Originally posted by GeoForce:

Still, I'm beginning to get a bit discouraged. Found a lot of treasure, but only 1 core. That makes a total of 4 burial chambers cleared and a total of only 12 cores ( 1, 2, 3, and 6 ) which, after building the charcoal burner, smelter, and forge doesn't leave many to play with. I'm also having a hard time finding more burial chambers.

Don't get disheartened,
You only really need like say maybe 24? for early game.
10 - kiln
10 - furnace
4 - 2x portal

Take the furnace (and coal) with you for nearby copper deposits to get bars fast so that you can then turn them into nails and make a cart. once done, you can then transport the bars you make home and then run back out and do the same with tin.
Then, make a bronze axe and go for the white trees.

The portal bit is important. You make a portal back at home (remember what you named it)
Take the portal bits with you on the hunt along with some materials to build a small portal shack. When you find a burrial chamber, kill enemies, build portal shack, place portal and then go into the burrial chambers. This way you can get home fast with the cores you just found, then teleport back, pick up your portal and continue searching.

Originally posted by GeoForce:

My world so-far has been a series of small landmasses with only Meadows and Black Forest. There's still land I can get to by swimming, but it's a long run from my base.

What seed are you working on? I'm kinda curious and would like to have a look.