Ghosts of Civilization

Deep underground, I was surprised to encounter a stretch of cave, lit by torches I hadn't placed. This led to me to a vast subterranean complex complete with mine shafts, cart tracks, treasure, flooded areas, and rooms crafted by human hands. Everything was in disrepair; I'd uncovered the remnants of what appeared to be a lost civilization, deep beneath the surface. However, the place was infested with skeletons, zombies, and worse. Throwing caution to the wind, I eventually found a room filled with cobwebs... and met a bitter end at the jaws of many cave spiders. The little buggers swarmed, nibbling me to death with their poison-dripping fangs.

When I respawned back on the surface, I geared up again, and embarked on a several-day trek to hunt down some fabled non-player villages. After a lot of exploring, I finally found one of these rare settlements, which will eventually act as hubs of bustling activity, and sources of supplies and quests. But for now, they're ghost towns.

The current lack of human life in Minecraft isn't quite as eerie as the Adventure Update's main new mob addition: the Enderman. These tall black critters come out at night, and keep busy moving blocks around the map. It's not until you look directly at them that they hone in you with their creepy, glowing eyes. The second you look away, they come chasing after you -- teleporting closer if you flee. I found it best to avoid them, but these potentially dangerous mob are fascinating to watch (and fun to fiddle with).