Close Calls and Gross Falls

I decided to check out the frozen lake near my house. I brought my bee net this time! I discovered that the water was deep enough for ocean creatures to feel at home. I saw dolphins, which splashed and called to me. A bit farther on, I saw a small school of sharks. I dipped the toe of my boot into the water, and they reacted as expected, swarming towards my waiting sword. I gathered a couple large shark teeth.

Once I had dealt with the sharks, I decided to try the squid. I managed to slay a couple without damaging their ink sacks, so I collected those. Now that I have feathers, leather, ink, and sugar cane to make paper, I should be able to make books. Good thing, this journal was running out of pages!

I found a chicken that had stayed too long on the ice and froze to death. I gathered up it's meat and feathers, and started heading home. I heard a hissing, and tried to run, but I was too slow. The blast caught me in the back and knocked me forward. I lay gasping, trying to catch my breath, when I realized my hand was sinking to the wrist in the dirt. I pulled it out and it came away dripping with black ooze.

I had found an oil well!

Exploring

After mining a ton of ore from my ravine, I decided it was time for a change of pace. My skin felt like it would never be clean again, and I needed some sunshine and fresh air. I heated up some of the water from the ice lake nearby and cleaned up the best I could manage, grabbed my sword, a pickaxe (just in case) some torches, and some food. I closed my eyes and spun around, then began to walk the direction I ended up.

I came upon more pigs. Also, my ravine seems to stretch beyond the wall I thought I found underground, as there was a split in the earth on my path. I build a bridge with dirt. (I heard, in some worlds, dirt falls like gravel. How inconvenient!) My path led me to an area where vines covered the trees. I knew of some areas in the world where this happened, but this had neither the muddy waters of a swamp, nor the deep undergrowth of a jungle. Among the trees with vines where interesting sappy trees.

I studied the new trees for a while, thinking the sap would be useful. I chopped down a nearby vine tree for wood, and made myself a tap to gather the sap. Then, I cut down a couple of the trees, gathering the wood and a couple saplings. I noticed a couple old pumpkins under the trees and greedily harvested the seeds from their nearly rotted fruit.

I was feeling pretty good about my day when I realized the sun was going down. I erected a hasty earthen shelter and cowered within as creepers peeked a\back through my peep hole. A scorpion chittered away on my grassy roof. I held my sword up close to my chest and shivered the night away.

Come morning, when I began to hear infected burst into flame, I took a deep breath and opened my shelter to face the monsters... and began to tremble uncontrollably as the scorpions sting grazed the back of my arm. I spun, fending it off with my sword. Several thrust and parries later, I managed to sink my blade into the carapace just behind the eyes and slay the beast. I searched for the creepers, but they had wandered off, or perhaps the scorpion had slain them in the night.

I took care of a couple infected that were attempting to use a small lake to put out their burning flesh, gathered a couple more bones, and surveyed the area. I noticed a beehive I hadn't seen before and realized I had forgotten my hive scoop at home. Gathering the resources I harvested the night before, I headed home for the day.

Hitting Rock Bottom

I made it to the bottom of the ravine with carefully carved steps in the stone. There was a lot of ore showing in the walls around me. Waterfalls flowed from several underground wellsprings. Infected had found their way here too.

Two things I took great interest in, and they were both purple and glowy. The first was an odd crystal that infused itself through the stone. I could literally see the energy pulsing through it. When I dug it out, I managed to salvage some of the crystal formations within the rocks.

The second were eyes. Purple glowing eyes in the distance. The creature who's head they shone from couldn't be one of the infected, for it was far too long and lean. It's skin was charcoal. It made a sound, I can only describe it as a "gorp", and it picked up bits of the terrain, grass, dirt, rocks. I think it was interested in studying what it was taking. The most amazing thing about it, however, was that it teleported just before I had the chance to really get a good look at it.

I continued searching the cavern for useful ores and crystals. I kept my ears sharp for the usual- clinking of bone from skeletons, wet flesh sloshing off zombies, shrieking of spiders, hissing of creepers.. and now, the gorping of the strange purple eyed men.

Farming Hoe!

Guess what, reader? I have a little farm going now! Before the infection, I was raised on a small farm. I had a small garden and 4 acres, just enough to keep me and my family fed. Well, it is with some nostalgia that I view my set up now. 

I brought home another trio of chickens and another stray sheep. One of my hens decided to sit, and hatched out 2 little chicks. They are so cute! My sheep also had a lamb. In case you are confused, reader, animals in this part of the universe can reproduce rapidly. I have heard the magicians and scientists speak of other universes where reproduction can take months, even years. Perhaps you are from one of these realms, one where the infection hasn't spread, so I thought it best to explain.

I also am working on digging a stairway down that cave ravine. I'm a bit leery of going too far, too fast. I'm taking my time and making certain I can walk safely up and down. I've seen big scary spiders in the distance, they seem capable of climbing anything, so I'm lucky they didn't see me. Lots of zombies and skeletons are in these caves. Perhaps they were once miners.

One thing I am missing, cows. I really have been craving a good glass of milk and a steak. I know rat meat is just as good for the nutrition value, but steak would really be good right about now. 

Oh yes, I also have a bed! That iron I smelted was very useful for making tools. I made shears for my sheep, a bucket so I could irrigate my farm, and an iron headed pickaxe for those ores too tough for a stone head.

So, it's about noon. The sun is high in the sky as I sit here writing in this journal. I'm not sure how I wish to spend the rest of my day. Travel and search for a herd of feral cows, return to my cave and work on the stairs, or perhaps just take a day to relax and let my kinked shoulder muscles have a break?

The smell of this rat meat is starting to turn my stomach, I think the cows win.

*later the same day* 

I found cows! They were amazingly close to my home. Cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens all within range. I wonder if someone else had a farm somewhere near here. If so, they must have let their animals loose, or didn't have the best of fences. The animals appear to have gone wild and formed a few rather decent size herds and flocks nearby. I wonder if the zombie horseman I saw was the farmer?

Into the Depths

Waiting for wheat to grow gets boring. I couldn't tame another sheep until it did. I had no more seeds to lure home chickens until it did. I didn't have enough food to explore far until it did. I was frustrated and bored. 

Taking my sword, pickaxe, spare torches, and a couple of the pork chops left over from my pig butchering session, I decided to see what lay in the cave I could see in the cliff face nearby.

I found a ton of ore, brown and dull in color. I had no idea what it was, but I was sure I'd find a use for it. I also found dull grey and lighter brown. I gathered these all up. A rat tried to take a bit out of my toes, but I had my sword, so the rat became more meat for the storeroom. I left torches in cracks in the stone as I made my way. 

Just as I was placing my last torch, I realized I was at the end of the road. Before me stood a deep crevasse. On the far side, zombies desperately cried out for my brains, enough survival instinct left in them to keep them from trying to jump over the hole and reach me. I nommed on the pork chop lunch I had brought and debated my next move.

Giving up for the moment for lack of light to see by, I returned home. Night had fallen. I was forced to slay a zombie that was trying to reach my sheep. A whole family of rats came out of the woods with gleaming infected eyes. 

Rats. That was how the infection had spread in the first place, escapees from a lab infecting feral rats until nowhere in the city was safe. I was confident by now that cooking infected meat made it edible, so I gathered up rat flesh and went in for the night.

Before bed, I took out my guide. Turns out, I had gathered some copper, tin, and iron. I set some to smelt and lay on the floor.

Day 4- Established

I ate my dinner by torchlight, then curled up on my hard wood floor to try to sleep again. Not long into the night, I was wakened by a strange moan. I peered out the window of my door and saw a terrible sight. A horse, head still showing rub-marks where a halter once hung, flesh falling off it's body in boiling pustules. I had not known, before now, that the disease could spread to animals other than rats. I considered the pork chop in my hand with growing apprehension. Finally, I decided to finish it anyway. I had to risk it, or starve.

In the night, I heard other sounds that made it hard to sleep. Rats climbed to the roof of my house and scurried around squeaking. A wolf paced outside the fence, drawn to the scent of my cooked meat, and began to harry my chicken through the fence. Thankfully, the chicken was smart enough to hug the wall of the house and avoid being eaten.

As dawn broke, I pulled my sword and killed the offending animals. With a sigh, I gathered the meat from the rats. Meat was meat, and I needed this. I felt bad killing the wolf, but noticed it's red eyes and knew it had been touched with the disease. The horse burst into flame with the suns touch, like infected people did. It left behind a glob of goo, which bounced towards me maliciously. One swing of my sword dispatched it.

Shaking my head, I took this new knowledge and went about my day. One section of my wheat was fully grown. I harvested it and replanted the seeds. I smiled again in appreciation of the magic that made harvesting easy. No need to thresh the wheat, the usable portion separated itself from the chaff in the workbench, bread and pastries were, no pun intended, a piece of cake.

Not quite finished with my work on the fences, I pulled a splinter from my hand and got back to work. Just before sunset, I stood with satisfaction and looked at the 3 pens I now had ready. One, of course, already held my lone chicken. Another, I had built a dirt shelter into, preparing to keep sheep warm after I had shorn their wool.

Thinking of sheep, I decided to take my 1 bundle of wheat and set about taming my second pet. I found one wandering close to my house, seemingly comforted by human company. I led him to the pen, and he went in of his own accord when I opened the gate. I put the wheat into the feeder and gave him a pat.

Turning back towards my house, preparing to sleep on the floor one more time, I was startled to see a horse running my direction at full speed. Unlike the horse from the night before, this creature had no flesh left on it's bones! Chomping it's teeth at me in a horrible display, it rared up and let out a shriek. I wasted no time dispatching it. I salvaged a bit of bone that looked useful, and returned to the house as dusk settled over the land, hoping to sleep past the terrible noises of infected creatures outside my door.

Rain began to fall, and I knew I would be in for a hard day, as the clouds kept the sun from finding the infected that filled the forest.

Just before closing my door against the night, I saw something that brought tears to my eyes. A zombie, who must have had a real bond with its horse in life, was still riding. The horse was also infected. Together, they searched for brains in a state of non-life. I turned from the scene and closed my door.

Day 3- food crisis

I woke to the sound of someone knocking on my door. For a happy moment, I forgot where I was, what had happened to the world. Everything was as it should be, and I had company. The soft moan of "Brains" broke me from my half-slumber and slammed me back into reality.

As I pulled my sword and prepared to dispatch this sad creature, the first rays of morning fell upon it's flesh. Flames burst forth. The moaning took on an edge of pain as he (she?) stumbled away. Feeling sorry for it, I severed it's neck with my sword. Bits of rotted flesh lay in the smoldering remains. Biting back my revulsion, I scooped them up and put them in my storage. I needed to research them, for I knew bits of magic residue filled the infected.

Wiping my sword blade clean on the grass, I set out to find food.

I noticed a few things as I explored the area around my new home. First, I found a lovely waterfall. I pondered naming it, but decided there was no point. Within a quarter mile, I found a lava fall. I admit, I had butterflies in my stomach as I faced the heatwaves. There was also a frozen lake nearby.

I found some sheep, and took note of where the flock wandered. I would need to come back later and see if I could coax these creatures to trust me. I also found some wild pigs. I felt bad, but I was really feeling the pinch of hunger now, so I slaughtered them. I heard a familiar noise, and discovered some chickens close by.  It was easy to lure them into following me. I wondered who used to care for these birds, now gone wild?

I spent a good portion of the day working on a fence. I began to lure my new chickens to it, gathering eggs as I found nests in the grass. Almost too late, I heard a hissing behind me. I dodged as fast as I could, only feeling the edge of the blast as the creeper blew. It was enough to scorch my skin and leave me dazed. The worst of the damage had hit my poor feathered friends. Of the 4 following me, only 1 still stood.

Not one to waste, I gathered the 2 with enough meat left on their corpses to be salvaged, and led the final chicken home. Grimly, I began to cook my porkchops as twilight fell.