Chapter 1: The House by the Sea[]
“ |
|
„ |
The narrator mentions a house made out of diorite, granite, and glass that is built into the side of a green hill. To the right of the house, looking from the shore, is a field of flowers. To the left of the house are pens for cows, pigs, chickens, and sheep. Above the pens are crops such as wheat, beetroot, and carrots. Inside the house lives Stax Stonecutter, the third in line of the Stonecutter family. Stax’s grandmother built the house first, followed by Stax’s father, who expanded it. Sadly, both have since passed, and are buried in a so-called "place of honor" beside a garden. Stax lives with his three cats: Coal, Emerald, and Lapis. Neighbors of the Stonecutters remember Stax’s grandma as never being afraid to head down a dark cavern, only to return with precious minerals. The younger neighbors remember Stax’s father as being an adventurer, who always traveled the world. The kind neighbors felt sorry for Stax, who became an orphan when he was just a teenager, but soon the unkind neighbors, who feel that Stax is lucky for having his family members work so hard, began to outgrow the kind ones. The narrator then mentions that one day of Stax’s life would be "the last normal day he ever had, because it was the day before everything began to go so terribly wrong".
Chapter 2: The Last Regular Day[]
“ |
|
„ |
Stax wakes up late in the morning, getting out of bed, putting on a bath robe, and leaning against the balcony just outside his bedroom. Looking down, he notices the diorite swimming pool that his father made, along with a wooden hatch leading to a mine. Behind that are the graves of his parents and grandparents. Stax then raised his head, looking toward the edge of the house, noticing a diorite pillar crowned with a lantern. Stax then gets dressed and gets himself bread with honey for breakfast, while he feeds the cats some fish. As he looks outside toward the back garden, he feels like something is wrong. Upon further inspection, he notices an oak tree among the birch trees. Stax decides to work on that later, though, and feels like making a purple sheep. He feels like breeding a red and blue sheep, but instead decides to use purple dye. Ironically, he has no purple dye in his possession. Heading down to the storeroom, Stax pulls out a diamond axe from a chest and heads back up to chop down the oak tree. As he finishes, the sun sets, and decides to go for an evening swim in the swimming pool.
Chapter 3: The Visitor[]
“ |
|
„ |
The next morning, Stax notices a wood boat approaching the shore. Upon further inspection, he notices someone wearing different pieces of armor. The man reveals himself to be Fouge Tempro, in which Stax gives him a tour of his house. The two eventually make it to the trophy room, where Fouge takes interest in a map that is donned with tiny flags representing the outposts of the stonecutting business. He specifically takes interest in two areas: an ice field to the east, and badlands to the north. Fouge asks Stax as to why he stays home while being "surrounded by such beauty", but Stax doesn’t respond. Stax then shows Fouge the main Stonecutter mine, which goes all the way down to bedrock. After some discussion about the mine, the two head back to the house. Fouge then notices a stone pickaxe and a stone sword framed on a wall. Stax mentions that those were his grandmother’s, and were worn down to basically nothing. Fouge says that they are really valuable, and says that he’ll have his associates look at them in two days time. Stax politely refuses, and makes up some “errands” he’ll be doing throughout the week. Fouge understands, and says he’ll be back with his associates in a week.
Chapter 4: Fire and Ruin[]
“ |
|
„ |
Stax finishes his errands through the week leading up to Fouge’s return, which includes planting cornflowers, fixing the boat dock, and trimming the birch trees. By the end of the week, Stax is reading a book about emerald ore when he notices a boat coming to the shore, followed by at least a dozen more. As the boats come to a halt on the shore, Fouge reintroduces himself to Stax, and mentions that he’ll get acquainted with the associates later. Stax thinks that Fouge’s actions are going too far, but Fouge decides to toss the book about emerald ore into the sea. His associates then ransack Stax’s house, taking everything they can. One of the associates also blows up the swimming pool, making water fall down into the mine below it. Stax’s house is then destroyed by Fouge’s associates, and Stax has no choice but to go on a journey with them.
Chapter 5: Into the Unknown[]
“ |
|
„ |
The group make it through the ice field, dodging many polar bears. Stax falls asleep, but is woken up when the boat he is in comes to a halt beside sand and gravel. He notices Fouge’s associates working to make camp on a beach of clay and dirt, and then notices Fouge greeting him. Stax is filled with anger, but is exhausted as his legs and arms feel heavy. Miggs, one of Fouge’s associates, asks if they can camp here, but Fouge immediately declines, saying that there are too many drowned in the water. The group then set sail once more, and eventually make it to a beach in the middle of the ocean. The group set up camp, and Stax eventually falls asleep once more.
Chapter 6: Into the Sea of Sorrows[]
“ |
|
„ |
Stax dreams of himself eating cake on the dock of his boathouse, but is woken up when he feels sand in his mouth. He spits out the sand and is forced back into the boat by Kivak and Miggs, associates of Fouge. Eventually, the three make it through some islands along with the other associates, which contain abandoned buildings and overgrown fields. By nightfall, it begins to rain, and Fouge decides to set up camp at a bay, comprised of sand and a stone tower, some of which have overgrown moss. As Miggs sets up the fire, Kivak dies unexpectedly, becoming a drowned. Fouge and his associates quickly depart the bay, with Stax deciding to stay behind.
Chapter 7: Cornered[]
“ |
|
„ |
Stax gets in a tussle with multiple drowned. One of them throws a trident, barely missing him. Eventually, Stax climbs up a hill, only to discover desert for miles on end. He has no choice but to dig down, eventually taking shelter underneath some sandstone. By daybreak, Stax leaves his shelter and notices a few things left behind by Fouge’s associates: an apple, some coal, and a bed. Stax puts the bed in the desert to dry. He then notices a shipwreck in the bay’s shallows, and then takes a look at the stone tower. Stax thinks to himself that he can repair it.
Chapter 8: A Building Project[]
“ |
|
„ |
Stax quickly gets to work, breaking some wood from the shipwreck and using it to repair the stone tower. He also makes a crafting table. By nightfall, he brings the dried bed into the tower and quickly falls asleep.