[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” column_structure=”2_3,1_3″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]
Dear Moira,
I snuck you, my diary, into the drop pod this time. I figure that you don’t weigh much and the extra risk you may or may not add would be insignificant compared to the risk of just stepping into the drop pod by itself.
My mission this time is to set up a radar in three locations and gather terrain scans for Lagos. While no one fully knows what to expect from Icarus, I’m beginning to think that corporate has at least some inkling. I was warned to expect hostile wildlife.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://beckysasala.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/map.png” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”map” url=”https://beckysasala.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/map.png” url_new_window=”on” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” column_structure=”1_4,3_4″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://beckysasala.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/20230303231921_1-scaled.jpg” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”20230303231921_1″ url_new_window=”on” url=”But, the mission pays well, it will open up Icarus for more lucrative jobs, and corporate gave a large time window for completion. That interested me because I really wanted to do some exploring on Icarus and hone my skills in the ‘relatively safe’ section of the planet. Ah, Icarus. You are so beautiful.” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”3_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ custom_padding=”||0px|||”]
But, the mission pays well, it will open up Icarus for more lucrative jobs, and corporate gave a large time window for completion. That interested me because I really wanted to do some exploring on Icarus and hone my skills in the ‘relatively safe’ section of the planet.
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Ah, Icarus. You are so beautiful.
My first order of business was, as you might expect, crafting some stone tools and harvesting oxite so I didn’t choke to death in the toxic atmosphere. The first terrain scan location was close, so I decided to check it out. The location was accessible enough and seemed to be free of any debris or wandering wildlife. I nearly set up the radar right then, but Sol’s works stuck with me and I decided to wait. I really wanted to get that bow completed.
From the ridge I was able to look down on Wolf Lake. I have no idea what the corporations are calling it. But, it seems to attract a large number of wolves, so, Wolf Lake it is. During my last mission I had made a rudimentary list of the resources I encountered on land (yeast, wheat, watermelons, lilies, etc.), but I didn’t explore the lake. This time I decided to delve under the water to see if there was anything useful.
At the bottom of Wolf Lake, just about in the center, I found two sponge-like plants. I harvested them both wondering what kinds of uses they might have. When I reached the surface, I found that they were indeed sponges and they held water. I was able to use them to carry water to drink. They aren’t the best, and I’m looking forward to getting one of those canteens they have available in the store back on the station, but this will do for now.
Also while I was in the water I encountered a remarkable blue fish. During my last mission I’d caught two large orange fish that made a wonderful dinner. I had to chase them though. This blue fish had no fear. Came right up to me. And BIT me! Worse than that, the bite introduced some kind of low-grade poison into my system. So, yeah, avoid the blue fish. It doesn’t tell you that in the Icarus manual. Just kidding. There’s no manual. Maybe I should write one. And, since I’m naming things, these blue fish are now officially Blue Tigerfish.
I got out of the water, made a campfire and cooked up the fish and the assorted cuts of meat I’d taken off the two wolves I’d killed on the way to the lake. I felt much better after a full meal – and to be completely honest, I ate the Tigerfish first. That will teach him to bite me.
Day Two
The next morning I made a small shelter near the radar location and moved my campfire ring there. Then I decided to do some exploring and gather some of the different plants to try to determine if and how they could be of use to me. Finding something to counteract the poison of the Blue Tigerfish I walked west and collected many different plants and mineral resources.
I had just finished gathering bunches of yeast when a storm rolled in. The last two storms on Icarus weren’t horrible, but I didn’t want to risk being caught outside in a thunderstorm, so I went to hug against the side of the mountain. I stumbled into a spot that looked hard enough to mine into. I was hoping to be able to create a nook large enough to shelter in and wait out the storm. However, after a few minutes, it was clear that a cave was behind this wall of stone.
I breached the cave, left a pile of stones to use later, and made a torch to wait out the storm inside the cave. It was huge. Getting bored pretty quickly, I decided to explore the cave. My suit warned me that the air in the cave was even worse than outside and the bacteria level was very high. I risked getting sick if I stayed in here too long, but the storm was still raging outside, so I decided to risk it.
Not the best tactical decision I’ve ever made. There are these huge worms inside the cave. They are not friendly. And they shoot some kind of poisonous goo! I really have to figure out a way to counteract the poison of this planet if I want to succeed. Some kind of armor would probably be good as well. I used my knife to kill the first worm, but took a hit from the poisonous goo. The worms make a sharp hissing noise before they appear, however. I could hear more hissing further into the cave, so I backed up to the opening to rest and eat some more food. During this first look I saw iron deposits, copper deposits and even a small coal deposit inside the cave. Iron tools would be much better than stone tools. This clearly needed to be my next step.
When the storm passed, I ventured outside and began harvesting trees and plants in order to build a small base near the cave. Inside I built a drying rack – sometimes I could get some premium cuts of meat from animals that I figured would dry well. I also made a basic bench that would make it easier to build larger items. Next I went back to my pile of stones to put a campfire outside my little shelter and build a stone furnace inside. My base was pretty far away from Wolf Lake, so I also built a large stone reservoir to capture rainwater. I added a bedroll and my little base was feeling pretty cozy.
Day Three
I made a second knife as soon as I woke up the next day so I wouldn’t have to worry about my knife breaking on the worm’s thick skin before I was able to kill it. I also made a second torch. Those caves are dark! I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice to say the worms eventually died and I have a profound respect for poison. After a short rest, I harvested the coal and several of the small iron deposits.
Back at base, I started to smelt the iron using the coal as fuel. I’d gotten tired of crushing the oxite rocks, so I headed out to gather some sulfur and silica that I’d seen yesterday when I was looking for resources. I also gathered a large number of the oxite rocks. Back at the shelter I fashioned a low-tech machine to crush the oxygen out of the rocks and into a leather bladder I created. Much more efficient. I also created a mortar and pestle as well as a small bench to dry herbs and create rudimentary medicines. Based on some educated guessing (I’d been reading survival manuals between this mission and the last) I created a poison paste that would work well on arrows – I still need to finish that bow! – and then I used that to create a poison cure. Take that Tigerfish and Cave Worm! Yep, that’s the official name now. I also developed an anti-bacterial medicine. I had developed a cough after being the cave for a while, but the tonic made me feel much better.
Once the first batch of iron ore was finished smelting, I had enough to create an anvil and an iron pick axe. I carefully went back into the cave, but the worms seemed to be gone. For now. There was a large pool of water in the back of the cave as well. I drank deeply from it and filled my sponges. I harvested two more iron deposits. The iron pick axe was so much faster to use – and I ended up with much less waste. This was a great decision. I dropped the ore into the furnace before going to sleep.
Day Four
When I woke up, I decided that I really had to finish making a bow. If I had to deal with more than one or two animals at a time the close-up fighting of using a knife was going to get me killed. With time available to me – the iron was going to take a while to smelt – I was able to completely dedicate myself to working on the bow. With some trial and error, I finally got it down. Stone arrows were the obvious first step, but bone arrows were much better. I used my new bow to take down several deer. I also determined making the bow a bit bigger would give it more power, so I redesigned it into a longbow and stocked up on bone arrows.
The iron was done by this point, so I made an iron axe and an iron knife. I’m not gonna say that afterward I stood on top a huge rock and reveled in my newfound power…but I’m not gonna say I didn’t, either.
Day Five
I supposed now it was time to actually go start the mission I was here for. First I gathered enough supplies to make a small shelter near the target area so I had a place to retreat to if necessary. Then I made my way back to the first area that was between my drop pod and Wolf Lake. I set up the shelter, along with another bedroll close by, but at the area itself, I built a small hunting stand. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but being off the ground away from any potential incoming threat sounded like a good idea to me.
With the radar set up and scanning, I moved into my hunting spot and waited. It didn’t take long before this bundle of fur and cuteness started running up to the radar. It was a bear cub. I had my bow ready and the arrow trained on it, but I couldn’t do it. He was adorable. And then he barreled into the radar. He must have heard me yell, because he looked up and charged at the lower part of my hunting tower.
I couldn’t get a bead on him with my bow now, so I had to quickly climb down and kill him with my knife. By that time two more baby bears were charging at me. I dispatched them as well, all the while calling myself a monster for killing these sweet babies. With a short break in the attack, I made it back up to the hunting tower just in time to see Mama Bear incoming. I took a deep breath and just knew that I had to kill her with the bow or I was in for a world of hurt. I knelt down, took aim, and fired. I hit her! She roared in pain, but kept coming. I loosed two more arrows and she slid to a stop next to the tower. I didn’t have much time to celebrate though since two more baby bears were attacking the radar.
With the entire bear clan dead and skinned, I checked the radar which had finally finished scanning. I picked it up, tore down my shelter, gathered my supplies and headed off to the next spot.
The walk was nice, but it was getting dark by the time I reached the lake just east of the East Rock Passage. I don’t have a name for this lake yet – but I will. I set up my shelter, bedroll, and campfire. I should have brought my drying rack for the bear meat, but it would have taken up too much room. After a very filling meal of bear meat, pumpkin, and berries, I slept soundly until morning.
Day Six
The second target spot wasn’t far from my campsite, so I left it there. Once at the new site I built a new hunting tower. I refined the design a bit from watching how the bears attacked the walls. The radar started doing its thing and I headed for the tower. I had to wait a while this time, but once the wolves started coming, they came fast! I was able to take down the first few with arrows, but after that they clustered too quickly and I had to resort to the knife. Luckily, I have gotten good with taking down wolves.
Then I saw him. A huge black alpha wolf. He seemed content to hang back while there were other wolves attacking me, so I was able to finish them off. I got one arrow off before he charged at me. Another arrow caught him mid rush, but I had to finish him with the knife. I love this iron knife. He had these amazing fangs. I have no idea what to do with them, but I’m going to try to smuggle them back to the station.
It was still early in the day when I packed up the radar and the shelter from the lake, so I made it all the way back to my base before nightfall. I spent the night restocking arrows and repairing my equipment. I still had one more target area to scan and no idea what to expect.
Day Seven
In the morning, I started my trek south. Have I mentioned that Icarus is beautiful? I encountered a waterfall that took my breath away. And I’d refilled my oxygen bladder, so I knew it wasn’t hypoxia. I wonder if anyone will be able to live on Icarus someday. I think I’d like to build here at the waterfall.
I still had a long way to walk, so I left the falls and kept heading south. Suddenly, I heard an avian sounding shriek. I looked around to find a huge ostrich-like bird – a Moa – charging at me. I am not too humble to brag that I was able to launch an arrow that instantly dropped the big bird. But, then I saw it’s baby looking around confused and I, again, felt like a monster. I wonder if I could take care of it and eventually use it like a horse or a pack animal. The parent was certainly large enough. I didn’t feel that I had the time during this mission, but it is something to consider in the future.
Finally, after navigating through twisting ridges, I came up to a pass that had a strong cold draft. According to the map it looked like it might be an arctic area. I wasn’t dressed for it, but I decided venture in just to take a peek. I found chunks of ice, which gave me an idea on how to preserve meat while on the planet. Hunting is always a sketchy thing. There’s plenty of meat after the hunt, but it may be a while before you are able to hunt again. And, honestly, watermelons and pumpkins just aren’t enough.
I did not think a person could get so cold so quickly. But I was wrong. I was also wrong to not consider that there might be animals in the area. I heard the growl of the snow wolf before I saw it which gave me time to get my knife ready. This wolf was tougher than the forest wolves, but I ultimately took down two of them. By then I was freezing and decided to leave this area. I’m sure future explorations will bring me back.
The third target area was just a bit beyond the West Arctic Pass. I set up a shelter a little distance away and then built another hunting tower. Even though it was getting later, I set up the radar just to get it over with. From my position on the hunting tower I could see a boar charging towards the radar. Thoughts of bacon almost made me miss with my first arrow. Almost. Another boar. And another. And another all charged in. One by one they slid to a stop next to the hunting tower with arrows in their heads. Then I saw a different shape barreling towards me. I shot without thinking and it dropped. Two more boar went down before the radar finished and I felt comfortable with leaving the hunting tower.
The mission was over, so I didn’t skin the boar. My gift to the wolves. I did want to check what the other creature had been though. Any guesses? It was a jaguar. A flipping jaguar! My adrenaline spiked at that point even though it was dead.
I gathered up the supplies I needed, without the shelter, I was done here and I wouldn’t need it anymore, and I hightailed it out of there. No way of knowing if there were more jaguars around. I made it back to the drop pod just as the sun was starting to set.
It wasn’t until I had the radar strapped back into the cargo area that I realized that I had done it. I had completed a real mission. I think I’m still grinning about it.
Ok, diary, talk to you soon, I’m about to jump into the drop pod and head back to the station.
Goodbye, Icarus. I’ll be back soon.
~Moira
Game Information
This is the second and last of the linear missions that start the game. Once this mission is complete, several more open up for the prospector who can then be the master of their own destiny – or at least choose which mission they want to go on next.
The prospector is dropped off in the middle of the Forest section, just to the south of Wolf Lake (the circular lake near where L11, M11, L12, and M12 all meet. There are three locations targeted on the map where the prospector must bring a radar unit (Don’t forget to grab it from the drop pod!), set it up, and allow it to record terrain data. Each location is attacked by different forms of wildlife. Iron isn’t required, but having a bow and bone arrows is a good idea. It’s even better if you are skilled with said bow.
This mission can be done really fast if you are comfortable with combat, but as with the previous mission, you have a full seven real—time days’ worth of time to complete it. This is an excellent opportunity for the prospector to spend some time on Icarus, level up, and practice using new skills and crafting benches.
After Action Report: Moira – LiveWire: Terrain Scan (Medium)
Start Level 5
End Level 12
Moira’s Tech Tree (new are in italics)
- Campfire
- Bedroll
- Rag Torch
- Stone Knife
- Wood Hammer
- Bandage
- Suture Kit
- Wood Bow
- Stone Arrow
- Bone Arrow
- Wood Beam
- Wood Floor
- Wood Wall
- Wood Ramp
- Wood Door
- Crafting Bench
- Oxite Dissolver
- Oxygen Bladder
- Rain Reservoir
- Stone Furnace
- Fireplace
- Potbelly Stove
- Anvil Bench
- Iron Axe
- Iron Pickaxe
- Iron Knife
- Iron Sickle
- Longbow
- Mortar and Pestle
- Flour
- Epoxy
- Poison Paste
- Herbalism Bench
- Anti-Poison Tonic
- Antibiotic Tonic
- Health Enhancement Tonic
Moira’s Talents
- Exploration
- Swift Survivor
- Robust Explorer
- Hunting
- Fine Butcher I
- Chase ‘Em Down
- Blades
- Swift Stab
- Heavy Hand x 3
- Deadly Stab
- Bows/Crossbows
- Bow Agility
- Increased Arrow Damage I x3
- Increased Arrow Damage II
Moira’s Solo Talents
- Fleet Footed
- Marathon Runner
- Heavy Hitter x 2
- Honed Heads
- Slice & Dice
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