Thanks. On a different note - are we the same age  70? I am very glad that you are still working at a slow pace, but I am sure you are having a nice time and relaxing .Regards

More Caves mod is released.

https://worldofbanished.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;id=709

Abandoned & Kid - More Caves

https://worldofbanished.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=709

A small mod to display a few caves. The textures are neutral
to be able to work with as many terrains as possible.

There are smooth and craggy caves on the F-key.
Free to build.

Have fun.

Chapter 18


  So, eager explorer, Riverboat Depot chose a good location for us to settle.  The Rocky Ridge in the center of our mountain meadow provided us with housing and storage area.  The caves to the south provide mushrooms, housing, and another storage cave.  The north ridge caves likewise provided storage, mushrooms, housing, plus bear meat and furs, and mining resources if we need them.







  And as you can see, eager explorer, we accomplished what Riverboat Depot wanted us to do; we raise farm animals for the river boatmen to pick up when needed for their customers.  We have milk cows and goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, and turkeys.  We are impressed with the fact that the river boatmen care about the wellbeing of the animals, they are not just delivery men.  They only pick up the animals when the weather is good, and they won't take any animals to the far north unless there is already an animal barn in place for them when they arrive.  They accept the other items we have for trade and always have plenty of the items we need, except for leather which is always in short supply and not their fault.  They always bring leather when they can get it. 

  We have not heard yet if the river boatmen found the families that came through here a while ago and went deeper into the mountains through our bear cave.  We gave them one of our enchanted elven bows.  We hope they made it through the caves safely and are doing well.  That's about all I have to tell you, eager explorer, but please help yourself to anything you need from one of our storage caves before you go.


Safe journey, eager explorer.


The End

Chapter 17


  The winter went by quickly probably because we were always busy and well settled into our daily routines.  We had given up thoughts of gold and we had seen no bears.  And then it was spring and to our surprise, several families arrived in town from the west.  They were a mixed group of nords and dwarves and a few elves.  They came to these mountains in search of gold. 

  We told the newcomers that we too had heard that there was gold in these mountains, but we found none in these caves, only bears.  The dwarves check out our mine and mine shaft and saw no sign that there would be any gold to be found here.  They were most interested in the bear cave that we were convinced had other exits back in the mountains.  The dwarves said if there was gold back in the mountains, they would find it.  We were concerned; most of them were younger and more inexperienced than we were when we came here 6 years ago.  We would help them if they were determined to go.  We had 2 storage carts in the storage cave and one still outside by the market.  We would fill the 2 carts with potatoes, coats, tools, and firewood to give them a good start.  We added some seeds, and some roast meat and bread to see them through the caves.  We told them to settle by a large river and the boatmen were sure to find them, they could trade for food.  If they found no gold the boatmen and Riverboat Depot were always in need of tools and these mountains had plenty of stone, iron, and coal.  The families would always be welcome here if they wanted to return.



  Three of the couples said they would rather stay here with us than go through the bear cave into the unknown; there were 10 of them, 2 of the couples had children and the 3rd couple was related to both of the other 2 couples, they all wanted to stay together.  All but one of the children were already adults; we would welcome more workers.  We invited the 3 families to stay, and we soon had 3 houses built, one in the north by the cemetery and market, and one in the south by the pigs and corn crib.  The 3rd house was built by the Rocky Ridge next to the herbalist's shed.  Barnyard's population grew to 64 citizens, 46 adults and 18 children.  We were all healthy and happy.

Chapter 16


  After Eveland left, we put a few more animals out in the pasture to replace the ones he took in trade.  We were sure the late summer sun felt as good to the animals as it did to us.  The coverings we built over part of the pasture were more to protect the feed and the animals from the rain than from the sun. 





  By early autumn, the temperature was already dropping.  We took to the forest to gather thatch, branches, and herbs for our soup.  The herbalist appreciated the help.  The laborers were not so happy cutting thatch when the cold rain began to fall.  We decided to plant a thatch patch closer to where it was needed between the sheep and the goat sheds.  It was closer to the stockpile too.  We moved the animals from the pasture back to their animal sheds. We thought we were well set with feed for the animals and wood for the fire for the coming winter.  Our food supply was good.



  We built a dairy shed next to the goat shed and by the time the snow fell, we were ready to make some goat cheese.  By the cow shed, down the road from the corn crib, we built a baker combined with a mill that would grind the corn and bake the bread.  A bowl of hot soup with pieces of meat and cheese and a slice of fresh baked bread would make a satisfying winter meal.

Chapter 15


   In spring, we put thoughts of gold behind us and got back to the reason we were here, and that was animal breeding.  Our supply of thatch was again low; we were feeding it to the sheep and goats.  The laborers went to the north forest area to cut more thatch leaving more room for herbs and wild food to grow.  The chickens, turkeys, and cows were being fed corn which we had plenty of, but we relied on the river boatman to supply us with most of the potatoes and roots that the pigs were fed.  We raised some potatoes in the greenhouse and the gatherer collect some roots from the wild, but we were often short of one or the other. 



  We cleared space by the trading post for a small pasture for the vouchered animals.  Some of the animals could graze outside in the pasture from late spring to early autumn; the animals got more fresh air and sunshine, and we saved on thatch.  Animals that we did not trade by autumn would be returned to the animal shed.



  In early summer, Eveland came with the potatoes, roots, and apples that we ordered, and he took several animals in trade while the weather was warm.  He would take the tools, coats, and furs when it was too cold to take the animals.  He was happy to see we built a lighthouse; the early mornings and evenings were quite dark here in the north.  The light in the darkness was most welcoming.

Chapter 14


  That bear cave would be a continual source of bear meat and furs if we needed them.  For now, our food and clothing supplies were good.  After confirming that everyone had enough furs to make their homes comfortable, we took the cave furs to the trading post.  When Eveland, the general goods merchant was here and took our order, he told us not to worry if we did not have enough vouchered animals to trade; he and other riverboat merchants would take anything in trade, even gold if we found any in these mountains.  Tools and coats were always need.  We just had to keep in mind that the riverboats could not hold much stone or iron because of the weight.

  Eveland had not yet returned with the foods we ordered, but since he was here, we did wonder if there was any gold in our mountains.  There was 1 large cave and 2 small ones yet to explore.  It took us quite a while just to clear away the trees, stone, and iron that were blocking the way to the caves at the west end of the north mountain ridge.

 

  The small cave on the end was very small with a very low entrance; one had to enter it on hands and knees.  The small cave next to it was the same size as the Rocky Ridge dwelling caves, and 8-year-old Florraina move in.  She wanted to be a miner until she got into the mine next to her cave and found piles of huge boulders.  Even the smaller pieces were more than she could lift or carry.  There was stone, iron, and coal inside the cave; it would take experienced miners or Dwarves to safely retrieve the resources from the large cave.  There appeared to be no gold whatsoever.

  Eveland, the general good merchant, returned with food we order in late summer and again in winter of that 4th year.  We traded a calf, 2 sheep, and a few chickens for apples, and potatoes in late summer, and 7 furs and 2 rabbits for apples and roots in winter.  We placed the same order and took some iron tools and hide coats to the trading post for when he returned.



  Since the big mine cave did not extend very far back into the mountain ridge, the men decided the best way to determine if there was any gold in the north ridge was to dig a long narrow shaft next to the mine.  The shaft would need lumber for reinforcement against cave-ins so the woodcutter switch from cutting firewood to cutting lumber.  Florraina gave up thoughts of being a miner and set up a gatherer's workplace in front of her cave.  It was spring before the bitty mine shaft was complete.  No gold was found.

Some progress snapshots

Village of Ravensford



Town of Ravensford



City of Ravensford

Chapter 13


  The hot vegetable soup was very popular that winter of year 3.  We had plenty of mushrooms gathered from the 2 mushroom caves and from the wild, but our herb supply was often low.  We gathered winter-hardy herbs and branches from the forest behind the Rocky Ridge and by early spring of year 4 we had a bitty herbalist's shed build on the road from town to the north.  Some of us thought it was a dangerous place for the herbalist to work; it was too close to where the bears had been on more than one occasion.   We could not argue with the fact that no bears have been seen in the past year since the bonfire and extra torches had been lit.
 


  The man with the bow that had been standing guard by the Rocky Ridge thought it was time to explore the bear cave to see just how big it was and if indeed there were other entrances.   Despite much protest, he decided he would do the investigating.  The bonfire was allowed to burn low, and the entrance sign was moved to allow him to pass into the cave.  We waited impatiently for his return.





  In the meantime, a small marketplace was built by the cemetery on the road heading north from town.  Those living in that area needed a more varied diet that the market could provide.  By the time the market was well stocked, and to our relief, the guard returned from the bear cave.

  The guard discovered that it was indeed a very large cave made up of several good-sized caves, a few smaller ones, and several tunnels branching off to the north and west. He met up with an unfriendly bear on his way back to the south entrance.  He returned with bear meat and several furs.  Although he'd seen no other bears in the cave, the bonfire at the entrance was relit.