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When will we know if it becomes optional to gather food?

Cyprinus Tribes, year 4

Hardships must come upon us sometimes and we must mourn those that fall, the elders agree. Similarly, the amount of children are becoming far too excessive. Throughout the year, the goals are set and agreed upon uneventfully, as sacrifices must be made to avoid an eventual downfall.

1. Fish and try to learn new fishing techniques while doing so that involves circling larger creatures. Avoid storms.
2. Farm the hills. Hardships may strike, but the people will carry on doing what they do best and the food will be needed to feed the excessive number of children.
3. Continue the search for an antidote. Limit testing to the weakest children, to ensure the potency of the antidote.
4. Have the tribes come together to erect a simple stone monument near the sea in honour of those who died from last year's hardships. It shall identify a portion of the sea which is known to be shallow, making for good fishing on boot, but dangerous to stray too close to in the rickety boats.

The Cyprinus Tribes - Year 3

The Elders decided to convene that year, unheard of for the tribes, but issues faced all four tribes. Each had seen a great growth in the number of children and they were caring for many young. They did not wish to risk hunger because of this and so decided that a fifth tribe should be formed. This tribe of adults from all four tribes, as well as their children, such that all tribes remained equal, were to work the land, just as had been done with the roots. It had clearly worked, but without some social upheavel, the elders knew they would never get people to stray away from fishing and proving their skills. Indeed, they couldn't, as many men went fishing that year in the boats that were built, simultaneously trying to refine them as best they could to better suit their task - to float upon the sea.

There was also the issue of the poisonous bugs. The Elders felt that, perhaps, such knowledge was too dangerous to have. It was the sort of knowledge the Unnamed Gods might not look too kindly on being used, for on who would they use it? Other tribes? There were no others and to think otherwise was madness! Each other? That too was clearly madness. No, a solution had to be found to the poison. Some manner in which to counter it, should any scorned lovers find it within themselves to try to kill each other.

And so, the life of the Cyprinus People pressed on, in a time of social revolution for their tribe.

1. Fish in the deep sea with the boats, to provide food to the Tribes.
2. Refine the boats, to make them better fishing boats (more stable, in particular).
3. Try to discover an antidote to the poison, such that its effects might be countered.
4. Have a tribe move further inland to forage for new sources of food (the fifth tribe, with about 20 men, 20 women, 15 children and 5 elders). Apply knowledge of roots growing if applicable.

There isn't a lack of rules, so much as them being made up as they go along (it's part of the game, see the original one).

The elders see before them a rough year and make spiritual offerings to the gods, praying that things will not go poorly for their people.

1:
Continue fishing, by collecting oysters and molluscks from near the coast and having the fishermen try their luck with spears in the river, where they are less likely to lose them. Attempts are also made, with regards to fishing, to collect food that the fish themselves might eat. Clearly the food source was stable enough to last through last year, so it should last through this year as well, the elders figure. The elders try to inspire more brave acts of fishery by telling tales of awesome undersea creatures that would make worthy trophies, in the hopes that this will encourage the fishermen to do better, but also knowing the risks that such encouragement might have.

2:
The spicy root is venerated as a boon from a higher power. While it would be simple to try to keep foraging for it, it'd be better, the elders think, if they had a steady supply of it. Attempts are made by the tribes to grow the root in its natural habitat and clearing out all other competing plants and animals in the area continuously. With skill and luck, the root should be able to spread and effectively grow in the chosen spots. If all else fails, the tribe will just have to keep foraging for it.

3:
The trees are obviously suffering from an illness that we, as shepherds of the land, can cure! It also happens to be an excellent source of food and possibly other things. The tribes shall start collecting bugs from the oldest trees, knocking the ancient trees down and then stripping the bark to capture all manners of bugs, whether edible or useful in some other way.

4:
Start with smaller, yet sturdy trees. While these will not make as great boats, once we've got boat-making down to an art, the tribes can start to try something more ambitious afterwards. Since the older trees tend to be dead, it's obviously the younger trees that must be exploited. Trees that are easier to hollow out without tools are preferable, yet they need to be buoyant.

I just made mine randomly in gimp so no preference in textures here.

I'm looking one up on RPtools.net right now.

Any other good ones out there?

The Peoples of Cyprinus
They are a scattered into four smaller groups of about 40-60 adults each, loosely bonded together by tradition. The tradition is that upon reaching adulthood, the children of each group pool together for a week of revelry. After the week has passed, during which time everyone else celebrates the feast of the summer solstice, the children become part of another group (It is taboo for children to return to the group they grew up with). They will then only see their parents during summer solstice for the rest of their lives.

Habitat
They live in forested highlands bordering a vast teeming ocean. The area is known as The Crystal Ponds and sees mild winters with snow, as well as mild summers, so it feels mild to cold year round, never really getting warm except in the mid of summer. Small streams and brooks pass down the tallest mountain, with minor waterfalls along the way. Trees and vegetation become scarce uphill, but are more abundant near the coast. The name stems from small ponds that fill up during the spring and evaporate during the summer. The salts left behind by the evaporating waters, carried from the mountains, leave breathtaking beautiful pillars of crystalline salt. These pillars are considered sacred by the Peoples of Cyprinus. The pillars usually fall apart in late autumn, early winter or next year again.

Culture
The Peoples of Cyprinus are a hardy bunch, very much into pretty stones and the sea. As such, their primary occupation lies in the craft of simple rings, amulets, bracelets and adornments to be worn by themselves and their friends and allies.

To court, both must present each other with at least three pieces of what they consider their best craft in recent times. Similarly, they apply this in close friendships, where gem bonds are formed by halving a precious stone and setting in two or more pieces of jewelry, which is then given to each member of the bond. This is equivalent to a blood bond. Between regular friends, a single piece of jewelry or two is enough, so long as they do not share any precious stones (if they do, it would be a blood bond and would be much deeper than a regular friendship).

They tend to live in simple caves, sheltering themselves from the harsh weathers in this manner. The caves are usually formed by erosive forces, but are occasionally the old homes of wild animals.

Motivations
While venerating the spirits of the earth, the people have had few aspirations until now. As their will, I vision a day where they shall sail upon the open seas in sturdy vessels, to take them to foreign shores, both near and far. To this end, their numbers must grow and they must learn new skills and so it begins for the people of Cyprinus.

First goals of the Cyprinus Peoples

1: The four tribes see the sea before them as a great source of sustenance. Though they cannot reach out far enough, that will come later. For now, they must ensure they can be fed all year round, by catching fish in the streams and the oceans, as well as collecting mollusks and oysters. Though the mollusks and oysters can be collected with ease, the goal is to eventually become great fishermen and to this end, the four tribes of the Cyprinus must fashion simple spears with which to catch the slippery, larger fish. They will feast upon the sustenance of the waters!

2: Further inland comes the realization that while fishery may bring them great boon, the land itself offers to them much in terms of food. However, there is no desire to hunt the great animals of the land (yet) and so, the goal becomes to collect the fruits of the land. More than just that, the tribes realize that to truly reach a level of decadence enjoyed only by the greatest of men, they must find something to accentuate the flavours of their caught fishes. They will forage for spices in the highlands!

3: Some of the more inventine members see the efforts of their fisheries and find them... lacking. They should like to find themselves further out at sea where clearly, the fish too must be larger. To get there, they must learn to float in a manner never done before. Having seen many logs float on their own accord, the goal is clear, but the means to reach it is not. They must find someway to carve out a decent vessel out of logs. Before they can do so, they must have good access to logs. They shall find ways to bring down the majestic trees of the highlands for their own benefit!

With these three main goals in mind, the Peoples of Cyprinus set out to make a living off the vast, fertile lands before them.