Out of the mountains, the Rakkeru came. A hunt was proclaimed, and peace was made between all, for the Matrons had seen a dream of the Earth told them that They were bountiful and wide - and empty. The steppes north and the forest south, they were the new hunting grounds for the Rakkeru. Exploration, Expansion, Exploitation and Extermination seen for the first time, all together.

Within the Mountains of Refuge, there was food aplenty, but 'aplenty' was relative in all but the Land of Dreams, of which the Rakkeru could but dream. Thus, overpopulation followed, and in its wake war and famine. Then, the cycle could begin anew. The mountains were tall, and protected not only the Rakkeru from the world around it, but they also protected the world around it from the Rakkeru. As generations honed their blades, Sekkuta and Gurraji grew to become more fearful weapons - armies, even - than Mukr-Ukhuu had wished to dream them as, and so they outgrew their roles as defenders of the colony and warriors of tribal conflict, and they became hunters who took to warfare for warfare's sake: if they remained hidden to anyone but themselves, they would keep fighting only each other, and one day, Mukr-Ukhuu dreamt themselves seeing in a nightmare, a Rakkeru would slash the throat of the last Rakkeru, and they would be no more.

Hence, new land. The Gennetsu, or Matrons, of the Rakkeru, all shared the same vision, and they set aside all differences and force of arms. Then they sent out their assassins, the winged Kuttoda, and they crossed the rim of the mountains and saw the great steppes and forests that lay beyond. Colonies were uprooted, entire valleys emptied, and the Rakkeru spread in all directions - at least, at first.

To the south, they found a great forest, land that was not immediately to their liking. In the west, these woods had mountains, and this was better, but travel further west also found them a great sea, and that was completely alien to the Rakkeru, who swam across rivers and lakes, and did not boat. In the east, there were great swamp lands, and these were also unkind to the Rakkeru, though not its inhabitants. Inside, the Rakkeru encountered the first species of prey who could speak. They were small, and disgustingly quick, but as wise as children - who were much wiser than any beast. War was not made on the Waeia, because it was decided by local matrons that not only was the likely outcome of such a war unclear, the lands of the Waeia, and the worth of the frogs themselves as slaves or food, was not worth the sacrifices war would bring. Sacrifices on either side - because the Rakkeru recognised not only the strength of the Waeia, but also their capacity for empathy.

It was then to the north that the Rakkeru sank their claws into the steppes, where they became apex predators - eaters of all - but also shepherds of lesser beasts, for hunting extensively was a tool in taming the land, but wiser matrons tempered boisterous hunters and taught that the land itself could be hunted too, and therefore die. And dead, empty land, was bad for living.

Command Species x 2: 16 pts. Spread into 6 tiles.

Map

Key:

• Red: homeland
• Yellow & Orange: spread of the Rakkeru
• Green: homeland of the Waeia, trade and exchange occurs with these tiles