Vladimir's diary
I was finally able to find something to write on.
Piotr and I found this old book in a ruin. The original writing is illegible, but it has some space for me to keep records.
I ran into two people so far, a young man called Piotr and a woman named Svetlana. Their story is similar to mine. We retreated to the tunnels to avoid the Rot, waiting to be saved by Jonas Falx. Most of our people have succumbed to either starvation or the Rot in those wretched pits. When we were about to give up, the world began to distort and shake. We lost our consciousness and woke up in unfamiliar tunnels. We climbed out as fast as we could. The outside was different; we found ourselves on an island in the middle of the sea. Svetlana insists we have awoken in May, but it is much colder than what it would be in Raska at this time of year.
On the first day I wandered aimlessly, until I heard Piotr yelling. I ran to him, than we walked around the island and found Svetlana. We all speak similar languages but have trouble understanding each other, so we make do with hand gestures. We found some cattails and a few berries, but not much else to eat. We made fire in a cave and spent the night there. Something was shambling and making unsettling sounds deeper inside, so as soon as there was enough light, we left.
On the second day we tried to make shelter out of branches and logs. I found some rocks that were the right shape to make an axe with, so we could fell trees, and kill animals. Piotr made spears and killed a fox, that we ate.
On the third day we looked for more food. Found some more berries, fennel, and rye. We couldn’t cook them properly. We didn’t have any pots. Piotr and I made a raft to look around the other islands nearby. Svetlana made us beds out of grass.
On the fourth day we paddled to the island south of us and found more rye and berries. We also found clay on our island, brought some back and made a pot, bowls, and a jug.
Today we looked around the nearby ruins and found seeds, this book and a knife.
Day 6
Svetlana and I planted the seeds, but the ground is very dry. We have one little pond on the island, but it has very little water in it. For now, we will try to water the plants from it.
There isn’t much to eat here. We already scoured most of the island and found very little. At least we have the sea. That will probably last. Piotr has caught a few fish with his spear. We should try to make some nets, but we haven’t found anything to use.
Day 7
The air was very clear today. As we were looking around the southern island I saw land in the distance. The peak of a mountain southwest of us. We need to make a proper vessel and reach that land.
Day 8
We heard wolves howling from the southeast. We have to prepare for them.
This made me think about what happened to us. Jonas Falx clearly succeeded in clearing the rot, but something changed. We didn’t wake up where we were before. Not only did the Rot disappear, but it is also as if it didn’t exist at all. But there are ruins of our civilization, so maybe we were unconscious for long enough for nature to recover.
Day 9
We saw what made those atrocious noises. When Svetlana went out in the morning, she saw gray, twisted figures. Small, long armed, human-like things and taller spiked backed things that shot bone arrows at her. She screamed and ran inside. They ran to the door and clawed at it. We managed to barricade it. As the sun rose, we heard them crawl away. They must spend the day in the caves.
We expanded and strengthened our shelter. Now it is a proper log house with a thatch roof.
Day 10
We have been eating fish and berries for days now. The others want to store away anything we can. We tried to smoke some fish and Svetlana made crocks to store food. We are preparing for winter here, but I am of the opinion that we should make a boat and leave before it arrives. We might find others, and better land to sustain us.
Day 11
I was able to make them speak about themselves finally. Previously they avoided talking about their past before the tunnels.
I started by explaining to them my rank and life from before the cataclysm. They didn’t understand why my king needed me as a scribe after we went under. They also voiced their opinion, that my lack of a wife was “obvious” and “unsurprising”.
Piotr is young, and he has lived most of his life underground. He is the oldest of seven siblings and the son of two commoners. Most of the people he knew died before the Rot disappeared.
Svetlana was a serf before, with a husband and two children that lived for more than 5 years. She was far from the happenings around Jonas, so they received the explanation and the plan to avoid the Rot very late. Most of the land was devastated by the time she fled underground. None of the people survived from her group. She was the last of her people alive in the tunnels before the cleansing of the world.
As Piotr is consoling her, I wonder again what happened to us. Piotr said he woke up in the same room where he fell unconscious, but when he left the tunnels were different. What did Falx’s machine do to the world? Where did it bring us?
Day 15
We fished, foraged, hunted and gardened for the past four days. Svetlana became much more talkative than before. She even started singing. Before we could hardly get her to answer us. Piotr has also been much warmer than before, especially to her. He admitted that she reminded him of his mother.
Day 16
The wolves were howling again. This time from much closer. They swam to our island and moved into the forest next to us.
Day 17
Svetlana passed away in a wolf attack. We were carrying water to the crops when it jumped on her. I lodged my spear into its side, but it was too late. We buried her and held a funeral. We then butchered and ate the wolf.
We heard another one howling. Piotr is furious.
Day 18
We went out to look for food, and to find the wolves. I warned Piotr that it is dangerous, but he insists we kill all of them. We found their tracks and Piotr wanted to follow it, but I was able to talk him out of it.
Day 20
Piotr is dead. I am alone.
I gave in and went with him to find the wolves again. We didn’t have anything but two spears to fight, but we went anyway. I was angry too. It made me reckless. We found them, but it was getting dark by then. They started chasing us, so we ran. We were almost home, when he fell down a cavern. I heard him scream as he fell, then a thud and crack and he was gone. I won’t be able to get down to bury him. I still held a funeral above.
They will pay for this!
I can’t be reckless just because of grief.
I will need to make a boat, and sail away. Maybe I can find other people. I can just make out a mountain in the distance. It will take long but I can do it before winter.
Day 21
I need to pass through the forest for fresh water. I can feel them following me.
Day 25
The wolves are following me.
I am making a boat.
I found fresh water in nearby a cave. I will return with a jug.
(First abandoned base and book I added to my creative world. I enjoy making stories with my builds.)
