Ats's eye twitched as he watched the CDIM repy of the humans, beastkin, and elves on the western ti. pared to the trials and tributions of the eastern ti, or the tragedy of the dwarves, this athetic.

  Well, perhaps pathetic wasn't the right word. Peaceful.

  There were no mighty or behemoth-sized creatures, no evil pguing the nd, nor any tragedy that devastated species. Just natural evolution.

  Without a nemesis, humans behaved like any other mammal. They ate, drank, and mated, with the occasional ued discovery.

  Pgues, brought on by ck of water and piene, repeatedly dimiheir numbers. Poisonous foods, dangerous wildlife, and other natural hardships slowed their growth.

  pared to the dwarves, however, they were less intelligent. By sheer luck, they discovered copper by a riverbed three turies in, leading to the development of bronze, whereas the dwarves had already mastered it without the dragons' assistahe dwarves were noable of iron f, even without the Primordials' aid.

  Their magical abilities were minor- fiip fmes, small jurations of water or soil ner than a fist- nothing pared to the Dark Elves. Nor did they possess their grit, battle-hardened nature, or resistao harsh enviros.

  They were exceptionally average for the region, but pared to the rest of the world? Well below average.

  Both human tribes entered beast-kin- the typical cat and wolf tribes, elk and bear, and other minor tribes- but their reas varied.

  Oribe feared them and sought to annihite them, while the other eaceful, open to trade and coexistence.

  Though physically simir, pt betweewo human tribes grew.

  The northern tribe, valuing peace, became adept at herbology and discovered agriculture early. They came te to husbandry, however. By the Year 478, their popution was the rgest of all tribes.

  Their retionship with the beast-kin proved advantageous. Teologies and discoveries were shared, and the beast-kin served as a shield due to their superior physicality, pensating for the northerners' weaker bodies and lesser bat ability.

  In trast, the southern tribe was smaller, adopting a more violent approach. Their early discovery of bronze, along with their primary focus on hunting, led to husbandry befriculture. This led ter, rger bodies with more natural instincts toward fighting from birth.

  Standing side by side, a southerner was at least 25% rger than a northerner, more parable to the beast-kin. Their advantage over beast-kin was their superior intelligend onry.

  By year 400, the Southerners dominated skirmishes and battles. The Northerners relied heavily o-kin's physical superiority, but this advantage waned as Southerners developed bows and sophisticated traps.

  To ter this- and curb the beastkin's reckless charges- the northerners began iing their own warriors among the beastkin as a standard practice.

  This decision proved crucial, as uneven losses had begun to fracture their alliarengthened by shared hardships, their bonds re-solidified.

  By year 400, the first half-bloods were born- humanoid hybrids with human a-kin traits, their stats averaged between both races. Not as strong, but not so stupid.

  And now, at Year 478, an unease peace was brokered. The nd lit ly in half between the North and South, and the rge ke the elves inhabited acted as the natural line.

  Scowling, Ats's gaze rested on the pure elves. Small traces of pt emitted from him. Their slim figures dahrough the trees, barely disible between the dense foliage and shadows.

  As was typical of elves, they were attuo the forest and highly gifted in water ah magic.

  'Maybe they are capable of fire or other destructive magic?' Ats mused. 'But I haven't seen it.'

  Everyone knew where the elves resided, but no one wao tah them. Their superiical abilities and deep knowledge of nature frightehers.

  Using their magid expert knowledge of earth and wood, some of their homes resided on the ke.

  That being said, this was a Great Lake, or a Super Lake- its diameter was at least fifty miles.

  Magic lifted their food from the ke's surface, and rafts carried their catch back to the eastern coastnd. Their popuce lit 50-50 between nd and water, as some simply preferred the water.

  Tapping his fingers against the sole, Ats shifted the globe slightly, fog on the green Primordial dragon and the dwarves residing on the eastern coast.

  At first, the Primordial was tent to observe from afar, showing no i iher creatures.

  But as turies passed, it discovered the ability to shapeshift, using its magic to take on different forms.

  Disguised among them, it studied their ways firsthand, always close enough to lear distant enough to remain a mystery. A figure that became on folklore.

  The dwarves, who had fled turies ago, had grown into a more traditional dwarven society. Some became explorers and wanderers- one even mao befriend the Southerners after dispying exceptional metallurgy knowledge.

  By the year 478, wheher Primordials and dragoured out and began inhabiting the ti, they faced little resistance.

  Fear? Yes. It became one of the primary reasons the tribes tiheir peace as these creatures desded.

  A unified uoward the newers settled among them, despite the dragons never ag with hostility toward humans or beastkin. Fear of the unnatural and unknown.

  ---------------------

  Divine Skill Creation Teleport:Subjective tet's strength. Current Target Cost: 15 DivinityDivinity:0 (-15)---------------------

  Holding a bck, pulsing glob of flesh, a green goblin blinked ie the base of the eastern mountains on the western ti, inside a cave.

  Wisp nodded, chirping as she observed. "A wise choice, Weaver Ats. War accelerates adva."

  "They're farther behind the tral ndmass in terms of teology and far less dangerous than the Eastern ti," Ats grunted, subsciously agreeing with Wisp.

  "This is still dangerous, however, instead of using an Oracle to ignite a holy war," Wisp chirped. "You've witnessed what it bee and how quickly they spread. It will have an abundance of food here."

  "The enviro is less hostile here," Wisp chirped again with .

  Shrugging, Ats quickly looked through the stat s. "It should even out. These goblins shouldn't be anywhere close to being as dangerous as the Eastern ones."

  "Twenty-two years until divinity restoration? It should be fihey'll toughen up. It will give the dragons a reason to hate certaiures too, hopefully."

  (

  Pretty standard chapter. Nothing too crazy.

  Chapter:

  Chapter 18: Smiling Tree of Wishes

  )