I’m still quite new to Rimworld, having about 60 hours of playtime and just now able to really get a colony going as long as Randy doesn’t throw a Volcanic Winter/Toxic Fallout/Cold Snap combo in the first year.

My favourite way of playing nowadays is the Rich Explorer start, pressing the “random location” button and continuing on commitment mode until the OG colonist dies, it makes every playthrough “their” story. I use prepare carefully with point limits to get a functional colonist. Any other mods are non game changing ones like Where’s My Rich Soil and Replace Stuff.

The story of Lily “Thorn” Rose is my favourite so far. She was a 21 year old biologically but almost 1000 years chronologically. As a kid she was a medieval slave while her early adulthood was spent as a space mercenary. Her millennium nap must’ve happened when she was ~16 years old or so. She was a pretty good shooter, had some skill with plants and construction and meddled a bit in intellectual stuff but not enough to be called an academic. That said, she was Too Smart and picked up new skills quickly. She was also a Quick Sleeper (must’ve been her days as both a slave and mercenary, you never know how long your nap lasts) and Sanguine, being in control of your own life for the first time must’ve been great for her.

Due to some “difficulties” with a client she crashed on this Rimworld in a temperate forest with a shitton of cash, some basic supplies and a charge rifle. With a Husky by her side.

The first season was quite uneventful, she made herself a bedroom with a research station, built a stockpile, kitchen and was just starting on a second bedroom for any future drifters of the Rim.

Just before she finished a transport pod did indeed crash with a friendly space refugee, Paine. Paine was a vatgrown soldier with some minor wounds. Thorn helped him, patched him up and gave him a place to sleep until he was back on his feet. He decided to stay though. He was quite good at crafting, amazing at shooting and could construct a shitty bed if need be.

Over the next season or two Thorn and Paine were both playing hard to get with each other, at one point even romancing and rebuffing each other at the same time. During this time a wanderer joined and a refugee was helped so the colony was starting to get lively.

Eventually the game they played became bored and they finally became lovers. Paine was just a few biological years older and spent a decade in cyrosleep, nothing like the millennium that Thorn had. I bet they had a lot of things to tell each other while having common ground as soldiers that were tools of the “greater men”.

Their relationship blossomed through good times and bad, and after another season or two it finally happened, the marriage is on!

By this time the colony had plenty of comforts and they were both over the moon. Full mood bars all day every day.

Then it took a turn. A poison ship landed right after a raid happened. The raid wasn't too serious, just a few scratches, but the ship was an unknown threat. The five colonists of which only three were decently armed surrounded the ship and fired, causing two mechanoids with lance rifles to wake up.

Thorn with her charge rifle had one of the mechanoids pinned with Dragonfly, a tribal girl who recently joined, trying to do as much as her crappy bow allowed her to do. More importantly, Paine was getting in position to flank with a pump shotgun. While darting from one tree to another he got hit, and it was bad. I couldn’t see how bad at first, only quickly glancing at the “4 hours till death” note. Luckily Thorn could finish the mechanoid off which allowed Dragonfly to bring Paine to safety and treat him.

There was another casualty. Cat, my third colonist who was a wanderer who joined randomly, got hit in the leg first and had her torso obliterated by a lance rifle. She was dead before she hit the ground.

A sarcophagus was built and tears were shed for our fallen friend, but Paine was still recovering even after a few days so I checked to see what was up.

Shattered spine, no mobility whatsoever. Bionics were a long way away. Whatever dreams and promises Thorn and Paine had together were shattered with his spine.

Or so I thought.

As the days passed Paine withered but his and Thorn’s love didn’t. They were still happy together, both still having full mood bars even with this twisted turn of events.

Thorn spent her days in the same room as Paine trying to get as much research done as possible. It was a long shot but bionics were the only cure to Paine’s troubles I knew off. Everyone kept cheering Paine up, it didn’t take long for him to have 100 relationship with everyone.

Eventually, a message. Maybe an old friend with a debt to pay, maybe a secret admirer of old wanting to give a late wedding gift. Healing Mech Serum, defended by two bandits about two days south.

There was little hesitation, meals were packed, guns were loaded and off they went. The colony was protected by the most recent colonist and ex-raider Booth. Booth was a character as well, having two ex-lovers, an ex-fiancé (who tried to save him with a raid right after he was captured) who ended up banging Dragonfly. For now though, Booth had nothing but his ferocity and a crappy bow to protect Paine and the colony, which included a tribal prisoner who was enduring psychite withdrawal.

The raid on the item stash was easy enough, Thorn with her charge rifle cut through the bandits like butter and the serum was collected. Right after packing everything again, another message popped up. An incapacitated refugee, Thorn’s sister. She was laying in a field somewhere in between the just raided compound and home. This day just got better and better.

They picked her up on the way back without much trouble. Arriving back home no time was wasted injecting Paine with the serum and he did indeed walk again. In the other colonists absence, he became good friends with Booth as well.

From marriage, to shattered spines and dreams to getting back on your feet with rescuing a sister. This colony was one hell of a ride.

Thorn eventually perished from an infection away from home. A wound she got while trying to save Booth’s father from yet another incapacitated refugee quest. Technically she isn’t dead yet, but her caravan is two days away from home, her infection is at 80% and her immunity in the low 50s.

She won’t make it home.