Dark Side Hospitality - A Rimworld Story

[Bodhran777]

Preface: 
I play with a fairly large cocktail of mods, including Rimatomics, Prepare Carefully, Hospitality, animal tribals, and the Star Wars set, to name a few.  Takes forever to load the game, but it makes for some very interesting gameplay.  The following story/journal is based off a colony I ran for a long time, but from the eyes of a visiting caravan.  I hope you enjoy it.

2 Aprimay, 5503
It feels like our caravan has been walking for ages.  6 of us left just a few days ago with 3 muffalos, but I feel like we haven't even gotten far at all.  There hasn't been any civilization yet, just trees, hills, and deer.  Our leader, White, says we should reach a settlement soon, but he doesn't seem to have an idea of just how soon.  We had heard reports from scouts that some pods had landed a quadrum ago, but no one had been over to the area since.  I guess we'll find out what landed when we get there.

4 Aprimay, 5503
All was going well (as well as could be managed, anyway), until a pack of boomrats showed up.  At first, they kept their distance, like most tend to do, but before long, one of them snapped.  I had heard of carnivores going manhunter, but boomrats???  Our hunter, Henry, was able to dispatch the first, which of course blew up and started fires.  From that point, it was tough to spot the little things scurrying our way.  When we finally caught sight of them again, they were much closer AND ON FIRE!  Poor Joy, she couldn't shoot fast enough.  One rat dropped right next to her and died from burns.  I've never seen someone get flung into the air like that.  She's alive but her left leg may never be the same.  What's worse, she's the best healer of us all by a wide margin.  We tried to patch her up, but if we don't get help, I fear infection may set in.  White is pushing forward, for help and to get away from this burning field, and we will do our best to keep up.

5 Aprimay, 5503
We had a stroke of luck today!  A small compound was spotted in the distance, built into the side of a mountain.  With further luck, maybe they have some medicine to trade.  Joy is doing her best to keep going, but it's taking a toll on her. 

5 Aprimay, 5503
I'm currently sitting in a rather comfortable bedroom, writing with light from a LAMP!  I never knew electricity, as they call it, was so amazing!  Back at the village, torches are everywhere, and the heat can get to be a burden.  The owners of this place were gracious enough to give us lodging in what they called their hot L...howtel...hotel...whatever, there's lots of rooms with beds in them.  We each got our own room!  Joy was taken to their healer, and they have promised to patch her up in no time, saying their medicine was much better than the healroots we used on her.  Looks like we'll be here until she's alright to move. 

One thing I should note about our hosts...I've seen people loaded up in fancy clothing at many caravan stops, but these people are the exact opposite!  Not a scrap of cloth or leather on them, and not a bit of armor in sight.  Yet, they seem very comfortable, despite the strange looks they have gotten so far.  Also, one of them has a very strange look in his eyes, the kind you see when a cat spots a rat (non-exploding kind).  Come to think of it, each one of our 5 hosts seems to have some kind of funny feeling about them, but I can't seem to put my finger on why.  A few of them just seem cold, and not in the temperature sense.  Maybe the walking just has me tired, and I'm seeing things where there is nothing.

6 Aprimay, 5503
It appears we are not the only visitor, and I must say this is a first for me.  As I was walking out for breakfast, the door next to me opened and a man...no, an elk on 2 legs, walked out and said hello.  I admit, it took me a few seconds to let it sink in, and I think he noticed, as he quickly looked away and moved on.  I've never seen beast-men, and here I thought thrumbos were exotic.  It makes me wonder what other animals are out there like this...wolves?  Elephants?  Camels? 

Breakfast was delicious, gazelle and rice, I think.  I'm not sure where they got the gazelle from, as we are far from the savannas, but it must have cost them quite a bit.  White tried to insist we would eat our pemmican, rather than take their food, but the leader on this place was insistent.  We have standards, he said, and we wouldn't want our guests to be stuck with pemmican. 

7 Aprimay, 5503
It's been 2 days since we arrived, and I haven't seen Joy lately.  I stopped by once before to check on her, and she was fine, but today I went, and I was denied entry.  The healer, or doctor as they call him, said she was resting and didn't need to be disturbed.  I also noticed my elk neighbor has left.  He must have snuck out early, as I didn't see him go.  A shame, as I would have liked to apologize for my behavior yesterday.  Maybe I will see him again out on the road.  Breakfast was more gazelle and rice, and still delicious.  I also spent a good bit of time looking at the many pieces of art around the buildings.  These people seem to have wonderful sculptors.  Of the many statues, one caught my eye, some symbol.  I quite like it, and may stitch it onto my shirt.  I asked our hosts about it, and they smiled, saying it was the emblem of their order.  I need practice drawing it, though, as I can't seem to get the angles inside the circle right.  I can't remember the name of their order either, but I'm sure it will come to me...Siph?  No that's not right...

8 Aprimay, 5503
Something is wrong.  White has been searching the compound eagerly, looking for something.  When I stopped him to ask, he said Red and Sam, our guards, were missing!  I had just seen them last night before bed, and surely they wouldn't leave us.  Breakfast was tense, but different this time.  Elk and potatoes.  I imagine my old neighbor would not have enjoyed this meal very much, but as always, it was cooked wonderfully.  Henry seems a bit worried as well, and has joined White is searching for the others. 

8 Aprimay, 5503
As I was heading to bed, I got a peak inside my neighbor's room and noticed his gear is still there.  I'm not sure what would cause someone to leave without their stuff, but I imagine he might need his bedroll and sword.  I mentioned it to White, and he got a dark look on his face.  Almost immediately, he left the rooms and said to leave immediately if he wasn't back in 30 minutes.  After he left, I told Henry what was going on.  He already had his bow out and strung, and suggested I grab my knife too.  I hope this is not my last entry...

9 Aprimay, 5503
They're gone...all of them, even Henry...and I saw it happen.  White did not return, so we left, but not without looking for Joy.  We felt too bad leaving without her.  When we got to her room, we looked in, and it was empty, aside from a neat stack of clothes...her clothes.  Henry immediately pulled me away and made for the entrance, saying something about yesterday's breakfast not being normal elk meat.  It took me a moment, but I realized what he meant. 

We got to the front door, but as we were opening it, one of the residents appeared.  Her face had dark lines everywhere, like she was sick.  Henry barely shoved me out into the rain before I saw a red glow appear from what I think was a sword, and a bolt of lightning come from her hand right at Henry.  FROM HER HAND!
I feel awful, but I did not wait for Henry...

10 Aprimay, 5503
This cave is cold, and I can hear noises in the dark.  I fear a torch would attract too much attention, a fire even more, so I cannot get warm.  I fear I may not survive this nightmare and see my village again...
...a red glow is coming from deep inside the cave...won't be long now.

[UltimateTobi]

Awesome story!
Nicely told as well.