Intro
This is the 25th story in the New World Series. It tells the tale of an old woodland settlement, and a group of workers that came from Candlelit Castle of story 21 to cut wood for the castle settlement. Sometime later it was discovered by the Elves in Rainbow Falls of story 2 that their attempt to reverse their malfunctioning magic portal had actually caused portals to appear in several unknown locations. You and I, eager explorer, are off to find where those portals are, and the first one we find is in that woodland settlement.
(https://i.imgur.com/GHcstEP.jpeg)
Map seed #886894827 Valley One River, Small, Fair, Disasters Off, Easy-Seed (8 Families)
(https://i.imgur.com/BCYzley.jpeg)
Mods activated for this map and load order:
Map Changing and Starting Mods: Banished UI Maps, Labor Window, RK Minimized Status, CC Light Rain, Cold Realism, Spring terrain (Kid), override map, Kid Deco Tree Spring, Kid Tree Replacer X-light, New Flora Edit, Family Starts.
Tweak Mods: Better Fields, Fishing Dock +25%, Hunting, Hunting Season, Increased CC, 1:1 Alternative (Voeille), override Rural clothes, Rock Respawn, Tiny Smoke.
Major or Must Have Mods: An Empty Square, Nomads (Kid), Storage Crates, Kid Workshop, Jinxie Bitty Chicken Coop, Kid Abandoned Places SE, Kid Fairy Garden, Kid Medieval Grace, Kid Workplace.
Supporting Mods: Deco Tombstone, Dwarf Signs, Kid Deco Farm Animals, Kid Deco People, Kid Forest Pond, Kid Hedgerow, Kid Market Food, Kid Market Puzzle, Kid Patchwork, Kid Traveling Trader, Kid The Glade, Kid Woodland (new).
Mod note: Kid Woodland mod contains buildings for a woodland setting: forester, woodcutter, hunter, gatherer and more. The buildings come in 3 textures, vanilla wood, wood & stone, and one to match Medieval Grace; the last 2 are used in this story. The mod was a work in progress when I did Candlelit Castle story 21 but was put on hold and not finished until sometime later. It is first being tested now.
I am glad you could join me here in Rainbow Falls, eager explorer. The Elves here sent word to Riverboat Depot that they needed our help; they thought no one would know this part of the world better than us. They were getting visions in their crystal ball of magic portals in various unknown places. The river boatmen knew of only 3 existing portals, this one, the one in The Coven, and the one in Fruit & Nuts which the elves there created in Seeds & Seedling where they came from. This one and the one in The Coven were created on the other side of the world and do not work as they should. Nothing is known of the portals the elves showed us in the crystal ball other than that they appeared to be two-way portals. None of the areas look familiar to either of us so the only way to find out is to enter this portal and see where we end up. I'm ready if you are, eager explorer, let's go.
Chapter 1
(https://i.imgur.com/KLNLTVV.jpeg)
Well, here we are, eager explorer. It doesn't look as if anyone else had ever used this old portal, the area is very overgrown. Watch out for that fallen branch there. The terrain doesn't look familiar, but the deer and trees do, but then it isn't quite spring yet and the leaves are only just beginning to open. Let climb that hill and see what we can see.
(https://i.imgur.com/oMOg8V4.jpeg)
Oh look, eager explorer, there's quite a nice woodland settlement down in the glen. I'm seeing some movement, so it's not deserted. Let's make our way to that waterfall, I see movement there too. Oh wait! What's that I'm seeing below us, just there by the rocks in that little clearing?
(https://i.imgur.com/deuiuO3.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/4tcSz4v.jpeg)
No, not the deer, there by the rock is a little man dressed all in green. Oh, there he goes. No matter, let's get going to that waterfall.
(https://i.imgur.com/SPx51Or.jpeg)
"Well now, where did you two come from? Welcome to Woodland Glen. A magic portal? No, we don't know anything about any portal, magic or otherwise. We don't get visitors here. You saw a little green man? It must have been a leprechaun you saw; it is Saint Patty's Days you know. Look closely and your libel to see four-leaf clovers, some fairies, and some will o' the whisps here too. Come, let's go into town. There's stew cooking in the pot and you can sit a spell and tell me about that portal."
I love the final picture - so idyllic and serene :)
Chapter 2
Here you go eager explorers, a nice bowl of hot rabbit stew is just what you need if you've traveled far; it's full of potatoes we grow just like our O'Leary ancestors did in the west before the potato famine. No, I'm sure they didn't come through that portal; they must have come along the river because that's where this settlement began. It's all in ruins now but the old graves remain. We tried clearing away some of the ruins, but we never seem to have enough workers. Yes, I did say O'Leary. You heard of them? Small world. We did hear stories that many of them set sail across the big waters when the famine started, but our ancestors came overland. We learned a lot from the ones that came here; we live a simple life just like they did.
(https://i.imgur.com/BaMkQ5i.jpeg)
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The worker in the Woodland workshop has been making warm coats with whatever materials are available from the Glade, the weed patch, and the hunter. We just discovered flax growing under the old apple tree; we cut some trees to give the hedgerow more sun. Everything grows well here in the glen, fair weather with just enough rain. We are hoping to make apple cider in this old brewer barrel here by the stew pot. The worker in the workshop has to switch to making tools soon, our supply has been going down again.
(https://i.imgur.com/ESz8MUg.jpeg)
There was always plenty of iron and logs on the stockpile which is quite full again. The Woodland woodcutter has been doing a good job chopping firewood for the houses and the stew pot. The laborers are always gathering branches; the woodland keeps us well supplied as it always has.