Originally posted by TheQuixote:

I think there's a "time to die" system. The game will just decide to throw a bunch at you all at once. Just got hit by 2 waves of 3 plains gremlins, 2 waves of wolfs, and 2 dragons. In an explored mountain / forest area working on a road so not fully buffed up and BAM!! Time to DIE!!!

This happened to me when I went to the mountains and tamed wolves long before I had any business being in the mountains. I used a series of huts to keep from freezing. After several hours of effort and multiple deaths, I finally got my tamed wolves to the ship down below. As I was trying to load them, I got hit with one wave after another of everything the game could throw at me. They really didn't want me to have a wolf that early! I still managed to make it out somehow but it was ridiculous (funny, but ridiculous)