Drifter Man

Deadman 10 / Day 6 First order of business, catch that rabbit. Take everything of value from the basin of the Ravine. Sleep for 1 hour next to the fire. I'm not fully rested but it will have to do. The train engine has the stim - Deadman 4 must have missed it, it's quite well hidden. I'll apply it during the climb if necessary. But it's not necessary and although I'm exposed to winds during the ascent, warm drink keeps me from losing temperature too fast. A while later I'm in the second cave, dropping all the skins and guts on the ground to cure. It's four guts at Trapper's, five curing in the Ravine where I'll pick them up in about 15-20 days' time if I'm alive. 9 guts is a good start. I catch a rabbit near the cave and add a tenth one for good measure. I start a fire after midinght due to blizzard. I keep it burning into the morning. Deadman 10 / Day 7 It's early, the fire is still going, warm pinnacle peaches waiting next to it to give me a boost... it's still very cold but foggy and fog is good when getting across the trestle... I resist the temptation of another rabbit hopping within stone's throw, eat the peaches and set out with a torch in hand. I cross the trestle safely but miss the moment when the warmth bonus runs out catching hypothermia risk while starting fire at the tunnel to CH. I end up losing 2% condition, 73% now. I warm up for a while, boil some water. I've spent nearly all my sticks, so now I have to make it to Rabbit Grove from here in one go. When I'm done warming up it's still foggy. Perfect weather. After turning right from the railroad and down the Bear Creek, I first check the corpse under the track and find... a new ski jacket! Fantastic, just what I need. I put it on straight away. I also add a windbreaker jacket to the pack although it is not much use at the moment. Then I follow the creek and collect cattails, mindful of the unlucky Deadman 1 who got jumped here. My temperature bar is still not even 1/2 spent when I reach the campground. A deer is running around, signalizing safety. I take the meat from the carcass (0.8 kg) without starting a fire, and still have enough left to collect some more cattails around. Eventually I climb up to Rabbit Grove, start a small fire to cook the venison and while it is cooking, I go to the cabin to warm up. An hour later I collect the steak from the fire and let the fire die. It's still foggy and I'd like to continue, but I need to warm up first. I sleep for an hour in the cabin, break up some small crates (I need firewood!) and move out. The weather is holding. I reach Fishing Camp safely, finding a wool toque in the fishing hut, pork and beans and two packs of jerky in the cabins, plus simple tools and driving gloves - my first gloves. The weather turns bad in the meantime and I'm tired anyway. Time to get some sleep.

Heh... Deadman is too busy to count!

Thanks for the wishes of long life The truth is, I'm going to need all the luck on the Great Bear Island to succeed. Deadman 4 / Day 5 After all my complaints about bad weather, I got a nearly perfect day and made as much use of it as I could. Having woken up in the trailer, I spent the cold hours of the morning repairing that 22% bedroll - I made two successful repairs. Then I checked the weather outside and found light fog. It was still early and the temperature was felt -15°C but I decided to take what I have. A while later I was in the Ravine, having dropped in the first rabbit zone closest to ML - not for rabbits, too cold for that, but for the corpse. I didn't find anything there and lost 3% condition because of a failed firestarting attempt - I overextended my stay outside before heading into the cave. Once warmed up, I transferred the fire to a deer carcass at the cave and harvested it completely - 1.5 kg meat, hide and two guts. The fog lifted, giving way to a clear, nearly windless day. I moved on to the train cars: no food, just the usual jerry can and a few bits of scrap metal, plus a rope - but I already have one with me. Next stop was at the second carcass at the rope point. I got the meat out, 1.8 kg, plus one gut, then the weather turned for the worse. While I was deploying the rope, wind reduced the fire to embers and it couldn't be sustained. Only the 0.8 kg piece finished cooking, so I ate it and took the unfinished one with me. At least the wind blew from the south, so I was again sheltered while climbing down. I reached the bottom nearly exhausted and headed straight for the cave. I slept without fire until around midnight, then used calm weather and started a fire outside at the carcass. Only then I noticed the aurora. For some reason, in the Ravine the aurora never sings. Anyone else noticed this? Deadman 4 / Day 6 Anyway, I processed the whole carcass - generous 1.8 kg, my stomach is full now - and turned in just before a blizzard set in. Perfect timing: the cold of the blizzard means that I save some fuel. I sleep until fully rested. The blizzard has stopped but the winds are still strong. Matches are starting to worry me. I've only found two packs in the Forlorn Muskeg, plus a mag lens. One pack is already gone.

Yep, I think other settings may balance Rest as Resource. Cabin Fever isn't that much of an issue when you get used to making all your cooking, water-boiling and even sleeping outdoors. But if other settings force the player to scramble for food every day then hibernation may not be an option. Anyway, see what happens during your sleepwalking and report back I've been also considering some sort of a mixed custom mode if Deadman turns out not to be survivable in the long term.

Deadman 10 / Day 3 (continued) Whatever the weather, I'm leaving. Miraculously, the winds seem to calm down to moderate level after another hour of sleep. Leaving behind two deer hides and four guts curing on the floor, I head out into the snow, torch in hand for its temperature bonus, direction Rail Tunnel/Camp Office. As I near the Rail Tunnel, using rocks on the edge of the map to cover me from wind, I notice a wolf patrolling near the train cars, so I divert around Deadfall Area. No wolves there - I reach Camp Office safely a while later The Camp Office has only a can of soda to "eat", but it has a can opener and a copy of "Wilderness Kitchen". Both items are equivalent to food, in essence. In addition, there's a bedroll, albeit in 22% condition. That day and the next day, I spent three repair attempts in a failed effort to fix it. I'm hardly tired and can't sleep, so I'm grateful for a clear night that allows me to read indoors. I finish "Survive the Outdoors" and nearly finish "Wilderness Kitchen" before it gets too dark Deadman 10 / Day 4 Too cold and too windy around midday. I get a few cattails on the lake but wind and wolves do not allow me to explore deeper towards the fishing huts. I wait into late afternoon, nearly starved, and take advantage of only moderate winds to reach the cave at Lake Overlook. I start a fire at the deer carcass (1 kg steak) and although winds soon pick up again, I'm able to keep the fire going stick by stick. Later the winds die down completely and for about an hour or two I enjoy nice weather. I kill a rabbit, visit my friend in the cave ("Stay on Target", a storm lantern, some firewood), collect the rope and return to my fire to cook the rabbit. Winds then return again, so I drink reishi tea and continue towards the Dam. I reach the trailer before my temp bar runs out and also get a few cattails on the way. Condition holding at 78%, but I'm nearly out of food, as usual. Ravine tomorrow.

Thanks! I don't get many blizzards but I get a lot of "normal" wind. I also feel that the weather is extremely unstable now, going from one extreme to another very quickly. Also, I have the feeling that Forlorn Muskeg is a map with fairly good weather now, compared to ML or CH. As for clothing, I usually get some good pieces in TWM - in Mountaineer's Hut and then in the containers at the Summit. Good luck next time!

Interesting analysis, hope you'll have fun with those experimental modes. I tend to disagree about the purpose of rest as resource - I see it as much as a way to prevent hibernation (saving even more calories by constant sleeping) as the recovery limitation that you mentioned.

Deadman 10 / Day 1 Deadman 10 spawned in FM, close tho the derailed flatbed cars near the tunnel to BR, pre-dawn, strong winds. I thought this would be another short story but I managed to keep him sheltered from the wind about halfway to Spence's. When the wolf approached, I goated down again, but in the right place this time, and I reached Spence's safely a while later. Got matches, hacksaw, some clothing, warmed up, slept for a bit. Then via High Blind and Poacher's Camp to ML, arriving at Trapper's before nightfall, in 78% condition. If there was one difference compared to the previous runs, it was light fog/still winds for most of the afternoon of Day 1. Deadman 10 / Day 2 I harvested the first carcass at the barn, then slept in the cabin. Ventured out again in late afternoon to check out the second carcass in the direction of Unnamed Pond. Dealt with a wolf on the way but winds turned out to be much worse. I got the meat out before they killed the fire, but that was all I could do. I didn't want to carry it to the cabin because of that wolf, so I left the steaks "paused" on the stones. I'd like to return to finish it and to get the hide and especially guts. I hope I get the chance. I feel they've done something to the weather recently, I didn't use to be like this. Basically, what used to be Hushed River Valley is now everywhere. You leave the cabin, you sit down and make fire - wind is here, giving you no chance. It used to be sometimes no wind, sometimes medium force, sometimes strong winds. Now it's maximum-strength winds all the time. I'm not sure I can cope with that in Deadman mode. With the weather outside intolerable, I spent the day in the cave, collecting coal. I ended up with about 15 pieces in total. Bad news is that I spent the coal at Spence's and also stupidly brought some scrap metal from the Poacher's Camp. In addition, I had to take the dog food from Spence's. So when I return, I'll have to bring all supplies. Let's care about that when the time comes. Deadman 10 / Day 3 The weather in the morning is still ugly, pre-blizzard, but the winds can be survived until I reach the carcass I started yesterday. I build a new fire, hopefully with better shelter, and manage to cook the meat and get out the guts and the hide. Winds change to max strength in the process but this time my fire is sufficiently protected. On the way back I spot a rabbit hopping behind the cabin. By the time I warm up in bed, the rabbit is gone again. The weather in the afternoon is still - ugly.

I use this from time to time but with limited success - I've never managed to get through a cave with this trick. This time I had almost nothing, I tried the trick with a book but after a while I mis-clicked and lost it far away in the darkness.

It's called deadman for a reason. The first few hours are critical. I learned to appreciate how lucky I was with Deadman 3. The wolf killed me a few time before, too. It's a deadly wolf - it's deadly by not being there most of the time.

Deadman 8 Will's plane, morning, strong winds, about minus million degrees. I'm freezing almost immediately. I manage to run past the wolf at the Crashed Plane and even snatch the stim. I make it through the cave, which is lit enough during daylight to pass through. Bear blocks the other entrance. I try to sneak past it but it turns around at a bad time. I get shredded. Deadman 9 Somewhere in PV, pre-dawn, about minus 40. I run down a slope towards what I think are Three Strikes - it turns out to be the Clearcut, I'm in ML. I get to the cabin at the Unnamed Pond with a few % of freezing damage and sleep until noon. Blizzard. I need water, so I run through the blizzard to Trapper's. On the way I find a flare in the hunting blind. Start a fire at Trapper's, make some water, but I only have very little fuel, so it's not enough. The safe has a mackinaw inside. The blizzard ends at dusk and I get the brilliant idea (well, the alternatives weren't much better) to go to Mountain Town for the matches that are always between the ropes. I get lost in the cave in the dark. Wait until the next day, starving. The cave is pitch-black dark even during daylight. No point wasting time looking at the black screen - I quit and delete the save.

Deadman 5 Started in Broken Railroad. Turned around and headed into FM at felt -17°C. Decided to push for Poacher's Camp in hope of being able to start a fire with a flare. Railway blocked by wolves. Tried to evade and walk away. Wolf pursues and kills Deadman 5. Deadman 6 Started in an unfamiliar place in PV. Found way to the Farmstead at night, in strong winds, in 88% condition. Took at least an hour to find bed. Found some clothing, matches in the basement, but very little food. Strong winds in the morning, felt -29°C. Headed out to Signal Hill because that was the direction in which the winds blew. Barely avoided a bear at the Farmstead. Near the rope up to Singal Hill (freezing of course), another bear. I had no idea a bear can be here. Sprinted into favorite cave at the rope. Turned out it's the bear's cave. Started a fire and hoped the bear doesn't come home for now. Deadman 7 Initially it looks okay - Forlorn Muskeg, afternoon, light fog. I head for Spence's. After a brief break in the coal cave southwest of Spence's - warm enough, I pass time making tinder - I set out again. The fog has turned into thick fog by now. Of course, I run into a wolf and have to retreat to the cave. I'm running out of daylight, so I goat down the cliff, but I can't get across the ice to Spence's from there. In addition, I sprain an ankle. I wander through the fog, freezing, eventually I reach the tracks and follow them through the night to Poacher's. I scan the pitch-black interior of the train car and find the flare. In 43% condition, freezing and dehydrated, I narrowly avoid hypothermia. The fog lifts and TLD-gods give me a windy aurora instead. I wait until the winds end but I know wolves are around, I can hear them howl. But I have to go. I hobble towards ML, two aurora wolves in pursuit, one aurora bear in front. They let me go surprisingly far. End of story.

Deadman 4 / Day 14 Killer winds blow all morning and most of the afternoon. I pass time reading a book and sleeping, in order to stay rested and ready to go. In mid-afternoon the winds stop. It's snowing and it looks like calm before storm, a blizzard could begin at any moment, and it's still felt -13°C when out of the wind - I won't get very far like this. Both wolves are on the far side of the lake. I hug the rocks as I leave MH, to stay out of wind. Just as I pass the ice floe near the rabbit run that kept me busy yesterday, a third wolf jumps me - literally, I had the flare gun ready but had no time to point it anywhere - and that's the end of Deadman 4. I had a bad feeling about this run, with all the bad rng I kept getting on everything - starting position, weather, rabbits - so I don't regret this much.

Deadman 4 / Day 13 Killer winds blow all day. There's no way I can go to the Summit in this weather. Instead I stay around MH, collecting sticks and cattails and returning to the hut to warm up. I use the time to repair my bedroll. I also kill, cook and eat two rabbits I find hopping on the shores of Crystal Lake. I harvest one gut as well - there's some chance it will cure before I'm on my way out of TWM. If I'm ever on my way out of TWM. In the fishing hut I find a piece of reclaimed wood and old leather gloves at 18%, no better than the near-ruined mitts I already have. I'm not lucky with clothing on this run. I wonder what's there up in the plane: a hammer, or a hacksaw? I have to get going tomorrow because there's nothing else to eat around here.

I haven't seen a rabbit since I left Jackrabbit Island. If I get my hands on one, there will be no mercy. I WANT RABBITS TO DIE. In this case the wolf territory and rabbit territory are fairly well separated, although I remember one Snowball dying on this assumption. That was in the old days when wolves automatically attacked when you got anywhere close to their meal. One morning I just went to collect some sticks around Landing Gear and the next thing was woof wraaaugh aargh.

Deadman 4 / Day 12 My first thoughts in the morning should be about food, but fortunately I remember and start the day by turning a few sticks into tinder. Then I peek out of the cave: minus 43°C. Okay. Instead I thoroughly search the cave, finding a few pieces of coal, some firewood, wool socks, beef jerky and... a can opener! I was hoping for that, thinking about all this canned food in cargo containers. It's definitely the find of the day. No rabbits are around. It's a strange pattern, repeating from the Rabbit Grove and Jackrabbit Island. Whenever I come to a rabbit place, next morning the rabbits are gone. Rabbits hate me. And I hate rabbits, I say to myself as I chew the jerky. In the afternoon I use a brief lull in the winds and transit to the bunker. Normally the bunker is pretty much empty, but this time I find two sodas and a mouldy granola bar, the No. 1 killer in The Long Dark. I risk it - in part because I don't have a choice, in part because I don't have the same bad experience with granola bars as everyone else seems to have. After a brief sleep, waiting out a blizzard, I drop all the stuff I'm not going to need in TWM, like prybar, sewing kit, books etc, climb the rope and continue towards Mountaineer's Hut. I'm forced to start a fire when I'm nearing the Landing Gear. Before I cook reishi tea, wind first increases strength, then turns around and kills the fire. I'm nowhere near warmed up, I didn't have the chance to throw in coal. I wait for the tea to finish on embers, which gives me a bit of warmth, and run to MH. No matter what I do, I know I'll lose condition - the evil wind blows from MH with perfect geometric accuracy. I arrive in 58% condition, losing 4% on the way, hungry and exhausted. The hut has solid amount of food - two cans of dog food, one or two sodas, a tin of sardines. Also a mag lens - I hope this means there's a hacksaw in the plane because the one I brought with me isn't in great condition - 72% - to safely open all the containers. I quickly count, one, two, three... it's 9 container compartments I want to open in any case, that's 45%. No margin for error, under 25% the hacksaw can break, leaving the container inaccessible forever. I also get a second ski jacket, thank you. There are no wolves on the lake, great chance to pick some cattails. But I'm freezing and tired. I have to use this chance, so I sleep for one hour, drop everything I can and run across the lake. I get 8 cattails before my temperature and fatigue bars run out. The wolves return next morning.

Not intended - unlike your loosing and then losing arrows

Enough theorizing - Deadman 4 goes on Deadman 4 / Day 10 With my repaired clothes, I get +9°C bonus on temperature. I leave the cabin in late morning, leaving some stuff behind that I won't immediately use: tools, about 20 cloth, a book on fishing. The skies are clear but strong winds blow from the sea. I make my way to the "firestriker guy" who, this time, has no firestriker (and nothing else for that matter). I am forced to make a warming fire in the fishing hut between Misanthrope's and Jackrabbit. During the warming break the winds stop. I cross the ice to Log Sort, watching out for wolves on both sides. I harvest a deer carcass at Log Sort - 0.7 kg meat. Do you think the wind will let me cook it in peace? No way. But the steak (and water) do finish before the embers die, so I'm not forced to carry the meat around. It is warm enough for me to move despite the wind, so I carry on. Short stop at the trailer: some food, soda and nuts'n'stuff. Second carcass has 1.8 kg meat, excellent. I find a nice spot shielded from most direction and try starting a fire with the torch, but 60% success chance is really poor. I fail 4 times and the torch burns out. I light another. This time the second attempt works. I cook my venison and eat it. The winds stop again. I'm tired but I want to make it to the Cinder Hills mine today. Search the second trailer on the path - some more food is found. Eventually I reach the mine and go to sleep. Deadman 4 / Day 11 I start the day at a fire, making water and torches to pass through the mine. During the search of the mine I find over 40 coals, a storm lantern, another toolbox and a cotton hat - my first head cover apart from ear wraps. And my first emergency stim. I'm forced to leave most of the stuff behind - the lantern and tools are too heavy and I want to keep as much coal as possible. After a short nap I enter Pleasant Valley, which offers a pleasant, beautiful, clear day, with comfortable minus 7°C felt temperature. Within one hour it turns into this: I'm forced to run through the blizzard, searching Derelict Cabins (painkillers found) and making two warming breaks in sheltered places. I get into trouble when I realize I ran out of tinder - I spent it all yesterday while trying to cook the deer. Harvesting sticks in a blizzard isn't fun. Being sheltered from wind, having a warming bonus from drink and accelerant save me from losing condition to freezing. The second break is in a bear cave, which is usually occupied - but not this time. I even get 0.5 kg meat from the deer carcass at the cave, harvested in the middle of the blizzard. My old leather gloves wear out, I still have a pair of mittens, but they're also in 20% condition. I hope to find a new pair soon. Exhausted from running, I reach Mystic River Picnic Area. Enough fun for today. Tomorrow we'll search the cave and try to bag some bunnies before moving on to the bunker. Then, TWM.

I played around with these settings earlier as well. The lowest at rest recovery rate is still way too high, while setting it to none and keeping "waking" condition recovery only penalizes you for sleeping. I posted a wish in the wish list thread some time ago, asking for having a minimum at rest recovery rate equal to the condition recovery setting. But the truth is, even 4% per day seems too high to me. I imagine about 1% per day would be appropriate for deadman style, whether you gain it at rest or all around the day.

The great things about Deadman (apart from simply being hard): Starvation exploit - eliminated Cabin fever - an ultra obnoxious affliction - eliminated, without making the game easy No more running before sleep to get tired - you sleep whenever you can, as you should. Rest as resource is still relevant because it prevents you from hibernating and saving calories Meaningfully utilizes feats - I like it that being allowed to choose two feats is part of the rules The not so good things, maybe: Reliance on emergency stims to get health back is kind of strange I'm not sure about long-term entertainment value. Late interloper weather may prevent all travel The wolf flood may turn into easy meat source at Level 5 cooking Let's see how it all plays out

Deadman 4 / Day 9 Rabbit Groove stays without rabbits in the morning as well, they're just gone. I leave around noon, collecting sticks and cattails. There is a deer carcass at the Campground, so I make a brief warming break there as I search the place. A few sticks, reishi mushrooms and 0.5 kg meat is all I get. Strong winds blow when I reach Fishing Camp. I don't find much useful stuff there, except stuff'n'nuts under the bed. Also a can of pinnacle peaches and a book on fishing (fits in thematically). No hammer at the workbench - this time the loot table set is different. I harvest some curtains and sleep for a while - but I should really get to Jackrabbit by tonight, or I run out of food. Fortunately, the winds die down at dusk. With a burning torch for some warmth, I set out towards the island. On the way I visit a fishing hut (sardines, sewing kit), a boat (simple tools) and a corpse on the rocks (nothing). I'm thinking of checking out the small islets for maple sapling but winds soon return, forcing me to make a beeline for Jackrabbit. I make it there in time and even try to bag some rabbits but as usual when I'm hungry, I fail. When my temperature bar is about to run out, I jump into the cabin. I find some more peaches and sardines. Still no can opener. My soul bleeds as I smash the cans open, 23% lost, 31% lost... I need those calories but I can't haul the cans around forever. Deadman 4 / Day 10 I get a lucky morning - I do a ton of repairs and all succeed. Combat pants twice, jeans twice, ear wrap once, thermal underwear once, ski jacket twice. I don't care about cloth - there's plenty here - but the time saved by zero failures is nice. I peek outside, no rabbits. I guess they got scared yesterday and holed up. Eventually I find one but it turns out I threw all my stones yesterday. And stones don't happen to grow around here. I soon return to the cabin, I should get on my way again.

Thanks! I'll try not to die. But if I die, I'll be back. Thanks - especially for introducing the challenge here. I'm turning Deadman into my standard play mode because it's so much more fun than Loper

Deadman 4 / Day 7 When I wake up, it's still too cold and windy. I greet a fresh corpse high under the rocks, below the bridge - Deadman 3. I keep the fire going as I vacuum-clean the basin. Cattails, rosehips, sticks, reishi mushrooms, one rabbit, meat from the deer carcass. I don't take any guts or pelts because that would take hours, and I want to get out of here today. I sleep to get fully rested instead. It's still windy when I leave in late afternoon, fortunately the wind blows from the south. I will be shielded during the climb, which is important. Search the train engine: the flare gun is here but definitely no stim. We're going back up. At the top I start a fire next to the carcass I already harvested yesterday, this time I want the guts and hide. Now that I'm back up, I can afford the risk. I also catch a rabbit but manage to get only one gut out of the deer when the wind picks up. I hurry to the cave (near ML) and warm up. Late at dusk, the winds are still again, and it's warm enough for another walk. I visit the derailed train cars: scrap metal, a jerry can, nothing else. I return to the cave, harvest gut from the rabbit, and go to sleep. I have to start a fire in the morning. Deadman 4 / Day 8 The day starts with a fog. As soon as the temperature is reasonable, I set out towards the other cave, direction to CH. When I'm crossing the fallen tree bridge, it starts snowing. Strong winds blow by the time I reach the cave, with one rabbit bagged. I check the temperature, warm enough if I stay in a bedroll. One hour of sleep: a blizzard starts. I make fire, losing 1% condition to freezing (to 62%), cook the rabbit and harvest the gut. I make some water and reishi tea, then sleep again. The blizzard rages until late afternoon, eventually giving way to clear skies with almost no wind. This lasts until I reach the trestle - strong winds blow in my face as I cross, but I make it to CH. Attempt at a warming fire in the CH doesn't quite work, evil wind kills it within 15 minutes, but at least it buys me some time to reach rabbit grove. Rabbits are hopping around but I'm too cold to care. During the night I peek out to see if I can get the rabbits. The aurora is on and rabbits are gone. I try again later, the aurora has ended but still no rabbits. I munch on cattails. I can hear crows from the campground, hopefully the deer carcass is there. The wind keeps crossing my plans, it seems to never stop for more than 1-2 hours. And if it does, it's at night or in early morning when I can't travel anyway. My progress is slow, and slow progress means starvation, and starvation means quick death.

Deadman 4 / Day 6 Should I stay and drive that deer into a wolf? Or take the Lake Trail to the far side of Mystery Lake and collect cattails? Deadman has to move, or die. I climb to Lake Overlook in the morning. The bookworm corpse has book of archery (nice) and a firestriker (nicer). I harvest the deer carcass there, catch one rabbit and collect the rope. Warmed up by a fire in the cave, I continue my journey towards the Dam. By some miracle I make it there without spraining anything. There is a deer near the river, so I use it as a decoy. If there is a wolf at the Dam, I might even get food. But there is no wolf - at least I can roam freely. The winds give me a break for a while. For a short while. I collect cattails and search the trailers, finding antibiotics and matches. Then I sleep for two hours to get rid of some fatigue. It is dusk when I leave for the Ravine. Reaching the rope attachment point, I start a fire, warm up and harvest meat from the deer carcass. While it is cooking, I risk one hour of sleep by the fire, which is only sheltered by a large rock - and survive. The weather continues to be terrible but survivable. I deploy the rope, take a torch and climb down. It feels like an eternity as I descend into darkness, the burning torch at the bottom giving me no idea about how close I am to the end of the rope. I rely on audio to find out when my legs reach solid ground. I recover the torch, quickly search the train engine - isn't there supposed to be a stim? I don't find any. The rest can wait until tomorrow. Torch in hand, I reach the cave - almost missing it, but the deer carcass serves me as a signpost - and check the temperature inside. Minus 1°C with the torch. So I have to burn fire. I start it next to the moss bed, stoke it up and sleep. A blizzard breaks out.

Don't take the deadman numbers too seriously. Sometimes I catch myself typing "Snowball". I'll check Jackrabbit later - it could be an useful temporary base in case I decide to explore CH. Right now I have more urgent matters to attend