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Abandoned - Ice Mountain Nature Preserve - Story 52

Started by Abandoned, January 09, 2020, 08:26:58 AM

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Abandoned

#30
Chapter 10


  As expected, the water carried away one after another of the small icebergs.  A few of the workers had to take a running leap to get back across the icy river but all made it safely back and our log supply got a nice bonus.  A safer and more reliable source of logs would be the forester workplace setup west of the mine cave and fishing pond.  To our delight the small group of polar bears returned to the nearby feeding area for fresh fish and winter berries, and to our surprise, grown-up baby bear who returned to the animal pen now had a baby of her own. 

  Our livestock was also doing well in the animal barns, a third one was build to help relieve overcrowding.  Our food surplus was very good and we had a nice variety to choose from.  Our ice cave storage units were just the right temperature to store the food supply.  Our greenhouses had produced well again this year.  We considered growing less oats and more potatoes since we had flour on hand and plenty of oat cookies.  Instead it was decided that for the time being we would leave the plantings alone and have the bakery bake bread instead of cookies.

Abandoned

#31
Chapter 11


  In early spring of year 11 more small groups of elk were spotted.  We had not seen any of the polar bears at the feeding areas since the small group left last summer.  Some new trees were now growing in the area but little cutting was done, we were again short of logs.  We always had one eye on our firewood supply.  Running short of firewood in this climate would be devastating.

  With that in mind, the workers did not hesitate to cross the ice bridge that formed again this spring when the icebergs again began to move.  They cut a number of trees clearing the area around the fishing pond and winter berry row.  We did not think it would be a good idea to set up a feeding area there since our means of getting there to replenish the food was unreliable.  We could not risk the animals becoming dependent on finding food there and then finding none because we were not  able to provide it.  The workers again went to the top of the hill and spotted an elk herd with 2 elk fawns.

  The workers hurried back to the river when it began to snow but to their dismay they found several of the ice chunks had broken off and floated away.  They need not have feared because an Ice Yeti came to their rescue jumping in the water and pushes the ice blocks bad into place.  When it appeared other chunks would break away before the last one was back in place, the Yeti motioned them to cross and made sure they made it safely over the gap.  Yes, weary traveler, I know there's no such thing as giant ice monsters but that's what the workers told us.

  It must have been the slightly warmer temperatures that had those ice blocks breaking off and floating away so much that year.  We were able to have the livestock outside in the animal pen more often than usual.  The elks seemed to be more on the move too.

Abandoned

#32
Chapter 12


  By early spring of year 12 we had a small chapel built near the west forest.  A pair of polar bears were spotted nearby.  The forester reported not only seeing bear tracks but rabbit tracks as well.  A short time later he saw the bears and snowshoe rabbits in the old feeding area.  Other workers reported seeing rabbits in and around hedgerows and other feeding areas.  We were truly making progress restoring the balance of nature to this polar region.

  We thought it best to stop cutting trees in the west forest while the bears were there.  Our log supply was not good and it was just too dangerous to attempt to cross the river again.  We should easily be able to bring some coal out of the mine cave without doing to much damage to the earth.  It wasn't long before we had crates of coal neatly stacked on the stockpile.  We made sure we had workers gathering branches from every berry hedgerow.

  In spring the supply ship returned with apples, walnuts, and 10 people rescued from a houseboat wedged between 2 moving icebergs.  It seems that North Port was now a Fort and a Hot Springs Resort where area folks were going to rest and relax.  These folks were on their way back home and took the wrong river fork.  They would certainly have to stay with us for the time being, the weather was turning bad early this year.  There were snowstorms in early summer and well into summer delaying the building of new houses for our guests.  The supply ship was eager to be on its way before being froze in for the winter.

  Our food surplus was dropping but we now had more workers.  We added an extra worker to each of the 3 greenhouses and each of the 3 animal barns.  We gathered wild foods that were not in the wildlife feeding areas.  We would not fail in our mission to provide food for the elk, polar bears, snowshoe rabbits, and snowy owls.  And we would keep them safe as best we could.  If there was such a thing as frozen ice monsters I would tell you how one rescued a polar bear from an iceberg that winter.

Abandoned

#33
Chapter 13


  Like you, weary traveler, the newcomers were impressed with what we had done here in this cold snowy polar region for the wildlife and for the earth.  They had heard good things about wood elves and were now convinced that all they had heard was true.  They convinced us that an elven settlement such as this should have a structure befitting the Elves in stature.  We were but common wood elves but we built a town hall for our Nature Preserve that would surely impress the Elven Counsel, the spires rose high above the peaks of Ice Mountain.

  Our inventory records proved how well we managed to provide for ourselves here on Ice Mountain.  We had no trading post, no farm fields or orchards, no fishing pier, and we did no hunting, yet we had everything we needed and a good healthy diet.  Our sun warmed greenhouses provided food to feed us and the cleaning shed provided plant debris to feed the animals in the animal barns while the animal pens and cleaning sheds provided fertilizer to feed the plants in the greenhouses. The fishing ponds, rabbit hutches, and winter berry hedgerows provided the rest.   Statistics showed our people were 100% healthy and happy.  In early summer the Preserves population was 75, 44 adults, 14 students, and 17 young children.  Our education rate was 45% but rising.  We had 22 homes which were naturally formed ice caves or structures built from materials scavenged from one of the shipwrecks.  We build  the Light to protect and guide others who came our way, like you did, weary traveler.

Abandoned

#34
Chapter 14


  Yes, we were proud of our Ice Mountain settlement, but what we were most proud of was what we came to Ice Mountain to do, we created a Nature Preserve and part of it is right outside our Ice Castle door.  We set up several feeding areas where wildlife could find food no matter how bad the weather.  We created more winter berry hedgerows in undisturbed areas of the forest to the west and across the river.  We put out crates of fish and piles of plant debris.  We carefully managed the forest to the west, taking only what wood we needed.  The balance of nature was restored, we earned the trust of the wild creatures, and lived in harmony with the wildlife and with nature.

  On the way to Ice Mountain we tamed 8 wild dogs who helped pull our supply carts and became loyal friends and helpers.  We rescued abandoned livestock which provide us with milk, eggs, and wool as our reward.  We cared for an injured polar bear and her cub and seen their number slowly increase.  The elk herds have also multiplied.  Snowshoe rabbits once again survive here in the wild, at last count there were 5 families in the hedgerows.  Snowy owls have also multiplied living on small arctic rodents which were also attracted to plant debris and grains provided and multiplied.  We counted 10 snowy owls and recorded their number in the Ice Castle hall of records along with all the other wildlife statistics. 

  What?  You want to know how many Yetis?  Well now, weary traveler, we all know there are no such things as Yetis.


The End

kid1293

:) I am really satisfied with the look of your Nature Preserve!
It was fun doing the mods and it was fun reading your story.

Here are the clothes that match all that blue ice.

Abandoned

 :)  Thanks @kid1293 I must say it was fun using these two mods, especially Ice Castle.  It is totally unique.  :)  I hope readers enjoyed my story and I know they will enjoy these mods.  :)

Here are links to more info and downloads for Ice Castle and Friendly Blue mods:

http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=3614.0

http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=3613.0

Just a reminder that Ice Castle is a start condition mod with all snow, only pine trees, and special starts, it should not be used in other climate or with other tree or start mod.  Friendly Blue can be used in any climate.  :)


moonbelf

@Abandoned Wonderful story, great building of your preserve and use of the features of Ice Castle and Friendly Blue! @kid1293 Awesome mods :)

Abandoned

 :) Thank you @moonbelf , glad you liked the story.  We were working on those 2 mods for quite awhile and were pleased with how they turned out.  :)  More mods and stories to come.