Rimworld Monastics

[Skryabin]

Poppy's Journal
7th of Aprimay 5504, Fall

THE FATE OF THE PIRATE
Brother Victor came today with four muffalos, bringing the rest of marble stone blocks from the Monastery. He came to me after we unloaded everything and was asking what is needed for him to get a bionic body part. He is not in desperate need, he has just a bite scar on his left leg, but he is a prosthophile and he can't wait to get a bionic leg. I told him that we will need 50 steel, 60 plasteel and 8 components, and this is a lot of money. But he said he will try to get all that. "If you bring the materials, - I said, - we will do a bionic leg for you." He was shining. Then we talked about different things, among which he shared with me what happened with him yesterday. "I was observing forest fires to see how dangerous they might be for the Monastery, when I came across a horrifying picture: there was a bloody body with missing leg and hand. I realized that this was one of those pirates from recent siege. She probably was left behind when her friends started their attack. Our sniper team shot off her leg and arm and she was crawling, forgotten by everyone, until she finally died from blood loss. I picked up her pump shotgun and came back to the Monastery. But I could not sleep that night. My conscience tormented me for leaving her there to be eaten by beasts. In the morning at the breakfast I opened my feelings to Abbot Ralph. "What is a life of a human in this Rimworld? – said Brother Aaron, who was sitting near by and herd my story, - It is like a fog; now it is here, and, in a moment, it is gone. Blessed is a man who will die for something good..." Abbot Ralph kept silence for a while, looking in his plate, and then he gave me a blessing to bury her body. I thought it was burned down by the fires, but I found it untouched, because of the rain at night. And I buried her behind east monastery walls." " I've never thought that this prosthophile is such a poet!

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[Skryabin]

Poppy's Journal
7th of Aprimay 5504, Fall (afternoon)

INFESTATION
Part I: Overconfidence
When Mother Estelle warned Rush and Emma about infestations, I remember how Rush said: "We will fry them up with Molotov!" This is how it sounded in words, but it turned out very different in reality. The insect hives spawned inside Rush's tiny cell around 14:00, when they were at the Cryptosleep hall. By the time Emma got to the door with Molotov, the cell was already full of bugs. She heard their noise and thought she will open the door a little, will quickly throw Molotov and run away: "My bionic spine will let me sneak out, - she thought, - I move very fast now!" So, she opened the door. The room was so small, and insectoids were so tightly packed in there that for Megaspiders it was enough to just turn their head and their ripper-blades were already slashing Emma's legs and waist. But she was fast indeed and, in a moment, she was in the Hall. This is when they had to call for help, but... they thought they will kill the insectoids by themselves and will be glorified as heroes! Emma waited a little, opened the door to a hallway and threw a bottle of Molotov. But the Megaspiders were right there. They broke into the Cryptosleep Hall and in a moment Emma was downed. In a few more moments Rush was downed as well. This is when I entered the caves from our (sisters') side to work on a storage room. I suddenly found myself within a few feet from the hives and insectoids, which dug a hole in Rush's cell by that time . Horrified, I rushed back to the door, but Megaspider's claw did cut my back as I was escaping that hell. I sounded the alarm and sisters started to gather for dealing with this overconfident fruit of vainglory.

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[Skryabin]

Poppy's Journal
7th of Aprimay 5504, Fall (16:00)

INFESTATION
Part II: Guardian Angel
The idea we had when all the sisters got together was again to start fire in the caves and to annihilate the insectiods by heat. But the only Molotov we had for that was dropped by Emma, who was still laying in the Cryptosleep Hall; therefore, we decided to use chemfuel. Mother sent Sister Doyle to the Convent to bring some, and Emily was going to explode it with her frag grenades. While Doyle was running there, Sister Candice performed a miracle. She went to the northern entrance of the Hall, where Rush was downed, waited until all the bugs moved to their hives and rescued Sister Rush, running with her across the Cryptosleep Hall to the South entrance. The insectoids did not even notice her and, leaving Rush outside, she ran inside again and saved Emma. She became a guardian angel for them, saving their lives! By that time Sister Doyle was back. She was so excited, that went inside the caves without any preparation, trying to deliver the chemfuel to the hives. But Megaspiders were waiting for her right there and she, getting cuts all over her body, fell on the stone floor covered in blood. Meanwhile Sister Albina was able to rescue Katten (a poppy who was also downed at the Hall) and to get Emma's Molotov. We were standing behind the doors to the storage rooms where Doyle was downed and Emily took a grenade, looking at me for approval. "Are you crazy? – I whispered, - you will kill her!" "This may be the only chance, - she said. – Doyle most likely is already dead." And she opened the door to throw a grenade into the room where Doyle was lying on the floor next to the containers of chemfuel she just dropped. I closed my eyes...

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[Skryabin]

Poppy's Journal
7th of Aprimay 5504, Fall (19:00)

INFESTATION
Part III: Chemfuel
I am not sure what was happening in Emily's head, but when she opened the door, she saw no insectoids next to Doyle and instead of throwing her grenade, she run right to the chemfuel, took a few containers and put them in the room with hives. On her way back, she grabbed Doyle and carried her outside. I was in joyful shock about Doyle's salvation, because my imagination already drew a picture how she, being still alive, is shredded to pieces by a frag grenade. But Emily didn't stop on that. She opens the door again and finally throws her grenade next to chemfuel containers. At the last moment she noticed a Megaspider and a Spelopede rushing towards her, and they threw her on the floor under the deafening sounds of exploding chemfuel. She did it! Now we had to hope that the fire will spread from the storage room to the hives. Emily was downed at the doorway and we needed to rescue her as soon as possible before fire gets to her. We sent Sister Ammy to northern door of the Hall to destruct the insectoids from the hives. When the storage room was safe, Sister Blue rescued Emily and told us that out of the corner of her eye she saw the fire in the hives room. "Yes!" – we were all screaming as if we already had a victory. And our voices did not abate, when we heard another news: "A group of mechanoids from a mechanoid hive arrived nearby. They are attacking immediately!"

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[Skryabin]

Poppy's Journal
7th of Aprimay 5504, Fall (22:00)

INFESTATION
Part IV: Skythers
By the time we learned about mechanoid's raid, we had three sisters at the hospital. Me and Mother Estelle were bleeding, but there was no time for medical help. I was hungry and very tired. My back was hurting. But we did not have any choice, we had to move to our northern defenses and wait there for mechanoid's attack. It was already dark when I saw their white shiny bodies at the distance. They stopped out of the range of our turrets and started to shoot at us. Mother Estelle got closer to their position and opened fire, hiding after every shot she was making. Little by little she managed to down all three of them. "This charge rifle is the best, - she said. - We have to make more of those." We were so exhausted that we did not have any strength to deal with anything after that. Sister Candice said the temperature in the caves got so high that nothing can survive it. It was around midnight when, after bandaging our wounds, we got to our beds. I hope very much that we will have a little break after all these adventures.

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[Skryabin]

Poppy's Journal
9th of Aprimay 5504, Fall

DISOBEDIENCE
When everyone got out of the hospital, Mother Estelle gathered all the sisters in the dining room and said: "There will be no hermit life at the Convent anymore. We tried it and it didn't work. Sisters Rush and Emma almost died there when the hives spawned right inside one of the cells. This is too dangerous and sisters Rush and Emma are going to live at the Convent from now on." But Sister Rush got up and said: "No, we are not!" Everyone looked at her questioningly. "This is not true monastic life here, - she continued, - you all live in comfort, enjoying yourselves. But monastic life is life of struggles! We want to be true ascetics and we are not going to live in your luxurious cells. All evil comes from electricity! Monks shouldn't use it at all! We are leaving you for higher path of salvation!" Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Nun Albina said: "You are so pathetic! You do not understand monasticism at all: you are not even nuns yet! You are novices and your subject of study is obedience. So now you don't want to obey, but you want to follow your own will. This is what you call true monasticism?" "Sisters, - said Mother Estelle peacefully, - think again about it. We all love you and wish you salvation. Where are you going to go? How are you going to live without spiritual guidance? Believe me, monastic life is not about electricity, but about obedience, patience and love!" But Sister Rush looked adamant. "At least you can stay", - said Mother to Emma, because Emma looked very confused by the harsh words of her friend. "No, - she answered lowering her eyes, - I'll go with Rush." "Well, - Mother Estelle said, - we do not hold anyone by force. You can leave any time and to show you our love, we are letting you to take anything you may need. And, please, remember: this is your home and your family. You can come back any time. Emma was already crying, but Rush did not show a single sign of her feelings on her face. I returned to my cell with a crowd of conflicting thoughts in my head.

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[Skryabin]

Poppy's Journal
10th of Aprimay 5504, Fall

FAREWELL
Even her last night Rush did not want to spend at the Convent. She went to the caves and slept in one of the cells over there. In the morning they got mainly food and some medicine, and they were ready to go. Sister Candice convinced them to take armor vests and two parkas, because they were heading south in the colder area, and winter was coming. Every sister gave them a hug, and many could not hold their tears, understanding that they may not see these hermits anymore. Only Nun Albina did not come to say good bye, - she kept saying that they are making a huge mistake and will parish for nothing. Later Sister Candice told me that she literally forced Emma to take a portable comm device for emergency calls. But if they will not have electricity, the battery in it will last only for about a year. One more time I was surprised how Sister Candice can do it and where does she get all this love from? It was Rush who attacked her at the time of her first prison break, and yet it seems like they are best friends now! This was the first time someone was leaving our Convent and I felt like I was losing a little particle of myself. My soul shrank into a small ball somewhere inside my chest and heavy sorrow covered it from every side.

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[Skryabin]

Poppy's Journal
12th of Aprimay 5504, Fall

BUSINESS PLAN
Victor came again to the Convent, delivering tons of steel from the mining site. He came to me very exited and explained his plan for getting all necessary materials to make a bionic leg for him, a bionic spine for Remy and synthetic skin for healing Abbot Ralph's remaining brain scars. He is assembling a team to get an AI persona core worth 4000 silver. That will be enough to cover all material expanses. Abbot Ralph blessed him and Brother Remy to travel at the given site and get the core. But they need a third person, preferably a doctor, because this item may attract pirates and the trip can be dangerous. Of course, he invited me to join them. I liked the idea to dissipate my sorrow by some adventure and we went to Mother Estelle for a blessing. She did not want to let me go first, but when Brother Victor almost crying started to explain her how it is difficult for Brother Remy to live in constant pain with his bad back, she gave up. She made sure I will wear an armor vest and she even gave me her charge rifle. Brother Victor says it shouldn't take more than three days. We are going to live early morning.

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[Skryabin]

Poppy's Journal
13th of Aprimay 5504, Fall

STOP AT THE MONASTERY
When yesterday we came to the Monastery to pick up Brother Remy, we saw blood and dead bodies scattered all over the place. Abbot Ralph looked gloomy and asked us to stay and help to clean up all this mess. They just had a raid of fourteen pirates. They captured two of them and I helped with their treatment. Some of the brothers were wounded, but there was nothing serious. There were also two new sisters: one was a recruit from a previous raid named Yana, and another one is Lidia – the cause of all this horror. The pirates chased her, and Abbot Ralph decided to offer her safety. In the morning Brother Aaron took me to the place where everything started yesterday. "It was a perfect sniper shot, - he said, - the fight started with my bullet knocking out his brains." And he showed me the body with missing head. He did not wear a war vail anymore – his artificial nose looked like a real one! We helped them to gather all the bodies in one big pile and Brother Jacob lit them with Molotov. It is 14:00 and we are leaving the Monastery with Brother Remy, continuing our journey northbound in the search of the AI persona core. Sisters Yana and Lidia are going to the Convent.

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[colotroco]

Poppy's Journal
2nd of Decembray 5502, Summer

UNDERCOVER AGENT
The prayers of Brother Peter were heard! Next day one of the space soldiers Troy Weiss joined the Order (yes, that was surprisingly fast!). Peter did not care that he was incapable of violence, he was very happy they are getting another brother, who can haul. But I got puzzled. How a space soldier can be incapable of violence? What kind of soldier is he? And a thought came to me, that he may be not a soldier at all, but some kind of secret agent undercover. However, an agent also needs to know how to use a gun... Maybe he was a soldier who sits at the computer and develops a code which will help to launch nuclear missiles? I guess that might be considered as non-violent participation in a mass murder... Anyway, it is not my business, and if he sincerely decided to change his life for good, who cares about his past? Repentance is offered for everyone.

Hi! Skyrabin I'm enjoying every single update about your story! But since this day I quote, I can't see the images, they are market with an (-) sign. Any idea what is happening?

[Skryabin]

Hi! Skyrabin I'm enjoying every single update about your story! But since this day I quote, I can't see the images, they are market with an (-) sign. Any idea what is happening?

Hi! I am trying a different way to attach the image. Please, let me know if it works better.

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Poppy's Journal
15th of Aprimay 5504, Fall

INVISIBLE DOGS
It took us two days to get to the place, where AI Persona Core was supposed to be. When we arrived, we carefully observed that area from the distance but did not see anything suspicious. There was a cabin in the middle of the forest and we started to slowly move towards it. When we already were almost by the cabin suddenly four wild Labradors appeared next to us out of the blue and pounced at Victor who was moving first. He started to fight them with his plasteel gladius (he is a brawler) and we opened fire. Our Labradors Cecil and Ingrid also entered the fight and soon all four beasts were killed. But Victor was bitten very badly. We carried him into the cabin, where we indeed found the Core, and I cured his multiple wounds. We can't stay in this place for long time, because many people know about it and bad guys may show up any minute. And we can't travel back either, because Victor is still in severe pain. So, we decided to move a little South tomorrow morning and make a temporary camp near by to give Victor some time for recovery and to prepare some food for our trip home.

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[Skryabin]

Poppy's Journal
15th of Aprimay 5504, Fall (late night)

TRAGEDY AT THE MINING SITE
When I was reporting to the monastery about our situation, Sister Candice asked for our prayers about Brother Louise and our new sisters Yana and Lidia. It was the end of the second two weeks shift at the mining site and Mother Estelle gave her blessing for those new sisters to replace Sisters Ayana and Rebecca. There was a little mining left and then all those tons of steel had to be transported to the Convent and Monastery. After Ayana and Rebecca left with a big load of it, they decided to hunt a small herd of muffalos nearby. Unfortunately, after they killed one of them and started to shoot at another, the herd went mad and first they trampled Brother Louis, who was downed immediately and then they chased sisters to the camp. Sisters were trying to fight them back, but those furious beasts crushed one door after another until everyone was downed. Suicidal (one of Labradors who were protecting sisters) was bleeding, her paw was destroyed, but heroically she rescued sisters, while Louis is still lying somewhere in the forest with destroyed left hand and his life is in critical danger now. Ayana's's caravan was almost at the Convent, but they were turned back and now everyone is praying that they will get there on time. Poor Louise, he was going to be replaced tomorrow!

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[colotroco]

Hi! Yes! I can see these 2 last updates, but... there are many from your post "2nd of Decembray 5502, Summer - UNDERCOVER AGENT" (page 3) to the "13th of Aprimay 5504, Fall - STOP AT THE MONASTERY" that i can't see. Maybe others can't see them too?

Well... I know it's a bit tedious but if you change the images host for these posts ... i will read them happily!

[Skryabin]

Hi! Yes! I can see these 2 last updates, but... there are many from your post "2nd of Decembray 5502, Summer - UNDERCOVER AGENT" (page 3) to the "13th of Aprimay 5504, Fall - STOP AT THE MONASTERY" that i can't see. Maybe others can't see them too?

Well... I know it's a bit tedious but if you change the images host for these posts ... i will read them happily!

Here you go! Everything is attached now. Thank you for your interest. Enjoy!

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Poppy's Journal
4th of Jugust 5504, Winter

SCANDAL
Yesterday we returned to the Monastery under toxic fallout. To avoid its deadly effect, brothers temporarily covered with roof all their inner yard. Victor was fine by that time and I was asked to visit mining site on my way to the Convent to look at Louise's hand. Sisters were able to save him and Yana, but Lidia died. Today we arrived at the mining site with Brother Sora, who will replace Louis for the rest of the time. At the site we found both sisters Ayana and Rebecca crying. Rebecca was sure it was her fault that Lidia died. Somehow, she thought Lidia could wait and she put all her attention to saving Louis's life, while Lidia died from blood loss. I calmed her down as best as I could, saying that even for an experienced doctor it is hard to make those priority decisions sometimes and she is just a beginner. And then we had a deep talk with Sister Ayana. She opened me her heart: they became lovers with Louis right before she left, and she thinks that all this tragedy with Lidia's death and Louis' lost hand is the punishment for their sin. "He is just a novice, - she said through tears, - but what I was thinking about? I am a nun and now I broke my promise!" I told her that Louise was trying to woo me also and most likely it is his fault. But anyway, I said she must confess everything to Mother Estelle as soon as possible and to accept her decision about it. This is exactly why Brother Snay was so strict about monastic rules. Now I understand!

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[colotroco]

Awesome! Thanks!

Keep working on this please!