Peg's Story. Fleeing from the long dark.


Pegasus2

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PREFACE:

***Story Mode Spoiler Alert***

The following is a true TLD story. I'd become so good at the game back when I was sandboxing over a year ago that I'd forgotten just how much this game really shines when the  pressure is on. I haven't played in over a year, there were three maps when I stopped playing (ML, CH & PV) and I'd not played the new ones added so story mode would be better. Everything you see here is how it happened, when I talk about emotions and decisions, that's how I as the player felt at the time and what was going through my mind when making decisions.

Enjoy.

 

I'd just left the hunting lodge and well stocked for my journey back to Mystery Lake. I had enough food and water and my gear was in a good state of repair. The weather was also with me for this part of my journey which is always reassuring.  As I trapesed through the snow back towards the railway yard I climbed up a small hillock overlooking the area. I watched for a few moments to see if there was any movement. What happened at the yard two nights ago was still fresh in my mind and I  wasen't in a hurry to have a repeat of that. The whole place set me on edge a bit and I was determined not to spend another night there. It looked clear so I slunk down, ever vigilant and quickly made my way through the gate and across the yard unhindered.

I'd been following the old railway for some time, it was getting late in the day but my plan was to spend the night at the old yellow railway locomotive I had passed on the way. Time went on and I could not find the loco. The sun was starting to go down and I was starting to get tired. I had a deep anxious unsettled feeling, I knew pushin on was wrong. The voice of experiance in my mind saying "You should turn back. You don't know where your shelter is and the further you go the further you have to come back."  Returning and trying again tomorrow would have been the sensible option, I would be short on food but i'd be safe for the night. I didn't want to return to the railway yard to spend the night, I really didn't like the place. Perhaps the loco was a little bit further, a silly decision. My pack was feeling heavier and heavier the more tired I got. All the while my mind was saying "This is how people die, make the known choice and turn back!" I began to have serious doubts and wondered if I should press on to find the loco or return. By this time I had passed the landslide, was half way around the detour and this is where things started to go wrong.

I didn't know at the time, but the yellow loco I was searching for didn't exist, at least not for another two days travel. I was already starting to feel exhausted. As I came to cross the fallen tree near the waterfall I glimpsed some movement on the other side and paused briefly. "You'll be ok" my mind said. I pulled out my flare gun and cocked the firing pin as a precaution. As I reached the other side, a wolf ran over the snow covered brow and pounced on me before I could even aim my flare gun. I pulled out my knife and tried to defend myself as best a could. I was already so tired and fighting the wolf took the last of my strength. Eventually the wolf fled and I was alone again, as quickly as it had started, it was over. I thought it might be the end then and there but it wasen't, it was just the beginning. Pulling myself to my feet I stumbled over to a rock face, I think my heavy clothes had saved me but blood was still dripping onto the glinting white snow. I had open wounds to my leg, chest and arm. I'd also sprained my wrist and ankle. In a slight haze I broke out the first aid kit, if I didn't stop the bleeding quickly it would be lights out. In a slight panic I fumbled with the antiseptic at first, precious time slipping away, but bandaged my wounds. I paused a moment to assess the situation. I was in a bad way (10%) with no shelter, exhausted, not enough firewood for the night and the sun was rapidly setting. I was now looking for any shelter I could, anything at all to spend the night and recover. I'd given up on finding the yellow loco, a cave would do. It was too far back to the railway yard and I figured I could spend the night in the tunnel portal if I had to, so I pushed on.

I staggered on, reaching the tunnel portal and passing though into Forlorn Muskeg. My mind was saying "You know where you are, the red box cars are ahead. You have supplies there, make for them."  I followed the derailed logging cars, if I could just get to the red box cars a bit up the line, i'd be safe. The sun had well and truly set and in the half-light I saw somthing move.... something big. It was a bear....and right in my path. I couldn't believe it, I'd never make it across the ice, so the box cars were out. My options were looking bleaker, I was really not sure If i'd make it or not.

In the distance I saw a hunting blind, it was A shelter and I'd settle for anything at this point. (12%) I slowly made my way there, it had started snowing, I was very, very tired and things were growing increasingly desperate, my progess was painfully slow and I was just clinging to life as it was. I tried to light a fire but couldn't, I poured on the accelerant and some reclaimed wood and had a fire for an hour. It was dark by this time. As I huddled near my small fire, I decided to return to the tunnel portal. The blind was way to exposed. If the wind blew out my fire in the night, i'd freeze to death. I made a coffee and bravely limped on.

The snow was coming heavier than before and I could see less and less, I glanced to the east to see a large crescent moon low on the horizon and the arura above. I was crawling to the tunnel. I fired a distress flair upwards to light the way and scare off any wolves that might be lurking nearby, "click", "pshwoosh", its radiance piercing through the dark as it climbed brilliantly into the night sky.

I lit a small fire in the tunnel portal trying to sheld it from the wind as much as possible. I quickly brewed a herbal tea before bedding down for two hours. It was a gamble but I was out of options. When I woke my fire had blown out as the wind had got up, visiblity was down and I couldn't stay at the tunnel any longer (26%.) I made for the box cars again but soon found two red eyes staring at me from a distance, they started closer and I moved off. The wind was howling and things were very desperate. I decided to head south, maybe I could get to the Old Spence homestead. It was unlikely I'd make it as I couldn't see very far and I was fairly cold by this point but headed there anyway.

My storm lantern didn't light very far but it was better than nothing. I was beginning to think all was lost when, I remembered the torch. I turned it on and set it to high. I briefly looked around and right in front of me was a small hollow in the rock face. I crawled in and used the last of my accelerant, wood and coal to get a fire going in the most sheltered side I could find. I brewed another herbal tea and slept for 4 hours until morning. My fire had stayed lit and it was a foggy morning, i'd made it through the night but wasen't out of the woods yet (56%).

I walked on to the Old Spence homestead, eventually reaching it. I spent the rest of the day gathering wood and food, then spent the night there recovering before heading on to the box cars the next day (100%). All in all it took me three days to get through the Muskeg and four days back to Mystery Lake from where I left the Railway yard, but I made it.

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I hope you enjoyed it:

Lessons learned: (That I already knew just didn't listen to)

Go with the known decision. Aka, chose to go to a known safe location rather than keep searching for a 'maybe'.

Don't be lured on by what 'maybe' if you get that feeling of uncertainty it's time to turn back, then turn back to try again tomorrow.

@Hinterland:

Well done for making the railway yard with the aura such and unsettling a place.

 

Peg

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