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The Lakes and The Locals






I begin up the river. While for a short distance it travels northwest like I expected, it soon turns and begins to head predominantly north, which is mildly confusing as I know the Great Lakes are Northwest of the Bay. After stopping for sleep I decide I must be on the wrong river, I'm going too far north and not enough west. I pull my punt to shore and pick it up.






I travel overland and through small lakes for almost a day until I hit what appears to be a complex river system and make camp. This is looking more promising. Sure enough, soon the river opens out into a large body of water.



I row my punt through it, exploring. The place is huge as expected and contains many islands of various sizes. Unfortunately I was so busy rowing around I forgot to take many screenshots. Eventually I tire and start looking around for a suitable island. My fish are probably not going to last much longer, so I look for a small one near some rapids so I can deploy my nets.







Eventually I find a small one consisting of a pair of overworld squares diagonally from eachother. The result in the detailed map because of this is somewhat amusing, with a tiny landbridge joining two squarish circles of land. I build a shelter and explore the tiny island a bit, just to see if there might be anything interesting around. There is not, nor do I find any wild animals. Before turning in I remember to row out and deploy my nets.







I've got a couple days until my nets should be checked, so I spend it exploring and mapping out this huge lake. Once again I gotta say it is HUGE. I find many islands and little coves and quite a few times run into various wildlife, stags and badgers on the shores, swans and beavers in the island shoals. This will definitely be a good place for hunting. Checking the ingame map, I see the lands of the Kiesselaiset and my fellow Kaumolaiset are nearby. Perhaps when I've worked up a bit of food I shall travel northeast and find some Kaumo settlements. I need a new carving axe and other goods, afterall.

I also need to find somewhere to start building my homestead. Not only do I need to start building for the next tutorial course, but a cabin will be vitally important for surviving winter. To be honest, this "Dumbell" island (as I have named it) isn't a bad choice. It sits next to some rapids, which are a valuable source of nutritious fish and won't freeze over in the winter and it is relatively isolated. Its too small to spawn wild animals on so I'd be safe from predators and as far as I know NPCs don't use boats, so I'd be safe from bandits and Njerpez. Still, its somewhat far from settled lands. I'd estimate its a good twenty, maybe thirty kilometers from the nearest villages, judging by those cultural borders on the map. That is quite a ways to travel if I need to offload excess meat from a kill. That said I don't want to live too close to settlements, as I think their proximity effects the amount of wild game you can find. Anyways, I'll be scouting out Kaumolaiset villages soon, so maybe I'll find a better location.






My nets catch only a single trout. Perhaps unwisely impatience gets the better of me and I decide to set off to find the Kaumolaiset. I head for the corner of their territory touching the great lake I'm in. Several smaller lakes are found just beyond the great lake'shores and after a day of travel I eventually find a Kaumo village.





I knew the Easterner peoples were less prosperous, but I didn't think it'd be this lousy. There is almost nothing for trade here, just a few things of meat and a sheep pen. I really hope this is a small settlement. Leaving the village I don't travel far before I spot another settlement. This one proves even worse, its less a village and more a single homestead. At this point I remember the description of the Kaumolaiset.




Okay... uh, maybe I should find the Kiesselainen instead. On the plus side, my decision to be sociable pays off. The local sage grumbles at me for bothering them at midnight, but he inadvertently reminds me I have a ritual I need to learn and is happy to teach me. I now know how to sacrifice in thanks for a kill, I'll have to remember to use that in the future. Perhaps I should sacrifice now in thanks for having my hopes for trading with the Kaumolaiset killed...






Mindful of the nets I left back home, I rush back, hoping I can get back in time before any potential catch dies in the nets. Along the way I spot a stag in the distance and attempt to hunt it down, but I end up finding nothing, not even tracks. Continuing on my way I eventually get back to camp and pull a single trout from my nets. Better than nothing I guess.





While cooking the trout I catch a salmon by active fishing. With this nice bit of food I decided to set out to find the Kiesselianen. I head Northwest along the lake up into a network of rivers, hoping to find the next lake in the chain. Eventually I have to stop for sleep and after waking up, I get some Dwarf Fortress vibes when I notice the island I slept on is named "Murder Point". Leaving it behind I continue up a river, I'm starting to get worried I am off track again.






Fortunately my fears prove wrong and the river opens up into another of the great lakes. In addition I get a message telling me I feel at Unity with the world and the rituals window pops open to show I have learned a new ritual, the "Fisherman's Request for a Catch", in which I beseech the Spirits to send fish biting my line and crowding my nets. Even better, I barely row into the great lake when I spot TWO settlements on tiny islands. I just hope they aren't single house homesteads.







I guess I should've expected that. They had very little for trade, just food mostly. The only metal item the had was a single bloody sickle, and I can't build a house with a sickle! Julmakoski indeed... I'm see now why people make mention of routine trading trips to the Driikilaiset. I'm starting to think I shouldn't have left the Westerner lands... At least I found a sage to teach me the new ritual.




After spending the night in one of the Kisselainen homesteads, I head back to my camp. Along the way I pass another decent looking small island next to rapids for potentially setting up a homestead of my own. Its located on the Northwestern part of the great lake





Arriving at my camp, I roast my latest catch and start considering my options. I really wasn't expecting the Easterners to be completely lacking in tools for trade. Maybe I'm getting unlucky though? Maybe these are just small homesteads and I should hunt around for larger settlements? Alternatively I could travel BACK to Driikilais lands to obtain the tools I want before returning (or not). I really want a replacement carving axe and a maybe splitting axe before I start work on my homestead, wherever it'll be. Its now late June, so there is still a good amount of time before winter arrives. I am just not sure what to do at this point.

Maybe the supernatural goon spirits will have some advice or suggestions? Where'd be a good place to build my homestead? What should I do about the tools I want?