One of the starting scenarios, this is dangerous and difficult. Only experienced players should attempt this.
Successfully starting with this scenario does depend very much on luck. The wounds are random (but always quite serious), ranging from severe bruising, to cuts, broken bones, and even bleeding wounds. It is often regarded as one of the hardest courses to start on, especially with a Driikiläiset character in the winter. Therefore, managing to survive this scenario is often thought of as a major accomplishment for "expert" players, as it requires knowing many tricks of the game.
Starting condition[]
All characters start with one knife of some sort, and three to four pieces of clothing. This scenario also gives the player several untreated random wounds.
Guide[]
If starting in the winter, the most important thing is to build a fire to stave off frostbite. Cut some branches and make a fire, and don't hesitate to rip up clothing to make bandage. Make one javelin, to break holes in the ice if you need to, or to fish and protect yourself, while waiting to get warmer.
Swamps and bogs are good places to rest, due to the availability of water and the presence of berries in summer and autumn. In any case, find a spot near a water source to treat your wounds with your available bandages. Try to harvest berries and edible mushrooms until you have a ten-day supply of food (around 10 lbs) and look for civilization. You can attempt fishing with your javelin if you have decent skill.
Due to your minimal clothing, it is advisable to make a fire every time you are reduced to "rather warm". Make large fires, and sleep next to them to keep warm. If you are fishing on ice, build a fire next to you when you fish, which also lets you cook your catch.
Unless you decide to kill travelers, acquiring new tools in the beginning will be hard, as you are limited to what you can make. Remember to resupply yourself as often as possible. Avoid combat where you can; with your wounds, it's a bad idea, and unless you have a knife, spear, or club with skill in the high 50s with Oath of Iron, you won't accomplish much.
At the nearest village, trade for flat rye bread, as it gives the best nutrition at the lowest cost. Try to trade wooden bowls for them; they're easy to make (provided you have an axe) and one bowl can be traded for upwards of 7 flat rye breads (this may not be accurate as of version 3.17). Try to get an axe quickly, whether by trading, making a stone-axe, or doing the Living in the Wild course. Of course, you could also make stacks of clubs to trade, which you can then decorate with woodcarving (this skill no longer exists as of version 3.13). If the village has no bread, move on to the closest one as villages are often found in clusters. Try to get a shovel, a bow, axes, fishing rods, and nets.
Your wounds should have healed by now, and you can start considering settling down. Find a spot near water (preferably rapids), or if you want, build a cave house (they do not need walls, which requires less tree-felling). Nets can give you a steady supply of food, or you could make a trap-fence. Building near water lets you move logs en masse with a raft or punt, making building much faster. Build a cellar first, then a fireplace.
Now you need to consider your winter clothing if you haven't already. Trap-pits should reel in enough hide for you to make two sets of fur clothing. Wear both for the best protection. Leave some hide to make cord so that you can preserve your meat by smoking or drying. You can also start hunting actively for small game at first, then larger animals such as forest reindeer or even elk. You could also buy animals and slaughter them.