Intro
This is the 49th story in the Smallville series. The story takes place in the far northwest corner of the World Map and begins in year 54 SVT. This story and the new featured mod, Kid Forest Trader, were created because of a request from
@Kristahfer that I do a story about the Hudson Bay Trading Company. This story is for him. The map location and story are only roughly historically accurate.
Hudson Bay is a large landlocked lake in Canada. It is 4 times the size of the Great Lakes combined. America's Hudson River, Canada's Hudson Straight and Hudson Bay were named after English explorer, Henry Hudson, who discovered them in 1610. The maritime and northwest territories were rich in premium furs. English merchants and 2 French fur trappers established the Hudson Bay Company (of London) in 1670. They built a network of trading posts and forts in the Hudson Bay area. They began trading with Native tribes exchanging beads, kettles, knives, and blankets for beaver pelts. Trappers came by canoe and hunters with pack mules to trade furs for needed goods. This is their story.
Map # 582228731 Mountain Lake, Medium, Cold Mountain, disasters Off, M5 Elk, Geese, Bear
Mods enabled in load order:
Starting and Map Changing Mods: Call of Nature Soundtrack, Banished UI Maps, Banished UI Town Names, Labor Window, RK Minimized Status, CC Light Rain, Climate Cold Mountain (new), Cold Realism, doDaylight Cycle, override map, Maritimes Trees, New Flora Edit, Wildlife Starts
Tweak Mods: Bigger Wheelbarrows, Hunting, Increased CC, 1:1 Alternative, override Buckskin Clothes (new), Rocks Respawn, Woodcutter +3
Major or Must Have Mods: An Empty Square, Nomad Sign Compete, Storage Crates, Jinxie Bitty Rabbit Hutch, Kid Forest Outpost, Kid Forest Trader (new), Kid Plimoth Harmonized
Supporting Mods: Campfire, DS Tunnels, Firewood Storage, Kid Some Boats, Small Tipi
So, weary traveler, you had quite an experience traveling overland by wagon train from Outskirts to Wayward. I am just surprised you would leave the wagon train and come here to the cold northwest territories. Since gold was discovered in the Majestic Mountains not many have come here for furs. Many folks leave because of the cold. Those strangers you met with the fur coats may very well have come from around here. Let me tell you how it was when we arrived here.
Chapter 1
My name is Lasha and my husband is Mile. We and 4 other couples farmed near North Mining Town until farming became near impossible because of the worsening weather. We decided to migrate south but met a trapper named Milbur who said the northwest Hudson Bay territory was rich in premium furs and he had traps that were quick and painless for the animals. He gave us a couple of traps and we went north instead.
We discovered the large bay and traveled on to the far side where there were less mountains and more open land. There were geese, elk, and bear nearby. Three of the men immediately began hunting and a permanent hunting blind was set up nearby. We soon had geese, venison, and bear meat to go with our potatoes. We named our town Hudson.
Our next priority was houses with large fireplaces for heating, cooking, and light. Even in early summer the days were short and the temperature was barely above freezing. Our leather buckskin clothes could have been warmer but would have to do for the time being. So would the outdoor school we quickly built, but not quick enough, Killion and Taline's oldest daughter missed school. I became teacher when Tuckery and Alinett's son reached school age. On the coldest days I took him home with me to teach there where I could also care for daughter Revenie and newborn son Wilmers. Mile was tending the campfire and roasting meat closeby so he took his turn watching the children. When elk or bear were near, he left the campfire to hunt. A workshop to make leather clothes and iron tools was built near the stockpile and storage carts .
The temperature dropped below freezing and there was snow in early autumn. The sunsets were breathtaking. The days were short and the nights were long. At home in front of the fireplace was the best place for families to be. Hudson had 4 more citizens by the end of that first year.
Hi, Abandoned wanted to have more trapper-like clothing and I have re-colored some
to look like brown leather clothing.
Here is also my Cold Mountain climate. It has no snow in summer but the temperature
does not rise enough to farm anything. It can be a challenge.
@Abandoned such a wonderful start. Thanks to
@kid1293 and you for bringing this story to the screen.
Downloaded both of the first two zips and looking forward to the story. Well almost a documentary if you will.
Thank You So Very Much,
Kristahfer
:) You are very welcome
@Kristahfer I hope you will enjoy the story and Kid Forest Trader mod when it is released.
@kid1293 The Cold Mountain Climate is a challenge, even more so with the Cold Realism mod. Thank goodness neither affect the spawning of New Flora Edit firewood Branches. ;D
Chapter 2
The Bay and small rivers had a thin layer of ice that winter but it soon melted with the early spring sunshine. Winter was not over, there was still more snow to come, but hunters and trappers were on the move. We saw a few canoes on the small rivers and a Native hunting party on the distant shore. As the temperature rose above freezing we ventured farther from home to collect branches and what wild foods we could find. Once our potatoes were gone we would have little but meat to sustain us. We would need fruits and vegetables and grain.
By spring construction of a large storage building and a trading post began. An extension was built with a small overseers shack to keep inventory records. The buildings had just been completed when 3 families arrived. The trapper had a donkey and a pack of furs. They were impressed with our settlement and trading post, they were looking for a place to trade their furs. We said they were welcome to stay, there was enough wild game for all of us.
The trapper built a fur trapper's shack and a wood cabin for his family west of town. The 4 children that arrived with the 3 families were all past school age, one of them wanted a wood shack of her own east of town. She would work the beaver dam on the small river, there were premium furs to be had there. Her parents built a wood cabin and hunting cabin nearby. The last family built a wood cabin near the trading post. Hudson's population was 34, 21 adults, 1 student, and 12 young children. Our food supply was low.
Chapter 3
We all stayed close to home over the cold dark winter months. We used the time and the warmer days to dig a tunnel through the mountain near the stockpile and we began paving some roads with stone.
In early spring a trapper from upriver came by looking to catch up with a river boatman to trade with. We were sorry but we had no cook pot, wool blankets, knives, or small tools to spare. Our food supply was very low but we gave him enough roast meat for a few meals before he went on his way.
The brief late winter thaw was long enough for snowshoe rabbits to breed. Waymond, the trapper, found a rabbit in his trap and baby rabbits nearby. He brought them home for his wife, Rosaria, to care for. It snowed in late spring.
In early summer Henriet, the General Goods merchant, came to port. He was only interested in textiles, furs mostly, there was a big demand for premium furs. He would bring what foods he could. A ways to the east was the town of North Port, the hot springs made farming there possible. There was not much else around these parts, just a lot of trappers and hunting camps. He rarely had anything to trade with them for their furs. He would give us a trade value of 20 for any furs we had. We traded our furs for all the onions he had and we ordered potatoes, apples, and wild oats. We hoped he would return soon. To encourage more traders to come by we built a small trading post next to the large one. Amala, who lived in the house by the dock, said she could easily work both trading posts and watch her young children at the same time.
Our food supply was still very low, our hunters were not doing as well as we had hoped. Wild foods consisted of rose hips and wild honey. Killion and Taline's oldest daughter, Romonika, said she wouldn't mind doing a little fishing. By early winter the moon was reflecting off the ice in the bay but there was a little open water along shore. The paved roads helped her get home to warm up quicker. A meal of herbed fish was a welcome change. It was another long cold winter.
Chapter 4
In early spring of year 4 more canoes were spotted as soon as the ice thawed. They had furs but did not stop.
Although the paved roads were a big help, it was still cold working outside. We decided to make warm coats with some of our furs. The first coat went to Romonika, the fisherwoman.
In early summer, Clorance the food merchant came to the large trading post. He had wild oats and we had enough furs for all the 300 wild oats he had. We ordered more plus apples and potatoes. Shortly after, a mountain man came to town. He had a donkey loaded with supplies and a cart of furs. Like the trapper, he too was interested in metal cookware, small tools, and wool blankets. Taline who was working in the workshop next to her house said she could make some small tools and basic iron pots. She could even make some warm blankets if she had wool. The furrier was making coats and our supply of tools was good so we told her to start making some of those trade goods.
We built an inland trader so area hunters and trappers could bring their furs to exchange for the trade goods but we did not expect any to be traveling these mountains or waterways in winter so we would not assign a worker or stock it with trade goods just yet.
Laver, a resource merchant, came to the small trader just before the water began to freeze. He only had hide coats but we ordered wool. He said not only would he accept furs and other textiles but these were prime maritime timber lands so he would accept logs and firewood as well. That was something to think about over the winter while we enjoyed breakfasts of hot wild oats and honey.
Chapter 5
As soon as the lake thawed in early spring of year 5, 2 trappers arrived by canoe with furs to trade, and a trapper came down from the mountains with a pack of furs on the back of his donkey. They were glad their trading trips were shortened and glad to get iron cook pots to take back to their cabins and campsites in the mountains.
A trapper with his wife and daughter arrived in spring. His family found it too difficult up in the mountains alone when he was away so long trapping and trading. We invited them to stay with us. The men helped carry their canoe to the west river not far from where the family built a shack. The daughter would hunt from the hunting blind they built and the trapper would take his canoe up stream to set traps as soon as the bears left the area. He would return before winter.
Another hunter would be most welcome, we were short on food. In late summer however, Randa the General Goods Merchant came to the small port with plums and shortly after Henri, returned to the large port with apples and wool that we ordered. We now had fruit and we could make warm wool blankets for the hunters and trappers that came to the Inland Trader. The workshop could make 6 blankets from 4 wool, 8 of those trade goods would bring in 4 to 6 furs at the Inland Trader. Each fur had a trade value of 20 at the river trading posts, a very nice profit. Making blankets from the wool would give us time to collect iron for tools, and for small tool trade goods which would take less iron then cook pots.
By autumn we had more food but we were concerned that the hunters and trappers to the east and west of town were not getting enough variety in their diets, most of them had only meat in their pantries. We built a market cart on both sides of town hoping those residents would get a share of the fruit. We collected branches on both sides of town so they would have enough firewood. When we collected enough iron, a second workshop was built to make tools for the town while the first workshop continued to make trade goods.
Chapter 6
The trappers returned in spring to find warm wool blankets, knives, and other small tools to trade their furs for. Our iron tools and the small trade good tools both required logs. To ensure a steady supply we built a forester west of the Inland Trader. A new stockpile was there now and if we needed to we could easily transfer logs to the small trading post.
We stopped the vendors from working the 2 storage carts because we needed more laborers. They helped the forester cut trees and they helped gather more iron and what herbs could be found. Our overall health was down. Our fruit and grain was gone. We built an herbalist on both sides of town but would have to wait until spring to assign workers. We collected as many branches as we could to save what logs we had for tool making even after the snow began to fall in early autumn.
In late autumn the last trapper of the season came to the Inland Trader with furs. We tried to convince him to stay for the winter but he assured us he could make it back to his camp just fine. Shortly after he left, 2 river boatmen arrived, 1 at each port. We were disappointed they were both resource merchants, but we traded goose down for wool at the small trading post, and furs for iron at the large one. We were hoping a food merchant would arrive before the lake froze over, but none came. We examined our production total especially those pertaining to food. Our trapper did exceptionally well this year.
Chapter 7
Early spring of year 7 arrived with red skies and hazy sunrises. Red skies in the morning is a warning of thing to come. We had more cold and snow than usual but the lake thawed and the first canoes began to arrive with furs to trade. The animals too were on the move and we hoped it was not because more bad weather was on way. A large elk on the docks caused quite a stir, we feared it would get into the trading post and do damage to the inventory stored there. It finally moved on and so did the snow clouds, but we were left with a damp chill that caused more coughs and colds than usual. By summer, neither one of our herbalist had any luck finding herbs. Our overall health continued to decline prompting us to built a cemetery in town.
Hudson celebrated its first newlywed couple. Nett the worker of the beaver dam took a bride, and we discovered there were several other young people nearing marriageable age. A new house was built by the cemetery for when another couple wed, we would then consider building another.
It was not until early autumn that a river boatman arrived. We traded for more iron and wool from Hobarton the resource merchant. We were very happy when Chimeredith, the food merchant, arrived with plums and wild oats. We had been feeding Hudson's 44 citizens on little else except meat. There were 25 adults, 4 students, and 15 children. Several of those children would reach school age soon, we built a new school so none would miss an education when our outdoor classroom was full.
At the end of the year, neither herbalist had found one single herb. Hopefully next year would be different and our health would improve.
Chapter 8
In spring of year 8 our log supply was again low. An aggressive bear lingered near the forester and wild honey hives. By its size the hunters thought it was probably a she bear and may have cubs nearby. We could only hope it would move on soon. Laborers began cutting trees and gathering branches elsewhere. When the bear finally moved on, we assigned another forester to the area.
Clorance, the food merchant, arrived with apples and potatoes. We ordered more plus wild oats, corn, and plums. We built another small trading post in the hopes that more river boatmen would arrive with more food. Another food merchant arrive some time later and we placed orders with him too.
By autumn the herbalists still had not found any herbs. The herbalists joined the laborers looking for herbs and cutting trees elsewhere. They found a fair amount of surface iron across the stream and built a make-shift bridge across. With more iron, the workshop could make pots with iron instead of small tools that also took logs. Our supply of logs and firewood improved.
Four children reached school age at the same time this year, one became a working adult before the teacher got to the new school to teach. It was time to start thinking about building houses for new couples.
Chapter 9
In spring of year 9 the hunters and trappers arrived at the inland trader as usual. In late spring, a large ship with billowed sails, the likes of which we had never seen before, arrived at the docks. The 2 foreign trappers said they were here by Royal Charter to claim the territory of the Hudson Bay basin including all the rivers and streams that flowed into it. They were here to obtain furs for the merchants of a large fur trading company. They initially needed 1,000 furs, and they needed our help.
There were 9 of the foreigners. The first thing they did was build a hunting bind and a small hunting camp consisting of 2 tents. They built a bigger house close to our hunting cabin. Once their people were housed the big ship set sail. By then their 2 builders had begun work on a fort far from town where we had been gathering iron.
We were not happy with the situation at all. We worried the animals would be overhunted and that our food supply would drop. The foreigners made themselves at home and helped themselves freely to our food and supplies. The commander said we should consider it payment for the protection they would provide from any Native uprising. We had had no trouble with the Natives in the area. Hunters and trappers who visited our inland trader had traded our pots, small tools, and blankets with some of the Native people. That may change if their hunting grounds are misused.
The only bright spot of the year was in early autumn when Clorance, the food merchant, brought plums and potatoes.
Chapter 10
By early spring of year 10 the fort was completed along with a small trading post and warehouse. There was a house built for the commander and his family. Over the winter they had compiled records of our town that we were free to consult anytime we wanted. They set up a wood chopping block by the fort and built a forester in the wooded area east. They provided us with logs and firewood also and help gather branches. Hides and meat went into our storage facilities, furs went into the warehouse. They found another beaver dam upstream, but did not hunt the wildlife in the forest to the east. We had enough venison and hides and the bears had cubs. They earned our respect.
Henri and Alvador, the food traders, came to port with corn, wild oats, and apples. We traded hide coats, leather, and down for all the foods they had. We ordered more and shared what we traded for with the Fort folks. Our overall health was still low.
Chapter 11
Year 11 began with the town's first loss of life, Alinett, the woodcutter, died in childbirth. Her eldest son had just taken a bride and was living not far from the fort.
The year continued as any other, hunters and trappers came to the inland trader, we worried about our ability to supply it with trade goods. There was no iron to be found and what we did have was nowhere near our workshop. We placed orders for both wool and iron but none arrived. We traded for whatever foods the boatmen brought and our overall health rose slightly.
Winter came all too soon. The bear cubs by the fort were growing up and were quite tame. They provided a bit of entertainment to help pass the long dark winter months.
Chapter 12
In early spring of year 12 we traded for apples and herbs at the fort trading post. Surely our poor health would improve. Hunters and trappers who came regularly to the inland trader began to arrive. As we feared, we were short of trade goods, the regulars had to wait quite awhile for trade goods to be brought to the trader. We were short of laborers considering the distances they had to travel. Shad, the worker at the beaver dam, complained that some laborers were using the dam as if it were a bridge. A few of the beavers already left to build a third dam a short distance upstream.
We began taking furs out of the trading post to move them to the warehouse. It was slow going. Amala was working alone at the 3 main trading posts and even though the warehouse was fully staffed with 3 workers there were still 244 furs in regular storage. The warehouse had only 368 of the need 1,000 furs in stock by summer. Traders continued to come and go, we traded for corn, wild oats, and more herbs. Amala said she needed more help restocking the 3 trading posts so her husband, Elmerson, became a trader too. We would traded away only a minimum number of furs until the warehouse quota was fulfilled, we traded goose down, leather, and hide coats instead. We placed orders for more iron for tools and pots, and ordered wool for blankets. We needed those furs the inland trader brought in. By autumn we really felt as if we were an important trade center.
By late winter, there were 608 furs in the warehouse.
Chapter 13
As soon as the ice melted in early spring of year 13, our inland trader and ports were busy places. We traded for iron and wool and whatever grain and fruits were brought to port. The herbs were not improving our health. Our food surplus was high but we had no spare workers for the market carts so there was a good possibility that not everyone was getting the variety of foods they needed. By late winter not only had our health not improved, it actually dropped, and we still did not have enough furs in the warehouse.
In spring of year 14, our health was still poor and we again did not have enough trade goods when the trappers arrived with their furs. We needed those furs to fill our quota. We could only wait for one of the resource merchants to bring iron and wool. Perhaps we could have done things differently. We could have captured a few mountain sheep and built an animal shed for wool to make trade good blankets with. We could have built an iron mine to make tools and trade good pots with. We could have built greenhouses to improve our diets and our health. But we were not miners, herdsmen, or farmers; we were hunters, trappers, and traders, and as such, we had done good here in Hudson.
Chapter 14
Yes, we have done good here in Hudson on Hudson Bay. In summer of year 14 we have 68 citizens, 38 adults, 10, students, and 20 young children. Their health and happiness is not as good as could be but considering the adverse climate, it could be worse. The main part of town is a thriving trade center and there are hunters and trappers to the west and hunters and trappers to the east. Where the river flows into Hudson Bay is Fort Hudson with a small trading post and a warehouse that we filled with 1,000 furs as requested. The big ship returned to pick up the furs and sailed away with billowed sails. It will return at regular intervals to pick up more furs. We are now a vital part of the Hudson Bay Trading Company.
So, weary traveler, your welcome to stay. The cold mountain climate is not so bad. As you know, we have beautiful soft fur coats to keep us warm outside. Inside the windows are covered with sturdy hides to keep out the cold, and warm wool blankets cover our beds. We have bear skin rugs to cover the floors and big fireplaces with iron cook pots of soups and stews and roasted meats. But you still have time before the winter snows to enjoy some beautiful autumn sunsets and to decide to whether to stay or to go. We hope you will stay in Hudson on Hudson Bay.
The End
A Big Thank You for your story
@Abandoned !
A bit short but I like it.
:) :) :)
The Forest Trader mod is available here! (http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=580)
@Abandoned :D :D :DA Big Thank You for your story.Respects
:) Thanks guys :)
Once again
@Abandoned you have brought to the screen a wonderful story. You and
@kid1293 are showing us the depth that is hidden beneath the surface of this game. Using this game as a way of presenting a beautiful map build with a story along with it is captivating to both old hand players and new explorers just venturing into what is available.
I wonder if the original author of this game ever imagined where the players and artists who create such wonderful content would take this game. Even with limited areas that allow modification within the code your skills shine. It is a shame that the original author discontinued working on this game, really a shame. Just imagine what could be created if the game was used to provide an
Enhanced Engine that allowed a much greater depth of modification. The author could spend their creative skill in providing a
Realistic Engine. By providing such a bedrock to build upon could really take modifiers beyond limited actions to a level of creative tools that would draw creators to the game to show off their skills. In doing it would broaden the player base, something game authors are always looking to increase. Artists could show off their creations and build a resume of their skills to other game authors.
I can not thank you enough for allowing me to "
live your stories" and use the added content they highlight.
Kristhafer
:) You are welcome
@Kristahfer . Sometimes a mod inspires the story and sometimes the story inspires the mod. This time it was your request for Hudson Bay story that inspired both. :) Thank you.
I often hope that the game developer, Luke, visits this site and sees how many players and modders are still enjoying his game. When the game first came out I was very glad I could play it on this laptop, I could not run it on my old desktop. I have not check recently on the development of Luke's new game. More often than not, new versions of games have requirements beyond what original game did, we will have to wait and see. I think Banished will be played for many years to come. :)