Day the Eighth,

It has been four days since I last wrote in this journal and those days have been filled with work. With my house completed, at least for now, I have been making small excursions into the surrounding area, exploring and seeing what resources, and enemies, may be waiting for me. In the mountains around me I have located two small cave systems in easy reach, one of which I have marked with torches and left alone for the time being as there seems to be little in the way of resources inside. The second I have concentrated on more and a tunnel has been dug through the entire base of the mountain, bringing me out to a shoreline on the other side of the island. While these is little of immediate value there it is useful to have an escape route should I ever require a swift departure from my homestead.

I brought large quantities of seeds back with me which I have since used to plant a small crop field. Railings have been put up to keep the local wildlife out and a trench has been dug to allow water to irrigate the crops. The water does not flow as far as I would like it to but it serves it purpose for now and will remain a problem for another day. I have also worked to plant fresh trees to replace the ones I have cut down; one of these has since grown to an impressive height just inside the entrance to the valley which I call home.

Speaking, or as the case may be writing, of home I have dug away much of the immediate ground around the doorway to my house and have built a stone bridge in its place which, considering its narrow breadth, I hope will cause difficulties for any monsters attempting to chase me inside (there have been a number of close scrapes as of late).

-Lord Pyrus of the Second Order of Pervasive Balance.

Day the Eleventh,

I will admit, things could have gone better these last few days. In my attempts at scouting the wider world around my little hideaway I have found my progress hindered by the indefatigable creatures that stalk this world, nature's constant perils and the sheer stupidity of wandering this world without a GPS. Suffice it to say although I have discovered many a new island with biospheres far different from the one in which I made my home, I have also managed to get myself thoroughly lost in the great watery wilderness; this latter issue gave me many a headache and required numerous nights spent in a hastily-constructed shelter as the undead walked the earth. Eventually I found myself beaten back by the hordes and had to flee, abandoning my carefully protected equipment. Fortunately I managed to find my way home the next day and, as poorly armed and exhausted as I was, it was a welcome sight to see.

However it appeared my trials were not yet over for outside my door, staring pointedly at the rudimentary pit I had constructed as if to say "Is that the best you can do?", was an adolescent wolf. I considered making my way around him but that would have required some excessive climbing of the local mountains and the braving of many a perilous drop and after everything I had been though this was the last thing I wanted to attempt. My sword had long since broken and, as the piercing blue eyes watched my every movement (I swear he had a bemused expression), I rummaged through my belongings in a desperate attempt for a solution. I had long since consumed my last porkchop but after my many nights of flight I had gathered a small batch of skeleton's bones from my midnight foes. I decided to toss one his way and he took it almost immediately, gnawing at the thing with unbridled intent.

I took the opportunity to slip past him and stumble exhausted inside my house, turning around to close the door only to find the wolf sitting at my feet with the bone at his paws. I very nearly swung my battered pickaxe at him in desperation but he barked almost joyously and pranced around the room like he owned the place. I slowly began to reconsider splitting his skull open and eventually decided to let him stay. A useful companion would not go amiss and he made no effort to follow the last of the bones that I tossed outside. Instead he barked again and tossed the first one I had given him in the air, before laying down in the corner of my house and watching me bad-temperedly gather the scattered bones up with what I swear was silent mirth.

It is taking the last of my flagging energy to write this from my bed but I have decided that my efforts at exploration must continue and in order to further these efforts a second secure location is required from which to base my operations. With this in mind I have begun to visualize potential building sites; the one that strikes me as the best so far is a beach nearby that, with a little work, will function as a solid base for a new watchtower. I think I'll begin work on it tomorrow.

-Lord Pyrus of the Second Order of Pervasive Balance.

Day the Thirteenth,

I awoke this morning to the clap of thunder and the steady pounding of rainwater striking the walls of my abode. This is the third consecutive day of rain which has led me to believe this world has entered its rainy season. What was at first refreshing has since turned to annoyance as I can only stare outside my window and watch my carefully maintained crop field steadily becoming waterlogged. Still, I've refused to let it hinder all of my work and, despite the treacherous conditions, have commenced work on my beach watchtower. Crafted in a fashion not unlike those I have encountered on other worlds, the tower will function as my first military outpost, as well as a beacon guiding me home once I begin my explorations further afield.

Being built on a beach with limited building materials has caused me to use a few layers of compacted sand in a mound-like fashion to form the base of the tower. The remainder of the tower's main body is currently being fashioned by wooden logs. By nightfall I intend to craft a roof of wooden planks, run a ladder up to the next floor and place a trapdoor both for easy access and protection. The main door to the interior of the tower I am having to be primitive about and pack with dirt as the door I had originally crafted does not fit as intended. I think this is a problem I shall attend to later once the battlements and observation spire have been completed. For now, I shall close my journal, don my watery hood and return to my endeavours with the tower's construction.

-Lord Pyrus of the Second Order of Pervasive Balance.