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Abandoned - Refugee Camp - Story #10

Started by Abandoned, February 15, 2017, 07:31:01 AM

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Abandoned

Intro

This is the 10th story in the Smallville Series and tells the tale of the 6th expedition to set off from that town.  It is the 2nd of 2 expeditions leaving at roughly the same time to go to the aid of victims of the recent flooding disasters caused by several years of heavy rains.  The smaller group left first to rescue livestock that had been abandoned by survivors of settlements destroyed by floods or mudslides.  The 1st group established the Animal Refuge of story 9.  This group is going to the aid of whatever human survivors may be out there in need of assistance.  This story takes place southwest of Smallville but not as far southwest as the Mountain Mission of story 2.

Refugee Camp is Map #770319283  Valley, Small, Fair, disasters Off, Small Exodus-Easy start condition.

The Small Exodus-Easy start condition consists of : 15 educated families with some children, small stock of food, clothing, tools, and firewood, 2 crop seeds, 1 orchard, and a small flock of livestock.

Mods used:  Multiple Starts (Tikaszar), DS Roads, Kid's Small Collection, RK Training Camp, Better Fields, Better Hostels, Buildable Storage Carts, DS Wagon Vendor, Fishing Dock 25%, I See Fire, Log Cabins, Longer Living Orchards, Mini Buildings, More Iron, Stone, Wood, New Flora, Old Blacksmith, 1:1, Raspberry, Sawmill, Slinks Stacked Houses, Specialized Stockpiles & Trading Post, Vegan Scarecrow, Vegetable Garden, Village School.

  I'm not sure I choose the best start condition for this map, it is quite different starting with so many people, and not so easy for storytelling. Kid's Small Collection and Red's Training Camp fit in nicely.

So, weary traveler, we are surprised to learn there are still survivors out there after all this time.  It has been many years since we established this Refugee Camp.

Abandoned

#1
Chapter 1

  We left Smallville a week after the Animal Refuge expedition left; we had 3 carts to load with supplies, they only had 1.   It was a difficult journey pulling those cart over steep hills and through soggy valleys.  There were 5 families, 10 adults with 4 young children, when we left Smallville and several days later we found 3 barely alive orphans.  We found more survivors along the way, or they found us seeing the light of our campfires by night.  Around those campfires we heard many sad and frightening tales of survival and of attacks by wild boars and bears and even by other survivors. 

  Our numbers totaled 15 families, 30 adults and 13 children when we arrived in this valley.  The soil was suitably dry and there was a flock of chickens feeding on wild oats.  We set to work immediately gathering wood, stone, and wild foods.  We began farming, hunting, fishing, and building. We had enough workers for all the work that needed doing.  By autumn we had 5 houses and 1 very large hostel.  It was overcrowded but at least everyone was sheltered when temperatures began to fall.

  Our main concern was safety and security.  Our hunters were strategically placed around the outskirts of our settlement.  They were all of elven descent so they were skilled with the bow.  I know I felt a lot safer when the hunter's watchtower was built close to my home.  Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself.  My name is Saloma and my husband is Killison.  I was especially concerned for his safety; he was fishing in the river some distance east of town.  Thankfully no bears, boars or desperate crazed survivors had been spotted.  Several of our laborers were of chaos descents so were skilled in scouting and stealth, they gathered wild foods farthest from town and kept a lookout for survivors and wild animals.

  By winter of that 1st year, we had a mini school and town hall built and our supply wagons, pantries, and sheds were well stocked.

Abandoned

#2
Adding a couple of screenshots that should have been with the intro.

Abandoned

#3
Chapter 2

  By winter of the 2nd year, we added flour to our growing foodstock.  We set up a small grinder and Hamil from the new house behind us came over to grind the new corn crop into a fine flour.  Several new houses had been built to relieve the overcrowding at the hostel.  Construct of the palisade began; bears and wild boars have been sighted quite close to town.  Several torches were kept lit around town and along the road to the east.

By summer of year 3 our food supply included wild honey, herb bread from our newly built small bakery, hare, partridge, pheasant, goose, duck, and bear meat.  Construct of the protective palisade was slow, logs were in short supply and they were needed for our winter supply of firewood.  A 2nd forester's station was built east of town along with a gatherer.  I was glad Killison was not so alone over there fishing.

On the west side of town, Harred was making iron tools at his small anvil, and Tillisse was making linen clothes from wild flax.  A gatherer's hut, honey seeker, and a herbalist were built halfway between the forester and hunter's stand.  Close to that hunter's stand seemed to be the safest place to build a new school although there was a lot of open land to the west and no palisade had yet been built.  Hopefully our log supply would continue to improve next year.

Abandoned

#4
Chapter 3

  Another aggressive bear was seen and taken down east of town.  Jonniel kept diligent watch from his tower, but we still needed to improve our defenses.  We were concerned that after more than 3 years we had seen no survivors.  Had they met some ill fate?  Did they not make it across the steep hills to the west.  Had they perhaps seen the river from the hilltops to the east and thought it was to treacherous to cross?  We built a bridge just in case there were others still out there.

  In summer of year 4 we built at tiny trader hoping a boatman would arrive soon, we saw no sign of any riverboats so far.  Needless to say we were surprised when, in late autumn, a wagon vendor was spotted in the distance and made his way across the bridge.  He had been with a group of railroad surveyors from Chattachoo but was separated from them by the flood.  He was hoping to reach Smallville or the Mission.  He had no idea what happened to the others but he had a couple of run-ins with wild boar.  A few days later we had no idea what happened to him, one morning he was gone.  Did he wander off?  Was he dragged off by some wild beast?  We had snow overnight, snow and blowing and drifting snow so there was no trace to be found.  The scouts went out but found nothing, no remains.  All that remained was his wagon and merchandise and a new sense of alarm especially among the folks living on the outskirts of town.  A 2nd watchtower was built at the south end of town and more torches were lit.  Everyone longed for the longer daylight hours of spring and summer.

RedKetchup

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Abandoned

Thanks @RedKetchup, this training camp mod of yours is a bit of a story telling challenge but fun  :)

Abandoned

#7
Chapter 4

   Spring of year 5 brought longer days, warmer temperatures, and the 1st boatman.  He only had a few chickens he was taking to the Animal Refuge unless we wanted them.  He was not sure this new river tributary would get him there.  Many small streams were now navigable rivers and many rivers have changed course since the last floods.  Upstream this river was far to the west of Smallville. He did see some signs along shore that there were survivors still out there.

  We saw no sign of our missing wagon merchant.  We built a cemetery in case his remains were found when the snow melted but none were found.  Work on the palisade continued now in earnest.  Harred, the blacksmith, made some iron weapons and shields, and a practice dummy and archery target were set up.  People were afraid, but non more than Hamil the grinder and Baileen the baker because the archery target faced their workplaces.  After a few close calls they both refused to work while target practice was taking place.  Who could blame them?

  In late spring a group of survivors found us.  They were the railroad surveyors the wagon merchant spoke of; a railroad tunnel was going to be built west of Chattachoo.  The group was larger than we expected, 16 survivors gathered at the town hall, 12 adults and 4 young children.  The hostel was empty so there was room for all, including Emma.  When she went to the new barn for supplies she saw the furs stored there and said she could make them into warm coats.  A new tailor shop was built.

  There was some talk at the town hall meeting about moving the well away from the target practice area since so many people liked to gather around it.  We wisely decided to leave well enough alone.

Gatherer

Lovely story as always. :)

Quote from: Abandoned on February 19, 2017, 08:52:45 AM
After a few near hits they both refused to work while target practice was taking place.  Who could blame them?

Fixed!!! ;)
There's never enough deco stuff!!!
Fiat panis.

Abandoned

Thanks @Gatherer , near misses, that's funny, guess miller and baker had a few enemies LOL, will correct.  Glad to hear you like my stories  :)

Abandoned

#10
Chapter 5

  Lashade, one of the survivors who joined us en route to this location, said he could butcher the animals killed by the hunters.  Smaller pieces of meat would be easier to cook and would ensure that everyone got some.  He thought it best to build a tent outside of town in case the process attracted wild carnivorous animals. The butcher tent took a long time to build, we did not have enough furs for the roof.  The hospital tent was also waiting for furs.  Luckily so far no one was in need of medical care.

  Everyone was less willing to venture far from town now, gatherers wanted to stay within sight and range of the hunting towers.  We began building a palisade in the open area west of town, we could plant crops or an orchard and the farmers would be safe within the walls.  On the east side we built a new gatherer's hut and I began collecting wild oats and rose hips.  I felt fairly safe with the river on one side and the forester and watchtower on the other, a dwarf with an ax and an elf with a bow.

  In summer of year 7, 16 survivors gathered at the well.  They lost several of their group before reaching us, one man gored by a wild boar, one child attacked by a bear, and the mother who tried to save her child later died from injuries sustained.   The remaining survivors would feel safer and more secure within the protective walls of the palisade under the watchful eye of a watchtower.  The population of our Refugee Camp was now 102, 55 adults, 15 students, and 32 young children.

Abandoned

#11
Chapter 6

  By spring of year 8 the outdoor classroom and village school were filled to capacity. Our latest arrivals, although still stressed from their ordeal, pitched right in to work.  Adrienneth began teaching at a new outdoor classroom and Rooseveland took over tending the new pear orchard.  The palisade was extended to help them feel safer and more at ease.  We still needed more housing.
 
  There was some controversy when a 2nd story was built above a house near one of the watchtowers blocking its view.  The argument was that nothing had come over the steep hill behind it and wasn't likely to.  No one could argue with that or the advice to stay well away from the other side of that hill in spring and summer.  Scouts reported seeing what they thought was a bear cave, they kept their distance because mother bears were extremely protective of their cubs.

  By early spring of last year, year 9, the boarding house was empty and ready to house any remaining survivors who may find us.  Yes, weary traveler, it's been 2 years since any survivors found their way here.  We were surprised to see you.  Luckily, you made it here just before that dark day when we were at the town hall going over our population statistics and the sky got darker and darker and thunder rumbled and the earth shook.  That was scary, we have no idea what caused that.  No, we still don't know what happened to that wagon vendor.  All we do know is "We Got the Beef"



(Note:  for those who don't know, that quote is from a TV commercial for a fast food restaurant here in the states that specializes in roast beef sandwiches.  We always LOL when they say they got the beef at the end.)

brads3

nope u do not. that looks like a milk cow.

RedKetchup

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Click here to Donate by PayPal .

Abandoned

Glad you enjoyed story @RedKetchup

@brads3 We got the milk, leather, and beef ;D