World of Banished

Sightseeing => Village Blogs => Topic started by: Abandoned on July 30, 2018, 12:54:56 PM

Title: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on July 30, 2018, 12:54:56 PM
Intro


This is the 30th story in the Smallville series and is a continuation of the Westward Ho journey that began in story 25 in the Outskirts of Smallville.  The wagons left Outskirts and headed west in year 45 SVT.  The wagon train carried 6 families plus the wagon master and his family (Domington and Doree and their 3 boys, Linwoodrow, Lion, and Greggie).  They traveled through forested valleys and over steep hills and spent over a year at the Rest Stop of story 26.  They traveled on, crossing the vast prairie, when 2 families left the train and headed north instead.  They established the town of Prairie Homestead #27 in year 48 SVT.  The remainder of the wagon train continued west and built Fort Rapids #28 in exchange for help crossing the river rapids.  They entered Bison Pass in year 52.  A year later they made it through the mountain pass and came across an abandoned town.


The map seed is  # 972467949       Mountain,  Medium,  Mild,  Disasters Off,   Ghost Town Start

Note:  This start condition will not be in the release version of the Ghost Town mod - Edit- correction - this start will be available.


Mods activated for this map and load order are:


Map Changing and Starting Mods:  Call of Nature Soundtrack, Banished UI Maps & UI Town Names, Labor Window, RK Minimized Status, cc Light Rain, DS Roads, New Flora with Gatherer

Tweak Mods:  Better Fields, Fishing Dock +25%, Hunting and Gathering v3, Hunting Season,  Increased CC, 1:1 alternative, Rocks Respawn , Woodcutter +3

Major or Must Have Mods:  Kid Ghost Flowers, Kid Ghost Town, Kid Gothic Deco, Kid Tiny v2, Kid Westward Ho The Wagons, Kid Wild West

Supporting Mods:     DS Tunnels, Kid Abandoned Places, Kid Bakery Garden, NMT30 Deco Crop, Kid Deco Plants, Kid Old Fence, RK Carts, Storage Crates



I know, weary traveler, we were all weary and tired after roaming around in these mountains so many months.  We finally made it out of that dangerous Bison Pass in early summer but we were not out of the woods yet.  We found only more dense forests and steep mountains.  We lost the school wagon.  Luckily my son, Lion who was driving it, managed to save himself and the ox before the wagon went over the cliff.  What a relief to find that old sign nailed to the tree, even though it was too weathered to read, at least we knew there was a town up ahead somewhere.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: kid1293 on July 30, 2018, 02:31:56 PM
Oh, sorry for misunderstanding. The start condition will be available.
It is the only way to get some of the buildings and it offers a small challenge...
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on July 30, 2018, 02:37:29 PM
Oh yes, that's right, my fault, I will edit info.   :) Thanks
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on July 30, 2018, 03:04:40 PM
The attached screenshot shows the starting buildings of the Ghost Town start condition in early spring.  My Ghost Town story will start several months later and more buildings have been added by then.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Goblin Girl on July 30, 2018, 06:34:17 PM
Oh, wow!  This looks like an interesting starting condition.   I can't wait!
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on July 30, 2018, 07:34:22 PM
@Goblin Girl , it is a very interesting start condition and as @kid1293 said it is the only way to get some of the buildings.  He has included some special surprises and I will not spoil those surprises in my story but will let others discover them for themselves.  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on July 31, 2018, 09:35:52 AM
Chapter 1


  We had been following what we thought was an animal trail through the mountain forest alongside a small stream.  When we came to a fork in the trail and saw that sign on the tree, we thought the trail may once have been a cleared path to a town.  We took the path to the north but found it to be steep and overgrown.  It was near the end of early autumn when we came out of the forest into a partially cleared area that must have at one time been farmland.  The fields were now barren and overgrown.  The farmhouse was rundown and deserted.  The old small barn was in worse shape than the house, the roof was broken in several spots.   There was an old tunnel through the mountain by the barn no doubt leading to the town itself.  The entrance was boarded up with a sign saying "Keep Out Danger".  Even if it had not been boarded up, the wagons would not have been able to pass through the narrow tunnel, we would have to travel around the mountain to reach the town.

  We had no idea how far that might be or what we would find.  It was getting dark when we decided to circle for the night and make camp.  Every day seemed colder than the day before and the nights more so.  We only had 6 wagons now, our wagon master wagon, the storage wagon, and a wagon for each of the four families.  None of the wagons were in very good shape, and like the school wagon, not likely to hold up to more rough mountain travel.  The families were not holding up much better.  The 4 families consisted of 8 adults and 7 children, 1 was a newborn. Our oldest boy, Linwoodrow, just turned 10 and was now an adult.  His job would be to take care of the wagons and the animals.  He learned a lot from the couple who first brought the oxen and donkeys to Outskirts from the Animal Refuge.

  The next day, bright and early, Dom and a couple of the men went out to scout around while the rest of us hunted and gathered wild foods.  It was good to get out of the wagons.  It was almost dark when the men returned through the tunnel.  It did indeed lead to and from the town but, though it was passible, it had many cracked beams that made it unsafe.  It could be used but with caution and the signs should remain up.  Not far to the west of the wagon circle they found what appeared to be a rundown boarded up mine.  It too had a Keep Out warning sign.  The town itself was rundown and deserted, it was a Ghost Town.  Dom thought it best we stay where we were in the wagons until each building could be inspected for safety, afterall, winter was coming.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 01, 2018, 12:40:39 PM
Chapter 2


  Winter came with a vengeance.  The icy wind came straight out of the north and howled around the wagons making it next to impossible to even keep a campfire going.  In late autumn it snowed for days on end.  It was colder here than it had been in the pass.  On clear days the men did some inspecting.  The small barn contained little of anything useful.  It was in bad shape but could be used for storage even before the roof was fixed.  The farmhouse was in a little better shape, the floors and roof were solid.  The boarded up windows keep out some of cold and the fireplace was safe to use.  We all agreed, the couple with the newborn should move to the farmhouse.

  Both of the rooming houses had large rooms that were very cold and drafty, not much better than the wagons.  It would take a lot of firewood to keep them warm.  The single family houses needed repairs but were safe to live in.  Another family moved into the house next to one of the rooming houses.  We all help the family move and made sure they had enough firewood and supplies.  Still we worried about them there alone when the next big snowstorm hit.  Further exploration of the town would have to wait until early spring.

  That family did a good job on nice days collecting debris from long-gone buildings, and placed the wood and stone on the stockpiles.  Larger ruined buildings remained but the grounds around town looked much better in spring.  The main street was wide and lined by wooden sidewalks which have weathered well over the years.  The large barn was in fairly good condition, at least the roof did not leak.  The 2nd rooming house was across the road and next to it was a smaller building with iron bars on the windows, perhaps it had been a jail.  The building next to it was a total ruin and would need to be removed.  Behind those buildings was the closed mine.  We saw now that there were graves beside it with ghost flowers blooming.  Were these the final resting places of miners who died in the mine?  Was the mine closed because of a cave in or because it was no longer productive.  There had long been talk back in Smallville that these Majestic Mountains had gold in them.  Had this been a mining town that was abandoned when the claim gave out?

  Next to the other rooming house there was another building that was beyond repair.  Across from them were 3 buildings that would take more time to determine what they might have been.  Behind them were 2 single family houses and the ruin of what looked like another house and small shed.  The 2 houses needed repairs but were habitable with some cleanup.  Our 3rd family moved into one and you, weary traveler, moved into the other with your family.  It would appear that here in Ghost Town is where the wagon train families wanted to stay.  There was a lot of work to be done.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 02, 2018, 10:26:11 AM
Chapter 3


  That spring of year 2, it was decided that building repairs would have to wait and Dom decided we would not repair any of the wagon.  We would dismantle them saving what parts we could.  We would remain here to help the families get settled, then Dom and I would build a new wagon master wagon and storage wagon before moving on.  When we emptied the contents of the storage wagon into the large barn we realized that we would soon need coats and tools.  The town needed a tailor, a toolsmith, and a school.  We lost the school wagon and had 3 children about to reach school age. 

  We just finished laying the foundation for those 3 buildings when to our surprise, a group of 27 land surveyors and displaced families arrived in town.  The map making surveyors were on their way north and the families with them all had been displaced, some by floods, and some by the draught down south.  They became lost in the mountains but were found by the surveyors.  They would be happy to stay with us at least for a time.  They moved into the rooming houses but some were still left homeless.  Their arrival left us critically short of tools.

  Building the toolsmith took top priority thus 2 of the 3 children became adults and laborers before the school building was finished.  By the time the first crop field was cleared it was too late to plant the squash.  There was no hope the 2nd field would be cleared anytime soon.  A pasture was built for the oxen and donkeys and dismantling the wagons had begun.  By autumn we were short of food.  We took to the woods to gather wild foods.  Winter was coming.  We still had homeless people.  It was cold.  In late autumn it snowed.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: brads3 on August 02, 2018, 10:44:19 AM
you do have lots of interesting buildings and pieces to these sets.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 02, 2018, 10:54:18 AM
hey @brads3 not only that but they match so well with Kid's Wild West and we tried to include some that Wild West needed.  Wait until you see them all restored.  :)  I picked out this cool cracked paint and Ghost Town was born.   ;D We kept saying how good the old rundown buildings looked  :D
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: kid1293 on August 02, 2018, 11:49:50 AM
I am maybe blunt but the buildings needed @Abandoned 's touch to look good.

I am surprised. I tested them but never together with Wild West. :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 02, 2018, 12:25:04 PM
 :) Thanks @kid1293 but I just picked the old paint and colors, you did all the hard part, the building styles and the boarded up doors and windows, old run down houses never looked so good.  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 03, 2018, 10:46:56 AM
Chapter 4


  We had been very busy that 2nd year and had little time to investigate those remaining town buildings or explore the surrounding areas.  The newcomers told us there was a main river to the west of town, they weren't sure but they thought it was a riverboat route.  We would explore there next but first in the spring of year 3 we built a tiny forester where the wagon train used to be.  A tiny chopper by the stockpile would provide firewood for the old farmhouse and the 2 new houses we had planned for that area.  The rooming houses were still full.  The 2 crop fields were being planted.

  First chance we got we headed west of town to investigate.  There was a huge herd of deer which helped our food supply tremendously.  We immediately began building a fishing pier.  After clearing away some debris, we found the foundation and remaining framework of what must have been a church.  There was a small graveyard beside it, and a smaller abandoned site further back in the trees.  The foundation and framework of the church were sturdy enough for rebuilding.  But first we needed more housing.  By early autumn the cemetery was enclosed with a stone wall and more houses were being built.

  We still had not found time to investigate the other town buildings and there was much speculation of what they might be but of more interest was the closed mine.  In early summer, we decided to reopen it and see what was inside.  The mine tunnel was small, 2 men at the most could work inside, but only 1 man went in to check it out.  In autumn the 1st gold nugget was found.  We would not strike it rich in this old reopened mine but there was lightly to be more gold inside.  We might want to consider digging a new mine in one of the bigger mountains.

  What we wanted to dig was more crop fields, we had a 3rd field cleared and the 4th one started.  Our food supply was a constant concern.  We were hoping for a good harvest.  Our hopes were dashed when it began to snow in autumn.  We lost a good portion of our crops, harvesting only 431 pumpkins and 310 squash. Next year, we would have to add more farmers to the fields or start  harvesting early.   We may want to consider building a trading post next year for some hardier seeds, and maybe some sheep.  Warm coats would be nice to have for these cold mountain winters.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 04, 2018, 11:11:17 AM
Chapter 5 


  By early spring of year 4, we had a General Store built on Old Tunnel Road.  We had no storekeeper as yet to stock it but laborers could drop thing off there.  The tiny hunter lodge on Old Mine Road also had storage space.

  We started building a trading post by the fishing pier, we would need trade goods.  There was plenty of logs and iron stockpiled at the other end of the tunnel so we chose that location to build a tiny workshop to make more iron tools.  The small barn could use a few tool for the workers there.  The toolsmith in town was often short of wood or iron so the blacksmith there was very happy when a worker first took a cart to get logs and then took another cart to get iron before going back to his regular labors.  These were very nice carts indeed.

The tiny trading post was completed and the trader began stocking it with iron tools, leather, and hide coats.  Another workshop was built to make more hide coats for trade, we had a large surplus of leather.  There was a nice supply of flax also that could be made into linen clothes.  We could trade those for wool to make warm clothes for ourselves. In early autumn the temperature began to drop.  We assigned an extra farmer to each of the 2 pumpkin fields to help with the harvest. 

  Dom finished building our new Wagon Master wagon back in summer and he and I had been staying there, but as the temperatures dropped below freezing and the snow began to fall, we moved back into the boarding house where our 3 boys had rooms.  They were all adults now but none of them have said that they wanted to remain here in Ghost Town.  The town's people wanted us to build a house but we had not planned on staying as long as we already had.  They still looked to Dom and I for decision making but it was their town now and we tried more and more to involve them in making plans for the town.  Some decisions would have to be made next year.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 05, 2018, 10:16:20 AM
Chapter 6 


    We called a town meeting after the 1st of the year.  It was hard to believe it was the start of year 5 already.  At the meeting we asked the town's people if they wanted to build a new mine hoping it would produce more gold than the old reopened mine.  After some deliberation they agreed they wanted a new mine.  We held the meeting in the large building at the end of Main Street.  It must have been a Claims Office or Town Hall.  I found some old records while I was cleaning up a bit prior to the meeting.  The old records were faded and hard to read but were much like the ones Dom and I kept in the Wagon Master's Wagon except there were no numbers.  There were lists of what seemed to be marriage, birth, and death records. Some merely said occupation and cause of death, 3 miners died in a cave in for example.  Most other records were first names only.  One caught my eye "Old Zeek + Sara".  It was in bolder print and seemed to me that Old Zeek may have been someone of importance in this town who married Sara, interesting.

  The main topic of discussion at that first town meeting was the restoration of the town itself.  Several buildings were mere ruins and would be removed, we would salvage what we could.  The others, including the church, could be restored to their former glory. The town's people agreed they liked the colors of some of the old buildings and wanted the colors restored too.  We had no idea how that could be done, no one knew.  We would start restoring buildings that were natural wood like the one next to the town hall.

  Most of the town's people, though educated in certain skills, could not read or write.  When builders found old records in the building next door, they brought the records to me.  It seemed to me the building must have been a special storage unit or a bank.  Most transactions were merely signed with an X but the record books did have some names and numbers.   The most prominent name was Old Zeek:  Old Zeek 3, Old Zeek 2, Old Zeek 4 and so on.  Dom thought in all likelihood those were the numbers of gold nuggets Zeek found and deposited in the bank for safe keeping.  We suggested to the town's people that they do the same when the bank was restored.

  Our restoration efforts stopped when more families arrived in town. They were prospectors from the north who had had no luck finding gold, only a few small fragments that had wash up on shore.  They would be happy to stay, we needed to build more houses.  In spring of year 5 a riverboat was spotted coming down the river.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: kid1293 on August 05, 2018, 10:21:09 AM
The plot thickens!
Now you got me curious. Who is Zeek?

I know, I know, I will keep reading... :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 06, 2018, 09:23:56 AM
 :)

Chapter 7


  Ernice, the seed merchant, was surprise to see this old abandoned town being inhabited again.  He'd been traveling down this river for a lot of years and has seen the town slowly deteriorate.  It was once a thriving mining town but that was before his time. He could confirmed what we suspected though, this was Zeek's claim, he struck it rich in the gold mine, and the town grow because of it.   Ernice had no idea what they used to color the buildings. 

There wasn't much on this river, only a few small mining claims upriver, and a short distance downriver was an old trading port and a Native settlement called Cedar Creek.  It was a long way down to Riverboat Junction past a prairie, a couple of desert areas and a long stretch of forest land.  We shouldn't expect many merchants coming down this river.  Ernice took our order for corn seeds but could not say how long it would be before he returned.  Were we sure we didn't want the cherry seedlings?  There was a good sized valley just to the south.

  After Ernice left we made our way south of town.  There was an animal trail leading through the narrow mountain canyon almost all the way to the valley.  We would have to clear a lot of trees and rocks to use that valley for orchards or cropland but indeed it was a nice size valley.

  Meanwhile back in town, one of the derelict ruins was demolished, and restoration of the small wood building with the barred windows had begun.  The builders brought a small crate of records to me.  It seems the building indeed had been a jail.  There must have been a saloon somewhere in town, maybe the lower level of one of the rooming houses.  There was a list of who spent the night in jail to sleep it off, who spent the night for fighting in barroom brawls, and Young Tom spent many nights in jail for window peeping one summer.  It seems like the jail was a busy place.  I did not have time to go through all the records, merely glanced at most of them but for safe keeping I took the crate to the bank where I also put the old Town Hall records.  The jail was not a large building so it did not take long to restore.

  The wood chapel was almost done being rebuilt but there was not much more that could be done if the town's people insisted on retaining the building colors.  We were planning to call a town meeting to discuss the subject again when out of nowhere a painted wagon appeared one morning at the south end of Main Street. 
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Gatherer on August 06, 2018, 11:21:34 AM
Looking at these pics I keep expecting John Wayne or Clint Eastwood to ride into town. 8)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Goblin Girl on August 06, 2018, 01:16:36 PM
Quote from: Gatherer on August 06, 2018, 11:21:34 AM
Looking at these pics I keep expecting John Wayne or Clint Eastwood to ride into town. 8)
What's that music I hear?  Is it the theme music to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFa1-kciCb4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFa1-kciCb4)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 06, 2018, 02:27:45 PM
 :) Great song, love mood music  :) thanks for posting link @Goblin Girl
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: galensgranny on August 07, 2018, 02:21:02 AM
I have been enjoying your story and seeing all the new buildings.  They are looking good!
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 07, 2018, 06:10:29 AM
 :) thanks @galensgranny that is nice to hear
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 07, 2018, 12:13:57 PM
Chapter 8


  Several town's people came to our wagon at the crack of dawn to tell us of the appearance of the colorful painted wagon.  They did not approach the wagon, again matters were being left up to us, but a small group gathered behind us as we went up main street.  The wooden wagon was colorful, very nice indeed, like nothing we had ever seen.  It had colored flowers painted on the side, the colors matched some of the colors of the cracked weathered houses. There was a small donkey standing along side.  We knock on the wood door and an unhappy looking vendor answered.  He looked strangely familiar to me but I couldn't place from where.  He didn't say much even when asked.  He would not say where he came from, but finally said his name was Fred.  He had a deal for us.  He had paint in all the original colors of the town buildings, he even told us how many barrels of paint each building would need.  He would give us 2 or 3 barrels of paint for every gold nugget we brought him.  He said if we wanted paint just bring the gold and with that he closed the door.

  We had other urgent matters to attend to.  It was late summer and our food supply was again low.  We took to the woods to gather wild foods and assigned extra farmers to the pumpkin fields but still we lost a small portion of our harvest.  It was after the first snow that we finally found time to check how our gold mines were doing.  We would have enough gold to buy paint for some of the houses, at least for the ones with the youngest children.  The restored houses would be quite a bit warmer and more comfortable for those families. 

  I went with Dom to pick up the paint.  The gold was delivered to the wagon and Fred asked us what buildings and then set barrels of the colors we needed outside the wagon. Without another word he went back inside and shut the door.  Again he looked vaguely familiar to me.

  The house next to the rooming house had a newborn so it was first to be restored.  It looked fantastic.  The old farmhouse had 2 very young children so it was restored next, it was completed by spring of year 6 and it too looked fantastic.  The rooming house next to the jail still had a few families living it so it was decided a new house would be built on the corner of Main Street and Old Tunnel Road where the ruin used to be.  Yes, weary traveler, the paint was the same bright sunny color that would be used on your house.  We would need a lot more gold to buy a lot more paint.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Goblin Girl on August 07, 2018, 04:59:07 PM
I'm deeply suspicious of this paint wagon vendor.  >:(
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 07, 2018, 08:55:33 PM
 :) Glad to hear that, then I have succeeded in creating a little intrigue.  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 08, 2018, 09:13:41 AM
Chapter 9


  The previous winter, Xandry the livestock merchant, came to port with chickens.  We ordered sheep.  In summer of year 6, Ernice the seed merchant, returned with our corn seeds.  Anything ordered cost considerably more trade goods to purchase.  We told Ernice about the paint, he was not impressed.  There was no market for the stuff, he sure wouldn't give us much, certainly not as much as we were paying for it at the painted wagon.  We would bring a barrel to the trading post anyways, just to find out what the trade value would be but we needed all the paint we could get. We did not think to ask what trade value our gold would have.  There were a few nuggets left in the bank, we would bring one of them to the trading post also before the next merchant arrived. 

  This year, instead of adding extra farmers to the fields, we began the harvests early.  Next year 2 of the 4 fields would be planted with corn.  Hopefully, our overall health would improve with more grain in our diets.  We did not miss a chance to gather wild oats.  We found a number of walnut tree seedling and thought south of the farm fields would be a good spot to plant an orchard of walnut trees. 

  While land was being cleared for the orchard, restoration began on the tall house behind yours, weary traveler.  It was almost finished when it began to snow, work on your house had just begun.  Both houses were completed by early spring of year 7 and they both looked fantastic.  The run-down Ghost Town was looking pretty good. The bank, jail, and 4 single-family houses had been restored.  That left the 2 barns, the 2 rooming houses, the town hall, and the building next to the town hall.

  In spring the sheep we ordered arrived so building a fenced in pasture took precedence over other building projects.  There was just enough room in town not far from the 2 tailors.  We did ask the merchant what our gold and paint were worth and he said he would give us 10 units in trade for a sizeable gold nugget but the paint only 3 if there was something we really needed, he really didn't want the paint.  There was no market for it.  Who would want it?  We would, we still had buildings to restore.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Goblin Girl on August 08, 2018, 09:30:17 AM
I think I know why the last town died out.  They spend all their gold on that darn paint, and as a result they starved to death.

Painted houses are a helluva drug.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 08, 2018, 09:35:51 AM
 ;D ;D ;D Yes, that is probably it, time and money on pretty houses.  We can only hope history does not repeat itself  ;D
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 09, 2018, 11:06:12 AM
Chapter 10


  In late spring of year 7,  9 members of 3 families came to town.  They were headed north, they had enough of the heat and drought and trouble with Natives.  They did not want to stay and did not want to wait for wagons to be built to take them east.  But there were some folks in the small port town south of here that might want to go east.  After the families left Dom said we might need to build more wagons.  We might want to start thinking about when we would get those wagons rolling.  Afterall, the restorations were almost finished.  The small barn was freshly painted and had a nice new roof and work on the building next to the bank had begun. 

The building next to the bank proved to be a doctor's house and office, something like a small hospital even.  According to the records found there was an outbreak of some fever and patients stayed upstairs.  Later records showed that Doc referred may patients to see Rebecca.  Perhaps she was an herbalist or maybe a midwife.  Among the earliest records there was an entry that Sara died in childbirth.  Was that Old Zeek's Sarah?  What of the child?  Maybe I could compare this with the other old records when I had more time. 

  With Doc's house restored, only the 2 rooming houses, the big barn, and the claims office were left to restore.  We would need more paint.  Dom was right, we could be moving on soon.  He began building a storage wagon.  It could be used to empty the large barn when it came time to restore it.

  I helped gather wild foods before the first snow, then I had some spare time to go through old records stored now in the bank.  In the lists from the claims office I found the matching death record for Sara.  The entry above it was "a child named Rebecca was born to Old Zeek + Sara".  I thought it rather sad but was left wondering if the child was the same Rebecca the doctor later referred patients to.  It was then I notice one of the small crates from the jail had been knocked over and several papers were scattered on the floor.  Image my surprise, weary traveler, when I picked up a sheet of paper only to find the wagon vendor's face starring back at me, how was it possible?  I must have briefly glance at this paper when the crate was first brought to me, that's why he looked vaguely familiar, perhaps a descendant.  The paper was an old "wanted" poster.  Fred Farkus, whereabouts unknown, was wanted for stealing gold from Old Zeek.

  The next morning a group of town's people woke us up at the crack of dawn to say the paint vendor and his wagon were gone.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Goblin Girl on August 09, 2018, 01:09:55 PM
The plot thickens!
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: embx61 on August 09, 2018, 01:57:50 PM
That dude from the paint wagon must have a feeling the people would found out about his criminal past and decided to take a hike.
I get a feeling we not have seen the last of him.  ???

@Abandoned
Nice to read the story and while your stories were always good you found a way to put some plots into them and so are the stories even getting better and better  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 09, 2018, 02:28:43 PM
Quote from: embx61 on August 09, 2018, 01:57:50 PM
That dude from the paint wagon must have a feeling the people would found out about his criminal past and decided to take a hike.
I get a feeling we not have seen the last of him.  ???

;D But wasn't it a nice looking wagon?

Thanks @embx61 I am glad you are enjoying story.  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: embx61 on August 09, 2018, 02:43:29 PM
Yes, Kid did a good job on the wagon and you came probably up with many ideas. :)
More the reason for Fred to show up again soon.
The whole set looks good and i bet you guys are busy getting some more stuff in :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 09, 2018, 02:52:52 PM
yes, @embx61 I give an idea and Kid gives back much more than I ask for.   :)  He is very talented.  And right again, we are working on a couple of things.  :-X
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: embx61 on August 09, 2018, 03:06:43 PM
Yes, we all came a long way.
I remember still 2015 when i started Modding a little bit because my wife wanted a windmill in Banished so I told her maybe one of the modders at WoB make one but she said Nope, I want you to make me one.
I knew nothing about 3D Modelling and never made a 3D model in my life and I told her so but my wife told me "If one can learn/do it you are the one" :)

So I bought a cheap mesh and so i learned with that mesh to model a little bit.
Even when she knew nothing about it either she sat many times next to me to encourage me if I was frustrated and stuff but finally we pulled it off.

I think no one here of the Modders knew about 3D modelling before. Red was about all by himself in the beginning.

As long as it is fun I keep doing it and so far it is fun and have still quite some ideas in the pipeline. :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Goblin Girl on August 09, 2018, 03:22:11 PM
@embx61 , knowing that about your windmill makes it really special.   :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 09, 2018, 03:23:20 PM
Yes, there has been so much improvement all around.  It is amazing and so many wonderful mods, so much to pick from and so much variety.  The contribution all you modders have made are much appreciated.  :) And it is so nice to have you back with us EB  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: embx61 on August 09, 2018, 03:37:15 PM
@Goblin Girl
My wife was very special in a very special way and I still miss her every day.
But I have to go on because that is what she wants me to do and modelling is a big part of my life.
If she never asked me to make the mill I probably never would have been modelling at all.

@Abandoned
Thanks, I am glad to be back.


Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Goblin Girl on August 09, 2018, 08:41:07 PM
@embx61
It does get a little easier with time.  You still miss them, but it isn't as sharp and painful. 
Peace to you.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 10, 2018, 09:22:55 AM
Chapter 11


  There was nothing we could do about the paint vendor leaving and not much more we could do without more paint.  No one saw him leave, if he went through town it was before dawn.  The weather had taken a sudden turn for the worse, it was freezing cold with blowing and drifting snow.  We hoped the wagon vendor was alright and would someday return.

  Spring came and again Dom and I were awakened before dawn.  Don't these people ever sleep?  They had made a discover north of town.  We were always so busy elsewhere that no one had ventured very far in that direction.  The group waited outside the rooming house while Dom and I dressed.  The group then followed us up Main Street, past where the paint wagon had been, and through the small birch grove. 

  Before us was what appeared to be a large private residence with outbuildings.  There was an old cottage perhaps for workers, a stone wall herb garden with an arched entrance, a ruined greenhouse, an old garden, a small barn, and a very large house.  As we approached the house we heard crying.  Who would be crying inside this boarded up old house?  Could a child have wandered from town and somehow gotten into the house? Unlikely since we had to pry away boards from the door to get in.  Our search turned up nothing.  The crying resumed when we left the house.  It would appear that our Ghost Town actually had a ghost.

Behind the house partially hidden in the trees near the lake we found a small family graveyard.  There were only 4 graves but many ghost flowers. The engraving on one of the two matching tombstones was done much later than the others which were quite weathered.  The names on the matching stones were Zeek and Sara.  The third stone bore the name Rebecca. It would seem that Rebecca was fond of plants and herbs and by the presence of the greenhouse was over indulged by her doting father.  In all likelihood she was the herbalist Doc referred patients to.  There was no name on the small white cross.

There were several strange dead trees around the grounds and as we passed by the one in front of the old cottage on our way back to town we notice a heart had been carved into that tree.  Inside the heart 2 names were carved "Freddy + Becky".  We could still hear the crying.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: brads3 on August 10, 2018, 10:14:47 AM
a ghost town with a real ghost... who would have thought it. nope i really didn't see that coming.<< slaps self in head    LOL
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Goblin Girl on August 10, 2018, 10:27:51 AM
Quote from: brads3 on August 10, 2018, 10:14:47 AM
a ghost town with a real ghost... who would have thought it. nope i really didn't see that coming.<< slaps self in head    LOL
It's what I expected at first, and then I thought I was wrong...but clearly I was not!
I fully expect the paint to be malevolent in some way.
Edit: I wonder if Fred Farkus is Fred Krueger Farkus.  ???
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 10, 2018, 01:49:15 PM
 :D yes, it appears Old West Ghost Town has a ghost.  :D 

Fred Farkus is more than likely a descendant of Freddy Pharkas Frontier Pharmacist  ;D from a very old Wild West computer game where if I am not mistaken he was trying to find a cure for his horse's flatulence. I remembered him when I was thinking of a good reason why weary traveler was so weary.  :)  The old game can be found on Good Old Game.  ;D
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: brads3 on August 11, 2018, 09:23:21 AM
in all those buildings did you find a wagon store? you can't go west without supplies and wagons.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 11, 2018, 11:57:39 AM
No, no wagon store.  They have to build their own  :)


Chapter 12


  First chance I got I went to the bank to check more old records.  I found no record that Fred had been born in this town.  But as I suspected, Rebecca died in childbirth.  The infant did not survive.  I found no marriage record. 

  We did not have enough paint left for the 4 town buildings that needed restoring.  It was decided that the Claims Office and the rooming house across from it would be restored.  Dom and I would move back to our wagon now that spring was here.  It was also decided that the family estate would also be restored, only the small barn would need paint.  But first we had a serious shortage of food.  We took to the woods to gather all the wild foods we could find.  Laborers reported that they heard crying from the old house.  Lucky for us Sewart, the general goods merchant, came to port when he did.  We traded for all the beef and broccoli he had.  We hoped it would be enough to see us through until harvest time.

Considering our frequent food shortage we were eager to explore the old garden and ruined greenhouse.  On closer inspection we discover the garden had a number of flax plants and a small oil press.  We knew the flax could be used to make linen clothes.  The flax we collected from the wild our tailor was using.  We did not know what flax oil could be used for but it became clear when were explored the greenhouse.  No food was grown in the greenhouse, instead it was filled with withered and dead ghost flowers.  In the attached work shed were crates and barrels of old flax oil, dried ghost flowers, and dried-up paint, the color of the flowers.  Dom estimated that 50 flax probably produced 24 oil and 4 of those oils mixed with the ghost flowers yielded 2 or 3 barrels of colored paint.  The paint vendor charged 1 gold nugget for 2 to 3 barrels of paint.  Well, he didn't get that paint from here, this place hadn't been used in many years.  Or was he also a ghost?
   
Dom and I piece the story together as we saw it: 

Old Zeek staked the claim and struck it rich.  He married much younger Sara who died having Rebecca.  Old Zeek, the doting father, builds daughter gardens and greenhouse.  Rebecca becomes herbalist. Fred Farkas comes to town with his painted wagon.  He is perhaps a traveling salesman or a gypsy rover.  It is he who knew how to make paint and convinced Old Zeek to go into business.  He would sell the paint from his wagon in exchange for living in the cottage, the gold goes to Zeek.  Fred and Rebecca fall in love, Becky is to have a child, Freddy takes the gold and runs.  Rebecca dies in childbirth, the child did not survive.  Old Zeek lived to a very old age alone.  End of sad story.

Dom pointed out the fact that we could restore the family estate and paint production, the town's people could complete the town restorations, and he and I could be one our way.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 12, 2018, 09:06:28 AM
Chapter 13


  We again had a good harvest that autumn of year 8 but still food was often in short supply and much time was spent collecting wild foods.  Don had just begun building another wagon when to our surprise, weary traveler, you told us you and your family wanted to return east with us.  We were homesick too so we understood perfectly and would be more than happy to have your company on the return trip.  You did realize we would be going first to the small port town to the southwest. Hopefully we could get supplies for the trip from there rather than taking needed supplies from here.  There maybe other families there who would wish to join the wagon train heading east.

By the end of the year the old cottage and the greenhouse were restored, healthy living ghost plants were transplanted.  The restored flax garden and paint house could now be used to produce more paint.  We would just need to be sure we had enough workers to produce and gather food.  Not counting Dom and myself and our boys, Ghost Town had a population of 90, only 41 adults but 11 students and 38 young children.  There were a lot of mouths to feed. 

  In early spring of year 9 another startling discovery was made and yes, we were again awakened at the crack of dawn. The worker clearing wood, stone, and iron from the abandoned place by the church and graveyard made the discovery.  He unearthed old wagon parts, some colored paint barrel fragments, and what appeared to be human bones.  There was no gold.

  The discovery shed a whole new light on the family story.  Did our arrival here stir up the restless spirits giving them a chance to have the truth of the matter revealed? It would now appear that Fred Farkas did not steal Old Zeek's gold and run off leaving Rebecca behind and with child.  Was he killed for the gold?  By who?  Anyone in town suddenly having a lot of gold would have been suspect.  No, in all likelihood the only person in town who had a motive and could have hidden the wagon and body in a storage barn and gotten away with it was Old Zeek himself.  Did he fear his darling daughter, Rebecca, would run off with the gypsy wagon vendor?  Did he know she was with child?  Was it poetic justice that Rebecca and the child died and Old Zeek was left alone afterall?  We will never know the answers to those questions but the truth that Freddy did not steal the gold and run off leaving heartbroken Becky behind was enough to lay the ghosts to rest.  The wagon vendor did not reappear and the crying stopped.  The haunted house was restored to its former glory.  It would make a nice guest house with a scenic view.  The old dead trees sprouted new growth and the heart and names looked freshly carved.  We transferred Freddy's remains to the family graveyard next to Becky and marked the spot with the wheel from his wagon that had been unearthed.  Freddy and Becky would now rest in peace together.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 13, 2018, 11:49:28 AM
Chapter 14


  Early in year 10 we switched from growing flax in the estate garden to making linseed oil.  By autumn we began the process of making our own paint from oil and ghost flowers. We began restoring the small barn, we only needed 1 more barrel of paint plus what we had left to complete it.   We had our second walnut harvest and as soon as the other crops were harvested we took to the woods to gather wild foods and more wild flax.

  By summer of year 11 we had a fishing pier build on the lake behind the guest house.  The food supply was still a constant problem.  By autumn the second rooming house was restored and it looked beautiful.  I loved the color.

  By early spring of year 12 there was only the large barn on Main Street left to restore.  Even so, Ghost Town looked wonderful.  The population was growing, it was now over 100.  The children were growing too and were finishing school as educated workers.  There was room for more crop fields north of town and the valley to the south could be cleared.  There was more gold in the mountains.  Ghost Town would prosper.  The town's people could manage now on their own.

  We brought the storage wagon around to help empty the barn on Main Street so it could be restored.  And as you know, weary traveler, we brought your new wagon as close to your house as we could so you could start loading your personal belongs.  By late summer the barn was restored and restocked.  We kept only enough supplies to get us to the port town on the river.  Our 2 oldest boys decided to remain here.  They both found lovely girls they wanted to spend their lives with.  We would miss them dearly.  Our youngest, Greggie, would come with us and drive the storage wagon. 

  I took a walk around town thinking how very different this Ghost Town looked now than it did when we arrived.  I went to the small family graveyard and thought that somehow we were meant to see that old sign nailed to the tree that brought us here to help this family rest in peace.   Well, we would leave the way we came and when we got to that old sign we would once again head west.


Westward Ho


To Be Continued



I hope you have enjoyed my story and will enjoy Kid Ghost Town mod.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: embx61 on August 13, 2018, 12:01:22 PM
All i can say is keep the stories coming on the way to the west.
I wonder what you two are next coming up with Mod wise.

I guess the Ghost Town Mod is about to get released?
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Goblin Girl on August 13, 2018, 12:57:17 PM
Great story!  And now, I'm eager to get my hands on that mod.   ;)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 13, 2018, 02:45:57 PM
Thanks @embx61 and @Goblin Girl  Glad you enjoyed story.  :) I thought I would return now to find Ghost Town available for download.  Kid must be busy on next project.   :) 
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: kid1293 on August 13, 2018, 03:01:37 PM
Am I late ?  ;)

Yes, busy with life and, of course, some secret things. :)

Ghost Town is in download but first a great Thank You to Abandoned for doing us the honor of a nice story!
So Zeek was the culprit? Didn't see that... :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: brads3 on August 13, 2018, 06:12:32 PM
you both have done some awesome work. it will be interesting to play with the new sets.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 13, 2018, 09:03:09 PM
Thank you @kid1293 It took us a while but it turned out okay  :)  It was a fun mod to write a story to, thank you.

Thank you @brads3 we knew you would like more to go with the Wild West Theme.  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: phyllida on August 14, 2018, 12:49:55 PM
Love this scenario! I was so excited when Wild West came out this will make it sooo much better with interesting buildings and your storyline is inspiring :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: Abandoned on August 14, 2018, 09:18:25 PM
Thanks @phyllida , I am glad to hear you liked the story.  I am sure you will enjoy Ghost Town mod. I think Kid did a fantastic job on the buildings.  There is such a nice assortment of color choice too, and the colors of the starting buildings are random.  There have been request for more Wild West type buildings in the past so this was a good opportunity for Kid to add more.  Enjoy  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30
Post by: phyllida on August 15, 2018, 09:53:01 AM
Quote from: Abandoned on August 14, 2018, 09:18:25 PM
Thanks @phyllida , I am glad to hear you liked the story.  I am sure you will enjoy Ghost Town mod. I think Kid did a fantastic job on the buildings.  There is such a nice assortment of color choice too, and the colors of the starting buildings are random.  There have been request for more Wild West type buildings in the past so this was a good opportunity for Kid to add more.  Enjoy  :)

Yup its good fun! Been exploring and experimenting. Loving the flax/linseed/paint chain. I've been playing the Wild West on and off since Kid created it.....just found there weren't quite enough buildings and towns looked very repetitive. This addition changes that :) a big thanks from me!