My First Successful Endeavor

[Rust]

After several false starts (Starvation, my longtime enemy), I finally settled on the Lost Tribe embark and set to work. I didn't do much in the way of min/maxing my embark, just making sure I had a Doctor and a good Cook and someone with a decent shooting skill.

Well, the colony's grown a bit.



It's a flat boreal forest, with little in the way of hills to mine. I'm frustrated that my source of compacted steel is lined up next to that Limestone Box of Doom (Ancient Dread malus when trying to disassemble...LET'S MAKE IT PART OF THE COLONY!).

Since all Let's Plays of the game I've watched has involved mountain fortresses, I'm winging it right now. I decided to make a lot of narrow alleys like wild west towns in lieu of traditional defensive perimeter. Eventually, I may try to tame some Battle Bears. My crops are Potatoes, Strawberries, Corn, and the heal plant. The two other fields are of Devilstrand and Hops for beer. Everyone has their individual home as well as a hospital and a jail, and as you can see I've got a prisoner. He's a 77% chance not to recruit, but I figure I'd try for a bit. If nothing else, it's helping out my Wardening and Social skills.

Thus far all I've had to deal with are pirate raiders, which has given me enough pistols to trade in my wooden spears and bows. Currently researching Stonecutting to start working with something other then wood, then I plan on going for Complex Clothing to start making use of the leather I have available. Electricity will come in time, but it's a long research time and right now I'm not in critical need of it.

Now watch the first winter see my tribe die to frostbite.

[Rust]

The tribe did not make it to its first winter.

Scorpion, the chief healer and animal handler of the tribe, died from a severe infection as a result of trying to tame a Boomrat. Before he could even be buried, the Pirate Band of the Killing Party descended and prepared to siege down the small town after numerous small raids had failed.

Pig and Barga went out to fight them off and stop the death rain, leading to Pig's untimely death. The gods favor seemed to be with the tribe, however, as the careless pirates infuriated a local Grizzly.



With joyous vindication, Barga observed the Grizzly incite a panic among the pirates, leading to the explosion of one of their death rain makers. Ending the threat in spectacular fashion.



While the town was terribly lessened, they endured. Huang noted that their supplies were running low, and Barga promised in the morning to hunt some Turkey as well as haul in the Grizzly. In its valiant death, it's body would provide needed nourishment for those who remained.



But the morning brought fresh tragedy, as a the explosion of the mortar was witnessed by a passing warband of a hostile tribe. Sensing weakness, the tribe struck in the morning. Barga enlisted the aid of Bascullo - a wanderer who stayed with the tribe and had before yesterday been nothing more then a menial - to help defend.

...it was not enough. Despite the powerful firesticks of the pirates, the clubs and bows the tribe had only so recently abandoned themselves won the day. Barga was beaten to death and Bascullo incapacitated by arrows, leaving Huang and Bomba defenseless, as neither had the means or ability to defend themselves.



As Bascullo slipped into unconsciousness for the last time, he saw the raiders laughing as they took potshots at the tribe's animals - and at a frantic Huang, trying to save them. Bascullo's last thought was of regret, for behind him the Boomalopes Scorpion had managed to tame just before his death grazed peacefully. Had Scorpion lived, and had he time to train them, the Boomalopes might have turned the tide of not just the Pirate Raid, but this death of the colony itself.