The Challenge

[DfDevadander]

I'm starting this thread as a place for people to post their stories after trying out "The Challenge" as posted by nekot in the General Discussion forum

[DfDevadander]

My first run did not go well.

I started with several minor puncture wounds, as well as two severe cuts in the abdomen. I cut my shirt into bandages, applied them to the worst wounds, and headed West in hopes of finding a river. After a full day of walking, and eventually stumbling through the darkness in the seemingly endless lichenous pine forest before finally succumbing to the cold and starting a fire for the night, I happened upon a great deal of lingonberry bushes. Oh what a joyous find! After filling up as best I could on the berries, I noticed the sun was rising and I was feeling desperately thirsty, so I continued my journey.

After two more days of travelling in this manner, I hadn't found anything in the way of something to drink. I found more than enough lingonberries to keep my stomach full, but I could tell that my body was weakening from hunger, and the berries could only sate my thirst so much; I had to find water.

Two more days, still no water to be found, but those berries are everywhere and I seemed to be cursed by them! To only have enough to feel full, but know that your body is falling apart for lack of real nutrition, it's maddening! It was on the sixth night that I found my reprieve...

The sun was down and I could barely see even a meter in front of me, but I just couldn't stop my body from moving forward. I needed water, I needed it more than anything in the world, and even the numbing cold was a mere nuisance in comparison to the nail of thirst that was driving itself into me. I was exhausted and confused as I trudged on in the pitch black of the night, but I was aware enough to hear the crack of ice as I blindly stepped onto the frozen surface of the lake. As I felt the ice give way beneath me, I had a feeling of bitter happiness; I found water! Once I was fully submerged I realized that I was too tired to make my way back to shore, and smiled because I knew now that I wouldn't have to wander aimlessly through this frozen wasteland anymore, nor would I worry about thirst or hunger. The sun came up just as I felt myself slipping into my icy sleep, and I looked to the forest one last time. My smile turned to a frown at what I was gazing upon, and my final thought hit my mind like a hammer: "Lingonberries...dammit."

[nekot]

Good effort!
After two weeks I'm still on berries trying to find any constant source of water.

One thing - you supposed to have nothing when you start! (All clothing and other items should be destroyed).

[DfDevadander]

Yes I suppose I cheated a bit in that sense lol I did destroy the pants and hat that I started with, but I was suffering from blood loss at the start so I didn't have much choice other than to cut the shirt up for something to stop the bleeding Also, after dying, I found out that I was South of Kuikka tribe land-forgot to add that into the story

[MigrantWorker]

I am running a slightly modified version of the challenge now. It's great fun, as it requires a completely different approach than all the other starts available in the game. I am making notes as I go and plan to create a separate thread once the challenge finishes (i.e. summer season starts, or my character dies).

The modifications are that I am using mods, as I installed the excellent BAC mod not long before creating the character and just could not bear removing it. Due to its complexity this mod requires a large set of tools to really take advantage of it, so correspondingly it has very little impact when you start with no tools at all. Then, at the very start you are put on the wilderness map and an indication of your location is displayed; I took the liberty of checking it. My imaginary backstory was that my character Onosho was attacked by particularly greedy robbers while traveling, and it seemed natural to assume that he would know his rough location from the pre-game course of his life. (Turns out I started in western Sartola.) Lastly, I misinterpreted Nekot's rules, and started using the big map (F6) as soon as I reached a village - in fact the rules only allow traveling on the wilderness map, not the use of the world map. But I have been doing this for a long time now and will stick with it.

So far the challenge was bigger than usual but not overly great. Soon after starting I discovered a large area of spruce and pine mires, teeming with cloudberries. That kept me fed and watered for a whole month. As the berries were about to wither I stumbled upon a mountain, from which I noticed a village nearby (you are allowed a peek of the wilderness map from the top of a mountain). It turned out to be a Seal village. In there I found a wounded adventurer, who promised to reveal a location of a treasure if only I recover his trident. I did this, but the treasure turned out to be buried in the ground on an island somewhere off the Seal coast. So I went back to Sartola in search of a metal shovel; I haven't found it yet, but managed to buy an elk fur just a few in-game days ago, so at least I am now fully clothed at last. I have also just passed the midwinter point.

Keeping warm was never much of a problem. I carry a stack of torches and make sure one is lit at all times. While I was still out in the woods I would cut down a young tree every evening, to make sure that the fire will last until I wake up, then use it to light a torch first thing in the morning. While foraging I would light a smallest fire next to a clump of berries, and the fire (and once it burnt down, the embers) would keep me warm surprisingly well. I only got really cold when walking longer distances.

As it got colder, one fire was no longer enough to keep me warm. So I took to lighting three fires instead, with great results. Once the berries withered, I could no longer keep myself warm by foraging next to a fire, so instead I started gathering branches next to a fire. The first time I tried that, my own fires promptly set the pile of branches alight and I was badly burnt as a result. From that point on I avoided further burns by immediately picking up the freshly gathered branches - except that one other time when I forgot to pick them, and got burnt again. Burns are surprisingly serious and potentially debilitating: I lost the use of one arm for a week as a result. Do not set yourselves on fire. I did this so you no longer have to.

Then I found some Sartolais villages. One had an axe for sale; the other, an elk fur. Both were well stocked with grains. So I borrowed the axe to make some fox traps, which I used to buy a bag of grain. I ground it into flour, and sold the flour (and some small items) for two bags of grain, which I ground again. Once I bought up and processed all the grain from this village, I moved to the one with the fur on sale and continued the process there until I was able to afford it. Fittingly, I finally bought it on the last day before midwinter point.

So here I am now. Many more (mis)adventures remain.