The Thrive Universe Catalogue and Events Thread

Placoderms darted about above the riverbed. It was a good day for them; the shining sun offered clear view of the minute crustaceans they fed upon. Even they seemed to rejoice in Barmedas's warm embrace.


Suddenly, the riverbed grew dark, as if the light was swept away by a massive hand. Fearing a predator, the placoderms darted into the aquatic plants beneath them, waiting for this "predator" to pass.


Jiken slouched idly on the river boat, going over his memories to escape the monotonous journey. All around him were fellow warriors loyal to the great Cronestes Empire. They had gone into battle and fought valiantly, and, war by war, the empire would grow.


However, those had been battles of marching armies and clashing bronze. This was different. There was no glory in sitting on boats under the glaring sun, no thunderous footfalls to placate the gods’ impatience. There was only waiting.


Jiken looked to his regiment’s commander. Shukus had once been Jiken’s peer, but a duel of death with their former commander bade him his current position, and he had been eager to prove his worth with this expedition. Now, however, he gazed at the surrounding jungle grimly.


Jiken knew why; he had heard dark tales of this river. The townsfolk of settlements the expedition stayed the previous nights in spoke of “wild men” that lived on each side of the river. They crept about in the trees’ shadows and lived like savage beasts. Some even claimed these “wild men” descended from those who mongrelized with the jungle’s creatures, and had forked horns.


Of course, Jiken saw no reason to fear tavern stories, but Shukus seemed to have taken them as truth. Still, what threat would such wild men pose? Leaf litter and vermin were no sustenance fit for proper warriors. Indeed, village-terrorizing creatures of the night would not be frightful monsters, but weak cowards and thieves.


No problem for me, thought Jiken as he brought out his bronze dagger for quick inspection. He needed to make sure it was sharp – for fighting real opponents down the river, of course.


Suddenly, Shukus drew his spear, staring at something over Jiken’s head. Jiken and a few others turned to look. Jiken didn’t see anything. Then he thought he did; something seemed to move in the shadows, but it had moved out of view.


Jiken turned back around, then realized he had readied his dagger. With a light hiss of annoyance, he began to sheathe it once more, but then saw something on the river’s opposite side.


It was a bit difficult to make out in the darkness, but it very much resembled a Thyron. Its horn did not look unusual. It seemed to be drawing a bow-


With a loud twang, the arrow pierced through a gap in Shukus’s armor, and the commander fell to the ground. The air was filled with a chorus of surprised clicking as the warriors drew their weapons. A quick archer among them fired an arrow of his own at the assailant, but he unfolded his wings and sprang up into the canopy before the arrow could make its mark. Another arrow sailed past Jiken’s head and lodged itself in the neck of another warrior, who died on the spot.

“Get off the boat!” a warrior shouted, and dived into the water. A few others followed. Jiken began removing his bronze armor, knowing its futility against ranged opponents, but kept his dagger. With a deep, whistling gasp, he took the plunge.


Jiken’s compound eyes provided blurred vision within the water. He could make out the escaping warrior from before, who struggled to remove the dense armor that held him to the riverbed. Jiken swam forcefully with all four arms, attempting to head to shore. More arrows burst through the water, often right in front of Jiken’s face.

Jiken and a few of his peers clambered onto shore. Heart pounding, he looked around, but could not see any of the wild men. Did they retreat?


Jiken gazed at the abandoned expeditionary boats. It only took him a moment to identify the one he had been on. Whatever the empire planned next, Shukus would likely be left forgotten, like the commander he overthrew.


The warriors began their march back up the river.