GAME CONCEPTS

Ruins and Tribal Villages

Ancient ruins and tribal villages are scattered across the map when it is made. Any unit that moves onto one triggers it, once; the tile is then empty. The AI looks for them too, so exploring early pays.

Ruins are looted on the spot; what they can hold is listed below, and it includes artifacts. Some rewards need you to own a city first.
Tribal villages put a choice to you. Each option names what it may give; some cost gold, and some turn the villagers hostile.
Warlord camps are a different thing: garrisoned, hostile and permanent until cleared. See Warlords and Barbarians.

Ruins (3% of eligible tiles)

Ruins Empty: Our army found nothing of interest in the ruins.
Ruins Looted!: Our army has looted the ancient ruins and stripped them of valuables.
Jackpot!: Our army has found a large cache of gold!
Idols Found!: Our army has found ancient idol statues among the ruins. They must have had some cultural value. (needs a city)
Scrolls Found!: Our army has found ancient scrolls filled with wisdom!
Ancient Tablets!: Our army has found clay tablets recording the knowledge of a lost people.
Materials Found!: Our army has found valuable construction materials. (needs a city)
Found Food: Our army has found sealed jars of dried grain. It will keep a city fed for a while. (needs a city)
Artifact Found!: Our army has found a powerful artifact!
Maps Found: Our army has found an old map of the surrounding region.
Survivors Found!: A family sheltering in the ruins asks to join our nearest city. (needs a city)

Tribal Village (3% of eligible tiles)

A Kingdom For A Horse: Raiders on horseback circle your army at a gallop, hooping and hollering, frightening your jumpy soliders. After a while the village elder calls for a stop to the horse dance and ask if you're here for conquest, or trade.'
A Village Of Skilled Traders: You come across a small village that is really a market in disguise. These people are excellent traders.
A Woman In Mans Clothing: Your army arrives as the village prepares to execute a woman accused of witchcraft. She wears garments more fitting for a man and she carries with her a strange relic that filled the villagers with fear.
Back To The Future: We've found a remarkably advanced tribe. Heated floors, paved roads, running water. The works! They ask a tax of any army that wishes to enter and use the facitilies to manage the upkeep.
Builder's Paradise: Your army comes across a village with a highly skilled workforce. Leadership is passed down to the best craftsmen in the village, creating a strong maker/tinkerer culture. Perhaps they'll offer their services, for a small fee?
Democritus and Aristotle's Excellent Adventure: Two traveling scholars has taken shelter in the village. They argue bitterly, late into the night, over how many times a drop of blade of grass could be divided before it was no longer 'grass'.
Eye Of The Tiger Training Camp: Your army comes across a heavily militarized village with a proud martial arts tradition. Their society is heavily centered around mastering the art of combat.
It Belongs In MY Museum!: As your army enters the village nobody comes to welcome you. The sound of chanting and drumming draw you to where they've gathered. The villagers are gathered around a fire scarificing a strange idol they've discovered to their gods.
Run Forest! Run!: While entering the village you notice a young man tracking your army as it approaches the village. He's not the brightest but he is fast and has powerful endurance. His skills could be very useful as a scout.
Savages! Savages! Barely Even Human!: The warriors of this tribe line the road with spears and painted shields. They will happily tear your army apart unles you pay the toll.
See The World They Said!: The elders of this village keep a very detailed and accurate hide map. They use it to keep track of their traps, wild berries and mushroom farms.
Semi-Charmed Kind Of Village: Every doorway in this village is carved with intrigate decorations and every wall is painted with captivating murals. The artisans offer to build something for your people, for a price.
Smoke On The Water: This village refused to pay protection money. Making good on their threats the raiders have torched the village's freshly ground powdered grain stores. The grain silo exploded, and the resulting fire so hot that pieces of the structure continued to burn on the surface of the small lake near the village. The survivors pick through their burnt and blasted out huts looking for what little they can recover. Most of them won't survive the winter.
Stay Awhile And Listen: The village shaman offers your commander a steaming bowl of a strange pungent liquid. She warns that those who drink will be transported to a different plane. Inhabited by wise trickster entitities beyond our comprehension. To you, it looks like it just makes the drinker very sick.
Submit To Your Elders: This village's ritual feast is fast approaching but a poor harvest is going to result in a poor festival. The elders hint that someone with more wealth could contribute. Their passive aggressive tone is not lost on you or your men.
Tepe In Disrepair: A temple the locals call Göbekli Tepe at the heart of the village is collapsing. The villagers believe it protects them from the wrath of the gods. After the temple was damaged in a storm the village have suffered a multitude of distasters. Their misfortune can only mean the world will be destroyed if the temple is not repaired.
The Frightened Village: The villagers bar their gates as your army approaches. Their headman comes out alone and offers a yearly tribute if you will promise them protection instead of plunder.
When The Levies Break': The earth packed levies keeping the village save for decades as collapsed. Heavy rains have made it worse creating a once in a century flood. The village's harvest is ruined and their people are devastated.'
Where's The Beef?: Raiders have stolen this local village's livestock. Without the herd the village will go hungry this winter. The villagers believe YOUR army raided and stole the cattle.