๐Ÿฉธ Derailed & Doomed: A Choo Choo Charles Survival Diary Log 5: Bob, Cultists & Chaos

โ€œApparently Charles had other plans today. Which is fine โ€” I had a date with destinyโ€ฆ and Gertrude.โ€

โš™๏ธ Survival Status: 3 Strikes Total
Only Charles can take them away.
Each egg restores a lost strike โ€” but I canโ€™t exceed three.
When the last oneโ€™s gone, the run ends.

Watch: Fighting Charles twice and storming the northern mine (Steam Deck Gameplay).

The Setup โ€” Gertrudeโ€™s Gift & Galeโ€™s Key

I half-expected to hear that ominous whistle the second I loaded in, but the island was unusually quiet. No ambush, no chase โ€” just eerie calm. I took it as an omen (probably a bad one) and rolled out to find my next local resident: Gertrude. She asked me to retrieve her late husbandโ€™s weapon and name it BOB in his honour. Honestly, she couldโ€™ve asked me to name it after her cat and Iโ€™d still have agreed โ€” I need firepower more than morals at this point.

Not far down the line, I met Gale, who kindly handed over the final key I needed to access the last egg mine. Suddenly, everything clicked into place: I had all three egg locations and the coordinates for my potential final weapon. The problem? Reaching them alive. Step one: get BOB.

Round One โ€” Collecting BOB (and Unwanted Attention)

I arrived at the scrapyard where cultists had taken BOB and barely had time to blink before that familiar whistle echoed across the valley. I slammed the train into forward and grabbed the Bug Spray. No visual โ€” so I backed up, regrouped, and tried again.

Thatโ€™s when I discovered two things. One: my train is a surprisingly effective cultist-flattening machine. Two: overshooting the area guarantees a personal visit from Charles himself.

The ensuing fight was messy. The Bug Spray pushed him back; the machine gun chipped away; the Boomer โ€” well, letโ€™s say my aim was more โ€œcreative fireworksโ€ than โ€œeffective combat.โ€ Eventually Charles retreated, but I somehow triggered a second encounter almost instantly. Double chaos for the price of one. After the rematch, he finally slunk away to lick his metallic wounds.

With the area silent again, I cleaned up the last surviving cultist (the train helped) and looted every scrap in sight. And there it was โ€” BOB, shiny and furious. Welcome to the team, you beautiful piece of overkill.

Island Decisions โ€” Next Stop: The Egg Mines

I debated my next step. Theodoreโ€™s mission was still on the board, Sashaโ€™s definitely wasnโ€™t, and the thought of climbing cliffs for a single scrap feltโ€ฆ inefficient. The choice was clear: time to start collecting eggs.

Egg #1 โ€” Northern Mine Mayhem

The northernmost mine seemed like the least terrible option. A lone cultist patrolled outside โ€” I introduced them to BOB. Inside, I discovered something new: I could actually lean left and right. Whether itโ€™s a mine-only feature or some unintentional stealth buff, Iโ€™ll test it later.

I crept through the tunnels, listening to a cultist whistle a cheerful little tune that made the situation feel way too casual. I tried sneaking past โ€” failed spectacularly โ€” and took a bullet for my efforts. Panic mode engaged. I sprinted, found the glowing egg, yanked a few random levers, and bolted for daylight.

One egg secured. One strike restored. Back to three lives remaining.

Log Observations & Survival Notes

  • BOB is a beast: Best used for short, devastating bursts. Donโ€™t overheat it.
  • Bug Spray still reigns supreme: Itโ€™s the best tool for making Charles think twice.
  • Scrap remains sacred: You will always need more than you have.
  • Cultists arenโ€™t bulletproof: Especially not when they meet the front of a train.
  • Leaning in mines helps: It might not save you, but it makes dying funnier.

Pro Tips (Steam Deck Edition)

  • Use gyro aiming if you can โ€” it helps land those tricky shots with the Boomer.
  • Donโ€™t linger near cultist camps โ€” they hear the train before you see them.
  • BOB + Bug Spray combo = panic fire supremacy.
  • Take fights on straight track when possible โ€” easier weapon tracking, safer retreats.
  • After Charles retreats, loot nearby paths fast โ€” his cooldown window is short.

Need a guide? Explore every stop, scrap pile, and spider sighting with the Aranearum Island Map Guide โ€” your unofficial atlas to surviving the rails.


Choo Choo Charles โ€“ Day One Diary: Eugene, Eggs, and Accidental Manslaughter

My Choo Choo Charles day one diary includes a monster-hunting job, a sprinting NPC, and Eugeneโ€™s untimely (and possibly avoidable) demise.


The Job Offer That Shouldโ€™ve Been a Red Flag

I got a call from Eugene. Said he had a job that would help โ€œmy museum.โ€ Didnโ€™t specify how, didnโ€™t ask if I had museum experience, just told me it was time to go monster hunting. I shouldโ€™ve asked questions. Like โ€œwhat kind of monster?โ€ or โ€œwhy me?โ€ or โ€œhave you ever heard of hazard pay?โ€

Instead, I said yes.


Meet Charles: Part Locomotive, Part Arachnid, All Nightmare Fuel

I found myself rowing to a misty, ominous island with Eugene casually explaining that weโ€™re up against a half-train, half-gigaspider named Charles.
Cool. Totally normal Saturday

Upon docking, Eugene says thereโ€™s a train up the hill we can use โ€” but also notes Charles isnโ€™t the only thing to worry about. Then he bolts. Full sprint. No hesitation. Just gone. Iโ€™m used to NPCs dragging their feet, not outpacing me like theyโ€™ve got somewhere better to be.


Learning the Ropes (and the Rail Controls)

Eugene points me to a nearby shack with the key to access the train. This is where I learn how to use the map and set waypoints. Handy, and slightly more intuitive than most in-game maps.

I return with the key, unlock the garage, and meet my new metal ride. Itโ€™s already equipped with a mounted machine gun and has three levers: forward, reverse, and stop. Thatโ€™s it. No cup holder. No horn. No emotional support buttons.


First Encounter: Train vs. Terror

I hit the forward lever and the train lurches ahead โ€” straight into my first encounter with Charles.

Cue panic.

The gun works, technically. But it does about as much damage as a water pistol might do to a tank. Charles shrugs it off, mauls Eugene mid-sentence, and disappears into the fog.

Iโ€™m left alone. On a moving train. Slightly traumatised.


About That Stopping Distanceโ€ฆ

After the chaos, I check the map to reorient myself and decide to go back to Eugene โ€” assuming heโ€™s maybe clinging to life. I reverse the train and, thinking Iโ€™ve lined it up just right, I slam the stop lever.

I do not stop in time.

I run over Eugene.

Itโ€™s unclear whether Charles killed him or if I finished the job by turning him into railkill. Either way, his final words croak out โ€” something about finding the eggs and stopping Charles once and for all.

No pressure.


If you enjoyed this one, please check out my other Day One Diaries | Survival Game Playthroughs & First-Day Survival Challenges

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