Chapter 11: Lokoroko Beast Clan
Personal System Calendar: Year 00012, Day 15-28, Month II: The Imperium
Imperial Calendar: Year 6857, 15th to 28th day of the 2nd Month
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The New Arrivals
The Lokoroko Beast Folk Clan had arrived at Maya Village almost a year ago, during that time when many refugees and migrants had begun discovering this isolated settlement deep within the Great Forest of Lonelywood. Their arrival was not accidental, nor did they stumble upon the village through rumor or chance encounters with merchants on the road.
They had heard about Maya Village directly from Great Chief Madok of the Kotoko Clan, who had shared the information with his peer in passing. The Lokoroko had also lost their homes during the onslaught of the Beast Dominion Wars, and they were desperate to find new lands where they could rebuild their shattered community.
They had arrived first at the settlement of Great Chief Madok's brother, the place where Great Chief Madok and the rest of the Kotoko Clan had gone after leaving Maya Village to return to their ancestral territories. Chief Mot'o-mot of the Kotoku Beast Clan received them with the hospitality that tradition demanded, and during their stay, Great Chief Madok told his brother about his experiences in Maya Village.
He spoke of the village's acceptance despite cultural differences. He told of the opportunities for his people to thrive. And he mentioned the name of the Blurred Devil, which belonged to the man who had saved Great Chief Madok's children: Prince Marakan and Princess Mee-rka.
The siblings had already atoned for the sin of leaving their clan's territorial grounds without their father's permission, an offense that had led to Marakan being falsely accused by a nobleman from the Sovereignty of Arwen. That diplomat had been killed by August, operating as the Blurred Devil, after August had learned of the torture chambers hidden within the embassy castle in Gremory City. The diplomat's death had become one of the justifications the Arwenians used to initiate war with their northern neighbor, their bitter rivals in the Kingdom of Ogind.
When Chief Mot'o-mot heard this story from his brother, he could only thank the stars that the world was smaller than one might think. They had met the savior of his children, the same person who had become the savior of his brother's entire clan.
When the Lokoroko Clan came seeking help, not as rivals but as fellow beastfolk in desperate circumstances, Great Chief Madok pointed them toward Maya Village. He told them that some of his people had stayed there, including his three sons, with Chief Tamba now serving as their leader and representative.
That was how the Lokoroko Clan found their way to Maya Village, carrying with them recommendations from trusted allies and hopes for a new beginning.
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Integration and Tradition
When the Lokoroko arrived, introductions were made and their story shared. Some beastfolk in the village naturally knew members of the Lokoroko Clan from past encounters, and these familiar faces vouched for the newcomers' character and reliability. The clan numbered approximately two hundred fifty-seven individuals, a substantial addition to Maya Village's growing population.
The village offered them choices regarding how they wished to integrate. Some Lokoroko chose to settle in Zone 2, building homes integrated into the village's existing design and embracing full cultural integration with the mixed human and beastfolk population that lived there. Others preferred to maintain their traditional ways and settled in Zone 3, the Special Administrative Zone designated for beastfolk who wished to preserve their cultural practices while still participating in the village community as a whole.
The matter of representation on the village Elder Council required resolution. With two beastfolk clans now residing in Maya Village, the question arose: who would speak for them in village governance?
Naturally, both chiefs had legitimate claims to the position. Chief Tamba of the Kotoko Clan was already established as the beastfolk representative. Chief Gagar Lokoroko of the Lokoroko Clan had just arrived but commanded the loyalty of a substantial population. The village Elder Council wanted to avoid unnecessary troubles and infighting between villagers, but they also recognized that this was a matter of beastfolk culture that deserved respect.
The two chiefs settled the matter through strength, as it was how traditionally handled among their people when they couldn't reach an agreement. They battled in formal combat, not to the death but until one acknowledged the superior skill of the other. It was a spectacle that drew observers from throughout the village, humans and beastfolk alike watching as two powerful warriors tested each other's capabilities.
In the end, Chief Gagar lost to the younger and more versatile Chief Tamba. The Kotoko chief retained his seat on the Elder Council as the representative for all beastfolk residing in Maya Village.
However, this did not mean the Lokoroko were left without leadership or voice. Within Zone 3 specifically, administrative responsibility was shared between both chiefs. Chief Tamba and Chief Gagar worked together to govern the Special Administrative Zone, respecting each clan's traditions while ensuring smooth coordination with the village as a whole.
Of the two hundred fifty-seven Lokoroko who had arrived, ninety-seven chose to maintain cultural separation and settled in Zone 3. The remainder found places in Zone 2, building unique homes that reflected Lokoroko architectural styles while integrating into the village's broader design aesthetic.
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Unique Contributions
Now that the Lokoroko Clan had established itself within the village, their unique skills and knowledge began contributing to Maya's continuing development. While the Kotoko were primarily hunter-gatherer warriors, fierce fighters who excelled in combat and tracking, the Lokoroko were lovers of nature with a different set of specializations.
This did not mean they lacked combat capabilities. They could fight when necessary, and they did so with skill and courage. But warfare was not their preferred path. They were agriculturists, though their agricultural practices differed significantly from human approaches. They were also profoundly skilled in animal husbandry, and back in their homeland, they had maintained extensive healing gardens that produced medicinal herbs of exceptional quality.
Zone 3 now featured special garden farms designed according to Lokoroko principles. They had also constructed pens for the new domesticated beasts that they had brought with them from their lost homeland: Stagghorned Moose-Cows.
These were massive creatures, standing taller than a typical six legged horse and substantially more muscular. They had been wild beasts originally, but the Lokoroko had managed to capture and domesticate them over generations of careful breeding and training. The creatures served multiple purposes that made them invaluable to any community that possessed them.
They produced milk rich in nutrients. They could serve as draft animals, pulling heavy loads with strength that exceeded ordinary oxen. They could be trained as battle mounts for warriors who preferred size and power over speed. They provided substantial meat when culled. And their magnificent horns served as weapons when attached to armor or helmets, and as valuable materials for crafting when the beasts shed them naturally.
The Lokoroko had managed to save only six of these precious beasts when their homeland was attacked by beasts from the Lonely Forest of Shadowfen. They had brought those six to Maya Village to start breeding populations anew, a gift of tremendous value that demonstrated their commitment to making this settlement their permanent home.
After registration with the Council responsible for Animal Husbandry, Maya Village officially added Stagghorned Moose-Cows to their roster of domesticated beasts. The breeding program would take years to produce substantial herds, but the potential benefits justified the investment of time and resources.
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Greenhouse Innovation
The garden farms the Lokoroko constructed featured designs unlike anything the village had seen before. They were built inside structures with glass roofs or a derivative of it that captured sunlight while protecting plants from harsh weather and temperature extremes. The Lokoroko called these structures greenhouses, and they could produce healing herbs year-round regardless of seasonal conditions outside.
The greenhouse designs incorporated vertical stacking to maximize production in minimal space, a crucial advantage for a settlement surrounded by dense forest where cleared land was precious. The structures also featured magical sprinklers that distributed water automatically, a technology familiar to the Lokoroko, but one the village would adapt enthusiastically once they understood its function.
This magical irrigation system was a novel invention that would likely see broader implementation throughout the village once agreements could be reached with the Lokoroko to share their greenhouse construction and especially the magical sprinkler knowledge. The village elders recognized immediately that such systems would be invaluable, particularly during summer and even in winter when fewer workers would need to tend fields and water plants manually.
Theressa Peerce, head of the village's Medical Support Group, took particular interest in the herbs the Lokoroko produced in these garden farms. They were quite unique in their properties, and the methods used to process them differed significantly from conventional potion-making approaches while achieving similar or even superior effects.
The Lokoroko did not brew potions in the traditional sense. Instead, they prepared herbal treatments that were more potent than many conventional potions despite using simpler preparation methods. This approach relied heavily on their unique magical capabilities.
The Lokoroko did not possess water or light elements typically associated with healing magic. Instead, they used wood element magic, though not specifically plant manipulation. Their technique involved boosting the natural healing properties inherent in certain herbs through carefully controlled application of wood-aligned mana.
This capability was inherent to the Lokoroko genome. Their mana cores, the magical organs that all beastfolk possessed from birth, were uniquely structured to facilitate this particular type of enhancement magic. It might seem strange to outsiders watching them chant in their ancient language, words unknown to human scholars, but the healing effects were undeniably soothing and effective. The aroma of the herbs they used produced calming sensations that aided recovery as much as the magical properties themselves.
Theressa was fascinated by the possibility of incorporating these herbs into traditional potion-making or establishing a joint venture with the Lokoroko combining both approaches. It would require teaching them the fundamental concepts of alchemical potion brewing, knowledge that was not inherent to their culture, but the potential benefits seemed worth the effort.
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A Place of Acceptance
The fact that beastfolk were welcomed and treated as equals in Maya Village was remarkable in the broader context of the world beyond the Great Forest. Beastfolk were frowned upon in many regions, subjected to discrimination and outright persecution in some areas. There was relative peace now, but in the past, there had been massive conflicts and wars between beastfolk and humans that left scars on both communities.
That violent history explained why beastfolk had no proper unified kingdom. They were scattered, organized into clans with chiefs rather than nations with kings. They isolated themselves from the outside world, and even those who found ways to coexist with human settlements in other parts of the continent were rarely treated as true equals.
The exception was imperial-controlled regions, where Emperor Janus Cornwall had established policies ensuring fair treatment through meritorious recognition of service. In imperial territories, beastfolk could hold positions of responsibility and authority without regard to their race, evaluated purely on their capabilities and contributions.
The Emperor had enacted these policies deliberately. He and his ancestors were the Elmisians, a pure blooded line of Arkanians that had existed from the time of the old Arkanus Empire had been persecuted by fellow humans after their great fall, the Elmisians have been persecuted and even as far as being enslaved by the many enemies of the old Empire of Arkanus, especially the Fresco League of Kingdoms and other demonic entities who awaited their great fall. He understood what the beastfolk and other non-human sapients endured, and he refused to allow such discrimination within territories under his authority. In imperial-controlled regions, racism and outright bullying were crimes worthy of severe punishment, up to and including execution in extreme cases.
Maya Village was an outlier in this regard. It was not directly an imperial-controlled settlement but rather a recognized and protected settlement by the empire, maintaining substantial autonomy in its internal governance. Yet even before achieving imperial recognition, the village had already welcomed the Kotoko Clan without significant prejudice.
There had been a somewhat rocky start, misunderstandings and cultural differences that required patience to navigate. But now humans and beastfolk worked hand in hand throughout every aspect of village life: agriculture, construction, security, commerce, and more. It was common to see humans and beastfolk talking casually like longtime friends, a sight that would be shocking in many other settlements throughout the known world.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of Maya Village was its acceptance by the beasts that ruled the Great Forest. Even the Lokoroko, who had lived near the Lonely Forest of Shadowfen for generations, had never been treated as kindly by the intelligent beasts in that region. The beasts of Shadowfen tolerated their presence at best and viewed them as potential prey or competitors at worst.
The Lokoroko had heard tales of how Maya Village secured its territory through blood and war during the first months of the Beast Dominion Wars, earning the respect of the forest's rulers through combat prowess and unwavering courage. The village was recognized as an ally by the Guardian Beasts and Beast Lords, respected for defending the Lonelywood Forest that they considered their home.
Maya Village also respected the boundary territories and laws that governed the Great Forest, operating according to principles that intelligent beasts understood and approved of. That mutual respect was why the village enjoyed peaceful coexistence with neighboring Beast Lords rather than constant conflict.
The village was, in short, a place where everyone could grow. Not just individuals from selected races or backgrounds, but everyone who joined this community and committed to its principles of mutual aid and respect.
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Wanderers in the Distance
Meanwhile, somewhere in the distance beyond Maya Village's territorial boundaries, a group of small figures walked without apparent destination. To a keen observer, they would be immediately recognizable as dwarves: a group of mountain-loving people, short in stature but stocky and powerfully muscled, built entirely differently from humans, elves, or beastfolk.
They were fierce fighters with great courage and temperaments as solid and unyielding as the stone they carved their homes from. These particular dwarves were young by their people's standards, cast out from their ancestral mountain homes to find their own peaks to claim and establish new settlements.
They wandered the world now, searching for a place that would accept them and provide opportunities to practice their crafts. They were considered among the best and greatest craftsmen in the known world, and most possessed earth, fire, metal, or gem elemental affinities that complemented their natural skills.
Dwarves were not as fecund as humans, producing fewer children over their extended lifespans. They lived three to four times longer than humans as a general rule, reaching hundreds of years and occasionally even a thousand in exceptional cases. In longevity, they rivaled the elves, though they would never admit such a comparison willingly.
Eventually, their wandering legs would take them to Maya Village. It was a blessing that would come sooner or later, though they did not know it yet.
The village had a mountain range at its rear, vast and largely undeveloped. There were similar mountains in the surrounding area that remained untouched and uninfluenced by the village's expansion. For dwarves seeking new homes and opportunities to practice their ancestral crafts, such terrain represented paradise waiting to be claimed.
The meeting between Maya Village and these wandering dwarves was something to anticipate with great interest. What would come of it remained to be seen, but if past patterns held true, the village would find ways to incorporate yet another culture into its growing tapestry of peoples working together toward common goals.
Maya Village was becoming something unprecedented: a true melting pot where humans, beastfolk, and potentially even dwarves could live and work together as equals, each contributing unique skills and perspectives to the community's continued growth and prosperity.
The future was uncertain, as it always was. But Maya Village faced that uncertainty with confidence born from experience, knowing that diversity of peoples and ideas made them stronger rather than weaker, and that acceptance and mutual respect could overcome prejudices that plagued the world beyond their forest borders.