Good news first! My experimentation has worked, and I was able to fashion me some rudimentary tools that allow me to harvest the minerals here. I was worried it wouldn't work, but sure enough the wood pick I fashioned was enough to allow me to collect stone. The stone, after a lot of hard work with a wooden pick, isn't in the greatest condition.
Next to the some ore, I noticed what appears to be iron deposits; however, my wooden pickaxe is not enough to even dent it. Even if I could crack it, I fear it may be too ruined to use at that point.
However, after collecting quite a bit of stone, I had a marvelous idea. Stone pickaxe! It was just so obvious. With that, I was able to collect some iron for future use!
Not sure what I will be able to do with it, but like the seeds, I'm sure I'll find something out! Maybe even some iron tools if I can get a hold of enough!
And then, I found a different ore. A very, very useful ore. Coal!
And my stone pickaxe did its job expertly!
It also paid off double in this case as the removal of the coal revealed even more Iron ore!
The stone wasn't just useful for a new tool; though. I was able to forge some nice steps out of it for my mine shaft to allow easier access to the lower levels. And the coal was useful for making some nice torches to light my way.
I spent so much time collecting stone, coal, and iron. I don't even know what I'm going to use it all for yet; however, it was far lighter than one would imagine. I do think this again has to do with the strange properties of this place.
Regardless, I had completely lost track of time. As I emerged from the mine (I had used the previous "hole in the wall" cave to start my shaft), the moon had begun to rise and the last rays of the sun were sinking below the horizon.
There I was, naked and defenseless under the rising moon and overloaded with various ores. This was where the frightful journey home started. I heard the moans began. The snicker snacker of whatever travels these lands at night.
Then, there it was. At long last I found the source of the moaning. I couldn't make out what it said; however, it did look like it was once human. There was a strange familiarity to it as well.
It wasn't friendly, and it was just like the other odd creature I had encountered during the day: violent. It was coming for me. It clearly wanted me. To eat, to kill. Both? I don't know, and I didn't intend to stick around to find out the answer!
I had to drop a bit of my ore, but I managed to make it back into my outpost. The creature did follow me back, but was unable to get through the door. I was safe, for now at least.
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