Overland Trail - part 1 - Skyview - Story 44

[Abandoned]

Intro


  This is the 44th story in the Smallville series and the 1st part of the Overland Trail mini series.  This story tells the tale of the 16th expedition to leave Smallville.  The group went south to the Outskirts of Smallville and became part of the 2nd wagon train.  The 1st wagon train left in year 45 SVT as described in the Westward Ho series (stories 25 -31).  Construction of more wagons began immediately after the first wagon train left.  In year 48 SVT 2 men with 2 wagons escorted a group of settlers safely to their destination which became Cottage Grove of story 42.  The 2 wagons returned to Outskirts and were then part of this 2nd wagon train to leave Outskirts.  The wagons left in year 50 SVT, and traveled west and then south, going overland rather than following the main river south.

Map #   476534370      Plains,   Small,   Mild,  disasters On,  M5 Deer,Grouse,Boar,Grass Start

Mods enabled in load order:

Starting and Map Changing Mods:  Call of Nature Soundtrack, Banished UI Maps, Labor Window, RK Minimized Status, Lush & Green, More Terrains (Cygnus54), Maritimes Riffle, NewFloraEdit, Wildlife Starts

Tweak Mods:   Better Fields,  Fishing Dock 25%, Increased CC, Longer Living Orchards, 1:1 Alternative, Rock Respawn,  Tiny Smoke

Major or Must Have Mods:   An Empty Square, Nomad Sign Complete, Storage Crates v1,  Jinxie Bitty Chicken Coop, Jinxie Bitty Village, Jinxie Bitty Walls and Fences, Kid Abandoned Places, Kid Friendly Blue Too (new, testing), Kid Ghost Flowers, Kid GrowHuntFish v1.2, Kid Old Town, Kid Tiny, Kid Westward Ho Wagons, Kid Workplace v2

Supporting Mods:   Deco Sunflower, Kid Deco Plants, Kid New Well, Kid Tree Topper (new, testing), Kid Washing Mod



  As you know, weary traveler, many others like yourself migrated to Smallville because of the floods and later the drought that occurred to the south and southwest some years ago.  Like many of the others you left friends and family behind and now want to find them.  Going overland, our wagon train will pass through those areas where you may make inquires. You purchased your wagon and  team so you are free to leave at any time to continue your search.  In its continued attempt to relieve overcrowding, Smallville has furnished the needed supplies for this expedition.  The wagons are loaded and ready to roll. 

[kid1293]

Thanks.
Evenings saved for some time

[Abandoned]

Posting a chapter a day reminds me of a book an aunt gave me when I was a child.  It was 365 Bedtime Stories.  Each page was like a chapter but each was actually a short story, one for each night of the year. 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 1


  Weary traveler, this town is called Skyview, and since I am married to the wagon master, I have just been talking with the town elders.  They were most interested to hear about our journey so far.  I told them we were all from Smallville and became part of this wagon train in the town of Outskirts where the wagons were built.  They'd heard that the Animal Refuge downriver furnished oxen for a wagon train.  I told them that the first wagon train left Outskirts 5 years ago and the town was not much different now than it was then, and that we took the same trail west as the first wagon train, but we headed southwest at the river.  We made good time and here we are in Skyview.  One of the elders is coming by to tell us all about this town, maybe she will have information about the missing friends and families.  Oh, here she comes now.

  Hello, travelers and welcome to Skyview.  My name is Rileen and my husband is Haron.  We were newlyweds when we came here from the south to escape the heat and humidity some 15 years ago. When we arrived, there were 3 couples, with very young children to care for, here already.  They had been having a rough time hunting, fishing, and farming due to rainy weather and flooding here in the central lowlands.  We agreed to stay and help.  We had just finished building a house when another flood hit.  It was early spring and there was a lot of snow on the ground when the rains came.  The raging river rose and took out everything in its path.  We rescued a young couple clinging desperately to a tree that had been swept away and carried downstream.  We began to rebuild but the river was high and the ground was so wet that the next time it rained the river flooded again washing out what progress we had made.  We built a couple of storage carts and salvaged everything we could find, we filled the stockpiles with wood and resources, and we began building all over again.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 2


  There were 17 of us, 10 adults and 7 young children.  We needed housing and food.  A few partially destroyed houses would house the families until new ones were built. We gathered whatever wild foods we could find.  The only farm field was too wet and muddy to plant the cabbage seeds that had not been ruined by the flood.  We built a fishing pier just around the west bend of the river where the river current was slower.  To protect it against future flooding a Tree Topper house was built in a sturdy tree near the fishing pier.  The other families insisted that Haron and I move into that first house since we just had our first son, Tremain. When the leaves fell from the trees in fall, we had a beautiful view of the river and the sky.  Haron suggested we name the town Skyview.

  A herd of deer and a group of wild boar were spotted south of the crop field.  We needed meat and hides, our supply of coats was getting low.  We were short of firewood so while a woodcutter was being build, we took to the woods to gather downed branches.  A huge oak tree was discovered that had a hollowed out trunk, with a door added it would serve as hunting lodge.  Building homes continued and another Tree Topper was completed next to an old hedgerow that resprouted nicely after the flood.  There were apples, wild oats, and some branches to use as firewood.

  Spring of year 2 was very wet and although there was no major flooding there was a lot of standing water around town and on the crop field.  It was too muddy to plant the cabbage on time so we hoped there would not be an early frost or snow.  It would be nice to have warm clothes for winter but we did not have enough flax, down, or leather.  We built a tailor workshop but production was very low.  A small shed and tiny school was built nearby, and next door  a smith was built.  Our supply of tools was also low.  By the end of the year, all the families had new homes and a town hall was keeping family statistics and inventory records.  Our 2nd son Palmerson's birth was recorded in late autumn. 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 3

  Year 3 began much the same as the previous ones, heavy snow then heavy rain.  The river rose but did not overflow its banks.  In early spring there was standing water everywhere, especially on the crop field, the soil was so saturated that a pine tree uprooted and fell onto the field.  Again getting the cabbage planted was difficult.

  When the weather cleared as it always did, we discovered 3 sheep grazing nearby.   We didn't know if they had been wash ashore by the river or whether they came from the forest looking for dry food.  We decided to build an animal shed for them, it would be nice to have wool for warm clothes to fend off the cold and damp.

  In spring, a family of 4 arrived in town from the south where their farm had been washed away.  They were trying to find a safe place to cross the river.  They were told there was a Refugee Camp set up to the west.  They were told about it by a group that was rounding up abandoned farm animals in the area and had set up an Animal Refuge to care for them south of here.  They accepted our invitation to stay with us here in Skyview, and would look after the sheep.  We were concerned with the location they wanted to build a house, it was too close to where the river could overflow again.  They said they would be safe from flood waters up in the treetops.

  It rained on and off through the summer seasons, never really allowing the puddles to dry up but when the sun came out we appreciated it all the more, everything was so lush and green.  Despite the rain and the soggy farm field, the cabbage harvest was good.  Most of the outer cabbage leaves rotted from being in contact with the wet soil and the weeds thrived.  A cleaning shed was build to clear the plant debris from the field.

  By fall we had a little wool to make warm coats for the coming winter.  We were actually happy when the soggy ground froze and was more solid to walk upon.

[RedKetchup]

what is that blue thing in middle of your crop ?

[Abandoned]

  That is a flooded spot in the middle of the crop field - made with Necoa's Maritimes Riffle mod.  It has different water pieces at different water levels to make ponds or streams even waterfall pieces.  It worked quite well as flooded areas and puddles.    Flooded area did not hinder planting or harvesting.

[RedKetchup]

oh!


ok

[Abandoned]

Chapter 4


  In spring of year 4, 5 more evacuees arrived.  They were farmers whose fields were flooded spring after spring and they had given up.  They left their cows at the  Animal Refuge and were headed to the Refugee Camp.  They would gladly stay with us instead.  They told us how their neighbors had been swept away by one of the floods.  It made us realized how uncertain life was and prompted us to designate an area for a town cemetery.

  It was early autumn before we had houses built for the new arrivals.  Their 2 boys were adults, ages 20 and 11 who wanted houses of their own.   Their father harvested walnuts, flax, and branches from a newly discovered hedgerow. The eldest son took over as hunter in the Tree Trunker hunting lodge, and the youngest boy worked the compost bin next to his house.

  The plant debris was cleaned away from the cabbage field and delivered to the compost bin.  The finished compost was stored in the garden supplies shed.  It would be delivered to the growing house that was being built nearby.  The sturdy stone foundation would hold back any flood waters should the river again overflow its banks.  The growing house would also protect the soil from too much rain.  With the help of the winter sun, we could grow badly needed grain year round.  When the grow house was completed, wild oats from the hedgerow near the town hall were transplanted into it.

  At the end of year 4 we had hopes that next spring would be normal, we had no snow cover to be melted by spring rains.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 5

  We had snow in early spring of year 5.  The temperature rose slowly and there were no heavy rains so we again breathed a sigh of relief that there would be no major flooding this year.  Other areas in these lowlands weren't so lucky, 2 families with 1 cow arrived in spring.  They lost everything except for the cow.  We built an animal shed and a large house for the family of 4.  Jonniel, the hunter, brought them 3 chickens that were traveling with a flock of grouse.  He put out some oat grains and the chickens remained after the grouse moved on.

  Early summer rains delayed the building of the other couple's tree topper but when the sun came out again, the house was finished.  The view was spectacular from there so we built a gazebo nearby so everyone could enjoy the view.  The new arrivals increased Skyview's population to 39, 20 adults, 4 students, and 15 young children.

Jonniel, the hunter, reported that other than the grouse, hunting had been very poor so far that year.  We knew that because the tailor was always complaining about the shortage of leather and having to switch materials to make coats.  Down and flax were also often in short supply.  There was little hope we would ever see a riverboat trader here, there were no large settlements anywhere around, just small farms, most of which have been washed away by floods.  Jonniel said he would scout around for a better hunting spot.

[kid1293]

I always catch fish when there is a food shortage. Steady output, good food.

In the second picture. Is it Jinxie's woodcutter?

[Abandoned]

Yes, fish are more reliable.  There were a lot of deer, boars, and grouse when I placed hunter, then they all moved away. 

The woodcutter is from Jinxie Bitty Village, there are very nice pieces in that mod.

[RedKetchup]

wait, did i saw some RKEC elements ??

[Abandoned]

  yes you did Mr @RedKetchup , your boar and grasses are on this map, the flowers are not gatherable though.  They are one of the start condition in the Wildlife Start mod Kid made.  It contains many of your animals, Kid's CC bison, tanypredator grouse, and vanilla deer.  Some of the starts have your grass and flowers. I love that grass and flowers  so pretty.  There was a thank you in the intro from the animals and grass. 

The mod was released at the start of Misty Meadow Story #37 here:

http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=2857.msg57789#msg57789