My Playthrough

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BobSlingblade679
Posts: 204
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:57 am

My Playthrough

Post by BobSlingblade679 »

So, I decided to try my hand at writing. I have zero experience, so don't expect much, but below is what I've got so far. Any criticism would be appreciated, but I hope you guys at least enjoy it a little.

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I awake in a forest.

My last memory is of foolishly crossing an ocean in a small boat. I thought I could make it; I set out in the morning. I had plenty of rations and enough materials for a quick shelter once I reached the other side. I had travelled all day with no land in sight. The ocean proved to be larger than I expected. Night fell and the squids rose. I could hear them splashing behind me as I paddled as fast and straight as I could, hoping to outrun them. I was certain there were at least ten splashing and thrashing behind me, trying to catch up, but it seemed to be working. My boat seemed to be faster than them.

This is what hopes gets me. I had a good home. I had found a ruined town. Restored it. Erected defenses. I could have stayed there. Yes, the venomous spiders from the neighboring jungle were terrifying, but I found a way to keep them out. I suppose I spent at least a month there, but over time, I grew lonesome. I longed for another human face. Someone to talk to. I began to think, maybe - just maybe - there were others like me somewhere. Maybe whatever destroyed this town was an isolated event. Perhaps they had simply moved. Maybe they didn’t move far. Of course, I had no idea which direction they might have gone, if indeed, they had survived and simply migrated. It was a big leap to just pick a direction and start walking, but I had hope. Hope is foolish..

One of them got lucky. It must have been waiting right in front of me, because I was sure I was faster than them. No matter. It grabbed me, and drug me to the bottom. I thrashed with my stone axe. It broke. I thrashed with my spare. It broke. Marveling at the toughness of these blubbery creatures, I knew I was going to drown. But I held onto my hope. I frantically opened my bag, searching for another axe I had stashed. Then all was black.

I awake in a forest.

By now, I’ve come to understand this strange world and its rules. I know what to do and I get to work. I bludgeon a couple trees with my bare hands, feeling no pain. Such a strange world. I feel so strong – felling trees with my bare hands. Yet, the monsters of this world render my weakness woefully apparent. Never mind. I don’t have time for silly ponderings! Back to work!

With just enough materials, I craft a rudimentary table, upon which I craft two picks. I see no exposed stone, so I dig into the side of a nearby hill - again with my bare hands. Not my picks. They have one purpose, and I can’t afford to waste anything. I find stone. I pound away at it with one of my picks. Snap! My pick shatters as a perfect cube of stone is freed from the wall. Such a peculiar world…

I swing again with my second pick. Another cube of stone. I return to my table and fashion an axe with the precious stone I mined out. With pure elation, I rush back into the forest and fell two trees in seconds! I stash the materials in my bag and begin searching for food.

I find a couple pigs and sheep as I venture and reach the edge of the forest. Before me is a large flat field with what looks to be a marsh on the far side. More wildlife await my axe in the field, so I move forward, scanning left and right for any danger – what is that on the horizon? Buildings? Another town! Perhaps this one hasn’t suffered the same fate as my previous home. Perhaps I won’t be alone anymore!.. No.

Hope can give you strength, but at least in this world, it more often gets you killed. I had just received a particularly uncomfortable reminder last night. I force myself to ignore the town and butcher the nearby livestock, first.

Night is falling. I see no light from the town. A shame. It’s probably abandoned, as well. Perhaps something wiped all sentient life from this world. Perhaps I am truly alone.. No time! I rush for the hillside. I craft another table. Three picks this time. Chop, chop, SNAP! Chop, chop, SNAP! Chop, chop, SNAP!

This time, I fashion a pick with a stone head. It’s getting quite dark, now. I hear something. Clack, clack. A sound I know all too well. The fleshless remains of some poor soul, nothing but bone. Summoned from the night and cursed to walk this world until the light of day burns it from this world once again. A morbid cycle, to be sure.

I block off the entrance to my little hovel, leaving just enough space for a few shreds of light. Darkness is dangerous. Everything is dangerous. Except the light. I need the light. The light! I shake the thoughts out of my head. I need the light!

I continue digging through the stone. My pick breaks. I fashion more. I dig more. My picks break. Again.. Again.. My stomach growls.. I’ve been at it a while, so I check my supplies. I have enough! I fashion one more pick to be safe and, finally, I build a makeshift box from my excess stone.

Fire is particularly weird in this land. It doesn’t follow the same rules as in my homeland. It does have its rules, though. One of which I plan to exploit. I place some bark inside the box and, without applying any spark, the inside instantly lights aflame. Peculiar world.

But oh joy! I have light! And I have fire. I spend the rest of the night cooking and digging. All night. Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I’ve slept. I must have slept at some point. I’ve been in this world for months, I’m sure. I don’t feel tired, so I must have slept, right? Perhaps I’m just losing my mi - CLACK-CLACK! CLACK-CLACK! Ah, the morbid cycle is complete. The undead return to ash, and I return to the surface. Another day.
Last edited by BobSlingblade679 on Thu Aug 04, 2016 1:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jstu9
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Re: My Playthrough

Post by jstu9 »

Nice!
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BobSlingblade679
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Re: My Playthrough

Post by BobSlingblade679 »

--edit-- Grammar and stuff

Thank you, Sir. I guess I'll keep going, then. :)

Day Two:


I hear a hiss. I run! I run as fast as I can, hoping I heard the hiss in time. Then the expected BOOM! It knocks me to the ground. My ears are ringing from the explosion. Thankfully, I seemed to have gotten far enough and didn’t catch the brunt of it. I’m a little bruised, but in one piece. I get up and turn around. My home for the night is a shambles. My table is destroyed. My stove gone. No matter. I’m prepared. I have enough supplies to build another of each and there may be some in the nearby town, already.

I long to explore the town. Perhaps there is someone there. But should I hunt more, first? Even if someone is there, there’s no guarantee they have food. Even if there was food, they might not have enough for me, as well. Even if they were willing to trade - but I have nothing.

Hunting it is. I’ll return to the town shortly before dusk, so I have enough time to secure one of the buildings. I head back to the crater that was my shelter and climb the hill so I can get a good view. Looking back at the village, oh. The town is along the border of a jungle. I see the mighty trees behind the buildings, towering into the sky. Who would settle so close to such a vile place? Don’t they know of the menace that breeds within? Maybe they are from my world, as well, and didn’t know of the dangers. It’s such a beautiful sight - I wouldn’t blame them. I made the same mistake.

I’m wasting time. I turn around and see a marsh not too far away and, off to the left, a pine forest, covered in snow. Such an abrupt change. Another oddity of this world, the abrupt change of climate. The marsh is hot and humid, but one step onto the snow and it’s, instantly, blisteringly cold. I don’t see any wildlife in the marsh, so I decide to skirt its edge and brave the pine forest.

Thankfully, I don’t run into any trouble. I find some chickens, sheep, a couple wolves - of which I give a wide berth. But no filthy skeletons hiding in the protective shelter of the pine trees’ shade. No giant spiders sneaking atop the trees. None of the silent, green abominations that destroyed last night’s shelter. All in all, a good and productive day. Well, half a day. It was a long walk and the sun is already starting to decline. I need to head back.

I retrace my steps to the marsh and continue along its edge, winding my way back to the town I still hope might not be empty. There it is again – hope. What am I even doing here? Is it possible to ever get back to my true home? Perhaps it would be better to simply lie down and give in to eternal rest, but I don’t even have that option. Several times now, I have been eaten alive, starved, or been blown away by those vile green things. But every time, I awake again in a new place.

I know it’s the same world, though. A couple times now, I’ve seen places I know I’ve been to before. Most of those places are death traps now. It was a long time before I had the foresight to leave a stash of food before moving on, and many of my previous hovels are void of sustenance as a result. I stayed in one place for too long, too many times. I’d kill all the wildlife for food, and I’d stay there until I ran out. And then that place is forever desolate. At night, the monsters can appear out of thin air – I’ve seen it. But it seems the native wildlife doesn’t, and so every home is very much temporary. I kill, I eat, I move.

I arrive and quickly discover there is no one. It doesn’t take long. It’s not really a town. I’m not sure what you’d call it. Two houses and a well. An overgrown garden, long since devoid of any sustenance. I hear something. A faint bubbling, gurgling sound. I know that sound. Oh, what luck! I rush into the nearest house and there it is. Lava. Safely contained in a vat of stone. I seal the doorway in a wall of dirt and begin tearing down the inner walls of the house. The precious lava illuminates the whole house, now.

I remember I’m dangerously close to a jungle, so I wall up the windows, as well. The venomous spiders are smaller than their more common cousins but far deadlier, and can fit through narrow spaces. I double-check the house to make sure I’ve covered every opening. I check again.

Conveniently, two stoves, like what I had made in the cave the night before, are here as well. I load them up with meat and bark and let them cook. I have light. I have food. The food won’t last, though. I’ll have to hunt again. And each time, I’ll travel farther than the last. Turning more of this world into wasteland.

I need a more permanent solution. I’m going to need better tools. That means iron. I praise my luck at finding this house with the vat of lava. I begin to dig down, spiraling around underneath the lava. The further down, the darker it gets. Then, I dig a hole under where the lava would be. I make sure the hole extends below my lowest step. Then, I break the stone underneath the lava.

The lava slowly flows down through the hole. It reaches the bottom where I made sure the hole was below my lowest step. The lava fills the hole – and stops. Liquid. Another oddity of this world. It first came to my attention when I was fishing over a perfectly still pond. I heard the hiss in time and dove into the water. I still felt the shock of the explosion, but like this morning, I was relatively unharmed.

I came up for air and looked around for any more surprises. I wasn’t disappointed. The water was rushing into the newly created crater, pulling me towards it. I swam to the side as fast as I could and jumped to shore. I barely managed to avoid being pulled in. Out of curiosity, I walked up to the edge and looked down, thinking it may have exposed a cave. That’s when I noticed. The water was flowing into the crater, but it wasn’t filling it. The crater wasn’t that deep and by the amount of water rushing in, I should have seen it filling. But it wasn’t. The water flowed into the crater and came to rest at the bottom. Water continued to flow into the crater, but the pond never drained. I wasted half that day staring at the spectacle, trying to understand it.

So, naturally, when I later came upon lava. I decided to do a little experiment. I broke an opening in the edge of a small cavern lake of it and ran like hell. I got up on an outcropping above it, looked down, and my suspicions were confirmed. It was slower, but otherwise had the same otherworldly properties as water.

I continue digging the spiral, periodically opening up the middle to let the lava flow down and leaving a small opening for the light to poor in. The stone darkens and I know I can go no further. Not yet, anyway. My crude stone picks are not strong enough to cut into it. I’m in a poor state at this point. I have light, but it has reached its end. Liquid can travel straight down, best I can tell, indefinitely. But it has limitations horizontally, becoming shallower as it travels from its last vertical fall and finally fading to nothing. I could go back up the stairwell, block off the lava, and run it down diagonally. But then the bottom of the stairwell would be utter darkness. Things would appear. I can’t afford to compromise the security of my new home. I’d have to fill it back up but it doesn’t sit right with me to simply return my hard-earned stone…

Hearing my stomach growl yet again, I realize it’s time to head back up. I’ll sort this thing out later. I climb back up the stairs and return to the surface. I collect my cooked food. I eat and I listen. I hear the moans of zombies, the clack clack of skeletons wandering the night. No chittering. I wait. I listen. Still no chittering. I muster up all of my courage and remove part of the barricade in the doorway. Still dark.

Sighing, I head back down the stairwell, but I stop a few turns down and begin digging out a room. I figure I’ll need it anyway if I survive long enough this time. Besides, I still haven’t decided what to do about the end of the spiral anyway. Eureka! I’ve found it! Not iron, but a beautiful and black substance embedded in the stone of the wall. Coal. Precious, precious coal. I proceed to dig it all out, going through several picks in the process. A sizeable deposit.

I check my bag to make sure I have at least one good axe. I still have two from my hunting on the way here. That will be enough. I break some of my extra wood into small sticks. I hold one in my hand and ceremoniously press a single piece of coal to its tip. The coal becomes one with the stick and is immediately consumed in black, lightless flame. No, this is not my world. But in this moment, I feel it just might be possible to conquer it, given time.
I repeat the process until I’ve merged every piece of coal to the end of its own stick. I place them in my bag, the lightless flame harmlessly licking the various flammable objects within. I take one out and place it on the wall of my new room. The flame flares and glows red, illuminating the room.

I seem to be cursed. Things I touch, things held in my hand, do not function. In fact, things in my hand have neither weight, nor volume. I can chop down a tree and carry it around. I can compress that same tree to the size of a nickel. I can even chop half a forest, and compress it to the same size. And when I place any of it on the ground and let go, it instantly returns to its original size. So, perhaps not a curse. I have no idea why I can do these things. I see no evidence of the other creatures in this world possessing the same ability. Just me.

I listen again, longing for the sound of burning bones, but I hear only the usual terrors of the night. Sighing again, but with higher spirits, I return to the bottom of my stairwell. I begin mining in a straight line, placing the marvelous, forever-burning torches on the wall as I go. I needn’t worry about monsters, now. They can only enter this world through darkness.

After a while, I bend my tunnel and angle it back towards the bottom of the stairs, always looking for the iron ore that will provide that permanence I long for. I find a vein. I happily mine it out and count the perfect cubes in my bag. Not enough. I keep going until I reach the stairs again.

Finding nothing more, I return to the surface. I listen. Silence. No burning bones, but no clacking bones, either. I rush to the doorway and bash at the blockade with renewed vigor. The blockade breaks. Sunlight pours into my home. My home? Yes, I think it will be.
Last edited by BobSlingblade679 on Thu Aug 04, 2016 1:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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dawnraider
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Re: My Playthrough

Post by dawnraider »

Damn, that's quite impressive! I like it!
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BobSlingblade679
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Re: My Playthrough

Post by BobSlingblade679 »

Thanks, Dawn!

Day Three:

Shouting for joy, I rush outside, considering which direction to explore. Obviously, not the jungle. Never again. No, I won’t talk about it. I’ve spoke of the venomous spiders before. I’m sure you can figure it out.

I could cross the marsh and hunt in the pines again. It’s a long walk, though. The more temperate forest is closer. Also warmer. And I didn’t have time my first day to clear it of wildlife. I decide for the closer forest, thinking I will use the saved time to harvest a few more trees.

I reach the edge and get to work. One birch down. Another oak. All the while listening for wildlife. I harvest five trees and, hearing no wildlife, continue deeper into the forest. I walk a good distance before spotting a couple sheep. I stuff the wool and meat in my bag and keep moving. A few pigs, a chicken, another fairly productive outing. I count the spoils. I could likely live a couple days off this if I’m careful. I look up at the sun as it begins its descent. I have plenty of time.

I head back to the edge of the forest before harvesting anymore trees. It’s easy to get carried away and lose track of time. I want to be as close to home as possible in case I accidentally push my luck. Now I can begin. I swing away, felling tree after tree as their leaves magically hang in the air with no support. Eventually, they fade and disappear, some leaving behind miniature versions of their owner. I gather them and put them in my bag. I’ll take these home and plant them there. Eventually, I won’t have to wander off into the distance for wood anymore.

The sky darkens. Oh no! I can’t be caught out in the night! I run. Running for my life, I crest the hill, see my home across the valley, and stop. I hunch over, grabbing my knees as I gasp for air. It’s too far. I won’t make it before they come. I need to hole up for the night. Atop the hill, I look around and spot a cave entrance, partially hidden by one of the trees that had not yet suffered my axe blade. I rush down the hill, stopping short as I peek down into the darkness. I grab a torch and throw it down into the cave. It flies out and glues itself to the wall. The lightless flame sparking to life and illuminating the entrance.

Seeing no immediate threat within, I drop down. I grab the precious wood I had intended for tools, cooking, extending my home, and begin erecting a barricade as fast as I can. I leave enough space so I can peak under the wall to see beyond but not enough for the lurking undead to squeeze through. I do the same on the other side, closer to the entrance.

I throw down another torch and double-check my precautions. It will suffice. I am safe. I collapse to the ground and sulk. This is not how I wanted to spend my night, once again in a hole in the ground hiding from monsters. Granted, a large portion of my home was a hole in the ground that let me hide from monsters, but it didn’t feel that way. It felt safe and comfortable. Besides, I had a project. I wanted to get back to it. Find iron. I slap myself. Iron! I’m underground right now, at the mouth of a cave. I could very well find iron here if I brave its depths.

I hear the sound of a zombie. The sound comes from deep within the cave. My resolve wavers. If I brave its depths and survive, I correct myself. Surely, the one zombie is only the first. No. If I’m to make this world my own, I will have to combat the darkness eventually. I steel my nerve and remove part of the barricade. I step deeper into the cave and place a torch on the ground in front of me. My resolve wavers, yet again.

Before me are three distinct branches. Whichever way I choose, the monsters would be behind me. What’s worse – the third branch’s opening is over three meters high. I’d have to build a ramp up, but I can’t see into it until I climb up. They could be waiting right there. Waiting for me to climb up into their open maws. I continue to stand there, dumbly wondering what I should do.

I might have wasted the whole night but a zombie spots me and climbs up from the lower branch. I see it shamble towards me, arms outstretched, now just a few feet away. Shocked awake, axe already in hand, I smash the blade into the rotten thing’s face with such force I knock it off balance. It fumbles a couple steps back before recovering and continuing toward me. I smash it again. A third time. A fourth.

The creature crumbles to the ground. Not a second later, the whole corpse vanishes, leaving behind a shred of its flesh torn by my axe, and.. Green orbs. These, I don’t fully understand, but know to be harmless. They gave me quite a scare the first time I saw them, though.
This is not the first monster I’ve slain, of course. But there’s a first time for everything. It was a skeleton, hiding under the shade of an oak in mid-day. I had never thought they could survive the day, so I wasn’t looking out for them. The wicked thing shot me in my shoulder. Caught completely by surprise, I naturally ran, but when I stopped, I got curious. I cautiously headed back, sneaking between the trees, and peering through their foliage as I tried to see what had hit me.

There it was. Alone. I couldn’t miss this opportunity. My first chance at avenging my many deaths. This time in the day. The day is mine, I thought! I wouldn’t let them take that from me! I rushed out from underneath the tree, zig-zagging to throw off its aim. I successfully dodged its first arrow and made a bee-line straight at it, leading with my axe. I flailed at it with my axe like a mad man. It managed to stick me with one more arrow before finally collapsing to the floor in a pile of bones. Oblivious to the pain, I pumped my arm in the air victoriously, shouting like a fool. Then, the bones evaporated, all but one. And the green orbs appeared.

Before I had a chance to ponder what new threat these may have held for me, they rushed all as one straight for me. Stumbling backward and flailing my axe in desperation, the orbs struck. They hit me square in the chest and sank right through my skin. I dropped my axe and tore at my shirt in horror, trying to see what horrible affliction they may have bestowed upon me and – nothing. I was unharmed. Well, except the two arrows sticking out of my torso, no new injuries. No cuts. No bruising.

What were those orbs, I wondered? I still do. Were they truly harmless? I had continued hunting that day, all the while wondering what they might have been, fearing some gruesome disease that would take my life yet again. But nothing came. I had survived in that area for at least a week and never experienced anything I could have contributed to the orbs somewhere within me.

I later realized that anytime I had slain anything, monster or animal, the green orbs appeared. I can only assume they’re something like souls. The life-force of my victims. I was taking their essence, so to speak, but I neither know what that means for me, nor what I might be able to do with it. Regardless, I’ve come to revel in it.

I feel a rush of blood and confidence as I grimly accept the soul of the zombie I had slain. I collect the piece of flesh it left behind, and set my jaw. This cave is mine. I move to the upper cavern, build my ramp, and rush to the top. I toss a torch at the wall as far as I can and brandish my axe, determined I will conquer whatever lays in wait. Nothing.

I move forward close to the edge of light and place another torch. No threats. I place a barricade similar to the one below and head back, axe in hand. Peering down, I see another zombie lumbering towards me. I drop down and swing my axe, using gravity to strengthen my blow. I laugh as the axe sprays rotten blood, and swing away until the zombie collapses. This cave is mine.

I pick another branch and run headlong, slapping torches on the wall as I go. A dead-end. I turn around to head back and see the green, silent, thing. I calmly slap it with my axe and take a step back. It hisses and shakes violently. I start backpedaling just to be safe as the thing explodes. Then I rush back up. I reach the final branch, lighting it as I go - and stop.

I think that’s enough for now. I decide to wall this off as well. I return to the entrance as I collect my thoughts and take inventory. I have only a handful of torches left – I’m running low. The axe I had used on the monsters is surely reaching its end, but I have one more. One pick, but plenty of stone. I chop up as much of the logs as I can until the axe breaks.

I slap myself again. Fool! I haven’t cooked any of the food I had collected. The shock of being stranded in the wilderness yet again is causing me to make mistakes. Mistakes get you killed. I craft another stove, set it down, and begin cooking my food. I eat my last chunk of cooked meat and wait for a couple more to finish in the stove. I collect them and head down the lower branch that wasn’t a dead-end, snacking on the way.

I tear down the barricade and slowly move deeper and deeper. I can afford caution now, knowing my back is safe. Anything that might harm me will come from the front. Worse comes to worse, I can fall back and replace the barricade. I keep going down, checking the ceiling for holes that might hide an ambush. I find some more iron and mine it out. Deeper. Some coal. Deeper. I’m starting to sweat. I know my back is safe, but I don’t feel safe. I’m too far from home. I’m too deep. The stone darkens. The foreboding environ becomes oppressive. I decide to head back. I need to catch my breath – breath surface air.

I wall off the tunnel and, fighting the ever-growing urge to flee in terror, make the trek back to the surface. I reach my little base and collect my food. Take inventory again. I could use a little more wood. I’m not desperately low, but access to coal is burning through my supplies quickly and, like so many things in this world, running out of wood can get you killed.

I peer through my barricade near the entrance. I can see the stars. I’d find them beautiful if they didn’t come with such grim implications. The night is horror. Yet, I continue to stare out at the night sky, waiting for the dawn. I can’t bring myself to wander down and explore more of the cave. I need a break. I need the light. The sun. Safety.

The sky warms. The black of night gives way to orange and yellow. CLACK-CLACK! CLACK-CLACK! I smile with sick pleasure as I hear the skeleton burning away, sent back to its evil home. And so too, shall I go home.
Last edited by BobSlingblade679 on Thu Aug 04, 2016 1:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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BobSlingblade679
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Re: My Playthrough

Post by BobSlingblade679 »

Day Four:

I wait for the silence that tells me the evil has been forced from this world and climb out of the cave. I leave the humble shelter intact knowing I would likely be foolish enough to require it again, and head home. Crossing the plains, I see no wildlife. Of course. I’m not the only predator. The wolves, the zombies, the spiders. They all compete with me for the limited food here.

I stop walking. How is it that there is life anywhere? When night falls, the monsters enter this world and hunt. They can typically clear the whole area in a single night, and I know the animals never return. I’ve been to many places more than once and they all remain desolate. Yet, anywhere I have not been is teeming with life. For a day, anyway. My eyes widen as I begin to understand the implications – the monsters are following me. Wherever I am, I bring drag death and destruction along with me. The desolation of this world is entirely my fault.

I continue home, resolving to find a way to right my wrongs. I will rebuild this world, somehow. I must.

I arrive home and plant the saplings I had gathered from the day before. I enter the house, wall it off, and collapse on the floor as I contemplate my next move. I know I still need iron, but I don’t really have a comfortably large stockpile of food. What to do? If I managed to find enough iron in time, I could craft a hoe and begin my farm. But even then, I’d have to wait some time for a crop sizeable enough to support me. Worse yet, I might not find enough in time. I may very well starve during my search.

I could go hunting until I had a larger supply of food. But then I would have to travel that much further for livestock when the time came to truly settle down. I just need to make a decision. I have enough food for at least two days, so I decide to get to mining. I will mine for one day. Then, while I smelt whatever iron I find, I will hunt.

So, I head back down my spiral staircase and continue strip mining, digging a long tunnel, winding back. Down and back. Down and back. Periodically, I return to the surface to gauge the time and, if nothing else, break up the monotony to recover some of my sanity.

I eventually find some more iron and coal. Counting it up, I realize I have enough for a hoe, so I head back to the surface to smelt and prepare for the next day’s hunt. I prep some spare tools for my trek, namely four spare axes, and wait for the day. I hear the moans of the undead, but still no chittering, so I break a hole in my barricade to check the time. Just in time to see the orange glow on the eastern horizon. Time to hunt.
Last edited by BobSlingblade679 on Thu Aug 04, 2016 1:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Inatun
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Re: My Playthrough

Post by Inatun »

Keep it going, man! This is pretty awesome.
Rianaru wrote:As always, your updates drag us kicking and screaming towards our enjoyment. Bravo, sir.
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BobSlingblade679
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Re: My Playthrough

Post by BobSlingblade679 »

Thanks!

Note: I'm going back and editing my previous days. There are some differences beyond simple grammar. Things happening differently, better explanations of stuff. Different explanations of stuff. That sorta thing.

But anyway, day five:

I travel to the pine forest again, searching further for food. I decide to skirt around it, still looking for animals, but also looking for different terrain. I keep glancing up at the sun as I go. I keep going further each day. Each day, I remove more and more life from this world. Eventually, I’ll have to go so far that I won’t have time to make it back home in one day.

Other than the jungle, there’s one more direction I haven’t explored. That’s intentional. I’ve avoided it so that when I’m ready, I can lead some of the livestock home and secure them. Then I won’t have to hunt anymore. But that’s likely some time from now.

Continuing to skirt around the forest, I come across another plain that expands as the forest and marsh fall away. There is plenty of life here. But not for long. I move in to begin my work but stop as I see spots of orange on the far hillside. Pumpkins! They’re not of much use to me yet, but I will need them.
I leave the animals to their business and head for the hill. I harvest all of the pumpkins and check my supplies. What a find! Eight pumpkins. These will be a great boon once I can farm them. Suddenly, I’m far less worried about food. I consider just leaving the wildlife here and heading home. I still have enough meat for a couple days. No. No, I would like to leave them – allow them to continue their lives far from me where they would be safe from the night, but I need to be smart. It will take some time to set things up and anything could happen before it’s done. I decide to cull half the herd.

Time to head home. I retrace my steps and chop down a couple pine trees just to be safe. I skirt the edge of the pines again, through the marsh, up the hill, across the plain, and back home. I enter my home and barricade it once more.

I check my furnaces to see the progress on my iron. It’s almost done, but I’m running low on birch – the best fuel for such things. I’ll need to dedicate all day tomorrow to just getting birch. Then, I won’t have to worry about it for a while.

I make another furnace and dedicate it to cooking food. I stuff as much meat as will fit in it and just enough fuel, and head back down to mine. I continue my strategy, digging out a long strip and winding it back. Half-way through my first strip for the night, I hear a moan. I must be near a cave. I begin digging in all directions, occasionally pausing to listen for the moans. It’s getting louder. I keep digging that direction. Louder. It must be right above me.

I decide to dig to the side until the moans are a little softer and then begin digging a crude stairway up. I go up a few meters and turn around, heading back towards the sound. It takes several tries, but I finally break an opening into the cave, and at just the right height. The zombie stands before me, with just his legs in view. I hack away at him until he falls and open up my tunnel enough for me to get into the cave.

I toss a torch to the wall, still in the opening of my tunnel, and consider which direction to go. I see some iron to the right. Right it is. I head left, throw another torch, and set up a barricade. Then, I head back to the iron and throw another torch, just in time to hear the THWIP of an arrow just missing my face. Knowing it will take him a moment before firing again, I begin setting up a barricade here, too. But not fast enough. The skeleton comes around my barrier, bow fully drawn, and releases it. This close to me, it needn’t aim, and I feel the searing pain as the arrow tears into my shoulder.

I slash the skeleton with the axe in my other hand and dart for my tunnel. I rush in and place a single block of stone at the entrance to the cave at eye level. I hear the clack-clack of the skeleton on the other side of my half-wall, just standing there, waiting for me to come out. I dig out the floor underneath me so I can see his legs, as I did with the zombie. I slash at him and dart back as I hear another arrow impact on the cavern floor. I slash and dart back again. Slash and dart. Moving in for another slash, I see it has moved back out of my reach.

I curse myself for being so slow. If I had set up the barricade faster, I could be gathering that iron. Now, I’m wasting time with this monster. Enough time that other monsters may get inside the barricaded area, as well. I could be here all night, just trying to secure the place. Come on, monster! Just a few steps forward… I’m wasting too much time. I break the tunnel opening, axe in hand, and brace for the pain that’s sure to come.

The skeleton drops into the opening as I swing. THWIP! Another arrow buries itself into my already wounded shoulder. I slash again. The skeleton crumbles to the ground. Immediately, I rush back into the cave and place the final piece of the barricade. Safe again, I inspect the arrows sticking out of my shoulder. The fletching is tattered. The shaft so rotted, I’m amazed it didn’t shatter on impact. Then, I wonder about the tip. I can’t leave this rotten thing in my shoulder.

Hoping I still have enough adrenaline in my veins to numb the pain, I swiftly grab them both in one hand and rip them out. And scream. Waves of pain and nausea wrack me as I collapse to the ground. I clutch my shoulder to put pressure on the wound. But the pain only worsens. I can’t bear to put pressure on it. It’s in vain, anyway. I know I won’t bleed out. I heal remarkably fast in this world. Gashes, cuts, bruises. They heal within minutes. Broken bones heal in less than an hour.

So, I wait. A few minutes and the pain subsides. I’m not at full strength, yet, but I can work. I stand up and begin mining out the iron. Seven. I try to remember how much I had smelting already. I must be close to a pick. Perhaps I’ll make a pick first, and a hoe later. I have a reasonable stock of food, so there’s no rush, and a pick would enable me to find more iron even faster. I could dig into the depths. Find a cave that goes into the deepest and toughest stone. In those depths, I could find diamonds, the strongest material I’ve ever found for tools.

I decide to return to this cave later. I head back to the surface and begin smelting the iron I had found with the last of the birch logs I had collected. I count up what I have and what’s still cooking. I was right. There’s enough for a pick. Once again, I am filled with hope. Soon, I will have a pick. Then, I will plumb the depths of this world. I’ll find more iron. I’ll find diamonds. I’ll establish a sustainable food source. I’ll survive.

I craft more axes for the next day’s work. I collect the food I had cooked, refill the furnace, and take stock of my supplies. I have everything I need for another day’s work and enough food for several. So, I listen. I wait. I’m getting sick of waiting. I’m tired of being unable to see the sky.
Every day, I wait and listen for the sounds of the undead being purged from this world. But the green ones are never purged. And they’re silent. It’s only a matter of time before one catches me off guard, thinking myself safe as I exit my home. Even if I survived its detonation, it would surely destroy a wall, leaving my home exposed and indefensible. And, since the spiders are not purged either, I’m sure they’d be right there to finish me off. But I have a plan.
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BobSlingblade679
Posts: 204
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:57 am

Re: My Playthrough

Post by BobSlingblade679 »

DAY SIX

I smile, as I always do, at the sound of the sun purging the monsters from this world. I wait for the silence that tells me its work is finished and open up the barricade. With the prospect of a green one destroying my home still fresh on my mind, I rush out of the house and down the road to its end before looking back.

I see the green thing standing idle near my “door”. I’m far enough away that it’s given up. That’s fine. I’ll continue my day’s work, and perhaps it will have wandered off. If not, I’ll kill it then or simply rush into my home and block the door again. Either way, I needn’t worry about it now.

I have two tasks in mind for today and I need to get started. I head back for the forest where I first awoke and begin searching for birch trees. I spend a little more than half the day chopping. I prioritize birch trees, but collect a little bit of oak for tools. With the sun starting to decline, I head back home.

I reach the road but don’t see the green thing. Cautiously, I approach my house, looking left and right. My stomach clenches as I realize it might be in my house right now. I should have blocked it off again. I should have just killed the thing this morning.

Gripping my axe, I run passed my house, looking inside as I go to see if it’s in there. I don’t see it and I go around the corner to see if it’s there. Nothing. I go inside and block the door. It could still be in here. It could have wandered down into my mine. Oh, why didn’t I just kill it!? I stash the birch I had collected and head down into the mine. I’m wasting time, but I have to know my home is secure. I look down every strip, but see nothing. As I return to the surface, I wall off the mine, just to be safe. I’ll do a more thorough search shortly.

It’s time for the second task of the day. I lash together some ladders, break a hole in the roof, and climb up. The roof is flat, surrounded by a lip of stone slabs. The house is not more than a few meters high, but it gives me a decent view of the surrounding area. I place a torch on either side of the roof and begin extending the edges of the roof. Spiders can climb up any surface but they can’t seem to grip ceilings. With this extension of the roof, and the light of the torches, my home is now safe. Monsters cannot enter this world from the roof due to the light, and any spiders that might enter the world from the ground can’t navigate the extension of the roof.

There’s a house across the street. Spiders could climb it, but I doubt they could make the jump to mine. Regardless, I fashion a bridge across the street from my roof to the neighboring house and extend its roof in the same manner. I tear a hole in its roof, as well, and set down a ladder. I might have a use for this later. Whatever I might have in mind for it will have to wait. I watch the sun set from my newly secured rooftop, soaking in the relief of being able to view the stars without fear.

I gaze at the stars for a few minutes, then peak over the edge of the roof, silently taunting the hungry dead below. The zombies stand dumbly, maws open, begging me to come down to meet them. I chuckle to myself and head back down into the house. There’s more work to be done.

I collect the iron I’ve smelted and count it up. More than enough for a pick. I get to work, magically compressing the iron nuggets into ingots, and fashioning my pick. I go back to the roof, pick in hand. I thrust it into the sky for all to see. “Bear witness, foul beasts! This world shall be mine!” I chuckle to myself again. I’m being foolish – and more than a little cocky. The dead things don’t understand me. Nor do they care. But I’m a great step up from yesterday, and I just feel.. good.

With this marvelous tool in hand, I can dig through the rock far faster than with the crude stone picks. And for much longer. This one pick will last me quite some time, and I will very likely find enough iron for another one before it wears out. I guess I better get started.

I head back down into the mine and return to the cave I had found. I decide to keep going right, so I remove the barricade and cautiously move forward, tossing torches as I go. I find more iron and a great deal of coal before this branch starts to move upwards, towards the surface. As I continue exploring, I wonder how far I’ve actually traveled. I always get lost in the underground. Which way is North? Where is my house from here? If this cave actually breaches the surface, I wonder where I might be.

I come around a corner and at the end of the next stretch, I see wood. And a torch. That can only mean one thing, and I’m not sure I’m prepared to tackle such an obstacle. Whoever inhabited this area before me, must have dug these mines. Whoever they were, they were fools. The supports they place in these tunnels obstruct one’s vision, and they are not typically well-lit. Consequently, they are riddled with monsters of the night, and every support could be a hiding place for one.

Worse yet are the spiders. They are like the spiders of the jungle, small and venomous. The venom is not quite as debilitating as that of its cousin, but they are still quite dangerous. And in an area where they could be around any corner. Not sure if the risk is worth the reward, I block off the tunnel and head back home with the coal and iron I’ve obtained thus far.

I place the iron in the furnaces to smelt and craft a few more torches. I climb the ladder to the roof of my house, munching on some mutton as I gaze at the night sky. It feels good to be under the night sky and safe. I’ve not had this in a long time. Peace. I notice the moon is at its peak. I’ve only spent half the night exploring the cave. I take comfort in the fact that I could spend the rest of the night just relaxing under the stars, but there’s more work to be done.

I head back down into the mine and continue strip mining. I dig out several strips and I’ve barely made a dent in my new pick. And the stone I’ve collected! With stone picks, half of the stone I mined out went into new picks, and a lot of that reserve was spent on more picks when I found coal or iron. Now, I’m chewing through rock with ease and collecting droves of stone.

Heading back to the surface, I count up the spoils. Nearly a hundred coal and thirty more iron. Not to mention my horde of stone. A good night’s work for sure. I climb up to the roof again to see the sun setting. Oops. I spent a whole day mining. No matter. It was worth it.

I stuff the iron into the furnaces and load them up with more birch to cook. I check my food supplies. Realizing I still have plenty, I consider braving the abandoned mine I found. My next projects planned for the surface require the iron I’m currently smelting, anyway. If I’m quick, I can light some of it up before the monsters arrive. And if I hear the chittering of spiders, I can always run for my life. I decide I’m in the mood for a little adventure and head back down.

I reached the area I had barricaded and tear down just enough to squeeze through, so if I need to flee, it will be a small matter to close it off again. Knowing I have to be quick, I sprint down the tunnel, torches in hand. I reach the end and stop. Behind the wood is a furnace and table. Laughing at my foolishness, I realize this is the entrance to the cave where I was stranded just a few nights ago. I’ve come a long way in this cave.

I realize this could actually be of benefit to me. I can get a head start on a day of woodcutting or hunting using this cave. I can safely walk through here before dawn and spend a whole day in the forest, rather than wasting some of the day walking from home.

I head back home, taking the time to level off the cave floors and installing stairs when necessary as I go. I also place a few more torches on the walls, just to be sure it’s bright enough the whole way to ward off the monsters. Reaching my home once again, I gather all the iron that had smelted and, finally, craft the tools necessary for acquiring sustainable food. I craft a hoe, shears, and a bucket. All at once. I’ve been so fortunate in finding iron this time around. Normally, I would have to craft at least a second pick before having this much spare iron.

I’d like to make use of my new cave, but there is still some setting up to do before I head back to the forest. I gather my new tools, some food for the road, and wait for dawn.
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BobSlingblade679
Posts: 204
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:57 am

Re: My Playthrough

Post by BobSlingblade679 »

DAY EIGHT

Breaking down the barricade, I step onto the road, reseal the door, and head into the house across the street. I begin by stripping out the floor of oak and stone and dig down a bit further so that the new floor is now two meters below the frame of the doorway. There are a few spots of stone down here so I dig those out as well and replace them with dirt. Then, I cut out a few small, narrow openings along the wall of the house, and board up the windows. Finally, I break the bottom of the doorway so I can get out and replace it.

All of this must be done first. My plan today is to lead a herd of cows back and wall them off in the house. However, they are potentially dangerous creatures. Normally passive, the slightest disturbance can cause them to panic, and you don’t want to be near them when that happens. I learned this the hard way the last time I got this far.

Much like now, I had my sheers, a hoe, and a bucket. It had taken longer to acquire them that time, but I had them. Consequently, I was low on food and in a rush to get my cattle serving their purpose. I hadn’t set everything up beforehand, though. I had the opening so I could lead the cattle into the house of another abandoned village, but had not yet converted the entire floor into dirt so the grass could spread and feed them.

I had successfully contained them in the house, but quickly noticed they were eating the grass faster than it could grow. I knew I had to fix it. So, I dropped through the roof at night and started digging out the floor. That’s when I learned just how skittish these animals were. Upon the first perfect cube of oak flying into my hand, the cows panicked. Unaware of the risk, I had of course been standing right behind one of them when I started the work. I was promptly kicked in the face, slamming me into the wall on the far side. Realizing my error, I edged the wall, backing into the corner, praying desperately that they would stay back.

One of them turned and ran at me. I just stood there, knowing there was nothing I could do. Just before reaching me, it turned to the side, thrust out its hind legs, and caught me square in the chest. Tears running down my face, bracing at the pain from trying to continue breathing, and wondering how many of my ribs just got broken, I waited for them to calm down. Once they were calm, I headed to the ladder, the only way in or out, determined to just leave them be and let them rot. As luck would have it, a zombie came around the corner and poked its head in one of the still unsecured windows of the house, sending them into a panic again. It earned me another kick to the head and I awoke to a brand new day in a brand new forest. If I ever find that place again, I will probably kill those cows.

With my brand new shears in hand, I move out to the field and cut a handful of tall grass. I head across the field in the direction I had deliberately avoided until now and skirt the edge of the forest until I find two cows near a river. Disappointing. I had hoped to find more. At least four. Oh well, I’ll take these, and perhaps search for more on another day.

I cautiously approach the skittish animals, holding the freshly cut grass out in my hand. They notice my approach, but then notice the tantalizing bait in my hand, and walk up to meet me. I take a few steps back to make sure they will continue to follow me. Satisfied they are with me, I begin the journey back home, continuing to coax them with the grass, occasionally pausing for them to catch up as they try to navigate some of the steeper hills.

We make it home shortly before dusk and I realize my mistake. The doorway is not wide enough. Fear grips me as the clock is ticking yet again. Knowing the hell that will be unleashed upon me if I make modifications with the cows nearby, I lead them back away from the house.

I stuff the grass back in my bag and make a mad dash back to the house. I widen the doorway, set up a basic ramp, and run back to the cows as the sun starts to set. Very shortly, the monsters will come and here I am, out in the open. Under normal circumstances, this would be unnerving. Leading beasts that will turn on me the moment a zombie comes for them is downright terrifying.

I get them to the doorway as the darkness sets in. Forcing myself to breathe, I push the cows, one at a time, into the house. I seal the doorway, sending the cows panicking below. But they’re safe. I breathe a sigh of relief and, remembering the time, run back across the street. Luck is with me this time. I break down the barricade, enter my home, reseal it, and only just now hear the first monster of the night.

I stand there a moment, trying to catch my breath and get over the close call. That couldn’t have gone much better. I’ve had a couple good stokes of luck in the past few days. That just means I need to be more careful. More methodical. Eventually my luck will run out and, if I’m not careful, I will wind up awaking in some new, unfamiliar territory… again.

Regardless, I’m safe in my home now and, as always, there’s more work to do. I head down to the room I dug out my first night here and start fleshing it out a bit. I smooth out the wall and extend the room. I dig out a hole towards the front, and a trench in the back. I replace the spots of stone surrounding the trench with dirt. Water. I need water here. I’m going to have to wait for day to finish this. In hindsight, I really should have done all of this before getting the cows. It will be fine, though. I still have a comfortable stock of food, and I’m confident I can get everything set up before I run low.

However, I’m stuck. There’s nothing more I can do here until day. I need water, and I need chickens. Both of which are somewhere on the surface, outside of the safety of my home. So, I guess it’s time to go mining again.

I head back down to my branch mine and dig out several strips with my trusty iron pick. I keep an ear out for any moans, the clacking of bones, or the sound of running water that would indicate a nearby cave, but hear nothing. After a while longer, growing tired of the monotony, I consider the first cave I opened up. I remember that I never explored the left side.

I head back up to the surface to check the time. About midnight. I head back down to the cave I opened into and break down the barricade on the left, again leaving just enough space to squeeze through. The tunnel begins to descend, and continues for some time. I light it up as I go, always placing torches on the left wall. This way, I always know that the way back to the surface will have torches on the right side. Even with the many forks that come with such deep caves, I’ll always be able to find my way back.

Inevitably, I come to a fork. The left side seems to have a slight upward incline so I decide to explore it first. I wall off the right side and begin exploring. I find a little bit more iron, but no coal, and hit a dead end. Knowing this section has been fully explored, I head back to the fork, wall the section off, and place a torch on the barricade. This way, I’ll know that this section has been fully explored and won’t waste my time double-checking it.

I break down the barricade on the right and continue my descent. The stone darkens, yet again. Beyond this point, my pick is useless; even it cannot break the dense stone here. I come around a bend and stop short at a sheer drop into a seemingly endless cavern of pure darkness. I can tell it’s quite large because I can see a short stream of lava on what I can only hope is the far side.

To my right, I see a path down. Still quite steep, and would require some effort to level enough to get up and down quickly, but better than the sheer drop in front of me. To my left, I see a short path around the top of the expanse that dead ends. I light it up and look down, trying to see if I can place a torch lower so I can at least see the floor below.

No luck. The cavern is just too deep. The lava on the far side gives me a decent guess as to the depth of the cavern, but I know it could be misleading. Where I think might be a floor only fifteen meters below, may well be thirty or more. The all-consuming black just makes it impossible to tell such things.

I head back to the slope on the right, trying to level it off a bit so I can make a hasty retreat if need be. The slope starts to curve further to the right, and as I come around I see a glow. I keep going down and around and, finally, just as the light of my previous torch reveals the floor of the cavern, I see a lake of lava. On the far side of the lake – diamonds! On the left side of the lake, more diamonds! I nearly jump for joy, overflowing with excitement. But then, I hear the clack, clack of a nearby skeleton and remember where I am.

I’m in the depths. Standing at the cusp of a massive cavern enveloped in a blanket of the oppressive dark. I’ve been foolish to forget my vulnerability down here. There’s no telling how many are down there. I can’t see through the black, but I know they can see me. I check the slope below me, determine it too steep for the undead, and head back up to the tunnel to think.

Tunnels I can deal with. I’ve never seen a cavern this size. Even the chasms, the long cuts in the rock that descend to oblivion, I can deal with. At least they’re narrow at the bottom. They are troublesome to descend, but once down, not much different than dealing with a tunnel. But this. If I enter that abyss, I will surely be surrounded. And I can’t block off sections as I go. There are no sections. It’s one big pit.

But that diamond is too tempting. I must have it. The stone here is too dense for even my iron pick, so tunneling around to it isn’t an option. I need to find a way to secure this cavern. It seems my only option is to run down, place a few torches and run back before I get attacked. A few runs of that, and maybe I’ll have this place lit up.

Before I begin, I set up a workbench and use it to lash together some ladders. The monsters seem to be too simple use a ladder, so I plan on using these to secure my way up and down into the cavern. I double-check my tools, make a couple spare axes, and use the last of my wood making torches.

With one of my fresh axes in hand, I head back to the bottom of the slope and set up the ladder. I take a deep breath, steel my nerve, and hop down to the cavern floor. Immediately, I sprint across the massive room, away from the lake of lava, placing torches as I go as far ahead of me as I can. I see the skeleton I had heard earlier at the edge of the light. I break to the right, dodging one of its wicked arrows, and loop back to the ladder, placing torches and widening the area of light.

Before I reach the ladder, one of the green ones comes into view. I know I won’t make it out of its sight before it explodes. But these things are little threat to me now, as long as I can see them coming. I continue sprinting towards the ladder as I pull out my shears. As I pass, I snip off its – well. Let’s just say I cut its fuse. I pick up its “fuse” as I pass it and jump up to the ladder.

I walk back up the slope to the top so I can catch my breath and look down into the cavern. I’ve lit up nearly forty meters across the floor and still don’t see the far wall. There’s no telling how many monsters have spawned in that darkness by now. I remember my good luck of late. This might be the time for it to run out.

Perhaps I should just return later. I’m out of wood, anyway. I decide to return to the surface and, as I make the journey, consider the prospect of building a tunnel to the diamonds. I would need a lot of materials. I try to estimate the distance from the safety of slope to the edge of the lava lake. If I follow the wall of the cavern, I could potentially use half the materials of a full tunnel, but the curvature may turn out to make it more expensive. Still, it would be easier to set up, requiring me to only risk exposure on one side as I build.

Either way, looking at my supplies again, I have plenty of stone and could afford to go either route. I decide to stick with the safer option, skirting the edge. I make it back home and consider the tasks of the next day. I still need to find chickens, and they will require my attention as I breed them to increase the population. Their eggs are what I’m after. Each chicken can only produce a few per day. I’ll need several of them and a steady supply of feed in order to wholly sustain myself. Which means I also need to set up the pumpkin farm. And wait for it to grow. But I also need wood. All of which are time-consuming tasks. The image of those diamonds just sitting there are haunting me, but I know they will have to wait. Priority is food.

I head up to the roof to view the stars again and wait for morning.
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MisterFister
Posts: 143
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2016 1:41 pm
Location: New York City, New York

Re: My Playthrough

Post by MisterFister »

Pardon me for necro-ing, but this is a lovely story. I'm curious if anything ever happened to it, or if you'd care to collaborate on resurrecting it?
I consume a lot of YouTube. Some of what I consume is actually pretty good.
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