The Magical Waters Challenge

[ChangingSparks]

*The Magical Waters Challenge*

Do you seek to travel the waters of Niche with your own tribe? Do you wish to activate the power that’s inside? Then the Magical Waters Challenge is for you! Navigate Niche through a new perspective and perform your duties of keeping the world together. Everyone is counting on you to choose whether the island ecosystem will prosper or not, and with the Magical Waters Challenge, you can make that choice.

 

Backstory

For as long as any nicheling can remember, there has been a tribe that served the purpose of keeping the world together. They surf across the tides of the ocean with their gilled bodies and had strange powers that allowed the island to function. What few know about these nichelings, however, is that they not only have a budding society but also the weight of the world on their shoulders. Their ancestors were tasked with allowing the islands to be in order, and they have dutifully done that job for decades. In the process, they have formed their own unique culture. The nichelings of the Magical Waters go by different names depending on their time period, but all of them are united under the same creed.

 

Appearance Guidelines

• The nichelings of the Magical Waters are highly variable in their fur coloration, but they prioritize beiges, yellows, and light browns in order to blend in with the shoreline. They also tend to have solid fur, with only a few individuals per tribe having small streaks of patterning. The eyes of the Magical Waters tribe are also not anything extraordinary to look at, coming in the same variance as the average nicheling. 

 

• The nichelings of the Magical Waters prioritize genes that aid them in aquatic travel and fishing. They have a carnivorous diet and often bear high strength in comparison to their peers. Some of the common traits that they display include a pair of gills, claws, webbed paws, webbed hind legs, and a tail fin. Most males also bear a pair of antlers that vary in coloration. Nichelings can also grow different types of horns, but these are mostly only seen in males.

 

• Nichelings of the Magical Waters have a pair of blue gems and a yellow gem in the center of their chest. This is to symbolize their connection to the water, as well as the ties they have to the world itself.

 

Genetic/Sandbox Rules

• Antlers - 1/10  of male nichelings do not have antlers. 1/10  of female nichelings have antlers.

• Claws - ½ of nichelings have one claw. ¼ of nichelings have two.

• Fur Patterns - 1/10 of nichelings have a pattern.

• Gills - ¾ of nichelings have gills.

• Horns - Male nichelings can have horns if they do not have antlers. Females cannot.

• Tailfin - ¼ of nichelings have a tailfin.

• Webbed Hindlegs - ¾ of nichelings have webbed hindlegs.

• Webbed Paw - ½ of nichelings have one webbed paw. ¼ of nichelings have two.

 

Behavior

• The nichelings of the Magical Waters either live close by the shore or within the ocean itself. This is dependent on what kinds of genes they have, but these nichelings never stray too far from their ancestral waters. They build nests near the shore, travel along the shore, and prefer to swim to different parts of the island rather than walk.

 

• The nichelings of the Magical Waters mostly eat meat. They prefer to hunt for fish and dig up worms, but will on occasion stray onto land in order to find rabbils or stagmoles. Even those who are not suited for hunting will engage in a carnivorous diet, and fruits and vegetables are only eaten in the most drastic of situations.

 

• The Magical Waters ascribe significant value to blue eyes and antennae. It is said that if a nicheling has blue eyes, then they are connected to the waters of the world. These nichelings are assigned leadership roles and are given the duty of Grace. Nichelings with antennae, on the other hand, are believed to be able to control parts of the world itself and are given the role of Caster. If a nicheling has both of these traits, they are believed to be vitals (‘demigods’) in the flesh.

 

• The nichelings of the Magical Waters prefer to remain in large groups. They will build up a tribe of ten or more members and discuss the matters of the island amongst themselves. Nichelings of similar ages tend to form close bonds and cultivate relationships that can last throughout their entire lives.

 

• The duty of a nicheling in a Magical Waters tribe is to keep the world together and to allow the island to prosper. This means allowing grass to grow on the island, making minimal adjustments to their environment, and staying close to the shoreline. The duty of a nicheling in the Magical Waters tribe is not all fun and games, however. They have to keep unwanted outsiders out of their business and even sacrifice members of their tribe to feed the predators on their island. It is often a harsh task, but one that the nichelings of the Magical Waters have to perform.

 

• Every twenty-two in-game days, a nicheling must perform Grace. They must dive to the bottom of the ocean (ten tiles underwater) and reach down to obtain the essence of Grace. They then must go back to the surface and give Grace to their tribe members. After they perform the ceremony of giving Grace, the tribe members are each given a special ability that suits their needs. This power can be whatever you believe the nicheling needs. The nicheling that dives down does not get any power, however. Their power is the fact that they have served the purpose of performing Grace. 

 

Breeding/Mating Rules

• Nichelings of the Magical Waters are polgynous. Males often have more than one partner and mate with each of them in order to produce children. There is no loyalty between partners, and nichelings will often switch mates through the passage of time. 

 

• The mating process between Nichelings of the Magical Waters is violent. Both partners get injured after the process and often display permanent scars from mating. The amount of damage each nicheling takes after mating is dependent on how much strength they have. Remember to breed the nicheling before you add the damage onto them. That way, you can figure out whether the nicheling gets pregnant or not.

-A nicheling with zero strength will deal minimal damage. They will not be able to break through the skin. Add no reduction to lifespan after mating.

-A nicheling with one to two strength will deal minor damage to their partner. This will result in a lifespan reduction of one to two (roll one to two for amount of damage taken).

-A nicheling with three to four strength will deal moderate damage to their partner. This will result in a lifespan reduction of two to four (roll two to four for amount of damage taken).

-A nicheling with five or more strength will deal severe damage to their partner. This will result in a lifespan reduction of three to six (roll three to six for amount of damage taken).

 

• A female carries her young for two in-game days. When she gives birth to her child, she will raise her offspring until it is a teenager. Before that, she will almost always be by their side and will even care for pups without mothers. This means that a female will not mate again until her child is close to their teenage years.

 

• A female can pause her pregnancy for up to four in-game days. This an uncommon practice and is only used when the pregnancy is accidental or when she is impregnated during a time where food and resources needs to be conserved.

 

• The genetics of the pup is entirely dependent on their parents with the exception of horn growth. 1/10  of male nicheling grow antlers during their childhood, while 1/10  of female nichelings grow antlers during their childhood or teenage years. Set Genes to enact this rule. Males can also grow other forms of horns during their childhood if it is their dominant genes, while females cannot. Antennae do not count as horns and can be kept on both sexes.

 

Ranks

• Crown (Alpha) - The Crown of the tribe is its leading member. This nicheling commands the others that inhabit the Magical Waters and it is their prime duty to manage the ecosystem. The Crown determines which shore the tribe is to inhabit as well as what food they are to eat and the amount of grass they can clear. They are the one that chooses the tribe’s Graceling.

 

• Graceling (Alpha) - The Graceling is the nicheling that is assigned to perform the duty of Grace. They are chosen for their swimming and travel capacities, and are the ones that give Grace to the other nichelings. The Graceling of the tribe is chosen by the Crown, and their position allows for the giving of powers and an insight into the ocean.

 

• Caster (Alpha) - When a nicheling of the Magical Waters is born with a pair of antennae, they are designated the role of Caster. These nichelings are isolated from the rest of the tribe and are given control of parts of the land. Their duty is to manipulate the island for the sake of the nichelings of the Magical Waters and to facilitate a bond with nature. Their powers are dependent on their environment. Casters who live in hotter areas may have abilities over sand and fire, while those in colder areas may be given power over ice instead. The power that they have is for you to determine.

 

• Diver (Beta) - Within a tribe of the Magical Waters, there are always a few Divers. These  are the average nichelings of the tribe and the ones that consist of the majority of the population. Their duty is to allow for the island to prosper and to help manage the tribe under the orders of the Crown. They hunt for prey, build nests, and explore the island when the time is needed. They serve their duty until death.

 

• Caretaker (Beta) - While most females serve the role of Diver, a select few serve as the Caretakers for the children of the island. These females are known to have a maternal spirit and their primary duty is to gather nesting material and to protect pups from bluebirds and other predators. Males can also be Caretakers, but since females are seen as more parental, they more often than not enter the role of Caretaker. Caretakers are not chosen by the Crown, but volunteer for the sake of their community.

 

• Pup (Beta) - Pups are any nicheling that is below the age of teenagerhood. These nichelings have not yet been designated a role and stay by their mother’s side. Pups are often coddled by their parents, so they often do not learn the harshness of reality until they grow older. The majority of pups become divers, but those with antennae may become Casters and those with strong parental instincts become Caretakers. They are cherished by the nichelings of the Magical Waters, for they are the future of the tribe.

 

• Sacrifice (Omega) - When a nicheling is born with undesirable features or sickness, they are often trained for the role of Sacrifice. Their duty is to feed the predators of the land and to serve as bait when the tribe is in a bind. Despite the disturbing implications that the role of Sacrifice has, however, nichelings in this role volunteer for the sake of their community and serve an important part in the ecosystem. They are a good source of meat for predators and help to balance the island.

 

You can track the roles of your nichelings either by listing the role next to their name or using some form of documentation to keep track of them. The tribe always has one Crown and one Graceling, and pups become Divers by default.

 

Gameplay Settings

The Gameplay Settings of the Magical Waters are not particularly important. You can make the life spans longer or shorter depending on what kind of story you want to tell, but you need to make sure that these days are approximately the same depending on what kind of lifespan you want to go with.

• Baby: 2

• Child: 2

• Teen: 3

• Adult: 33

• Pregnancy: 2

 

Nesting Material and Food Count can be at any number you want as long as you do not make it too unreasonable. Keep all other settings on.

 

Nicheling Creation

When you go into the Sandbox, choose the number of nichelings that you want in your tribe. Then, randomly determine the nicheling’s sex and look at the Genetics/Sandbox rule. Roll to see if your nicheling has the requisite traits and then randomly determine the rest of their traits. Disable all horns except for Antlers for any female nicheling and make sure to put the genetic trait in the Dominant slot. You can turn off any gene that is dominant over the requisite gene to get the desired results. 

 

You can make your nichelings any age, but I recommend at least four to six adults (the Crown, the Graceling, and the Divers/Caretakers) to make a functioning tribe. You can also add one Caster if you want, but other than that, randomly create your nichelings. If your nicheling has bad genes (Shortsighted/Blind Eyes, Deformed Paw, Infertility, etc.), you make them a Sacrifice, but it is not required.

 

Terminology

• Grace - A ritual in which the Graceling must dive to the bottom of the ocean and obtain the essence of Grace. They then most go back to the surface and give the other nichelings powers.

• Graced - A nicheling that has been given powers.

• Nubling - A male that does not have any antlers or horns.

• Pup - A nicheling that is below the age of teenagerhood.

• Rack - A female nicheling with antlers or horns.

• Shoreliner - A nicheling that does not have aquatic features.

• Tang - A patterned nicheling.

• Vital - A nicheling that is believed to be a reincarnated spirit. According to the nichelings of the Magical Waters, vitals are believed to have both blue eyes and antennae, as well as a capacity to control the ocean with just their thoughts.

 

Other

• Wanderers keep the genes that are randomly given. This is because they are born within the Magical Waters tribe and therefore, do not have the unique traits. You can make their gems any color to start with, but if they join the nichelings of the Magical Waters, they go through a ritual to make their gems blue on the sides and yellow in the center.

 

• Horn rules apply if the nicheling is at least ¼ Magical Waters member.

 

• The general naming theme for nichelings of the Magical Waters is based around aquatic phenomena and natural objects. The language in which their name is in is up to you, but make sure to keep it consistent.

 

• Your tribe can have any name that you want to have. The term ‘Magical Waters tribe’ refers to whatever tribe that you are playing with. There are multiple Magical Waters tribes, so if you encounter a wandering nicheling with the requisite traits, you may roleplay them as a nicheling from another Magical Waters tribe.

 

• You can customize the personality and characteristics of the nicheling however you want. Some nichelings might be gay, some might be trans, and some might have disorders. This is all up to you.

[ChangingSparks]

If you're wondering, this will be the challenge I will be doing for my next Niche playthrough. It is a mix between the Underwater and Powers challenges with some of my own lore.

[Strawberry11]

This is awesome!😊

[ChangingSparks]

Here is an example of how the RNG works. Let’s say that there are four nichelings in your Magical Waters tribe. One of them is a Leader, one of them is a Graceling, and two of them are Divers. You need to randomize the stats for each one of them.

 

Nicheling #X

Biological Sex: This is the biological sex of the nicheling. If it hits an odd number, then it is a male. If it hits an even number, then it is a female. (Roll between 1 and 100)

Antlers: This is the determinator on whether your nicheling has antlers or not. The number ‘10’ indicates the rarest possibility. Males without antlers and females with antlers. Remember, a male nicheling can still have another type of horn if they do not have antlers. (Roll between 1 and 10)

Claws: This is the determining factor for if your nicheling has a claw. The number ‘2’ indicates the factor that the nicheling has a claw. If you hit the number ‘2’ in your randomization, roll again to see if your nicheling has a second claw. If it hits the number ‘4’, then it has two claws. (Roll between 1 and 2, then roll again between 1 and 4)

Fur Patterns: This is the determinator on if your nicheling has a pattern. The number ‘10’ indicates that a nicheling has a pattern (mask, dots, or stripes). (Roll between 1 and 10)

Gills - This is the factor on whether or not your nicheling has gills. The number ‘4’ indicates that the nicheling does not have gills. (Roll between 1 and 4)

Tailfin: This is the factor on whether or not your nicheling has a tailfin. The number ‘4’ indicates that the nicheling has a tailfin. (Roll between 1 and 4)

Webbed Hindlegs: This is the factor on whether or not your nicheling has a pair of webbed hindlegs. The number ‘4’ indicates that the nicheling does not have webbed hindlegs. (Roll between 1 and 4)

Webbed Paw: This is the determining factor for if your nicheling has a webbed paw. The number ‘2’ indicates the factor that the nicheling has a webbed paw. If you hit the number ‘2’ in your randomization, roll again to see if your nicheling has a second webbed paw. If it hits the number ‘4’, then it has two webbed paw. If you have already rolled a claw on the nicheling, skip the second part. If you have rolled two claws, skip this section entirely.  (Roll between 1 and 2, then roll again between 1 and 4)

 

*X’s Tribe*

Ignore the fact that I left them all on ‘Beta’. The Crown and the Graceling should be Alpha rank.

Please note that Claws and Webbed Paws can be in any spot of your choosing, as long s they are there.

Nicheling #1 - “Nicheling Crown”

Biological Sex: The number rolled was ‘69’. This nicheling is biologically a male.

Antlers: The number rolled was ‘1’. This nicheling has antlers.

Claws: The number rolled was ‘2’. The second number rolled was ‘1’. This nicheling has a single claw.

Fur Patterns: The number rolled was ‘10’. This nicheling has a pattern.

Gills: The number rolled was ‘2’. This nicheling has gills.

Tailfin: The number rolled was ‘2’. This nicheling does not have a tailfin. 

Webbed Hindlegs: The number rolled was ‘1’. This nicheling has webbed hindlegs.

Webbed Paw: The number rolled was ‘2’. This nicheling has a single webbed paw.

 

Nicheling #2 - “Nicheling Graceling”

Biological Sex: The number rolled was ‘24’. This nicheling is biologically a female.

Antlers: The number rolled was ‘9’. This nicheling does not have antlers.

Claws: The number rolled was ‘2’. The second number rolled was ‘1’. This nicheling has a single claw.

Fur Patterns: The number rolled was ‘5’. This nicheling does not have a pattern.

Gills: The number rolled was ‘2’. This nicheling has gills.

Tailfin: The number rolled was ‘4’. This nicheling has a tailfin.

Webbed Hindlegs: The number rolled was ‘3’. This nicheling has webbed hind legs.

Webbed Paw: The number rolled was ‘1’. This nicheling does not have webbed paws.

 

Nicheling #3 - “First Diver”

Biological Sex: The number rolled was ‘24’. This nicheling is biologically a female.

Antlers: The number rolled was ‘6’. This nicheling does not have antlers.

Claws: The number rolled was ‘2’. The second number rolled was ‘3’. This nicheling has a single claw.

Fur Patterns: The number rolled was ‘4’. This nicheling does not have a pattern.

Gills: The number rolled was ‘1’. This nicheling has gills.

Tailfin: The number rolled was ‘4’. This nicheling has a tailfin.

Webbed Hindlegs: The number rolled was ‘1’. This nicheling has webbed hindlegs.

Webbed Paw: The number rolled was ‘1’. This nicheling does not have a webbed paw.

 

Nicheling #4 - “Second Diver”

Biological Sex: The number rolled was ‘62’. This nicheling is biologically a female.

Antlers: The number rolled was ‘4’. This nicheling does not have antlers.

Claws: The number rolled was ‘1’. This nicheling does not have claws.

Fur Patterns: The number rolled was ‘5’. This nicheling does not have a pattern.

Gills: The number rolled was ‘3’. This nicheling has gills.

Tailfin: The number rolled was ‘3’. This nicheling does not have a tailfin.

Webbed Hindlegs: The number rolled was ‘1’. This nicheling has webbed hindlegs.

Webbed Paw: The number rolled was ‘2’. The second number rolled was ‘2’. This nicheling has a single webbed paw.

[Peanutpup77]

How do you give the nichelings powers?

[ChangingSparks]

Every twenty-two in-game days, you choose a nicheling to dive ten tiles underwater. You then bring them back to the surface and give powers to each of the other tribe members. You can choose whatever power you want for your nichelings, but I recommend giving them a power that will suit their needs and role. You can determine the power or randomly or hand-pick it. The powers are not anything in-game, they are merely something for story purposes. You can manifest the powers however you want, though.

 

Once a nicheling gets their powers, they can only have that one power. That's something I forgot to mention in the rules.

[Peanutpup77]

Ok, thanks!