World of Banished

Sightseeing => Village Blogs => Topic started by: Abandoned on June 16, 2019, 07:08:01 AM

Title: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 16, 2019, 07:08:01 AM
Intro


This is the 43rd story in the Smallville series and tells the tale of 5 families still struggling to survive the deadly frog invasion that occurred in Summerset Swamp story #24 located in the southeast corner of the world map, bayou country.  It is one year later, year 63 SVT, and the 5 families that met in the swamp have now met up with a new threat while trying to escape the giant frogs. They reached the conclusion that they couldn't go on and decided to settle in an area they called Gator Glade.


The map seed is # 307920938     Swamp ,  Small,  Swampy Climate,  disaster On, MediumSwamp Start


This map is also a test of a soon to be released new mod Kid Fish n Ships .  It is not an addon to Kid Swamp Thing but does include the mossy swamp texture which I am using in this story.  The texture also works well in a forest setting.  The new mod also has vanilla wood and 2 other wood textures.


Mods activated for this map and load order are:

Map changing and Starting Mods:  Banished UI Maps, Labor Window, RK Minimized Status, New Flora

Tweak Mods:  Better Fields, Increased CC, 1:1 alternative (Voeille), Rock Respawn, Tiny Smoke

Major or Must Have Mods:    An Empty Square, Nomad Sign Complete, Storage Crates, Kid Old Town, Kid Old Town Ports & Pirates, Kid Plimoth Plantation, Kid Swamp Thing

Supporting Mods:    Garden Shed, I See Fire, Kid Cedar Lake Gazebo, Kid Fish n Ships (new, testing ), Kid Gothic Farm, Kid Some Boats, Kid Swamp Legend, Kid Yard Cover, Mother Tree, RK Ducks as Livestock, RK Pigs as Livestock, Water and Other Decorations.



Yes, weary traveler, I will be more than happy to tell you how we survived the giant frog invasion.  If not for the Swamp Legends, I probably would not still be here today to tell the tale.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 17, 2019, 09:46:34 AM
Mood Music:        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_lzeHYNngE


Chapter 1


  My name is Haronda and my husband is Trentony but everyone calls us Trent and Ronda.  I was out gathering mushrooms the day my village was attacked by giant frogs.  Trent was a river boatman who happened by just in time to leap from his boat to pull me to safety up a tree as a horde of giant frogs made their way to my village.  We doubted anyone survived the onslaught.  I was only 16 at the time and was about to be married.   Trent's riverboat was overrun as we fled on foot.   A short time later a couple, with an infant, whose houseboat was overturned joined us.  For months we dodged groups of giant frogs, surviving the best we could.  We rescued 2 starving children from an abandoned shanty, and a women with 2 children whose husband did not survive also joined us.  A young man with his family and brother joined us after fleeing from their overrun fishing village.  We came across a man with a badly infected leg wound, an infant son, and a wife about to give birth to a second child.  There were 19 of us, 10 adults and 9 children, who fought off stray giant frogs, hunger, and exhaustion as we tried to make our way out of the deadly swamp.

After several more months, we thought we made it out when we came to some high ground and foothills but the pass only lead us to an everglade area.  There were several swamp lakes and a wide bayou river that we were in no condition to cross.  We could go no further and we could not go back.  We would settle here.  We began gathering materials to build a barn and houses when Trent called me aside to show me what he had discover by the river.  There was a damaged riverboat taking on water and a dead giant creature floating belly-up in the water beside the boat.  There was no sign of the boatman who was someone Trent would know.  We were about to turn back to tell the others of our discovery when a disturbance across the river caught our attention.  Two of the giant creatures were viciously attacking a giant frog, preventing it from entering the water and reaching us.  Were these creatures friends or another foe we must fight off?

  We had no time to waste, we needed shelter and supplies.  We salvaged everything we could from the damaged riverboat.  We found tools, hide coats, corn and beans plus seeds for each, and bricks made of reeds that could be used as firewood.  We were off to a good start.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: kid1293 on June 17, 2019, 01:49:42 PM
Those frogs are mean. Overturning a houseboat!  :o :o


;D
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 17, 2019, 08:35:42 PM
Nothing meaner than mother frogs with legless baby frogs  :o  but I know why houseboat overturned.  Giant frogs got on board and all ran to one side to look at the crocs I placed wrong  ::)  Crocs with shadows go on land, crocs with no shadows go on water.  :)

;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 18, 2019, 09:40:17 AM
Chapter 2


  Trent was the oldest male and was put in charge.  I was not only alone but was the youngest female.  Trent said I should stay with him.  Since the others were paired up, we would then only need 5 houses.  Our first concern was shelter and safety for the families.  The men buried the dead creature.  The brothers, Deland and Darylee, said they had seen this creature before but were not sure if it was a crocodile or an alligator, so we called it a croc-o-gator.   We named our settlement Gator Glade.

  The 1st house was built to the west of the storage barn.  Lamberly's infected leg was improving and he was sure he would be able to plant the corn seeds in the nearby clearing.  There were a lot of reeds to be cleared first.  The 2nd and 3rd houses were built close together, hopefully providing some security.  Each of the 2 families took in one of the orphaned boys we rescued, one would reach school age soon. We began building a school behind the barn far from the river and the creatures.  When we realized we were short of firewood, Deland said he could make some of those fuel bricks with all the reeds we had.  Deland's younger brother, Darylee, decided he would look after the widow and her children.  They moved into the house next to the school.  Our house was built down by the river.  Trent said he'd like to be able to watch for riverboats but if I'd feel safer away from the water we would build somewhere else.  I loved our little swamp house by the river with its cattails and ducks.  We had torches lit by the barn and school, and soon would have them lit by every house.

  By early autumn of year 1 there were 4 newborns in the 5 houses, including our son, Olive.  There was no corn to harvest, it took too long to clear away all the reeds.  We were short on food but did not want to go too far from the safety of the settlement to gather more.  A giant frog crossed the river but 2 croc-o-gators soon stopped it.   Both Deland and his brother, who had been fisherman, said the gators were not likely to bother us as long as they had enough to eat and were not provoked.  Our food supply was low and we went out in the poring rain to gather what little we could find closeby.  Weather permitting, building continued and before long a fishing jetty was constructed.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 19, 2019, 08:58:34 AM
Chapter 3


  Going into the winter months, we had just enough wild foods and fish to survive.  The weather was cold and damp with temperatures just above freezing, we had no warm clothes, in fact we were now low on hide coats.  Trent took over fishing and a small food barn was built near the jetty where he could quickly go to warm up or seek shelter from the swamp creatures if necessary.  Several crocs were seen nearby going after the few giant frogs that were out in the cold.  We began building a stockade fence around the corn field where the crocs were again spotted.  In early spring of year 2, the corn was planted.

  We built a swamp workshop to make clothes from the few wild flax we had gathered, and work on the stockade fence began there too.  We were concerned for the safety of the school children.  So far we only had one student but soon there would be more.

  Our food supply was very low in spring, Trent threw several fish to the croc that was looking for food near the fish jetty.  It was not long before it crossed the river again to pursue a giant frog.  The crocs were doing a good job keeping the frogs away from Gator Glade but we really could not spare the fish to feed them.

  No one was more surprised than I when 4 survivors came through the same pass we had, they were in very bad shape and had not eaten in quite awhile.  I knew them all, but one in particular, he was the man I had been about to marry.  He was unfriendly to me and rude to the woman with him.  Her sister said the child with them was his and was born shortly before the frog invasion.  I was glad I survived the frog invasion and that the frogs saved me from being married to this man.  Three of the 4 newcomers did not survive, they had been too long without food.  Only the sister survived and she was well enough to tend the corn field while recovering in the house we build nearby.  Finishing the 2nd house was put on hold, it would not be need now.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 20, 2019, 10:54:35 AM
Chapter 4


  More hungry crocs gathered around the fish jetty looking for food, making Trent a bit nervous, and he had to feed them more of our fish.  They were soon off after giant frogs across the river and the much needed fish went into the food barn and our pantries.  We were hungry too, and hated putting the children to bed hungry.  Wild foods were still scarce.  Another fisherman was assigned to the fishing jetty.  We were all relieved when the first corn crop was harvested.  Back in spring while building the new house a few wild apple trees were discovered and their blossoms attracted some bees.  The area was cleared and a bee keeper's hut was build.  In early spring of year 3 we had honey and looked forward to apples.  Outside the stockade fence a swamp pond was discovered and soon we had frog legs from the young frogs caught there.

  Work continued on the stockade fence and an area inside was cleared for a small cemetery.  A shorter fence was being build around the designated area. We would all feel safer and more secure once the stockade was completed.  It would take awhile.

  Our food supply was critically low, not much more than what little we had in our pantries.  Christen thought there surely must be crabs in the stagnant river, the wind blew the surface water but underneath there was little current.  A crab jetty was built and crab buoys soon marked where each crab trap was set.

Crissa was now harvesting frog legs from the swamp pond where hungry crocs came looking for frogs.  Planting corn was too much for Crissa, she never really regained her strength and in early summer of year 3 she died of hunger.  Being tired most of the time and living alone she was not eating well.  Lamberly and Tennifer's infant daughter also died of starvation.  Tennifer said the infant just did not want to eat.  Perhaps if we had started the corn harvest early.  We only hoped our supplies would get us through the winter.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: brads3 on June 20, 2019, 11:23:33 AM
KID's beekeeper and other "park" ods are so handy. i keep wanting more of them or dfferent varieties.glad you added some since i last downloaded. 
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 20, 2019, 01:48:10 PM
 :) @brads3 I especially like the berry patch in Kid-Settlers, I knew you would like it too.  Will keep in mind for future  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: brads3 on June 20, 2019, 06:24:23 PM
haven't loaded that 1 yet.need more decoratives like the granny park set too
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 21, 2019, 10:36:13 AM
Chapter 5


  In spring of year 4, a sailing ship came into view being pursued by pirates, it hit the sand bar and overturned.  It was immediately overrun with giant frogs and croc-o-gators.  The pirate ship nimbly turned and fled with no booty. Five survivors managed to escape and swim to shore.  They came from Riverview Resort and were headed for Riverboat Junction, they ended up in the swamp trying to outrun the pirates.  They were hungry and exhausted.  The family of 4 moved into Crissa's vacant house and the unfinished house was completed for the single man.  Gator Glade now had 2 men named Lamberly.

  The newcomers had news to tell.  Apparently, the town of Summerset was hardest hit by the giant frog invasion, only a few survivors escaped.  Some thought their harvesting froglegs from young frogs in the ponds caused the giant mother frogs to seek revenge.  Many swamp dwellers perished or were maimed as the frogs made their way to Summerset.  The frogs were dying off now because there were not enough insects left for the magnitude of frogs to feed on.  Pirates were becoming more of a threat in the surrounding areas.

  Trent was disturbed to hear the part the frog ponds had to play in the tragedy.  What to do?  Not only did we need the froglegs for food but the frogs were helping to feed the crocs.  The crocs were already getting closer to town, and our stockade was a long way from providing the safety and security we need.

  Autumn arrived with dropping temperatures and falling rain.  We had very little food and clothing but plenty of fire bricks.  We had problems burning the fire bricks during rainy weather so a covering was built over the stockpile to help keep them dry.  We used what flax we had gathered to make linen clothes.  Warm coats would have been nice for the coming winter months.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 22, 2019, 09:48:34 AM
Chapter 6


  That winter of year 4, the crocs were becoming more of a problem and had to be fed more fish from the pier.  Trent thought that more piers and jetties would discourage them from coming on shore.  A stockpile and small supply barn was built by the small food barn.

  By early spring of year 5, the northwest corner of the stockade was completed.  The builder spotted a croc moving among the rocks not far away.  There were not many frogs around for the crocs to eat but we needed the food the frog pond provided.

  Needless to say we were relieved when a riverboat pulled up to our new pier.  It was not just any boatman but the living legend himself, Kylandro.  He was known throughout the poor areas of the swamp as the boatman who threw in extra items when making a trade and, accidently on purpose, leaving a sack or two of something needed on the dock before he left.  And here he was now bringing aid to the swamp dweller who were in need.  He was happy to see that Trent had also survived the giant frog invasion, many other boatmen did not.  He could not say whose boat it was that we found when we arrived.  He was sorry he had no warm coats but he had linen clothes, iron tools, walnuts, apples, and herbs.  We were to take as much as we wanted of whatever we needed before he had to leave. 

  The apples and walnuts were a welcome addition to our diet that consisted mostly of fish, crabs, and frog legs.  The crocs were becoming a real problem at the swamp pond, they far outnumbered the frogs that survived long enough to breed more frogs.  We needed the food. Hoping to encourage more wild foods to grow, we built a garden shed to harvest trees and reeds.  No crocs had been sighted in that area so gathering wild foods there would be relatively safe.  Work on the stockade continued there and at the waterfront.  Next to the piers and storage barns, Trent set up a book to record the number of fish and crabs that were caught along with supplies from the riverboat.  He set up a scale with weights so bushels of fish and crabs could be weight making it easier to calculate the number of fish and crabs rather than counting each one individually.  Inventory records down by the piers would come in very handy.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Nilla on June 22, 2019, 12:57:43 PM
As always @Abandoned you write very amusing stories. Wonder how this will end!
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 22, 2019, 02:30:17 PM
Thanks @Nilla , I am having a lot of fun with the deco croc-o-gators  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 23, 2019, 09:15:31 AM
Chapter 7


  In early spring of year 6 we thought we would have to stop frogging in the pond, no one felt safe with so many crocs lurking around.  Two families in a small boat were afraid to land on our shore until the crocs took off after a giant frog leaving the shore clear.  The families came from somewhere near Summerset where the dead and dying frogs were causing diseases and making the water unfit to drink or fish from.  We welcomed them to Gator Glade assuring them that our water was clean and a stockade was almost completed to keep the crocs away from the houses we would build for them.

  In early summer Kylandro returned with more supplies for us.  He confirmed what we were told, there was much death and disease in the swamp.  There were many swamp dwellers in dire need, they were barely surviving, unable to fend for themselves due to illness and injuries.  He did not have as much food and supplies with him this time because he had taken peg leg to those he knew needed them.

  We wondered how many swamp dwellers lost legs and limbs not only to the giant frogs but to the croc-o-gators as well.  So far no one here had suffered any injuries but it was only a matter of time.  Something had to be done about the croc population.  One of the newcomers said the crocs could be killed with spears, it was risky but possible.  It was safer to do so from a boat but then difficult to get the creature to shore, a large net would help.  The meat and leather was worth the risk.  The newcomers were right.  We soon had a croc hunter cabin built near the frog pond that seemed to attract the most crocs and it wasn't long before we had croc meat and leather.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: brads3 on June 23, 2019, 10:46:49 AM
would you like me to send you some muskets or cannons?
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 23, 2019, 01:52:50 PM
 ;D No, thank you.  Croc-o-gators are our friends.  ;D
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 24, 2019, 09:52:48 AM
Chapter 8


  By early spring of year 7 we had a bridge built across the small stream to the east.  There were a lot of wild mushrooms on the other side.  The bridge seemed like a good spot to do some fishing from.  That spring, it was even more apparent that we needed to reduce the croc population by the piers as well as by the pond.

  When Kylandro returned with more supplies for us, he commented that the number of croc made it difficult to navigate to the pier.  He also said it was probably the croc's control of the frog population that we could thank for our waters remaining fresh and fishable, we should not kill off too many of them.  He also said there were a few river boatmen he knew and trusted who were returning to this area to help.  Anything we might have to trade would surely be needed elsewhere or could be traded in Riverboat Junction for items that were needed.  Anything we could do to help would be greatly appreciated.

  A family of 4 arrived, they traveled down the small stream and crossed the bridge.  They were all that was left of their small village after the frog invasion and several disease outbreaks.  They had little to eat and no fresh water. We assured them our river water was clean and we also had 2 well, just in case they were ever needed. We built 2 houses for them.  Gator Glade's population rose to 45, 23 adults, 7 students, and 15 young children.  Trent was having a Swamp Hall built to record our population and other statistics.

  Down on the waterfront another croc hunter got to work and set up nets between the piers to help catch the crocs that got too close.  Their number had already been significantly reduced and in the spring of year 8 we were seeing more ducks in our waters.  Our food supply was becoming more stable and we had hopes of repaying what we had been given.  The swamp trader we built was the first step.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 25, 2019, 09:29:58 AM
Chapter 9


  The first river boatman stopped at our trading post in early summer of year 8.  Kylandro gave him our location and instructions to stop and find out what else we needed.  The only thing Mine had with him at the time was a treasure chest worth 5,000 trade goods.  He was taking it to Riverboat Junction to exchange it for items most needed by swamp survivors.  He spent some time talking to Trent before taking our order for wool and down.  He would accept our beeswax and extra reeds in trade, they too could be exchanged at the Junction.  The other swamp dwellers needed not only tools and clothes, but also stone, iron, firewood and fuel bricks.  Most of them could no longer do the work themselves.  They could not even fish because of the bad swamp waters.  He added that some of the bigger swamp settlements like Summerset were recovering nicely and may be able to start trading again soon.

  In late winter, Lemmit, the food merchant arrived, and said much the same thing but added that food was a major problem because of the heat and dampness of the swamp.  He only had corn with him which was still good and edible.  We took all 333 ears.  Our food supply was now the highest it had been, more wild foods were growing where reeds had been and the crocs were quite meaty.  We could surely start providing some needed food to other survivors here in the swamp.

  To that end, in early spring of year 9, Trent constructed a boat jetty and Gator Glade's first fishing boat.  It was a beauty.   It would sail upriver to the big lake, spend the day fishing, and return to the boat jetty with its catch. A row boat was constructed to take the crab traps further out from the crab jetty.  It too would return at the end of the day with its catch.

  By the end of year 9 we had warm coats to help ward off the cold and damp.  Mine came to port in late autumn with a little wool and a little down, and potatoes. 

Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: kid1293 on June 25, 2019, 10:05:53 AM
Kylandro... Isn't he from another game?  :-\
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 25, 2019, 10:17:27 AM
 :) I think there was a very old Sierra game by that name.  But I do believe we've heard that name before in one of these stories.  ;D

Did you notice how much better the sidewalk jetty pieces look now than they did back in Chapter 7?  The adjustment made quite a difference.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 26, 2019, 09:24:08 AM
Chapter 10


  By early spring of year 10, we had a 2nd fishing boat built.  I loved to see them sailing off at sunrise.  We would probably need another boat jetty soon.  We would soon have enough fish that we could send some to other needy swamp dwellers but, unless we wanted to make swamp runs ourselves, we needed to preserve the fish in some way.  It was too rainy and damp to attempt to dry the fish so we built a smoker instead.  Firewood would give the fish a better smoky flavor than our fuel bricks which were sometimes damp.  We would need a steady supply of firewood.  Two wood cutters could work at the new cutting shed if need be.  We build a storage rack for the firewood half way between the woodcutter and the smoker.

  Another boat jetty was built closer to the lake where the fishing boats anchored to fish.  One of them would not have as far to go when returning with its catch and neither would have to wait for the other to unload.

  By early autumn, we had several young adults living at home with their parents, all but one were boys.  We built a new house on the waterfront but only a single male moved into it.  One of the other young men expressed a wish for a house and fish jetty by the north lake.  It did indeed seem like there was a good fishing spot there.  However we thought it best to wait a few years before we build more houses. 

  It was late autumn before Kylandro arrived with supplies and even later in the year when Lemmit, the food merchant returned with sea biscuits.  The biscuits were now being made in the Cove that Kylandro was from.  We traded for all the biscuits Lemmit had with him.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 27, 2019, 09:16:42 AM
Chapter 11


  At the beginning of year 11 our food surplus was good.  Both crab catchers had done good the previous year, and so had those fishing from the bridge, the fish jetty, and the boats.  Our 2nd boat had not been in use the whole year.  The smoker produced a lot of smoked fish.  Our concern was the frog pond and croc hunters.  Both hunters provided a lot of meat plus leather. The frog pond also provided a good amount of food and kept the frog population under control, as did the crocs.  However, there were not enough giant frogs now for the crocs to eat, they were hungry and again coming too close to the piers and now the boats.  The fishermen all had spears kept at the ready in case they were needed.  We wondered what would be best, build another croc hunter or stop frogging.  If we eliminated the crocs we would lose a major food source and an ally in the fight against giant frogs should there be another uprising.  If we stopped frogging we would actually then be breeding giant frogs.  We would have to stop frogging temporarily.

  Kylandro came by as usual with supplies but we declined to accept any.  There were many others in the swamp that needed them more.  There was very little we could not now provide for ourselves.  We wanted to give back and help others as we have been helped.  Kylandro said there would be river boatmen stopping by who would willingly pick up and deliver whatever we had to give.  By early autumn we had a shipping jetty built and began stocking it with herbs, linen clothes, and smoked fish.  Mine returned to the trading post with more sea biscuits, potatoes, and wool, he was on his way to Riverboat Junction so he could make no other deliveries at this time.

  Gator Glade was doing well at the end of year 11.  The population was 53, 27 adults, 17 students, and 9 young children.  We were healthy and happy despite the weather.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 28, 2019, 09:15:01 AM
Chapter 12


  By spring of year 12 most of us had warm coats for the winter months.  Our tool supply had been dwindling while the tailor made the coats.  The blacksmith took over the workshop in order to make iron tools.  If we wanted to help other swamp dwellers we would need another workshop, one for tools and one for coats.  Construction began immediately.

  Eliee, the food merchant, was the first boatman to stop at the new shipping dock.  He was impressed by our small fishing fleet.  We had recently added a 3rd fishing boat.  He was concerned by the giant creatures in the water and with the giant frogs he saw on shore.  He lost a leg to those things during the invasion and it was only thanks to Kylandro's giving him a peg leg that he was able to return to work as a river boatman.  He worked for Kylandro now.

  We explained to Eliee about the frogs and the crocs, and he said he'd heard rumors about a frog-controlling creature that was becoming a swamp legend, and he was glad to actually see one.  He was also glad that we wanted to provide food and goods to the needy swamp dwellers.  He had to throw much of his cargo overboard to escape the new group of pirates in these waters, they were stealing from the boatmen, a had injured a few of them.  Those pirates even raided a few small villages that are only now recovering from the frog invasion.  They are not any of Kylandro's crew.  What?  Eliee would say no more only that he had wild oats that would not keep much longer in the damp weather.  We gave him smoked fish in exchange and asked if he would deliver tools, coats, and herbs to those in need.  He would be happy to do that for us, and was quickly on his way.

  Kylandro arrived a short time later.  When question, he did not hesitate to admit to being a pirate.  He had 2 ships and several riverboats, his base of operations was Pirate's Cove.  His mission was helping the swamp dwellers and he would greatly appreciate our help in carrying out that mission.  We did not hesitate to offer our continued help and support, if not for him and his supply runs, we would not have survived.

  We would not have survived and thrived.  Gator Glade now had one newly wedded couple and a new swamp fishing pier that another young man suggested.  He had a house half way between the pier and the town.  We thought it would not be long before he too took a bride.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 29, 2019, 10:16:16 AM
Mod note:  Fenceless Pasture mod has been enabled.

Chapter 13


  By spring of year 13 we had a nice amount of goods waiting at the shipping jetty to be picked up and delivered.  The next riverboat however came to the supply jetty instead.  It was not Kylandro who came with supplies this year but rather a nice young man who introduced himself as Kylandro's son, Brett.  He was happy to hear that we had smoked fish to share with other swamp dwellers.  A few had actually begun harvesting froglegs again and his father has banned river boatmen from accepting any in trade.  After what happened in Summerset, the practice must be discouraged. 

  Brette had an idea.  They were raising pigs back in Pirate's Cove now and the pigs had multiplied enough that they now had pork.  It was delicious and meatier than froglegs.  He wanted to trade piglets to folks in the swamp.  The pigs thrived in the swamp, they loved wallowing in the soggy swampy soil.  They were easy to care for and multiplied well, Brette thought swamp settlements could thrive by raising and trading pigs and pork.  If we were willing to give the pigs a try we just needed to build a livestock port to receive the animals and prepare a pasture for them.  We would be setting an example and encouraging other swamp dwellers to do the same.  We readily agreed and assured him we would also increase our production of smoked fish.

  The young man who wanted a house and fishing pier by the north lake finally took himself a bride.  She was now doing the fishing while he help extend the stockade and prepare a pasture.  He was correct, the lake was indeed a good spot to fish, one fisherman could catch more fish than 2 could catch from the river fish jetty. By the end of the year, another house had been built near theirs.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: kid1293 on June 29, 2019, 11:08:18 AM
The story flows well and it is good to read it. :)
I now understand that things are a bit difficult to see in the swamp
but it is made to look rough and almost inaccessible.

Keep going @Abandoned ! :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on June 30, 2019, 09:47:09 AM
 :) thanks @kid1293  I did non-mossy fish jetty rebuilt correctly, while the sun was shining  ;D  Better croc placement too.


Chapter 14


  In late summer of year 14 Vestany, the livestock merchant, arrived with a small flock of ducks that he rescued from an approaching group of hungry crocs.  The ducks were trapped on a hilly shore upriver and would not have escaped.  He could not release them because the crocs were following his boat.  We agreed to take the ducks as long as he accepted trade goods for them.  He would return soon with the pigs that Brette told us about.

  We already had an area cleared for the expected pigs, and were in the process of enclosing it with a small fence.  We cleared a small area for the ducks and would enclose that area too.  We no sooner got the ducks to their pasture when hungry crocs began gathering outside the stockade.  We called our croc hunters and they strategically placed several large nets to catch the crocs should they get any closer.

  It was winter before Vestany returned with the pigs.  We put them in their pasture area even though it was not completely enclosed yet.  They would be safer there than at the waterfront trading post.  When one of the crocs got caught in the net outside the stockade, the others went in search of food elsewhere.

Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on July 01, 2019, 10:35:01 AM
Chapter 15


  At the beginning of year 15 we realized our overall health had dropped slightly.  We had plenty of food but not enough grain or fruits.  We were glad that when Mine returned to the swamp trader he had sea biscuits to trade.  He also had wool.  The workshop could again make warm coats.  The other workshop was still making iron tools but our supply of iron was running low and there was not much surface iron on this side of the river.  There were still too many crocs on the other side of the river so we built a jetty bridge across the small stream where there was still some iron boulders on shore.

  Work on the stockade continued although no crocs had ever been seen on that side.  Better safe than sorry.  Two new house were build in the pasture area, town statistics showed we needed more houses.  We had 23 families but only 17 houses.  Gator Glades population was 65, 38 adults, 10 students, and 17 young children.  No one knew how many croc-o-gators there were.


Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on July 02, 2019, 10:20:11 AM
 Chapter 16


  In spring of year 16 we began clearing land for another corn field.  We also transplanted some small apple seedling to another location.  We knew many bees would soon follow.  We still had room in the pig pasture and hoped the livestock merchant would bring a few more.  Our rescued ducks were doing well, we now had duck meat and eggs.  The croc-o-gators were also doing well and whenever there were more baby frogs in the pond the crocs would come from across the river.  The fishing fleet was often delayed getting to the lake and river boatmen also sometimes waited for the waterway to clear.  We did not think it would be safe to build a bridge across the river, our croc hunters would be sadly outnumbered.

  In summer we were surprised that the farmer was able to still begin planting corn in the new field.  We assigned another farmer to help.  We also added another worker to the fish smoker.  We wanted to provide more for those swamp dwellers who were still in need.  The stagnant swamp water was still unclean in many areas of the swamp.  With the increasing number of crocs, we again began building more stockade fences.

  When Kylandro's son, Brette, returned he was happy to hear our pigs were doing well and that the shipping jetty was being stocked with goods to be picked up and delivered to the needy.  It was he who came up with a solution to our croc problem.  The frog population was now increasing in other areas of the swamp and mother frogs have been spotted in several locations.  Those areas could use a croc or two to help control the frog population.  Brette suggested we bait some crab traps and use them to lure the crocs to those areas.  It worked like a charm, the crocs followed the crab boat out of our waters to areas that need them.
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: kid1293 on July 02, 2019, 11:08:04 AM
 ;D ;D ;D Great! I didn't see that one coming!

Thanks @Abandoned !
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on July 02, 2019, 02:16:12 PM
 ;D ;D ;D I had to put those croc-o-gators you surprised me with to good use.  ;D Thanks @kid1293  Deco can be such fun.  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on July 03, 2019, 05:52:07 AM
Chapter 17


  So yes, weary traveler, if not for those Swamp Legend croc-o-gators and the Legendary pirate Captain Kylandro I doubt I would be sitting here today telling you this tale.  Those first 4 years before supplies arrived from Pirate's Cove were pretty rough, we barely survived, 5 of our town's people did not.  We accomplished a lot since those early days. Gator Glade's population grew from 19 to 74, 42 adults, 7 students, and 25 young children.  In early spring of year 19 there was nothing we needed when the supply boat arrived, and our shipping jetty was filling up with items waiting to be picked up and delivered to other swamp dwellers who need them. 

  The town of Gator Glade itself also grew and the main living area is completely enclosed by a stockade fence.  The stockade and 2 croc hunters keep us safe from crocs and the crocs keep us safe from giant frogs.  Our waterfront area includes a fish jetty for fishermen to catch fish from, the shipping jetty and supply jetty for giving and receiving, 2 crab jetties, and a fishing bridge.  There is a record book to record the catch of the day and the supplies that were received, and a food barn and supply barn to store them in.  A wood cutter and smoker increase and preserve the fish caught from the jetty, the bridge, and brought in by the fishing boats to the boat jetties.  We now have 5 fishing boats and 3 rowing boats.

  Yes, weary traveler, our waterfront here in the swamp is very beautiful especially in Spring and Summer.  There are ferns, cattails, and weeping willow trees.  With the croc population under control there are more ducks and ducklings and it is safe to just sit and enjoy the view.  I just love this gazebo Trent built for me.  We often sit here and watch the morning sunrise and the fishing boats with their sails, afloat.  We are very happy and at home here in Gator Glade.

Oh just look at the time, I must get going.  Enjoy the rest of your day, weary traveler.  See you later, alligator.  After while, crocodile.


The End
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: kid1293 on July 03, 2019, 06:06:52 AM
Thanks! :) :) :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on July 03, 2019, 06:08:49 AM
 :) :) :)  Anytime  :)
Title: Re: Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43
Post by: Abandoned on July 03, 2019, 03:25:57 PM
Find link to download of Kid Fish n Ships mod here :  http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=3070.0