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Generations of Early Expansion ~ Part 5
Daeris posted a City Journal entry in Uncovering the Junon Vale
(I apologize for the length of this post! I was perhaps a bit too ambitious and I tried to do too much for this entry. Sorry ) Previously on Uncovering the Junon Vale: Hiddenbeck founded! ~ "Sim Bunyon once again has cut down the most trees this month!" Unseen Lake and Unseen River named, from the mysteriously manifesting bodies of water to the south of Oakfall. Timbercove founded! ~ "Looks like all these logs clogged up the river again... Damn!" Hiddenbeck Timber Co. and Hiddenbeck Timber Co. South branches founded! Pitstop founded! Bridgemaker Quarry founded! Ancient Bridge Ruins discovered by the Tidehook sailors, venturing inland on the Sea's Pride vessel! Tidehook expanded, becoming the largest town in the realm. Tidehaven Island, aka Sleepless Sands is founded! Truthseekers founded! ~ "Seeking the truth about our simgod since... wait what year is it? " Knowers founded! ~ "Knowing there is no such thing as a simgod. " Most settlers in the realm considered these the best course of actions: The bridgemakers west of Graincove were leaning towards naming the river the Slyside River, after the lake that it flows from. Tidehook sailors on the Sea's Pride ship decided to found a new port just to the south of the Ancient Bridge Ruins they discovered, knowing many other settlers would soon be coming their way to study & explore. The folks on Godhaven island didn't really notice all of the exceptional accomplishments of the Tidehook folk, and they planned to continue expanding their territory like busy little bees. The Truthseekers believed they would find answers to the realm's mysteries near the mysteries themselves, such as the Ancient Bridge Ruins, the manifesting Unseen Lake and Unseen River leading up to Hiddenbeck, the growing rocks by Graincove, or the haunted forest north of Port Novel. The Knowers were also intrigued by the Ancient Bridge Ruins, so they chose to focus their efforts there, as well as on improving the roadways in some of the realm's towns. The previous map: Knowing the truth is something most people wish for in life, and one tends to find the truth by seeking the truth. And therein lies the similarities between the Truthseekers and the Knowers, though they may not see those similarities presently; perhaps they never will. While the Knowers focus on what they know to be fact (or what they believe they know), the Truthseekers seek truths to be known within all of the mysterious phenomena of the realm. Ironically, if the Truthseekers found truths, the Knowers would accept those truths as known facts... wouldn't they? And likewise if the Knowers proved there was no Simgod, the Truthseekers would accept this and seek truths in places other than the existence of a god... wouldn't they? Perhaps it was far too soon to tell, for these two philosophies were just getting started. For now they both moved forward in accordance with their goals. The Tidehook sailors whom found the Ancient Bridge Ruins were mostly Knowers, or most would go on to become part of that group. They decided to fulfill their purpose of expansion, and they founded a new port just south of the ruins: Prideheart founded: ^Prideheart was named after the Sea's Pride ship, which made the remarkable discovery of the Ancient Bridge Ruins. The Sea's Pride dumped off her initial supplies for the settlers to found the port, then began sailing on repeated trips hauling additional supplies from Tidehook and Timbercove, including red granite bricks from Pitstop. ^Very quickly, a group of Knowers seeing opportunity founded a company known as the Prideheart Pioneer Services. Some of the red granite bricks were used to construct a shipping station for this new company. Interestingly, the Prideheart Pioneer Services (or PPS as they would perhaps one day come to abbreviate their company name) offered a variety of services, ranging from shipping goods and parcels, as well as ferrying workers and residents to & from Prideheart. Some of the pioneers even offered adventurous excursions if the buyer was wealthy enough, and the pioneer was renowned enough to be worth such a payment. Many of the workers took pride in being the couriers, adventurers, and pioneers of the great unknown. Many PPS shipping stations of similar style quickly arose in various key ports across the realm, including Port Novel, Tidehook, Slyside Lake, Graincove, Port Ravenloch, and Talonway Bay. ^The Truthseekers quickly erected a building in Prideheart as well, a church to worship the Simgod they believed in, and to praise the discovery of the Ancient Bridge Ruins. ^Near the Ancient Bridge Ruins themselves, settlers of all different walks of life erected a dedicated archeological site for the purpose of excavating and studying the ruins, with warehouses for cataloguing and storing any relics that may be found. A small house nearby served as an informative center for any visitors that wanted to see the ruins with their own eyes. While the area was somewhat open to the public, it was very heavily regulated by the Prideheart constables. Meanwhile, the bridgemakers working on the bridge west of Pitstop (mostly Knowers) were very pleased to finally finish construction. Prospect Path was finally completed, with no gaps from Tidehook to Graincove & Timbercove. This was quite significant as it allowed settlers to get to their destination much faster by easily crossing the Slyside River instead of needing to circle around Slyside Lake or charter a boat. ...but the Knowers work didn't stop there. They knew there would be many settlers aiming to travel to the newly founded Prideheart to pursue their own curiosities (which is also why the Prideheart Pioneer Services were founded). They decided to immediately lay a path towards Prideheart, which first entailed a bridge crossing the Unseen River mouth near the Hiddenbeck Timber Co. South in Timbercove: ^The bridge was simply called Timbercove Crossing From there they pioneered forth eastwards into territory not yet traversed by foot nor horseback, which they called the Keygate Corridor: ^Keygate Corridor was named such because the area consisted of a small corridor of water leading towards Prideheart. Many settlers considered this central corridor not only serving as a gateway into the vast unexplored eastern portions of the realm, but that the unexplored east would also somehow be the key to unlocking many discoveries. Thus, Keygate Corridor was the moniker that stuck. ^Another bridge was constructed, since the Knowers were apparently able to construct bridges in their sleep now. This bridge was called the Keygate Crossing, quickly becoming the longest bridgespan in the realm; the new path as a whole became known as the Pioneer's Passage... ^The pioneering Knowers even started working on an unnamed path to the north, on the eastern side of the Unseen River (top left in the screenshot), but they didn't get very far as this was not a priority passageway. ^The Pioneer's Passage continued all the way up to Prideheart where it concluded (at least at first) at the eastern portion of the Ancient Bridge Ruins. The Knowers planned to eventually construct another bridge here... I mean come'on the ancient people living here clearly did! This area must be perfect for bridges! However, the Knowers really hadn't been getting a lot of rest recently, so in these parts at least a bridge would need to wait. Let's hope settlers get paid overtime in this realm. As we mentioned earlier, knowing the truth is a pursuit of many, however when it came to knowing the accomplishments of the Tidehook sailors, the Godhaven Island folks couldn't have cared less. Sure, they knew of the Ancient Bridge Ruins being discovered, and sure they saw a new beacon on that cute lil' island by Tidehook ("What was that lil' island called again," they thought ), but ultimately the were completely indifferent to this apparent competition Tidehook was going on about. As such, the Godhaven folks just continued building up their own idyllic island (much to Tidehook's dismay of course ). First they expanded west and finally settled Westlance: Lancepoint founded: ^The path heading in to Lancepoint was simply named the Westlance Path, after the landmass of which it traversed. ^Lancepoint seemed to have everything, and quickly! Located at the very western tip of Godhaven and pointing out towards Tidehaven Island, Lancepoint saw a LOT of ships traversing the area. There was even a branch of the Prideheart Pioneer Services. Because of the shipping lanes, this port quickly came to rival Tidehook's port. ^The masons of Godhaven were even able to replicate the lighthouse they noticed on that cute lil' island to the west. They named this lighthouse the Godseye Beacon. ^On the northern shoreline of Lancepoint, a field of thousands of daffodil flowers was discovered. Deemed too beautiful to destroy for the sake of any housing, the shoreline was quickly dubbed the Daffodil Coast. Occasionally at night, shadowed figures could be seen rowing ashore from ships in the bay and perhaps stomping some of the daffodils, but what sailors would do such a thing... . At any rate there were so many daffodils the stomped flowers were never even noticed. Not long after Lancepoint was founded, the settlers of Godhaven would petition all of the realm to name the massive bay to the west the Godseye Bay in honor of the Godseye Beacon lighthouse in Lancepoint. This was immediately denounced by Tidehook, whom claimed the bay should be named the Tidehaven Bay, in honor of the Tidehaven Beacon lighthouse on Tidehaven Island. Nothing was settled upon immediately, and it seemed the naming of the bay would go to a vote of the many sailors from all the realm's ports... Over the past several generations, most of the flatland on Godhaven had been turned into farmland, as the towns slightly expanded and were upgraded with red granite brick roads. Let's take a closer look at how well the Godshaven towns have expanded over the past generations: Port Ravenloch: ^Comprised of mostly flatlands, Port Ravenloch quickly became the primary agriculture hub on Godhaven, though Talonway Bay wasn't far behind. In fact, the Port Ravenloch farming industry grew even larger than that of the mainland's Sundown Fields and Graincove. Farmers from Port Ravenloch exported their crop yields to the mainland to feed countless settlers. ^Of course, a PPS branch was right at home in the growing Port Ravenloch. A small community of farmers was also founded to the east, heading into the foothills: Sparrowtail Hills Founded: ^Sparrowtail Hills was really more of a quaint farmers outpost than a full-fledged town, but still their voice was a loud one. Their belief was all of Port Ravenloch looked more like a sparrow than a raven . This led to many disagreements, with the majority sticking to the raven side, but many secretly agreed with the Sparrowtail community. Talonway Bay: ^Over time, a proper port was finally established in Talonway Bay, as opposed to the small smuggler-style dock available at first. Of course, you guessed it... a PPS branch found its way here as well. While Godhaven settlers clearly hadn't noticed much of Tidehook's doings lately, one thing they did notice was the work of the Knowers, both in constructing multiple key bridges in the realm, and in the laying of brick roads in major town centers. As such, one of the more recent endeavors of Godhaven was to commission the Knowers to construct a bridge from Timbercove to the northern shores of Godhaven Island. While the Knowers were quite busy, this commission certainly interested them, however there was much debate of what they would ask of Godhaven in return. While Godhaven was a beautiful island, they weren't particularly wealthy and didn't exactly have skills other settlers across the realm didn't already possess. The Knowers would need to give this more thought. In all due time: Speaking again of Timbercove, let's also take a look in at the expansion progress of the Graincove & Timbercove area over the past several generations, and since the recent completion of the Prospect Coast Bridge: Graincove & Timbercove: ^Graincove and Timbercove expanded fervently immediately following the completion of the Prospect Coast Bridge, for a variety of reasons. One: Pitstop was just to the west, with the quarry producing slabs of granite used extensively by the Knowers for bridge construction and road upgrades. Two: While Port Ravenloch was the primary agriculture hub on Godhaven, Graincove was undoubtedly the primary farming hub on the mainland, with more crop yield than Sundown Fields to the direct north. Three: Hiddenbeck to the north drifted most of their timber down the Unseen River to Timbercove, making this area also the hub for the timber industry. Four: With the new Timbercove Crossing and the Pioneer's Passage leading into the great unknown towards Prideheart, there was certainly increased carriage traffic from every walk of life. Graincove and Timbercove even started bickering over what the town should officially be called, arguing over which industry was more defining of the area, timber or farming. Naming aside, the city (cities?) even became a sliver more populous than Tidehook. One settler noticed an open plot of land on the other side of the Unseen River mouth, across from the Hiddenbeck Timber Co. South and they had a clever, perhaps devious idea... With all the timber drifting south from Hiddenbeck, they could create a rival logging company to snatch up some of the timber and process it before anyone knew what happened: ^They named their timber company the Otherside Timber Co. The founder must have been pretty well off, because they also commissioned the Otherside Bridge to slow down and catch more logs for processing. Not long after this clever ploy, perhaps an even more clever settler founded the Quickfox Timber Co. even further up the river. Would this be a sign of things to come? The Hiddenbeck Timber Co. was going to need to do something about this ... ^The Truthseekers used some of the Quickfox Timber Co.'s lumber to build a church in the area as well (lower left), so they could worship and examine the nearby Unseen River, which was a river that had miraculously manifested afterall. One seemingly normal day while all the realm's settlers were asleep, a truly remarkable phenomenon transpired; a mystical event of seemingly cosmic importance which would never be forgotten... Similarly to the growing rocks that suddenly appeared near Graincove all those years ago, a new formation of rocks appeared out of thin air. However, we aren't simply talking about a small formation smaller than a town, we are talking about an entire mountain range with mountaintops touching the clouds. Over time many of the settlers would claim they were awake to see this take place, but in truth none of them were. Perhaps they were all coincidentally tired at the same time, or perhaps they were made to sleep by the Simgod (if there is such a thing). One thing was certain, the settlers all knew in their hearts the mountain range was named the Loomterra Mountains, with the entire range seemingly stretching from Tidehook up to the Northwatch Tower and beyond! Frankly, an unfathomable distance for mountains to simply manifest. They never challenged the name the knew these mountains to hold, for the mountaintops were looming high into the sky. While the settlers wouldn't have such a view until aerial technologies were invented, you have the privilege of seeing the Loomterra Mountains from a god's point of view: ^The Truthseekers - and frankly all the settlers - were absolutely floored that the world was capable of such wonders. They knew there existed the chance for geological features to manifest within their world, but the never fathomed something could manifest on this scale. It was a miracle there were no deaths during this cosmic event. There even were some cliffs that manifest on Godhaven Island, not exactly part of the Loomterra range, but certainly part of this legendary event. Many settlers felt the immediate priority was to map every nook of the mountain ranges, setting up camps as needed. The Knowers were interested in what resources there might be hidden in these new mythical mountains. With this much granite, they could upgrade every road in the realm... if they had the time and manpower to do it. "In time, in time" they thought. Meanwhile the Truthseekers just worshiped the mountains, and pondered what such a cosmic wonder even meant. After the Truthseekers stopped drooling over the Loomterra Mountains, they finished up the other immediate churches they had initially planned. Over time, a logging trail from Timbercove up to Hiddenbeck was formed, which was dubbed the Truewood Trail. While this path was mostly used by the loggers to travel alongside the river so they could quickly break up any log jams, it was also used by the Truthseekers to build several churches along the Unseen River. Some of the Truthseekers claimed their Simgod had spoken to them and they spread their beliefs in these areas, claiming what they shared was the word of the Simgod. Thus, the nickname the trail received was the Trueword Trail. Riverbend Founded: ^Riverbend is a small village of Truthseekers that formed along the logger's Truewood Trail, or as the religious came to call it, the Trueword Trail. Riverbend is just east of Sundown Fields, along the Unseen River. ^Some loggers thought the town was quaint and settled in as well, though they weren't always sure how they felt about those preaching weirdos. Pocket Founded: ^The next village the Truthseekers founded was in a little pocket recently found after the Loomterra Mountains had manifest, hence why the quaint village name of Pocket stuck.The Truthseekers could kill two simbirds with one stone here, worshiping and studying both the rock and the water. ^Meanwhile, Hiddenbeck to the north continued chop chop chopping away at the woodlands surrounding the town. "Were these massive mountaintops to the west always here?" they wondered, "Oh well, still more trees to chop. Maybe if we keep chopping we'll reach those mountains!" While the logging industry was continuing to boom, they heard some unsavory news of some thieving companies named Otherside and Quickfox plucking their logs out of the water down near Timbercove. ^(messing with CameraPitch 15 at Hiddenbeck. Pocket off to the left/south.) Pitstop: ^The Truthseekers even plopped a church (or maybe their Simgod plopped it... ) down in Pitstop, which had expanded a wee bit with quarry workers building more homes nearby. Pitstop had a monopoly on the granite slab industry for some years at this point, but with the new Loomterra Mountains looming to the north, what would happen now? Lastly, with the newfound manifestation of the Loomterra Mountains the Truthseekers were finally brave enough to venture forth into the forest they've historically thought of as being haunted, where they set up their latest church. They ventured just a bit north from Port Novel, laying a few winding paths up the hills... Darkwood Founded: ^It wasn't hard to understand why Darkwood earned its name. Considering Port Novel is just down the hill to the south, let's take a look at how things have developed here over the past many years: ^Over time, Port Novel also built itself a suitable new port just to the north of the beach where their great ancestors had first awoken into this strange realm. This realm which still didn't have a name that they knew of at least. While the port perhaps wasn't quite as big as that of Tidehook or Lancepoint, it certainly was a step up from the previous moorings. Newport Founded: ^Newport considered themselves part of Port Novel, however to differentiate the latest port from the old port, this area was dubbed Newport. A branch of the Prideheart Pioneer Services made itself right at home here. Overlook Bluff Founded: ^The more well-off families of Port Novel couldn't resist heading a bit further up the hill from Newport, and breaking ground on a beautiful town they called Overlook Bluff, which easily had one of the best views of the western waters in all the realm. One wealthy settler in the area build up a lighthouse overlooking those western waters. 'Say... wait a second...' thought the settler, '...why don't we ever send sailors to the west, to see what exists out there?' ...An interesting thought to say the least, but just as quickly as they had the thought... poof! It was gone. Anyways, the next thought given to them was to name their lighthouse the Dreamer's Star; over time their home became known as the Lightkeeper's Home. A dreamlike patch of flowers lined the cliffside behind the home. ^Dreamer's Star Lighthouse at night. ^As beautiful as Overlook Bluff was, this did end up having some setbacks almost immediately. The wealthy residents of the area could be quite demanding on the Port Novel leaders, to ensure constant supplies and amenities were provided to their community. Additionally, Overlook Bluff brought in many sightseers to gaze out over the western waters, to look up at the stars above, and to see the Dreamer's Lighthouse and the precious flowers. The residents of Overlook Bluff didn't like the "riffraff" as they called them coming into town , and they really didn't like the riffraff bringing all sorts of trash up onto their bluff. What caused the sightseers to almost hypnotically drop their trash when gazing out over the western waters? Nobody knew... . Was it the western waters, the serene flowers, the nearby haunted forest, or the Simgod herself ? Perhaps they never would know what about his area was so mesmerizing. However, at any rate the residents of Overlook Bluff demanded that Port Novel deal with this trash situation at once! ^Port Novel progressing forward with a PPS branch of their own. To differentiate between the port in Newport and Port Novel's first port, most residents started referring to the original port as Oldport. ^(messing with CameraPitch 15 at Port Novel. Past Oldport is Newport, and Overlook Bluff. To the upper right we can glimpse Darkwood.) While we are nearing the end of our glimpse into our settlers progress in this post, there are yet a few more glimpses of their expansion we can still give. With the Truthseekers busy doing their wacky worshiping (those are the Knowers words, not mine... I mean... poof), the Knowers were busy laying brick roads on the busiest towns thoroughfares. Slyside Lake: ^Slyside Lake was becoming quite the tourist destination, primarily for the resident's laid-back laissez-faire approach to life. The quality of life for the realm's settlers wasn't exactly exceptional; it was full of long hardworking exhaustive days for fishermen, sailors, farmers, loggers, quarry workers, bridgemakers, and pioneers of all kinds. As such, the concept of a bit of R&R at Slyside Lake became more appealing over the years. Even though it was still fun to poke fun at the lazy slysiders, it wasn't a secret more & more settlers viewed it as a vacation destination. Besides the PPS branch that found purchase on the shoreline, a variety of saloons, clothiers, restaurants, hotels, and cabarets also found quick residence in the downtown. The downtown square became known as the Cabaret Crossing, where hardworking men would drunkenly spin with their friends to chose the next cabaret where they would attempt to woo the women. Often times the men left empty handed of course, but not without a night of merry memories they would hold dear and remember even in old age. Perhaps some men & women found their soulmates while having the time of their lives. ^A lighthouse was built near the port, and some claim it would shine with a captivating red light during nighttime festivities. This became known as the Rougefire Lighthouse. Directly to the east was a courthouse where Slyside leaders often deliberated over the punishments of rambunctious vacationers who perhaps pushed the proverbial envelope a bit too far in one way or another. The punishments were often light, for afterall Slyside Lake didn't want to keep the visitors away. The visitors brought commerce and merriment. ^The foothills of the recently appearing Loomterra Mountains butted up against Slyside Lake, turning the entire area into a beautiful valley, allowing a variety of vistas for any vacationers that weren't too hungover to go hiking on either side of the valley. Careful not to fall while hungover! A town found purchase on the main road heading into Slyside Lake from the west; a town of which the road would earn also earn name, the Rushmore Road. Rushmore Founded: ^Rushmore was a town venture taken on by many of the business owners in Slyside Lake. The purpose was one of advertising, perhaps some of the earliest advertising of this kind in the entire realm.The concept was to place Rushmore on the pathway leading into Slyside Lake, to give travelers a little taste of the excitement that laid just ahead. If a traveler had a good time in Rushmore, how could they resist the urge to travel onwards to see the dancing girls of Cabaret Crossing? Even the town name was conceived to instill the idea that travelers need to have some quick fun in town, but then rush more quickly into Slyside Lake for the real festivities! Since the business owners were invested in both towns, whether some travelers preferred Rushmore or Slyside Lake, it was all the same to the owner. Further to the west, at the fork where Rushmore Road met the Southpath along with Sharktooth Trail, another little village was founded, but for very different reasons: Perchance Founded: ^(Forgive the pic, I had to stitch it together from two city tiles). Perchance was an interesting little village, founded out of necessity for there being a fork in the road where carriage traffic was heavy. Coming from Port Novel to the north, the Southpath met the Sharktooth Trail which went further south to various small towns and Tidehook. However, the other direction was the Rushmore Road heading down to Slyside Lake. Many young adults leaving Port Novel for the first time would stop here in Perchance where they had to make a choice... head south to Tidehook looking for work on a sailing vessel, or head east towards the fun-filled Rushmore and Slyside Lake. Many times a coin flip dictated the fate of which direction a young traveler would choose, hence the town name of Perchance. ^If the choice was Slyside Lake, often times the traveler would toss their coin into the Lover's Well as they passed by. Perhaps a better name would have been the Lusting Well , or the Drunkard's Well , because usually it wasn't love that was found in Slyside Lake, but then again sometimes it was. At any rate, the recommendation was to forego drinking the water in Perchance. For some reason it always had a strange taste . ^(messing with CameraPitch 15 at Slyside Lake, looking northwest towards Rushmore and Perchance.) Tidehook: ^Tidehook continued to develop over time, upgrading their seaport with bricks from the quarry in Pitstop. While commerce was a'buzzin', there was a very big problem creeping up on Tidehook, and none of the prideful sailors wanted to admit it. They had run out of room to expand! This was especially troubling because the Godhaven folk seemed to have not even noticed how amazing Tidehook's port was, how exceptional Tidehaven Island was, nor how acclaimed the discovery of the Ancient Bridge Ruins and the founding of Prideheart was. For now, Tidehook was content focusing their efforts on Prideheart, but know this... there were the seeds of dissent within the ranks of many a sailor in these waters... . ^(messing with CameraPitch 15 at Tidehook. To the right/south in the water we see Tidehaven Island, also known as Sleepless Sands.) Oakfall & Oxtrain Village: Without a doubt the two villages which had the most remarkable view of the mysterious Loomterra Mountains was Oakfall and Oxtrain Village. Let's take a peek from their perspective... or should we say peak? A peek at peaks!...shall we? (Yes we shall ). ^A stupefying glimpse into one of the Loomterra peaks looming largely above lil' ole Oakfall. ^Oxtrain Village's vistas of the Loomterra peaks were also unrivaled. ^Oxtrain Village proper, while heavily traversed there was no need for any of that classy brick road stuff over here in oxen country. Say, llamas are as tough as oxen, right? With more rigorous land to explore in the area, a handful of farriers wisely pounced at the chance to perform their oxen and equestrian shoeing work at a farrier's camp along the Oxtrain Pass: Faircamp Founded: ^A view of Faircamp looking along Oxtrain Pass to the east, onward to Oakfall. ^Faircamp was aptly named after "Farrier's Camp", which is what this little podunk town was. Everyone here worked on oxen or horses, everything from shoeing to feedin' to nursing, and telling them they don't smell bad too! ^The newly manifested Loomterra peaks were a sight to behold, and these peaks hadn't even been visited, measured, nor named yet! ^(messing with CameraPitch 15 at Oxtrain Village, looking northeast. Northpath runs on the left side, leaving the frame towards Northwatch Tower. To the right is the Oxtrain Pass heading east to Oakfall.) So in a time when the settlers were seeking to know the truths of their world, the world flipped them on their heads (not literally, though perhaps the Simgod could to that, if there were a Simgod) with the mythical mountain-manifestation event that only posed more unknowns. To achieve something so monumental though, did hint towards a new "known" -- Whatever force was at work in their world... that force was likely powerful enough to destroy the entire world. But so too was this force likely able to make the world a utopia. This line of thought caused the Truthseekers to ponder prayer, to ask the Creator to continue to demonstrate such feats. The Knowers just laughed and said they would continue to play the hand that was dealt to them; they believe asking the clouds for miracles was fruitless. 'No, no,' they thought... 'the settlers must be the authors of their own miracles.' There was one thing all the settlers did agree on however... somehow, somewhere, somewhen soon... they were on the brink. On the brink of what? Unknown. But it was known they were on the brink of something that would change the course of their existence forever. However, pondering such silly thoughts of sims is unbecoming of gods, or whatever you are, so instead let's look at the map of the latest expansions of our settlers: A closer look to the North: The majority of settlers agreed, these were the most pressing matters that needed consideration next: What should the Knowers ask of Godhaven Island as payment for the requested bridge? What Industry is more vital to the Graincove & Timbercove area? The Hiddenbeck Timber Co. plans to take Otherside & Quickfox to court, for their filthy log snatching! However, not many towns even have courts! What town should be petitioned to take on a case of this magnitude? What approach to the Overlook Bluff trash situation should Port Novel recommend to the realm? What is the most deserving name to label the bay by Tidehook and Lancepoint? *(I'll always do my best to honor the votes, but please note if voting is slow I may get impatient and move forward with my own choices) Updates of Uncovering Junon Vale Prideheart is founded! ~ "Did Godhaven see this place yet?" Prideheart Pioneer Services branches found in many of the realm's largest port towns. "We aren't disgruntled, that's just how pioneer's sound!" Prospect Path Bridge completed, allowing direct carriage traffic from Tidehook to Graincove & Timbercove. Timbercove Crossing Bridge completed, starting the passage eastwards into lands unknown, towards Prideheart. Keygate Corridor named. "Keygate Strait just doesn't sound as cool..." Keygate Crossing Bridge completed, allowing passage across the Keygate Corridor waterway. Pioneer's Passage laid from Timbercove to the shoreline east of Prideheart. Westlance Path laid from North Ravenloch to the western tip of Westlance. Lancepoint is founded! Home of the Godseye Beacon Lighthouse. "Say, what has Tidehook been up to these days? We don't talk much anymore..." Daffodil Coast named. "Who would stomp flowers? Say, is that a Tidehook ship out in the bay? " Port Ravenloch greatly expanded, becoming the realm's largest agricultural center. Sparrowtail Hills is founded! "Sparrows are cuter than ravens! Who cares if they aren't as smart?" Talonway Bay greatly expanded, now with a bonafide port; not far behind Port Ravenloch in food production. Graincove & Timbercove greatly expanded, becoming the most populous town (towns?) in the realm! Both the farming & timber industries are boomin'. Otherside & Quickfox Timber Companies founded. "Log possession is 9/10ths the law." Loomterra Mountain Range magically manifests, ranging from Tidehook to beyond the Northwatch Tower. Smaller unnamed mountains also manifest on Godhaven Island. Truewood Trail is laid from Timbercove to Hiddenbeck, allowing loggers quick access along the river to clear any would-be log jams. The Trutheekers call it the Trueword Trail instead. Riverbend is founded! "Naming towns creatively isn't our strong suit, but hey our town has a cool river to look at!" Pocket is founded! "The dresses in pocket DO in fact have pockets!" Pitstop slightly expanded. Darkwood is founded! "This is no longer the haunted forest, we now decree it the haunted-esque forest..." Newport is founded! "If Port Novel builds a newer port somewhere else we are screwed!" Overlook Bluff is founded! Home of the Dreamer's Star Lighthouse. "No littering!" Port Novel expanded, referred to as Oldport to differentiate from the new port. Slyside Lake greatly expanded! The legendary Cabaret Crossing is known all across the realm, for their renowned saloon showgirls! Now home to the Rougefire Lighthouse. Rushmore is founded! Rushmore Road is named, which connects Southpath to Slyside Lake, running through Rushmore town. Perchance is founded! "Drinking the water from Lover's Well might not taste great, but it sure does turn a profit!" Tidehook is... only slightly expanded, while the boastful sailors have no nearby land to expand to. Oxtrain Village slightly expanded. Faircamp is founded! "Come shop for the latest style of oxen shoes! [Fine print: there is only one style of oxen shoe]" Truthseekers build their churches in/near towns closest to all the realms unexplained phenomena. Knowers upgrade the thoroughfares of the realm's most populous town centers to brick roads. (Phew... like I said sorry for the long entry, but THANK YOU so much for reading, voting, and/or commenting!)- 6 Comments
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Generations of Early Expansion ~ Part 4
Daeris posted a City Journal entry in Uncovering the Junon Vale
Previously on Uncovering the Junon Vale: Prospect Path was formed, a merchant path aiming to connect Tidehook to Slyside Lake and the farming towns Graincove and Sundown Fields. Shoresteppe founded! ~ "Watch your step while dancing on the tables!" Pinnacle founded! ~ "Can we roll a boulder down the hill to break up the Shoresteppe parties?" Bridge workers from Graincove were building the bridge to connect to Prospect Path, trying not to let the nearby Mysterious Growing Mountains spook them too much! "Maybe those rocks would be good for the bridge though..." North Ravenloch was founded! Talonway Bay was founded! "We have the coolest shaped town in all of... well whatever this realm is called" Settlers of Port Ravenloch, North Ravenloch, and Talonway Bay dubbed their great island Godhaven, and the western peninsula was known was Westlance. The bay of which Talonway Bay village was named after - of course - was also known as Talonway Bay. Northpath Trail is dug in following the path the brave scouts took to the Lands Beyond the North, along the trail Northmoor and Northend villages were founded. Northwatch Tower became a small outpost, where settlers manned the tower and watched North in shifts, awaiting the possible return of the scouts. None of the watchers dared travel far past Northwatch Tower. Unnamed Inland Shortcut became known as the Quickland Path over time, as it was a quick inland shortcut from North Ravenloch to Talonway Bay. Unnamed Shoreline Path became known as the Longcut Path over time, as it was a longer coastline path connecting Port Ravenloch to Talonway Bay. Amongst the most renowned families of fishermen and farmers, it was recently decided*: *(forgive me voters from last CJ entry, several more votes came in after I started making changes, so I ended up compromising and combining outcomes to make all voters happy!) To make their town vital and important, Oakfall would focus on founding and monopolizing the realm's timber industry. They would venture Southeast to find an ideal spot for a new timber camp. "Shiver me timbers, we have a logging industry? Where is Oakfall again?" Out of spite of Godhaven's accomplishments, Tidehook would carry out a trifecta of accomplishments to remind those of Godhaven where they originally came from. Tidehook would send explorers further inland to scout for new ports to settle, they would claim and settle the little unnamed island at the mouth of the river, and they would expand the port of Tidehook as much as possible. "Godhaven? More like Blahblahblahhaven. Look how cool Tidehook is!" Most of the realm's settlers adhere to one of two philosophies: 1.) There are those who believe the story of their existence belongs in the hands of a Simgod, a Creator, and through understanding the Creator's mysteries truths will be revealed, and 2.) There are those who don't care about such things, and believe only through science and expansion will the settlers prosper. Also, as can be seen I use various text colors in my CJ entries. It's a pretty loose & informal system, but here is the general key: Purple - This will tend to denote an action of some kind by the settlers or other sim groups, or by various mysterious forces that may or may not exist in Junon Vale. Blue - This will tend to denote when a new village or town is formed, or when the news pertains to one of these towns. Green - This will tend to denote when a new path/road has been formed, or perhaps a new trade route. Or perhaps when something vital has occurred or changed on an existing route. Orange - This will tend to denote when a new area was founded, such as a location that the settlers find important (maybe a coast, a mountain, an island, a neighborhood, etc). Or perhaps when something vital takes place in one of these areas. Underlined Italicize - This will tend to denote a very specific physical building, which usually holds special meaning. Such buildings may develop meaning over time, therefore they won't have the underlined italicize until later. Neon Pink - This will denote when a new group or faction has been formed, or perhaps a new nation. In the future, this may also apply to specific larger corporations if applicable. Let me know if you have other color or formatting ideas for other things you'd like referenced during this CJ! The previous map: Pride is a strange thing; it can lead sims to great triumphs, but also to great downfalls. Perhaps in the case of the people of Oakfall, their wounded pride would lead to both... A great triumph in pioneering the realm's first major timber industries, and a great downfall because... well... trees would soon be falling down all over the place ! At first, the people of Oakfall started cutting down the trees in the immediate vicinity of their little village... ...however, the hills to the north of Oakfall proved to be a bit steep and dangerous. Still, lumber camps formed up in the hills, north of Oakfall. It was becoming a bustling place, and endless convoys of wagons from Oxtrain Village would haul the lumber out, whilst bringing in new workers from Port Novel. The lumber was in quick demand as the shipmakers along the coast were eager to build new, more advanced vessels for exploration and fishing. New villages were also sprouting up all over the realm, with lumber being the primary structural resource. While demand was high, a major logistical issue arose: Oxtrain Pass was proving to be a dangerous route to export lumber, and there was a noticeable increase in injuries to sim and oxen (don't worry all the oxen survived )! As such, some workers looked to solve this issue by exploring to the Southeast. Their goal was to locate ideal locations for new lumber camps, as well as the means to create a new path to the south, giving the timber co.'s another means to export their lumber. Hopefully, a route that proved safer than Oxtrain Pass... ...and this is when things got a little weird. To the southeast, the workers found a small lake and south-flowing river that had apparently manifest out of thin air. This was certainly not here a generation ago, hell it wasn't even here a few weeks ago. What was going on here ? These Oakfall workers had heard word of the mysterious growing mountains near Graincove, and - though they've never traveled through the forest to the south, they knew Graincove wasn't that far to the south. Maybe this new river was somehow related. It's likely the river flowed down to Graincove in fact... At any rate, this would be literally a perfect spot for a lumber camp, and a perfect new way to export the lumber to the south. Time to get to work... Hiddenbeck founded: ^Because of their strange manifesting nature, the lake and river were quickly known by the locals as the Unseen Lake and the Unseen River. ^Hiddenbeck was built up as a lumber town from the moment it was conceived, with major lumber camps sprouting up to the west and south. ^Most felled timber from the Oakfall lumber camps and the Hiddenbeck lumber camps found itself funneled down to the Hiddenbeck Timber Co. where it was cut and processed. Afterwards, the timber would find itself loaded onto boats for shipping south. Sometimes workers would toss the raw timber directly into the Unseen River so it could float naturally down towards Graincove... "they'll find something to do with it I'm sure ," most workers thought. ^The quaint Hiddenbeck Port was a busy place overnight, and always smelled of freshly cut trees. ^Western lumber camps, where workers worked quick as can be, but their camp was always a mess. ^Southern lumber camps, where workers were slower but claimed their cuts were better than the Western lumber camps. Meanwhile, with all the timber floating south from Hiddenbeck, the people of Graincove had to do something... Timbercove founded: ^Directly to the east of Graincove, the Unseen River formed into a small delta-like feature, as it emptied into the larger unnamed bay north of Godhaven Island. This served as an ideal location for Timbercove, a southern village where most of the timber from Hiddenbeck flowed through, either via ship or by raw logs drifting in the river. ^Before any of the farming families from Graincove could get any ideas, some of the timbermen from Hiddenbeck built up the Hiddenbeck Timber Co. South, becoming the south branch of the same company from the north. ^Hiddenbeck Timber Co. South from a northern view. A bridge was not constructed across the Unseen River yet (Most settlers wanted to ensure the river would - you know - actually stay there and continue to exist), though an ideal location for a future bridge was scouted. ^Timbercove's port became just as busy as Hiddenbeck's, in fact more busy since this would serve as a greater hub to export lumber to all of the realm via ship. With all of the commotion to the east of Graincove, let's not forget to check in to the west of the farming village. If you recall, the sim settlers there were previously tasked with building a bridge, to span the river, allowing a prosperous pathway from Graincove to the Prospect Path, running all the way to Tidehook. ^ Unfortunately, the bridge has been slow going. For starters, this will be the biggest structural span the sims have tried building since their mysterious awakening in this realm. Secondly, most the sims can't decide what to even name this river... Slyside River (after the lake to the north), Prospect River (after the merchant path to the west), Shoresteppe River (after the small village on the west side), or the Lazy River (due to how slow-going progress has been, and a slight nod to the carefree residents of Slyside Lake town to the north). Thirdly, to span something this large, bridge-builders quickly realized they needed more than just timber from Hiddenbeck, they needed rock. If only there were some nearby rocks that mysteriously grew out of the ground... Pitstop founded: ^ Overcoming their nervousness, nearby bridge-makers ventured towards the mountains that mysteriously grew from the ground, and they realized the entire area was abundant with granite slabs that would make for ideal bridge foundations. The sims didn't quite know how this rock was known as granite, but almost as if a voice spoke inside their heads, they suddenly knew it was known as such. And they knew granite would be ideal for bridge construction. And so they founded a quarry at this very location. ^ Pitstop was the name this dainty little quarry town was given, for a few reasons: 1.) Quarry workers needed a place to grab a drink and relax after processing granite slabs, and it was thought once the bridge connected to the Prospect Path, many many merchants would stop here for a quick respite, and reason 2.) this place was quite literally a pit in the ground . Regardless, the sims knew this would have their bridge complete in no time, and maybe even help employ them for future bridge constructions all across the realm... ^A closer look at what became known as the Bridgemaker Quarry ^ Bridgemaker Quarry from another angle As we already discovered earlier, pride can manifest itself in several different ways, leading to different outcomes as well. In the case of the sealords from Tidehook, pride (and let's be honest, a good deal of jealousy over the accomplishments of their Godhaven descendants) lead them to demonstrating their superiority not once or twice, but thrice. First, it was decided they would send a state-of-the-art exploratory vessel inland, to discover a new port to settle -- one that would rival that of Port Ravenloch or Talonway Bay. Thus, a ship - coincidentally known as the Sea's Pride - ventured inland to make a discovery that would rock the world... or well, whatever this realm was called within the world. If this was a world. While sailing inland, the sailors spotted what appeared to be ancient ruins along the shoreline, on both sides of a wide river: ^ Sailors had surprisingly sailed this path many years before, but perhaps they passed here under a pitch black night, for they had never seen these ruins prior. ^ The ruins clearly appears to be a sort of ancient bridge. ^ Closeup, of the ancient ruins, where sailors also noted the abundance of wildlife, wild horses and deer seemed to roam the woods undisturbed. Secondly, it was decided that Tidehook would expand its own port to rival the Godhaven ports as much as possible, just in case no ports inland proved themselves exceptional (this decision was made prior to the ruins being discovered of course). With Tidehook being the largest port on the mainland, and serving as a central shipping center for the entire realm, this second goal seemingly happened naturally. Over short time, the Tidehook port became by far the most impressive and unchallenged port in all the realm: ^ With its expansion, Tidehook became the largest town on the mainland, with a populous of approximately 1100 families. This surpassed that of all of Godhaven, which had approximately 975 families. In addition to the port expansion, the city itself developed into a tiered arrangement of homes and businesses. Needless to say, Tidehook was pleased with their accomplishments, and they would tout victory over the denizens of Godhaven for years to come... ^The Tidehook Port took on a life of its own, goods coming and going in a clockwork rhythm, as if Tidehook was now the heart of the realm, pumping life into all the other ports. If Tidehook had their way, perhaps they would name this entire region Tidehook Vale, or something similar... ^ With the port bustlin', so too did the commerce of Tidehook. Inns, Grocers, Saloons, Banks, Mercantile Stores, Clothing, Butchers, etcetera... you name the business, Tidehook either had it, or was on the brink of having it. ^ A lighthouse - The Wavecrest Point - was erected as a beacon for all would-be ships at sea. The lighthouse attendant was granted the honor of living in a nearby house of unrivaled beauty. Thirdly, as if the other accomplishments weren't enough, Tidehook wanted to put a cherry on top of their cake. That cherry was the decision to finally claim and develop the small island at the mouth of the bay, leading inland towards the Godhaven Island. Here, whatever they build on this island would hopefully be a reminder to all passing sims that the sea and the land belonged to Tidehook, not Godhaven. And thus... Tidehaven Island founded: ^ Tidehaven Island, named as a subtle and yet not-so-subtle mockery to Godhaven Island, as seen from Tidehook to the North. ^ Tidehaven also took on a nickname of sorts, the Sleepless Sands. This was due to the rather monumental lighthouse placed towards the summit of the island. When light emanated from this lighthouse, it constantly would cast light on the homes all across the island, making sleep rather restless on Tidehaven. Officially the lighthouse was named the Tidehaven Beacon, but more commonly it was called Sleepless Point. While commerce was not as buzzing as Tidehook, it was still amicable, with local taverns known to throw all-night parties. I wonder why they were all-night parties... ^ Sleepless Sands from the South. ^ Tidehaven Island viewed from the East, during the sleepless hours of the night. Many generations have passed but still the sims aren't much closer to any answers of their origins, or their future, since the first days they awakened in this realm. They still do not know what this realm is called, though occasionally some claim to glimpse the region's name in their mind's eye. The sims know not what they are; people, or sims, or both? For now, they know they are settlers. They know not if this is a dream, or a world, nor the shape, though something tells them it's flat . They know not if they are alone, or if there are others like them. They always wonder if their scouts sent to the north will return, but it's been many generations since they've left at this point, so if any were to return, it would be the scouts descendants, unless some other magic of this world may preserve them. Still, they watch - religiously - from Northwatch Tower. The settlers know not what their purpose is, but they know whatever they set their minds to, the world seems to provide. Their... Simgod... their Creator... seems to provide. Or at least some of the settlers believe. Others, are not so sure. Two general mindsets started becoming commonplace and distinct groups were formed; while all settlers had their own thoughts, they mostly adhered to one of these two groups. Truthseekers Founded: The Truthseekers believe there is a Creator of some kind, whom some call the Simgod. Many Truthseekers disagree as to whether this Simgod is a loving god, malevolent, or indifferent, but they believe the Creator is out there, watching. Perhaps even controlling, manipulating the way of the world. Truthseekers goals are to pursue the spiritual nature of things, to discover the mysteries of this realm, and uncover the truths of their own origins, the nature of the Creator and the world, and the purpose and fate of things to come. Truthseekers deeply long for the return of the scouts from the North, hoping for answers to the beyond. They care less of the technological advancement of the settlers, unless this advancement would help lead to truth. Knowers Founded: The Knowers focus on the facts that they know, with most believing that there is no Simgod. Others may believe there could be a Simgod, or there is an indifferent Simgod, but either way... they believe the focus should be on what is known. The Knowers goals are to simply live, and to prosper. They wish to learn and expand their own knowledge of the world they live in, via technological advancements. They are happiest when uncovering new resources, and putting those resources to good use building up the communities around them. Knowers also long for the return of the scouts from the North, but they hope the scouts will bring knowledge that will advance and improve the way of life of all settlers. Knowers care less of spiritual matters, and while they acknowledge there are mysterious occurrences in this world (such as mountains and rivers that spontaneously manifest), they believe there is a logical reason for these occurrences. And so the suns and moons passed and more of the truth of the realm was now known: A closer look to the North (sorry for lower quality, I may upload a better version in time): A closer look to the South (sorry for lower quality, I may upload a better version in time): The realm has clearly been a very interesting place lately, with some major developments! The settlers are putting their minds towards some of their next actions, but as usual they seem a bit indecisive. Let's help them decide on a course of action for some items, some trivial, some perhaps important... What should the bridgemaker's near Graincove finally decide to name the river flowing down from Slyside Lake? Considering the mindblowing discovery of ancient ruins from the inland Tidehook sailors, what should their next course of action be? How do the denizens of Godhaven Island feel about the recent accomplishments of Tidehook? What should be the next course of action for the Truthseekers? What should be the next course of action for the Knowers? *(I'll always do my best to honor the votes, but please note if voting is slow I may get impatient and move forward with my own choices) Updates of Uncovering Junon Vale Hiddenbeck is founded! ~ "How much wood would a sim chuck good if a sim could chuck wood good?" Unseen Lake and Unseen River named, from the mysteriously manifesting bodies of water to the south of Oakfall. Timbercove is founded! ~ Like a cove of grain, but of timber instead... Hiddenbeck Timber Co. and Hiddenbeck Timber Co. South branches founded! Pitstop is founded! ~ "Stop in and have a nice refreshing drink of... granite dust beer? Don't worry you'll be too drunk to taste it!" Bridgemaker Quarry founded! Ancient Bridge Ruins discovered by the Tidehook sailors, venturing inland on the Sea's Pride vessel! Tidehook vastly expanded, becoming the largest town in all the realm. Tidehaven Island, aka Sleepless Sands is founded! ~ "That'll teach those Godhaven snoots. " Truthseekers founded! ~ "We knowww there is a Simgod, and we talk to her every day! Wait, our Simgod is a her right... " Knowers founded! ~ "We knowww there is no such thing as a Simgod. What we don't know is why the Truthseekers are so silly enough to believe... "- 13 Comments
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Generations of Early Expansion ~ Part 3
Daeris posted a City Journal entry in Uncovering the Junon Vale
Previously on Uncovering Junon Vale: Opportunists and would-be farming tycoons ventured southeast of Slyside Lake and discovered swaths of farmable land. Sundown Fields was founded! ~ No sleepin' on the job farmhand! Graincove was founded! ~ Hardworkin' and stylish farmers choose to live here, unlike those lazy Slyside Lake folk. Eager sailors ventured southeast to the great island, jaws dropped at the unique landscape along the coast. Port Ravenloch was founded! ~ The grandest port in the land (just don't tell anyone else yet because we still need to eat and get supplies from them, ok thanks!) Brave scouts seeking answers (and perhaps fresh air away from Oxtrain Village) crossed forth into the North. While awaiting their return, a secondary expedition was sent in their wake. During various village gatherings, it was decided: An alternate path from Tidehook to Slyside Lake and Graincove should be constructed -- as well as a port -- in order to ease the burden of the heavy wagon traffic along Southpath. Port Ravenloch of the great island wanted to become self-sustainable. To do so, they'd require expansion to other ports on the island, as well as a focus on farming. "We're #1!, We're #1!" Secondary expeditions would be sent through the north ravine, further carving the trail taken by the fearless first scouts, and looking to create settlements. "We're #2!, We're #2!" The previous map: Few things in life would ever motivate sims - if that's even what these settlers were called - to work harder and faster than the prospect of making money. Sure sure, there were some lazy folk in Slyside Lake whom might never truly learn what a honest day of hard work was, but those from Tidehook, and Graincove, they were quite accustomed to busting their asses all day long; they might even work in their sleep if they could. With the chance for some of the more ambitious families to become powerhouses of the farming trade, combined with their work ethic, a path from Tidehook to Slyside Lake (and the farming lands beyond) was laid with breakneck speed. The path became known by many as the Prospect Path. Prospect Path laid: ^The Prospect Path meandered around the idyllic coast, wrapping around the rather large sloping hill, before finally heading north to Slyside Lake. Off further to the east, was the unnamed river leading up to Slyside Lake... the lake itself. To families of Tidehook and the other sharktooth (or fin!) villages, the Prospect Path represented hope and success in their futures, a chance to make a name for themselves. Instead of just being known as the families whom were the fishermen and fisherwomen of the lands, they could make their names known as farmers and explorers as well. Over time, though quicker than one might expect, a few small settlements naturally sprung up in suitable locations along the coast, which unsurprisingly became known as the Prospect Coast. Shoresteppe founded: ^The first village to spring up along the Prospect Path was Shoresteppe, a tiered little village with many taverns and saloons. Everyone who stayed the night in Shoresteppe was filled with the excitement of whatever awaited them in the east, so they usually drank and danced the night away. Tavern girls often danced on the tabletops, and sailor's sea shanties filled the air. No good tavern night was complete without some rambunctious barfight as well. However, Shoresteppe was a bit too exciting for some of the older sims, or settlers... whatever they were called by their god... if they had one. Pinnacle founded: ^Pinnacle was founded on the top of the Prospect Coast hill, an offshoot path from Prospect Path proper. Pinnacle was a bit of an odd town, not much to see or do, and the local children found it to be boring beyond belief. However, to many older settlers whom wanted to make a name along the Prospect Coast - and those whom were against all that excitement in Shoresteppe - this was where they came to settle, at least at first. Over in Graincove, things were as bustling as ever. Food was in high demand because well... umm food. To make their food shipments to the west easier, they were all aboard the idea of linking up their paths to the Prospect Path, so they set their eyes to the west. A very strange phenomenon occurred during this time... all the settlers of Graincove noticed the sharp and scattered mountains to the west. It wasn't that they hadn't noticed the rocky features previously... instead the settlers were quite surprised because they had seemed to grow larger overnight. "But... how is that possible?" they all thought. Satisfactory answers never did come... at least not yet. Some of them felt like it was the work of a Simgod, others cited magic or maybe ghosts from the haunted forest up by Port Novel, others felt like perhaps the mountains had always been like that, this was just the first time the settlers stopped working the fields to really notice. At any rate, they couldn't ponder long, a path had to be laid. ^In addition to the new Prospect Path, it had been decided to built a port near Graincove as well, a place to set up food shipments to the other ports. ^The farmers-turned-trailblazers from Graincove moved on further to the west, along past the odd overnight growing mountains. "Ghosts from the haunted forest don't come this far south, right?" Soon enough the workers hit the eastern side of the river. There they founded an encampment to begin construction on the region's first bridge, which would officially link Graincove to the Prospect Path along the Prospect Coast. On the other side of the river, the western trailblazers had also prepared to begin the bridge on their side. The bridge encampments quickly became ports of their own, as having ships nearby was the easiest way to transfer supplies from one side to the other. Speaking of ships... while all that landlubber activity were occurring up on the mainland, the seadogs with the grandest port in tall the lands - Port Ravenloch of course - had been hard at work themselves. They were quite committed to their own prospect of becoming entirely self-sufficient, instead of needing food or supplies from the the mainland. Paths quickly extended out to the north, and to the south, as they explored more of the great island to settle and farm. In fact, the island was so great and grand, it was during this time most of the settlers in those parts started calling the island Godhaven. North Ravenloch founded: North Ravenloch was nothing more than a stone's throw from Port Ravenloch, or a skip of a stone across an ocean wave as most of the sailor's thought of it. While North Ravenloch did have some land with rich soil for farming, it simply wasn't enough to truly become self-sufficient from the mainland. More exploration was needed... thus those who settled these parts ended up mostly using it as more of a staging ground to send out more explorers and settlers either northwest to the Westlance tip of the Godhaven Island, or inland east to find more flat farmland. ^A few fishermen, lazing the day away at the docks when they should be out exploring for farmland. They must be from Slyside Lake. ^Exploratory paths branching out from North Ravenloch. Finding swaths of farmable land was a priority. Meanwhile, the explorers to the south of Port Ravenloch weren't having better luck than those who went north. To the immediate southeast, nothing was found but dense forest and rolling hills. Whilst it would have made for decent farmland, it simply didn't impress the hoity toity settlers from the grandest port in all the lands. They knew in their hearts more suitable land for both farming and settling was just around on the other side of the island. Why else would the Simgod have sent them here? It was afterall... their Manifest Destiny! ^Just around the bend to the east held even less potential farmable land than just south of Port Ravenloch. Our explorers of Godhaven pressed on, further around the shoreline. Eventually, as they rounded the shoreline to the north, they descended upon one of the more breathtaking views any of the settlers had ever seen, perhaps ever would see in their days in this region... whatever their region was called . This particular area however, they all knew right away what to call it. On the opposite side of the raven-like peninsula of Port Ravenloch, it was only fitting there would be a talon-shaped peninsula, thus, this bay would be known as none other than the Talonway Bay. Talonway Bay (to be settled): Back along the path from the North Ravenloch side, a narrow section of farmland was settled, as the path continued inland. This path was a bit similar to Oxtrain Pass, winding through the hilly terrain, though it certainly was not as extreme. As for the little village, they really just considered themselves part of North Ravenloch since it was so close. ^Those laying the trail inland - deeper into Godhaven - pressed on and on. One day they broke through and discovered what their southbound trailblazers had already discovered... Talonway Bay! The inland path was actually a shortcut from North Ravenloch to the east side of Godhaven! ^ The trails finally met up on the east side of Godhaven, by Talonway Bay. From the west came the inland shortcut path, and from the south was the long path around the shoreline, from Port Ravenloch. In Talonway Bay, there was ample flatland for settling and farming. Its discovery created a lot of excitement all across Godhaven, and both paths were travelled well. ^Explorers from North Ravenloch had laid down a trail towards Westlance, but they quickly turned back. As impressive as Westlance was, it was hard land to farm due to the steep hills, and while it might make a great spot for a village one day, that day was not today, for food was the top priority, as was settling Talonway Bay after its discovery. Expansion was not just reserved for those of Godhaven however, as meanwhile, our teams of secondary scouts from Port Novel and Oxtrain Village travelled north through the nearby ravine. They followed in the footsteps of the original fearless scouts who crossed into the far north. The purpose of the secondary scouts was to dig into the trail further, creating a more permanent pathway, as well as founding a few outpost settlements to the north, always vigilant and on the lookout for our scouts who have ventured forth many many many moons ago at this point. Would they ever return? As the trail was dug in further, it became clear that the coastline valley our fearless scouts had traversed was not an easy trail, but it was undeniably a beautiful one: Outposts sprung up quickly, and those who settled these parts all felt they had a greater purpose, to one day be the ones to hear back from our fearless scouts who ventured off into the unknown. Northmoor Founded: The first outpost settled to the north quickly constructed a moor - thus became known as Northmoor - so as to receive supplies from Port Novel, or even further south along the coast down to Tidehook. Maybe even one day they'd trade with the magnificent Port Ravenloch they've heard so much about. In time maybe they would grow and even be able to ship their own goods to the other villages. For now, this outpost was a humble one, and the men and women there always looked to the north, awaiting word of whatever was up there. Northend founded: Like Northmoor to the immediate south, Northend was a humble outpost with high hopes. Would these two northern outposts be long forgotten as the other ports and villages to the south focused on expansion, and boasting for whomever had the most marvelous port... or would Northend or Northmoor one day be made famous by being the first to hear word from the fearless scouts. Perhaps one day it would be these outposts that would first learn about this mysterious realm their ancestors had all awoken in.... as well as the answers of their origins, and their futures. After all... what was this realm called? What were they called? Were these things decided by the stars, or were their fates decided by their Simgod... if there even was one? In Northmoor and Northend... they wondered and wondered hard. To the east of Northend, the path continued... but not for long. It seemed to fizzle out in the dense woods... but if one looked closely amidst the trees, they'd see a lone structure that stood just a bit taller than the trees surrounding it. The Northwatch Tower, which housed a rotation of watchers from Northend and Northmoor as they looked into the great beyond, keeping their eyes vigilant for the scouts. ^Northwatch Tower, the loneliest place in... well... in whatever this realm was called. Far, far to the South, in a place where not much thought went to the North, much progress had been made creating yet another magnificent port on Godhaven Island... the port of the Talonway Bay. Nearby farmland on the flatlands were also taken advantage of, and the breathtaking views were rivalled by none elsewhere. Talonway Bay founded: ^A little offshoot where settlers decided to congregate their homes, on the western side of Talonway Bay. Perhaps the first glimpse into a "neighborhood." ^Talonway Bay also contained various pockets of sandy marshlands which became a leisurely place for walking, hiking, relaxing in a boat, or fishing. With both Port Ravenloch, and Talonway Bay...how could any other port or village claim they were as magnificent as the ports on Godhaven Island? To those snooty sailors on Godhaven, nobody could dare boast more than they could. And now that they had the farmlands to back up their boasting, it just happened even more frequently. Time passed, and more and more of the land inland was revealed as new settlements and new paths were birthed into existence: A closer look to the north: A closer look to the south: And so the expansion continued, but always there were seemed to be more questions than there were answers. The most ambitious of the farm tycoon families, and the fishermen families - whom were undoubtedly the defacto leaders at this point in time - turned to the people for their desired direction. The families knew that keeping the people happy was what was needed to continue prospering. (See above for a poll on these questions). Oakfall seems to have fallen into stagnation, as the farmers and fishermen rule these lands. The woodland village must make key choices to make a name for themselves again, lest they fall deeper into obscurity. Every day the sailors of Tidehook hear how fabulous Port Ravenloch and Talonway Bay are... can they do anything to attempt to trump the glory of these new magnificent ports of Godhaven Island? There are rumors of growing rocks and haunted forests, and many settlers - or sims, whatever they are called - have started asking again where we are, the name of this realm, and whether or not there is a Simgod. Updates of Uncovering Junon Vale Prospect Path was laid, connecting Tidehook to Slyside Lake, with a bridge planned to connect Prospect Path all the way to Graincove. Shoresteppe is founded! ~ Party like it's... wait, what year even is it? Pinnacle is founded! ~ Call the constables, they are partying too hard down in Shoresteppe again! Workers from Graincove started laying trail to the west, where they would soon start construction on a bridge. They discovered mountains that grew larger overnight! Settlers decided to name the great island Godhaven, and the sent trailblazing explorers both to the north and the south, planning to link up on the other side of the island. North Ravenloch is founded! ~ Not as cool of a shape as Port Ravenloch proper. Talonway Bay discovered by the southbound Godhaven explorers, their trail having wrapped around the island! The Unnamed north path was dug in and made more permanent, following in the footsteps of the fearless first scouts. Northmoor is founded! ~ What more can you want than a moor in the north? Oh... alot more that's right. Northend is founded! ~ Last outpost before the great unknown to the north. Talonway Bay is founded! ~ Just more proof that Godhaven is the most magnificent place ever. The Unnamed inland shortcut path, and the Unnamed Shoreline path were linked up on Godhaven.- 23 Comments
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Generations of Early Expansion ~ Part 2
Daeris posted a City Journal entry in Uncovering the Junon Vale
Previously on Uncovering Junon Vale: An unexplored ravine heading north (perhaps past that spooky haunted forest) was found while laying trail for Oxtrain Pass. Oxtrain Village was founded! ~ It smells a little funny, but it's ok Slyside Lake was founded! ~ "Can we go there, Can we go there?" cry all the settlers. Sharpbend was founded! Pebbleplum was founded! ~ Today's forecast is 60% chance of light stony rain Tidehook was founded! An unexplored great island called to many of the sailors of Tidehook. Oakfall was founded! ~ smells much better than Oxtrain Village Oxtrain Pass connects Oxtrain Village and Oakfall. During the recent convening of the leaders, it was decided: The lands southeast of Slyside Lake would be scouted, to find suitable land for farming. "Yes, we've had breakfast, but what about 2nd breakfast?" Young and eager Tidehook sailors would set sail to explore the great island to the south, and look to create a port to call their own. The fastest most badass scouts from Oxtrain Village would be sent through the unexplored ravine, searching for answers, or other settlers, or perhaps both. There were many suitable volunteers ready to venture north, away from Oxtrain Village. "Why so many volunteers? Does is smell funny here or something?" The current map: And so, the young brash sailors of Tidehook rounded up their families, jumped aboard their boats and merrily cussed sang their way along the tide to the southeast. ^(artwork ~ Witcher 3 concept art, uploaded by Lodbrok: https://wallhaven.cc/w/0wr2xp) The westernmost tip of the great island was truly impressive to the sailors, however the land seemed mostly comprised of rolling hills which were not ideal for a new port (nor the farming that would be required for sustenance). Afterall, these sailors were truly craving a port that would challenge Port Novel and Tidehook as the grandest port around. At any rate, as they drifted along, an artist aboard noted in his journal how the western tip of the great island resembled "...a lance piercing the western waters." Little did he know, one day this area would be known as Westlance (perhaps due to his writing, perhaps not...). Westlance (not yet settled): As impressive as the western portion of the island was, the next notable land feature dropped their jaws even further! It seemed quite clear this would be an ideal spot for their rival port, as there was decent flatlands surrounding this location. Plus, it just looked pretty freakin' cool. After making landfall, and exploring the surrounding hills, it was easily and unanimously confirmed that the oddly shaped peninsula resembled nothing less than a raven's head. Thus, these lands would be known as the Ravenloch. Time to get started building a port! Ravenloch (to be settled) Meanwhile, the foodies of Slyside Lake begin pushing through the woodlands to the southeast, in search of lands to expand the farming for all of the settlers. Quite quickly the explorers realized there was much work to be done in these lands, as the rolling hills looked expansive and perfect for farming. The land was gentle, so they curiously explored further (even after discovering the rolling hills), and they found a curious little sandy cove hidden behind a thin island. With lands just as visually appealing as Slyside Lake, but with more tillable ground, these areas would most certainly be desirable to not only live, but to work as well (everyone loves to eat afterall). In a flash, new villages were seemingly erected overnight (but who knows how long it really took... time is actually kinda strange for the settlers, though it's not really been discussed amongst themselves yet ). Sundown Fields & Graincove founded: Sundown Fields: The workday in this little busybee village was fast paced and endless, with farmhands working from sunup, until sundown. So these fields were known as the Sundown Fields. Some sly(side) farmhands would find secret sleeping spots under trees, or in between the silos, but those relentless farm owners were always on the prowl to catch said sleepers. "Those lazy Slysiders!" they'd say, while their sleepy farmhands would hustle back to work. ^Even the cattle eat good in Sundown Fields. ^No sleeping farmhands here (we think) ^Even though Sundown Fields was founded and built up quickly, there was still much flatland begging to be home to a brand new farm. As the time passed, new settlers would flock to work and strive to create their farming empire in Sundown Fields, some of them residing in either Slyside Lake (the lazy ones say the rumors ) or some even further south in... Graincove: With all the style points of Slyside Lake, but with workable land surrounding it, Graincove is where all the hardworking farmers decided to plop their boots at night. ^A food shipment from Graincove getting loaded up and ready for the departure back north to Slyside Lake and Port Novel. Like Sundown Fields, much of Graincove's land was awaiting the first would-be tycoons to simply stake their claim. As such, the southeast continued to be a migratory pull from the coastal villages with limited land and opportunity. Long before, Sundown Fields and Graincove were founded, the scouts from Oxtrain Village were eager to depart to the unexplored north (with fresh air ), in search of answers unbeknownst to the settlers. Who were they and where did they come from? What lands were these? Were the answers out there, or others who could provide answers? ^(artwork - The Lewis and Clark Expedition, by Thomas Mickell Burnham) Branching off north of Oxtrain Pass, the explorers made their way across the terrain. As agreed, they left markers along the way for a few reasons: 1. To let trackers following know of the direction they took, and 2. To provide recommendation on the ideal path through to the north. The idea was that - in due time - more trailblazers would create a trail to follow in their footsteps, looking for new lands to settle in the north, and to more quickly hear any news from the explorers upon their hopeful return. "Simgodspeed to them!" the settlers would all say, in regards to the scouts seeking the northern fresh air answers to the north. Meanwhile, during the settling of the other landlubber villages southeast of Slyside, the seadogs from Tidehook were seeing the fruit of their labors on the great island. Port Ravenloch founded: ^The sailors were quite proud of their accomplishment, and felt quite confident their port was better than Port Novel and Tidehook combined. Of course, they still needed food and supplies from the other ports, so perhaps best to keep the boasting to a minimum, for now... ^Construction still underway to finish up the storage sheds, holding valuable and essential goods from the other ports. As the strange time continued to pass, more and more of the unknown lands were explored and settled, but it was still but a small sliver. However, the maps were always updated: A closer look: While they all awaited word of the northbound explorers, some more pertinent "domestic" matters were discussed and considered: Travel along Southpath to Slyside Lake, Sundown Fields, and Graincove already is rather bustling, and is only going to get worse. We should investigate a road from Tidehook to the area. We should also construct a port just south of Graincove to serve as another primary source of travel to ease the burden on Southpath. In Port Ravenloch, they discussed the importance of becoming self-sustainable, especially if they want to boast as being the grandest port in the parts! To do so, we'll need to find more flatlands on the great island for farms, as well as other spots to settle. Also, a path looping around the island would allow quick travel and aid in settling/constructing these new locations. Also, what should we name the island? Great island just isn't cutting it any longer and doesn't sound grand enough. The residents ponder. It's been several weeks since the scouts went north. Let's send a secondary expedition to follow their tracks, ensuring they are proceeding nicely. This secondary expedition can also report back on any potential locations for northern settlements, and commence new trail if such spots exist. Updates of Uncovering Junon Vale: Opportunists and would-be farming tycoons ventured southeast of Slyside Lake and discovered swaths of farmable land. Sundown Fields is founded! ~ No sleepin' on the job farmhand! Graincove is founded! ~ Hardworkin' and stylish farmers choose to live here, unlike those lazy Slyside Lake folk. Eager sailors ventured southeast to the great island, jaws dropped at the unique landscape along the coast. Port Ravenloch is founded! ~ The grandest port in the land (just don't tell anyone else yet because we still need to eat and get supplies from them, ok thanks!) Brave scouts seeking answers (and perhaps fresh air away from Oxtrain Village) have crossed forth into the North. While we all await their return, a secondary expedition will likely be sent in their wake.- 6 Comments
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Generations of Early Expansion ~ Part 1
Daeris posted a City Journal entry in Uncovering the Junon Vale
Previously on Uncovering Junon Vale: Settlers had awoken in this strange new land. Port Novel was founded! ~ Families farm and hunt and fish. From Port Novel: Explorers were sent by ship to map the waterways. Explorers were sent by foot south to settle coastal flatlands. Explorers were sent east to settle flatlands and explore a ravine. The haunted forest is clearly much too haunted for exploration ! Northbite was founded! Midfin was founded! ~ They are stubborn and think their peninsula is a shark fin not a shark tooth! Southpath connects Port Novel to Northbite. Sharktooth Trail runs through the southern sharktooth-like peninsulas The ship of explorers returned from their monthslong journey, bringing a mindblowing map of the region and all its waterways. Of course, there is no way to know what awaits inland... until we go explore and settle those lands! ~ A new hidden lake is discovered relatively close! The area surrounding Port Novel: For a generation, the settlers who awoke on the beaches built up their homes and their community, domesticating animals and, making the woods surrounding Port Novel theirs. It was an endless job of survival at first, but in time they grew comfortable with their surroundings and decided to explore the region. The next many generations of our settlers would continue this task, growing their families larger, expanding their villages, and seeking understanding and discovery of the land and their purpose. (artwork by andanguyen.deviantart.com) After learning of the nearby hidden lake, settlers were quickly sent south along the Southpath to a nearby valley that seemed to veer towards the lake. They would begin to lay a trail down: After making some progress, the explorers were absolutely amazed at the lakeside valley they discovered: It was immediately very clear this would be an excellent place for farming, fishing, and just a pretty darn sweet spot to live . Who doesn't want to wake up next to a hidden lake every morning? This generation of expansionists decided to start building up a community right away. Word spread very quickly of the idyllic conditions of the hidden lake valley. Meanwhile, east of Port Novel, the explorers tasked with venturing into the irresistible ravine were making good work laying down their trail along the traversable terrain. While doing so, they discovered another valley/ravine heading north. It would remain unexplored for now, though it was certainly a promising spot to the north, and hey this forest doesn't look haunted at all! So it's got that going for it . It's toilsome and rough land, but in time the path snakes its way through the hilly landscape: Sadly, as the months passed, it became commonplace for many of the more clumsy trailblazers to fall from various precipices along the path, leading to injury or death (usually while hauling supplies). The supplies needed for laying a trail of this nature were mountainous in their own right. It became paramount for teams of oxen to haul the supplies and tools, as well as food & water needed to sustain our brave pathmakers as they ventured deeper into the land. As such, the path through the ravine became known as the Oxtrain Pass. Over time, a pitstop for supplies, and a last respite before the ravine took root near the trailhead. Oxtrain Village founded: Oxtrain Village was a busybee place in its early days, with various stableboys washing and setting up tack for horses and oxen. Here was the main stable that took root at the trailhead to Oxtrain Pass: Pastures were also abundant for the many beasts of burden stabled in these parts: Many travelers agreed the village was a great spot to rest sore feet, although it did always smells a little funny for some reason... Meanwhile, the idyllic community by the hidden lake has blossomed into quite a desirable spot. Slyside Lake founded: Named for its sly-like hidden nature, Slyside Lake becomes a migratory location, pulling families from some of the other established villages. With growing families in Northbite and Midfin, the need to continue expansion even further south along Sharktooth Trail is commenced. As time passes, many new coastal towns make a move. Sharpbend Founded: a small village on the southernmost "sharktooth" (or shark fin according to Midfin ) Pebbleplum Founded: a narrow little cliffside village along the coast, further south of Sharpbend. Aptly named due to all the pebbles that frequently plummet from the looming cliffs. Sore heads are quite common in Pebbleplum, but hey if it doesn't kill ya' it makes your head stronger. Tidehook Founded: Named such for the way the tide hooks around this large peninsula, as the water flows out from the large unnamed river (which itself comes from deeper inland). Finally, after much blood, sweat, tears (and oxen poop), the Oxtrain Pass busts through the rough hills and descends into flatlands once again. Other than groundwater, there is no larger body of freshwater nearby however. Oakfall Founded: Much like Oxtrain Village (on the other terminus of Oxtrain Pass), Oakfall is a town where all eager explorers rest their weary feet after making it through the rough mountain path in one piece. It's said once a traveler makes it hear from Oxtrain Village, the fall right on their face like a falling Oak in the forest. Also, most folks agree Oakfall smells way better than Oxtrain Village (but not by much). ^Wagon trains tacking up and loading up for the trip back to Oxtrain Village This generation is off to an ambitious start exploring and expanding! The leaders, having been updating their maps often, convene to consider the next courses of action. Some of the ongoing topics of discussion during this gathering are: Available flatlands and fresh water for farming are limited, while families continue to grow and grow and grow! What are these settlers, part rabbit? With Tidehook, Slyside Lake, and Port Novel, we now have 3 growing port communities. Most ships are being used for fishing, but perhaps we should send a ship of settlers to settle across the bay? To settle on the large island south of Slyside Lake? To settle elsewhere? What is beyond these lands? Where did we all come from? Perhaps we should send an ambitious group of scouts to the farthest edges of this region, searching for other traces of civilization? Updated map: A closer look at the immediate area: Updates of Uncovering Junon Vale: An unexplored ravine heading north (perhaps past that spooky haunted forest) was found while laying trail for Oxtrain Pass. Oxtrain Village is founded! ~ It smells a little funny, but it's ok Slyside Lake is founded! ~ "Can we go there, Can we go there?" cry all the settlers. Sharpbend is founded! Pebbleplum is founded! ~ Today's forecast is 60% chance of light stony rain Tidehook is founded! An unexplored island calls to many of the sailors of Tidehook, as do the lands across the bay (Wait, are those mermaid calls? This should be safe, right?) Or should they explore the giant island southeast? Oakfall is founded! ~ smells much better than Oxtrain Village Oxtrain Pass connects Oxtrain Village and Oakfall.- 19 Comments
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Hello everyone, I'm Daeris. I'm a kid at heart, gender-fluid ENFP Leo with a love for cinema, video games, and outer space (Hi!). Some of you perhaps have seen me a bit active on the site in recent weeks, and I'm very happy to be back. I have played nearly every SimCity game, including SimCity 4 on launch, but like many builders I moved on to other things over the years. However, as tumultuous a year that 2020 was, one good thing it did was encourage me to finally play some old games had I never experienced, as well as to dive back into my favorite city-builder of all time! I'm so thrilled this community is still growing strong, with mods still being released. The warm and welcoming community indicates to me that SimCity 4 has as many years left as we want it to! When I was a kiddo and originally played, I basically would just create epic downtown sectors with skyscrapers dominating the skyline, which of course looked cool as all heck. However, it always frustrated me to then return to my region view and realize it didn't really look realistic to have a giant megacity, with nothing else around it. I recall stumbling upon a concept that was taking root, called the Natural Growth method, in which the development of the whole region is not something you as the player pre-plan. Instead, you try to play more as an observer, making logical and realistic decisions about the direction the city grows. You build and expand slowly, naturally, and only introducing services when it feels realistic and right to do so based on necessity. Part of the magic of this method is the fact you haven't pre-planned the region, so it very much takes on a life of its own! As you progress and look upon your railroad network, your first highway, and your downtown sectors that spring up in their destined locations, you can easily be filled with wonder as YOU are the creative vessel for which the region came to life and developed on its own! I won't bore you anymore with minutiae on the Natural Growth method, but -- if you care to learn more -- I started a thread where many of the most talented modern minds of Simtropolis chimed in to preserve this playstyle. Give it a look if you might want to try this method yourself (and who knows, perhaps you too will have some advice to share on the thread): This City Journal will be my first city journal ever (so I must admit I'm a little nervous ), however I decided it would be fun to document my journey, even it it's just mostly for myself! For those who do check in from time to time, I appreciate you and I hope you are both entertained and that you perhaps find some inspiration in some way (and then pass that on to others). I will always be open to suggestion, constructive criticism, and fun ideas, so please don't be a stranger! Also, I have plans to perhaps make this CJ a little interactive in some capacity, but I'm still brainstorming the best ways to do it (more to come). Lastly - and I literally just had this idea while creating this post - I'm going to toy around with a fog-of-war mechanic in this CJ, because for new settlers discovering a new land, they wouldn't immediately know what the region looked like in its entirety (we'll see how this works out). Anyways, lets get this CJ started... Very much like my re-awakening from a long hiatus away from SimCity 4, my settlers also suddenly found themselves awakening from a deep slumber. They resided on a small beach that was calm, but not too calm, with deep blue water that also had a glimmer to it. They had no surefire recollection or memories of how they ended up there, nor where they had come from previously, but they knew they needed to work together to survive. And so they did what anyone would do, they started building shelter and working towards improving their lives. After many years of cooperation, cultivating the land, and domesticating nearby fauna, a small port town had formed... Port Novel founded: ^Families settle into mostly shacks in Port Novel, where they farm the land, fish, hunt, or explore the surrounding land to better understand their region. ^After the community is established, the leaders decide they need to expand and map the land, however populace is an issue (there are not many settlers to spare). One ship is sent to begin mapping the coastlines, while small parties are also sent in various directions... on foot. ^North of Port Novel is overgrown with a dense forest the settlers have long avoided, and not much flatland. The settlers also swear to their Simgod that these woods must certainly be haunted. Perhaps these woods even have something to do with their mysterious arrival in this new land? Probably not, but they are spooky just the same. ^East of Port Novel, while dense with trees, there is additional tillable land for farming, as well as what appears to be a traversable ravine between two rough hills. It's too irresistible to our explorers, and our leaders send them to settle these flatlands to the East, and explore the ravine. ^To the south of Port Novel, the shipbound explorers quickly find curious coastal outcroppings with enough flatland for more ample farmland. They hastily return to Port Novel share the news! They report that the peninsulas look just like sharks teeth ! Afterwards, they depart yet again to return to their task of mapping what they can of the nearby waters. ^Northernmost "shark tooth" peninsula, which Port Novel decides to expand to. In the coming weeks & months... a trail is beaten down along the the coastline south of Port Novel. ^The path is simply known as Southpath. Easy enough. =p ^In time, villages are nestled into the aforementioned peninsulas. The path in these parts receives the moniker "Sharktooth Trail." "Are there actually sharks in these waters?" wonder many of the settlers. =p Northbite founded: Midfin founded: (that's right, the settlers on the southern peninsula were stubborn and decided that their peninsula looked more like a shark fin instead of a shark tooth ...how particular of them) Eventually, the shipbound explorers return, and with them they bring their best estimation of the waterways and coastlines of the unknown region they have all awoken in... A closer look at the immediate area, and known features: Updates of Uncovering Junon Vale: Settlers have awoken in this strange new land. Port Novel is founded! ~ Families farm and hunt and fish. From Port Novel: Explorers were sent by ship to map the waterways. Explorers were sent by foot south to settle coastal flatlands. Explorers were sent east to settle flatlands and explore a ravine. The haunted forest is clearly much too haunted for exploration ! Northbite is founded! Midfin is founded! ~ They are stubborn and think their peninsula is a shark fin not a shark tooth! Southpath connects Port Novel to Northbite. Sharktooth Trail runs through the southern sharktooth-like peninsulas The ship of explorers has returned on their monthslong journey, bringing a mindblowing map of the region and all its waterways. Of course, there is no way to know what awaits inland... until we go explore and settle those lands! ~ A new hidden lake is discovered relatively close!
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