TSD - The Sitting Dead

[piddy3825]

what's the one thing the Sitting Dead have in common in Ash Canyon?

They all seem to have a pack of matches on them or nearby.
nothing else of value, however.

Found this guy between elevations after having exited a cave system.  Had to mountain goat down a couple
of cliff faces to get to this guy.  Relieved him of his two books of matches.  Nothing else to write home about.
He might have been badly bruised if he had just jumped down to that ledge.  I could see having sprained both
ankles and maybe even both wrists in the process he may have elected to stay put for a while as there was no way to climb back up to the cave exit and the rope climb below would not have been an option either with wrist injuries.

I suspect that may have been his undoing.  sprains to all his extremities, no bandages and wasn't carrying his bedroll.  He probably light a couple of matches in desperation trying to ward off the cold, one little flame at time
but probably soon realized his predicament and eventually gave in to the cold and embraced the long dark.

[piddy3825]

This guy...

There's got to be a good story here, however I speculate that we will never really know the truth.
Some say he is a victim of Molly's wrath.  Seems she has an axe to grind with most of the men she meets and apparently this unlucky fellow stumbled into her cross hairs and received the bulk of wrath.  Looks like she may have already shot him once with the rifle but didn't kill him outright.  He escaped her for a while attempting to flee her pursuit by transiting between regions.  

Molly of course being a vengeful woman tracked him every step of the way thru the winding river valley and back into the dam.  In her final efforts to kill him, she loosened her final to arrows which miraculously missed him and broke when they impacted the wall.  As his lantern was sputtering and casting it's last light he sat there bleeding, no longer profusely as he was almost dead.  In the flickering darkness of his waning lantern light he tried to change his bandages, unsuccessfully...

I retrieved the broken arrows and harvested the arrow heads and a couple of feathers.  Those will come in handy later.  I took the lantern and a bottle of antiseptic on the floor nearby.

RIP forest talker

[piddy3825]

A couple of wolfs got my scent and started following me as I left the forge to head back to BR.
After playing a game of cat and mouse, me trying to stay ahead and they following hungrily behind,
I had the misfortune to spot a bear patrolling the area ahead.  I decided to quickly take refuge in the cave 
and when I entered, I soon discovered a poor soul who probably had the same intentions as mine...

who knows how long he waited but it would appear he died of exposure.  besides the bottle of water, there was nothing else in the cave.  No firepit, no firewood, no lumps of coal.  Nothing... his backpack was empty as well.

Apparently lacking any weapons, no torch or firebrands, nothing to defend himself from the marauding bear and wolf pack which gladly make him their dinner, he sat down and with despair descending upon him like a never ending avalanche of dread and doom our ill fated companion sat down and died.

[Glflegolas]

Ran into this fellow in the transition cave between Forlorn Muskeg and Bleak Inlet.

The way it looks, this dude fell into the cave from the hole above, and got impaled by the stalagmites. Seems like a fast and painful death. Somehow the stalagmites didn't manage to completely shred his thermal underwear, which was the only salvageable piece of clothing on this fellow.

I suspect that this fellow was just going on a quick day outing, for he had only a daypack containing a chocolate bar -- his emergency rations in case he got hungry while walking, I suppose.

[Glflegolas]

Here's one. Located in the transition cave between Carter Hydro Dam and Pleasant Valley.

I'm a little confused by how this fellow died. He evidently was planning to stay here for a bit, for he had a bedroll, a can of tomato soup sitting next to his backpack (which contained salty crackers). Not far away were two big chunks of reclaimed wood, ready to burn. I'm not sure what he had on him, as I forgot to check his pockets. During my Let's Play, I figured that he died because he didn't have any matches to re-start his fire, but after reanalysing the situation, I think that the following is more likely. This fellow was travelling between Pleasant Valley and Mystery Lake, and it was getting late. So he decided to sleep in the cave -- after all, it's a good shelter, and he had a bedroll on him too. For supper he decided to make a fire to warm up his can of tomato soup. However, that proved to be a fatal mistake. There was poor ventilation in the cave, so carbon monoxide began to build up. By the time the fire was hot enough to heat the tomato soup, this poor fellow was overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning.

I didn't light a fire here, not wanting to suffer the same fate.

[Glflegolas]

And, on my way to Signal Hill from Carter, I ran into another frozen fellow in the hunting blind near Hilltop Cave.

I'm not sure what this fellow was doing. Clearly he can't have been hunting, for there was no weapon or ammo around. His pockets were empty, and all that was lying around was an energy bar and a can of pop. On-camera, I couldn't figure out why he didn't go into the nearby cave, which was well stocked with three research books, salty crackers, a can of spray paint, and even a bed. My only guess is that this fellow walked out from the cave and a blizzard blew up. He then wandered for a while, completely lost, with hypothermia rapidly setting in. He then stumbled across this hunting blind, and sat in the corner, out of the wind, hoping he'd warm up. Unfortunately, that didn't work, for his clothes were wet and frozen, and the blizzard went on too long. Had he managed to find the cave, he might have lived another day.

[Glflegolas]

This fellow was found in the summit cave on Timberwolf Mtn.

This fellow was likely trying to loot the cargo containers at the summit. After successfully starting a fire to warm up, he went to the plane to loot the containers. Unfortunately, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shop and forgot to bring along a hacksaw. Worse, the fire had burned out by the time he got back to his cave, and he couldn't get the fire started again because he'd used his last match. While there were plenty of matches and accelerant not far away, they were in locked cargo containers and not very useful. Exhausted and freezing, he sat down to rethink his options, and that became his demise.

I  can't figure out why he lugged that rope all the way up, other than possibly to replace the one leading up to the summit. More likely (based on his apparent mediocre intellect), he intended to install it near the river south of Eric's falls, but forgot it was in his bag. I'm not sure about the antibiotics, either... maybe he was finishing his prescription after an infection a few days prior?

If only he'd had the foresight to bring along a hacksaw, he'd have lived like a king for several days. Or, if he had gone back to the crash site instead of trying to think, he could have got the flaregun and possibly started a fire with it.

[Glflegolas]

This fellow was found in Lonely Cave, Hushed River Valley.

I'm not 100% sure why this fellow died. He had a flaregun with at least 5 flare shells, a can of pinnacle peaches, a can of sardines, a pack of matches, a recycled can to make water, firewood, and coal. Surely, that's just about everything needed to survive, right?

The Achilles heel here must have been loneliness. He no doubt got lost in the wilderness, and did what the textbooks say: find shelter and stay put. At night, he shot off the flaregun to attract attention. Unfortunately, there was nobody in Hushed River Valley to see his flares, and they weren't visible from Mountain Town. After days and days of sitting in this cave, with no sign of rescue, it appears that loneliness got the better of him, and he gave up, letting himself freeze to death.

[Glflegolas]

Another frozen fellow, this one just outside an un-named cave in the north of the region.

Why did this idiot decide to make a fire and camp just outside the entrance to a cave when there was warmth and safety just a few steps away? Especially if he was smart enough to bring along a bow and a couple of arrows, and an extra arrowhead. Then again, he had both sneakers and trail boots on him so... I guess he was smart in some ways, but not in others. Inside the cave, there were decent gauntlets, firewood, and a flare... everything needed to survive. The only explanation I have is that this fellow originally used the cave as a base, but during an earthquake, some rocks came off the roof and nearly hit him. From then on, he was too afraid to use the cave, and lived just outside of it, where he could still get some shelter from the wind. Unfortunately, this location wasn't sheltered, and one day, the wind blew out his campfire. Due to his fear of caves, he dared not enter the cave to light a fire, using the wood he'd left there, along with his emergency flare. Instead, he just sat outside the cave, holding his bow, trying to think of what to do next. That turned out to be the last thing he ever did.

[piddy3825]

Transiting the twists and mazes of Ash Canyon, I stumbled across this poor fellow...

...alone and in the dark, with nothing to sustain him besides a moldy old granola bar, I believe this unfortunate soul finally found his final resting place on this ledge and remained here to die.  Having stumbled in the darkness on his hands and knees, he swept his arms ahead of him and realized he was on a ledge overlooking a vast cavernous space.  He could hear the echoing of his heartbeat as it reverberated from the tunnel walls as he knelt upon the ledge.  As he scooted back to the relative safety of his final perch, he closed his eyes as desperately trying to summon the courage to continue looking for a way out.  

As the denizens of despair tore at his soul, he closed his eyes for the last time.

[piddy3825]

Came across this corpse as I was transiting the Milton Basin, just up from Bleak Inlet on my way to Mountain Town when I found this poor soul on one of the few "islands" in the Basin.  

He had a death grip on his improvised hatchet and from the looks of things he must have been wielding it ferociously given all nicks and wear on the homemade blade.   I suspect he had been menaced by wolves as he was crossing the basin but it also appeared that he had given as good he got.  He probably was swinging that home made hatchet in crazy arcs as he slowly backed up the slight incline from the slippery flat surface of the ice of the lake as he found surer ground in the crusty snow.  

Having successfully driven off the wolf patrol, physically spent and extremely tired after the ordeal, he slumped to the ground to gain this breath and rest.  
But rest, soon turned to sleep and with neither shelter, nor a sleeping bag, nor fire it was his last and final resting place.  

I took his hatchet and turned out his pockets finding a stim and a bag of jerky.

[piddy3825]

The Final Flare

Came across this sitting dead up at Peak Cave in HRV as I was just looking for a place to hunker down as the blizzard passed.  Looks like this guy had the same idea but never made it out alive.  Equipped with a loaded flare gun and carrying 3 more rounds in his jacket pocket this guy probably got lost lost amongst this trails and switchbacks and the entire area starts looking the same when the snow is falling.  Although I found him considerably further back in the cave, in the "warm" zone, scant resources and previous exposure to inclement weather is probably what finally did this adventurer in.

I relieved him of his flare gun and added it to my own collection and now I have 3 in my possession until I go to claim another when I finally summit TMW.

[Stinky socks]

On 3/13/2021 at 4:06 PM, Glflegolas said:

Why did this idiot decide to make a fire and camp just outside the entrance to a cave when there was warmth and safety just a few steps away?

Cabin fever.

[Glflegolas]

23 hours ago, Stinky socks said:

Cabin fever.

You don't get cabin fever from sleeping in caves... lol

[piddy3825]

Desolation Point
cave under the broken bridge

Having just battled my way past a ferocious and fangy wolf guarding the interior of this cave, I found this poor fellow up a narrow passageway that lead to a small alcove overlooking a large underground chamber.  As I shone my light over the precipice I glanced a half eaten deer carcass down below.  

It all began to make sense as I surveyed the scene before me...

My poor friend here either in an attempt to seek shelter from the weather or perhaps followed a wounded deer into the cave ultimately we will never know, appears to have also encountered the resident wolf as evidenced from the bloody badge lying beside him.  I surmise that he was attacked upon entering and as he retreated stumbling about in the semi darkness went up the narrow passageway by accident until he reached the dead end of the alcove.  Still with the presence of mind of his predicament he was able to make a fire and tend to his wounds.  Looks like he passed out while trying to reload his rifle.  In his unconscious state the fire died out and subsequently also did the life of our fellow adventurer. 
I salvaged what I could, liberating him of a good rifle (88%) plus 3 rounds of ammo in addition to a new MRE, chocolate bar and orange soda.  On the way out, I harvested the remaining meat from the deer carcass and the wolf as well. 

all in all, a pretty good day for spelunking... 

[Stinky socks]

Oh, you uh..found the body? Yeah, those wolves, they don't give no breaks. Hmm..

Well, gotta go!

[piddy3825]

In need of fresh ammo, I've made my way back to Bleak Inlet and the cannery.  

Found this poor soul in his permanent resting state nestled against an empty coal bin.  Upon examination he wasn't carrying anything beside the clothes he wore.  Considering his proximity to immediate shelter, I'd venture to guess that he sat down here out of sheer exhaustion, either during a blizzard or during the darkest of nights.  Probably night time and a blizzard in retrospect.  Considering he was just a few meters from either a car, a trailer or even the kitchenette around the backside of the dock from this location.  

he was so close too...

 

[RandomPlayer]

Not sure if this counts as sitting dead, looks like he was sitting until he slumped over on account of all the arrows
sticking out of him!  Who had a beef with Jeremiah?  This looks more like a revenge killing on account they left all his money on the end of the bed there.  Near as I can make out, Jeremiah was counting his money when suddenly the door to his cabin opened.  He must have known his assailant considering his loaded revolver remained untouched and unfired there at the end of his bed.  Looks like whoever did it was pissed and didn't stop shooting him with arrows until their quiver was empty!   

[piddy3825]

20 hours ago, RandomPlayer said:

Not sure if this counts as sitting dead, looks like he was sitting until he slumped over on account of all the arrows
sticking out of him!  Who had a beef with Jeremiah?  This looks more like a revenge killing on account they left all his money on the end of the bed there.  Near as I can make out, Jeremiah was counting his money when suddenly the door to his cabin opened.  He must have known his assailant considering his loaded revolver remained untouched and unfired there at the end of his bed.  Looks like whoever did it was pissed and didn't stop shooting him with arrows until their quiver was empty!   

well he does look pretty dead now at any rate!  I guess he musta been sitting when whoever barged in on him.  Looks like he took the first arrow to his knee!  so, did you take his cash?

[RandomPlayer]

1 hour ago, piddy3825 said:

well he does look pretty dead now at any rate!  I guess he musta been sitting when whoever barged in on him.  Looks like he took the first arrow to his knee!  so, did you take his cash?

Yes, I did take the money... 
came in useful to help get the fire started!

[Semple Fi]

@piddy3825 @randomplayer

 he used to be an adventure like you, until he took an arrow to the knee.  
 

Ona side note: Am I playing on the wrong device, I’ve never seen anything like that and didn’t know it was even possible to do that??? Is this a PC thing?

[piddy3825]

7 minutes ago, Semple Fi said:

@piddy3825 @randomplayer

 he used to be an adventure like you, until he took an arrow to the knee.  
 

Ona side note: Am I playing on the wrong device, I’ve never seen anything like that and didn’t know it was even possible to do that??? Is this a PC thing?

I'm on PC, 
not sure about @RandomPlayer

[Semple Fi]

Have you been to the sitting dead guy in the cave at the front of echo ravine? Specifically during the Aurora and been able to view his computer screen?

[piddy3825]

2 hours ago, Semple Fi said:

Have you been to the sitting dead guy in the cave at the front of echo ravine? Specifically during the Aurora and been able to view his computer screen?

No, I haven't in my own gameplay other than when I did the Archivist Challenge.  Wasn't thinking about TSD so much at the time of that adventure so I don't have a screenshot of that occasion.
However, another player here on the forums @Lohaan did post that shot here on this thread.  You should check that out if you haven't done so already.  

[Semple Fi]

On 11/8/2020 at 6:33 PM, piddy3825 said:

Actually this should be in the thread, The Soon To Be Dead...

Found this convict in the old farmhouse as I'm replaying Wintermute.  Sure was a surprise. Don't remember seeing this dude the first time around.
I really coulda used that knife on account all I had was a hatchet and a prybar but at the time I found him he was still alive and the knife although having caused his mortal wound was actually keeping him from bleeding out so I had to leave it in him.  Damn!

He didn't say much so I left him like this.

  Sayonara convict!

I don’t know if you’ve ever chosen to drive the knife in, but if so, he qualifies as the sitting dead….