Oregon Trail Challenge Diary

Chapter 7: Are we there yet?

Life on the wagon:

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Daniel suffers from bouts of jealousy...

https://64.media.tumblr.com/d76ec8eb4635ecaebddd66bb77e7f43b/cca429d19051c657-b1/s540x810/4ba375f358a00fc11b286b723833cf1d21075ab2.png

...our two year old reads a book...

https://64.media.tumblr.com/b0000f8cdb77bac93ef38da1bcd311a1/cca429d19051c657-e7/s540x810/688e4776b0832bdb7b167c4387530e9b8d330bdf.png

...and we started early enough to reach the campsite while the sun is still up!

It was still the morning of the first day of the second week, when the trek suddenly stopped. They had reached a plateau that offered a splendid view over a lake. What the travelers didn’t see anymore was the trail:

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Turning back wasn’t an option. The wagons had been able to climb the steep slope only, to get down they’d need a path with a more gentle slope. Too bad that this path was on the other side of the lake.

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Going around it to get on the trail again would cost the trek six days, but there was no other way.
Except for Daniel. While the wagons rolled on, he jumped off the drivers’ seat, mounted Plum and raced to the point, where he had “words” with the guide.

(Botched the trail roll and rolled maximum delay. There won’t be a waystation stop this week and the total travel time is up to 34 days.)

https://64.media.tumblr.com/fe37f4b84cc464cb8d904ca1483d158a/58e5e730a40c2215-27/s540x810/9c45c3b72549c5549a2e6091e44e69507a6013c2.png

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At the waystation the travelers had purchased a third horse, a bathtub, a grill and a new box worth of 28 days of eight quick meals. Still filled from their stay at the station, the travelers didn’t need any snacks that day.
In the mountains wood is plentiful, and the lake they were circling around supplied water, so in the evening everyone was able to properly wash. Afterwards Daniel roasted potatoes over the new grill. The praerie would challenge the travelers again, but for now their journey was actually nice.

(I actually have two grills and tubs: one in the camp and one taking up space in the wagon. That way I don’t have to go into buildmode every evening. )

https://64.media.tumblr.com/c5986922fa7f6db3c4e4ace5ce64de57/464e4ae758b4c3c7-3b/s540x810/af5729ef431711775929c8530a7ee92db981c41e.png

Are you mad, Jerry?

When he asked if he could come over, nobody expected the neighbor to try to set their camp (and himself) on fire!

https://64.media.tumblr.com/5afbd8f4e2674194eaeaefc611e1becf/464e4ae758b4c3c7-73/s540x810/5dada790f900f79470ce2c237a97fff9ab29ab2e.png

Jerry: “But what is that fireplace good for, if not cooking soup? Decoration?”
Gavin: “Yes!”

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Also Gavin: “...and that’s for asking stupid questions, dip---!”

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Following a rarely traveled route through the mountains, the trek got into a rockfall. No wagon was lost, but many travelers got injured.

https://64.media.tumblr.com/33625b6f4f68d1f235b048158ed1e0a7/84c5d4e348573796-5d/s540x810/cb4c7778581d730313ef5a62b5feaa6c6287cf70.png

https://64.media.tumblr.com/0a7424d718bbfb3168d838e436f3dcb1/84c5d4e348573796-09/s540x810/1dd50e4d470717fb49296f69e8afba91f6623fc0.png

(This was actually the second disease roll. In two days hence we’ll have to roll again for death (by blood poisoning or wound trauma, probably). Daniel and Gavin have plot armor, they won’t die, but they might lose limbs. Caroline isn’t protected.)

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Gavin: “I’m bored... I wanna walk around!”

Daniel: “You never could these last two weeks, but didn’t complain. Why’s it suddenly a problem?”

Gavin: “But I COULD have walked next to the wagon if I’d wanted. Now these stupid bandages chain me to this bench. Is this a prison transport or what? I wanna walk!”

Daniel: “Are we there yet?”

John: “Huh?”

Daniel: “In Strangerville. Are we there yet?”

John: “Uh... no?”

https://64.media.tumblr.com/43bd2537677d1a711edb4c53391bfa59/6ab59be8fe2702f8-98/s540x810/e9e4aa817eae8afb37098cb5d0a5005224d10797.png

Daniel (1 minute later): “Are we there yet?”

Gavin: “Stop that!”

Daniel: “That’s how YOU sound all the day.”

John: “Will you both stop it already?! - Daniel, you are no working class grunt, so don’t lower yourself to their level. Get a grip on you! Gavin, you ARE a working class grunt, so get yourself together!”

Emma: “If you tell them both not to complain, then why’s it important who is which class, father?”

John: “Because... uh... Well, because!”

https://64.media.tumblr.com/20052207ecbd92ea84758423cc21cdc6/4f05b573c36ebfc2-6f/s540x810/3f79e005a4391155a0fe4f0afdf85fe448b9dd36.png

John: “You will take your shoes off the sofa at once, young man!”

Daniel: “It’s a bench, dad. And probably not even ours.”

(Reminder: Each family owns half of the wagon.)

John: “That makes it even worse! I thought I taught you better than to put your dirty shoes on the neighbors’ sofa! Shoes off or feet down!”

Gavin: “Yeah, Daniel, it’s not fair that you get to put your shoes on the bench, when I can’t.”

Daniel: “Oh... okay!”

And then the young man really took his feet off the bench and back onto the floor.

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Speaking of parenting, here’s a peek at Emma’s current character values:

Clockwise Manners, Responsibility, Conflict Resolution, Empathy and Emotional Control

https://64.media.tumblr.com/69853aaecb3a9a991a59d8aaff9ba826/4f05b573c36ebfc2-95/s400x600/ee76268f7f45c2d1e1bb6165d69e76be5452d1e8.png

I let Emma ask everyone on the wagon for advice and then choose the answers that are most in-character for the asked sim. (Using the No Ask for advice mod that makes the interaction user directed and disables the autonomous instances). So far Empathy is her best trait, just like in the main timeline.