DayZ + 4.5

Change in plans.  After only a few short hours of fitful rest; Mitch, Christian and I unanimously agreed that if we were to have any chance of finding Matt, it would have to be in the daylight.  The smothering darkness of the forests could easily have us passing within meters of each other without notice.  Since the radio remained silent on all channels, and we refused to give in to the pessimism gnawing at our insides, we decided to leave our drafty mansion behind.  Setting out, our primary objective was not actually to find Matt; we still need to find more than just a day’s worth of food and water.  Survival is, and has been, the foremost concern of every day.  Cans of beans, sardines and pasta will only go so far to sustain us under these conditions.  The raw meat we had butchered outside Balota was lost in the fray of yesterday.  Probably for the best, since the temperatures have been relatively civilized and any nourishment would have likely been offset by the chance of illness.   

Our goal today was to reach Novy Sobor to the north-northwest of Pusta.  We’re not there yet, but we are much closer.  Physical exhaustion, lack of sleep and the mostly uphill hike has certainly taken a toll on all of us.  Given the size of Novy Sobor and its sister city to the west, Stary Sobor, we can be fairly certain of a significant Zed population as well as possible bandit occupation near the more lucrative stockpiles of goods.  The decision to make our run on Novy after a decent rest and meal was not difficult to agree upon.  We don’t have far to go, less than two kilometers by my guess, so we are setting up to rest in the lofts of a barn about a kilometer west of Guglovo.

Before departing Pusta we were able to find an entry into very unstable barn; it really wouldn't surprise me if it is fully collapsed the next time we pass through.  Inside we found a couple very useful items including a hatchet and a folding shovel very similar to those found in surplus stores.  Just northwest of Pusta, on the west side of Vysoky Kamen, we killed and butchered another wild hog.  With the daylight helping to prevent visual detection we set about building a small fire to immediately cook the meat we’d gathered.  After the recent rain, finding enough dry fuel for the fire was no small task, but well worth it considering the “Shoot-Me-Now” smoke signals that we’d be hoisting otherwise.  I’ve never eaten freshly killed game, but in this case it was quite possibly the best “pork chop” I’ve ever had.  In the interest of self-preservation, we opted to not linger and quickly extinguished the fire under a thick layer of soil dug up with my folding shovel. 

We moved straight north to yet another retention pond for water and an opportunity to rinse the gathering filth from our bodies.  We may be in the midst of an apparent zombie apocalypse, but personal hygiene is great for morale.  Our next stop after the lake was a church indicated on the map, just west of Kumyrna.  After our last experience around a church though, the tension was extremely high.  This time however, the church was wide open; on pretty much all sides.  Parts of nearly every wall were collapsed both inwards and outwards.  What was left of the roof was in shambles, but most of it was on the floor of what would have been the center of the sanctuary.  Of the surrounding buildings, not one was without signs of intense conflict.  Bullet holes riddled every wall and signs of either high explosives or artillery being used against the structures were clearly evident.  The Zed population was thankfully light, although I was forced to eliminate one who surprised me as I exited the front door.  I have to note at this point that I’m particularly fond of the Winchester 1866 I acquired; with its black powder cartridges I’m able to dispatch Zeds easily without drawing too much attention.  Thankfully, it appears to have been a very popular weapon and cartridge in this area as each member of the party is now so equipped and ammunition has been quite plentiful. 

Leaving the ruined church to the ravages of nature we moved on towards Novy Sobor.  Along the way we paused on the side of a hill long enough to cook some more meat and get our bearings.  From our vantage point we could make out the ruins of Zub Castle across the valley to the southwest.  By the time we reached this barn it was clear that an assault on a Zed and bandit infested population center was not in our best interest.  Another hog-steak dinner and some rest is in order before we start our planning.  All things considered, this afternoon has been pleasantly uneventful; I sincerely hope that it’s not the calm before the storm.  Mitch is taking the first watch and is scanning the radio channels for any sign of Matt.  Our hopes are still high, he’s made it through before; but I wonder if it’s crossed the minds of the others that it could be any one of us out there.  I can’t help but feel incredibly lucky to have met such high caliber companions.