by Driftraze » Tue Apr 26, 2011 7:56 pm My name was Wander, and never could I have picked a better name.
I started out in the forestland, next to a river. I thought it was a prime location at first, for water had to mean life, right? It had no fish in it, but that didn't bother me because I read that fishing isn't too great for just starting out anyway. I decided to pick the trees, anything I could find really, and eventually made a curiosity; a cone cow. Er.. great? I didn't read about curiosities, so I didn't know what it initially was for. Was the cone cow meant to be worshiped? Was it a key to life's mysteries? Was it going to lead me to my destiny?
Maybe it was just a cow that happened to be a cone.
I kept the cone cow, in case it would eventually see a proper purpose. I made a wicker basket, which proved useful for gathering bough which I needed to make the most ghetto bed ever, right next to my hearth fire by the river. I wasn't tired, though, so I decided to explore my surroundings, armed with foraging and hunting. The further out I wandered, I realized with dipping hope that I was in the ass end of nowhere, with nothing but pine trees and useless shrubbery bushes. How was I suppose to prosper out here? Around me were the remnants of those who came before me (or were simply logged out). Broken fencing, rocks surrounded by unfinished campfires, bones of the dead, and some fenced off campsites. I even found an unfinished log cabin.
In my roam, I eventually found what was possibly a food source to these deceased. Ant hills. I read they might have items in them, so I went over to "Raid" the ant hill. Immediately the defending ants swarmed me like moths to a flame, and I ran away screeching like a little girl, having no way to defend myself. I thought they'd have followed me to the ends of the earth, until I eventually found marshland to make my escape into. I waded through the waters and escaped the army. I was safe for now, but still hungry.
More aimless direction later, I considered myself officially lost. I had a constant hit points being taken away, for reasons I could not fathom. Was the cone cow punishing me for my girly shrieks? I'm sorry, cow cone! I will be more brave next time! Perhaps the cone cow decided to be merciful, for later I found a RABBIT! Finally I would be able to put my ancestral hunting knowledge to the test! One unmindful stroll over to it and snatch! I caught me a rabbit. I looked in my inventory and damn, it took a lot of space. I selected it, and the option to wring its neck came up. Survival of the fittest, I reminded myself, then received an ugly cracking sound effect for my efforts. It took less space now, at least.
I butchered my kill, harvesting a bone, rabbit hide, and most importantly, MEAT! Was it alright to eat this raw? Could I cook it? I couldn't find a way to do so, even after lighting up a fire with some branches from the endless acres of trees. I ate it raw, unaware if there was anything wrong with that. It gave temporary relief, my hunger put off for only the time being, then I resumed my ventures.
Later I found another settlement. Fenced completely off and a pale hearth fire inside, but with open doors and no claim, I decided to cautiously wander in. It had mostly empty wicker baskets, a broken plow, some dream catchers, but the real prize was a fishing pole in one of the baskets.. Should I? The Havian motto "No claim, fair game!" echoed my mind, but my conscience spoke otherwise. It was still wrong to steal, but I was also on the brink of becoming "Very Hungry." Forgive me, cone cow. With a heavy heart, I took decided to take up Fishing, snatched the fishing pole, and made a hook out of the rabbit bone I previously acquired, then attaching it to the fishing pole. Though I had no bait, I opened my equipment window-
HOLYFUCKWHATHEHELLARETHOSETHINGSGETTHEMOFFOHMYGODTHEYREALLOVERTHEGODDAMN
Sweet mother of lord almighty. Bloated leeches. I must have had at least six! I immediately disposed of half of them out of gross-out factor, but then remembered these could be used as bait. These things have been draining my hp for who knows how long. I kept the remaining three in my inventory, despite being sickened at the thought of still carrying the slimy foul little things. I didn't have any string for the fishing line, but I didn't know this at the time, since the graphics showed that apparently my fishing pole had string. I went searching for a river, then walking along it in hopes to find jumping fish that I could catch. Won't you show me the way, cone cow?
I found my first runestones out in the middle of nowhere (like I was ever anywhere else) and most of them just said derogatory terms for black men and homosexuals, but there was an empty one. I could carve on it! Leave my mark on the world forever! Or at least until someone destroys the stone. I decided it was time I confess my robbery, and ease my soul of my troubled past. On it I wrote:
"Forgive me but I have sinned, stealing a fishing pole. Starvation will be my atonement -Wander"
After I got that off my shoulders and went back on my path along the river, I eventually saw my first other player, in a boat going down the river and donning a bear head as a cowl. I wanted to say hello to him, but he was coming over to shore rather fast, so I decided to keep walking on. Soon he was on shore and running up to me with a sword in hand before I could switch to running speed. I knew what was coming next, and it came. A slice in the back later, I was knocked out on the ground, at the whim of this psychopath's desires. Could he loot me? Oh god no no no. Cone cow! Noooooo!
???: poor guy
???: i let you alive
The stranger then went back to his boat, and left me for dead. When I hazily got back up to my feet, I checked my inventory. He took nothing, thankfully. Cone cow was still with me, the only real friend I had in this dismal hell. But as I began to continue up the river, I noticed I was getting thorns in my feet, and I even got knocked out because of them several times in my traveling.
He took my fucking shoes.
I was left alive, but only so my agony could continue. I was shoeless, Very Hungry, it was turning to night, and I had a fishing pole that didn't even friggin' work. Later into my very painful wandering, I found Spindly Taproot inside an abandoned campsite's basket, which was I found out was what I'd been missing for my fishing pole. I took it without regret, for there was a runestone. It said:
"hey buddy. take whatever you need
"Was it placed here for wandering noobs like me? A shred of hope in this unforgiving world? Now able to fish, I had been able to catch three Brill with the bloated leeches I had. Happy days! I was still Very Hungry, but not quite as bad as before. I still had a long unbeaten road ahead of me, searching for either more leeches for fishing, rabbits to wring the necks of, or maybe even just somewhere to settle down. I was tired, aching, and ready to try finding a place I could call home. In this nomadic venture, I found claimed land though empty of people, hermit and villages alike. I did not dare try trespassing into either, especially the villages. They had skeletons on their outskirts, which certainly wasn't the best way to greet newcomers. Where was I to go, cone cow? I am so far away from my hearth fire, but I can't go back to that desolate land. I had to press on, through all hardships.
My ignorance must have angered the cone cow, for it led me to my to what I would very shortly find out was a boar. I ran for my life, for all it was worth. I tried to shake the boar's pursuit, but it was on me like a homing missile. As the chase went on, my stamina waned, and I slowed down to a walk. The boar mauled me to the ground then finished what the stranger started.
It was a long, strange trip, but I still enjoyed it. Haven & Hearth gave a sense of very rugged survival and free-roam I couldn't compare to any other game existing. Maybe I'm just easily amused, but I had the time of my life for a game I only played 4-6 hours of. Perhaps someday I'll make a return, a Wander more wiser, and hopefully with a better spawn point.
TL;DR VERSION:
ANGER NOT THE CONE COW.
EDIT: On page 4, the closure of a more successful 2nd time playing is present.
