At the Dawn of Humanity (Cavepeople and Pleistocene megafauna, pic-heavy)

[Rigel 10476]

Lost worlds of prehistoric beasts and troglodytic stone-age peoples are a pulp staple, and when Reaper released the "Pygmy" Mammoth and the Bones Cave Sloth I knew it was inevitable. Here, then, is a small tribe of primitive humans (Caveman Pack, 02395, and Cavegirls, 03303 to provide some gender parity), here to crudely carve out a life in the hostile, beast-haunted wilderness, bravely facing the challenges of the dawn of tool use. 

The clan's irritable chief and elder, guarding the fire at his ramshackle dwelling, and attended by a semi-domesticated reptile. He wears the spotted hide of a local apex predator, a sign of his high status.


The clan matriarch and shaman, clad in the skins of an albino antelope, as befits the priesthood. Here we see her engaging in auspicious rites to grant her band the power and might of various wild beasts. 

 

A pair of hunter/warriors, one adorned with bright rocks and berry-stained leather, the other in simple bearskins, hone their skills in a friendly sparring match.



Together they are mighty hunters, 


and are formidable even one-on-one. 


The youth and future of the tribe! The chieftain's daughter is experimenting with new technology, as young people will. These new-fangled "shoes" and "shirts" seem like luxurious and wasteful innovations to the elder generation, but thus does society progress. Her counterpart, an adopted foundling of brutish strength and robustness, privately doubts any technology will supersede the stone club. 


Click for Mammoth-hunting expedition! (feat. 44111 and offspring)
 

Spoiler

A cunningly-prepared ambush for a mammoth and her half-grown calf!

 

 

This hunt was unsuccessful. But the tribe only needs to bring down one of the mighty beasts to have meat and hides for several months.

Divinatory rites to find the richest game: 


The whole tribe and their beasts:


A mother ground sloth (44079) and her juvenile offspring:


ALL of the Dawn Beasts:


Life is harsh in these primal lands for both human and beast alike. Yet the urge to survive is paramount, and these hardy progenitors and towering brutes will do anything to endure another season. As they might say, were they capable of speech, "It's a living."

 

[Glitterwolf 207415]

I love the Setting and the story!

Great job, I spotted a personal favorite of mine, the Glyptodon!

 

 

[Otyugh 706]

Brilliant creative placement on minis & terrain for self censoring in your pics! Strategic manipulation of interacting objects is much less intrusive than the obligatory black boxes.

[Swampy 791]

That top tier censoring! that all looks fabulous.

[Iridil 7041]

Another great setting - love the stories. My favorite is the chief - his face says it all...

[Chaoswolf 117068]

Good painting all around, and excellent job of photographic censoring! 

[Rigel 10476]

Thanks, all! This project has been brewing for a while.

20 hours ago, Chaoswolf said:

Good painting all around, and excellent job of photographic censoring! 

 

On 11/14/2020 at 8:02 AM, Otyugh said:

Brilliant creative placement on minis & terrain for self censoring in your pics! Strategic manipulation of interacting objects is much less intrusive than the obligatory black boxes.

 

23 hours ago, Swampy said:

That top tier censoring! that all looks fabulous.

Not going to lie, it took a while getting the angles just right! Glad it paid off though. Those cave-ladies don't care for any restraining garments. 

On 11/14/2020 at 3:23 AM, Glitterwolf said:

I love the Setting and the story!

Great job, I spotted a personal favorite of mine, the Glyptodon!

Thank you! The story is very documentary-style, and the setting and costuming is directly inspired by a TV show. 

I love glyptodonts too! So ponderous and goofy. That, and most of the smaller beasts, were from a Toobz set lightly retouched. 

21 hours ago, Iridil said:

Another great setting - love the stories. My favorite is the chief - his face says it all...

Thank you! My favorite is the hangdog Neanderthal with the club--what a face! 

But yes, the chief's scowl definitely says "Yabba-dabba-don't try me!"