World of Banished

Intro


This is the 63rd story in the Smallville Series and part 4 of the Railway mini series.  Back in Pumpkin Junction (story 62) work on the north tunnel had only just begun when an unknown disease began causing illness and death throughout the known world resulting in shortages of food and supplies and threatening to destroy Christmas.  Word was sent out that help was desperately needed in the north and anyone of Elven descent was asked to report to the new settlement northwest of the North Pole South Annex (story 21) immediately.  The tunnel was completed and tracks were laid, the work train left Pumpkin Junction in autumn of year 94 SVT heading north. 


The map seed # 760857717   One River,  Small,  Fair, Disasters ON,  Easy Start- 8 families with seeds


Mods activated for this map and load order are:


Map changing and Starting Mods:  Banished UI Maps, Labor Window, RK Minimized Status, CC Light Rain, override Map, Settler Deco, New Flora Edit, Family Starts

Tweak Mods:    Better Fields, Disease Unknown (with edited real time aging made for this story, effect unknown), Dried Mushrooms, Fishing Dock +25%, Hunting, Hunting Season, Increased CC, Override Winter Clothes, Rocks Respawn, Tiny Smoke

Major or Must Have Mods:    An Empty Square, Nomads (Kid), Storage Crates, Jinxie Festival Park, Kid Abandoned Places, Kid Tiny v3 (update, testing production buildings. Tiny Chapel and fences added. Tiny fences are not shown in story.)

Supporting Mods:    Christmas Mod 2020 (testing), Colorful Little Houses, Creepy Cemetery, Kid Deco People, Kid Deco Farm Animals, Kid Deco Wreaths, Kid Farmyard, Kid in Transit, Kid Market Puzzle, Kid Mist, Kid Mountain Mansion, Kid Railway, Kid Washing Mod, Kid Work Shop, Kid Yard Cover, Orchard Forester, White Picket Fence.


Mod notes:   Kid's soon to be released Christmas mod now has blue wall texture added, Julmust (traditional Swedish Christmas beverage), shop houses for Main St., and more Christmas deco. 


Story note:

  I write this story in the midst of a worsening global pandemic, a tragedy of unbelievable proportions that is beyond belief.  Please take a moment to give thanks for all those front line workers in hospitals and elsewhere that are risking their lives for us.  Pause to give a thought to all those who have died this year: doctors, nurses, and patients fighting the virus, plus those who died fighting fires, crimes, and terrorism, and give another thought to all those who mourn them.

  Because of the risk of Unknown Disease, the storyteller is not physically on this map.



Note written to Weary Traveler:


Dear Weary Traveler,

  I know you and others back in Pumpkin Junction, Iron Ridge, and Hometown are wondering about our town and how your friends and family members are doing here in the north.  It is sad you can not be together but I will write you letters to keep you posted.  I am in charge of Santa's Mail and have access to flying reindeer.  This may not be the happiest holiday season ever but we still have much to be thankful for and good reason to have a Merry Christmas.  These are sad times indeed for all of us, weary traveler, but especially for those of us who are missing loved ones.  They will remain in our hearts Forevermore. 

I will write more soon.

Letter 1  Regarding  Year 1

Dear Weary Traveler,

  I hope this letter finds you well.  It was a rough first year here in Forevermore.  I was one of the original settlers from the Annex.  I lost both my parents and grandparents to the unknown disease.  I came here with 8 families from the northern towns, we were selected to fulfill the Annex's yearly quota of stocking stuffers for St. Nick.  We could expect more request from the North Pole before Christmas, the unknown disease was taking its toll there too.  I would be the contact person and the town planner.  There were 28 others, 16 adults with 12 children.

  We arrived by sleigh with supplies, seeds, and some livestock from the Annex. We were told to expect a work train from the south and more help soon.  We had a lot to do before then.  Settling the animals, planting crops, and building homes was first priority.  I consulted with an expert farmer who agreed that the open area with full sun east of the stockpile and hedgerow would be ideal for a wheat field.  His wife would tend the cows and chickens in the animal shed.  A 2-story colorful little house like we had back in the Annex was built nearby.

  West of there the sheep were settled in a farmyard that would provide us with some oats, potatoes, and carrots.  We would build a covering for the sheep as soon as possible.  A Tiny shed and stockpile were built nearby as well as another colorful little house.  Meanwhile, Santa's Workshop with a 2nd floor house was built, and my house was built next to it.  I had a cozy little loft above the 2nd floor mail room.  Children would be taught how to read and write on the 1st floor.  It was sad how many children already missed starting school.  I would take care of the reindeer as well as Santa's mail.

  A tiny town hall and well were built by the main stockpile, and a turkey roost was built by an old apple tree.  The families in the 2 story house would grow pumpkins and Brussels sprouts and cut firewood.  Another 2 story house was built to the northwest.  The families would be orchard foresters and they agreed that the northwest valley was more protected and may be suitable to grown orange trees like they did at the Annex.  We would need apples, oranges, walnuts, and pecans for stocking stuffers, and we needed to get the trees planted soon, and we needed more houses.  And then, there was an outbreak of the unknown disease.  We'd been here for several months, we thought we were safe.  We needed a hospital.

  Sorry to cut this letter short, weary traveler, but the mail sleigh is about to leave.  I'll write more later.  Stay well.

Letter 2  Regarding Year 2

Dear Weary Traveler,

  Sorry for the delay, now where was I when last I wrote?  Oh yes, the outbreak of an unknown disease.  There was one case in early winter of year 1, a young child, and by winter there were 2 more.  By then we built a Tiny hospital and gathered more herbs.  All 3 patients recovered rapidly thanks to the magic of Elven healing.  We credited our well spaced housing and storage units for keeping the contagious disease from spreading as rapidly as it was doing elsewhere.  Maybe our 2-story houses was not the best idea but it was the closest we elves could get to living in a treehouse without the tree.

  By late winter we had no new patients and we had no homeless.  We built a 2-family rooming house next to Santa's Mail and the last family moved in.  They were in no hurry to have a house, their son was the first school student and it was right next door.  We named the rooming house Holiday Inn thinking help coming by train from Holiday Hometown would have a reminder of home for the holidays.  Their boarding house was the center of their holiday celebrations.

  We needed meat so a Tiny hunting stand was built, the herds always moved away when we sent a hunter out to the herds.  We also needed the hides.  With wool and hides we could now have warm coats.  We built a Tiny workshop.  In late summer a 3-year-old came down with the unknown disease but recovered almost as soon as the hospital was reopened.  By then we had an orange forester and a pecan forester built in the northwest valley, it was late autumn and snowing by the time the walnut forester was ready to start planting.  We would need a gatherer for the fruits and nuts.  We would look for more hedgerows before we planted an apple forester.
 
Duty calls, weary traveler, I'll write more when I can.

Letter 3  Regarding early part of Year 3

Dear Weary Traveler,

  It was early spring of our 3rd year here in Forevermore when the work crew digging the tunnel from  Pumpkin Junction broke through the mountain into our valley.  I spoke with the crew chief who said one of his men was on his way back with the news.  The work train with more dwarves would arrive soon.  I had the strange feeling I met this man before but all I could think of to say was that he had no beard.  He said we were not back in the Middle Earth ages when all dwarves had beards.  I said he was tall for a dwarf, he said I was tall for an elf.  I said I was a wood elf, he said that would explain the big ears.  Before I could reply he said he and his crew would be going back with the work train after they laid tracks for a turnaround.  The tracks would be closer to town but the railway would go no further north because of the snow and ice.  Well, they had a lot of tracks to lay just to reach town.  As he walked away he paused to turnaround and look back at me.  I had the strange feeling not only that we met before but that we had part of this conversation before.  My ears aren't that big.

  As soon as the spring snow melted, we set out looking for more hedgerows and apple trees.  We found one by the 2 story hunter's house and another east of town by the river.  There was a small cranberry bog there too.  It looked like a good place for a fishing pier.  But first we built a trading post not far from there.  There was little chance now because of the unknown disease of a river boatman stopping by, but one of Santa's Elves suggested it as a place to store our quota of stocking stuffers.  Saint Nick could stop to pick them up without having to come into town and risking contracting the unknown disease should there be another outbreak.  I thought the trading post was a very good idea.  We needed 1,000 of each of the fruits and nuts plus candy and gingerbread.

I also thought it was a good idea to build a town cemetery and Tiny Chapel.  We had no cleric but town's people could stop in for a moment to pray for the sick and for the folks back home.

Letter 4  Late Winter, Year 3

Dear Weary Traveler,

  As you know, the work train headed north from Pumpkin Junction in late autumn of year 94 SVT.  It arrived here right before Thanksgiving Day with 14 adults and 3 children.  The train stopped some distance from town having to wait for more tracks to be built.  The families would stay in the passenger cars until we had homes built.  The work crew who had been camping in the tunnel would move into the vacant cars.  They would be going back to the Junction when the turnaround was complete. 

  The families were originally from Iron Ridge and Hometown, we knew how difficult it was for them to be away from home for the holidays.  We wanted to make Thanksgiving Day special for them.  The men quickly built a festival park by the town hall with tables and a small cookfire.  We women prepared a special meal, we wished we had more time.  We prepared turkey, mashed potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, carrots, cranberries, and the best pumpkin pies we could make without a bakery.  The families were very thankful for our efforts and one of the men was a cleric who had song booklets with him.  He said a brief prayer and lead a song of thanksgiving as We Gather Together:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahjZhZygvOY


  Everyone enjoyed the meal especially the work crew.  The crew chief said I was a very good cook, he looked puzzled.  We decided we would continue to serve meals in the park until no one was homeless or hungry. Work resumed the next day on track laying and a house was built next to the chapel for the cleric and his family.  A 13-year-old girl moved into the empty room at Holiday Inn, her older sister moved into a house built next door.  Like me, they lost their parents to the unknown disease.  A 2nd Holiday Inn was built along the same street, a widower and his son moved into one room, an older widow moved into the other.  The remaining 3 families moved into a single family house by the trading post and a 2 story house by the hedgerow and cranberry bog.  At the end of year 3 everyone was thankful to have a home.

  Weary traveler, please send word to Iron Ridge and Hometown that their loved ones arrived safe and well in Forevermore.  I will keep you posted.

Once again you produced a wonderful story board.

Thank You

 :)  Thank you @Kristahfer  I hope you and everyone everywhere is having a good day today.  :)

Letter 5  Autumn, Year 4

Dear Weary Traveler,

  I hope this letter finds you well.  It's been another busy year here in Forevermore.  Early spring was cold and snowy with 2 cases of the unknown disease.  Folks were keeping their distance from each other more now, so there was little or no spread when an outbreak occurred.  The patients recovered rapidly.

  We made some progress towards increasing our food supply and filling our goal for St. Nicholas.  A Tiny mill was built by the wheat field, the turkey farmyard doubled in size, and the sheep farmyard expanded to include chickens, potatoes, corn, and berries.  Two orchard gatherer huts were built.  There were no fruits or nuts to gather yet but the workers would gather wild foods until there was.

  Work on the tracks was progressing steadily and had actually rounded the bend to where a station would be built.  There were a lot of trees, stone, and iron to clear away before the turn-around tracks could be laid.  The work crew would not be leaving anytime soon.  Working closer to town, they could often take a break at the new warm snack stand by the park for a baked potato.  I met the crew chief there several times, by accidents of course, and was getting to know him but there was always that feeling that I already did.  He was single and came from someplace up north, dwarves often work as miners, smiths, or tunnelers in exchange for food for their people.  He did not understand why I was still single since I was such a good cook.

  Later autumn was cold and snowy and there was yet another outbreak but only 1 case this time.  We thought it was the weather that kept people inside and prevented the disease from spreading.  Oh, the mail sleigh has just arrived, must go.  Stay warm and stay well, weary traveler.

@Abandoned ;D Thank you for the new story, it's very interesting as always - I think you won't kill your heroes, I liked the song - unfortunately the pandemic is taking its toll - reality - all over the world - Regards

@taniu  Thank you, I am happy you like the story and song  :)  Always nice to hear from you and know you are well.  Pandemic is truly tragic.  Best wishes for you and your wife to stay well.

@Abandoned ;D ;D ;D Thank you for your good wishes. It's very hard for us to survive this whole situation with the virus. We wish you good health and a happy Christmas. Now Banished is therapy for us and my wife - we can break away from all worries. There are very nice people on this site - I like watching different stories and maps - more than once I was surprised by the great ideas of moderators and other players. Regards

 ;D Thanks @taniu for wishes and for picture of Santa coming to town.  It won't be long now and Christmas mod 2020 will be released long before that.  :)

Letter 6  Early Winter, Year 5

Hello again, Weary Traveler,

  We are all well here, hope you are the same.  I have a lot to tell you.  We are making progress on the stocking stuffer requirements. We've had our first harvests of all required fruits and nuts.  This year we built a spice house, a sugar house, and a Tiny beekeeper, ingredients needed for candy and gingerbread cookies. Sugar and spices are also needed for a special treat for the work crew.  The chief and I were talking about Christmases when we were children and he told me of a tradition soft drink  in the north especially liked by children.  It is called Julmust and is only made at Christmastime.  We built a Julmust store next to the Holiday Inn closest to the tracks.

  In early winter the child who had the unknown disease when she was 3 years old contracted it again but her mother, knowing the signs, got her quickly to the hospital and the girl soon recovered.

  The train is parked closer to town now.  The work crew stays in the passenger cars except when it gets very cold and windy, then they stay at the Holiday Inn, we insisted.  The turnaround is almost complete.  They will be leaving us soon, going back to their families there in Pumpkin Junction.  We have another surprise for them.  They'd been away from their wives and children for a long time and we thought it would be nice if they had some gifts to take home to them.  We built 2 shops, a candle shop and a gift shop.  We women spent our spare time making candles which could also be lit in our tiny chapel to remember our lost loved ones.  For the gift shop we made linen aprons and doilies and pot holders from flax, and woolen mittens and scarves.  We added some little packets of nuts and candy from Santa's Workshop, jars of homemade jam, plus small jugs of Julmust for the children.  We will have the work crew pick what they want for themselves and their families before they leave Forevermore.

  I must be getting a cold, weary traveler, I need a hanky.  I will write more another time.  Stay well.

Letter 7  Late Autumn, Year 6

Dear Weary Traveler,

  I write to say I am confident now that we will meet the quota for stocking stuffers, no children will wake to find their stockings empty on Saint Nicholas' Day.  By spring of this year we had a candy store built and 2 bakeries, a Christmas Baker for gingerbread cookies and a Tiny baker for bread.  Down the street from Santa's Mail room we built a Bake Shop.  It is nice to have fresh bread and cookies nearby.  I really like cookies.  We now have candle-lit colored street lights on our main street, from the Bake Shop to the Candle Shop.

  There was another outbreak of the unknown disease early in the year but all 3 patients recovered by summer.  We feared another outbreak in autumn when the weather turned cold and rainy.  There was no 2nd outbreak but it did snow early delaying the work train from leaving this year.  The turnaround was completed just before the first heavy snowfall.   The workers were disappointed at the delay, they were eager to get home to their families, but the crew chief said it would give them time to build a station and a coal bin and tiny mine for us.  We probably would not need to mine for coal for the train, it was not that far to and from Pumpkin Junction but should we need it, the mine shaft would be dug.  He thought we may have more trains coming here in the future when friends and families could come to visit.

  Must go, I'll write again soon.

Letter 8  Autumn Year 7

Greetings Weary Traveler,

  As I write this letter, the work train and crew are on their way back home.  They were here a long time, I will miss him them, I will miss them.  We all will.  Thinking of a train returning in the future with visitors we were prompted to built a 3rd Holiday Inn, this one closer to railway station that the crew built before they left.  There was the station itself plus a station master office, a ticket office, and coal bin.  To the west, they dug a Tiny coal mine should we need it.  They did not need any coal for their return trip but they loaded logs and iron to take back to Pumpkin Junction with them.

  We had no outbreak of the unknown disease in spring but 5 adults with 1 child arrived on foot from the South Annex, it was only a few days walk from that town's west side.  They brought news and came to help.  They had no outbreak there either this spring but the disease had taken its toll.  Their population was higher than ours and they lived much closer together, every outbreak spread like wildfire, recovery time was much slower and they lost some citizens, young and old alike.  They wanted to be sure we would met their quota for St. Nick, for the children.  They commented on the restoration work going on southeast of town.  I must confess, I forgot all about it.  The laborers gathering branches reported finding some old buildings and later a few of our builders asked if they could do some restoration work in their spare time.  I had been so busy with our main street, the railway, and the production buildings in other parts of town I completely forgot.

  Besides the 3rd Holiday Inn, we also built a tavern on Main Street, to serve Christmas Spirits.  We wanted something stronger than Julmust to celebrate the completion of the railway and to toast the workers and wish them well.  There was fun and laughter but also hugs and tears.  They thanked us for the gifts to take home to their families.  Several times I thought the crew chief wanted to say something to me but all he said was he had no idea where the railway would take him next, perhaps we would meet again someday. He added that we had no way to know what the future may hold, and then he they were gone.   I did not go to the station with the others to wave them off, I did not want to see the train leave Forevermore.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F2Mu3Grm7o

Letter 9  Autumn Year 8

Hello again Weary Traveler,

  It's been a year since I last wrote. I hope you have been well.  It was a busy year here, no time to sit around being blue.  In early spring we had our worst outbreak of the unknown disease, one patient would recover and another would come down with it.  There were 4 patients at one time in our Tiny hospital.  I checked on the families to be sure they had everything they needed, and I check that none of our essential workplaces were missing workers. 

  It was summer before I had time to check out the renovations southeast of town.  Let me tell you, weary traveler, I was amazed at what I found.  As children in the Annex we were often told the story of an old cold-hearted miser who once lived there.  He hated Christmas but loved money.  He thought Christmas was a time for reckless spending - the old "fools and their money are soon parted" theory.  He was right about that to some extent but of course he didn't mind if he was the one making the money.  He was a money lender and business man with warehouses. The story was told to teach us what was really important in life.  We thought the story was fiction but now I discovered it was true.  Southeast of town was a cemetery with 2 crypts, on one was engraved the name of that old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge.  The other was his business partner's.

There was a large mansion near Scrooge's crypt and a old road led south towards the west side of the Annex.  There was a market storehouse with a renovated sign that said Ebenezer's Emporium and a larger building that was Scrooge's Counting House.  The builders found some old inventory records and production statistics.  They said the small shack by the cemetery was beyond repair.  It may have housed a caretaker or poor employee.  There was the remains of an old fireplace but there were only a few small pieces of coal.  The big old mansion was cold and empty, the old crypt and graveyard also looked very cold and lonely.  So true that money doesn't buy lasting happiness.

  The family that arrived last year from the Annex moved into the mansion.  They of course knew the story and wanted to live in the historic building.  One of their 2 adult children moved into a Tiny house by the beekeeper and would fish from the new fishing pier by the cranberry bog.  A 2-story little house was built nearby for other young people who wanted places of their own.

  It's getting late, weary traveler, and the candle is burning low.  I'll write more another time.

Dec. 1st, 2020  Kid's Christmas 2020 mod has been released.  Find link to download here:

http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=3883.0

Merry Christmas  :)

Letter 10  Late Winter, Year 9

Dear Weary Traveler, 

It has been quite a busy year here as you can imagine, still trying to fill the quota of stocking stuffers for St. Nick.  We were way behind in orange production.  There were oranges in storage but they were not getting to the trading post, too many were being eaten.  We assigned another worker to wheel barrow duty.

  Winter of year 8 was cold and snowy,  the children built the first snowman of the season and played with their sleds in the park.   The first tree was trimmed with pretty blue ornaments and the snack stand was now roasting chestnuts.  We began to plan for other seasonal treats too.   We would add a plum forester to our fruit and nut orchards.

The first sacks of Letters to Santa arrived right after my last letter to you.  As Santa's mail clerk it is my job to open the letters and sort them.  I am to calculate the total number of each toy that needs to be made this year before forwarding the letters and totals to Santa. I'd already opened a dozen letters saying "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas."  It was a popular new toy last Christmas.  As I worked I could hear the children in the classroom below learning Christmas carols from their new song booklets.  They would soon be writing their letters to Santa.

   In early spring of year 9, the family in the mansion said they just could not keep the place warm.  We built a wood fuel market close to their house and collected branches.  We did notice the cold mist in the graveyard that they mentioned.  We began extending their road to meet up with our main street.  When 9 adults with 2 children arrived from the Annex to help in late spring, we began building a 2-story house and an animal shed on that road.  In summer there was another outbreak of the unknown disease.  We had no outbreak since spring of last year so the doctor was not on duty at the hospital.  There were 7 cases before the hospital was reopened.  The patients all recovered but we just had another outbreak now in late winter.  When will this end.  I'll keep you posted.

PS   Weary Traveler, don't forget to remind the children to write their letters to Santa

Letter 11  Early Winter, Year 11

Dear Weary Traveler, 

   I'm sorry it has been so long since you last heard from me.  I hope this letter find you well.  Last year was a busy year.  In year 10 we built another stone street with lights and a market like the emporium and houses for those still living in the Holiday Inns. The new orchard forester was built and plum trees were being planted.  There was now a 2nd spice shop, this one built behind the mill and Christmas baker.  In summer we had another outbreak, 3 patients who recovered quickly. 

  When autumn came with shorter days and early snow, the older school boys began helping the candle shop owner light the street lanterns just before dark.  Some of the boys reported seeing ghosts over by Scrooges's mansion, they must be telling too many scary Halloween stories in Pumpkin Junction.  In late winter we reached a milestone - Forevermore had a population of 100 citizens, 55 adults, 13 students, and 32 young children.

  In spring of this year our plum orchard trees were doing well, and we cleared and planted another wheat field.  We would need more flour for holiday baking.  In summer there was yet another outbreak of the unknown disease which lingered into fall.  The first 3 patients recovered and then there were more for a total of 7, 4 of them were students.  We thought perhaps our schoolroom was overcrowded.  We had some of the girls outside in the morning helping feed the reindeer, and the boys left early in the afternoon to light the candle street lantern.  It was way too cold to have the younger children outside.

  I'll write again soon, weary traveler, stay well.

Letter 12  Early Winter, Year 12

Dear Weary Traveler,

  It is another cold winter here in Forevermore but not quite as cold as it was last winter.  We had no shortage of firewood even without an official woodcutter but the family in Scrooge's mansion still complained about the cold.  They asked if it were possible to open the railway's tiny mine so they could have just a few pieces of coal.  They did not see any ghosts but they thought they heard chains rattle a few time and at night the wind howled around the house and often sounded like moaning.  I was having a hard time understanding the cold and the wind, the mansion was stone and it was protected from the cold northwest winter wind by the small mountain.  Perhaps it was the size of the rooms or the high ceilings but we could give coal a try, problem was the railway mine was far from the mansion.  We would have a free hauler soon, we had almost reached our stocking stuffer quota that was being stored at the trading post.  We opened the tiny mine and assigned 2 miners.  We build a tiny house by the railway stockpile and a young couple moved in and together they would mine for coal.

  That cold winter also prompted a request for comforting warm mulled wine, for medicinal purposes of course.  If it would help keep folks from contracting the unknown disease, it too was worth a try.  We would need grapes.  A grape house was built next to the spice house behind the Christmas Spirits tavern.  We had enough apple cider, time to make something stronger.

  In early autumn Santa's Elf return with more sacks of mail, he did not feel well.  He was the only patient in the hospital and quickly recovered.  By late autumn the first batch of mulled wine was ready.  I must admit, I did look forward to having some.  There was also now coal available on the stockpile behind the tavern and in front of the trading post, close enough for the mansion family to get a few pieces of coal.

  The elf has just returned with more letters to Santa so I must run to give him this one to deliver to you.

"..for medical purpose..."

Well, that's one way to say it :)

 ;D ;D ;D of course,  ;D medicinal purpose  :)  almost as good as chicken soup  :)

Letter 13  Early Winter, Year 13

Dear Weary Traveler, 

  I hope this letter finds you well.  We had yet another outbreak of the unknown disease in late spring that lasted well into summer this year.  It was a good thing that in early spring we built a Tiny tailor because our workshop smith was one of the patients.  Our total of coats did not suffer much.  We built a textile market by the new tailor so leather and wool were close at hand.  We built a Tiny smith near the railway stockpile just in case we would need more tools.

  I was a bit concerned over the requests in the latest batch of letters to Santa.  There were the usual I want a train, I want a rocking horse, bring my sister a toy squirrel, but more and more I was reading Dear Santa, could you bring my mommy a new coat or bring my daddy a new tool.  I was really glad that we had the quota of stocking stuffers complete and waiting for St. Nicholas to pick up. 

  Saint Nicholas arrived right on schedule in early winter to pick up the stocking stuffers. He loaded the sleigh, took off, and returned several times during the night to load more.  I heard the sleigh.  The children would wake in the morning to a stocking full of treats.

  It's getting late, weary traveler, I'll write more another time.  Stay well.

Letter 14  Late Autumn, Year 14

Dear Weary Traveler, 

  Last winter was not as cold as winters usually are here in Forevermore but nonetheless there was an outbreak of the unknown disease in early spring.  The elf who brought Santa's mail said other places were hit hard by the disease and many of the North Pole elves were now out sick.  It seemed the disease was still causing shortages, the letters to Santa still ask for tools.  Dear Santa, my daddy works in the coal mine and needs a new pick axe.  Dear Santa, my daddy works on the railway and needs a new hammer.  I often wonder where the railway work crew was now.  I had a strange dream about the crew chief, maybe I'll tell you about it another time.

  Where was I, oh yes, the letters.  There were several letters from children who got lumps of coal in their stockings last year because they were naughty and wanted Santa to know they were good this year.  Speaking of coal, the family in the mansion said burning coal made the house a bit warmer but they woke at night now because of strange dreams. They were not bad dreams, mostly good memories of loved ones now gone, but what was strange was that family members often had the same dream of a Christmas past.  Maybe a cup of hot chocolate before bed would help them sleep better.

  By late summer a cocoa house was providing cocoa for the hot chocolate stand.  Umbrella tables and chairs were set up nearby but not many people wanted to sample hot cocoa on an 80 or 90 degree day.  One comment in favor of it was the hot chocolate did not get cold as fast as it did in winter.

  We were glad that by the time the temperatures started dropping in autumn, the spring disease outbreak seemed to finally be over.  The days were not only getting colder but shorter as well and again in autumn the boys lighting the street lanterns claimed to see a ghost by Scrooge's crypt.  By the time the first snowflakes fell we had installed street lanterns along the road to the mansion.  The boys were told to light them first each afternoon before it got dark.

My candle is again burning low, weary traveler, I'll write again soon.

Letter 15  Late Winter, Year 15

Greetings Weary Traveler,

  I have sad news this time, weary traveler.  The year started well, we build a 2nd school, this one behind the chapel, thinking to keep the students a bit more separated.  The spring outbreak however was soon over, there were only 2 cases.  The mail elf brought news that a riverboat would be stopping by soon, they were collecting donations of tools and clothes for those in need.  We were also told that Hometown would probably not be able to fulfill their quota of toys for Santa this year due to illnesses, Santa is asking us to step in and make toys.  Of course we will.

Shortly after, the elves arrived, 10 adults with 2 children.  Most of the adults were young singles so our Holiday Inns were soon filled, we built another one.  Several houses and a gift shop were built too but not before there was another outbreak of the unknown disease and this one spread rapidly.  There were 4 cases of the unknown disease when the river boatman stop at our trading post.  We donated 100 tools and all the wool and hide coats that we had, he insisted we take some of the spices he had before hurrying on his way.  The 4 cases had rapidly turned into 20 and our tiny hospital was overwhelmed. 

  In early autumn the unknown disease claim a young child and then a worker in autumn and another child in late autumn.  The cleric held services at the tiny chapel and he and the boy's choir sang at the gravesides.  It will be a blue Christmas for those families.  Only now in late winter has the last patient recovered.  All the new families have homes, and we have a new candle shop, in the tiny chapel there is the soft glow of candlelight.  I can still hear the cleric and choir boys singing  "If we never meet again."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0t0c69oWbY

That's sad news. I guess life must go on.

Your last post really touched me. @Abandoned you have the unique ability to place before us the beauty that this game provides. You and many others have taken this game far beyond what the original author put together so many years ago.


How can you explain that this is not just a game? No it is a canvas with many different colors to choose from to paint your own picture. The various authors of additional modules that can be added to this game, allows a rainbow of options for you to mix and match as you splash the various colors on your canvas. Then along comes a few that have the skill to really let their work shine. Adding music just makes your stories really stand out.


Thank you so very much allowing me to view your beautiful work.


Kristahfer

@kid1293 It is a rather sad story this Christmas but I just could not write a holly jolly one this year - rather Christmas for the children as it should be with faith and hope thrown in.  :) and the beautiful additions to Christmas mod  :)  I love those street lanterns you made, in the snow they look like they are aglow.  :)

@Kristahfer Thank you so much :) I agree it starts with the beauty of this game itself, the change of the seasons, the trees, and the falling snow.  The beauty and variety of the mods can change the whole look and feel of a map like magic.  I am still amazed how it can all fall together.  I hope there will be many more stories to come.

Letter 16  Winter, Year 16

Dear Weary Traveler,


  I hope this letter finds you, and those you love, well.  We had no new outbreak of the unknown disease this past spring for which we were grateful but the elf bringing Santa's mail had a different story to tell.  Santa's workshops at the North Pole are working at less than half capacity to keep the unknown disease outbreaks from spreading.  Holiday Hometown has no workers making toys at all, healthy workers are struggling to produce enough food for the town.  We were asked to make as many wooden toys as we could and we were given the patterns for trains, rocking horses, squirrels, and hippos.  Of course we agreed, this year especially the children should not be disappointed.

  This undertaking would take planning.  We had plenty of logs but they were mostly stockpiled by the railway and the fruit orchards where land was cleared for tracks and fruit trees.  Those would be the best locations for our toymakers.  We could easily build sleighs to store the toys and Santa or his elves would only have to stop to exchange sleighs like he did in Hometown.  After quickly consulting with our town's head dwarf, I had another idea for the elf to take back to Santa.  I got my answer when in spring 13 North Pole elves arrived with their 4 children. 

  We had already begun building 2 Toy workshops, 1 near the railway stockpile and 1 near the orchard stockpile.  We had more houses to build before we would start on sleigh building.  The elves brought word from Santa that by all means we should get toys to the sleighs in Holiday Hometown if we could.  We already had tracks going there, we only needed a train.  All that was needed was an engine, a freight car, and a caboose.  Our dwarves set to work building the freight car first.  Holiday Hometown had 5 sleighs that held 500 toys each.  Would we have time to make 2,500 toys and get them to Hometown before Christmas Eve, plus make enough toys for our own sleighs?  We had to try.   I was reminded that it would take a lot of coal to get the train to Hometown from here.  I assigned another worker to the tiny coal mine and the dwarves built a few mine cart.  The town's children started being extra good for fear they would get a lump of coal in their stockings.

I must go now, weary traveler, there's been another outbreak, stay well.

Letter 17  Early Winter, Year 17

Greetings Weary Traveler,


  It's been a very busy year.  When last I wrote we just had another outbreak.  The 6-year-old daughter of the mansion family, Auren, became ill after awaking from a dream and sneaking outside hoping to see the graveyard ghost.  Her mother didn't realize it was the unknown disease until there was one case after another, there were 13 cases in all.  I had ordered chicken from the riverboat trader so we could have chicken soup in our fireplace kettles to cure the common colds.  Our chickens were laying hens and not the best for making soup.  The ordered chicken meat had not come yet.  We had clothes and iron tools to trade.  Our donations must have helped, the letters to Santa were all asking for toys now.

  The patients were all recovered by late spring when 17 elves with 8 children arrived to help make toys.   We began building houses.  Our food supply and our firewood supply both dropped.  We took to the woods to gather wild foods and firewood.  I also thought it time we secured our future wood supply by building a Tiny forester north of town beyond the hedgerow, and another just north of the railway station where the train engine had just been completed.  The freight car already had 211 toys inside.

  In early autumn I had a woodcutter cutting firewood, our supply would be too low for the coming winter.  I just got word of another outbreak and then word of another death, but it was Renna the gatherer who died during childbirth.  The 3 unknown disease patients all recovered.  By early winter we still needed housing for folks still living in the Inns, but we had a 3rd toy shop making toys.

  It's been a long day weary traveler, I'll write again soon.

It will be a long winter :( I hope things improve!

@Abandoned  ;)A beautiful story, but sometimes the thread is sad, just like reality, we all have the flu, it teases us a lot. The song is very beautiful, romantic and there are beautiful landscapes of summer and winter - I have always said that our Earth is beautiful - you just have to respect it.  I think we will all survive this winter. Stay warm, if you have a fireplace, sit down and revel in cocoa. Regards

These are sad times.  @kid1293 There's always hope  :) and as @taniu says it is a beautiful landscape, the snow is pretty and Santa's toys are being made. Thanks for nice thoughts @taniu.  Hot cocoa sounds good.  :)

Letter 18  Autumn Year 18

Dear Weary Traveler,


  I must say, weary traveler, I am weary too.  I awoke again during the night after another dream, they always seem to be a continuation of the last one.  The family in the mansion continue to have dreams of the past but when asked if they wanted to move after the incident with their 6-year-old, they said no.  It seemed that old Ebenezer Scrooge was visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Christmas Yet to Come.  He was able to change his life.  I did not see how this could pertain to us.  A few others have had dreams of past Christmases but whether connected or just because of the season was impossible to tell.  My dreams had nothing to do with Christmas.

This year began with a dwindling food supply and one outbreak after another of the unknown disease.  The elves that arrived in spring would not stay at this time.  I assigned extra workers to the fishing pier, turkey farmyard, and animal sheds.  Another shed was built.  We had a surplus of apples which would keep a long time but we could not risk losing any, we built a Tiny Jam shop to preserve some.  I had to get the unknown disease under control and our food supply stable if I wanted to implement another idea I had.  We built a Tiny hospital on the east side of town where all the last outbreaks seemed to begin.

  The elf who dropped off Santa's mail told me that the outbreaks seemed to have stopped in many places now, or were few and far between.  Pumpkin Junction and Iron Ridge were doing much better then most of us in this area, Hometown was still struggling.  We were sending them freight cars of toys for Christmas, why not send one of food too.  Many others agreed that we could do it.  The dwarves began building another train car.  I began asking around to find out what foods Hometown served at their Christmas Eve gathering at the old boarding house.

  I must go now, weary traveler, I need to get more sleep. Be sure to let me know if there is anything that is needed in Pumpkin Junction or Iron Ridge.

Letter 19 Late Autumn, Year 19

Dear Weary Traveler,


I hope this letter finds you well.  Our overall health remains good but we suffered more losses this year.  The year started well with no outbreak.  We had 653 toys in the train's freight car and began production of Hometown's Christmas Eve buffet.  I learned from former Hometownians that the buffet consisted of plates of sliced sausages and a variety of cheeses and breads.  There were platters of meats and vegetables and trays of plum cake slices, gingerbread cookies, and sugar plum candies.  There were kettles of mulled wine for adults and hot chocolate for the children.  We would have to make a few substitutions because of travel time and keeping quality but we would do our best.  A Tiny dairy was built to make cheese, more workers were assigned to the animal sheds.  A 2nd fishing pier was built south of the trading post and a Tiny smoker was built not far from that.  We would send smoke fish instead of meat.

  In early summer there was an outbreak of the unknown disease.  Despite having 2 hospitals, both patients died, a child in early summer and a laborer shortly after.  The next 2 patients, one of Santa's elf and another young child died in autumn.  All 4 were laid to rest in the mansion graveyard which was closer to their homes.

The old abandoned ruin by the graveyard was demolished and replaced by a Tiny house.  A gatherer was now working nearby.  It was that gatherer who saw the 2nd graveyard ghost after returning home late from storing the wild foods in Ebenezer's Emporium.

  I must go now, weary traveler.  The river boatman just arrived with the chicken I ordered.  There will be homemade chicken soup this winter.  I'll write again soon, stay well.

Greetings Weary Traveler,


  The chicken soup seemed to help, there were less coughs and colds last winter and no outbreak until early summer.  The 2 patients recovered quickly.  Maybe the Tiny herbalist we built in town helped too.

  We also built a Tiny Butcher.  It was not hard to decide what type sausages to make, the only meat we had was venison and there were several large herds nearby if we need more.  We had a good start to providing for Hometown's Christmas Eve buffet and we'd have enough left over for our own celebration.  So far we had cheese, sausage, smoke fish, bread, gingerbread cookies, and mulled wine.  We will substitute Julmust for the hot chocolate, and add an assortment of vegetables, fruits and nuts, plus the plum cakes and sugarplum candy. 

  I got word that the freight car was full of toys.  There were 999 toys, I asked if they couldn't squeeze in 1 more.  We would need 2 more freight cars and probably a lot more coal.  We also needed to built 3 sleighs to fill with toys.  We needed a lot more toys.  I thought it best to build another toymaker.  There was still so much to do. I just got 2 more sacks of Santa's mail.  I best get back to work. 

  Stay well, weary traveler.

Letter 21  Early Winter, Year 21

Dear Weary Traveler,

  By early spring of this year we had another freight car built for toys.  We built our 1st sleigh for Santa's toys near Santa's workshop and a 2nd sleigh by the orchard toy maker.   A Tiny tavern was built nearby.  Our mulled wine was all going to the train car and folks wanted something stronger than hot chocolate.

  In early spring, Yamila the general goods merchant brought more chicken, and Santa's elf brought more letters to Santa and news that things were improving at the North Pole and many elves were now back to work.  We probably should not expect more elves to arrive anytime soon unless we really needed help.  I said I was confident we would meet our quotas.  We only had 2 cases of the unknown disease this year.

  I had a busy year checking that all productions were going well.  Another spice house was built back by the mill and bakery.  I am thinking we may need another Christmas baker to make the plum cakes.  I was happy to have a Nog Nook built right across from Santa's Mail where another tree was trimmed for Christmas.  I enjoy getting a cookie or 2 from the Bake shop and stopping for an eggnog to go with them.  I'm headed there now.  Stay well.

 :) :) :) You make it really impressive and Christmassy!

The lamp posts were a good request! :)

 :) Thanks, the new additions really add a lot of Christmasness  ;D  What fun.  Those lamp posts turned out better than I had hoped for.  :)

Kid Tiny v3 has been released.  Find info and link to download here:

http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=1859.0

3??? which 1 do i have now.  you trying to cunfuse me?

by the way, you added cocoa but we can't du HERSHEY wihtout roller coasters. j/k

sorry @brads3  ;D I just forgot to add link when Tiny 3 was released a few days ago.  Kid Railway will not go on hills, no roller coaster.

Letter 22  Early Winter, Year 22

Greetings Weary Traveler,

  I hope this finds you well.  I am a bit tired.  I often wake a bit confused and disoriented from the dreams I continue to have.  It is almost as if I am living in 2 different times and places.  The family in the mansion have occasionally seen the 2 graveyard ghosts from their windows.  They occasionally still have dreams of the past but now they have dreams of the present too, most are a replay of what they had done that day.  A few other families have had similar dreams.

We had 3 brief outbreaks of the unknown disease this year, none serious.  I believe our 2 hospitals, our herbalist, and a lot of chicken soup helped.

  I spent a lot of time last winter going over statistic.  In early spring Forevermore had a population of 242, 135 Adults, 34 students, and 73 children.  There were 83 families but only 68 homes.  After careful study of birth records I determined that there were at least a half dozen young singles occupying houses and an equal number of young singles living at home that were of marriageable age.  Most young singles at home had just finished school.  Hopefully some of these young people would pair up before we start building more homes.  More urgently needed was another school.  The Santa's Mail classroom had 20 students and the Tiny school was full with 14.  A Tiny red schoolhouse was built by the Christmas baker which was now making plum cakes.

  Besides the new school, I had the dwarves build a 3rd freight car and a 3rd sleigh for toys. The 1st freight car had 999 toys, the 2nd had 579, our goal is 2,500.  We needed 922 more toys to send to Hometown.  The freight car of food is almost full, there may be a bit of space left after the plum cakes are added.  Our 3 sleighs will hold a total of 1,500 toys, we have 351 in one sleigh and 251 in the other, the new sleigh is still empty.  We need 898 more toys for our 3 sleighs for Santa to pick up Christmas Eve.  We have a lot of work to do in a short time.  More and more Christmas decorations are going up around town and there is a new park.

  It's time I get some sleep.  I'll write again another time.

Letter 23  Early Winter, Year 23

Dear Weary Traveler,


  Where does the time go, it will soon be Christmas Eve.   The train will have to be on its way soon so the Hometownians will have time to load the toys onto the their sleighs for Santa.  In early spring I stopped workers from loading toys onto our sleighs, the freight cars must be loaded first.  I also assigned a worker to load the coal bin with enough coal to get the train at least as far as Iron Ridge.  As soon as that is done, I will have miners start bringing up iron for the smiths.  We seem to always be low on iron and what surface iron remains is far away.  Laborers have had to go as far as the tunnel to fetch more.  I must admit, weary traveler, I have often wished for the work train to return through that tunnel.

  It was time we start clearing trees and branches that may be blocking the tracks.  We need the logs for toy making, the railway stockpiles are nearly empty.  We built a Tiny gardener to cut and plant trees, and a branch gatherer who will help clear the tracks.  Work has been slow this year.  Many families are now having the recurring dreams of their work day, they are waking as tired as if they had actually worked all night.  The doctors had nothing to suggest, the cleric prayed by the crypt and graveyard which stopped the dreams and ghost sightings but only for a few days at a time.

  Nonetheless, we filled the freight car with more than enough food for Hometown's Christmas Eve buffet, we only need 452 more toys, and the coal bin is 41% filled with coal.  We added another miner to the tiny mine and more chickens to our fireplace soup kettles.  There was no unknown disease outbreak this year, only dreams of the past and of the present.  The children still dream of toys, and visions of sugar plums dance in their heads.

  Sweet dreams, weary traveler, stay well.

Letter 24  Early Winter, Year 24

Dear Weary Traveler,


  I am sad and blue to tell you that early spring this year began with another major outbreak.  It began with 7 patients and grew to 15, 21, 29, and then there were 34 who were ill.  The unknown disease spread so rapidly there was no time to make chicken soup when the river boatman arrived with more chicken.  He hurried on his way.  Residents hurried to the chapel to pray as spring turned into summer and 2 of Santa's elves and 1 laborer passed away. 

  By late summer the remaining patients were cured.  We began building houses for young people to put some distance between family members hoping to stop the disease outbreaks from spreading so fast.  There was another outbreak in late summer and again in early autumn.  Each of those times there were only a few patients and they recovered quickly.

  Our food and firewood supply dropped slightly but enough to get us out to the woods to gather more wild foods and branches.  We have enough iron to last a little while longer.  It was not a good year, weary traveler.  We can only hope that next year will be better.

I'll write more later.

Letter 25  Early Winter Year 25

Dear Weary Traveler,


  I have good news to report this year.  There was no outbreak of the unknown disease early this year.  By early summer the 3 freight cars were loaded with 2,500 toys for Santa and another with foods for Hometown.  The engine's coal car was loaded and the train was ready to go.  We were confident the small crew would not be carrying the disease from one town to the next.  The train was on its way in summer with plenty of time to reach Hometown before Christmas Eve.

  Then it was time to fill our 3 sleighs with toys for Santa to pick up here.  The coal that remained in the coal bin could be used to heat houses and the miners could bring up iron until more coal was needed.  We would continue to build more houses.  Our schools were filled to capacity again, we built another Tiny red school.  Our food surplus was still lower than I would like so another farmyard and animal shed were built near the new school.

  There are still quite a few last-minute letters to Santa to take care of so I better get to it.  I'll write again soon.

Letter 26  Winter, Year 26

Greeting Weary Traveler,


  That last batch of letters to Santa made me sad and blue.  There were several letters from children who said all they wanted for Christmas was to have their mother, father, or sibling brought back.  It was shortly after that a 3rd ghost was sighted by Scrooge's crypt, the dreams, except for mine,  began to change again.  First was Christmas past and then there was Christmas present, but now there were dreams of what we feared was Christmas yet to come.  The dreams were all of empty chairs at the kitchen table or in front of the fireplace.   The cleric tried to convince people that the dreams were not visions of what will be, but it was difficult to carry on as usual or to think of the Christmas yet to come. 

  When the weather warmed in early spring, several more trees were trimmed around town and more wreaths and street lights began to appear.  We had to concentrate on improving our food supply and building more house. Forevermore had 102 families but only 72 homes.  A Tiny house and another animal shed was built by the new school,  another Tiny house and farmyard by the cranberry bog, and a 3rd Tiny house and turkey farm was built near the others.  Two house that would soon have 2nd stories added were built by the new wheat field that was cleared and ready to plant.

The outbreak of the unknown disease that began with only 2 patients in spring suddenly exploded to 36 in late spring and our hospitals were overflowing.  We lost the tailor and a laborer.  Neither family were among those that had had the dream.  Because of all the illnesses work was again behind, only 2 of the 3 sleighs were filled with Santa's toys.  There were more dreams of Christmas yet to come, something had to be done.

  Stay well, weary traveler.

Letter 27  Early Winter, Year 27

Dear Weary Traveler,


  Yes, something had to be done about the dreams, even the smallest illness caused panic and stress.  The least sneeze or sniffle had folks rushing their loved ones to the doctor or herbalist.  We began building yet another hospital.  The cleric had an idea that sounded like a good one to me.  He said perhaps old Ebenezer's spirit was still not at rest, the Holy Book says it will be very difficult for a rich man to get into heaven. The ghosts disappeared for a short time whenever he went to the graveyard to pray, he suggested we build a large chapel there.  It may help these restless spirits to rest in peace.

  We began clearing the land and extending the road.  We would need a lot of stone.  Another candle shop was build at the end of the road and street lights were already installed and being lit. The builders continued working through the summer heat and poring rain.  They took time out during another small outbreak to build another Tiny chapel by the new Tiny Hospital where people could pray for those that were ill and for the families who were missing loved ones.  There were no new losses this year and by early winter the large chapel was complete.  The interior was aglow with soft candlelight.  Miraculously, the cold graveyard mist and the 3 ghosts disappeared and all the dreams of Christmas past, present, and Christmas yet to come have stopped.  My dreams stopped as well.

Sorry, I must go, I'll write again another time.

Letter 28  Early Winter, Year 28

Greeting Weary Traveler,


  Good news, by the end of last year all 3 of our sleighs were filled with toys for Santa.  More wood could be used for firewood now, our supply was very low.  We built a Tiny chopping block by the orchard stockpile and folks who were now sleeping better without the dreams had more energy to gather branches.  Folks were out and about more now with their children who were playing with their sleds and building snowmen all around town.  They were playing in the parks and visiting the reindeer.  The children could hardly wait until Santa would come.  Families were going out to have a drink of Julmust or hot chocolate and there was the sound of children's laughter and friendly greetings being called. 

  There was only 1 minor outbreak in late spring that was soon over.  Our food supply improved and a few more houses were built that summer.  It snowed early again in autumn and the mansion children built a snowman in their own yard.  The mist was gone and the ghosts have not returned.  The dreams remained gone as well.  I must admit I rather miss the dreams I was having, they were a pleasant escape from reality and I was with someone that I loved.  After Christmas when I have more time, I'll write and tell you all about them. It's almost Christmas and there's a lot to be done.  I best get some sleep.

Stay well, weary traveler.

Letter 29  Late Winter, Year 29

Dear Weary Traveler,


  The last time the mail elf came, I gave him my  letter to you along with the last of the sorted mail and lists for Santa to check twice.  I told the elf that the sleighs were ready for pick-up and was told they should be moved to the trading post.  We had enlarged the landing area and added lights.  Santa would need a milk and cookie snack between pick-ups.

  Our holiday plum cakes were very popular, we did not want to stop production in order to bake the cookies for Santa.  A 2nd Christmas Baker was build as well as another Tiny Shed.  Our plum trees were doing well, as was the orange and nuts orchards.  Our jam shop was always busy and providing jars of jams for the gift shops.  Our wheat fields provided the grain for the mill which in turn kept the bakeries supplies with flour.  The hedgerows provided chestnuts for roasting by the park where folks were gathering after stopping to pick-up Christmas song booklets or visiting the chapel.  More houses were being built and young couples looked forward to having their own places by Christmas.  Outbreaks of the unknown disease were now small and few and far between.  All was going well. 

  In late summer we were surprised by the call of FIRE!  A Tiny house was aflame.  Luckily it was close to one of our few wells, but still the house was a total loss.  At least no one was hurt.  It was one of the older houses and would have to be rebuilt.  Forevermore had 95 homes for 118 families.  Our population was 325 citizens, 194 adults, 53 students, and 78 young children. 

  I must go, there is a lot to do.  Stay well, weary traveler.

Letter 30   Spring, Year 30

Dear Weary Traveler,

  I hope you are sitting down, I have horrific news to tell.  It was early morning of the first warm day of early spring, workers were already outside, and children were on their way to school or already there.  I'd just gotten word of another outbreak of the unknown disease and was on my way downstairs when I heard what I at first joyfully thought was the work train returning.  And then I realized it was the wind, not just the wind, a whirlwind, a tornado, and it was so close.  I ran into the classroom and grabbed the hands of the 2 youngest school children and screamed for the others to follow as we dashed outside and up the street.  I dragged the 2 children with me under Santa's sleigh where we coward until the storm past.

  The twister touched down just over this side of the hills by the orchards, it traveled up the orchard road then turned towards town destroying everything and everyone in its path.  Santa's Mail, Holiday Inn, and the 2-story house were totally destroyed.  I made it out with the children just in time.  The tornado hit and destroyed 3 of our 4 schools - sob -  only 2 of the 53 students survived - sob - the 2 children whose hands I was holding - sob.   In minutes Forevermore's population went from 325 to 85, from 118 families to 44.  Scrooge's mansion was destroyed and the family was gone.  The ghost of Christmas yet to come had not been wrong.

  I'll write when I can, sob.

Oh no, that tornado went right through the center of town :(

yes, devastating from one side of town to the other.  It stalled on that hill by the cemetery and looked as if it was turning to go back again but it dissipated

Letter 31  Early Winter, Year 30

Dear Weary Traveler,


  Those first days and weeks after the tornado are a blur.  I, like many others, was in shock.  I remember being given mulled wine and food.  I was staying in one of the undamaged Holiday Inns.  When I pulled myself together and went out to tour the damage, I found our graveyards full and graves everywhere.  It was mind numbing.  I saw one building totally destroyed and the one next to it untouched.  The tiny tailor and textile market were gone, we were short of coats.  The work force was all but non-existent, and what there was was badly distributed. Gatherers were gathering food we didn't need but no one was caring for the animals in the sheds and farmyards.  The reindeer escaped unharmed but returned.  I needed builders to repair and rebuild necessary building.

I immediately shut down everything that was not necessary and reallocated workers.  The momentous task of rebuilding began.  The Tiny chapel and Carol Booklet shop were rebuilt.  Most houses would be rebuilt later as needed but the builders insisted that the Tiny town hall and my Santa's Mail home be rebuilt right away.  I moved back in mid summer.  There were no student for the classroom now.
 
  We made a lot of progress by early winter but there was so very much more left to do before Christmas Eve.  I best get back to work.  Stay well, Weary Traveler and have a Merry Christmas.

It is a sad sight with all those crosses  :(

yes, sad  :(  I started counting as I placed deco crosses but I stopped, decided that 240 crosses would be too much  :(

Letter 32 page 1  Winter, Year 31

Dear Weary Traveler, 


  The year began with another outbreak of the unknown disease.  Our 3 hospitals were intact but we had no doctors, there were 3 patients before I found someone to fill in.  In spring, I was surprised and very happy to welcome 23 elves and their 7 children from the North Pole.  They came as soon as they could after finishing their work for Santa.  They saw our 3 sleighs of toys waiting for pick-up when they arrived.  Thankfully the tornado spared all 3 and we moved then to the trading post landing area, no child would be disappointed on Christmas morning.  There were several builders in the group, a tailor, and  a doctor.  The 3 patients recovered quickly and rebuilding continued.  It was time to turn my attention to Christmas Eve.

One of the new arrivals quickly copied and updated records from Scrooge's Counting House and transferred them to the rebuilt tiny town hall.  I carefully went over the food inventory.  I would have the Christmas Eve buffet set up on the first floor of the rebuilt Holiday Inn 2 doors away from Santa's Mail.  It was closer to the big chapel where we would have a candlelit memorial service on Christmas Eve.  The candle shops were busy making candles.  Two of the builders were making tables for the buffet and beds for the rooms upstairs for anyone who did not want to go home alone after the service. The children were gathered together to make decorations for the buffet hall, it was starting to look quite festive and it was nice to hear the children laughing again.

  We had plenty of cheese, sausage, and smoke fish in storage.  There was a nice assortment of vegetables too.  The baker was again baking bread.  We had enough gingerbread cookies for the buffet and for Santa's milk and cookies snack.  There were only a few plum cakes and pieces of sugar plum candies.  The plum orchard was severely damaged but may still produce enough for more cakes and candies.  The damaged Christmas baker was rebuilt along with the spice houses.  The Julmust brewer was undamaged but had no sugar.  Christmas Spirits was rebuilt but had no grapes for the mulled wine.  The sugar and grape houses were rebuilt.

  I am so proud of the people of Forevermore and what they have accomplished despite all the additional heartbreak since the tornado touched down.  There's been 15 newborns, our population has grown to 134, 89 adults, 6 students, and 39 young children.  The adults have worked hard. What needed to be rebuilt has been rebuilt or is being worked on, and the other damaged buildings are now being removed so as not to be a constant reminder of that day.  Everyone in our Tiny town is in some way helping prepare for Christmas this year. 

  And now it's the day before Christmas, weary traveler, and everything is going according to plan.


Note: Check back later today for page 2 of this letter.

Letter 32 page 2  Winter, Year 32


  It began snowing early today, weary traveler,  a beautiful fluffy Christmas snow.  The street candles were lit early as folks made their way to the Holiday Inn buffet. It was a festive affair despite the tears over memories of Christmases past.  There was love and joy over being together, and fun and laughter with the children this Christmas present.  There was peace and hope for Christmases yet to come as we made our way to the Chapel that silent night.  Only the whisper of the wind could be heard.

The chapel was aglow with soft candlelight.  We each held a lit candle as the list of names of those we lost was read.  The Christmas song that was sung reminded us that our loved ones were not really gone, they would remain in our hearts forevermore.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLvN0HqSkcU


Merry Christmas, Weary Traveler

Merry Christmas to you too, and thanks :) :) :)

Merry Christmas Kid  :)

Epilogue


Christmas Day in Forevermore began sunny and bright.  The empty Santa toy sleighs had been returned for refilling next year, and the children were outside playing with their new toys. They were making snowmen and sledding down the hill by Ebenezer's Emporium.   An all day  Christmas dinner buffet was set up at the Holiday Inn for anyone who wanted to come.  There was turkey and venison with potatoes and vegetables plus more of the same treats as the night before.  By mid-afternoon it was snowing again, the street candles were lit early.  No one lingered long over dinner but hurried home through the heavily falling snow.  The wind picked up and by nightfall it was a blizzard that would have residents snowed-in for several day.  Forevermore's letter writer decided to  use the time to write you about the dreams she had of the past like she said she would do when she had the time.  The letter will be arriving soon.

Merry Christmas Day Weary Traveler


To be Continued in Forevermore Part 2 - Story 64