Cave Lions and fierce enough that even Cave Lions run in fear, are found among the tall grasses in the plains. Golden tawny with slightly darker spots, these sabres will attack humans that get too close to anything they perceive as theirs. Living in prides similar to Cave Lions, they do not hold territory like others but instead travel across large areas and females will stay in the birthing den until their cubs are three months old; once cubs start traveling with their mothers they become deadly hunters very quickly and by six months they are able to leave their mothers and look for a pride of their own.
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Sabre Cats are the ultimate carnivore companion, but they are very finicky and cannot be trained like the other animals. You cannot ride them, they will not pull a sled, but they will help take down larger prey that would normally require multiple people or elaborate traps. They also prevent food from being stolen during winter by others, warn you of any approaching predators, and will occasionally bring back medium (while young and adult) or large (while adult) carcasses. They do not stay with you every day like the others do but disappear for up to a week at a time.
The Companions
