Saturday, March 21, 2026

Who Let the Wolves Out

Who Let the Wolves Out

A completely avoidable series of events, featuring architecture, agriculture, arson, and wolves. Mostly wolves.


It really does say something about a game when it becomes so offensively enjoyable that real life begins to pile up in quiet protest. Laundry mounts insurgencies. Dishes form alliances. Responsibilities glare at you from across the room like disappointed parents. And so, naturally, we scheduled a makeup session to deal with the far more pressing issue of in-game housework. Everyone was there.

Even Craig.

This, historically, has never been a reassuring statement.


A Brief History of Our Housing Market Failures

Before we begin, a moment of reflection.

Somewhere in Enshrouded, there exists a Spiderhouse. Within it are starving animals. Forgotten. Abandoned. Possibly writing memoirs about us.

On Dune, our once-epic mansion was sandblasted into myth by dust storms.

And on some long-forgotten realm, we were forcibly evicted by a Gold Dragon.

(Thanks, Craig.)

With this impeccable track record in mind, we decided—confidently, boldly—that it was time to move house again.


The Great Relocation Initiative™

Myles, dusting off his long-neglected leadership credentials (still slightly singed from prior misuse), declared that the rustic cottage was being criminally underutilised. It needed purpose. It needed vision.

It needed to be moved down to the lake.

Closer to the shop.

A sentence which, at the time, seemed reasonable.

Dave, never one to resist a full teardown, immediately declared the Half Stone–Half Wood Lakehouse obsolete—a relic of a less enlightened age (roughly last week). He proceeded to ransack it with the enthusiasm of a man who had just discovered all his possessions were technically lootable.

Workbenches? Gone.
Supplies? Gone.
Structural dignity? Optional.

Everything was loaded onto the cart, hauled to the rustic house… which was then also dismantled. Because consistency matters.


Urban Planning, But With Wolves

We took a leisurely circuit around the lake to find the perfect building site. This involved walking, pointing, second-guessing, and Craig wandering off in straight lines for reasons known only to Craig.

Eventually, a location was chosen.

A double-storey house was constructed.
A fenced enclosure for mounts was added.
A series of increasingly aggressive wolves objected to this development.

The wolves attempted to eat the mounts.
We objected to this objection.

Violence ensued.

Meanwhile, Dave, deep in his architectural phase, installed a sloped roof. This was a bold design choice, primarily because we ran out of materials halfway through.

The result: a roof that could best be described as philosophically complete.


Fire Safety Planning (Sort Of)

On the positive side, we established a robust emergency protocol:

If Myles burns down the forest,
we can all hide in the lake.

This will become relevant later.


🎵 This Week’s Musical Interlude 🎵

As foretold, Craig took on the role of travelling bard, delivering a rendition of On the Road Again that can only be described as autobiographical negligence:

🎵
On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is makin' trouble for my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again

On the road again,
Don’t know where I’m going but I’m sprinting in,
There’s wolves ahead but I’ll just lean right in,
Can’t wait to pull aggro once again…

On the road again,
Zaph is yelling “stop” but I ignore my friend,
Myles drawing maps I’ll never comprehend,
Dave’s still picking flowers in the end…

On the road again,
Something big is chasing—guess I’ll kite it then,
Or maybe bring it back to base and see what happens when,
We all die horribly again…
🎵

A haunting ballad. A warning, really.


Pre-Zaph Productivity (A Rare Phenomenon)

In an unprecedented display of efficiency, Dave, Myles, and Craig logged in two hours early to finish the house so it would be pristine when Zaph arrived.

Dave, fuelled by purpose and possibly caffeine, established mining drills on nearby coal, gold, and aluminium deposits.

He then improved the house:

  • Added a vestibule

  • Removed doors (because doors are apparently a suggestion)

  • Roofed Craig’s firepits to prevent rain-related existential crises

Meanwhile, Myles requested agricultural expansion. Dave responded by:

  • Building a shovel

  • Moving dirt

  • Installing garden plots

  • Planting coffee, cocoa, carrots, sugar cane, and tea

Civilisation had arrived.


Craig vs Forestry: Round 47

Craig, unsupervised, chopped down another forest.

He stacked the lumber directly in everyone’s way.

Then complained—complained—when we used it to build:

  • Farm plots

  • Sap

  • Biofuel

  • Furniture

  • A door

(One door. Let’s not get carried away.)


Ore, Ingots, and Mild Disappointment

Myles and Craig embarked on a mining expedition, hauling back vast quantities of ore.

Progress was made. Ingots were forged.

And yet, despite all advances in technology and civilisation, Craig still could not reliably place ore in the correct furnace.

Some mysteries endure.


The Shop (A Monument to Expectations)

Myles and Zaph had spent considerable time describing the shop to Dave.

It had:

  • Expansive farming

  • Drip watering systems

  • A greenhouse

They spoke of it with the reverence normally reserved for ancient wonders.

Dave arrived. Looked at it.

“I expected it to be bigger,” he muttered.

And thus, reality reasserted itself.


Project: Exterminates – Lupus

Myles, increasingly irritated by nearby world bosses refusing to pay rent, initiated a project.

He armed himself with:

  • Spiked walls

  • Hedgehogs

  • Determination

The plan: remove wolves from the tenancy agreement.

Dave returned from the old house with remaining workbenches and completed the roof—ensuring, crucially, that none of the sections aligned in the same direction.

Craig built another inconvenient wood pile.

Balance was restored.


The Wolf Incident (Which Was Definitely a Bear)

After dinner, we gathered for the grand hunt.

Zaph logged in. Assessed the situation. Asked, “what are we hunting?”

“A bear,” declared Dave confidently, pointing at his map.

Zaph, using actual vision, replied:
“No bear. Lots of wolf tracks. Are you sure it’s not a wolf?”

“Definitely a big bad bear… just look at the world boss symbol.”

Craig triggered the fight.

Because of course he did.


“Wolves!! Why does it have to be wolves,” Dave moaned, missing every shot as the pack charged.

The wolves smashed into the fortifications, tearing down walls before the boss had even arrived.

Then it appeared.

A colossal black wolf. Red eyes. Flaming paws. A creature seemingly forged from spite and poor decision-making.

A hellhound.

And somehow…

No one died.

This alone should be recorded as a statistical anomaly.

After much chaos:

  • Zaph and the team shredded its defenses

  • Craig illuminated the battlefield with green flare arrows

  • Myles’ hedgehogs delivered the final, humiliating blow

The beast fell.

Project Exterminates – Lupus: Success.


The Silence of Craig

We skinned the wolves and returned home.

Myles stayed behind to dismantle fortifications.

Craig grew quiet.

This is never good.


The Fire

As Myles rode away, he glanced back at the lakehouse, glowing in the morning light.

A proud moment.

Then a pause.

The sun… was in the wrong direction.

The glow intensified.

The forest was on fire.

Myles turned and rode back at full speed, only to find Craig calmly cooking meat on a campfire placed directly on flammable ferns.

The surrounding forest had already transitioned into charcoal.

No dragon required. The culprit was obvious.

Eventually, the fire burned itself out.

Which, frankly, was the best-case scenario.


Predator: Not Arnold Schwarzenegger

We regrouped for a new mission.

“Predator something.”

“It's not the predator from the movie is it?” Dave asked. “Because I forgot to pack Arnold Schwarzenegger and a minigun.”

“I am sure its just bored house cat,” Myles replied. “Easy peasy.”

This optimism would not age well.


Tracking… Or Not

Myles built fortifications.

Zaph instantly killed the pack leader.

The mission updated: find tracks.

We searched for 30 minutes. Nothing.

Eventually, Zaph discovered the tracks.

They were under a wall.

A wall built by Myles.

There was a moment.

We moved on.


Preparations and Delay

We followed tracks, killed wolves, and eventually located the creature’s future appearance point.

It would emerge at dusk.

It was currently breakfast.

So naturally, we:

  • Built a barn

  • Stopped Craig from starting another forest fire

  • Constructed more hedgehogs

Because you can never have enough hedgehogs.

Dusk remained stubbornly distant.

So we called it.


Lessons Learned (Debatable)

Dave attempted to enjoy Borderlands 4, found the loot system offensive, and updated his negative review accordingly.

Icarus, meanwhile, insisted we had achieved things.

Which seems optimistic.


Achievements (Some More Questionable Than Others)

  • Dave: Thirsty (Build a 50 litre water tank)

  • Myles: Rock ‘n’ Roll (mine all the types of Ore)

  • Craig:

    • Highly Skilled

    • Pyromaniac (unofficial but undeniable)

    • What’s that green glow?

  • Zaph: One Shot Kill


Final Assessment

Craig cannot be trusted with:

  • Fire

  • Shopping

  • Gold Dragons

  • Maps

  • Scouting

  • Cooking

  • Building

He can be trusted with:

  • Mining stone

  • Chopping trees

  • Melting snow

And even then, he somehow burns the water.


Tune in next week when:

  • Dave learns farming from a trader

  • Zaph trains his third horse

  • Myles feeds animals fish chunks

  • Craig continues his lifelong quest to ensure no forest survives

And, critically, to keep Dave too distracted to mention the Gold Dragon incident ever again.




Sunday, March 15, 2026

The Gold Dragon Incident (2003)

There are many dark chapters in the history of our gaming group.

Some involve Craig opening chests early. Some involve Dave wandering into hostile ecosystems alone to pick flowers. Others involve Zaph pulling an entire dungeon because "it looked manageable."

But above all of these sits a moment so catastrophic, so historically embarrassing, that it has become the universal measuring stick for every poor decision we have made since.

We refer, of course, to The Gold Dragon Incident.

Or, as historians now catalogue it:

"The Event Which Shall Not Be Discussed."


Historical Context

The incident occurred during the early years of Neverwinter Nights, the classic RPG released in 2002 by BioWare. The game shipped with the Aurora toolset, which allowed players to create their own online worlds and run persistent multiplayer servers.

Within months of release, persistent worlds began appearing across the community.

Our group eventually found ourselves on a custom server known as NODNOL.

Yes.

That is "London" spelled backwards.

This should have been our first warning.


The NODNOL Server

NODNOL was running what would now be called an early survival system.

Players were required to:

  • forage for food

  • manage fatigue

  • carry bedrolls to sleep

  • maintain supplies while traveling

In short, if you ran out of provisions you did not simply fast‑travel somewhere convenient.

You died.

On the day in question the party had been travelling for quite some time and supplies were running dangerously low.

Food was gone.

Fatigue was mounting.

The town — and its desperately needed supplies — lay just ahead.

Reaching it meant survival.


The Town

The town itself appeared to be a safe haven.

Law and order were clearly strong here.

Merchants bustled about the marketplace.

A fountain sat proudly in the town square.

And standing beside it, calmly observing the activity of the townsfolk, was a magnificent Gold Dragon.

In Dungeons & Dragons lore, gold dragons are famously lawful‑good creatures devoted to justice, order, and protecting communities. (forgottenrealms.fandom.com)

In other words, this dragon was not a monster.

It was effectively the town sheriff.

### Exhibit A: The Town Square

A reconstructed illustration of the moment before the disaster.
The town appeared peaceful. Merchants traded goods in the square, the fountain burbled quietly, and the Gold Dragon — beloved guardian of the town — watched over everything like a massive, scaly sheriff.
Nothing about the scene suggested that within the next sixty seconds someone would attempt to pickpocket the dragon.
Unfortunately, Craig was present.



Meanwhile, Sensible Things Were Happening

Dave (Shadowmage), Zaph, and Myles (molescat) were busy doing what starving adventurers normally do upon reaching civilization.

Trading.

Specifically trading an impressive quantity of rabbit pelts for desperately needed supplies.

The merchants were visited.

Deals were negotiated.

Coins changed hands.

Everyone behaved like responsible citizens.

For a few brief and shining minutes, everything was going perfectly.


Meanwhile, Craig

Craig (Pinback) was unsupervised.

This was the second warning.

While the rest of the party was conducting legitimate commerce, Craig noticed the dragon standing peacefully in the town square.

He studied it carefully.

He observed its size.

He observed the nearby guards.

He observed the very high law‑and‑order atmosphere of the town.

And Craig came to a decision.

Craig attempted to pickpocket the dragon.


### Early Reconstruction (Rejected)
An early attempt to reconstruct the incident.
Historians later determined that this illustration captured the correct location but the wrong energy.
The town square is too small, the dragon appears slightly too dramatic, and Craig looks far more competent than the historical record supports.
The image was therefore rejected.

A Technical Observation

This plan had several flaws.

The first problem is that dragons do not traditionally possess pockets.

The second problem is that stealing from the beloved guardian of a lawful town is typically considered a crime.

The third problem is that the server log recorded the event.

According to later testimony, the log clearly stated:

You attempt to pickpocket the dragon.

You fail.


The Consequences

What followed happened very quickly.

The dragon was not amused.

The town authorities were not amused.

And the game world reacted accordingly.

In Neverwinter Nights, when a pickpocket attempt is detected, the target NPC may immediately turn hostile and can trigger hostility in nearby factions such as guards or townsfolk. (nwn.fandom.com)

Which is more or less exactly what happened.

Meanwhile, Dave, Zaph, and Myles had absolutely no idea what had just occurred.

One moment they were peacefully trading rabbit pelts with merchants.

The next moment the town guards were attacking them.

There had been no warning.

No obvious provocation.

Just guards suddenly deciding the party was public enemy number one.

Under normal circumstances town guards are already difficult opponents.

Under the circumstances we were in — exhausted, hungry, and badly supplied — fighting them was not even remotely an option.

So we did what any sensible adventurers would do.

We ran.

Specifically, we fled south out of the town gate we had entered through, with guards chasing us and the dragon presumably observing the entire spectacle with profound disappointment.


The Wilderness Conference

Once safely outside the town walls the party regrouped.

"Safely" here meaning:

  • bleeding

  • exhausted

  • still starving

  • carrying nothing but coins

The supplies we had just bought were useless without access to the town itself.

Naturally, the discussion began.

The topic:

What in the nine hells just happened?

Dave was confused.

Zaph was confused.

Myles was confused.

Craig was... quiet.

Or offered helpful insights such as:

"I don't know."

This conversation continued for some time while the party attempted to reconstruct the sequence of events.

None of us had witnessed anything suspicious.

No one had attacked anyone.

No spells had been cast.

No chests had been opened.

Nothing made sense.


The Log

At this point someone had a brilliant idea.

Check the server log.

There, preserved forever in the impartial judgment of the game engine, was the truth.

The log revealed that Craig had attempted to pickpocket the gold dragon.

And failed.

Historians generally believe the entry looked something like this:

[Server Log – NODNOL] Pinback attempts to pickpocket Gold Dragon. Pinback fails pickpocket check. Gold Dragon faction hostility triggered. Town guards attack.

The mystery was solved.

The culprit was identified.

And the legend was born.

### Exhibit B: The Moment of Realization
A more accurate reconstruction of the critical moment.
Craig is clearly positioned next to the dragon, mid-pickpocket attempt, while the rest of the party stands nearby conducting legitimate business.
Within seconds of this moment, the dragon, the guards, and most of the town would become violently interested in our continued presence.
The server log confirms what this image suggests:
Craig was caught red-handed.

The Historical Debate

Craig has recently attempted to revise history.

His version involves heroic acts of daring theft, illustrated by artwork depicting him triumphantly stealing treasure from a dragon.

Multiple eyewitnesses dispute this interpretation.

The official record remains:

  • Attempted pickpocket
  • Failed roll
  • Town exile
  • Party death