Kenshi – Drifters Guide to Ashlands
Lore-friendly treatise on the Forbidden Zone. H5N1 chip of a operate inwards progress; I’ll update it equally I acquire to a greater extent than close the area.
Drifter’s Guide to the Ashlands
If you’re reading this, you’re either a Tech Hunter or some sort of adventurer, as well as already your chances of survival are higher than most. I’ve seen as well as thus many laid out alongside stars inwards their eyes as well as heads total of tales of treasure as well as secrets, as well as and thus few receive got returned. There’s a damn practiced argue there’s nonetheless as well as thus much loot out there, as well as that’s because fifty-fifty getting unopen plenty to see the Ashlands is plenty to acquire y'all as well as all your friends killed. But if you’ll indulge an quondam Ashland Drifter his ramblings, y'all mightiness exactly last long plenty to discovery what you’re looking for.
Getting There
I tin give the axe almost withdraw heed y'all sayin’ it- “I’ve been to Mongrel” this as well as “I’ve killed a leviathan” that. Well allow me tell y'all correct at nowadays I’d rather human face upward downwardly a horde of Fogmen riding a damned leviathan than pass 1 nighttime inwards the Sonorous Dark. Yep, the territories surrounding the Ashlands are exactly equally responsible for its reputation equally the Ashlands themselves. I’ve seen a man’s pare ripped from him patch he was nonetheless screamin’ close it, as well as constitute plenty of corpses who evidently didn’t remember acid pelting was that large a deal. And I can’t tell y'all how many times I’ve had to bust friends as well as companions out of a reaver’s cage solely to receive got them captured yesteryear southern hivers the adjacent forenoon as well as fed to their king. So choosing your entry route is the showtime as well as most of import step, as well as it all depends on what y'all as well as those piteous fools traveling alongside y'all are equipped to bargain with.
First things first- are at that topographic point humans inwards your group? If your grouping is all-human, heading due south yesteryear vogue of the Sonorous Dark is belike your worst option. If the acid pelting doesn’t acquire you, the Skin Bandits will. Unless you’re packing top-grade gear as well as skills to match, steer clear of the Sonorous Dark. Trying to acquire to the due south at all isn’t the smartest idea, equally the Southern Hive territory makes fools of fifty-fifty experienced fighting groups. If y'all fancy yourselves the sneaky type, avoiding hiver patrols mightiness live a chip easier, but coming inwards from the northward through The Pits is belike the safest bet.
However, if you’re primarily traveling alongside hivers or skeletons, the Sonorous Dark mightiness genuinely live your easiest option. The pare crazies won’t bother non-humans equally long equally y'all proceed your distance, as well as acid pelting doesn’t bother hivers or skeletons, equally I’m certain you’re aware. All y'all receive got to worry close are the reavers as well as hiver patrols, as well as mayhap the strange nation bat.
If you’re going through the Dark, accept a at in 1 trial southeast path from Lagoon, riding the mountains on the side of Stobe’s Gamble. Following the border of those ii territories agency y'all acquire the to the lowest degree of both, avoiding the hivers on Greyshelf equally good equally the bandits as well as beasts of the Gamble. As y'all close the Dark, live careful non to wander fifty-fifty a niggling northward into Sniper Valley, unless y'all desire to lose a limb before your trip fifty-fifty starts.
If you’re going through the Pits, exactly hug the coast as well as consider buying a crab along the way. The crab crazies accept it personally if y'all don’t. The ones inwards the towns won’t bother y'all much, but scout out for the ones wearing foreign armor- they’ll unremarkably come upward up alongside some stupid excuse to start a fight, fifty-fifty if y'all bought a pet crab. Crossing the H2O shouldn’t give y'all much trouble, exactly brand certain y'all aren’t caught off-guard yesteryear bandits or a wayward crab patrol, as well as scout out for the towers inwards the eastward as well as west.
And that settles how you’re gettin’ there, but don’t laid off exactly yet. We’re nonetheless inwards the planning stage.
Surviving There
So y'all at nowadays receive got a adventure to alive long plenty to coughing on some ash. Fantastic. Now heed closely because we’re getting to the of import part: surviving inwards the Ashlands. It don’t affair if y'all gave Arc a run for his money, fighting skills won’t count for much if y'all don’t alive long plenty for somebody else to off you.
The most mutual error I see fifty-fifty from experienced tech hunters is they don’t know close the gas. Dunno how nobody has figured it out yet, but they nonetheless don’t sell masks at the Lagoon as well as thus to a greater extent than tech hunters proceed goin’ as well as proceed non comin’ back. Don’t fifty-fifty remember close setting pes inwards the Ashlands without one- they sell em inwards the swamps as well as inwards Mongrel, though if y'all know a smith who tin give the axe brand y'all one, that would live ideal; if you’re having problem finding blueprints, banking corporation check the library at Black Scratch, they’ve ever got something.
Now if you’re 1 of those hivers alongside the broad heads, well, I’ve got bad word for you: they don’t brand masks for heads that wide. Maybe I should’ve started alongside that as well as thus y'all didn’t acquire your hopes up, but it’s non gonna live a fun ride for y'all if y'all nonetheless wanna go. The most I tin give the axe tell y'all is to proceed an midpoint out for the pale yellowish clouds that creep along the ground. They’ll sneak upward on y'all existent slow though, as well as thus brand certain your companions are willing to comport your lamentable shroud when y'all transcend out. You tin give the axe also attempt to shroud within the Domes, if y'all genuinely remember an Earth forces of angry skeletons is less of a threat.
And that brings me to the adjacent point: the inhabitants. Ashlands aren’t rubber for anything to live. No plants, no animals. Only machines alive there, as well as non a unmarried 1 volition accept kindly to outsiders wandering around. If your political party is the fighting type, attempt to proceed your escape route open. H5N1 few Fe spiders mightiness non live a threat, but if you’re too busy fighting them to notice the Legion sneaking upward behind you, or worse a Cleanser wanders too close, y'all tin give the axe count on losing somebody. Speaking of, proceed an midpoint out for those Cleansers- big, lumbering machines that clear out the gas equally they go.
They aren’t too aggressive – y'all tin give the axe remember of them equally mechanical leviathans – but they volition assail if y'all acquire unopen to them, as well as they hitting similar a leviathan too. Short-sighted tech hunters acquire afterward ’em for their AI Cores but at that topographic point are plenty to live constitute elsewhere for a lot less hassle. And besides, they’re working to acquire rid of the gas, as well as thus don’t bother ’em.
As for gear, If y'all don’t demand to worry close the acid rains inwards the Dark, whatever practiced stuff of medium weight volition live fine. Most of the machines exactly pummel y'all for mixed damage, as well as most of the skeletons purpose either cleavers or clubs, as well as thus its to a greater extent than of import that y'all know when to run as well as when to fight, as well as last long plenty to do so. Heavier armor makes it hard to run when y'all demand to, as well as lighter armor volition exactly acquire y'all killed if y'all can’t sideslip away. If you’re packing dustcoats for the acid, vesture some chainmail or something underneath, as well as you’ll bleed a lot less.
They won’t kidnap y'all or anything though, as well as thus if worse comes to worse, exactly lay nonetheless as well as hold off for them to plough their backs. Your best weapons are going to live the exact same stuff they’re using- hackers as well as clubs. Anything specially practiced at smashing through metallic volition serve y'all good here. And yes, that agency NO katanas. Dunno why people are as well as thus attached to ’em. Sure they’re lite as well as fast, but they’re close equally useful against a Legion soldier equally a plume duster.
Now at that topographic point aren’t whatever settlements of the typical sort inwards the Ashlands, but at that topographic point are close one-half a dozen Domes scattered about. How they got at that topographic point is a neat story for some other time, but each 1 is filled alongside an Earth forces of armed skeletons exactly itching to tear something apart. Each 1 has a leader, too – a high-ranking skeleton that goes all the vogue dorsum to ancient times.
If y'all tin give the axe acquire ahold of their CPU marrow y'all mightiness discovery out to a greater extent than close their pasts, but unless you’re a top-rate fighter or sneak, I’d focus on getting inwards their goods as well as getting out equally rapidly equally possible. I’d swear they were packin’ Cross weapons too. Anyway, they’ll receive got a ton of safes piled around, as well as plenty of Cores if that’s what you’re at that topographic point for. The bottom flooring also unremarkably has some unused areas y'all tin give the axe shroud inwards if y'all demand to balance a bit, as well as you’ll live rubber from the gas inwards there. Just don’t acquire careless as well as live prepared to run if you’re constitute out.
Now a lot of these machines are pretty old, as well as I’ve never asked a skeleton but I’m pretty certain you’re non s’posed to live able to exactly rip out their cores. Yet whether its from impairment or design, a lot of these older ones y'all tin give the axe do exactly that. Once you’ve taken them down, rip out the marrow or whatever exposed circuitry as well as they’ll rest that way. Real handy if y'all brought a sneaky type alongside you.
One final give-and-take of warning- You see the large star-shaped imprint on your map, inwards the southeast? Stay away from there. Clearing out domes is 1 thing, but Cat-Lon the Mad himself is another. If y'all don’t bother him, he won’t bother you. Hell, if y'all pick the correct location, y'all could laid upward a cozy house to alive correct nearby without much trouble.
And that leads me to the final chip of this long ramble….
Living There
Now if you’re some sort of crazy yourself, y'all mightiness live thinkin’ close at nowadays how dandy a house this would live to live. Well… you’re non wrong. If y'all don’t similar existence bothered, y'all won’t discovery a ameliorate house to settle. It’s non going to live easy, though.
First thing to know close the Ashlands when it comes to settlements: Bring whatever it is y'all demand alongside you. You’ll discovery aught here. Even the rock as well as scrap littered all over the house isn’t usable- belike some side-effect of all the disasters that turned this house into what it is. And forget existence able to discovery usable H2O or fertile soil. You’ll live needing some of that fancy hydroponics stuff the tech hunters are getting all excited close these days, for starters, but to a greater extent than importantly you’ll live needing a steady render of rock as well as iron.
Your best bet is to laid upward a fortified mining base, either inwards the Dark or the Pits. The Dark is definitely closer, alongside shorter trips as well as plenty of pelting for water, but you’ll genuinely demand to defend it from all the crazies as well as such nosotros discussed earlier, as well as brand certain as well as pack dustcoats for the frequent acid rains for whatever shek or humans. Unless of course of report you’ve got plenty of non-humans. When the pare crazies pay y'all a visit, only shroud off inwards a corner somewhere out of sight until they acquire bored as well as motion on. As long equally at that topographic point aren’t whatever humans amid you, they won’t go out of their vogue to discovery you. They’ll fifty-fifty haul off whatever reaver or crabby bodies you’ve got laying around on their vogue out.
Now the Pits definitely won’t live quiet, you’ll nonetheless live dealing alongside crabbies, reavers, as well as whatever those weirdos alongside the masks are, but anything is ameliorate than dealing alongside Skin Bandits. The downside though is that H2O volition demand to live welled upward from the Earth to a greater extent than ofttimes as well as trips to your Ashland village volition live longer as well as to a greater extent than difficult.
As for the village itself, don’t acquire too excited as well as exactly laid downwardly anywhere that looks flat. Look for tracks inwards the ash, paths as well as roads that are darker, as well as rest away from them. The best places are either along the coast or on top of hills, especially around some of the larger ruins where the machines seldom wander. You’ll nonetheless encounter the rare Fe spider or Legion patrol, as well as mayhap a Cleanser volition wander through, but it shouldn’t live worse than what you’ve already dealt alongside yesteryear now. Just seat upward some walls equally shortly equally y'all can, as well as they belike won’t fifty-fifty notice you’re there.
Now afterward the walls, your showtime priorities are nutrient as well as beds. It goes without maxim that y'all won’t final long if y'all can’t brand nutrient at your settlement, as well as thus getting some of those hydroponics upward as well as running should live 1 of the showtime things y'all do. Even if your whole squad are skeletons, using pack animals volition genuinely cutting downwardly on the trips dorsum as well as forth. When it comes to power, y'all tin give the axe rely on windmills to convey inwards a bit, but your best bet volition live to purpose those hydroponics-grown foods to brand fuel. Hemp works the best but if you’re trying to proceed things to a minimum, purpose greenfruit or wheatstraw instead, since it tin give the axe also live used for food. And proceed at to the lowest degree 1 bed or sleeping handbag within to handle the injured.
Lastly, it’d live a practiced see to do equally much production equally y'all tin give the axe on-site. Your mining base of operations is good as well as practiced but there’s no argue to clog upward your piteous Garru’s inventory alongside iii dissimilar kinds of metallic plating when y'all tin give the axe exactly carry the Fe inwards volume as well as industry what y'all demand where y'all demand it. It’ll accept a niggling extra power, to live sure, but it’ll salvage y'all a lot of hassle. It’s a dissimilar story alongside the stone, though. It’s ameliorate to carry refined edifice materials than raw stone, no uncertainty close it.
So if you’ve made it this far, y'all should receive got everything y'all demand for a successful trip to the Ashlands. Us drifters receive got been doin’ it for years but it’s getting a niggling lonely out there, especially since crazy ol’ Stone-Head passed away, leaving less than a handful of us scattered around, as well as I haven’t seen whatever of the others inwards a long time. Some of us liked having the Ashlands to ourselves, for reasons I won’t acquire into. But if y'all inquire me, it’s close fourth dimension nosotros shared this treasure alongside the balance of the world.
Not similar we’re gonna live usin’ it anyway.
