Eversnow: The Curse of the Ice King

Started by Darkmoon, February 16, 2014, 08:58:16 AM

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Drake Valentine

Yea, I am not jumping on that bandwagon. (Only because it fell off its supposed new Gen console release and the only thing I will go back to PS3 for would be a Person 5.)

"When I'm Done With You, You'll Be a:
Raped, Bloody, And Humiliated, Little Alice in Wonderland."

Introduction | O&Os | O&Os2 | IM RP Request(Canceled 04/11/2010) | A&As(Updated 10/29/13) | Solo RP Request (Updated 09/20/14)
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CarnivorousBunny

I try to stay away from really serious or intense video games.  In my mind the kidder ones like Pokemon and Harvest Moon are not as addictive, therefore they will take away less time from my work.

That is, however, a lie.  They are still a total time suck.
my  o&o and a&a
Current Status: Back on E, but still busy.
Sworn to the Oath of the Drake.

Vaulera

Oh Phsaw. Next-gen consoles are just lacking on games. I don't make the distinction between the two, and also i can't possibly wait for it to be released ten days later.

Darkmoon

Quote from: Melange on March 10, 2014, 02:25:58 AM
I've been following this thread for a little while now, and it's nice to see it come to life. I'm intrigued by the idea of a snow elf rebellion, but before I take the plunge and submit a character, I wanted to ask a few questions.

Is the rebellion a massive uprising, or more of a resistance movement? Are the elves autonomous, having their own villages and cities, or are they mixed in with other races who might be watching them? And what is the goal of the rebellion, to escape to more pleasant lands, or to overthrow the Ice King, or something else?

I'm thinking my character could be a mage, or a spy/rogue type depending on what form the rebellion takes. I'm wondering what a snow elf would look like, though. Maybe something like this?

Hi Melange,

The image you have is a good fit. I allow for a diversity of features and shades among elves, including ear length, etc. Wood Elves, High Elves, Snow Elves, and Sea Elves would all theoretically exist within this setting, if not all present in this region.

On Snow Elves
The ancestors of Snow Elves are the exiles of other Elven nations, largely wood elves. They may have been criminals, or perceived as tainted or misguided in a way that did allow for their presence in their homelands, and since Elves do not kill their own, for fear of being forsaken by their Mother Goddess, Kiata, exiles have often united in the unsettled regions of the world. The Snow Elves are those identified as a cohesive people, of mixed ethnicity, dwelling in the subsurface city of Mehethelon, the "Chosen Prison". Warmed by the great lake of fire that dwells beneath the same mountain chain in which Mount Volcan is tallest, nearby Mehethelon, linked to Volcan by a series of tunnels, is close to the snow-capped surface of the mountain pass to which Volcan is adjacent. This has granted the elves numerous encounters with passing peoples, and given them easy access to the paths and roads to greater civilization, which holds them in scorn.

The Snow Elves were subjugated and made to kneel by the Dark King Agnost and his force of men and orcs. It was a siege that resulted in much bloodshed and loss of life among the Snow Elves, and finally their submission. Many Snow Elves hold great hatred in their heart for that time, for orcs and men alike raped and killed at will in Mehethelon. Agnost himself is said to have a great lust for Snow Elves, and some suspect he keeps one to himself at all times for his own pleasure.

The Snow Elves quietly submit for they have no allies and they are outnumbered, but they are a strong people. Some of them cling to the mountain snows and kill off who they can, fighting a guerilla war against the invader, while others plot assassinations. They do not give up hope for freedom, even if many have given in to serving Agnost and the great sorceress that haunts their dreams.


Darkmoon

Quote from: Vaulera on March 10, 2014, 03:34:28 PM
Beware members of this RP. Darksouls 2 hits midnight tonight. We may never see darkmoon ever again. Or me for that matter, actually.

Haha. I'm still playing the first one. I'll put the RP first. I promise! My Gravelord Sword and parrying dagger are not crossed as I say that.

Darkmoon

I will more fully review the character sheets in the coming days and add them to the first post if they are approved. Thank you for your continuing submissions, (and please don't hesitate to keep submitting more). May the snows consume you.

CarnivorousBunny

#56
This is not yet finished.  Will be editing in more in the personality and abilities section.

Rosal Pangarap
Role: Sacrifice
Age: Eighteen
Race: Human
Height: 5'3
Weight: 130 lbs
Build: In one word Rosal is an endomorph. She is no slender beauty; her curves are full and soft.  Luckily the extra fat she retains is evenly (and discreetly) distributed throughout her body.  The excess weight she has padding her face only adds to her naturally youthful aura. Her healthy glow and voluptuous body are a reflection of her happy and easy life.
Hair: Black, thick and wavy.
Eyes: Brown
Skin Tone: Due to the endless winter creeping in to her formerly sunny homeland, her once golden brown skin has turned in to fade in to a light mocha colour.

Background: The Pangarap family is from a tropical country far away from the heart of Eversnow.  For decades it was safe from the icy grip of the evil monarchs.  Those were good times; many of its citizens had never even worn anything warmer than vests and short pants, and closed-toe shoes were unnecessary for day-to-day life.

Rosal's father and his family started from rock bottom; her mother was a noble woman.  Rosal's father was diligent, intelligent, and persevering; her mother was headstrong, cunning, and even more intelligent than her father.  Even before Rosal's father amassed his vast fortune as a merchant her mother already saw the man's potential.  Despite her own mother's vehement objections, Rosal's mother married the lower-middle class man.

Not long after the union Rosal was born. 
From day one Rosal was raised to be the perfect lady.  Her mother had been disowned as a noble lady, but that did not mean that the young girl was going to grow up to be a barbarian.  Being a good hostess, entertainer and homemaker was a must, but understanding feelings and using it to one's advantage was an absolutely essential skill for a truly successful woman.  Rosal proved to be a promising pupil, but her true talent was in the arts.  She was an extremely gifted dancer, singer, and musician.  So much so in fact that as soon as they could afford it, her father hired a very reputable bard to be her private tutor.
 
Rosal's private lessons started when she was eight.  By then the eternal winter skies were already visible in the horizon and a noticeable chill stung in the night air.

On Rosal's tenth summer the leaders of her country started sending sacrifices to the Ice King in hopes of buy slowing down the approaching winter.  To their relief it worked, but only every time the frosty monarchs was satisfied with the sacrifices sent. 
Soon the desperate practice of sending three to seven girls at a time would start, and girls would be hidden from the public eye for their own protection.

At twelve, Rosal's mother birthed twins; two little boys who would become Rosal's whole world.  By this time their family wanted for nothing and had reconnected with her mother's family, giving them political pull as well.

Thanks to their reconnecting to the world of politics, the Datu, or the monarch of her homeland, eventually heard of Rosal and her gifts as a bard and her loveliness as a girl.   
On Rosal's seventeenth summer The Sandata, the Datu's special army, marched in to town, as they did every three years since the sacrifices started.  They tried to take Rosal away but a friend convinced them that she would only be lovelier as time passed.  Did not women of true quality only grow better with age?  Her mother's blinding beauty was a testament to what she could and would grow in to.

The Pangarap family counted their lucky stars that the desperate gamble had worked.
At the very least they had bought the Pangarap family one last year to be together and say goodbye.

When they came back Rosal nor her parents put up a fight.  Rosal had watched the winter clouds creep closer just as she had watched her younger brothers grow up in a world with a fading sun.  It was her duty as their older sister to protect them in any way she could, and she would do just that even if it cost her her life. 

Personality: Despite her sheltered upbringing Rosal is not one to complain or whine.  If anything she resents being treated like a spoilt child, and sees anything outside her small sphere of experience as a challenge that needs to be conquered.  However her lack of worldliness is very evident when she is made to interact with people who have lived in extreme hardship and poverty. 


Abilities:
Rosal is a well trained lady; her skills focus mostly on the art of entertainment.  When she puts her mind to it she is quite the considerate hostess and proficient performer.  While she is no warrior or trained assassin, she has a few tricks up her sleeve.

Captivating Performer: Rosal has been performing for as long as she can remember.  Due to her extensive bardic training she has learned a few special songs with interesting effects.  From inducing drowsiness, to enthralling her audience, to inducing agitation or even frenzies, Rosal has a good deal of control over atmosphere as long as she continues performing.

Silent Presence: Even when she isn't trying to be sneaky there are times when Rosal manages to surprise people with her presence.  Perhaps it is because she is able to control her emotions very well, but for some reason she has the strange ability to fade in to the background when she does not wish to socialise.  Her childhood nickname at home was Bubwit, or Little Mouse. 
This is no full-proof technique or skill that can be used on the battle field.  It simply allows Rosal to move around without being noticed when people have their guard down.

Uncanny Empathy: Call it women's intuition if you want, but Rosal has a knack for knowing what people are thinking or how they are feeling.  It's nothing like mind reading, but it is fairly remarkable in its own right.  Normally it would be a handy trait for bluffing, gambling and interrogation, and in its extreme form Rosal can sense if someone significant to her is experiencing very intense feelings despite being separated by great distances.  The range of the effect is defined by the intensity of the feeling or experience.
Rosal herself is unsure what this ability actually is, but she is pretty sure she inherited it from her mother.
my  o&o and a&a
Current Status: Back on E, but still busy.
Sworn to the Oath of the Drake.

Drake Valentine

#57
Name:    
Xander Rhurivir
Species: 
Half Snow Elf (Claims to be ancestor of a God; then again he claims many things.)
Role:       
Phantom Thief

Age:
Unknown (Appears in mid thirties)
Height:   
5'7"
Body:    
Frail. Maybe it is due to his elven heritage, but Xander is not the tallest of men nor is he the strongest. His frame is quite limber and only falling short from lanky if it wasn't for his average height. Physically he is blessed with the elven traits, skin possessing a subtle smoothness to it in texture and it is from that same bloodline that keeps his features with a rather youthful appeal to them.
Hair:
Short, wavy and possesses an unnatural ivory pigment. (Although many believe it to be dyed.)
Skin:       
A light tan complexion given from the snow elf blood.
Eyes:     
Gray


Background:
  Lazeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Strengths:
Magick:
Illusion:
Conveyance:
Alteration:
Cunning:
Persuasion:
-
Weaknesses:
Magick:
Illusion:
Conveyance:
Alteration:
Combat:
Physical Strength:
-

"When I'm Done With You, You'll Be a:
Raped, Bloody, And Humiliated, Little Alice in Wonderland."

Introduction | O&Os | O&Os2 | IM RP Request(Canceled 04/11/2010) | A&As(Updated 10/29/13) | Solo RP Request (Updated 09/20/14)
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Melange

The plight of the snow elves sounds perfect for what I have in mind! I'll try to submit a character soon. She will probably be a mage who specializes in earth and fire magic, and is using her abilities to sabotage the Ice King's war effort, by collapsing bridges (or melting them if they're made from ice), dropping boulders onto supplies, and so on.

Darkmoon

Quote from: Melange on March 12, 2014, 02:25:14 AM
The plight of the snow elves sounds perfect for what I have in mind! I'll try to submit a character soon. She will probably be a mage who specializes in earth and fire magic, and is using her abilities to sabotage the Ice King's war effort, by collapsing bridges (or melting them if they're made from ice), dropping boulders onto supplies, and so on.

Sounds Excellent.

Ontan

Another day another edit, this time to add a few weaknesses to my character sheet (which will hopefully make things a bit more interesting). Depending on in-game events I’m thinking these flaws will gradually get better or worse… after all, there should be a bit of room for character development.

As an aside, I'm pretty pumped about this thread. The setting looks great, and there have been some absolutely incredible character ideas so far.

MolotovXsugaR

Quote from: Darkmoon on March 06, 2014, 07:00:27 PM
Positions are still open.

I haven't had a chance to read through it all, you know me best of anyone on this site. If you have a suggested role for me let me know. I'll check it out in a little while and read through it (:



♥ It's only after we've lost everything, that we're free to do anything - Tyler Durden ♥

Vlexia

I, too, am interested in this idea. I have just read the first post and scrolled through everything else briefly, but if there are roles open, I would enjoy playing a part.

I also saw there is no person assigned to the Ice Witch Position. If this role is open that would be perfect for me because I already have a developed character that matches her disposition perfectly.

If not, however, I would still like to join if its still open.


If you cannot honor a No, then you certainly could never honor a Yes.

Siereis

Quote from: Vlexia on March 12, 2014, 05:23:27 PM
I, too, am interested in this idea. I have just read the first post and scrolled through everything else briefly, but if there are roles open, I would enjoy playing a part.

I also saw there is no person assigned to the Ice Witch Position. If this role is open that would be perfect for me because I already have a developed character that matches her disposition perfectly.

If not, however, I would still like to join if its still open.

I was going to play as the Ice Queen, but I've changed my mind.  Feel free to use whatever basic info I put up for your own character (see page 2 of this post)

Vlexia

Quote from: Siereis on March 12, 2014, 05:34:35 PM
I was going to play as the Ice Queen, but I've changed my mind.  Feel free to use whatever basic info I put up for your own character (see page 2 of this post)

Ah, thank you friend. Will you still be participating in the roleplay?

I will take a look at your post.

If you cannot honor a No, then you certainly could never honor a Yes.

Kekec

Name: Viktor

Age: 32

Race: Human

Role: Personal Guard

Appearance: Body--190 cm, 95 kg, pallid complexion and muscular; Head--Long, brown hair, high cheekbones, deep-set, grey eyes, thin lips.

Background: It is said that Viktor's parents escaped the north when he was but a babe. They settled in the warmer lands of the south where the taint of the Ice King had not yet oozed.  Growing up, Viktor was oft-maligned by the environment. Those should've been signs enough for his parents to recognize the aberrant mind taking place within their child's head. Then he killed his friend's--as many had perceived them to be--mongrel. A little while later, his friend was found dead, his body opened from sternum to groin. The precision of the incision intimated at a skilled hand, but everyone suspected Viktor, and it had proven true when his parents followed the stench and found rotting organs in his strongbox. They sat him down and tried to see where this evil was coming from, but all they could see was a grinning boy who had just recently entered manhood. Even his eyes, those deep pools of insanity, couldn't betray him to his parents. All he said to them was that he would soon be gone and that their lives would go back to normal.

When he left, some deep sense of self goaded him north. Before he had arrived to the frozen wastes, he knew not that he longed for the cold, for he had never before felt it upon his skin. All he knew was that where he had been living did not make him whole. By word of mouth, he knew what Mount Volcan was and what it harbored.  He wanted to smell this power of the Ice King. He wanted to see what opportunities it held and if there was room for his ambition. The journey north was plagued with a wide range of dangers, which he overcame with sheer luck at first, and with sword and skill later. His body had turned into indefatigable iron. He was confident he could brave the presence of the Ice King.

When he stood before the Ice King, he offered an amicable smile. Yet his eyes belied the horrors he was capable of. He presented the King with his rusty, chipped sword, and pledged his service.  The Ice King, perhaps seeing untapped use in a being such as Viktor, or perhaps something more, took him on as a soldier. Throughout many trials, and some within the ranks would say privileges, he decided to make Viktor into his personal guard, to spend every waking moment by his side.

Almost ten years passed since.


----------------------------

I took some liberties with the Ice King, so if you want me to edit something, let me know.

Melange

#66
This is a work in progress, as I seem to have misunderstood the backstory. I was under the impression it had taken place over a longer period of time, but it appears the corruption happened quickly? And the Snow Elves are elves that lived in the kingdoms that formerly made up Eversnow, and were magically changed?

I'll revise my character's background once the timeline of events is clearer.


I've updated her history. Though it's subject to change depending on our GM's additions.





Name:  Mirien, daughter of Esgalnor
Role:    Heroine/Revolutionary
Age:     100+ years, depending on how long-lived snow elves are (human equivalent of mid to late 20's)
Race:    Snow Elf

Appearance: Mirien is slender, like most elves, and is of average height at 5 foot 7. Her blonde hair falls just past her shoulders, and her eyes are blue. She is usually dressed in long, flowing robes and a hooded cloak. She is never without the rune-carved wooden staff that she needs to wield her magic to full effect.

Background: Mirien can trace her ancestry to the first elves that came under the Snow Witch's influence. She was born and raised in the volcanic glow of Mehethelon. Her mother perished of an illness when she was 3 years old, and her father, Esgalnor, was a soldier in the queen's army and away for months at a time. She was raised, as many snow elf children are, by the surrounding community, in the equivalent of an orphanage.

Mirien learned from an early age that there is no place for childhood innocence in Mehethelon. She learned to sneak about, to scavenge for food, and to spy on anything and everything of interest. And the subject she found most interesting was magic. She would follow elderly mages on their routes, and watch as they lit magical flames in the braziers that warded Mehethelon from the bitter cold outside. After months of persistence, she convinced one of the mages to try teaching her a simple spell, and it was then that her aptitude for magic was discovered. The mage took her on as an apprentice.

Mirien had no talent for Water or Wind, and no interest in Earth. But she learned to wield Fire. After decades of study she became a feared warcaster in the Snow Witch's legions, enforcing her will with fire and flame.

Shortly after the Ice King's ascent, after defeating an army sent from the south, she was searching a dead mage's tent for battle plans and discovered a cache of books. Many of the titles were banned in Mehethelon, but for some inexplicable reason she arranged to have them secretly transported to her rooms there. Within their pages were ideas she had never dreamed of. Treatises on law, government, philosophy, and natural rights. Histories of war with the Snow Witch, from the southern kingdoms' perspective. Tales of heroes long past. With the insight gleaned from her reading, she began to see the king and queen as they really were: tyrants. And there was blood on her hands, so much blood. How could she ever redeem herself?

Her plan began by studying Earth magic, which she proved unusually adept in. And then, her campaign against the Ice King's tyranny began.

Her first act of treason was to write a manifesto regarding the responsibilities of a ruler with respect to their people. She had copies made and posted them in prominent places throughout Mehethelon.

Her second act of treason was to begin a campaign against the king and queen's army. Bridges mysteriously collapsed. Boulders fell onto supplies, crushing them. Stairs became so smoothly worn that patrols tumbled to their deaths.

And her third treasonous act was to use her mastery of Earth magic to create statues, sculptures, and murals that depicted the king and queen in unflattering light. They might appear with distorted facial features, bulbous noses and crossed eyes, with their faces grafted onto snails to represent lack of progress. Often she would leave these near the 'accidents' she caused, but of late she has become bolder, leaving them etched onto hillsides or beside roads. Always they are signed with the words Edledhio uin ndoren, an ancient elvish saying that translates as 'I banish you from my land.'

These caricatures, if allowed to continue, might undermine the king and queen's authority and cause more elves to join the rebel cause. Already, the elves call the mysterious rebel the Trastor, the elven word for troublemaker, and regard them as a folk hero.

Abilities

Elven Vision: Like most elves, Mirien can see quite well at night. Moonlight is as daylight to her.

Wind and Water magic: Mirien is considered very weak in these two elements, unable to do more than stir a gentle breeze or condense a few droplets of water from the air.

Fire magic: Mirien is considered above average in this element. She can create small orbs of light or flame that will linger for hours. She can throw fire from her hands or staff, raise a blazing wall of flames, melt ice, and heat metal until it turns white-hot.

Earth magic: Mirien is strong in this element. She can cause stone or earth to explode with bone-rending force. She can make the ground tremble, as in a moderately strong earthquake. She can cause stalagmites to rise from the ground, or create a barrier of stone. And she can shape stone with the precision of a master sculptor.

Weaknesses

Focus: Mirien's magic requires a focus, the runed staff she always carries. She can perform only the most basic of magics if she isn't holding it in her hand.

Shjade

I'm not the GM, but something from Kekec's sheet stood out to me:
Quote from: Kekec on March 12, 2014, 06:28:20 PM
Almost ten years passed since.

Is there any clear indicator of how long the Ice King's been around? I looked back through the OP but didn't see one. If the princess is only 19 and her kidnapping was what prompted Ivan to chase down the Snow Queen to become corrupted into her King, the King being around for more than 10 years would make her 9 or younger at the time of the kidnapping.

Some kind of brief timeline might be helpful for sorting out character histories.
Theme: Make Me Feel - Janelle Monáe
◕/◕'s
Conversation is more useful than conversion.

Belisuavious

Is there room for another mage Hero? I was thinking of being a sort of fire based guy from further south.

Joslyn

Quote from: Shjade on March 12, 2014, 10:34:49 PM
I'm not the GM, but something from Kekec's sheet stood out to me:
Is there any clear indicator of how long the Ice King's been around? I looked back through the OP but didn't see one. If the princess is only 19 and her kidnapping was what prompted Ivan to chase down the Snow Queen to become corrupted into her King, the King being around for more than 10 years would make her 9 or younger at the time of the kidnapping.

Some kind of brief timeline might be helpful for sorting out character histories.

I was wondering the same thing myself. I'd thought perhaps a year or two had passed since the kidnapping and open warfare had begun--and before that, the Snow Queen gathered her forces mostly in secret in a Sauron-ish sort of way. But I kept Anna's background pretty simple and I could age her up a few years if our GM decides on a longer timeline.

It might be helpful to get an OOC discussion thread going, so everyone who is accepted can come up with ideas on setting details and how the characters get along without cluttering up this thread. Also an ETA on actually starting the game would be good since we've been the recruiting phase a while now.  :P

Vaulera

It's not abundantly clear who is accepted or not, at this point. To me at least, perhaps PMs were sent, but I believe the GM said it would be in the first post!

Rave

So I'm going to jump on this RP's bandwagon before it's too late!

I'm thinking of my own unique character to bring in here, so I'm looking for a little bit of input from any who would give it.

If it's within the realm of possibility, I'd like to create a captured Snow Elven Woman that has been assigned to be a handmaiden/bodyguard type to the captive princess. If more detail were to be put into it, I'm considering having her family bloodline to be royal. So, perhaps she is an heir to the Snow Elves and that is why the Ice King keeps her captive instead of killing her in the first place.

I think she would have some basic magic abilities, but I don't intend for her to be an overly strong and powerful warrior.

I'd just love some input or thoughts so I can complete this picture and put up a character sheet :-)

Ontan

Quote from: Rave on March 13, 2014, 12:39:36 AM
I'm looking for a little bit of input from any who would give it.
[...]

Well, you did say any.

Obviously the decision is down to Darkmoon (and Joslyn, who’s playing the captive princess), but going off what I’ve read so far I don’t see why the handmaiden concept would be an issue… in fact, it fits in pretty neatly with some of the lore. In addition to the various references to offerings, captives and slaves in general, there’s also this titbit in particular:

      Agnost himself is said to have a great lust for Snow Elves, and some suspect he keeps one to himself at all times for his own pleasure.

Even if you’re not playing the Ice King’s hypothetical concubine, it still sets a pretty solid precedent for snow elves being dragged back to the fortress. It also makes sense that the princess would have a handmaiden of some description: as the sister of the Ice King she’d probably get some small concessions; as a valuable hostage to the Snow Witch, it’d be prudent to assign someone to look after her, especially in a fortress infested with brutes.

The bodyguard / mage bit might be a little trickier because it’s hard to justify why a potentially dangerous prisoner would be assigned to guard a fellow captive. There are a plenty of workarounds, though. Maybe she’s only moderately powerful, just enough to protect the princess from the odd drunken soldier, but too weak to instigate a full-blown jailbreak. Or maybe she’s found a way of keeping her magical aptitude a secret from her captors. At any rate, I don't see it being a huge problem. The bigger issue, though, is the royalty thing. That particular card has already been played, and while kidnapped princesses are a staple of the fantasy genre, Darkmoon might decide having both a human and elven princess is getting a tad excessive. On the other hand, if there were two princesses, it'd make sense that they were being held hostage in the same parts of the fortress. It's really down to GM preference.

Anyhow, that’s just my two cents… from a guy whose own character hasn’t been approved yet, no less. Feel free to disregard all the above  ;)

Vaulera

On the character note, I would agree with Ontan. The bodyguard/slave thing could possibly work out, if she is a friend of the princess. Maybe they granted her that one boon, maybe she kept it all a secret, the magic and all. Throwing royalty in the mix makes it too complicated. No one is royalty, a mage, a slave and a bodyguard. Slave, mage bodyguard is a decent enough number of tropes!

Darkmoon

Thursday Eversnow Update:

Interest has picked up considerably. I will review character submissions and add to the first page most likely tomorrow night or Saturday at the latest. I will also work on and provide a timeline as soon as possible, along with more detailed setting information.

A quick response to the time frame for the rise of Agnost as King of Eversnow: it would have happened in a period not to exceed ten years and no less than five. There has been enough time for him to consolidate his forces and to gain a reputation, as well as lay various sieges and expanded his small but dark empire over the snowy wastes that were once more populated.