The plan is finally in motion: get to Forlorn Muskeg, use the forge, and come back alive.
I grab every bit of scrap I’m willing to suffer for, drop whatever I can’t justify carrying,
take the hammer, and head for the route out of Mountain Town knowing full well this is the point of no return.

I don’t even make it to the rope before the game pushes back.
There’s a wolf waiting for me, and I’m still too heavy to climb.
More gear hits the snow, and apparently that’s all the encouragement the wolf needs.
The hammer earns its keep, and I get down the rope shaken, annoyed, but still standing.

I stop off at the cave to recover a little before committing further.
One more rope later and I find myself in Milton Basin, which clears up some long-standing confusion about where I actually was last time.
I want to loot, but I don’t trust myself not to linger, and the forge matters more than curiosity right now.

Leaving Mountain Town Behind

Wolves make the decision for me anyway.
One gets distracted by rabbits, the other decides I’m the problem and effectively chases me out of the region.
I don’t fight it.
Mountain Town can wait.
Today is about steel.

Forlorn Muskeg, As Expected

Crossing into Forlorn Muskeg feels familiar in the worst possible way.
This is the region that has ended more runs for me than I care to count,
usually because I rushed, panicked, or convinced myself I could “just make it”.
I’m not doing that today.

I spot a deer carcass almost immediately and keep walking.
That decision annoys me more than it should, but the forge is still too far away,
and I know exactly how quickly stopping for food here turns into a death sentence.

I mountain goat my way down a slope toward the rail line, quietly thankful for all the questionable Skyrim habits that taught me how to do this without dying.
Near the tracks, another wolf shows up, just to keep things consistent.
I briefly consider heading toward Broken Railroad as a backup plan, then think better of it and double back.
When I return, the wolf is gone.
I don’t question it.

Thin Ice and a Bear Problem

I hug the right side of the region, aiming for the safest path I know toward the forge.
Unfortunately, there’s a bear standing directly on it.
Every alternative route I try leads straight onto thin ice, and instead of running and hoping for the best, I back out and reassess.
Forlorn Muskeg punishes panic.

I end up following the route the bear took and manage to find a safer line to a broken pier.
There’s a ruined building nearby with very little worth taking,
but at this point I’ll take whatever the game is willing to give me.

Old Spence, At Last

Eventually, the Old Spence Family Homestead comes into view,
and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to see an exposed, half-collapsed building.
It’s warmer here.
Not comfortable, but enough to stop the constant bleed.

Inside, I find a simple parka.
My windbreaker, which has somehow survived with me since the early days of this run,
finally gets demoted to inner-layer duty.
There’s also a bed that’s slightly warmer than my bedroll, and right now that feels like luxury.

Steel, Finally

I get the forge running and make a practical choice.
I want a hatchet, but I don’t make one.
The improvised knife comes first so I can prepare arrow shafts later.
I can always come back for more tools if I survive the return trip.

I forge the knife, then turn every piece of scrap I carried across two regions into arrowheads.
Once that’s done, I sleep.

I wake up with steel tools and real progress for the first time in a while.
Now all that’s left is getting back to Mystery Lake, crafting a bow, and finally being properly armed.
Unfortunately, Forlorn Muskeg still stands between me and that plan.

Continue the Journey

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