Messages

121

Development News / Re: Balanced that spirit, fixed them sacrifices

« on: June 09, 2018, 12:05:07 PM »

And even a step further... a lump of spoiled meat should anger the spirits.
A sacrifice should be something the character actually needs to be valid at all.

122

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: June 09, 2018, 12:39:26 AM »

In the morning he checks all the traps and baits them with lingonberries, finds some browncoat mushrooms, then gets branches for a fire. The squirrel's skin is too damaged to be useful, so Rauko gives the fat to the dog and sacrifices the meat.

Launching his canoe backwards as he was taught for good fishing luck, he catches a salmon... this will be tasty! Lighting a fire, he roasts the salmon with some sweet-tasting leaves, but it doesn't turn out as tasty as hoped for.

While he eats, Rauko wonders if there even will be a warm-up that will melt the ice. He makes some arrowheads and observes the hare that has been sniffing around near his loop snares today. Sending Badgerbane after it results in her returning "empty-pawed" a few minutes after chasing it away.

123

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: June 08, 2018, 01:56:22 AM »

Rauko's sleep was dreamless and waking refreshed, he boils a pot full of bearpaw mushrooms. There have been no birds or other animals caught in his 5 snares since he began staying here, but the fishing has been very good.

The ice is still not melting and the temperature hovers around the freezing point. It's time to go back and look for that herd of reindeer so he takes minimal hunting gear and sets out east along the river.

Searching and watching from several hilltops in and surrounding the place where he saw them yesterday results in no sightings. By late afternoon he turns back, and nearby they corner a squirrel against a sheer rock wall. Rauko tries some of the arrows he has made himself and can not hit the small moving target. Lazily, he whistles to Badgerbane...



It's nearly dark after picking a large lingonberry patch and arriving back at his shelter. Boiled mushrooms for his late meal and then another dreamless sleep.

124

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: June 06, 2018, 11:49:28 PM »

In the morning he continues exploring to the north and north-east, returning in late afternoon after finding nothing of note other than an elk in the distance. He's relieved to take off the heavy mail, and works on some more arrow shafts. It's a little warmer than yesterday and as he turns in for the night he's hopeful for the ice to melt soon.

Early morning brings a wet snowfall. Rauko needs fibers to bind feathers and arrowheads and has run out of the ones he made from tendons. Remembering his father taught him to make fibers from rowan, willow, or alder bark, he searches to find those trees, but has no luck. Afternoon comes, and from a hill he sees a herd of deer.

"Come, Badgerbane, let's hunt."



But the deer have left the area, and searching until the sun gets low he finds them not. Following the river they return to camp for the night, exhausted, and unsuccessful in everything that day.

125

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: June 05, 2018, 11:40:42 PM »

Today the temperature is hovering around freezing and the ice is not melting. Rauko gives one of the 11 perch back to the lake spirits, feeds one to Badgerbane, then boils some bearpaw mushrooms to eat, knowing they are poison when raw. He then makes perch soup and roasts the 5 remaining fish.

He's set for food now for a couple of days, so he decides to do a bit of exploring. Since he's not planning to hunt, it's a good time to wear the mail hauberk and get used to how it feels. After walking a while, one thing becomes clear... he needs a belt to hold some of it's weight at the hips and take the burden off his shoulders.

Having walked around to the far side of the lake and back by evening, he's ready to turn in for the night.

For the first time in a while, his sleep is disturbed by that old dream of the bear killing his father. He jumps up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat to find not a bear, but his dog looming over him in the darkness.



Grateful, he falls back to sleep.

126

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: June 03, 2018, 05:08:01 AM »

After fishing the entire morning, he has caught 5 perches, sacrifice one to the river spirits, and made some good fish soup with motherpipe flowers added.

It feels just a little below freezing, and he sits in the shelter making arrows... all 5 turn out less than desirable. It's time to feed the dog, finish off the soup, and sleep.

The 2nd day there is snow, and he continues to make arrows to pass time hoping for the ice to melt, but the weather doesn't cooperate. By afternoon he's only made 2 decent and 5 rough arrows, but has run out of fibres to make any more.

The 3rd morning Rauko fishes again, catching 11 perch by midday! Looks like more fish soup coming up.

127

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: June 01, 2018, 12:09:45 AM »

Getting to those rapids across the river looks like the best plan, then wait for a warm spell.

Crossing the river is a chore, and Rauko was smart to tie his axe onto his wrist with a cord because more than once he lost his grip while chopping the ice.

He puts up a shelter while Badgerbane frolics... she has grown to like being in the canoe.



Now it's time to put out his loop snares, do a little fishing, and then get some rest.

128

Modding / Re: First Mod: Seafood

« on: May 30, 2018, 02:28:10 AM »

I just wanted to toss in that I visited Alaska once and agree it is amazing.
While there and for a while afterwards there were strong yearnings to relocate!

The mod looks cool 

129

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: May 30, 2018, 02:23:00 AM »

The temperature has now dropped and the river is freezing over! He has reached the first of the large lakes along the river and looking out, the view is disappointing indeed.

Now there is a decision to make: cross the river and walk, or wait and hope for a warm-up that will melt the ice.

130

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: May 27, 2018, 09:59:58 PM »

The river comes into view now, and he summons up his strength for the upstream paddling to come. Not far up the river is a shelter, but it will be hard to see it with the increasing snowfall.



The shelter is found and he goes inside to get out of the wet snow, light a fire and dry off. Rauko gets sleepy watching the flames and drifts off to the world of dreams... waking in early evening, he doesn't remember any dreams if he had them, and the storyteller has temporarily run out of creativity.

Back on the river, paddling hard upstream, Rauko moves as quickly as he can because ice is forming along the shore and he doesn't want to resort to walking... there is still a long way to Kuikka territory.

131

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: May 26, 2018, 03:02:25 AM »

Finally the smoked meat is ready! After sharing 1 of each 5 pieces with them, he bids the villagers goodbye and whistles to Badgerbane. Off they go...

Dropping his heavy gear at the shore, he retrieves the five snares in the berry bushes. Then they cast off and head north along shore. The sea is clear of ice, the weather clear and above freezing.

Twice now, he has stopped to rest, eat, and give Badgerbane something to eat. The second stop brings an arctic fox.



Badgerbane notices the fox and starts running after it, barking. Rauko calls her back and she obeys, "that's a good girl, there will be other foxes to chase, but we need to get back on the water."

132

Off-topic / Re: Exploring the medieval hunt (blog)

« on: May 25, 2018, 03:08:31 PM »

Interesting map.  I take it that the game would have taken place prior to the Swedish conquest and conversion to Christianity.  So that would place it possibly as late as the 13th century.  Seems like things in Finland might have stayed the same for a very long time prior to that. 

I was thinking that the mail armor would have been the highest technology piece we see in game, but after doing some reading it looks like it was the battlesword.  This would place our timeframe very close according to this article.  I suppose the swords could have been from farther afield, and thus earlier but it doesn't seem like it from their graphical representation and wide availability in game.

IIRC Sami says roughly 800-1000 AD and also that the battlesword may be removed because it's really not appropriate historically.

133

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: May 25, 2018, 01:37:33 PM »

"A rest from all your traveling is not a bad thing, why don't you stay for the few days until the meat is smoked," says the young maiden Veera. Rauko tells her thank you and she says it's okay with her father and the village elder.

He spends some time trading stories with the villagers and Veera, while he practices making arrow shafts and heads. Niko the woodsman offers an elk fur for barter, but Rauko politely declines.

Outside it's raining and snowing, but inside the common building by the fireplace, it's comfortable and warm. By the end of the day after many attempts, he finally makes some worth keeping, and has 4 arrowheads and 2 shafts that are what most would call decent quality.

The next two days are spent much the same way, but on the second he walks back to the shore and sets five loop snares among the lingonberries. He hopes to be leaving the next day and has been eating sparingly, not wanting to run out of the few dried elk cuts he still has.

Then Rauko makes his first arrow that's worth keeping!

134

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: May 22, 2018, 12:53:27 AM »

@aat - There have been times when it seems the spirits were unhappy. He tends to sacrifice one cut from every animal, or one fish from each catch... but not always exactly.
--------------

Arriving at Murhikolkka (not the nicest name, but the people have been friendly), he finds the deer meat is not ready yet and looks like it may take a few more days. Rauko reaquaints himself with all the villagers, assuring them he will share the meat as agreed.



He then finishes the badger fur, and a hunter named Vetka snickers at the ragged result.

135

Stories / Re: Rauko

« on: May 20, 2018, 03:23:25 AM »

As early morning comes, we find Rauko on the river, navigating downstream and steering around areas that have iced over. Then the river is blocked and he decides to go ashore until he's past the ice.  Soon he reaches the river's mouth.

The plan now is to head briefly south along the sea's shore to the Driik village where he had hung meat to smoke and share with them. Then he can turn back north and find the "original" river that leads back to the Kuikka.

It's good to be on the water again!



Seeing a wisp of smoke to the east, he recognizes the shoreline near the village he is seeking. Going ashore through thin ice, he lights a fire and roasts the last 3 badger cuts after feeding a raw one to Badgerbane. There are lingonberries here and he picks some, then moves inland to the village.