Hey guys, and welcome to our zombie survival quest where YOU take control of some poor sap...
Walking with Zombies - Quest
- Thread starter SailorOfMyVessel
- Start date
- Original
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- Tags
- survival zombie don't die sv
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 23
- Recent readers
- 0
- Threadmarks
- 6
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Statistics (6 threadmarks, 8.2k words)
User Total SailorOfMyVessel 6
Character Creation
- Location
- Netherlands
Hey guys, and welcome to our zombie survival quest where YOU take control of some poor sap trying to survive a zombie apocalypse.
Our world is an original one which is extremely inspired by our own modern(western) one, so most things can be taken for granted with that. Some interesting things might pop up though, look out for them and use them to your advantage.
First of, we need to decide on WHO you are going to be, so it's time for character creation!
Some starting points could be:
The city of Ashford ~200k inhabitants
The town of Bauwford - ~30k inhabitants
Don't feel restricted to this, the world can be changed to suit your locations if needed
When voting for a character, please just use the name of the character
Any and all goals other than 'live another day' will be generated as a response to your choices and/or character as you have created it.
Our world is an original one which is extremely inspired by our own modern(western) one, so most things can be taken for granted with that. Some interesting things might pop up though, look out for them and use them to your advantage.
First of, we need to decide on WHO you are going to be, so it's time for character creation!
Some starting points could be:
The city of Ashford ~200k inhabitants
The town of Bauwford - ~30k inhabitants
Don't feel restricted to this, the world can be changed to suit your locations if needed
Write in:
Name,
Age,
Gender,
Appearance (preferably a picture)
Bio: (A character's stats should make sense with the bio)
Divide 60 points over the following stats (limit of 20 for one stat):
Stats:
Strength – how strong you are.
Toughness – How well you hold up to attacks.
Charisma – Social stat.
Dexterity – How nimble and flexible you are, also reflexes.
Perception – how quickly you are to notice something out of the ordinary.
Weapon skill – base skill/talent with melee and improvised weapons (swords, knives, baseball bats)
Ballistic skill – base skill/talent with guns, bows, any ranged weapon really
Name,
Age,
Gender,
Appearance (preferably a picture)
Bio: (A character's stats should make sense with the bio)
Divide 60 points over the following stats (limit of 20 for one stat):
Stats:
Strength – how strong you are.
Toughness – How well you hold up to attacks.
Charisma – Social stat.
Dexterity – How nimble and flexible you are, also reflexes.
Perception – how quickly you are to notice something out of the ordinary.
Weapon skill – base skill/talent with melee and improvised weapons (swords, knives, baseball bats)
Ballistic skill – base skill/talent with guns, bows, any ranged weapon really
Name: Ruby Rose
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Statistics:
Strength – 9
Toughness – 9
Charisma – 10
Dexterity – 17
Perception – 8
Weapon skill – 3
Ballistic skill - 4
Bio:
For a girl of just 15 years old, you've seen some shit. Your dad left because of a job offer on another continent and is only paying for your apartment and living costs, you haven't actually spoken him in nearly two years and don't even know how to contact him to be honest. Then last year, your sister Yang disappeared after leaving for a party. Nobody knows where she went, but it left you alone. You've been taking care of yourself ever since as well as you can, while looking for her.
Because of what happened, you're lonely and found refuge on the internet, you're a bit of a geek really.
On the other hand, you've also taken up running as a way to clear your mind and your speed is something you are very proud of. Few can keep up with you if you don't want them to.
You try to stay positive despite what happened, and are known as a very cheerful and happy girl. Few even suspect that you might not be so happy on the inside.
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Statistics:
Strength – 9
Toughness – 9
Charisma – 10
Dexterity – 17
Perception – 8
Weapon skill – 3
Ballistic skill - 4
Bio:
For a girl of just 15 years old, you've seen some shit. Your dad left because of a job offer on another continent and is only paying for your apartment and living costs, you haven't actually spoken him in nearly two years and don't even know how to contact him to be honest. Then last year, your sister Yang disappeared after leaving for a party. Nobody knows where she went, but it left you alone. You've been taking care of yourself ever since as well as you can, while looking for her.
Because of what happened, you're lonely and found refuge on the internet, you're a bit of a geek really.
On the other hand, you've also taken up running as a way to clear your mind and your speed is something you are very proud of. Few can keep up with you if you don't want them to.
You try to stay positive despite what happened, and are known as a very cheerful and happy girl. Few even suspect that you might not be so happy on the inside.
When voting for a character, please just use the name of the character
Any and all goals other than 'live another day' will be generated as a response to your choices and/or character as you have created it.
Last edited:
Information Dump
- Location
- Netherlands
Last edited:
Day 1: morning
- Location
- Netherlands
Day 1, morning:
The first thing you realize when you open your eyes, is that it is cold in bed. I've become too used to not sleeping alone. You quickly check the alarm next to your bed. A red '6:55 AM' blinks back at you. Figures, five minutes until it'll start sounding out its wake-up call.
Your name is John Smith, you're a construction executive at Apex Building Company, which is one of the largest companies on this side of the nation. While you enjoy your job, you miss the old times when your work was more hands on. Now most of your day consists of handling meetings and organizing teams of workers over long distance communication. Funny, seems like you ended up with that office job you never wanted anyway.
At least it has allowed you to pay for the nicely sized house out in the suburbs of Ashford, it's a nice neighbourhood as well. Good people, a place to start a family. You sigh.. a nicely sized house can seem so very empty when you're alone. Maybe you should talk to Jane about that family once she comes home next week? It's been years since you discussed the possibility, and your current situation is far different from the war zone you'd found yourself in back then.
You tap the button on top of the alarm clock to cancel it for the day, before getting up and gathering some clothes from the cabinet. Opening your bedroom door you're greeted by
[] Your loyal dog Rex
[] the silence of an empty house
You move across the hallway to the bathroom before shaving quickly and enjoying your shower. After you move downstairs, you whip up a simple breakfast consisting off some eggs on toast, noting that you're almost out of bread while you're at it.
Turning on the television and zapping to the news, it seems that some new sort of flu has been spreading around everywhere. It appears as though people just aren't showing up to work and that number has been rising quickly over the last few days. The journalist tries to reassure the people nothing is wrong, but can't hide the mean cough that tears from her throat a few times during the interview.
As you finish off breakfast, you suddenly realize something!
(Pick one)
[] It's Wednesday, you really need to leave for work.
[] It's Saturday, your friend Eddie was supposed to come over today and you two would go hunting later.
[] It's Saturday, you have no plans for the day so maybe you could see into getting your shoes replaced at the mall?
The first thing you realize when you open your eyes, is that it is cold in bed. I've become too used to not sleeping alone. You quickly check the alarm next to your bed. A red '6:55 AM' blinks back at you. Figures, five minutes until it'll start sounding out its wake-up call.
Your name is John Smith, you're a construction executive at Apex Building Company, which is one of the largest companies on this side of the nation. While you enjoy your job, you miss the old times when your work was more hands on. Now most of your day consists of handling meetings and organizing teams of workers over long distance communication. Funny, seems like you ended up with that office job you never wanted anyway.
At least it has allowed you to pay for the nicely sized house out in the suburbs of Ashford, it's a nice neighbourhood as well. Good people, a place to start a family. You sigh.. a nicely sized house can seem so very empty when you're alone. Maybe you should talk to Jane about that family once she comes home next week? It's been years since you discussed the possibility, and your current situation is far different from the war zone you'd found yourself in back then.
You tap the button on top of the alarm clock to cancel it for the day, before getting up and gathering some clothes from the cabinet. Opening your bedroom door you're greeted by
[] Your loyal dog Rex
You move across the hallway to the bathroom before shaving quickly and enjoying your shower. After you move downstairs, you whip up a simple breakfast consisting off some eggs on toast, noting that you're almost out of bread while you're at it.
Turning on the television and zapping to the news, it seems that some new sort of flu has been spreading around everywhere. It appears as though people just aren't showing up to work and that number has been rising quickly over the last few days. The journalist tries to reassure the people nothing is wrong, but can't hide the mean cough that tears from her throat a few times during the interview.
As you finish off breakfast, you suddenly realize something!
(Pick one)
[] It's Wednesday, you really need to leave for work.
[] It's Saturday, your friend Eddie was supposed to come over today and you two would go hunting later.
[] It's Saturday, you have no plans for the day so maybe you could see into getting your shoes replaced at the mall?
Last edited:
Day 1: Late morning and afternoon
- Location
- Netherlands
Alright, update time! Guess this one is going to the biggest one so far. Please let me know what you think, as this is an exercise in writing for me as well as a lot of fun ^^
Where I use rolls to define things, I'll put them in using invisitext. If you're interested in checking them out, you can see them easily. If you are not, you can ignore them.
Considering the amount of rolls being done in this quest, I've set up a rolls room to do it in. It's linked in the 'information dump' threadmark.
Also, thank you for the noting of spelling/grammar mistakes. English remains my second language, and feedback helps me learn!
Day 1: Late morning and afternoon
That's right, you would be going hunting with Eddie later! The camera suddenly turns away from the reporter as she doubles over coughing again. That flu must be quite serious.
D100+10 = 45 #perception check
Fail
You decide to quickly clean up a bit before Eddie comes over. He's seen your place at its worst, but it still wouldn't do to have him arrive in a dump. Within about an hour you quickly do the dishes and clean up the living room. Rex comes up to you for some petting, and you walk him for a bit. There's exactly one other person out, a neighbour driving off to work. It's still pretty early, but you're used to seeing more people on the streets by this time, weird.
After returning you pick up a book while waiting for Eddie, you've been reading up on:
[] How to train dogs
[] How to cook with a budget
[] How to maintain rifles
At about 10 AM, your doorbell rings. When you open up the door, your friend gives out a quick 'Hey man, you ready?' You can't help but smile, Eddie's always been pretty hyperactive and he's clearly looking forward to your trip. It makes sense to you, you're pretty pumped yourself. It's been ages since you guys went out together like this. 'Sure am, just let me get my rifle. Want a drink before we go?' Eddie declines as you let him in 'No need, momma's gotten us some drinks for during the trip.' 'Sounds good, how's she doing? Still alright with you living in her basement?' You smirk at him before heading up the stairs. It's a common joke between you that he still lives at his mom's place. It's not a bad thing, necessarily, but you feel as though he should really grow up and strike out on his own. He, however, enjoys the easy life it grants him.
'I'll have you know that she loves me being there. Keeps away the loneliness.' He shouts at you from downstairs. You decide not to answer him, going on about it would just end up annoying the man. You head to the study, because that's where you put your rifle after the last time you went hunting.
When grabbing your rifle, you make sure to also grab:
[] Bullets, hard to make the kill without them.
[] Tranquilizer darts, you prefer to not kill the animals. The thrill of the hunt itself is what you are after.
After putting the ammunition in the rifle's case and closing it again, you bring the case with you downstairs. 'All done, Eddie, armed and dangerous.' you joke. Your friend has made himself comfortable on the couch, Rex sitting next to him pawing for attention. Ironic, you'd given him a strong name and he turned out to be the cuddliest animal you'd ever seen.
He quickly gets up and joins you in the hall. 'Let's go then, I want to get there pretty early.' You nod in agreement, and after you get your coat, you both leave.
After you enter Eddie's car, you decide to go through the city, rather than along the outer edge. Eddie says it's because there won't be much traffic anyway this early on a Saturday, and you see his point. If there's little traffic, you can shave of almost twenty minutes of off your travel time by taking this route.
1d100=99#luck, dc = 50
Critical succes
And it seems as though his analysis was spot on, you only have to stop for a single traffic light in the entire city. 'Well, would you look at that' Eddie pulls your attention to the sidewalk, where a teenager with short red hair is jumping up and down excitedly. Sport clothes making it instantly obvious she's out on a run, it must be terribly annoying for her to hit a red light.
You let out a disgusted snort. 'Come on, even when being generous she can't be more than half your age. Really?' He looks sheepishly at you. 'Well, you can't deny she's cute.' You're about to respond to his words when the girl suddenly drops into a runners stance before blasting off. 'Holy shit she's fast!' Well, that was the understatement of the century right there Eddie. The teenager is already almost out of sight, and you decide to not comment any further on Eddie's questionable observations.
You're happy when the light switches to green and Eddie changes subject to hunts you've had in the past. With your current luck holding, you arrive in the forest not long afterwards. Once there, Eddie looks at you sheepishly again. 'Uhm, did I tell you what we're hunting yet?' You raise an eyebrow at him. 'Independent living space for you?' You say with a dry tone. Eddie takes a moment to process the joke before he lets out a laugh. 'Maybe if it came with half a million dollars Johnny boy. No, the local government has put a bounty on a bear in this area. Real big one, it's said. Stalks on the edge of some of the homes nearby.'
There's a suburb close, just on the other side of these woods. If there actually was a bear there, it could be a serious danger to the people there. Especially the children wouldn't recognise the danger in a large fur ball walking down the street looking for a quick meal in one of the garbage bins. It might not be your suburb, but the thought still gives you an uncomfortable shiver over your spine.
'Right, so what's the plan?' Short and to the point, the time for fun is over. Eddie recognises the look in your eyes and just hands you some bullets. 'We take it out, keep the people safe and take the bounty.' You nod in agreement, it's the best solution. You don't have the skill to handle capturing an animal of this size, and it's obvious that the government isn't going to set up their own solution unless the beast actually attacks someone.
You look over your gun, wondering if it'll be enough against such a large predator.
Guess you'll find out, if you can find the bear that is. After a bit of discussion, you decide to split up slightly, so that if the bear attacks you it won't be on top of both of you. You make sure that you can see each other though.
That's how you start moving south. Keeping in constant contact and scouting out the area. After about an hour of this, just as you feel that you're getting pretty close to the suburb, you suddenly have a bad feeling.
rolls d100 = 56 #encounter
yep, that's a bear.
you slowly look to the left, where you know Eddie to be. However, instead of your friend you see a very large bear. Your first thought is that the people are right to have been worried about this thing, it's huge. You're pretty damn certain it'd tower over you if it stood on its back legs. Your second thought is something akin to 'Is this thing deaf?' Because despite you standing about fifteen meters away, it doesn't seem to notice you.
At your current distance, it'd be on top of you before you can shoot a second time if you'd take the shot. You can only hope that Eddie is further away from it than you are, because you need to get some distance.
rolls d100 +7 – 20 = 83 #sneak away form bear]
good pass!
You luck out, as you sneak backwards your feet seem to slide between the branches on the forest floor without any sound to be heard. Before you realize it you're about twenty meters away. That's when Eddie realizes there's a bear next to him.
rolls d100 +5 – 20 = -14#Eddie escapes unnoticed
Well.. that could've gone better
Eddie is about ten meters away from the bear, but still flinches when he notices the beast. He also loses his balance and steps on a large branch that was laying behind him. The bear instantly snaps its attention to your friend and roars its challenge. Eddie, motivated by a good dose of fear, turns around and starts running. The bear follows, far faster than the man.
Luckily though, Eddie isn't alone. So you stand up straight before aiming your rifle at the bear. You need to make this shot count, if you miss, your friend might die.
1d100 +11 + 5 + 30 – 20 = 82 #opening shot
Critical hit! Bear HP -100
Maybe it's because on some level you realize how important this shot is. Maybe it's because your friend is in danger. Maybe it's because all of your previous experience is coming together for this one moment. It doesn't matter, your bullet finds it mark and for a moment you think you've done it. But while the bullet hits the bear in the head, it seems as though it has a thick skull, and its deflected. The bear is clearly hurt though, stopping in place and turning towards you. You've gotten its attention.
With another roar, it changes its target and is now charging in your own direction! Seems like you saved Eddie at least, though having a couple of hundred pounds of angry bear coming at you isn't an ideal situation either.
d20 = 3 #closing in on target
Jon is safe
D50 + 10 + 12 = 39 #Eddie notices
He does!
It's barely covered three meters before the next shot sounds through the air though. Eddie heard your shot, and took the risk of looking back. Noticing that the bear was turning around, he immediately took aim and fired, supporting you.
d100+12+5+30-20 = 89
Critical hit. Bear HP -100
Once again, your experience pays off. And another bullet slams into the bear with incredible force. This one into its shoulder, and the bear stumbles. You take this chance to line up your second shot.
d100+11+5+30-20 = 30
Nope
Your shot goes wide, slamming into a tree next to Eddie, who jumps in fright at the near miss. The bear is now stuck between you two, bleeding and disoriented.
d2 = 1 #bear focus
John it is.
D20 = 18 #closing in on John.
Oh.. fuck..
However, you notice its eyes focus on you and you can almost feel its anger as for once it stays silent. The only thing it does is start running, far faster than before. An animal of this size should not even be capable of speed like this, but it's on top of you before you can do anything to ward it off.
d100+20 – 7 = 48
Normal hit.
John HP – (20-9) = 11
You try to back away, but the animal is fast enough that its claws graze your arm and you fall backward. The bear raises on its hind legs in triumph, roaring its victory to the world. If it lands on top of you, you'll definitely get crushed below its massive weight.
d100+12+5+30-20 = 125 #Eddie takes the shot!
Vital Shot. Bear HP – 150
That's when it suddenly falls over. Only after the fact do you hear the echo from Eddie's rifle. You scramble up, and check the fallen giant. The back of its head blown open by a bullet, it is most certainly dead. Eddie jogs towards you before looking you over. 'Are you alright!? Can't believe it got that close, I almost didn't dare to take the shot. I mean, what if I'd missed and hit you? What would I tell the police? What would I tell JANE!?' 'Eddie. Stop.' You interrupt your best friend's rambling before he can really get started. 'I'm alright, just a scratch. We'll need to disinfect it once we get to my place though.' You assure the man. Honestly, it's not even really bleeding. It could've been a lot worse.
He grins at you then, before looking down at the bear. You do the same, and before you can contain it a laugh erupts from your throat. His joins it and for a while the laughter of two mad men can be heard throughout the forest.
Despite the time it took you to find the bear, the car isn't actually that far off. And after the two of you have taken a picture with the beast, you drag its corpse towards the back of Eddie's truck. It's a big bear, but together the two of you manage it. Getting it actually up into the truck is harder, but everything works out in the end.
After the two of you get in the car, you realize it's already 5pm. Eddie suggests getting dinner at McGreen's. You're not that much into fast-food, but it's easy and you don't feel like cooking with a wounded arm. You get your burgers, with the salesgirl eyeing the pile of fur in the back. You can almost see Eddie holding back the urge to brag about the kill, but the man remains focussed.
Just after leaving the restaurant, you get caught up in the mother of all traffic jams. 'Wonder what's up, I think I can see some police over there.' Eddie mumbles. It takes a while, and by now your arm is starting to burn slightly. Maybe you should've gone home directly, but nothing can be done about that now.
After about fifteen minutes, you finally drive near the mall, and the source of the jam becomes clear. The street is packed in blue uniformed officers, making pictures of a few bikes that are scattered around. When Eddie is forced to stop the car once again, he snaps. He opens up his window before calling out to an officer checking out a black bike. 'Hey officer, what happened here!?' The police man doesn't really look up but does respond. 'Gang war, seems like. Just came out of nowhere according to witnesses, a bunch of guys chasing a girl.'
d100+10 = 73 #perception check.
Narrow pass
You notice a symbol on the side of the black bike.
Well, that certainly looks intimidating. You can't help but wonder what actually went on here today. You're certainly happy you didn't go and replace those shoes today. Who knows what could've have happened?
You get home pretty soon afterwards, and Eddie quickly heads upstairs to get your first aid kit. A quick application of disinfectant and some bandages and the two of you sit down at your kitchen table enjoying the burgers and a beer. 'Seriously man, I never thought I'd be that scared to see a bear so close.' Eddie mutters. 'Well, nothing weird about it. Not like we could expect it to be that fast or big. We really didn't know what we got into.' You respond. 'At least it worked out. I'll drop Brutus over there off at the police station tomorrow, and come and give you the money afterwards if they pay in cash.' He shares his plans. You nod in agreement.
After a few more drinks, Eddie heads off towards home. And you need to make a choice.
What will you do for the rest of the evening?
Options:
[] Call Jane, ask her how she is, tell her about your crazy day.
[] Play with Rex for a bit.
[] Watch TV
[] Work out, you might have a scratch on the arm but it won't stop you.
[] Sleep, it's been a long day.
[] Write in
d100 = 44 #??? DC, 95
Where I use rolls to define things, I'll put them in using invisitext. If you're interested in checking them out, you can see them easily. If you are not, you can ignore them.
Considering the amount of rolls being done in this quest, I've set up a rolls room to do it in. It's linked in the 'information dump' threadmark.
Also, thank you for the noting of spelling/grammar mistakes. English remains my second language, and feedback helps me learn!
Day 1: Late morning and afternoon
That's right, you would be going hunting with Eddie later! The camera suddenly turns away from the reporter as she doubles over coughing again. That flu must be quite serious.
D100+10 = 45 #perception check
Fail
You decide to quickly clean up a bit before Eddie comes over. He's seen your place at its worst, but it still wouldn't do to have him arrive in a dump. Within about an hour you quickly do the dishes and clean up the living room. Rex comes up to you for some petting, and you walk him for a bit. There's exactly one other person out, a neighbour driving off to work. It's still pretty early, but you're used to seeing more people on the streets by this time, weird.
After returning you pick up a book while waiting for Eddie, you've been reading up on:
[] How to train dogs
[] How to cook with a budget
[] How to maintain rifles
At about 10 AM, your doorbell rings. When you open up the door, your friend gives out a quick 'Hey man, you ready?' You can't help but smile, Eddie's always been pretty hyperactive and he's clearly looking forward to your trip. It makes sense to you, you're pretty pumped yourself. It's been ages since you guys went out together like this. 'Sure am, just let me get my rifle. Want a drink before we go?' Eddie declines as you let him in 'No need, momma's gotten us some drinks for during the trip.' 'Sounds good, how's she doing? Still alright with you living in her basement?' You smirk at him before heading up the stairs. It's a common joke between you that he still lives at his mom's place. It's not a bad thing, necessarily, but you feel as though he should really grow up and strike out on his own. He, however, enjoys the easy life it grants him.
'I'll have you know that she loves me being there. Keeps away the loneliness.' He shouts at you from downstairs. You decide not to answer him, going on about it would just end up annoying the man. You head to the study, because that's where you put your rifle after the last time you went hunting.
When grabbing your rifle, you make sure to also grab:
[] Bullets, hard to make the kill without them.
[] Tranquilizer darts, you prefer to not kill the animals. The thrill of the hunt itself is what you are after.
After putting the ammunition in the rifle's case and closing it again, you bring the case with you downstairs. 'All done, Eddie, armed and dangerous.' you joke. Your friend has made himself comfortable on the couch, Rex sitting next to him pawing for attention. Ironic, you'd given him a strong name and he turned out to be the cuddliest animal you'd ever seen.
He quickly gets up and joins you in the hall. 'Let's go then, I want to get there pretty early.' You nod in agreement, and after you get your coat, you both leave.
After you enter Eddie's car, you decide to go through the city, rather than along the outer edge. Eddie says it's because there won't be much traffic anyway this early on a Saturday, and you see his point. If there's little traffic, you can shave of almost twenty minutes of off your travel time by taking this route.
1d100=99#luck, dc = 50
Critical succes
And it seems as though his analysis was spot on, you only have to stop for a single traffic light in the entire city. 'Well, would you look at that' Eddie pulls your attention to the sidewalk, where a teenager with short red hair is jumping up and down excitedly. Sport clothes making it instantly obvious she's out on a run, it must be terribly annoying for her to hit a red light.
You let out a disgusted snort. 'Come on, even when being generous she can't be more than half your age. Really?' He looks sheepishly at you. 'Well, you can't deny she's cute.' You're about to respond to his words when the girl suddenly drops into a runners stance before blasting off. 'Holy shit she's fast!' Well, that was the understatement of the century right there Eddie. The teenager is already almost out of sight, and you decide to not comment any further on Eddie's questionable observations.
You're happy when the light switches to green and Eddie changes subject to hunts you've had in the past. With your current luck holding, you arrive in the forest not long afterwards. Once there, Eddie looks at you sheepishly again. 'Uhm, did I tell you what we're hunting yet?' You raise an eyebrow at him. 'Independent living space for you?' You say with a dry tone. Eddie takes a moment to process the joke before he lets out a laugh. 'Maybe if it came with half a million dollars Johnny boy. No, the local government has put a bounty on a bear in this area. Real big one, it's said. Stalks on the edge of some of the homes nearby.'
There's a suburb close, just on the other side of these woods. If there actually was a bear there, it could be a serious danger to the people there. Especially the children wouldn't recognise the danger in a large fur ball walking down the street looking for a quick meal in one of the garbage bins. It might not be your suburb, but the thought still gives you an uncomfortable shiver over your spine.
'Right, so what's the plan?' Short and to the point, the time for fun is over. Eddie recognises the look in your eyes and just hands you some bullets. 'We take it out, keep the people safe and take the bounty.' You nod in agreement, it's the best solution. You don't have the skill to handle capturing an animal of this size, and it's obvious that the government isn't going to set up their own solution unless the beast actually attacks someone.
You look over your gun, wondering if it'll be enough against such a large predator.
Guess you'll find out, if you can find the bear that is. After a bit of discussion, you decide to split up slightly, so that if the bear attacks you it won't be on top of both of you. You make sure that you can see each other though.
That's how you start moving south. Keeping in constant contact and scouting out the area. After about an hour of this, just as you feel that you're getting pretty close to the suburb, you suddenly have a bad feeling.
rolls d100 = 56 #encounter
yep, that's a bear.
you slowly look to the left, where you know Eddie to be. However, instead of your friend you see a very large bear. Your first thought is that the people are right to have been worried about this thing, it's huge. You're pretty damn certain it'd tower over you if it stood on its back legs. Your second thought is something akin to 'Is this thing deaf?' Because despite you standing about fifteen meters away, it doesn't seem to notice you.
At your current distance, it'd be on top of you before you can shoot a second time if you'd take the shot. You can only hope that Eddie is further away from it than you are, because you need to get some distance.
rolls d100 +7 – 20 = 83 #sneak away form bear]
good pass!
You luck out, as you sneak backwards your feet seem to slide between the branches on the forest floor without any sound to be heard. Before you realize it you're about twenty meters away. That's when Eddie realizes there's a bear next to him.
rolls d100 +5 – 20 = -14#Eddie escapes unnoticed
Well.. that could've gone better
Eddie is about ten meters away from the bear, but still flinches when he notices the beast. He also loses his balance and steps on a large branch that was laying behind him. The bear instantly snaps its attention to your friend and roars its challenge. Eddie, motivated by a good dose of fear, turns around and starts running. The bear follows, far faster than the man.
Luckily though, Eddie isn't alone. So you stand up straight before aiming your rifle at the bear. You need to make this shot count, if you miss, your friend might die.
1d100 +11 + 5 + 30 – 20 = 82 #opening shot
Critical hit! Bear HP -100
Maybe it's because on some level you realize how important this shot is. Maybe it's because your friend is in danger. Maybe it's because all of your previous experience is coming together for this one moment. It doesn't matter, your bullet finds it mark and for a moment you think you've done it. But while the bullet hits the bear in the head, it seems as though it has a thick skull, and its deflected. The bear is clearly hurt though, stopping in place and turning towards you. You've gotten its attention.
With another roar, it changes its target and is now charging in your own direction! Seems like you saved Eddie at least, though having a couple of hundred pounds of angry bear coming at you isn't an ideal situation either.
d20 = 3 #closing in on target
Jon is safe
D50 + 10 + 12 = 39 #Eddie notices
He does!
It's barely covered three meters before the next shot sounds through the air though. Eddie heard your shot, and took the risk of looking back. Noticing that the bear was turning around, he immediately took aim and fired, supporting you.
d100+12+5+30-20 = 89
Critical hit. Bear HP -100
Once again, your experience pays off. And another bullet slams into the bear with incredible force. This one into its shoulder, and the bear stumbles. You take this chance to line up your second shot.
d100+11+5+30-20 = 30
Nope
Your shot goes wide, slamming into a tree next to Eddie, who jumps in fright at the near miss. The bear is now stuck between you two, bleeding and disoriented.
d2 = 1 #bear focus
John it is.
D20 = 18 #closing in on John.
Oh.. fuck..
However, you notice its eyes focus on you and you can almost feel its anger as for once it stays silent. The only thing it does is start running, far faster than before. An animal of this size should not even be capable of speed like this, but it's on top of you before you can do anything to ward it off.
d100+20 – 7 = 48
Normal hit.
John HP – (20-9) = 11
You try to back away, but the animal is fast enough that its claws graze your arm and you fall backward. The bear raises on its hind legs in triumph, roaring its victory to the world. If it lands on top of you, you'll definitely get crushed below its massive weight.
d100+12+5+30-20 = 125 #Eddie takes the shot!
Vital Shot. Bear HP – 150
That's when it suddenly falls over. Only after the fact do you hear the echo from Eddie's rifle. You scramble up, and check the fallen giant. The back of its head blown open by a bullet, it is most certainly dead. Eddie jogs towards you before looking you over. 'Are you alright!? Can't believe it got that close, I almost didn't dare to take the shot. I mean, what if I'd missed and hit you? What would I tell the police? What would I tell JANE!?' 'Eddie. Stop.' You interrupt your best friend's rambling before he can really get started. 'I'm alright, just a scratch. We'll need to disinfect it once we get to my place though.' You assure the man. Honestly, it's not even really bleeding. It could've been a lot worse.
He grins at you then, before looking down at the bear. You do the same, and before you can contain it a laugh erupts from your throat. His joins it and for a while the laughter of two mad men can be heard throughout the forest.
Despite the time it took you to find the bear, the car isn't actually that far off. And after the two of you have taken a picture with the beast, you drag its corpse towards the back of Eddie's truck. It's a big bear, but together the two of you manage it. Getting it actually up into the truck is harder, but everything works out in the end.
After the two of you get in the car, you realize it's already 5pm. Eddie suggests getting dinner at McGreen's. You're not that much into fast-food, but it's easy and you don't feel like cooking with a wounded arm. You get your burgers, with the salesgirl eyeing the pile of fur in the back. You can almost see Eddie holding back the urge to brag about the kill, but the man remains focussed.
Just after leaving the restaurant, you get caught up in the mother of all traffic jams. 'Wonder what's up, I think I can see some police over there.' Eddie mumbles. It takes a while, and by now your arm is starting to burn slightly. Maybe you should've gone home directly, but nothing can be done about that now.
After about fifteen minutes, you finally drive near the mall, and the source of the jam becomes clear. The street is packed in blue uniformed officers, making pictures of a few bikes that are scattered around. When Eddie is forced to stop the car once again, he snaps. He opens up his window before calling out to an officer checking out a black bike. 'Hey officer, what happened here!?' The police man doesn't really look up but does respond. 'Gang war, seems like. Just came out of nowhere according to witnesses, a bunch of guys chasing a girl.'
d100+10 = 73 #perception check.
Narrow pass
You notice a symbol on the side of the black bike.
Well, that certainly looks intimidating. You can't help but wonder what actually went on here today. You're certainly happy you didn't go and replace those shoes today. Who knows what could've have happened?
You get home pretty soon afterwards, and Eddie quickly heads upstairs to get your first aid kit. A quick application of disinfectant and some bandages and the two of you sit down at your kitchen table enjoying the burgers and a beer. 'Seriously man, I never thought I'd be that scared to see a bear so close.' Eddie mutters. 'Well, nothing weird about it. Not like we could expect it to be that fast or big. We really didn't know what we got into.' You respond. 'At least it worked out. I'll drop Brutus over there off at the police station tomorrow, and come and give you the money afterwards if they pay in cash.' He shares his plans. You nod in agreement.
After a few more drinks, Eddie heads off towards home. And you need to make a choice.
What will you do for the rest of the evening?
Options:
[] Call Jane, ask her how she is, tell her about your crazy day.
[] Play with Rex for a bit.
[] Watch TV
[] Work out, you might have a scratch on the arm but it won't stop you.
[] Sleep, it's been a long day.
[] Write in
d100 = 44 #??? DC, 95
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Day 1: Evening
- Location
- Netherlands
Sitting at the kitchen table, you contemplate what your options for the evening are. There's a lot of options, that's for sure. Maybe watch some TV, play with Rex or maybe.. Your phone rings.
Conversation roll: d100+6+25 = 92
You check the caller ID and realize one thing. There's been a battle in the city, and you haven't let your wife know you're alright. With great apprehension, you accept the call and hold the phone to your ear. "Hey.." "What do you mean 'hey'? That isn't the way to talk to your wife. I thought you'd died." The worry in her voice would be clear to anyone. "Disappointed?" You quip, hoping that acting normal would reassure her. "Always." It worked, you could hear it in the slight amusement in her voice. "How was your day?" "Same old, same old. People here seem to not have eyes. Couldn't work with the software if they tried for years. Heard about the attack over there and decided to call." By now the two of you were back to your usual tones. "Really, I haven't heard anything yet. Saw some cops though. Looking as competent as ever. What'd you hear?" "Gang battle gone wrong, maybe a terrorist attack. The different outlets aren't sure what to call it at the moment. All they agree on is that there dozens of wounded, nobody knows how many dead." You see why she felt the need to call. Hell, you'd have called her the moment you heard anything remotely dangerous was in her area.
"Well, I'm alright. Got you a nice bear skin rug to go with those awful curtains you got." You awaited her response, hoping she wouldn't realize the obvious. "Sweetie." "Yes dear?" "Did you fight a bear?" dangerous territory, this requires utmost skill to navigate. "… maybe?" yeah, wrong choice. "It better be a real nice bear." "It is, it has to be to make those curtains work." "Those curtains are fine." "Have you seen the things?" "Just because I got them without asking you.."
1d100+16 = 107, crit success.
This felt good, you always missed bantering with her about the silliest things. Honestly, you could have kept it up for hours and enjoyed every moment of it until she suddenly switched subject. "Baby, what do you think of that flu that's been going around?" "What about it, it's flooring a lot of people, but it doesn't seem to be something extraordinary." Where was she going with this? "Remember what I told you about my bad feelings?" Of course you did, back when you met her in Curdubo that same 6th sense she seemed to have had saved them more times than you cared to remember. "I do, what is it?" you tried your best to not let her hear your worry. "I want you to gather food, supplies. Whatever you can. They're hiding something from us. Don't go to work Monday, and make sure to protect yourself when you go out. I'll come home as soon as I can." She spoke with an anxiety you hadn't heard from her in a very long time. "I will, most of the stores are closed tomorrow, but I'll see what I can do. When does your plane leave?" "Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be there in the evening. I love you." "I love you too." An easy end, to hard conversation. Was Jane right? Was there something more going on? Hard to find out. But there's nothing wrong with stockpiling some food. They could just slowly eat it if she turned out to be wrong right?
D100+6+5=13, Abysmall failure
You walk Rex, and have an idea when giving him his customary after walk snack. You decide to try and make the dog sit. However, after about five minutes of trying to make it clear what you wanted to the little menace, you have to concede. Rex only has eyes for the small bit of food you have in your hand, and is more likely to jump up at you when you talk to him rather than sit. No matter, maybe he's just too young still? He's barely one year old after all.
Afterwards the stress and hard work of the day catches up with you and you decide to head to bed, you have a busy day coming up as you'll be:
(choose one for morning, one for afternoon)
(morning)
[] Going on a run. (Dexterity+, 25% chance of ???)
[] Gathering food (Food in the house)
[] Reading a book on rifle maintenance (trait gain)
[] Reading a book on cooking with a budget. (trait gain)
(afternoon)
[] Meeting up with Eddie to get your share of the bears bounty. (money+)
[] Heading to the gym. (Strength+)
[] Gathering food (Food in the house)
[] Reading a book on rifle maintenance (trait gain)
[] Reading a book on cooking with a budget. (trait gain)
1d100 = 47 #???? DC, 85
Double picking an action will not stack.
On the shorter side this round, not much to be said other than the phone call, really. Things should pick up some more steam soon though, as that last DC drops lower and lower it should get passed soon.
We are exiting the 'establish character' phase and entering the actual 'don't die' part of the story right about.. now by the way, fair warning
John and Jane never saw the need to train him in any way because he'd stick close to them whenever they went out and is horribly affectionate. (which is why he doesn't even know how sitting works despite his age)
Conversation roll: d100+6+25 = 92
You check the caller ID and realize one thing. There's been a battle in the city, and you haven't let your wife know you're alright. With great apprehension, you accept the call and hold the phone to your ear. "Hey.." "What do you mean 'hey'? That isn't the way to talk to your wife. I thought you'd died." The worry in her voice would be clear to anyone. "Disappointed?" You quip, hoping that acting normal would reassure her. "Always." It worked, you could hear it in the slight amusement in her voice. "How was your day?" "Same old, same old. People here seem to not have eyes. Couldn't work with the software if they tried for years. Heard about the attack over there and decided to call." By now the two of you were back to your usual tones. "Really, I haven't heard anything yet. Saw some cops though. Looking as competent as ever. What'd you hear?" "Gang battle gone wrong, maybe a terrorist attack. The different outlets aren't sure what to call it at the moment. All they agree on is that there dozens of wounded, nobody knows how many dead." You see why she felt the need to call. Hell, you'd have called her the moment you heard anything remotely dangerous was in her area.
"Well, I'm alright. Got you a nice bear skin rug to go with those awful curtains you got." You awaited her response, hoping she wouldn't realize the obvious. "Sweetie." "Yes dear?" "Did you fight a bear?" dangerous territory, this requires utmost skill to navigate. "… maybe?" yeah, wrong choice. "It better be a real nice bear." "It is, it has to be to make those curtains work." "Those curtains are fine." "Have you seen the things?" "Just because I got them without asking you.."
1d100+16 = 107, crit success.
This felt good, you always missed bantering with her about the silliest things. Honestly, you could have kept it up for hours and enjoyed every moment of it until she suddenly switched subject. "Baby, what do you think of that flu that's been going around?" "What about it, it's flooring a lot of people, but it doesn't seem to be something extraordinary." Where was she going with this? "Remember what I told you about my bad feelings?" Of course you did, back when you met her in Curdubo that same 6th sense she seemed to have had saved them more times than you cared to remember. "I do, what is it?" you tried your best to not let her hear your worry. "I want you to gather food, supplies. Whatever you can. They're hiding something from us. Don't go to work Monday, and make sure to protect yourself when you go out. I'll come home as soon as I can." She spoke with an anxiety you hadn't heard from her in a very long time. "I will, most of the stores are closed tomorrow, but I'll see what I can do. When does your plane leave?" "Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be there in the evening. I love you." "I love you too." An easy end, to hard conversation. Was Jane right? Was there something more going on? Hard to find out. But there's nothing wrong with stockpiling some food. They could just slowly eat it if she turned out to be wrong right?
D100+6+5=13, Abysmall failure
You walk Rex, and have an idea when giving him his customary after walk snack. You decide to try and make the dog sit. However, after about five minutes of trying to make it clear what you wanted to the little menace, you have to concede. Rex only has eyes for the small bit of food you have in your hand, and is more likely to jump up at you when you talk to him rather than sit. No matter, maybe he's just too young still? He's barely one year old after all.
Afterwards the stress and hard work of the day catches up with you and you decide to head to bed, you have a busy day coming up as you'll be:
(choose one for morning, one for afternoon)
(morning)
[] Going on a run. (Dexterity+, 25% chance of ???)
[] Gathering food (Food in the house)
[] Reading a book on rifle maintenance (trait gain)
[] Reading a book on cooking with a budget. (trait gain)
(afternoon)
[] Meeting up with Eddie to get your share of the bears bounty. (money+)
[] Heading to the gym. (Strength+)
[] Gathering food (Food in the house)
[] Reading a book on rifle maintenance (trait gain)
[] Reading a book on cooking with a budget. (trait gain)
1d100 = 47 #???? DC, 85
Double picking an action will not stack.
On the shorter side this round, not much to be said other than the phone call, really. Things should pick up some more steam soon though, as that last DC drops lower and lower it should get passed soon.
We are exiting the 'establish character' phase and entering the actual 'don't die' part of the story right about.. now by the way, fair warning
Rex is an amazing young rascal of a husky.
John and Jane never saw the need to train him in any way because he'd stick close to them whenever they went out and is horribly affectionate. (which is why he doesn't even know how sitting works despite his age)
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Day 2: Morning and Afternoon
- Location
- Netherlands
Trying a third person perspective here, please let me know which you prefer.
Somehow, this chapter was hard to get out. It's here now though
Also, sorry for the false report. Writer tip: Do not write your chapters in google docs, it's not gentle towards SV </3
John groaned as the light hit his eyes, beckoning him towards the land of the living. Looking again at his disliked alarm clock, 6:55 AM blinking back at him once more. It's starting to become a habit. Is the thought that shoots through his mind. Deciding to not waste any time, the man quickly got up and gathered some clothes. A soft sigh left his lips as he realized that he'd be taking the last clean T-shirt, after which he added 'do laundry' to his mental to-do list.
Walking to the shower, the man was immediately assailed by Rex, the dog still trying to push for bedroom rights. "I'll let you out after my shower, you little rascal." He said as he petted the exited animal.
About thirty minutes later a clean and shaven John Smith opened the front door, Rex jumping about exitedly.at the prospect of running around in freedom for a little while. Smiling indulgently at his four legged friend, he decided to forego the leash entirely. Why would he, when the dog kept close to him anyway? Especially considering that there were no people around at all.
After the small morning walk, which took about twenty minutes, Rex had done his stuff and John felt energized. He was worried though. He had walked around the neighbourhood for close to half an hour and there'd been no signs of life at all. Sure, it was a sunday, which for most people meant that they'd sleep in for at least a little while, but there were always those people who couldn't stand to let even the slightest bit of morning light go to waste. Where were they? Why weren't they up and about? These were the thoughts occupying his mind as he quickly used a towel to clean off Rex's feet. The young dog had found a little too much pleasure in jumping around in the puddles remaining from last night's storm.
Not feeling like putting in much work, John quickly made a few sandwiches before taking his spot on the couch and putting on the news as was his custom. Nothing interesting was on though, some stuff about riots in Curdubo that were flaring up again. The result of a civil war that was never properly resolved. Nothing about that flu going around though. He did notice that the news caster was new, the coughing woman from the day before not being present.
Polishing of his plate, he quickly cleaned it before putting it back in the cabinet, ready for the next time someone needed it. Alright, he decided, time to plan. He'd promised Jane he'd gather some food and he was going to try that for sure. First things first, figuring out if there was any store open this early on a sunday. After climbing the stairs, he sat down behind his computer.
d3 = 1 #store location
Some quick use of Moogle gave him the most excellent answer he could have wished for. The (S)mart only a few blocks away was already open. Grumbling for a bit about the fact that he had somehow managed to miss that fact in the five, or was it 6, years both he and Jane had lived here, John quickly shut down the computer again and decided to check in with mrs. Morrison, their elderly neighbour.
Mrs Morrison was a widow who'd been living in the suburb ever since it had been constructed about one and a half decades earlier. Ever since Jane and John had moved in, she and her husband had been a friend to them, helping them get settled in the neighbourhood.
They had, of course, taken care of the woman when her husband died early last year and she'd found herself unable to take care of herself following an almost forty year marriage.
This is why John immediately thought of her when he needed someone to take care of Rex whenever they were unable to take care of the dog for the day. This was often the case during weekdays, because of their respective jobs. He rang the doorbell, and smiled as his neighbour opened the door less than a minute later. She looked well, no signs of any illness and despite her age she looked energetic.
"John! How're you doing, Would you like some tea? I've made the most delicious cookies you see, you could really help me out by eating them." Enthusiastic as ever, he thought as he nodded along, accepting the older woman's offer.
A few minutes later he was sitting in the living room, which looked like it hadn't seen an interior designer in decades. He had to agree with mrs. Morrison though, the cookies were absolutely delicious. Chocolate chip, his favourite. As was the norm with her, it took a good while for him to actually get his point across. Yes, everything was well with Jane. Yes, the job was alright. No, they did not plan on having children soon. Only when they reached the subject of Rex did he manage to ask the question he'd come for. "Could you take care of Rex today? I'll be out handling a few things in the city and I'm unsure how quickly I'll get home." Luckily, the woman looked absolutely delighted at the prospect, and after finishing the tea and cookies John was well on his way to actually achieving something during the day.
After dropping off Rex at his neighbour's house, John went to his truck and set off for the (S)mart. Noting that his fuel tank was almost full, he gave a sigh of relief. No fighting at the pump today. He could still barely believe that he hadn't even known about the (S)mart being so close to his home. But he also wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
D100 +6 = 101 #the store
Luckily, the store was very easy to find and it only took the man a few minutes to reach it. Looking at it though, he was stupefied. It was, quite simply, humongous. The size of the store defied all reason considering the small suburb it was placed in, it would mean that he'd most likely be able to find whatever he needed however.
Let's see, he thought, food is the first priority. Canned foods last a long time, so they should be a priority. What else though.. This is where he drew a blank, his knowledge simply not up to the task of figuring out what types of food would be best for his situation.
Well, he mused, I'll just see what I can find. Maybe it'll work out. Not long after deciding on his plan of action, John had gotten himself a shopping cart and was entering the store. The seemingly deserted store.
The effects of that flue were clearly visible here. In a store that could comfortably serve hundreds of people simultaneously, there were only about a dozen he noticed. Maybe there were more he couldn't see, but considering the amount of cars in the parking lot he didn't think there were a lot more. It seemed as though he'd gotten pretty lucky, as the store was well supplied as well. Whatever he'd need, he'd probably find it here.
d100+10 = 100 #stuff you find
As John walked around the store, someone would think he'd been there a dozen times before. Every direction he turned to, he spotted something that would be good to have. Canned beans, solar powered flashlights, some rope, various canned vegetables, sealed pasta. The true find of the day however, was in the pharmacy department, as there was a large sale on disinfectants and general painkillers. For some reason, John felt as though those might become very important soon, so he stocked up on those and some bandages. They even had some Epinephrine, which could be useful to counter allergic reactions. He decided to get some of those as well, since Jane had a serious wasp allergy.
#d100+6 = 101#store interaction
He was interrupted from his shopping by a young woman however. "E-excuse me, could you help me get the painkillers?" She was little, was the first thing he noticed. Pink hair was the second. He smiled at her. "Of course, which ones?" He'd expected her to point up to one of the higher placed boxes of medicine. However, she got a small red tint out of embarrassment. "I.. I don't really know. She has a high fever and a constant headache, do you have any ideas?" Luckily, John knew exactly what she needed. Reaching to the high placed bottles of Ibuprofen he picked one up and showed it to her. "Pain reliever and fever reducer. Seems to match the symptoms at least." As the awe struck woman grabbed the small bottle like it contained the meaning of life, she started thanking him. "Thank you so much. I didn't know what to do and I couldn't even see these, thank you. My name is Sarah by the way." I'm John. Who do you need them for?" He couldn't help but indulge his curiosity, as she herself didn't seem ill at all. "My mother. She suddenly fell ill a few days ago, it doesn't seem to be that same flue they talk about on the news though. She doesn't cough at all, just the headache and fever. It's been getting worse though, so I decided to get some more meds. There's so much here though, that I didn't know what to get." She said, obviously relieved to talk to someone. John realized she mustn't have had much contact ever since she started taking care of her mother. "Well, can't go wrong with Ibuprofen, helps a ton with pretty much anything. I use them instead of paracetamol myself." He said, trying to re-assure the woman.
Over the course of the following conversation, he learned that she was from Oumville, which was pretty close to Ashford, but she'd come to the city to take care of her mother. She'd been lonely though, missing her husband and young daughter, her mother not being able to hold a conversation for any length of time. However, by the end of your conversation she seemed revitalized, and she flashed him a happy smile when they finally split up after exchanging phone numbers.
+3 charisma gained!
It didn't take John long to pay for his purchases and load them into the truck before heading towards the city. Let's see if Eddie has already had time to head to the police station. He thought as he drove off.
100+4 = 43 #bearstate
After he arrived at his friend's place, which was pretty close to the city centre, he was quickly greeted by the familiar sight of Eddie's slightly balding head. "Hey man, what's up? Oh right, you're probably here for this." He started grinning as he pulled out a bunch of notes and counted out about half of them before handing the stack to John. 1500 oneiros, he realized after counting it quickly. "They must've been really worried about that bear to have a bounty that high on it." He said with a small amount of amazement in his voice while heading inside. Eddie looked at him with a sheepish smile. "The actual bounty was higher.. A lot higher. But because we damaged the bear so much they lowered the reward. Guess they wanted to sell it or something." "Sell it? You mean they took the bear?" John felt a stab of panic as he realized what that might mean. "Yeah, what else did you expect, that we'd be allowed to keep it? They probably planned to make a profit of the thing you know." Well, it made sense to John. That didn't mean he was happy though, he'd promised Jane a bear skin rug and she'd never let him forget it if he didn't come through.
After he told Eddie as much, the man wouldn't stop laughing. "No no no, I'm not laughing at you. This is desperation, you see? I'll have to be the one delivering your eulogy after all." He laughed as tears almost dripped down his cheeks. On some level it annoyed him, on most others he could appreciate Eddie for who he was.
d100 + 6 = 94 #eddie
You decide to hang out with Eddie for a bit, celebrating the victory over the bear and the acquired prize money. Most of your conversation ends up being about Jane, but both of your jobs come up as well. "You know, I'm considering calling in sick tomorrow. It's just too risky with everything that's going on right now." He says, and John remembers what Jane told him. "I can get that, might not be a bad idea. Jane suggested as much as well, she thinks they are hiding something." "They? Who do you mean? The government?" He sounded sarcastical as he said it, but at the serious look on his friend's face he backpedalled pretty quickly. "That's crazy John.. If there was actually something dangerous going on then they'd tell us. It's their duty, right?" He sounded more like he was trying to reassure himself rather than his friend though. "I don't know man, but regardless, I got a bunch of stuff today. Food and meds mostly. Just going to be trying to be ready for it, whatever it is." Eddie nodded thoughtfully at John's words. "I suppose I'll do that as well tomorrow, the stores will be closing soon anyway. Not really worth going now." He responded. John nodded satisfied.
"You know, whatever happens. We'll always hang out together right? We're a team." John had rarely seen Eddie as serious before as he was now. He could only nod in response. "Of course, we're friends for life. Brothers." Eddie nodded in response, clearly satisfied by his words. Lifting his beer up in a parody of a salute. "To friends for life." And then he chugged the rest of it down. "I hope you don't expect me to follow up." John joked, looking down at his hot coffee, though he did raise it in response to his friends toast. He was answered with laughter.
Sooner than any of them expected, evening hit and it was about time for John to head home. Saying his goodbyes to both Eddie and his mother he headed home. Still stunned by the low amount of traffic he was seeing. Eddie had said there wasn't anything bad on the news though, so maybe it was just because it was a sunday?
Regardless, he made it to his home relatively quick. About twenty five minutes was good time from the city center to home in his book. Quickly picking up Rex at the neighbour's place he wasn't surprised to find the dog passed out on her couch. She might seem old, but she could run the barely pup ragged somehow. Mrs Morrison herself appeared to be in a good mood and insisted he take some more cookies home. Not one to object to free food, John graciously accepted without hesitation and wished her a good night after thanking her.
He had barely stepped inside the house however, when he felt his cell phone give its telltale rumble. Quickly picking up, he held the device near his ear. "John here." It was silent for a moment. A long moment. Then, he heard the familiar voice of his wife. "I'm stuck here." John felt as though he had been struck by lightning. Stuck, on the other side of the country. Almost seven hundred miles separated him and his wife, and for some reason, rather than her being on her way home, she said she was stuck? "Jane, what do you mean, stuck?" "They've locked down all public transport. No busses, trains or aircraft are actually working. I can't come home like this." It was worse than he thought. He'd already fostered hope against hope that it'd just be a money issue, which they could have solved easily enough. But this.. this was so much worse. "John, are you there?" She sounds so vulnerable. He thought as he assured her he was still there. "You said it's public transport. What about a taxi?" "Over that distance? Even so, I haven't seen any of those either. They're not that common around here though." "So that might be a way." John grasped at the small chance. "Otherwise, what about buying a car and driving?" He could almost hear the relief in her voice when she responded. "That could work." He nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "Let's hope so. There's always options, whatever is going on." "Yeah, alright. What do we do?" John felt pride swell within him at the confidence he could now feel from her.
(pick one)
[] Stay there, I'm coming to get you. You'll be starting a long journey across the country to get your wife while she tries to make things work there.
[] Whatever happens, we can hold out at the house for a long time. Do you think you can make it here? You'll be trying to make things work in Ashford while Jane heads there.
(pick one again)
If you decide to leave, how do you spend the evening preparing?
[] Gather food and essentials in the truck, leave immediately.
[] Gather food and essentials in the truck, leave in the morning.
[] Write in?
(or pick one in this list)
If you decide to stay, how do you spend your evening?
[] Read a book on rifle maintenance (trait gain)
[] Read a book on cooking with a budget (trait gain)
[] Train Rex (chance of Rex being more trained, dog trainer experience+)
[] Write in?
100 = 84 #???, DC 65[
Not that far away from John's dilemma, Sarah was crying. Even though her day in general had been going pretty well, even meeting that nice man in the (S)mart, it had all turned to ash. Not long after she had returned, the medicine she had gotten appeared to work. Her mother had been getting better and she was so happy. They even talked for a while. However, shortly after dinner her mother had fallen asleep and when Sarah had checked on her about an hour later she hadn't been breathing. Sarah had collapsed at first. Now she was just sitting on the couch, trying to make sense of the events that had lead to her mother's death.
It is quite understandable then, that when her mother's eyes opened once again behind her, Sarah didn't notice.
Yeah, so it begins. You have some big choices ahead of you right now, and they will greatly impact the quest in general.
Hell is about to break loose, and you'll need to figure out a few key things:
What are your goals?
How will you achieve them?
How are you going to not die?
I would greatly suggest discussing that in here while or before casting your vote.
Essentially, it's about time for you guys to come up with a game plan.
The first decision, obviously, will be whether to fortify or to seek safety in mobility.
If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to throw them at me, I'm here to answer them after all.
Somehow, this chapter was hard to get out. It's here now though
Also, sorry for the false report. Writer tip: Do not write your chapters in google docs, it's not gentle towards SV </3
John groaned as the light hit his eyes, beckoning him towards the land of the living. Looking again at his disliked alarm clock, 6:55 AM blinking back at him once more. It's starting to become a habit. Is the thought that shoots through his mind. Deciding to not waste any time, the man quickly got up and gathered some clothes. A soft sigh left his lips as he realized that he'd be taking the last clean T-shirt, after which he added 'do laundry' to his mental to-do list.
Walking to the shower, the man was immediately assailed by Rex, the dog still trying to push for bedroom rights. "I'll let you out after my shower, you little rascal." He said as he petted the exited animal.
About thirty minutes later a clean and shaven John Smith opened the front door, Rex jumping about exitedly.at the prospect of running around in freedom for a little while. Smiling indulgently at his four legged friend, he decided to forego the leash entirely. Why would he, when the dog kept close to him anyway? Especially considering that there were no people around at all.
After the small morning walk, which took about twenty minutes, Rex had done his stuff and John felt energized. He was worried though. He had walked around the neighbourhood for close to half an hour and there'd been no signs of life at all. Sure, it was a sunday, which for most people meant that they'd sleep in for at least a little while, but there were always those people who couldn't stand to let even the slightest bit of morning light go to waste. Where were they? Why weren't they up and about? These were the thoughts occupying his mind as he quickly used a towel to clean off Rex's feet. The young dog had found a little too much pleasure in jumping around in the puddles remaining from last night's storm.
Not feeling like putting in much work, John quickly made a few sandwiches before taking his spot on the couch and putting on the news as was his custom. Nothing interesting was on though, some stuff about riots in Curdubo that were flaring up again. The result of a civil war that was never properly resolved. Nothing about that flu going around though. He did notice that the news caster was new, the coughing woman from the day before not being present.
Polishing of his plate, he quickly cleaned it before putting it back in the cabinet, ready for the next time someone needed it. Alright, he decided, time to plan. He'd promised Jane he'd gather some food and he was going to try that for sure. First things first, figuring out if there was any store open this early on a sunday. After climbing the stairs, he sat down behind his computer.
d3 = 1 #store location
Some quick use of Moogle gave him the most excellent answer he could have wished for. The (S)mart only a few blocks away was already open. Grumbling for a bit about the fact that he had somehow managed to miss that fact in the five, or was it 6, years both he and Jane had lived here, John quickly shut down the computer again and decided to check in with mrs. Morrison, their elderly neighbour.
Mrs Morrison was a widow who'd been living in the suburb ever since it had been constructed about one and a half decades earlier. Ever since Jane and John had moved in, she and her husband had been a friend to them, helping them get settled in the neighbourhood.
They had, of course, taken care of the woman when her husband died early last year and she'd found herself unable to take care of herself following an almost forty year marriage.
This is why John immediately thought of her when he needed someone to take care of Rex whenever they were unable to take care of the dog for the day. This was often the case during weekdays, because of their respective jobs. He rang the doorbell, and smiled as his neighbour opened the door less than a minute later. She looked well, no signs of any illness and despite her age she looked energetic.
"John! How're you doing, Would you like some tea? I've made the most delicious cookies you see, you could really help me out by eating them." Enthusiastic as ever, he thought as he nodded along, accepting the older woman's offer.
A few minutes later he was sitting in the living room, which looked like it hadn't seen an interior designer in decades. He had to agree with mrs. Morrison though, the cookies were absolutely delicious. Chocolate chip, his favourite. As was the norm with her, it took a good while for him to actually get his point across. Yes, everything was well with Jane. Yes, the job was alright. No, they did not plan on having children soon. Only when they reached the subject of Rex did he manage to ask the question he'd come for. "Could you take care of Rex today? I'll be out handling a few things in the city and I'm unsure how quickly I'll get home." Luckily, the woman looked absolutely delighted at the prospect, and after finishing the tea and cookies John was well on his way to actually achieving something during the day.
After dropping off Rex at his neighbour's house, John went to his truck and set off for the (S)mart. Noting that his fuel tank was almost full, he gave a sigh of relief. No fighting at the pump today. He could still barely believe that he hadn't even known about the (S)mart being so close to his home. But he also wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
D100 +6 = 101 #the store
Luckily, the store was very easy to find and it only took the man a few minutes to reach it. Looking at it though, he was stupefied. It was, quite simply, humongous. The size of the store defied all reason considering the small suburb it was placed in, it would mean that he'd most likely be able to find whatever he needed however.
Let's see, he thought, food is the first priority. Canned foods last a long time, so they should be a priority. What else though.. This is where he drew a blank, his knowledge simply not up to the task of figuring out what types of food would be best for his situation.
Well, he mused, I'll just see what I can find. Maybe it'll work out. Not long after deciding on his plan of action, John had gotten himself a shopping cart and was entering the store. The seemingly deserted store.
The effects of that flue were clearly visible here. In a store that could comfortably serve hundreds of people simultaneously, there were only about a dozen he noticed. Maybe there were more he couldn't see, but considering the amount of cars in the parking lot he didn't think there were a lot more. It seemed as though he'd gotten pretty lucky, as the store was well supplied as well. Whatever he'd need, he'd probably find it here.
d100+10 = 100 #stuff you find
As John walked around the store, someone would think he'd been there a dozen times before. Every direction he turned to, he spotted something that would be good to have. Canned beans, solar powered flashlights, some rope, various canned vegetables, sealed pasta. The true find of the day however, was in the pharmacy department, as there was a large sale on disinfectants and general painkillers. For some reason, John felt as though those might become very important soon, so he stocked up on those and some bandages. They even had some Epinephrine, which could be useful to counter allergic reactions. He decided to get some of those as well, since Jane had a serious wasp allergy.
#d100+6 = 101#store interaction
He was interrupted from his shopping by a young woman however. "E-excuse me, could you help me get the painkillers?" She was little, was the first thing he noticed. Pink hair was the second. He smiled at her. "Of course, which ones?" He'd expected her to point up to one of the higher placed boxes of medicine. However, she got a small red tint out of embarrassment. "I.. I don't really know. She has a high fever and a constant headache, do you have any ideas?" Luckily, John knew exactly what she needed. Reaching to the high placed bottles of Ibuprofen he picked one up and showed it to her. "Pain reliever and fever reducer. Seems to match the symptoms at least." As the awe struck woman grabbed the small bottle like it contained the meaning of life, she started thanking him. "Thank you so much. I didn't know what to do and I couldn't even see these, thank you. My name is Sarah by the way." I'm John. Who do you need them for?" He couldn't help but indulge his curiosity, as she herself didn't seem ill at all. "My mother. She suddenly fell ill a few days ago, it doesn't seem to be that same flue they talk about on the news though. She doesn't cough at all, just the headache and fever. It's been getting worse though, so I decided to get some more meds. There's so much here though, that I didn't know what to get." She said, obviously relieved to talk to someone. John realized she mustn't have had much contact ever since she started taking care of her mother. "Well, can't go wrong with Ibuprofen, helps a ton with pretty much anything. I use them instead of paracetamol myself." He said, trying to re-assure the woman.
Over the course of the following conversation, he learned that she was from Oumville, which was pretty close to Ashford, but she'd come to the city to take care of her mother. She'd been lonely though, missing her husband and young daughter, her mother not being able to hold a conversation for any length of time. However, by the end of your conversation she seemed revitalized, and she flashed him a happy smile when they finally split up after exchanging phone numbers.
+3 charisma gained!
It didn't take John long to pay for his purchases and load them into the truck before heading towards the city. Let's see if Eddie has already had time to head to the police station. He thought as he drove off.
100+4 = 43 #bearstate
After he arrived at his friend's place, which was pretty close to the city centre, he was quickly greeted by the familiar sight of Eddie's slightly balding head. "Hey man, what's up? Oh right, you're probably here for this." He started grinning as he pulled out a bunch of notes and counted out about half of them before handing the stack to John. 1500 oneiros, he realized after counting it quickly. "They must've been really worried about that bear to have a bounty that high on it." He said with a small amount of amazement in his voice while heading inside. Eddie looked at him with a sheepish smile. "The actual bounty was higher.. A lot higher. But because we damaged the bear so much they lowered the reward. Guess they wanted to sell it or something." "Sell it? You mean they took the bear?" John felt a stab of panic as he realized what that might mean. "Yeah, what else did you expect, that we'd be allowed to keep it? They probably planned to make a profit of the thing you know." Well, it made sense to John. That didn't mean he was happy though, he'd promised Jane a bear skin rug and she'd never let him forget it if he didn't come through.
After he told Eddie as much, the man wouldn't stop laughing. "No no no, I'm not laughing at you. This is desperation, you see? I'll have to be the one delivering your eulogy after all." He laughed as tears almost dripped down his cheeks. On some level it annoyed him, on most others he could appreciate Eddie for who he was.
d100 + 6 = 94 #eddie
You decide to hang out with Eddie for a bit, celebrating the victory over the bear and the acquired prize money. Most of your conversation ends up being about Jane, but both of your jobs come up as well. "You know, I'm considering calling in sick tomorrow. It's just too risky with everything that's going on right now." He says, and John remembers what Jane told him. "I can get that, might not be a bad idea. Jane suggested as much as well, she thinks they are hiding something." "They? Who do you mean? The government?" He sounded sarcastical as he said it, but at the serious look on his friend's face he backpedalled pretty quickly. "That's crazy John.. If there was actually something dangerous going on then they'd tell us. It's their duty, right?" He sounded more like he was trying to reassure himself rather than his friend though. "I don't know man, but regardless, I got a bunch of stuff today. Food and meds mostly. Just going to be trying to be ready for it, whatever it is." Eddie nodded thoughtfully at John's words. "I suppose I'll do that as well tomorrow, the stores will be closing soon anyway. Not really worth going now." He responded. John nodded satisfied.
"You know, whatever happens. We'll always hang out together right? We're a team." John had rarely seen Eddie as serious before as he was now. He could only nod in response. "Of course, we're friends for life. Brothers." Eddie nodded in response, clearly satisfied by his words. Lifting his beer up in a parody of a salute. "To friends for life." And then he chugged the rest of it down. "I hope you don't expect me to follow up." John joked, looking down at his hot coffee, though he did raise it in response to his friends toast. He was answered with laughter.
Sooner than any of them expected, evening hit and it was about time for John to head home. Saying his goodbyes to both Eddie and his mother he headed home. Still stunned by the low amount of traffic he was seeing. Eddie had said there wasn't anything bad on the news though, so maybe it was just because it was a sunday?
Regardless, he made it to his home relatively quick. About twenty five minutes was good time from the city center to home in his book. Quickly picking up Rex at the neighbour's place he wasn't surprised to find the dog passed out on her couch. She might seem old, but she could run the barely pup ragged somehow. Mrs Morrison herself appeared to be in a good mood and insisted he take some more cookies home. Not one to object to free food, John graciously accepted without hesitation and wished her a good night after thanking her.
He had barely stepped inside the house however, when he felt his cell phone give its telltale rumble. Quickly picking up, he held the device near his ear. "John here." It was silent for a moment. A long moment. Then, he heard the familiar voice of his wife. "I'm stuck here." John felt as though he had been struck by lightning. Stuck, on the other side of the country. Almost seven hundred miles separated him and his wife, and for some reason, rather than her being on her way home, she said she was stuck? "Jane, what do you mean, stuck?" "They've locked down all public transport. No busses, trains or aircraft are actually working. I can't come home like this." It was worse than he thought. He'd already fostered hope against hope that it'd just be a money issue, which they could have solved easily enough. But this.. this was so much worse. "John, are you there?" She sounds so vulnerable. He thought as he assured her he was still there. "You said it's public transport. What about a taxi?" "Over that distance? Even so, I haven't seen any of those either. They're not that common around here though." "So that might be a way." John grasped at the small chance. "Otherwise, what about buying a car and driving?" He could almost hear the relief in her voice when she responded. "That could work." He nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "Let's hope so. There's always options, whatever is going on." "Yeah, alright. What do we do?" John felt pride swell within him at the confidence he could now feel from her.
(pick one)
[] Stay there, I'm coming to get you. You'll be starting a long journey across the country to get your wife while she tries to make things work there.
[] Whatever happens, we can hold out at the house for a long time. Do you think you can make it here? You'll be trying to make things work in Ashford while Jane heads there.
(pick one again)
If you decide to leave, how do you spend the evening preparing?
[] Gather food and essentials in the truck, leave immediately.
[] Gather food and essentials in the truck, leave in the morning.
[] Write in?
(or pick one in this list)
If you decide to stay, how do you spend your evening?
[] Read a book on rifle maintenance (trait gain)
[] Read a book on cooking with a budget (trait gain)
[] Train Rex (chance of Rex being more trained, dog trainer experience+)
[] Write in?
100 = 84 #???, DC 65[
Not that far away from John's dilemma, Sarah was crying. Even though her day in general had been going pretty well, even meeting that nice man in the (S)mart, it had all turned to ash. Not long after she had returned, the medicine she had gotten appeared to work. Her mother had been getting better and she was so happy. They even talked for a while. However, shortly after dinner her mother had fallen asleep and when Sarah had checked on her about an hour later she hadn't been breathing. Sarah had collapsed at first. Now she was just sitting on the couch, trying to make sense of the events that had lead to her mother's death.
It is quite understandable then, that when her mother's eyes opened once again behind her, Sarah didn't notice.
Yeah, so it begins. You have some big choices ahead of you right now, and they will greatly impact the quest in general.
Hell is about to break loose, and you'll need to figure out a few key things:
What are your goals?
How will you achieve them?
How are you going to not die?
I would greatly suggest discussing that in here while or before casting your vote.
Essentially, it's about time for you guys to come up with a game plan.
The first decision, obviously, will be whether to fortify or to seek safety in mobility.
If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to throw them at me, I'm here to answer them after all.
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