Have been slowly working on my little encampment for a long time, but only been recently rushed to start completing a palisade. Halfway done with the palisade, I decided to go and venture around and I do, in fact, like to trespass on occasion. With the number of claims near me (it's very dense with claims that aren't even occupied anymore) it's somewhat necessary. The thievery skill isn't, but ya know... "Why not?" I thought. I also had ranging so I could see my scents, and scents of anything going on that I might want to take notice of. Well, there's an abandoned claim just North of my claim, and as I was passing by I noticed that there were a /lot/ of in-and-out trespassing. It appeared that whoever had been there was gone however, so I entered, and poked my head a few places. WHoever had been there first had also been doing this. I took a couple hides off a drying frame. Might've grabbed a high quality egg out of somewhere, I don't even remember. There was a lot of stuff however I didn't take (oh gosh, a cupboard full of q50-100 bone).
Shortly after, I realized that whoever had been coming and going from the claim was still there. I traveled-back-to-hearthfire in a panic because, ya know, I don't like to trust anyone I just bump into, and I /was/ trespassing. Well, went home, about ten minutes later the person showed up outside my claim. Called me a thief and said I would be killed, and all that nonsense. Okay, panicking more, but my palisade still wasn't done. I tried to hurry but things have to set. Eventually I left for bed, because real world and stuff. Signed on this morning, aaaaaaaand murdered. So yeah. That's my life story.
I understand if there are rangers and white-knights who feel "oh well you got what you deserved", even if I personally feel that a few minor grabs on abandoned land aren't worth the death sentence. If there's anyone who frowns on outright murder though in this situation, I am asking for retribution. I play the game to be peaceful and friendly and stuff, not to get curb stomped by judgmental jerks. I think the most valuable stuff I had was on my person at the time, and that's all gone. I made a little palisade box to keep my hearth fire in, so that if I was killed (and I was) my stuff wouldn't be accessible. Well, overnight all that's left of me was a skeleton, so... Gone. Now I think the most valuable thing I have left is freaking water. >.< If there /is/ some reward I can give though, by all means I'm happy to share whatever I have.
Thanks to anyone who takes interest. If you are willing to help me, I can send my coordinates on the big map in a private note. I /would/ post them here, but, I'm not fond of the idea of more people coming and raiding me. (Incidentally, I'm not convinced the one who killed me for trespass and thievery wasn't also the one who was already trespassing and thieving in my abandoned neighbor. That's just hypocritical grief if he was, ya know?) I will say that it is on the Eastern side of the -64, -64 zone.
- but on the whole, unless the claim is quite away from my base or the goods are too good to pass up, I just wait for the 30 days to be up. It goes by quicker than you think considering by the time you've discovered it in an abandoned state a large portion of that time will have already elapsed. 
