WEEK 1

[biteys]

WEEK ONE

❝Don’t panic. You’re waking up somewhere unfamiliar, but try to relax. You aren’t dead, and I don’t have any intention to harm you. You’ve just been selected for a very special mission. A delivery, I guess. I’d do it myself but… let’s just say I can’t travel in the state I’m in. Take the blue container I’ve left to where I’ve marked on the maps within eight weeks, and you’ll be able to go home happy. More than, really. Any time or place you want to go… I can send you there. It's kinda my thing. Think of it as your payment. Everything else you need to know, I’ll tell you in time. Know that I’m sorry that I had to resort to this, and I’ll pay for my sins in Hell.❞

!

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

Comments

handgun

[venomnom]

I do.

[Reiju's posture is equally assured and poised as she angles her head in Leontuzzo's direction. Nevertheless, her motions are fluid, bordering on easygoing, when she holds the gun out with the grip pointed toward him. He can have it, if he's so inclined.]

But I admit that it isn't my go-to method in battle.

[rifare]

[ With her not showing any signs of reluctance to share her fine, Leontuzzo doesn't even bother to hide the relief on his face. While he can fight with other weapons if he has to, there's a strong preference on his part for a firearm.

He takes care removing it from her hand, making sure the barrel is not angled towards her at any point, before holstering it at his hip. Arriving with his usual getup at least means he has an easy way of carrying the weapon, though it's a shame he didn't come with his usual, preferred pieces. ]

And what is that? Since you were so generous to me, I would be happy to keep my eye out for something useful to you in turn.

[venomnom]

[Oh, he's glad. A firearm is better off in relaxed hands, so this is good news—more so when he handles it with care for her end.]

If you find a canister with a zero on it, would you return it to me? Otherwise, I was trained to wield a sword.

[It's a tertiary method at best, but it'll do if she's in need of the variety.]

[rifare]

"A canister with a zero on it"? I see... I'll take a look, but if it is something you had on you before now, I don't know if you should get your hopes up.

[ He's just basing it on the fact that none of his paraphernalia was on his person at the time of coming to, but it seems like the things in this house belonged in this house before their arrival as well. ]

But I will also see what I can do about that sword.

[ Nothing is what he can do, but he's from a world where they're more common to find too, so he's making the bad assumption that since there are guns to find here, there are probably also swords. ]

[venomnom]

[She nods. If he says so, it'd be more realistic for her to accept the loss. It's no skin off her nose if somebody else picks it up, anyhow—inconvenient though it might be.

So far, he seems earnest.]

Thank you. Are you missing something of yours, too?

[rifare]

[ She takes things remarkable well, which is good to see all things considered. He expects after a thorough search of the house he'll be disappointing her when he shows up empty handed, after all. ]

I am, though thanks to you I at least have something to stand in for what I lost.

[ His hand rests on the belt his new gun is hanging off of. ]

[venomnom]

[She glances down at the belt. Had he visited this corner a little earlier, he would've gotten the prize first.]

Will it be enough? There are only so many bullets.

[rifare]

[ True, but luck is part of life, isn't it? He won't begrudge her for having better luck, and thus making him feel just a teensy bit indebted to her.

The question has his ears twisting back though as he looks down at the gun. Strange circumstances with a mission that feels like it's missing too many details, and no good sense of what state the world around them is in.

He really does have to wonder if it will be. ]

That's a very good question. I suppose I'll be finding out eventually.

[venomnom]

[His ears betray his apprehension. She can hardly fault him for it when she has so many misgivings of her own.]

That seems to be the case for all of us. The information provided to us so far has been sparse.

[Regardless of how they equip themselves, they're all nearly blind to the whole picture.]

[rifare]

[ That gets a thoughtful hum out of him as he starts to move around the room they're both in, looking for more useful items while they're chatting. ]

It would have been nicer to have been left more instructions and explanations.

[venomnom]

[She stays put, opting instead to glean their surroundings while he searches more carefully.]

A job is only as good as its contract. Unfortunately, we're rather lacking on that front. [Moreover . . . ] It must be a difficult mission for there to be so many of us.

[rifare]

[ It's fine, she'll at least be able to see what he's doing as he opens drawers and rummages through them.

Assuming there is anything in some of those drawers in the first place. It seems to be a fairly slim pickings overall. ]

With how little we are being given to work with, I have no doubt about that.

[venomnom]

. . . On the other hand, all of us were selected based on some sort of criteria. [That should count for something.] I believe it would be in our best interests to familiar ourselves with one another's skillset.

[rifare]

[ Leon's fingers twitch for a moment at the impulse to reach into his pocket for the note he found, but he doesn't, not for now. ]

It may not be a bad idea. For my own part I have already admitted to at least one of my skills. My others are far more... clerical, so I don't know how much that will help in what we're being asked to do.

[venomnom]

You're organized. That could prove valuable in the future.

[Structure is important. After all, they'll be out for weeks.]

I'm a mercenary, so my suitability lies in combat.

[rifare]

If it does, I'll be happy to use that skill in whatever way I can.

[ Though he sounds a little doubtful at the moment. ]

Your skills, I think, will be more immediately valuable.

[venomnom]

We'll know for certain once we embark on the mission.

[Who knows what's lurking out there? They'll have to stock up accordingly, too. There are too many of them—extra hands to arm and mouths to feed.]

Can you cook?

[rifare]

[ Oh, this comes with the heaviest of sighs. ]

With the ingredients I have seen so far? Nothing that could really be considered food.

[ The disdain in his voice. Someone is a bit of a food snob. ]

I am sure I could make something that could sustain us well enough though.

[venomnom]

[Oh?]

Please do. I have little experience when it comes to cooking.

[She hasn't made a single dish in her entire life.]

[rifare]

[ This wasn't exactly the role he expected to take on, but he supposes someone needs to be able to. They may not always have convenient (ugh) canned goods and premade food available to them.

At least whatever Leon makes will probably be more palatable than Sigewinnie's rat. ]

I suppose I can... Unless someone else among us is more eager to try their hand at it.

[venomnom]

[Let the poor rats live.]

Of course, if there's someone more suitable and willing, the task should fall on them. If there isn't, I'm sure we can come up with an arrangement. After all, it won't do to starve before we reach our destination.

[rifare]

[ So that may be his role in all of this, huh? There's something painful about the idea of becoming a cook, and not being able to cook a real meal given the scant supplies they have available to them.

The sigh has more to do with that than any real dislike of cooking. ]

No, it would not, no matter what that food may end up being.

[venomnom]

[He keeps commenting on it. Based on his words thus far, it doesn't sound like a simple case of picky eating.]

Does it bother you that much, knowing we won't be eating well?

[rifare]

[ He's a little bit picky... More than anything though he's spoiled when it comes to food. He literally had an employee that cut up his apples for him.

This is probably not the most reassuring thing to hear about a guy one is going to embark on a dangerous adventure with. ]

I can't say I am pleased by it, but I suppose it is not the worst thing that will have happened to me.

[ There is skepticism in his voice as he says that though. ]

[venomnom]

[He's valid.

At least he's willing to eat. There are people Reiju knows who would rather starve.]

If we're lucky, simple meals will be the most of our troubles.