Copperwood: Desert Mining Camp

[coasterspaul]

From the journal of Soar Mavel, field medic of the desert mining camp:

Two blondes, a brunette, a redhead, a farmer, and a footman walk into a desert. They can’t drink because they’re miners.

… The Ascendancy’s first desert mining camp sounded like a joke. Most expected it to fail; it’s surprising the plan was approved in the first place. And it did fail, at first. But one day it was destined to become an engineering marvel. Manna Carlwine, the smartest of the group, insisted upon it.

She named the settlement Copperwood, after the color inside those strange trees that grow here.

Azlynn was appointed carpenter early in the day, and was able to furnish the first tent we completed before night fell.

We quickly set to mining some of the exposed copper, and started carving an entrance to a proper mine.

In a few days, we had a proper camp set up. Manna set up her tent overlooking the town.

She had ambitious plans, but she forgot food. As did we all.

Petra Baub was so committed to gathering food when the order was given that she didn’t eat the food she just picked.

Which led to her untimely death.

We gathered food in bulk in vain. Many were too far gone already.

Andwyn Nelvin would die just before harvesting his first yield. Manna Carlwind died before any progress towards her dreams were made.

I quickly attended to the physical injuries of those of us remaining, but I could do little for the town’s emotions.

What had been a little camp seemed far too large now. The excessive emptiness was not good for morale.

---

>This was a town I started a bit ago, and I picked it up again today. New features to the game have made this story really possible. Expect an update tomorrow -- the darkest times of Copperwood are coming, and then I should get to some cool buildings afterwards.

Sorry if my narrator’s voice is all over the place. Today, I settled on a Hearthling to follow. But I really wanted to give some version of that introduction, and I had to basically cover everything backwards for this post. It’ll get better!

[groms]

nice tents

[coasterspaul]

If you want the tent I used here, or an orange one with a clay bed that I made for Rayya’s children:

Just take the files out of here and into your Stonehearth\saved_objects\stonehearth\building_templates folder:
tents.zip (37.5 KB)

They build perfectly - though you may need ladders to get workers down from the top. They’re considered cramped now, but that’s kind of the point, so I’m fine with it.

[coasterspaul]

From the journal of Soar Mavel, survivor of the famine at Copperwood:

There were four of us left, but everyone seemed remarkably cheery considering the circumstances.

Caye set down her spindle for the moment and picked up Azlynn’s hoe, so that the crops he planted would not entirely go to waste,

as the turnips already had.

Azlynn told me she saw Selvan swinging his sword at the air.

He was fighting enemies no one else could see. I was worried for his sanity, and for our safety. What if he mistook us for enemies?

He later walked into town with what he claimed were two wolf pelts. The pelts were small enough I believe they belong to some unfortunate, oddly colored raccoon or squirrel.

A traveling rug trader came by the camp today, and I sold the “wolf pelts” for little gold simply to be rid of them.

At night, I talked to the rest of the town. The conversation went quite well until Azlynn decided to brandish her saw.

The day had taken quite a toll on all of us, and yet the two people with blades weren’t as glum as the rest of us. That was reason for concern.

We did not yet have enough food for the company to send more workers.

In an attempt to build morale I ordered the construction of the fancy mine entrance Manna had so badly wanted.

I looked off our cliff at the flat sandy expanse, all there was in this terribly hostile landscape, and contemplated life. Then I went down the ladder to haul more wood.

And slammed my head into a wall.

I guess Selvan fought off some goblins today. Not a big deal.

I only realized later how terribly injured he was,

so I set to work making bandages.

I was sick of taking whatever tent was available, so I claimed Manna’s old tent, overlooking the town. It was my town now, I suppose.

Selvan slept fitfully,

Caye and Azlynn built up the door,

but I couldn’t shake the feeling we were being watched.

But everything looked better in the morning.

Not in the least because we finally could support another worker.

[groms]

@coasterspaul

If you want the tent I used here, or an orange one with a clay bed that I made for Rayya’s children:

Thank you and 20 more characters