The Long Dark
Stalker, Day 168. Settled in at my home-away-from-home, Timberwolf Mountain, grinding my skills. Boy, Fishing improves slowly.
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The Long Dark
Interloper, Day 1. Cold Fusion; Efficient Machine. Desolation Point just below the lighthouse at dawn. -4F.
I went up into the lighthouse to scrounge, and while I was inside a blizzard started. [Frack] me. I had no matches yet, so I had no water, and I didn't want to waste an entire day twiddling my thumbs, so I decided to let The Force guide me, and went out. First, to the Rijken. It was so dark inside the ship, I had to turn off all the lights in the room, draw the curtains, and shut my door, so I could just barely make out what was on the screen. I found a key to a lockbox over by Hibernia Processing. Blizzard was still going when I went outside, so I sprinted for the trailers, then into the processing plant. The motherlode: A box of matches, a torch, a couple of books, a thin wool sweater, a light parka, workboots, a wool toque, a bunch of food and a crowbar. More than I could've asked for. The blizzard was still going, I decided to spend some time boiling drinking water and eating granola bars, and spent the night in the bunkroom.
Day 2. -5F. Sprinted across the road to avoid a wolf, then into the mine. Gathered a bunch of coal. Nothing of value in the stone church, then through the other mine, and into Crumbling Highway. Still not much to find, but I avoided the wolves and am loaded with coal, so that's not nothing. On Coastal Highway, nearly all of the houses are burned out wrecks. Besides the garage, there were only 2 houses still standing in the little town. Spent the night in the garage, and just when I was thinking I'd have to sew some improvised mittens together, I found a pair of work gloves. Then I realized that I forgot to look for the lockbox near Hibernia Processing. [Frack]. Not going back, now.
Day 3. 0F. Headed out onto the ice to check the houses on the islands and maybe see if anything interesting washed up on the shore. I got surprised by a wolf as I was heading up to Jackrabbit Island, but got a lucky shot in with my prybar. Naturally, the wolf ran back up the hill, right where I wanted to go, instead of back across the ice to rejoin his comrades. Then another blizzard started. I was at about 50% health and had to choose between trying to reach the house and probably fighting the wolf again or striking off into the blizzard. I decided I preferred the blizzard. I thought I knew which direction the nearest ice-fishing hut was, but I missed it and ended up going all the way back to the road. Got into the Log Sort trailer with about 20% health and the blizzard still raging and decided to call it a night.
Okay, not great, not terrible. Lots of food, lots of coal and no frostbite. I have enough clothing to run from place to place in the mornings and take my time in the afternoons, at least for a little while, but I'm light on tools. No bedroll, no hand saw, no forge hammer, no mag lens. 22 matches, a mostly-full lantern, and a prybar. I got surprised by a wolf and caught unprepared by 2 blizzards, but survived. On Day 4, I figure I'll check the island houses, the ice fishing huts, and the fishing cabins, then follow the creek up to the railroad tracks. The firewatch tower and the coal mine are behind me now. I feel like the tower would be a good place to look for tools, but it's a hike and I don't know if I want to spend another half a day here, just for that. I'd like to be in Carter Dam before lunch on Day 5.