turnout | WEEK 1

WEEK 1

WEEK ONE

!
the beginning of the end

That’s what’s playing on repeat on a tape recorder, when the survivors come to.

Characters will find themselves in a humble, American townhouse, which other than being a bit dusty, is still mostly clean. All characters will be sprawled out on the floor and furniture of the living room, in front of what looks to be a giant portal. Characters will also notice they have a seemingly indestructible silver wristband around their wrists, and they have nothing with them but the clothes on their back.

Take a look around, and you'll realize that everyone in the room is likely a stranger. Aside from the tape playing, there's little explanation or proof that what's being said to you is even true. For all you know, one of the people in the room could be responsible for you being suddenly taken here.

Exploring the house's many rooms will reveal that there are small stockpiles food, water, weapons (a few guns, a few bats, a few knives), and maps, along with a large, strange container of blue liquid. The maps all chart a route from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and sport detailed recommended time stamps on them. Strangely, the recommended path occasionally diverges into two separate routes.

Upon searching the house, Haru Okumura finds a set of notes, while Leontuzzo Bellone finds a separate set. They are free to keep these notes to themselves, or share them with the group.

Nothing has anyone's names on it — not the notes, and certainly not the supplies. Everyone will have to compete for the same things. Or maybe all of you can be civilized about this, before anyone goes hoarding weapons and food? Maybe you can even introduce yourselves, while you're at it. For some strange reason, every window and door in this place is locked (and impossible to break), and will be for at least 72 hours, as if someone wanted you all to be cooped up together for a time before heading out.

Most interestingly, in the deepest basement of the house, there's a room with a large, heavy dresser shoved in front of it… and a low moaning and banging emanating from the other side. The door’s slightly ajar, and a closer look reveals a zombie is the source of the sound. Context clues around the basement, like the PhD in interdimensional travel hung up on the wall (for a Dr. Bei), hint that the woman inside is whoever left you this cryptic message - the woman who brought you here, allegedly. But she's long long gone, only this monster left in her wake. It seems she was smart enough to lock herself away to prevent you from being harmed, at least... and it'll give you a preview of the threat that looms outside.

sewer diving

After 72 hours have passed, one and only one door unlocks – in the very same basement that the zombie of Dr. Bei can be found. It leads down to a dark, dingy tunnel that connects to the sewers. Not only is the smell awful, but (non-infected) rats scurry about, keeping to the shadows – but the smell of any of the food you've taken from the house will attract them. Careful!

The party will need to create some light to navigate their way out and keep the rats at bay, or they’ll be bumping around in the dark for quite a while. Now might be a good time to share if you have some matches, or a special talent for being a lantern. Mercifully, there's only one exit that actually opens down in this labyrinth, as if it's a route the Doctor designed to take all the time.

At one point, Puppy falls into the sewage, and loses something they brought from the house.

oh! that's a baseball

Once characters make it out of the sewers, they’ll be a day’s travel to the first mark on the party’s map: “Dodger’s Stadium.” The road they’ll have to hike to get there is winding, curvy, and uphill, which will give the party a good overview of the now dilapidated Los Angeles, along with the many abandoned buildings and cars that litter the place. The stadium itself looks to have been cleared of threats and fashioned into a safe spot a long time ago, as all entrances but one have been completely welded shut. The high walls keep zombies out, and the winding path up here deters most of them from even approaching.

Inside the stadium, there’s some baseball merch (and equipment) to scavenge, not to mention some really old peanuts! Delicious. Maybe there are even some old fireworks laying around this place. Setting up camp here won’t be very comfortable… but at least it’s very safe. A luxury the party won’t have for much longer, if the map is anything to go by. You'll be heading through the city, next, so rest up while you can.

!
week one objectives

➤ make acquaintances with your fellow travelers
➤ decide what to do with the zombie of dr. bei
➤ arm yourself with what you can find
➤ scavenge some portable food from the house and while traveling
➤ make camp at the stadium

code

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

the beginning of the end.

[Henry spends his first few hours trying his best to stay away from everyone here, uncertain about why he finds himself unwittingly moved from the lab to a house full of… strangers. He’s constantly, constantly tugging at the silver wristband clamped around his wrist, or trying to pry open doors or shatter windows with his powers — absolutely to no avail.

At some point, when he's gathered up enough courage, he approaches someone and says, jaw set—]

Is this— is this another experiment? Where’s Dr. Brenner?

[Later, garnering even more courageousness, he sets to explore the house. He finds a bottle of painkillers, bottled water, and a baseball bat—which he will claim for himself if no one else fights him for it—and… a strange container of blue liquid?

He holds it up, warily—]

Is this… important? Can we drink it?

[LATER LATER, who wants to go explore the basement? Henry is looking cautiously down the steps leading to that gloomy space, murmuring to himself.]

I hear noises down there.

sewer diving.

[IT’S DARK IT’S DARK IT’S DARK AND IT STINKS DOWN HERE… Who has a light? Not Henry, which is why he’s stumbling forward after misstepping, grasping onto the back of someone’s shirt.

Or he’s just deadass reaching out to grab your hand.]

Sorry, I can’t see anything down here.

oh! that’s a baseball

[Henry’s feeling peckish once they all make it to the baseball stadium, and though they have rations between them, maybe there’s some food here that’s kept? Not likely, but you never know.

He finds an old pack of peanuts, though, and makes a face.]

Oh. No.

[That’s a nope on the peanuts apparently.

Maybe later you need help with setting up camp? Here’s an anxious teen, standing and watching, fussing with the sleeve of his shirt.]

Do you need help?

[Reiju, in turn, spends that time observing for the most part. This is a very different environment from where she was mere hours ago, and she's drinking in the details as she goes with a neutral expression that loosens at Henry's approach.

What a thing to be asked.]

I don't know. Is Dr. Brenner your director?

[This woman is very... pink. This is not an inherently bad thing, but Henry thinks the people here look so unlike those he's used to seeing. He doesn't know what to make of it.

He tries not to stare, blinking, then casting his look askance, trying to figure out how to answer that.]

Director? He... he's in charge of the lab. [So, yes, technically, but-] ...You really don't know who he is?

!the beginning of the end

oh! that's a baseball

!week one objectives

no subject

the beginning

no subject

sewers.

no subject

the beginning!

no subject

setting up camp

no subject

explore the basement;

no subject

oh! that's a baseball

no subject

!
the beginning of the end

!
week one objectives