Progress

Maskling tribe generation is done. They now have a small set of structures all to themselves, with their own crude economy. Next up is giving them some brains. Unlike 1.4, Masklings will now have the same settlement management concerns that the player does, which will help inform their actions. This work may bleed over a bit into combat as well. 

So far everything seems to be on track with the rough timeline I outlined in 2.0 Update #4, and I thank all of you for your patience.

Masklings

Masklings are a short, mysterious race. Aggressive and prone to violence, they lack sophisticated technology or learning. They are named for the white ceramic masks they they constantly wear. No one actually knows what a Maskling actually looks like. They wear their masks and robes constantly, and zealously guard their dead.

They live in small villages, centered around a Totem, which appears to be a giant version of their masks. This Totem is believed to be a representation of their god, and is essential to unifying the aggressive and erratic Masklings into something resembling a society. These villages consist of a few clusters of tents linked by a haphazard maze of streets, and interspersed with what appear to be farms.

Masklings make for poor neighbors. They are aggressively territorial, and will react violently to trespassers. They are also prone to raiding and stealing from their neighbors.

It is possible to trade with Masklings, though never on an equal basis. The Masklings themselves produce little of value, their "farms" are masses of wriggling worms thoroughly unappetising to outsiders. Their masks, however, are valued as decorations, and the Masklings seem willing to produce extra masks for trade. In return, the Masklings have a great demand for mudbrick, wood, metals, and all of the other resources produced in human settlements. The tricky part of trading, however, is convincing the Masklings to not just steal what they want.