Rauko

[JEB Davis]

This story may be a bit fragmented until the posts catch up to his current experiences. The early pics were made a couple of years ago.

Rauko was a big, strapping lad who loved to hunt with his father. When Rauko was only 14 his mother sickened and died. Shortly thereafter, he set out with his father on a long journey, traveling all the way from Kaumo territory past the Owl-tribe settlements and into Seal tribe areas.

They grieved for the lost beloved wife/mother until their hearts healed enough to talk more freely about her. Rauko was reassured by how much his father had loved her as he told stories to his boy. One day they had ventured into no-man's-land to hunt and father was up ahead, when Rauko heard the roar of a bear and curses, then shouting of his father for help.



It was too late when he arrived to find his father's life flowing out of him onto the ground.

Rauko was devastated... too sad even to seek out the bear.

[JEB Davis]

After sending his father's spirit to the wind in the smoke, Rauko lay on the ground in sadness.

He was not sure what to do now as he began what was to become a life of wandering.

[JEB Davis]

Before the fateful day is finished, Rauko daydreams and hears his father's spirit beseeching him to seek the bear that killed him.

Rauko finds the bear's tracks and follows it, only to be severely mauled and left for dead by the huge, wounded beast.



Later, he wakes hungry and parched, and crawls away to find water.

A small lake is close by and he makes a shelter for the night.

He is awoken by noises which sound like a deer or elk in the trees nearby. Half-awake, he sneaks toward the trees with knife in hand, driven by hunger. An elk bursts forth from the trees and runs... he has no chance to catch it.

[Blxz]

Wow, never been that close to an alert wild beast in UrW. A magical experience.

On the otherhand, 71% injury - somewhat less magical.

[JEB Davis]

(Yes, it was unique to get so close! And in r/l I've often joked about hunting deer with only a knife.)
---

Beginning to starve, three days later all he has found to eat are grouse eggs.

[JEB Davis]

Finally the hunger can end the next day as he brings down an elk!
It was a long chase with only a javelin to kill it with.

[JEB Davis]

Many weeks pass in the story...

Rauko has traveled into Owl territory and traded the elk fur for a good bow and some arrows.
He is now well nourished and feeling much better for being in the company of others, but the loss
of his parents is still right there in his mind when he sees a mother and child or an older hunter.

A wounded woodsman asks for help getting his axe back after being injured by a bear. Rauko hires
a man named Jussi to go with him and get it back, which they do after killing the bear.

[koteko]

Finally the hunger can end the next day as he brings down an elk!
It was a long chase with only a javelin to kill it with.

..how on earth did you chase down an elk with those penalties?

[Dungeon Smash]

I was wondering the same thing!  Must have been some spectacular tactics.  I find I often have a hard time even with an unencumbered character and a bow.  Would have liked to see that part of the story in more detail!

[JEB Davis]

It happened too long ago to remember the details, I'm still catching up with the story from the highlights that had screenshots. I put my money on a javelin throw to the leg that slowed the beast enough that persistently following it's tracks eventually caught up with it. That's a common way for my hunts to go. Anyhow, he would never have only one javelin, probably 3 of them, so he might have scored a couple of hits over the course of the long chase. Rauko's base speed it pretty high, so even with his injuries he could do a decent job at following.

[JEB Davis]

The woodsman rewards Rauko with knowledge of a secret treasure in a cave.



On the way to search for the treasure, Rauko explores a cave and makes some interesting finds.
He's sure this is not far enough away to be the one described by the woodsman.
The spirits must be generous!

[JEB Davis]

Rauko wonders what treasure might be waiting at his destination, if he can find it.
After a long search, he finds the mountain cave and enters cautiously...



It is a treasure of worth beyond his wildest dreams!
More wealth than several of his home villages would possess has come into his hands.
The spear immediately becomes his most prized possession, he is almost under a spell
when gazing upon it's beautiful workmanship.

Rauko stays in the cave for a few days and makes it a place of refuge when needed.

[Dungeon Smash]

a wondrous treasure indeed!

[JEB Davis]

Rauko has hidden many of his things away in the treasure cave and after staying the two days,
the urge to wander has taken hold of him again.

His travels take him to a couple of Owl villages and then back near the place his father was
killed by the bear. The memories flood back to nearly overcome him with grief. What good are
material possessions without his beloved mother and father?

Owl folk have told of a river to the north-west, and Rauko decides to journey there. The river
turns out to be only two days journey away, and after sleeping on the shore he builds a rough
canoe from a fallen tree and a crude paddle.

The river is slow-flowing and it is easy to manage the craft, so he travels up-stream paddling
hard a few days to wash away the sadness, not finding much of interest until...



He was able to kill several of the deer and obtain their hides & meat, then continue on the river
and trade at Kuikka villages.

[JEB Davis]

Two weeks pass...

He leaves much of his heavy gear at a point on the riverbank, and travels downstream to the
north-east and finds the sea. He paddles along the coast to the west, then the east. He finds
no settlements, and nothing but hunger as his food runs out and he has no luck fishing with
only his prized spear.

Starving, he returns to where he left his gear. Next day he manages to kill a hare in a rather
unusual manner.