Lucem Sequimur - Stargazing 2/13

[Albus of Garaway]

Lucem Sequimur is the evolution of a world. You, as reader, will witness love, scandal, war, and so much more in the epic journey of the land. Nations will rise and fall, revolutions will tear across societies, and the wrath of the gods will be unleashed upon the people. Join us as we seek the light.

Sincerely yours,
Jason



In the beginning, there was El and Sa.



They were alone, living quietly next to the peaceful Lake Hominis.



They fished.



They raised sheep for wool and meat.



One day, El and Sa were blessed with two children. Yet, these children were not the product of El and Sa, but rather wandered into their small hut one evening, starving and weak. Where they came from was a mystery. The boy's name was Pae. El taught him how to fish and tend to the sheep. The girl's name was Naeti. Naeti quickly became better at fishing than even El. Eventually, Pae and Naeti built a new home not far from El and Sa.



Many years later, several more small children came wandering into the hut, all of them looking starving and weak just as Pae and Naeti did. The strange phenomenon was a total mystery to El and Sa, especially since the children did not seem to recognize each other. In fact, they could barely speak. There were a few strange similarities about them, however: They were all extremely pale, their skin was smooth as silk, and their hair was a blinding white.

Eventually, the population boomed as more of these strange children arrived, grew up, and had children. The sickly, pale children stopped wandering toward El and Sa's home about ten years after the first pair arrived. The mystery of the pale children was lost, but not forgotten...



However, with this increased population comes new problems. The first: Lake Hominis. With so many people, the once abundant population of fish in the tiny lake has dwindled to almost none. The lake is now lifeless.



Rumors are spreading that a search party plans to go north into the valley in an attempt to find a stream or maybe another lake. But this has been met with much opposition. Having never left the lake shores, the villagers are terrified of what lies beyond. The issue is splitting the village into two: Those in favor of searching for fresh water, and those in favor of attempting to live off measly helpings of sheep, pig, and soybeans, which are in limited supply, as well.





May you seek the light.

Jason

[Albus of Garaway]

Lucem Seqiumur Timeline

0 - El and Sa.
5 - Arrival of the wandering children.
51 - El and Sa's death, end of the wandering children.
52 - Search party sent out in search of freshwater and fish. Sema Aquarius is founded.
54 - Battle at Sema Aquarius
300 - Lumosism founded - Expansionism begins.
344 - Founding of Novus Lumos
350 - Discovery of Balthazaar

[Albus of Garaway]

-Reserved-

[RickD]

Very interesting start. I love the story.

[Battlecat]

Interesting start, looking forward to seeing more!

[nedalezz]

I love MDs like this

Cant wait to see more, its a great start!

[Albus of Garaway]

Good evening, everyone. It's time to find out what the meager group of explorers has discovered in their travels. But first...



Nedalezz: I'm glad! I hope you stick around, and that Lucem Sequimur satisfies you.

Battlecat: Thanks. I hope to see you again soon!

RickD: Thank you. The story will soon develop even further, I assure you.

Aquarius, sema aquarius



It was decided that a search party would set out in search of a source of water. Many were starving in the village of Ellis Hominis, as the settlement had come to be called. It was difficult to find men willing to go out in the search, for the land outside the lake shore was thoroughly unexplored. Whatever horrors awaited were a terrible mystery to the people of Ellis Hominis.



Within an hour of leaving the village, the men discovered the first horror in a field of beautiful flowers. The men had just stopped for a drink from their water pouches, when they heard a grunt, followed by an odd sort of spitting sound. They turned, ready to fight, when they found...



Oh, how the terror that followed the discovery of these sick beasts rocked the very core of the people. The explorers ran out of the field and into the woods, the beast trotting and spitting at them all the time. Never had the men been so frightened.



The men found that the beasts were scattered all over open fields, but tended to avoid forests, so the party stuck to the trees.



At last, the group of explorers discovered a tiny spring, with a creek trickling down the slope. It was the perfect place for a settlement - flat, clear (On a side note, although the beasts preferred meadows and open areas, they seemed to stay away from civilization, hence why they were never seen in Ellis Hominis, and why the men thought it would be safe to settle here), and right next to freshwater.



The spring-fed pond contained an abundance of fish, including many that did not exist in Lake Hominis. The men were amazed.



Within a few months, a new village was built, with materials from Ellis Hominis for the construction. The place was deemed by the explorers as Sema Aquarius, roughly translating to "sweet water." The new settlement included ten homes, a village storeroom, a meeting place, three fields for cultivation, and a fenced area for sheep and pigs. A path was also created between Sema Aquarius and Ellis Hominis.

Initially, the inhabitants of Ellis Hominis were overjoyed at the discovery of fresh water, and so they were eager to cooperate with the new village. They provided construction materials, expecting new fish and other delicacies in return. However, no one from Ellis Hominis dared live in Sema Aquarius, for they had heard the stories of the beasts and did not want to face an uncertain fate in a (seemingly) far away land.



A few weeks after the construction of Sema Aquarius, a group of men were travelling to Ellis Hominis with fresh fish. However, when they neared Ellis Hominis, they discovered a new hut erected, and the path blocked by a group of strong men. Confused, the men from Sema Aquarius attempted to inquire about the situation, but were quickly beat with clubs by the strong men. They ran back as fast as they could to Sema Aquarius to tell their friends of the event.

See, the village of Ellis Hominis grew anxious at the growth of Sema Aquarius. The people of the new village seemed much happier, stronger, and more fearless than those of Ellis Hominis. And so the inhabitants of Ellis Hominis slowly but surely began to resent those of Sema Aquarius out of jealousy. They weren't getting as many fish as they wanted from Sema Aquarius, and they wanted it all for themselves.



And so this was erected in Ellis Hominis. Essentially a military camp, self-appointed officials at the village began training men, and especially young boys, into warriors. They wanted to plunder Sema Aquarius for its delicious fish, fertile fields, and beautiful women. Slowly but surely, they built up an army, which, granted, only consisted of about fifteen or twenty men, but compared to the defenseless Sema Aquarius, it was enough. Plenty, really. All Sema Aquarius had to defend themselves with were strong hearts and brave souls.



May you seek the light.

Jason

[art128]

Interesting start there Jason, I kinda like the feel of this MD. The nature is looking superb and that village looks great. Nice storyline you got there btw.

Take care,
-Arthur.

[rooker1]

Good read Jason and great pics to go along with it.

Robin 

[canyonjumper]

Wow! Great storyline and great use of props! I'll be back....

                      Your friend,
                                     Jordan

[Tomas Neto]

Great start!!! Nice and interesting!!! 

[Connor]

Fanatastic start !! Great storyline and beautiful pictures 

[Girafe]

Good start too 

Lot of flora, I like these landscapes   

[Albus of Garaway]

Ellis Hominis is in the midst of preparing for battle as we speak. Before we begin the telling of their story, however...



Girafe: Thank you! I had quite a bit of fun making those landscapes.

Connor: Thank you for your kind words.

Tomas Neto: Thank you for visiting.

Canyonjumper: Thank you. I look forward to seeing you here again!

Rooker1: Thanks! I truly appreciate those kind words, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Art128: Your compliments are much appreciated!

Battalis ema Sema Aquarius



After several months of battle preparations, 40 men are sent from Ellis Hominis to take Sema Aquarius for its succulent fish and crystal clear fresh water. The men take to the hills, planning to sneak up on the small village in the early morning.



In a field just above Sema Aquarius, the men rest and take stock of their weapons. The plan is to head to the village meeting place, swarm it with men from Ellis Hominis, and overpower the new village by sheer force and impressive size.



The invasion begins. Villagers in Sema Aquarius hear the roars from the oncoming pillagers before they see it: The screams, the pounding of running feet, the crackle of flames on torches, all of these send shivers down the spines of the villagers. Battle was something new to both villages, and the reaction was utter confusion and chaos. Villagers from Sema Aquarius, fearing their own lives rather than the livelihood of the village as a whole, picked up knives and pitchforks and stood outside their home, ready to defend themselves and their family. No one from Sema Aquarius thought on the scale of the whole village being taken over. The only concerns were their immediate surroundings: Their own life, their home, and the lives of their family.



The battle lasted long into the night. Men from Ellis Hominis entered homes, killed men, women, and children, and stole their possessions. However, the ultimate goal was not this measly pillaging, but rather, the conquering of the entire village. Therefore, the men abandoned their pillaging after a few hours and instead focused on the village meeting place, essentially the government (or whatever the primitive form of that looked like) center of Sema Aquarius.



As they entered, they discovered who was generally considered to be the leader of Sema Aquarius, Aqa. Aqa was an old man, with a long, golden beard. He was not one of the people that retained the pasty white skin and snow-white hair of the original ancestors, but rather seemed to glow a soft, golden aura. The men from Ellis Hominis slit Aqa's throat in seconds, and dragged his dead body to the center of the village. The villagers, still focused on protecting their own home rather than the livelihood of the village, saw Aqa's dead body and began to swarm around it. Aqa was an inspiration more than anything else. His wisdom brought success to the small village, and to see him die so easily at the hand of these foreign enemies drew fire at the core of the villagers' hearts. What was once a defense of each individual home suddenly became the protection of one, collective home, their home, Sema Aquarius. A pride unlike any that had ever existed sprouted at that moment, and the villagers fought back with hearts like lions.

Although the villagers of Sema Aquarius fought valiantly, there were simply no match for the organized power and sheer number of those from Ellis Hominis. They surrendered after several hours of fighting, not out of fear of the enemy, but of fear of the death of the newfound prideful spirit. Ellis Hominis took control of Sema Aquarius, encompassing it under one governing body. The age of kingdoms begins.



May you seek the light.

Jason

[art128]

Great next story line, I liked the part of the battle, really nicely written. 

Can't wait for more !

-Arthur.

[peter007]

WoW nice story. Very special houses.

[Connor]

Great update once again. Each post gets me more and more interested. Eagerly looking forward to what's next.   

[Nardo69]

Interesting start. Interesting story.

Take care my friend!

Bernhard 

[Albus of Garaway]

Today, we launch ourselves almost 200 years into the future. How much has changed? We'll find out soon, but first...



Nardo69: Thank you, friend! I look forward to see you here again.

Connor: Thank you! I'm glad I'm holding your interest, and I look forward to spicing things up a bit more soon. 

Art128: Thank you for your kind words. I enjoyed writing the piece on the battle, as horrific as it was.

Futurus



Immense changes have taken place since we last visited Ellis Hominis. Almost 200 years later, major social, cultural, architectural, and technological advances have been made. We now see bustling cobblestone streets, huge timber-frame houses, and a rough governmental system in place.



One of the major advances, cobblestone streets, is derived from this small discovery. Deep inside the hill north of Ellis Hominis is a significant deposit of rock, which is used in the production of the new streets. These streets allow more people to walk about without having to worry about the muddy dirt paths of yesteryear, marking the beginning of a new social era in history. As more and more people venture outside, relationships are forged, gossip is spread, trades are made, and as a result the first "social network" is created. Although not quite as technologically advanced as Facebook...



In the center of this picture is the home of Ulysses the Great, leader of Ellis Hominis and its sister village, Sema Aquarius. The home not only includes quarters for Ulysses the Great and his family, but also is the center of government in Ellis Hominis. Let us take a quick break to explain the current state of law in Ellis Hominis:

First of all, Ulysses the Great is the supreme ruler of Ellis Hominis and Sema Aquarius. Together, these two villages are known as the Freedonian Kingdom.  Ulysses the Great has five advisors. Collectively, they are known as The Council. While Ulysses the Great has ultimate control over affairs in the Freedonian Kingdom, the Council advises His Greatness and generally supports him. Few laws exist, and those that do are quite simple: Murder is punishable by death, stealing is punishable by the removal of a limb (at His Greatness' discretion), and other such common punishments. Essentially, Ulysses the Great has all the power. Yet he is a good and kind leader, generally, although he does quite enjoy his power and will stop at nothing to keep it.





The military camp has seen major improvements in both infrastructure and organization. Several new structures were added to house soldiers, and a fence was erected to keep out unwanted visitors.



In Lake Hominis, the fish population has begun to rebound, allowing for an extensive new fishery to be erected. Fishermen are still watchful of how much fish they take in, because they do not want to see another near-extinction.



Sema Aquarius has stayed largely the same, with only a few additions to accommodate the ruling Ulysses the Great. A few hundred years ago, Sema Aquarius was once the epitome of quality living. Now, it is poor, and its citizens live meager lives in comparison to the luxuries of Ellis Hominis.



A small governing center was erected in Sema Aquarius to keep things in check. Seventy percent of all fish from Sema Aquarius are sent directly to Ellis Hominis, and this process is run carefully by Governor Rue and his few advisers.



Governor Rue lives in relative luxury in a small home on a hill overlooking Sema Aquarius. He has two daughters and a son.



Here is a bonus picture since everyone waited so long for the update:



As the culture of Ellis Hominis continues to grow, painting has become one of the most revered art forms in the Kingdom. Here, we see Ellis Hominis at night, painted by a local artist hired by Ulysses the Great.



May you seek the light.

Jason

[kwakelaar]

Original story and quite a rapid development from straw huts to timber frame buildings.
Nice to see another MD with a timeline and I will of course enjoy seeing what more you have in store for these two villages.