News:

Welcome to World of Banished!

Main Menu

Abandoned - Westward Ho - part 6 - Ghost Town - Story 30

Started by Abandoned, July 30, 2018, 12:54:56 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Abandoned

#45
No, no wagon store.  They have to build their own  :)


Chapter 12


  First chance I got I went to the bank to check more old records.  I found no record that Fred had been born in this town.  But as I suspected, Rebecca died in childbirth.  The infant did not survive.  I found no marriage record. 

  We did not have enough paint left for the 4 town buildings that needed restoring.  It was decided that the Claims Office and the rooming house across from it would be restored.  Dom and I would move back to our wagon now that spring was here.  It was also decided that the family estate would also be restored, only the small barn would need paint.  But first we had a serious shortage of food.  We took to the woods to gather all the wild foods we could find.  Laborers reported that they heard crying from the old house.  Lucky for us Sewart, the general goods merchant, came to port when he did.  We traded for all the beef and broccoli he had.  We hoped it would be enough to see us through until harvest time.

Considering our frequent food shortage we were eager to explore the old garden and ruined greenhouse.  On closer inspection we discover the garden had a number of flax plants and a small oil press.  We knew the flax could be used to make linen clothes.  The flax we collected from the wild our tailor was using.  We did not know what flax oil could be used for but it became clear when were explored the greenhouse.  No food was grown in the greenhouse, instead it was filled with withered and dead ghost flowers.  In the attached work shed were crates and barrels of old flax oil, dried ghost flowers, and dried-up paint, the color of the flowers.  Dom estimated that 50 flax probably produced 24 oil and 4 of those oils mixed with the ghost flowers yielded 2 or 3 barrels of colored paint.  The paint vendor charged 1 gold nugget for 2 to 3 barrels of paint.  Well, he didn't get that paint from here, this place hadn't been used in many years.  Or was he also a ghost?
   
Dom and I piece the story together as we saw it: 

Old Zeek staked the claim and struck it rich.  He married much younger Sara who died having Rebecca.  Old Zeek, the doting father, builds daughter gardens and greenhouse.  Rebecca becomes herbalist. Fred Farkas comes to town with his painted wagon.  He is perhaps a traveling salesman or a gypsy rover.  It is he who knew how to make paint and convinced Old Zeek to go into business.  He would sell the paint from his wagon in exchange for living in the cottage, the gold goes to Zeek.  Fred and Rebecca fall in love, Becky is to have a child, Freddy takes the gold and runs.  Rebecca dies in childbirth, the child did not survive.  Old Zeek lived to a very old age alone.  End of sad story.

Dom pointed out the fact that we could restore the family estate and paint production, the town's people could complete the town restorations, and he and I could be one our way.


Abandoned

#46
Chapter 13


  We again had a good harvest that autumn of year 8 but still food was often in short supply and much time was spent collecting wild foods.  Don had just begun building another wagon when to our surprise, weary traveler, you told us you and your family wanted to return east with us.  We were homesick too so we understood perfectly and would be more than happy to have your company on the return trip.  You did realize we would be going first to the small port town to the southwest. Hopefully we could get supplies for the trip from there rather than taking needed supplies from here.  There maybe other families there who would wish to join the wagon train heading east.

By the end of the year the old cottage and the greenhouse were restored, healthy living ghost plants were transplanted.  The restored flax garden and paint house could now be used to produce more paint.  We would just need to be sure we had enough workers to produce and gather food.  Not counting Dom and myself and our boys, Ghost Town had a population of 90, only 41 adults but 11 students and 38 young children.  There were a lot of mouths to feed. 

  In early spring of year 9 another startling discovery was made and yes, we were again awakened at the crack of dawn. The worker clearing wood, stone, and iron from the abandoned place by the church and graveyard made the discovery.  He unearthed old wagon parts, some colored paint barrel fragments, and what appeared to be human bones.  There was no gold.

  The discovery shed a whole new light on the family story.  Did our arrival here stir up the restless spirits giving them a chance to have the truth of the matter revealed? It would now appear that Fred Farkas did not steal Old Zeek's gold and run off leaving Rebecca behind and with child.  Was he killed for the gold?  By who?  Anyone in town suddenly having a lot of gold would have been suspect.  No, in all likelihood the only person in town who had a motive and could have hidden the wagon and body in a storage barn and gotten away with it was Old Zeek himself.  Did he fear his darling daughter, Rebecca, would run off with the gypsy wagon vendor?  Did he know she was with child?  Was it poetic justice that Rebecca and the child died and Old Zeek was left alone afterall?  We will never know the answers to those questions but the truth that Freddy did not steal the gold and run off leaving heartbroken Becky behind was enough to lay the ghosts to rest.  The wagon vendor did not reappear and the crying stopped.  The haunted house was restored to its former glory.  It would make a nice guest house with a scenic view.  The old dead trees sprouted new growth and the heart and names looked freshly carved.  We transferred Freddy's remains to the family graveyard next to Becky and marked the spot with the wheel from his wagon that had been unearthed.  Freddy and Becky would now rest in peace together.


Abandoned

#47
Chapter 14


  Early in year 10 we switched from growing flax in the estate garden to making linseed oil.  By autumn we began the process of making our own paint from oil and ghost flowers. We began restoring the small barn, we only needed 1 more barrel of paint plus what we had left to complete it.   We had our second walnut harvest and as soon as the other crops were harvested we took to the woods to gather wild foods and more wild flax.

  By summer of year 11 we had a fishing pier build on the lake behind the guest house.  The food supply was still a constant problem.  By autumn the second rooming house was restored and it looked beautiful.  I loved the color.

  By early spring of year 12 there was only the large barn on Main Street left to restore.  Even so, Ghost Town looked wonderful.  The population was growing, it was now over 100.  The children were growing too and were finishing school as educated workers.  There was room for more crop fields north of town and the valley to the south could be cleared.  There was more gold in the mountains.  Ghost Town would prosper.  The town's people could manage now on their own.

  We brought the storage wagon around to help empty the barn on Main Street so it could be restored.  And as you know, weary traveler, we brought your new wagon as close to your house as we could so you could start loading your personal belongs.  By late summer the barn was restored and restocked.  We kept only enough supplies to get us to the port town on the river.  Our 2 oldest boys decided to remain here.  They both found lovely girls they wanted to spend their lives with.  We would miss them dearly.  Our youngest, Greggie, would come with us and drive the storage wagon. 

  I took a walk around town thinking how very different this Ghost Town looked now than it did when we arrived.  I went to the small family graveyard and thought that somehow we were meant to see that old sign nailed to the tree that brought us here to help this family rest in peace.   Well, we would leave the way we came and when we got to that old sign we would once again head west.


Westward Ho


To Be Continued



I hope you have enjoyed my story and will enjoy Kid Ghost Town mod.

embx61

All i can say is keep the stories coming on the way to the west.
I wonder what you two are next coming up with Mod wise.

I guess the Ghost Town Mod is about to get released?
[size=8pt][color=teal]My beloved Kathy
As you were you will always be
Treasured forever in my memory[/color][/size]

[size=10pt]For my list of Mods with download links go here[/size]

Goblin Girl

Great story!  And now, I'm eager to get my hands on that mod.   ;)

Abandoned

Thanks @embx61 and @Goblin Girl  Glad you enjoyed story.  :) I thought I would return now to find Ghost Town available for download.  Kid must be busy on next project.   :) 

kid1293

Am I late ?  ;)

Yes, busy with life and, of course, some secret things. :)

Ghost Town is in download but first a great Thank You to Abandoned for doing us the honor of a nice story!
So Zeek was the culprit? Didn't see that... :)

brads3

you both have done some awesome work. it will be interesting to play with the new sets.

Abandoned

Thank you @kid1293 It took us a while but it turned out okay  :)  It was a fun mod to write a story to, thank you.

Thank you @brads3 we knew you would like more to go with the Wild West Theme.  :)

phyllida

Love this scenario! I was so excited when Wild West came out this will make it sooo much better with interesting buildings and your storyline is inspiring :)

Abandoned

Thanks @phyllida , I am glad to hear you liked the story.  I am sure you will enjoy Ghost Town mod. I think Kid did a fantastic job on the buildings.  There is such a nice assortment of color choice too, and the colors of the starting buildings are random.  There have been request for more Wild West type buildings in the past so this was a good opportunity for Kid to add more.  Enjoy  :)

phyllida

Quote from: Abandoned on August 14, 2018, 09:18:25 PM
Thanks @phyllida , I am glad to hear you liked the story.  I am sure you will enjoy Ghost Town mod. I think Kid did a fantastic job on the buildings.  There is such a nice assortment of color choice too, and the colors of the starting buildings are random.  There have been request for more Wild West type buildings in the past so this was a good opportunity for Kid to add more.  Enjoy  :)

Yup its good fun! Been exploring and experimenting. Loving the flax/linseed/paint chain. I've been playing the Wild West on and off since Kid created it.....just found there weren't quite enough buildings and towns looked very repetitive. This addition changes that :) a big thanks from me!