12-30-2013, 03:58 PM
This is my first game on here. I just discovered this site the other night when I had an itch for some roleplaying and no one around to play with.
This is the result of a few sessions over the last couple of days. I kind of went back and did a sort of prologue about how the characters got in the current situation. I didn't use any particular system, the whole thing is sort of free form, and there were a few places I veered a bit from the prompts, and the whole thing is probably full of plot holes, but I had fun!
Next time I think I'll try some more of the buttons I didn't touch this time, and I'll probably do something completely different after I finish this story. My initial impression is that this could be a really good tool for writers too. Definitely looking forward to continuing this.
Just a warning for anyone going to read this, there's quite a bit of violence and death (it is a zombie apocalypse after all) and some mild profanity.
Who am I?
Flexible salesman.
What are my skills?
Streetwise.
Persuasion.
What do I currently have in my possession?
Claw hammer.
High quality scoped hunting rifle (.308 cal).
Maya Andrews is a tall, thin woman in her 40s, with sharp features, hazel eyes, and long, straight, dark hair. Just 24 hours before, she had been working in her telemarketing job. Back then, the worst of her problems were customers making threats, a boss who kept raising sales quotas in a company where more people have been fired than hired as of late, and a 14 year old son who is resentful of her new fiance.
But all that changed yesterday afternoon. Apparently, inside the abandoned mental institution outside of town, a deranged scientist had been experimenting with human corpses and had found a way to create zombies. And yesterday they escaped. Shambling corpses by the hundreds quickly overran the town, changing whoever they bit into one of them.
Maya was still at work, when suddenly someone near the window yelled, "Hey, there's zombies outside!" Everyone, including Maya, ran to the windows to look. Outside at street level, people were running and screaming, and surely enough, zombies roamed the streets, smashing things and biting any people they caught. Maya's first instinct was to make sure her son was safe. She ran to the elevator and hit the down button. By the time the elevator got there, there was a huge crowd of people pushing to get in. Was Maya able to get into the elevator?
Yes.
Maya gets jumbled around in the crowd, but she manages to get on the elevator and push the button for the ground floor. Are there zombies in the building?
Yes, and...
they are waiting outside the elevator when Maya gets off. She attempts to push through them. Does she succeed?
Yes, and...
she manages to knock them over in the process. How badly does she hurt them?
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
But it's good enough. She knocks them out of the way. Are there any other obstacles to her getting out of the building?
Yes, and...
Some more zombies are headed straight towards her. How many?
3 = 3[d6]
Three tough looking zombies stand in between Maya and the nearest door to the building. Thinking fast, Maya decides to try and shove one out the nearest window. He's pretty big though. Is she able to move him?
No.
He barely is moved by Maya's shove. He attacks Maya. Does he bite her?
No, and...
she is able to dodge his fist before it pummels her. She attempts to dodge around him to get out the door. Does she make it?
No.
He manages to grab her before she gets past. Can she wriggle free?
No, but...
one of Maya's coworkers, an older woman named Summer, hits the zombie in the head.
Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
The zombie is hurt badly enough that he drops Maya. Are Maya and Summer able to get to the door now?
No.
The other two zombies are still blocking the women from reaching the door. Does Maya have any fighting experience?
Yes.
Maya grew up in a pretty rough neighborhood and got in a fair share of fights. Being no stranger to throwing punches, she does just that right now. She swings at the nearest zombie. Does the hit strike?
Yes, and...
Her fist strikes the zombie squarely in the jaw!
Killed.
The zombie falls to the ground in one blow! The other one steps up to attack. Does he go for Maya?
No, and...
He manages to grab Summer. Does she get bit?
Yes, and...
The zombie bites the old woman right on her face.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
The bite doesn't go very deep, but the poisonous venom is already in Summer's veins, beginning the zombification process. "Run! Save yourself!" she screams. "I'm already as good as dead. I'll fight off the zombies as long as I can." With all three zombies disposed of, is Maya finally able to make it out the door?
Yes.
Maya makes it out the door, but still needs to make it through the parking lot to reach her car. Is her spot at least nearby?
No.
Of course it's not. She's just a telemarketing grunt. Her spot's way at the far end of the parking lot, which has become a battlefield. Other cars are driving through, running over the zombies in their paths, making the parking lot an obstacle course of moving vehicles and zombies. Are there any immediate threats to Maya as she exits the building?
No. +Twist: Organization / Helps the hero
Who's there?
Obsessive-compulsive hardened criminal.
A mafioso with a truck full of illegal guns had been driving along at the time of the breakout, and decided to sell guns to the people fleeing the office building. How much money does Maya have on her?
37 = 2[d20]+5[d20]+10[d20]+20[d20]
Maya has $37 on her. "Hey, it's good enough. I'd rather have these guns in the hands of people who are gonna use them right about now anyway," He says, and gives her: High quality scoped hunting rifle (.308 cal) and some ammo. How many rounds of ammo does she get?
39 = 7[d10]+5[d10]+6[d10]+2[d10]+8[d10]+10[d10]+1[d10]
She gets 39 rounds of ammo with her rifle. Does she even know how to shoot a rifle?
Yes.
Her dad was a bit of a gun nut, so she's shot some guns in her life. Is she good at it?
Yes, but...
it's been a long time. She used to be a fairly accurate shot, but she hasn't shot since she was a teenager, and her eyesight isn't what it used to be.
Maya makes a run for her car, carrying her new gun. Is she able to find a path, avoiding cars and zombies?
No.
How far does she get?
18 = 18[d100]
She makes it 18% of the way to her car, when she runs into... a car?
Yes.
A car pulls out in front of her. Is she able to avoid being hit?
Yes.
She stops in time, and the car pulls past. She continues running towards her own car. How much progress does she make?
68 = 68[d100]
She's 86% of the way to her car. Is there a zombie in her path?
No, and... +Twist: NPC / Appears
Tough mechanic.
Is he friendly?
Yes.
A young, but tough looking mechanic runs out from between some cars. "Hey, you have a gun! Can you help me...
Trade with the conspiracy theorist at the repurposed hospital.
... meet with my brother at the hospital? I need help getting there and I think we'd have better luck working together. My truck's broken down at the Home Improvement store next door and there's not really the time to fix it right now with all these zombies running about."
Maya considers, "My son's at summer camp outside of town. Getting to him is my highest priority. I could help you get to your brother after that, but my son's the most important thing in the world to me."
"I understand. Hey, I could come with you. My brother's probably pretty safe locked up in the mental ward anyway, hopefully. The name's Luke, by the way, Luke Lee."
"I'm Maya, now let's get going, my car's right over there."
Maya and Luke run towards her car. Do they make it the rest of the way?
No.
Earless zombie.
Is that the last thing between Maya and her car?
Yes, but...
An earless zombie lurches out, seemingly out of nowhere. Does it try to grab Maya?
No.
It goes straight for Luke. Does it grab Luke?
Yes, but...
Luke pulls something out a shopping bag he was carrying to fight the zombie with.
Instruction manual.
He throws it back in the bag. In the time he is digging around for the weapon, does the zombie attack him?
Yes.
The zombie attempts to bite Luke's head while he's distracted. Does he succeed?
No, but... +Twist: Organization / Helps the hero
A bullet shoots the zombie right in the head before he manages to sink his teeth into Luke's head. Maya looks over and it's the criminal from before. "Next time, use that rifle I gave you. I'm not going to be around to save your ass next time!" he calls out.
Saved by the criminal, Luke escapes the now-dead zombie's grasp. Maya and Luke run the last few yards to the car. Do they finally make it?
Yes.
Does Maya have fancy keys with an unlock button?
No, and...
She pulls out her keys to unlock the car door and is interrupted by...
Little girl zombie.
"Oh God, that was someone's little girl," tears fill her eyes, but survival comes first. She points the rifle right at the little girl zombie's face. Is it loaded?
Yes. +Twist: PC / Alters the location
She fires. Does she hit?
Yes.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
The bullet barely scratches the zombie, but it hits the car behind her, causing it to explode nearly instantly. The area where the car was is now filled with flaming cars and debris. The little girl zombie was blown to bits in the explosion. Are Maya or Luke harmed?
No.
Luckily, Maya and Luke are unharmed. Maya once again goes to unlock the car door. Does she succeed?
No.
Giant zombie.
A giant zombie approaches as she fumbles with the lock. Does Luke attack it?
Yes, and...
he hits!
How good is he at fighting?
5 = 5[d7]
He's pretty decent at throwing a punch, and quite strong as well. He punches the zombie.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
The blow doesn't do much damage. The zombie punches back. Does it hit?
No, but...
It fumbles and falls into him. Does it knock Luke over?
No.
Luke manages to stay standing. Does Maya get the door unlocked while they are fighting?
Yes, and...
She gets in and gets the passenger door unlocked and the car started. "Get in!" she yells.
Is Luke able to escape the zombie encounter and enter the car?
Yes.
He gets in, and Maya tears off like a madwoman. Does she run over any zombies?
Yes, but...
her car sustains some damage.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
The car gets dented in the hood, but it does not affect the functioning of the car.
Now Luke and Maya are in the car. Does Maya have a cell phone?
Yes.
What about Luke?
Yes, but...
his phone is dead. How much gas is in the car?
2 = 2[d10]
There are only 2 gallons of gas left in the car. How's its mileage?
39 = 24[d25]+15
Luckily, it's a very fuel efficient car. How far away is the camp?
34 = 19[d35]+15
"Where are we going anyway?" Luke asks.
"It's a campground about a 40 minute drive from here. My son's there. I'd call to see if he's safe, but they don't allow phones at the camp."
"Oh yeah, calling people. That's a good idea. I could call the hospital and see if my brother's okay," Luke pulls out his phone only to find it's dead.
"Mine's dead, can I borrow yours?"
"Sure," Maya pulls her phone out of her purse and hands it to Luke.
He dials a number and waits for quite awhile until someone finally picks up.
"Hello. How's the situation there?" he pauses while the voice on the other end responds, "That's good, at least the patients are safe. I was wondering about my brother, Nick Lee. I think he might have been right about what was going on at the old asylum," he paused again, "Yeah, I'll probably stop by some time later to talk to him... alright, see you then."
Luke hung up the phone and handed it back to Maya, who returned it to her purse.
"My brother Nick, he's at the new mental hospital downtown. Apparently the place is pretty secure and only the downstairs lobby has been compromised."
"So your brother is safe?"
"For now anyway. The weird thing is, he used to claim that the old asylum that closed down a few years ago had some strange things going on. People disappearing, strange moaning in the basement. Said the government was experimenting on some of the more... insane patients. Particularly the ones without families who no one would notice missing. He thought they were trying to create some sort of self-replicating super soldier."
"That's horrible."
"Yeah, but no one believed him. He's schizophrenic, a lot of what he says is really out there. No one even considered that he might be right about that, but about now, I'm willing to believe anything."
Just then, something jumps out in front of the car!
Giant zombie.
A huge, ugly brute of a zombie lurches from the woods. Does the car hit it?
Yes.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
The car suffers some more dents as it rams into the giant zombie. Maya backs the car up and drives around it, leaving it in her dust.
Are there any other events on the way to the camp?
No, and...
They make it to the camp quite safely. It seems the zombies haven't made it this far outside of town yet.
Maya parks her car. The whole camp seems to be a ghost town. She knocks on the door of the nearest cabin. A nerdy sounding voice comes from beyond the door, sounding kind of scared, "Who's there?"
"My name's Maya Andrews. I'm Jason Andrews' mom. Is he in there? Is he okay?"
"He's not in here. He should be in one of the cabins, but I don't know for sure which one. All the kids are taking shelter in their cabins ever since the zombie outbreak hit the news."
"I think I saw Jason around cabin 4," a younger sounding voice says.
"Where's cabin 4?" Maya asks.
"Head down the trail to the right of this cabin. It's the second one on the left side of the path."
Maya and Luke run down the trail, and find cabin 4 without any problems.
She knocks on the door, "Jason, are you in there!?"
Yes.
"Mom!? What are you doing here?" Jason yells.
"Making sure your ass is safe! Can I come in?"
"Just a second," he calls back, seeming flustered.
Moments later he opens the door. Jason is inside, and with him are a few embarrassed looking girls.
4 = 3[d4]+1
There are four girls in the room. Three sitting on the bed, bolt straight, and one standing up fixing her hair.
"Wow, four girls, Jason. I don't send you to camp for make out sessions."
"If the world is ending, I'm seizing my opportunities! At least, I was until you showed up."
"I was just making sure you were safe."
Jason calms down, "Thanks mom."
Maya gives Jason a hug, "I'm just glad you're okay. The zombies might not be here yet, but I saw a pretty big one in the woods not too far from here. They're getting closer and I don't know how long we'll be safe here."
She looks around the cabin. The only furniture is four sets of bunk beds. Each bed is a frame, with mattresses supported by a piece of plywood. "We could use the plywood from the beds to board up the windows if we had a hammer and nails."
"I just got a tool set at the store earlier today. It's in the car," Luke chimes in.
"Alright. Take this and go get the tools," Maya hands her rifle to Luke and he runs out the door.
Does he return in the next 10 minutes?
No.
Maya closes the door behind Luke and starts taking the mattresses off the bottom bunks.
How many windows are there to cover?
3 = 2[d3]+1[d3]
They stack three of the mattresses against the wall and get the pieces of plywood ready for nailing. Meanwhile, Luke hasn't returned. Have they heard any gunshots?
Yes. +Twist: NPC / Appears
Just as they're starting to get worried about Luke, they hear a rifle fire in the distance. Luke returns shortly after, carrying the rifle and a toolbox.
Is he looking worse for the wear?
Yes, and... +Twist: NPC / Appears
"Maya... it bit me," Luke stammers. "I killed it, but not before it bit me."
His face was already starting to go pale.
"My brother said they closed the old asylum because of zombies. Maybe there's a cure there, but if it's the source, it's probably overrun with the things." His face started to contort, "Take the gun and the tools and use them to defend yourself. I'm already too far gone. Kill me now before I can hurt anyone."
"Not in front of the children!" Maya said, and dragged him outside.
"I'm so sorry, Luke," her eyes teared up.
"It's okay. I can join my husband now. The zombies already got to him back in the parking lot."
Maya's hands shake, "You sure you want me to do this?"
"What other choice do we have!? Hurry!"
She pulls the trigger.
Luke Lee is dead.
Did Jason see his mother shoot Luke?
Yes.
Was he shaken by what he saw?
No.
Jason stepped away from the window so his mother wouldn't see him. Maya walked back around to the front of the cabin and went back inside.
"The zombies are here and the sun is already starting to set. I think the best idea is to fortify this cabin and stay here for the night."
So Maya, Jason, and the four girls -- whose names were Leah, Jenny, Kelli, and Julia -- worked to board up the windows.
Do any zombies try to get in while they are fortifying the cabin?
No, but...
Kelli was showing some of the same signs that Luke had been. Her skin had turned pale yellow and her face was twitching.
Leah was the first to notice, "Kelli, you're looking kind of sick. Were you bit?"
"I don't remember being bit, but I did feel something scratch my leg when we were running to the cabin earlier. I thought it was just thorns from a plant or something."
Kelli showed Leah her leg. The "scratch" was clearly teeth marks.
Does Kelli turn violent?
Yes.
Kelli's situation rapidly deteriorated from this point and she lunged at Leah. Does she bite her?
Yes, and...
Leah was much less resistant to zombification than the others, and turned immediately.
Who does Leah go for? (1=Maya, 2=Jason, 3=Kelli, 4=Julia)
4 = 4[d4]
Leah starts ambling across the cabin towards Julia. Maya, however, has gotten the gun out. She points and fires at Leah.
No.
She misses! Does her bullet hit Julia instead?
No, but...
It ricochets off the cabin wall and hits (1=Jenny, 2=Jason, 3=Kelli, 4=Maya)
1 = 1[d4]
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
Jenny screams an obscenity and grabs her arm. Maya shoots again, aiming more carefully this time. Leah may have just been a teenage girl, but now she was a monster threatening the lives of everyone else still alive in the cabin.
But she hadn't reloaded the rifle and it was out of bullets.
Jason however, was on top of things and went to kick Leah. He had some experience in martial arts.
4 = 4[d4]
Quite a bit actually. He kicked his foot out
Yes, and...
It landed quite skillfully.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
But it wasn't enough.
Maya reloaded the rifle.
Leah turned to attack Jason and Kelli went for the recently weakened Jenny.
Yes.
Kelli attempted to grab Jenny. Is Jenny able to get away?
Yes.
Jenny dodges Kelli's grapple and picks up a hammer to hit her.
Yes, and...
The blow lands right on her face
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Jenny takes the opportunity to beat Kelli repeatedly until her head is nothing but mush.
Meanwhile, Jason is throwing rapid punches at Leah. How many times does he hit?
4 = 4[d4]
Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Critical Injury: Requires immediate attention; clearly life-threatening if not immediately deadly.
He lands a couple of very solid strikes and Leah is down.
Maya has the gun reloaded by now, but with the zombie's dead, the more immediate problem is Jenny's injury.
"Are you alright?" Maya inquires, "Did either of you get bit?"
"I didn't get bit, but my arm is bleeding from the gunshot."
"What about you, Jason?"
"I'm fine."
"Is there a first aid kit somewhere?" Maya asked.
"They keep one in the main cabin at the front of the camp," Jenny responded.
"I'll go get it. You two stay put, lock the door behind me, and don't let in any zombies."
Maya grabbed the loaded rifle and went back to the cabin at the front. Does she run into any zombies on the way?
Yes, but...
How many?
2 = 2[d4]
She sees two zombies on the way, but manages to shoot them without any problem.
[Just realized I forgot about Julia. Let's just say that when Jenny got hit by the bullet, Leah continued her course towards Julia and bit her before Jason opened up his can of whoop ass on her. Jason killed them both in his flurry of punches. Also, let's assume they threw the corpses outside before Maya went to get a first aid kit. At least now I have less characters to get mixed up and forget about!
]
Maya gets to the cabin at the front of the camp and knocks on the door. The same nasally voice from before answers, "Who's there?"
"It's me, Jason's mom again. Jenny's hurt and we need a first aid kit."
"She didn't get bit did she?"
"No, thankfully. She's just got a wound on her arm that needs cleaned and bandaged."
"Okay, just a second."
A moment later, the door cracks open, and a young man, presumably a camp counselor, with long blond hair and glasses peeks out. He extends a first aid kit out the door. Maya takes it.
Does this young man prefer Star Wars over Star Trek?
No.
As they part ways, he tells Maya "Live long and prosper," complete with the Vulcan hand gesture. Does Maya get it?
Yes. +Twist: Emotional event / Changes the goal
She finds the sentiment particularly meaningful at this point in time and returns the gesture.
"There's only a few of us in cabin 4, and we've already boarded the windows up. I think we've got a better chance if we all stick together, and I killed all the zombies I saw on the way here. If you guys want to join us, feel free."
Does he take up the offer?
No.
"There's a lot of kids in here, plus we've got a lot of supplies. I think moving everyone and everything to cabin 4 would be too much risk. If you can bring the tools up, we could board up this cabin and all stay here."
"Good idea. I'll go get Jason and Jenny."
Maya heads back to cabin 4. Does she encounter any opposition along the way?
No. +Twist: Emotional event / Changes the goal
As she runs back, her mind ponders over recent events. She's seen a little girl explode by her own actions, and three teenage girls all turn into zombies.
'It could have been Jason,' she thought to herself. All these children she's seen die today, all of them had people that care for them. The thought is too much to bear and she finds tears streaming down her face as she runs back to her son.
Her resolve is strengthened to see all of this end. There has to be a way to get rid of the zombies once and for all so no one else's children have to die.
She knocks on the door to cabin 4.
"Jason, it's mom. We're moving to the main cabin. They've got more supplies there and I think there's a better chance of everyone surviving if we stick together."
Jason opens the door. Is Jenny still doing okay?
No. +Twist: Physical event / Hinders the hero
Jenny's wound apparently was infected by zombie bacteria when they were moving the bodies. As soon as Jason opens the door, Jenny attacks Maya.
Yes.
She hits her.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
"What the hell Jenny!?"
"Braaaaaiiins!"
"Oh shit, you're a zombie!" Jason punches her with all he's got.
Yes, and...
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Maya and Jason kick Jenny's ass. "Come on, let's go to the other cabin."
Does Jason object?
Yes.
"Wait, mom! Being around other people has only caused us trouble. They all keep turning into zombies and attacking us."
"We're still alive, though. And we took out the zombies. And all those kids in that cabin up there could probably use our help. They're sitting there, windows unfortified, basically just waiting to get eaten by zombies. Besides, how long can we last holed up in here? We've got no food, no water, and if one of us got turned who knows if the other could defend themselves alone. Come on, let's go!"
Is Jason persuaded?
Yes.
Jason and Maya run back to the front cabin. Do they run into any zombies?
No.
Maya knocks on the door again. "I'm back. Jason's with me. Can we come in?"
"Neither of you are bit," the young man inside asks.
"No, we're fine."
He opens the door and lets them in.
"Where's Jenny?" he asks.
"Jenny turned into a zombie. She's... dead." Maya responded, much less torn up about it than she'd expect herself to be.
The emotional impact hit her a moment later. 'I really hope I'm not so messed up that I'd be desensitized to the death of children,' she thought to herself.
They all got to work boarding up the cabin. The trekkie's name was Ken and he was working as a camp counselor on his break from college. He was studying to be a teacher because he feels a great joy in sharing things with kids. You can only learn things for the first time once, and he loves being a part of that.
The main cabin has a cafeteria, a kitchen, and separate bedrooms for male and female counselors. Between the tables and the beds, do they have enough wood to board up the windows?
Yes. +Twist: Item / Ends the scene
As they are moving the beds around, a photo flutters out onto the floor. Maya picks it up. Two boys and a young girl goofing off. One of the boys looks like a younger version of Luke.
"Oh, you found my picture," a girl says. "Those are my brothers, Luke and Nick. It's the last picture we all took together before Nick got locked up for being crazy. I hope they're doing okay right now," she seemed sad.
Maya's heart sunk. How could she tell this little girl her big brother was dead?
No, but...
She couldn't. But there was work to do and so she lost herself in it. Was their work interrupted by zombies?
Yes, and...
there were a few casualties. More children, dead. Was Jason, Maya, Ken, or Luke's sister attacked?
No.
Were they able to get the zombies out completely and secure the cabin?
Yes, and...
the job was done quite well. By the time they were done, it was completely dark outside and everyone was getting tired. Maya and Ken made a meal out of food from the kitchen to feed everyone.
When it was time for bed, Maya suggested a plan. "I'll stay up and keep watch for five hours, then you stay up and watch for the next five. That way we at least both get a bit of sleep and there's always someone keeping watch in case something gets in. Oh!" She asks Ken, "Do you know how to shoot a rifle?"
No.
"I've done it in games a bit, but I'm shit at shooters, I doubt I'd be any better at it in real life."
"Damn it! Does anyone here know how to shoot a rifle?" she asks the campers. She doesn't really want to put a teenager in the position of being responsible for everyone's lives, but she also doesn't trust herself to be able to stay up all night either.
Yes, but...
Only one of the kids knows how to shoot a rifle. It's Luke's little sister. She's a short girl with the same wavy brown hair and blue-grey eyes that Luke had. Her name is Jordan.
"I go hunting with my dad all the time," Jordan said.
"Will you be okay with only five hours of sleep? Do you think you can keep second watch?"
"Sure, no problem!" she said, quite optimistically for someone who just saw a bunch of their friends killed by zombies.
How good is she at shooting?
2 = 2[d4]
A little better than Maya, but not by much.
Maya takes first watch. Is she able to stay awake?
No.
Despite her best efforts, and the thoughts of the day haunting her, she's exhausted from the events of the day and starts falling asleep. How long does she stay awake for?
3 = 3[d5]
She stays awake for three hours. Does anything happen during those three hours?
Yes, and...
A zombie manages to punch through one of the boarded up windows. She hits its arm with a hammer. Does it retreat?
No.
It tries to force the board off. Does it succeed?
Yes, and...
it gets through the window and into the cabin. Maya backs up to get some space between her and the zombie before shooting at it.
Yes. +Twist: NPC / Appears
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Not wanting to waste ammo, she finishes it off with a hammer to the skull.
Hearing the gunshot, just about everyone wakes up. With the lights on, even with a very injured skull and face, the zombie is recognizable.
It's Luke.
"Nooooo! Luke!" Jordan cried.
"Isn't that the guy that turned into a zombie earlier? I thought you shot him?" Jason asked his mother.
"What!? Why didn't you tell me!?" Jordan screamed at Maya.
"I wanted to, but with everything going on I didn't know how to break it to you. I ran into your brother, Luke, in the parking lot outside my work shortly after the outbreak started. We came here, we were going to get Jason and then head to the hospital to talk to his brother, but when we got here, he was attacked by a zombie and bitten. He begged me to shoot him so he couldn't hurt anybody. He also mentioned that his husband had also died to the zombies."
"Brandon's one of them too!?" Jordan cried out, "But you do know what this means, right? If Luke's here now, it means he regenerated somehow. The zombies that have died might not be dead. If we can find a cure, we might be able to save all the people of the city, even the ones we thought we lost."
"But it also means it's harder to defend ourselves. If the enemy can regenerate, their numbers can only go up. There's not much we can do to stop them." Jason pointed out.
"It just means we have to find a cure as quickly as possible, and the old mental hospital seems like the most likely place. I'm heading there first thing in the morning." Maya said.
Does anyone offer to come with her?
No, but...
"Good idea. My brother Nick always said there was something going on there. I never believed him, but honestly, who would believe something like this before today? Anyway, he drew me up a map of the place and gave me a few pages of notes last time I visited. I don't know how accurate the map is -- it's got some weird things on it -- but it might be helpful, and who knows how accurate the notes are, but there might be something useful in there. I brought them with me to read through while I was here, but I haven't had much time for reading." Jordan pulls a stapled together bunch of papers from a backpack and hands them to Maya.
"Anyway, I've got two more hours of Z's to catch. Peace!" Jordan says, before going back to one of the bedrooms.
Maya stays up reading in the cafeteria. She looks over the map and notes, but they don't make much sense. Lots of stuff about government military experiments, conspiracies, both at the local and federal levels, tangled diagrams, phrases that seem completely out of context, just about every other line written in large letters, underlined, traced over, all caps, or otherwise emphasized. The map seems like a pretty coherent floorplan comparatively, although there is supposedly an elevator that is entered through the back of a closet going to an underground level. A number is written on the paper.
1202 = 203[d9000]+999
1202. A code? A room number? Whatever it is, Maya figured it is probably significant somehow.
Maya nodded off, still looking through the notes. Does anything happen while she is sleeping?
Yes.
Something bad?
No, and...
Jordan had an alarm set on her watch for her shift. She brought out a blanket and put it over Maya, and kept watch for the rest of the night. Was the rest of the night uneventful?
No. +Twist: NPC / Appears
Who is it?
Chauvinistic eccentric millionaire.
Another parent comes to the camp in the middle of the night. Is his child still alive?
Yes, and...
Jordan's dad knocks on the door.
"Please, is anyone in there? I need to know if my daughter's okay!" he called through the door.
"Dad, is that you?" Jordan called out.
"Jordan? Thank God you're alive!"
She opens the door. Does a zombie take the opportunity to strike?
Yes.
Morbidly obese zombie.
A fat zombie attempts to lunge past Jordan's father.
No, and...
Jordan manages to shoot it as it tries to get in.
No.
Despite it being a point blank target, she misses. Does she hit her father?
Yes, but...
"Holy shit, sweetie, you almost shot me! I taught you to shoot better than that!"
Does the zombie attack her dad?
Yes, and...
he hits.
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Is it a bite?
No. +Twist: Emotional event / Changes the goal
He's bludgeoned by the zombie pretty severely, breaking his ribs.
"No! Your kind already took my brother, you're not getting my father you fatass son of a bitch!" and she fires the last two bullets right into the zombie's head.
Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
Critical Injury: Requires immediate attention; clearly life-threatening if not immediately deadly.
The first shot severely impairs him, and the second explodes his brain.
"Dad, are you okay?"
"No, clearly not. And you need to watch your language, young lady."
"We need to get the door closed," Jordan pulls him out of the doorway.
"Aaugh! I don't think it's a good idea to move me."
"It's a worse idea to let more get in here."
She gets him in and gets the door shut and locked. Once again, the gunshot awakened most of the people in the cabin. What time is it?
7 = 4[d5]+3
The sun is just starting to rise on a new day. Jordan goes to get Ken, since he has at least taken a first aid course, which is more medical knowledge than anyone else there has.
After she explains what happened, the first thing he says is, "You shouldn't have moved him. You might have made his injuries worse."
Ken gets to work on patching up Jordan's dad's (his name is Taylor, by the way) injuries. It's not much, though, and Ken really hopes this zombie thing is over soon so that it's safe to get him to a hospital.
Apparently they had had a nurse on site, but she was one of the first to turn, since she was treating the injured before they knew the nature of the disease.
Maya gets her things together, makes sure the gun is loaded, and sets out to make her way to the old mental hospital.
As she steps out the front door, the summer sunlight illuminates the situation before her. A pile of corpses sits nearby, smaller than it was the night before. Is Luke gone again?
Yes, but...
Luke's body is one of the ones missing, but it gives Maya some hope that after this is all over, there is some possibility for a happy ending.
As she walks down the trail to her car, littered with the corpses of the teenage campers, a rifle in hand, clothes covered in zombie blood, she reminds herself, just 24 hours before, she had been sitting down and starting what she thought would be another boring day at the phones. And now, today, she is on a mission to save the city.
This is the result of a few sessions over the last couple of days. I kind of went back and did a sort of prologue about how the characters got in the current situation. I didn't use any particular system, the whole thing is sort of free form, and there were a few places I veered a bit from the prompts, and the whole thing is probably full of plot holes, but I had fun!
Next time I think I'll try some more of the buttons I didn't touch this time, and I'll probably do something completely different after I finish this story. My initial impression is that this could be a really good tool for writers too. Definitely looking forward to continuing this.
Just a warning for anyone going to read this, there's quite a bit of violence and death (it is a zombie apocalypse after all) and some mild profanity.
------------------------------------------------
The setting is rubble-strewn mental institution involving club and overrun restaurant. Your quest is to repair the truck at the untouched home improvement store. Trying to stop you is the leaping zombie skilled in language. You are currently at the boarded-up campground.Who am I?
Flexible salesman.
What are my skills?
Streetwise.
Persuasion.
What do I currently have in my possession?
Claw hammer.
High quality scoped hunting rifle (.308 cal).
Maya Andrews is a tall, thin woman in her 40s, with sharp features, hazel eyes, and long, straight, dark hair. Just 24 hours before, she had been working in her telemarketing job. Back then, the worst of her problems were customers making threats, a boss who kept raising sales quotas in a company where more people have been fired than hired as of late, and a 14 year old son who is resentful of her new fiance.
But all that changed yesterday afternoon. Apparently, inside the abandoned mental institution outside of town, a deranged scientist had been experimenting with human corpses and had found a way to create zombies. And yesterday they escaped. Shambling corpses by the hundreds quickly overran the town, changing whoever they bit into one of them.
Maya was still at work, when suddenly someone near the window yelled, "Hey, there's zombies outside!" Everyone, including Maya, ran to the windows to look. Outside at street level, people were running and screaming, and surely enough, zombies roamed the streets, smashing things and biting any people they caught. Maya's first instinct was to make sure her son was safe. She ran to the elevator and hit the down button. By the time the elevator got there, there was a huge crowd of people pushing to get in. Was Maya able to get into the elevator?
Yes.
Maya gets jumbled around in the crowd, but she manages to get on the elevator and push the button for the ground floor. Are there zombies in the building?
Yes, and...
they are waiting outside the elevator when Maya gets off. She attempts to push through them. Does she succeed?
Yes, and...
she manages to knock them over in the process. How badly does she hurt them?
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
But it's good enough. She knocks them out of the way. Are there any other obstacles to her getting out of the building?
Yes, and...
Some more zombies are headed straight towards her. How many?
3 = 3[d6]
Three tough looking zombies stand in between Maya and the nearest door to the building. Thinking fast, Maya decides to try and shove one out the nearest window. He's pretty big though. Is she able to move him?
No.
He barely is moved by Maya's shove. He attacks Maya. Does he bite her?
No, and...
she is able to dodge his fist before it pummels her. She attempts to dodge around him to get out the door. Does she make it?
No.
He manages to grab her before she gets past. Can she wriggle free?
No, but...
one of Maya's coworkers, an older woman named Summer, hits the zombie in the head.
Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
The zombie is hurt badly enough that he drops Maya. Are Maya and Summer able to get to the door now?
No.
The other two zombies are still blocking the women from reaching the door. Does Maya have any fighting experience?
Yes.
Maya grew up in a pretty rough neighborhood and got in a fair share of fights. Being no stranger to throwing punches, she does just that right now. She swings at the nearest zombie. Does the hit strike?
Yes, and...
Her fist strikes the zombie squarely in the jaw!
Killed.
The zombie falls to the ground in one blow! The other one steps up to attack. Does he go for Maya?
No, and...
He manages to grab Summer. Does she get bit?
Yes, and...
The zombie bites the old woman right on her face.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
The bite doesn't go very deep, but the poisonous venom is already in Summer's veins, beginning the zombification process. "Run! Save yourself!" she screams. "I'm already as good as dead. I'll fight off the zombies as long as I can." With all three zombies disposed of, is Maya finally able to make it out the door?
Yes.
Maya makes it out the door, but still needs to make it through the parking lot to reach her car. Is her spot at least nearby?
No.
Of course it's not. She's just a telemarketing grunt. Her spot's way at the far end of the parking lot, which has become a battlefield. Other cars are driving through, running over the zombies in their paths, making the parking lot an obstacle course of moving vehicles and zombies. Are there any immediate threats to Maya as she exits the building?
No. +Twist: Organization / Helps the hero
Who's there?
Obsessive-compulsive hardened criminal.
A mafioso with a truck full of illegal guns had been driving along at the time of the breakout, and decided to sell guns to the people fleeing the office building. How much money does Maya have on her?
37 = 2[d20]+5[d20]+10[d20]+20[d20]
Maya has $37 on her. "Hey, it's good enough. I'd rather have these guns in the hands of people who are gonna use them right about now anyway," He says, and gives her: High quality scoped hunting rifle (.308 cal) and some ammo. How many rounds of ammo does she get?
39 = 7[d10]+5[d10]+6[d10]+2[d10]+8[d10]+10[d10]+1[d10]
She gets 39 rounds of ammo with her rifle. Does she even know how to shoot a rifle?
Yes.
Her dad was a bit of a gun nut, so she's shot some guns in her life. Is she good at it?
Yes, but...
it's been a long time. She used to be a fairly accurate shot, but she hasn't shot since she was a teenager, and her eyesight isn't what it used to be.
Maya makes a run for her car, carrying her new gun. Is she able to find a path, avoiding cars and zombies?
No.
How far does she get?
18 = 18[d100]
She makes it 18% of the way to her car, when she runs into... a car?
Yes.
A car pulls out in front of her. Is she able to avoid being hit?
Yes.
She stops in time, and the car pulls past. She continues running towards her own car. How much progress does she make?
68 = 68[d100]
She's 86% of the way to her car. Is there a zombie in her path?
No, and... +Twist: NPC / Appears
Tough mechanic.
Is he friendly?
Yes.
A young, but tough looking mechanic runs out from between some cars. "Hey, you have a gun! Can you help me...
Trade with the conspiracy theorist at the repurposed hospital.
... meet with my brother at the hospital? I need help getting there and I think we'd have better luck working together. My truck's broken down at the Home Improvement store next door and there's not really the time to fix it right now with all these zombies running about."
Maya considers, "My son's at summer camp outside of town. Getting to him is my highest priority. I could help you get to your brother after that, but my son's the most important thing in the world to me."
"I understand. Hey, I could come with you. My brother's probably pretty safe locked up in the mental ward anyway, hopefully. The name's Luke, by the way, Luke Lee."
"I'm Maya, now let's get going, my car's right over there."
Maya and Luke run towards her car. Do they make it the rest of the way?
No.
Earless zombie.
Is that the last thing between Maya and her car?
Yes, but...
An earless zombie lurches out, seemingly out of nowhere. Does it try to grab Maya?
No.
It goes straight for Luke. Does it grab Luke?
Yes, but...
Luke pulls something out a shopping bag he was carrying to fight the zombie with.
Instruction manual.
He throws it back in the bag. In the time he is digging around for the weapon, does the zombie attack him?
Yes.
The zombie attempts to bite Luke's head while he's distracted. Does he succeed?
No, but... +Twist: Organization / Helps the hero
A bullet shoots the zombie right in the head before he manages to sink his teeth into Luke's head. Maya looks over and it's the criminal from before. "Next time, use that rifle I gave you. I'm not going to be around to save your ass next time!" he calls out.
Saved by the criminal, Luke escapes the now-dead zombie's grasp. Maya and Luke run the last few yards to the car. Do they finally make it?
Yes.
Does Maya have fancy keys with an unlock button?
No, and...
She pulls out her keys to unlock the car door and is interrupted by...
Little girl zombie.
"Oh God, that was someone's little girl," tears fill her eyes, but survival comes first. She points the rifle right at the little girl zombie's face. Is it loaded?
Yes. +Twist: PC / Alters the location
She fires. Does she hit?
Yes.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
The bullet barely scratches the zombie, but it hits the car behind her, causing it to explode nearly instantly. The area where the car was is now filled with flaming cars and debris. The little girl zombie was blown to bits in the explosion. Are Maya or Luke harmed?
No.
Luckily, Maya and Luke are unharmed. Maya once again goes to unlock the car door. Does she succeed?
No.
Giant zombie.
A giant zombie approaches as she fumbles with the lock. Does Luke attack it?
Yes, and...
he hits!
How good is he at fighting?
5 = 5[d7]
He's pretty decent at throwing a punch, and quite strong as well. He punches the zombie.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
The blow doesn't do much damage. The zombie punches back. Does it hit?
No, but...
It fumbles and falls into him. Does it knock Luke over?
No.
Luke manages to stay standing. Does Maya get the door unlocked while they are fighting?
Yes, and...
She gets in and gets the passenger door unlocked and the car started. "Get in!" she yells.
Is Luke able to escape the zombie encounter and enter the car?
Yes.
He gets in, and Maya tears off like a madwoman. Does she run over any zombies?
Yes, but...
her car sustains some damage.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
The car gets dented in the hood, but it does not affect the functioning of the car.
Now Luke and Maya are in the car. Does Maya have a cell phone?
Yes.
What about Luke?
Yes, but...
his phone is dead. How much gas is in the car?
2 = 2[d10]
There are only 2 gallons of gas left in the car. How's its mileage?
39 = 24[d25]+15
Luckily, it's a very fuel efficient car. How far away is the camp?
34 = 19[d35]+15
"Where are we going anyway?" Luke asks.
"It's a campground about a 40 minute drive from here. My son's there. I'd call to see if he's safe, but they don't allow phones at the camp."
"Oh yeah, calling people. That's a good idea. I could call the hospital and see if my brother's okay," Luke pulls out his phone only to find it's dead.
"Mine's dead, can I borrow yours?"
"Sure," Maya pulls her phone out of her purse and hands it to Luke.
He dials a number and waits for quite awhile until someone finally picks up.
"Hello. How's the situation there?" he pauses while the voice on the other end responds, "That's good, at least the patients are safe. I was wondering about my brother, Nick Lee. I think he might have been right about what was going on at the old asylum," he paused again, "Yeah, I'll probably stop by some time later to talk to him... alright, see you then."
Luke hung up the phone and handed it back to Maya, who returned it to her purse.
"My brother Nick, he's at the new mental hospital downtown. Apparently the place is pretty secure and only the downstairs lobby has been compromised."
"So your brother is safe?"
"For now anyway. The weird thing is, he used to claim that the old asylum that closed down a few years ago had some strange things going on. People disappearing, strange moaning in the basement. Said the government was experimenting on some of the more... insane patients. Particularly the ones without families who no one would notice missing. He thought they were trying to create some sort of self-replicating super soldier."
"That's horrible."
"Yeah, but no one believed him. He's schizophrenic, a lot of what he says is really out there. No one even considered that he might be right about that, but about now, I'm willing to believe anything."
Just then, something jumps out in front of the car!
Giant zombie.
A huge, ugly brute of a zombie lurches from the woods. Does the car hit it?
Yes.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
The car suffers some more dents as it rams into the giant zombie. Maya backs the car up and drives around it, leaving it in her dust.
Are there any other events on the way to the camp?
No, and...
They make it to the camp quite safely. It seems the zombies haven't made it this far outside of town yet.
Maya parks her car. The whole camp seems to be a ghost town. She knocks on the door of the nearest cabin. A nerdy sounding voice comes from beyond the door, sounding kind of scared, "Who's there?"
"My name's Maya Andrews. I'm Jason Andrews' mom. Is he in there? Is he okay?"
"He's not in here. He should be in one of the cabins, but I don't know for sure which one. All the kids are taking shelter in their cabins ever since the zombie outbreak hit the news."
"I think I saw Jason around cabin 4," a younger sounding voice says.
"Where's cabin 4?" Maya asks.
"Head down the trail to the right of this cabin. It's the second one on the left side of the path."
Maya and Luke run down the trail, and find cabin 4 without any problems.
She knocks on the door, "Jason, are you in there!?"
Yes.
"Mom!? What are you doing here?" Jason yells.
"Making sure your ass is safe! Can I come in?"
"Just a second," he calls back, seeming flustered.
Moments later he opens the door. Jason is inside, and with him are a few embarrassed looking girls.
4 = 3[d4]+1
There are four girls in the room. Three sitting on the bed, bolt straight, and one standing up fixing her hair.
"Wow, four girls, Jason. I don't send you to camp for make out sessions."
"If the world is ending, I'm seizing my opportunities! At least, I was until you showed up."
"I was just making sure you were safe."
Jason calms down, "Thanks mom."
Maya gives Jason a hug, "I'm just glad you're okay. The zombies might not be here yet, but I saw a pretty big one in the woods not too far from here. They're getting closer and I don't know how long we'll be safe here."
She looks around the cabin. The only furniture is four sets of bunk beds. Each bed is a frame, with mattresses supported by a piece of plywood. "We could use the plywood from the beds to board up the windows if we had a hammer and nails."
"I just got a tool set at the store earlier today. It's in the car," Luke chimes in.
"Alright. Take this and go get the tools," Maya hands her rifle to Luke and he runs out the door.
Does he return in the next 10 minutes?
No.
Maya closes the door behind Luke and starts taking the mattresses off the bottom bunks.
How many windows are there to cover?
3 = 2[d3]+1[d3]
They stack three of the mattresses against the wall and get the pieces of plywood ready for nailing. Meanwhile, Luke hasn't returned. Have they heard any gunshots?
Yes. +Twist: NPC / Appears
Just as they're starting to get worried about Luke, they hear a rifle fire in the distance. Luke returns shortly after, carrying the rifle and a toolbox.
Is he looking worse for the wear?
Yes, and... +Twist: NPC / Appears
"Maya... it bit me," Luke stammers. "I killed it, but not before it bit me."
His face was already starting to go pale.
"My brother said they closed the old asylum because of zombies. Maybe there's a cure there, but if it's the source, it's probably overrun with the things." His face started to contort, "Take the gun and the tools and use them to defend yourself. I'm already too far gone. Kill me now before I can hurt anyone."
"Not in front of the children!" Maya said, and dragged him outside.
"I'm so sorry, Luke," her eyes teared up.
"It's okay. I can join my husband now. The zombies already got to him back in the parking lot."
Maya's hands shake, "You sure you want me to do this?"
"What other choice do we have!? Hurry!"
She pulls the trigger.
Luke Lee is dead.
Did Jason see his mother shoot Luke?
Yes.
Was he shaken by what he saw?
No.
Jason stepped away from the window so his mother wouldn't see him. Maya walked back around to the front of the cabin and went back inside.
"The zombies are here and the sun is already starting to set. I think the best idea is to fortify this cabin and stay here for the night."
So Maya, Jason, and the four girls -- whose names were Leah, Jenny, Kelli, and Julia -- worked to board up the windows.
Do any zombies try to get in while they are fortifying the cabin?
No, but...
Kelli was showing some of the same signs that Luke had been. Her skin had turned pale yellow and her face was twitching.
Leah was the first to notice, "Kelli, you're looking kind of sick. Were you bit?"
"I don't remember being bit, but I did feel something scratch my leg when we were running to the cabin earlier. I thought it was just thorns from a plant or something."
Kelli showed Leah her leg. The "scratch" was clearly teeth marks.
Does Kelli turn violent?
Yes.
Kelli's situation rapidly deteriorated from this point and she lunged at Leah. Does she bite her?
Yes, and...
Leah was much less resistant to zombification than the others, and turned immediately.
Who does Leah go for? (1=Maya, 2=Jason, 3=Kelli, 4=Julia)
4 = 4[d4]
Leah starts ambling across the cabin towards Julia. Maya, however, has gotten the gun out. She points and fires at Leah.
No.
She misses! Does her bullet hit Julia instead?
No, but...
It ricochets off the cabin wall and hits (1=Jenny, 2=Jason, 3=Kelli, 4=Maya)
1 = 1[d4]
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
Jenny screams an obscenity and grabs her arm. Maya shoots again, aiming more carefully this time. Leah may have just been a teenage girl, but now she was a monster threatening the lives of everyone else still alive in the cabin.
But she hadn't reloaded the rifle and it was out of bullets.
Jason however, was on top of things and went to kick Leah. He had some experience in martial arts.
4 = 4[d4]
Quite a bit actually. He kicked his foot out
Yes, and...
It landed quite skillfully.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
But it wasn't enough.
Maya reloaded the rifle.
Leah turned to attack Jason and Kelli went for the recently weakened Jenny.
Yes.
Kelli attempted to grab Jenny. Is Jenny able to get away?
Yes.
Jenny dodges Kelli's grapple and picks up a hammer to hit her.
Yes, and...
The blow lands right on her face
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Jenny takes the opportunity to beat Kelli repeatedly until her head is nothing but mush.
Meanwhile, Jason is throwing rapid punches at Leah. How many times does he hit?
4 = 4[d4]
Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Critical Injury: Requires immediate attention; clearly life-threatening if not immediately deadly.
He lands a couple of very solid strikes and Leah is down.
Maya has the gun reloaded by now, but with the zombie's dead, the more immediate problem is Jenny's injury.
"Are you alright?" Maya inquires, "Did either of you get bit?"
"I didn't get bit, but my arm is bleeding from the gunshot."
"What about you, Jason?"
"I'm fine."
"Is there a first aid kit somewhere?" Maya asked.
"They keep one in the main cabin at the front of the camp," Jenny responded.
"I'll go get it. You two stay put, lock the door behind me, and don't let in any zombies."
Maya grabbed the loaded rifle and went back to the cabin at the front. Does she run into any zombies on the way?
Yes, but...
How many?
2 = 2[d4]
She sees two zombies on the way, but manages to shoot them without any problem.
[Just realized I forgot about Julia. Let's just say that when Jenny got hit by the bullet, Leah continued her course towards Julia and bit her before Jason opened up his can of whoop ass on her. Jason killed them both in his flurry of punches. Also, let's assume they threw the corpses outside before Maya went to get a first aid kit. At least now I have less characters to get mixed up and forget about!
]Maya gets to the cabin at the front of the camp and knocks on the door. The same nasally voice from before answers, "Who's there?"
"It's me, Jason's mom again. Jenny's hurt and we need a first aid kit."
"She didn't get bit did she?"
"No, thankfully. She's just got a wound on her arm that needs cleaned and bandaged."
"Okay, just a second."
A moment later, the door cracks open, and a young man, presumably a camp counselor, with long blond hair and glasses peeks out. He extends a first aid kit out the door. Maya takes it.
Does this young man prefer Star Wars over Star Trek?
No.
As they part ways, he tells Maya "Live long and prosper," complete with the Vulcan hand gesture. Does Maya get it?
Yes. +Twist: Emotional event / Changes the goal
She finds the sentiment particularly meaningful at this point in time and returns the gesture.
"There's only a few of us in cabin 4, and we've already boarded the windows up. I think we've got a better chance if we all stick together, and I killed all the zombies I saw on the way here. If you guys want to join us, feel free."
Does he take up the offer?
No.
"There's a lot of kids in here, plus we've got a lot of supplies. I think moving everyone and everything to cabin 4 would be too much risk. If you can bring the tools up, we could board up this cabin and all stay here."
"Good idea. I'll go get Jason and Jenny."
Maya heads back to cabin 4. Does she encounter any opposition along the way?
No. +Twist: Emotional event / Changes the goal
As she runs back, her mind ponders over recent events. She's seen a little girl explode by her own actions, and three teenage girls all turn into zombies.
'It could have been Jason,' she thought to herself. All these children she's seen die today, all of them had people that care for them. The thought is too much to bear and she finds tears streaming down her face as she runs back to her son.
Her resolve is strengthened to see all of this end. There has to be a way to get rid of the zombies once and for all so no one else's children have to die.
She knocks on the door to cabin 4.
"Jason, it's mom. We're moving to the main cabin. They've got more supplies there and I think there's a better chance of everyone surviving if we stick together."
Jason opens the door. Is Jenny still doing okay?
No. +Twist: Physical event / Hinders the hero
Jenny's wound apparently was infected by zombie bacteria when they were moving the bodies. As soon as Jason opens the door, Jenny attacks Maya.
Yes.
She hits her.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
"What the hell Jenny!?"
"Braaaaaiiins!"
"Oh shit, you're a zombie!" Jason punches her with all he's got.
Yes, and...
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Maya and Jason kick Jenny's ass. "Come on, let's go to the other cabin."
Does Jason object?
Yes.
"Wait, mom! Being around other people has only caused us trouble. They all keep turning into zombies and attacking us."
"We're still alive, though. And we took out the zombies. And all those kids in that cabin up there could probably use our help. They're sitting there, windows unfortified, basically just waiting to get eaten by zombies. Besides, how long can we last holed up in here? We've got no food, no water, and if one of us got turned who knows if the other could defend themselves alone. Come on, let's go!"
Is Jason persuaded?
Yes.
Jason and Maya run back to the front cabin. Do they run into any zombies?
No.
Maya knocks on the door again. "I'm back. Jason's with me. Can we come in?"
"Neither of you are bit," the young man inside asks.
"No, we're fine."
He opens the door and lets them in.
"Where's Jenny?" he asks.
"Jenny turned into a zombie. She's... dead." Maya responded, much less torn up about it than she'd expect herself to be.
The emotional impact hit her a moment later. 'I really hope I'm not so messed up that I'd be desensitized to the death of children,' she thought to herself.
They all got to work boarding up the cabin. The trekkie's name was Ken and he was working as a camp counselor on his break from college. He was studying to be a teacher because he feels a great joy in sharing things with kids. You can only learn things for the first time once, and he loves being a part of that.
The main cabin has a cafeteria, a kitchen, and separate bedrooms for male and female counselors. Between the tables and the beds, do they have enough wood to board up the windows?
Yes. +Twist: Item / Ends the scene
As they are moving the beds around, a photo flutters out onto the floor. Maya picks it up. Two boys and a young girl goofing off. One of the boys looks like a younger version of Luke.
"Oh, you found my picture," a girl says. "Those are my brothers, Luke and Nick. It's the last picture we all took together before Nick got locked up for being crazy. I hope they're doing okay right now," she seemed sad.
Maya's heart sunk. How could she tell this little girl her big brother was dead?
No, but...
She couldn't. But there was work to do and so she lost herself in it. Was their work interrupted by zombies?
Yes, and...
there were a few casualties. More children, dead. Was Jason, Maya, Ken, or Luke's sister attacked?
No.
Were they able to get the zombies out completely and secure the cabin?
Yes, and...
the job was done quite well. By the time they were done, it was completely dark outside and everyone was getting tired. Maya and Ken made a meal out of food from the kitchen to feed everyone.
When it was time for bed, Maya suggested a plan. "I'll stay up and keep watch for five hours, then you stay up and watch for the next five. That way we at least both get a bit of sleep and there's always someone keeping watch in case something gets in. Oh!" She asks Ken, "Do you know how to shoot a rifle?"
No.
"I've done it in games a bit, but I'm shit at shooters, I doubt I'd be any better at it in real life."
"Damn it! Does anyone here know how to shoot a rifle?" she asks the campers. She doesn't really want to put a teenager in the position of being responsible for everyone's lives, but she also doesn't trust herself to be able to stay up all night either.
Yes, but...
Only one of the kids knows how to shoot a rifle. It's Luke's little sister. She's a short girl with the same wavy brown hair and blue-grey eyes that Luke had. Her name is Jordan.
"I go hunting with my dad all the time," Jordan said.
"Will you be okay with only five hours of sleep? Do you think you can keep second watch?"
"Sure, no problem!" she said, quite optimistically for someone who just saw a bunch of their friends killed by zombies.
How good is she at shooting?
2 = 2[d4]
A little better than Maya, but not by much.
Maya takes first watch. Is she able to stay awake?
No.
Despite her best efforts, and the thoughts of the day haunting her, she's exhausted from the events of the day and starts falling asleep. How long does she stay awake for?
3 = 3[d5]
She stays awake for three hours. Does anything happen during those three hours?
Yes, and...
A zombie manages to punch through one of the boarded up windows. She hits its arm with a hammer. Does it retreat?
No.
It tries to force the board off. Does it succeed?
Yes, and...
it gets through the window and into the cabin. Maya backs up to get some space between her and the zombie before shooting at it.
Yes. +Twist: NPC / Appears
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Not wanting to waste ammo, she finishes it off with a hammer to the skull.
Hearing the gunshot, just about everyone wakes up. With the lights on, even with a very injured skull and face, the zombie is recognizable.
It's Luke.
"Nooooo! Luke!" Jordan cried.
"Isn't that the guy that turned into a zombie earlier? I thought you shot him?" Jason asked his mother.
"What!? Why didn't you tell me!?" Jordan screamed at Maya.
"I wanted to, but with everything going on I didn't know how to break it to you. I ran into your brother, Luke, in the parking lot outside my work shortly after the outbreak started. We came here, we were going to get Jason and then head to the hospital to talk to his brother, but when we got here, he was attacked by a zombie and bitten. He begged me to shoot him so he couldn't hurt anybody. He also mentioned that his husband had also died to the zombies."
"Brandon's one of them too!?" Jordan cried out, "But you do know what this means, right? If Luke's here now, it means he regenerated somehow. The zombies that have died might not be dead. If we can find a cure, we might be able to save all the people of the city, even the ones we thought we lost."
"But it also means it's harder to defend ourselves. If the enemy can regenerate, their numbers can only go up. There's not much we can do to stop them." Jason pointed out.
"It just means we have to find a cure as quickly as possible, and the old mental hospital seems like the most likely place. I'm heading there first thing in the morning." Maya said.
Does anyone offer to come with her?
No, but...
"Good idea. My brother Nick always said there was something going on there. I never believed him, but honestly, who would believe something like this before today? Anyway, he drew me up a map of the place and gave me a few pages of notes last time I visited. I don't know how accurate the map is -- it's got some weird things on it -- but it might be helpful, and who knows how accurate the notes are, but there might be something useful in there. I brought them with me to read through while I was here, but I haven't had much time for reading." Jordan pulls a stapled together bunch of papers from a backpack and hands them to Maya.
"Anyway, I've got two more hours of Z's to catch. Peace!" Jordan says, before going back to one of the bedrooms.
Maya stays up reading in the cafeteria. She looks over the map and notes, but they don't make much sense. Lots of stuff about government military experiments, conspiracies, both at the local and federal levels, tangled diagrams, phrases that seem completely out of context, just about every other line written in large letters, underlined, traced over, all caps, or otherwise emphasized. The map seems like a pretty coherent floorplan comparatively, although there is supposedly an elevator that is entered through the back of a closet going to an underground level. A number is written on the paper.
1202 = 203[d9000]+999
1202. A code? A room number? Whatever it is, Maya figured it is probably significant somehow.
Maya nodded off, still looking through the notes. Does anything happen while she is sleeping?
Yes.
Something bad?
No, and...
Jordan had an alarm set on her watch for her shift. She brought out a blanket and put it over Maya, and kept watch for the rest of the night. Was the rest of the night uneventful?
No. +Twist: NPC / Appears
Who is it?
Chauvinistic eccentric millionaire.
Another parent comes to the camp in the middle of the night. Is his child still alive?
Yes, and...
Jordan's dad knocks on the door.
"Please, is anyone in there? I need to know if my daughter's okay!" he called through the door.
"Dad, is that you?" Jordan called out.
"Jordan? Thank God you're alive!"
She opens the door. Does a zombie take the opportunity to strike?
Yes.
Morbidly obese zombie.
A fat zombie attempts to lunge past Jordan's father.
No, and...
Jordan manages to shoot it as it tries to get in.
No.
Despite it being a point blank target, she misses. Does she hit her father?
Yes, but...
"Holy shit, sweetie, you almost shot me! I taught you to shoot better than that!"
Does the zombie attack her dad?
Yes, and...
he hits.
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Is it a bite?
No. +Twist: Emotional event / Changes the goal
He's bludgeoned by the zombie pretty severely, breaking his ribs.
"No! Your kind already took my brother, you're not getting my father you fatass son of a bitch!" and she fires the last two bullets right into the zombie's head.
Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
Critical Injury: Requires immediate attention; clearly life-threatening if not immediately deadly.
The first shot severely impairs him, and the second explodes his brain.
"Dad, are you okay?"
"No, clearly not. And you need to watch your language, young lady."
"We need to get the door closed," Jordan pulls him out of the doorway.
"Aaugh! I don't think it's a good idea to move me."
"It's a worse idea to let more get in here."
She gets him in and gets the door shut and locked. Once again, the gunshot awakened most of the people in the cabin. What time is it?
7 = 4[d5]+3
The sun is just starting to rise on a new day. Jordan goes to get Ken, since he has at least taken a first aid course, which is more medical knowledge than anyone else there has.
After she explains what happened, the first thing he says is, "You shouldn't have moved him. You might have made his injuries worse."
Ken gets to work on patching up Jordan's dad's (his name is Taylor, by the way) injuries. It's not much, though, and Ken really hopes this zombie thing is over soon so that it's safe to get him to a hospital.
Apparently they had had a nurse on site, but she was one of the first to turn, since she was treating the injured before they knew the nature of the disease.
Maya gets her things together, makes sure the gun is loaded, and sets out to make her way to the old mental hospital.
As she steps out the front door, the summer sunlight illuminates the situation before her. A pile of corpses sits nearby, smaller than it was the night before. Is Luke gone again?
Yes, but...
Luke's body is one of the ones missing, but it gives Maya some hope that after this is all over, there is some possibility for a happy ending.
As she walks down the trail to her car, littered with the corpses of the teenage campers, a rifle in hand, clothes covered in zombie blood, she reminds herself, just 24 hours before, she had been sitting down and starting what she thought would be another boring day at the phones. And now, today, she is on a mission to save the city.