Abandoned - Gator Glade - Story 43

[brads3]

would you like me to send you some muskets or cannons?

[Abandoned]

  No, thank you.  Croc-o-gators are our friends. 

[Abandoned]

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.

[Abandoned]

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. 

[kid1293]

Kylandro... Isn't he from another game? 

[Abandoned]

  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. 

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.

[Abandoned]

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.

[Abandoned]

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.

[Abandoned]

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.

[Abandoned]

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.

[kid1293]

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 !

[Abandoned]

  thanks @kid1293  I did non-mossy fish jetty rebuilt correctly, while the sun was shining    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.

[Abandoned]

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.

[Abandoned]

 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.

[kid1293]

  Great! I didn't see that one coming!

Thanks @Abandoned !