A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Unlocked with ; Unlocked with a stranger 1 - you have 1

The sky is blue and cloudless and filled with dust...

Pinned

Pinned


From a Certain Perspective

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 1 - you have 1

A woman just off the platform -- she's wearing an apron; it reads Butterloaf Bakery -- cries: fresh hot bread from the oven!—

Pinned

Pinned


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Platform #1

The train platform in Amarillo. The number is a dry local joke; there's hardly enough traffic for one platform, let alone several.

The sky is blue and cloudless and filled with dust.

It's the first thing you notice: how billowing and unbroken it is, how it stings your eyes after the warm blackness behind your eyelids.

There must be a hundred boots kicking up sand. The platform square is filled with people, faces baked brown and chapped by the wind, all of them wearing white cotton shirts and dresses and leather vests and silk ties dusted brown and stained and carefully cleaned of forgotten mud from brief sweet rains. All of their hands rough from the rough country.

The town -- place and people -- is alive.

Pinned

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You Know This Place

This dry sea of faces is familiar. You know this place. But your memory is fogged over, a vast blank dusty plain, and even remembering its name is a struggle.


From a Certain Perspective

A woman just off the platform -- she's wearing an apron; it reads Butterloaf Bakery -- cries: fresh hot bread from the oven! Beside her a man is banging a ladle on a wooden bucket almost slopping over with water. Water a nickel apiece! Three ladles for a dime!

You realize gradually that you're sitting on a long wooden bench. It creaks slightly in the hot breeze; you shift and its fat legs crunch and shift in the gravel. The platform overhang is the only shade for fifty yards in any direction. The train is long gone. You can't remember any details.

The horizon is about a thousand miles away. Spotless, uninhabited. The sky is incredibly wide.

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Absence

You can catalog all the things in sight -- the dust and the watercarriers and the bakers and buskers with cracked voices and the cattails growing in the still persistent water under the parched gasping boards of Platform #1; the silk ties worn thin by frontier life and the absence of silkworms anywhere this side of the Wall, the rough cotton fibers that make up every dress and shirt and pair of trousers worn by the tanned chapped people of Amarillo --

And still, at the end of your list, you'll find you've left a place unviewed because your own personal lens is unidirectional, unreflective.

The only thing missing here is you.


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The View from Inside

Amarillo swirls around you. From your elevated place on the long wooden bench at Platform #1 you can look down on most of the city: its hard dusty people and broad streets and red brick buildings. There are worse places in the desert. Distantly, you think you might have been to some.

Then the realization: you know Amarillo but not yourself. Not your face. Not the pattern of stubble on your chin or the muscles and skin and bones under the shirt you don't recall buttoning up.

Not your name.

Cold sweat pricks everywhere on your unfamiliar skin.

Your character in Zero Summer is A MAN WITH NO NAME: the Protagonist. A lot of Zero Summer is choosing how to define him -- in relation to his forgotten past and uncertain future, navigating by your own bright moral stars.

You won't have much to work with at first: just the clothes on his back and a sense, maybe vague, maybe growing, of the person you want him to be.

But stick with it and we promise, you'll find the Protagonist looking more and more like his own living, breathing self again.

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


Opportunities

Draw cards from here to raise your Styles, meet your Allies, and risk your Antagonists.

Lost in Amarillo

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 2 - you have 2; Unlocked with  - you have 1

Parched streams of people flow around you, over the platform and through the square and up the avenues leading into the city...

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Pinned


Lost in Amarillo

Parched streams of people flow around you, over the platform and through the square and up the avenues leading into the city. No one takes note of you.

A quick motion just off the platform draws your eye: a stick-thin boy has just snatched a roll out of the Butterloaf basket and taken off running.

Not five feet out, the boy trips over a loose stone -- and then the Butterloaf woman is on him, dragging and shaking him until the stolen roll drops to the ground.

The boy shakes free and runs off. The Butterloaf woman picks up the roll and wipes it with her sleeve.

The first time you try to play this card, its branches will be locked. That's because you don't meet their Quality requirements.

(Any time you want to see a branch's Quality requirements, hover your cursor over the small square icons next to the Locked/Go button.)

To play either of these branches, you need to raise your A Stranger Quality to 4. Try playing a few cards from the Opportunity deck and see if that helps.

Note: not all branches are visible when you fail to meet their Minimums -- although all the branches on this Storylet are.

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The Miserable Ones

Look at the boy! Forty pounds if he's an ounce, and glassy-eyed from hunger. And look at the Butterloaf woman's forearms: muscles like boa constrictors from kneading dough, and the cold appraising eye of a lifelong seller of commodities. Surely the boy didn't deserve what he got. Not over a fistful of bread. Not with his ribs stuck out so far and his stomach indrawn like the hollow of a dead tree.

            4
            You need a stranger 4 (you have 1)

            4
            Unlocked with a stranger 4 - you have 1

Seems About Right

It seems about right, what happened to the boy. The Butterloaf woman probably has a family to feed, and if everyone just helped themselves, she and her children would starve. And there's this: despite the coldness of her eyes, her face has a kind softness to it. The boy could have asked for the roll, and who knows what would have happened?


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

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Pinned

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Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


Your Real Actual Pockets

The trousers you're wearing are rugged indigo twill, faded on the insides of the legs from -- what?

A memory stirs: a rich sweaty animal smell; a sense of acceleration and control.

Horseback riding. Your pants are worn from the saddle. And there's this: your left pocket bulges slightly, inviting attention.

Rummage Around

Whatever's in your pocket isn't very large. And it's warm to the touch, even through the fabric of your jeans, even warmer than your own personal skin. Metal, then?


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The Breadcrumbs of Memory

In your pocket is a hollow metal cylinder half the length of your thumb, warmed and pliable from soaking up the sun and your own personal heat. The cylinder is capped on one end and smells like the Fourth of July.

In Zero Summer, your progress is controlled by your Qualities. Think of them as a cross between statistics in a traditional role-playing game and road signs to show where you are in the story.

The most important Qualities in Zero Summer are your three Styles, which together represent how talented and practiced the Protagonist is.

You've just gained 1 point in Gunslinger. Gunslinger represents your physical capacity: how far you can run, jump, swim -- and, of course, how well you handle a gun.

0 change points, 2 more needed to reach level 2.

An occurrence! Your 'Gunslinger' Quality is now 1!

You started with a quality called "A Stranger", which has just changed to level 2. This will unlock more stories.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


Lost in Amarillo

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 2 - you have 2; Unlocked with  - you have 2

Pinned

Pinned

Rough and Tumble

Your shirt is bleached white cotton, rough to the touch and stiff in the collar...

The Love Song of Amarillo, Texas

A woman is sweeping the dusty thirsty boards of Platform #1...


Pinned

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Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


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A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


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Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


Version

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


Version

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Sweet Home Amarillo

Sunny old Amarillo! A dusty frontier boom-town they used to call the Yellow Rose of Texas. A hundred miles in every direction is sand and worse; a thousand miles west of the Wall. Literally the last stop on the Rio Sur line. Population a few thousand or fewer, all of them armed. Although -- a memory twinges -- not all of them with guns. Not many guns in this gunslinger town. Not a place for soft or idle hands. Nor one for the slow or sweet.

But still it lives, and thrives, and struggles sweating in the dust and sun.

Zero Summer is a story-driven game about identity and choice. The game is played with cards (also called Storylets). Each card is a cycle of events: something happens, you choose how to act or react, your choice determines the outcome.

This card came from the Pinned deck. All the available Pinned cards are always laid out face-up. Soon you'll have access to the Opportunity deck, which you pick from blindly in sets of three.

Drawing a hand from the Opportunity deck costs an Action. So does playing a Pinned card. You can never have more than 30 Actions at once -- so be sure to use them when you hit the cap!

You have moved to a new area: Platform #1: In the Beginning

You moved to a new setting: Amarillo: in the Beginning.

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

You've upgraded to Zero Summer version 1.1!


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


From a Certain Perspective

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Lost in Amarillo

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


Version

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Lost in Amarillo

Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed


Version

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a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Love Song of Amarillo, Texas

A woman is sweeping the dusty thirsty boards of Platform #1. She looks maybe fifty years old, blonde hair going gray, hands crooked with a lifetime of work in the bone-dry desert. She's humming a song.

Knowing and Unknowing

The tune flutters at the edge of your recall like a moth at a kerosene lamp. You could reach out and take it, that fluttering unknown, if only you stretch a little.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


An Older, Harsher Voice

You close your eyes and concentrate. Out of the black past floats a memory: a blonde woman, young and pretty with a voice like a clear high bell, standing on a stage and singing the same song the sweeper-woman is humming. The song wasn't hers originally, the blonde's; she'd cribbed it from an older, harsher voice. The name of the song comes to you: Come On Up to the House. Tom Waits wrote it.

The sweeper-woman looks up briefly; your eyes meet. You realize she's mouthing the lyrics, making little subvocal sounds; you strain your ears and just make out a part of the chorus -- there's nothing in the world that you can do. Suddenly all the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and prickle. The lonely desert air no longer seems quite so warm.

In Zero Summer, your progress is controlled by your Qualities. Think of them as a cross between statistics in a traditional role-playing game and road signs to show where you are in the story.

The most important Qualities in Zero Summer are your three Styles, which together represent how talented and practiced the Protagonist is.

You've just gained 1 point in Doc. Doc represents your mental capacity: how well you can think, learn, and research your way out of trouble.

An occurrence! Your 'Doc' Quality is now 1!


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Doc

Mental Style.


Pinned

Pinned

Your Real Actual Pockets

The trousers you're wearing are rugged indigo twill, faded on the insides of the legs from -- what?


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Rough and Tumble

Your shirt is bleached white cotton, rough to the touch and stiff in the collar. The shirt of somebody who in a pinch wouldn't mind getting sweaty or rolling in the dust if that's what was needed.

In Your Breast Pocket

And in your breast pocket is buttoned something flat and broad. A folded sheet of paper?


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Practical and Clear-Eyed

In fact it's a letter -- a fragment of a letter. Most of the ink's by a deep red stain that smells dry and sharp and stirs a memory. Someone spilled wine on your shirt; you had to change into the one you're wearing now. The spill wasn't that long ago; the letter's still a little wet.

Not much of the text was spared. An early sentence reads, "New York is a wet stinking place I've learned to hate..." And another near the end: "Practical and clear-eyed: wasn't that always what you liked best? But not it seems when it comes to Arnie."

In Zero Summer, your progress is controlled by your Qualities. Think of them as a cross between statistics in a traditional role-playing game and road signs to show where you are in the story.

The most important Qualities in Zero Summer are your three Styles, which together represent how talented and practiced the Protagonist is.

You've just gained 1 point in Cityslicker. Cityslicker represents your social capacity: how well you can charm, chatter, fast-talk and double-deal your way through the new American frontier.

You started with a quality called "A Stranger", which has just changed to level 3. This will unlock more stories.

An occurrence! Your 'Cityslicker' Quality is now 1!


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Lost in Amarillo

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 2 - you have 2; Unlocked with  - you have 3

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


You started with a quality called "A Stranger", which has just changed to level 4. This will unlock more stories.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Lost in Amarillo

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 2 - you have 2; Unlocked with a stranger 4 - you have 4

Parched streams of people flow around you, over the platform proper and through the square and up the avenues leading into Amarillo proper...

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Lost in Amarillo

Parched streams of people flow around you, over the platform proper and through the square and up the avenues leading into Amarillo proper. Not one person notices you -- not a single one, not a single glance. A quick motion just off the platform draws your eye: a stick-thin boy has just snatched a roll out of the Butterloaf basket and taken off running.

Before anyone can react, the boy trips over a loose stone -- and then the Butterloaf woman is on him, dragging him out of the dust and shaking him until the stolen roll drops to the ground. The boy shakes free and runs off, rubbing his neck as he goes, while the Butterloaf woman picks up the roll, wipes it with her sleeve and goes back to hawking to the crowd.

Pinned

Pinned

The Miserable Ones

Look at the boy! Forty pounds if he's an ounce, and glassy-eyed from hunger. And the Butterloaf woman's forearms: muscles like boa constrictors from kneading dough! Surely the boy didn't deserve what he got. Not over a fistful of bread. Not with his stomach indrawn like the hollow of a dead tree.

            4
            You need a stranger 4 (you have 4)

            4
            Unlocked with a stranger 4 - you have 4

Seems About Right

It seems about right, what happened to the boy. The Butterloaf woman probably has a family to feed, and if everyone just helped themselves, she and her children would starve. And there's this:  her face does have a certain kindness to it. The boy could have asked for the roll, and who knows what would have happened?


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


Paladin

The Miserable Ones

            4
            You need a stranger 4

            4
            Unlocked with a stranger 4

What happened with the boy and the Butterloaf woman was wrong. The world might be hard place, but your heart doesn't match it -- at least not yet.

Zero Summer tracks the Protagonist's moral compass with two Qualities: Paladin and Man in Black.

You've just gained your first point in Paladin, which represents compassion and a respect for peoples' rights.

When you gain points in Paladin or Man in Black, you'll lose an equal number of points from the opposing Quality. It's possible to have both Qualities, but you probably won't have them in equal amounts.

A twist in your tale! You are now Paladin.

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

Your "A Stranger" quality has gone. Welcome to the world!


Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Man in the Stetson

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 3 - you have 3

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Man in the Stetson

Someone coughs politely.

Only now does it become clear that you aren't alone on the bench and haven't been for -- how long? A little while. Maybe longer.

Sitting next to you is a man in a brown leather vest and dusty white Stetson. He's cleaning his nails with a knife.

"You were out for awhile there," the man says. "Looks like somebody caught you upside the head with a gun. And you were snoring. Think of that. Haven't slept like that in years."

He smiles. It doesn't reach his eyes.

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Pinned

The Friendly Approach

Yes, it's a strange way to say hello, and yes, you don't know him from Adam, but the Man in the Stetson is about the only person in Amarillo so far who's even noticed you.

A Thousand Things

You don't know this man. You don't know his name, or what he's about. And you don't know what he's doing here at the station. He might have been the one who hit you. He might a grifter or a thousand other things, none of them good.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Smart or Cunning

You give the Man in the Stetson a long once-over. He's tanned and dressed like a local: dusty clothes, rough hands. But not as sticky-sweaty -- he's been in the shade awhile. Knows how to smile without smiling. Smart or cunning or both, meaning dangerous. But a potential ally if he's friendly.

Without warning, the Man in the Stetson grabs your right hand and pumps it up and down, extra-hard, as if saying: look, it's fine -- alright?

"You're thinking I don't like or trust you," he says. "Or maybe you don't like or trust me. But that lump on your head says maybe you don't know your own name. Yes?"

You don't have a good reply. His smile widens: confidence, and a real spark of warmth.

"Then you can have mine. Warren Castillo. From the Jackrabbits. At the Burrow and Briar?" A short pause. "Don't worry about it. You'll get it all back, name and all. Just give it time."

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Version

Game version number.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Going Home

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 4 - you have 4

The morning crowd at Platform #1 has started to thin; the watercarriers are gone to their wells, the bankers to the Wall Market, the laborers to their fields...

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Going Home

The morning crowd at Platform #1 has started to thin; the watercarriers are gone to their wells, the bankers to the Wall Market, the laborers to their fields.

Warren gives your hand a final pump, stands and stretches. "Partner, the smart money says you don't have anywhere to go. I'm headed home to the Burrow. You're welcome if you like."

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No Way but Forward

You don't have a whole lot of options. And Warren seems decent. This doesn't have to be forever, but it's a good start for now.

Your Way in the World

It's a tempting offer given it's the only one on the table, but you can make your own way in the world. You don't know Warren, and there's got to be other doors open to you here somewhere. All you need is time to find them.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Homey; Authentic

Warren claps you on the shoulder.

"Good man," he says. "You'll love it there. Really homey. Authentic. And the chili's not bad. Old Pinkie makes it with real cow."

You have moved to a new area: Burrow and Briar: In the Beginning

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Version

Game version number.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Burrow and Briar

A short walk into the heart of Amarillo brings you to an intersection you dimly recognize as <i>suburban</i>...

An Unexpected Rabbit

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 6 - you have 6; Unlocked with

Into the front door of the house on Burrow and Briar is carved a rabbit...

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Burrow and Briar

A short walk into the heart of Amarillo brings you to an intersection you dimly recognize as suburban. Two story houses with largeish front yards line the streets.

But the picture isn't quaint or lovely; the paint on the houses is flaking and every roof looks like a patchwork quilt of new tile, old tile, cardboard and uncured wood. The yards are yellow and brown and probably snake-infested.

Warren stops at an intersection. One street sign reads Burrow Street. The other reads Briar Lane.

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Home Again

"Home again, home again," says Warren cheerfully. "Jiggity-jig."

He leads you to a broken-down house on the corner with no paint at all, just brown wood and insulation poking out here and there. The door has a rabbit carved into it at eye level.

On the roof, you spot a small wooden attic hatch. In fact several of the houses you've seen have them. A memory stirs: a plummy drawl explaining that hierophantic means something that clearly means... something, but you don't know what. The hatches are hierophantic; you don't have any idea what they're for.

Warren knocks three times in quick succession, pauses, repeats twice.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Jackrabbits

The moment the final knock is struck, the door is hauled inward. Hands reach out from inside and grab first Warren, then you. You're dragged inside before you know what's happening. The door is slammed and locked behind you; the heavy bolt sounds particularly grim.

Your eyes take a moment to adjust to the unlit gloom. When they do, you find you're standing in what was clearly once a very nice living room. Now it's stuffed to overflow with couches, chairs, ottomans, loungers -- the works. Most of them are occupied, mostly with men, all of whom look carved from teak and unfriendly as hell.

Except Warren himself, whose face has gone all hundred-watt smile.

"Welcome to our little spot. These are the Jackrabbits. Say howdy, Jackrabbits." Warren nudges you. "Say howdy yourself."

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Version

Game version number.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


First Impressions

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 7 - you have 7

The Jackrabbits look at you with the slow deliberateness of snakes...

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Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


First Impressions

The Jackrabbits look at you with the slow deliberateness of snakes. Warren introduces a handful; you get the sense they're in charge of -- whatever this is.

"This is "Padre" Charlie" -- an older man with the red shattered nose of a lifetime drinker. His fingertips are stained gray (your heart lurches in your chest -- why?) You eye the dingy white collar around his neck. He smiles briefly at you.

"Mr. Pinkerton, call him Old Pinkie" -- another older man, unsmiling, whip-thin, humorless. He puts you in mind of a starving wasp. In his hands are a whittling knife and a wooden peg.

"And everybody else, that's Jack Ishiguro, that's Miz Nils, that's her dad Mr. Nils back there in the kitchen."

Jack Ishiguro is the first Asian person you've seen in Amarillo; he gives you a little wave. The young petite Miz Nils bobs a curtsy that's completely sarcastic given her ripped jeans, machete and zero nonsense expression.

Everyone watches you expectantly. Jack Ishiguro giggles, high and startling.

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Vinegar

The crowd isn't exactly friendly. Well: you're here now, so you might as well explain.

You tell the Jackrabbits you can't remember your name, but it's just swell to meet them anyway. Nobody is buying it. Everybody looks at Warren.

Honey

You give a warm introduction, shaking hands where available -- that's everybody but Old Pinkie, who stares you down, and Miz Nils, who instead clutches your forearm with all the gentleness of a crocodile.

When they ask your name, you explain you've misplaced it but it'll be along soon. Everybody looks at Warren.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


A Cold Reception

"He was on the train," Warren says. "It got robbed. Somebody caught him a good one upside the head. He can't remember who he is or who hit him. I found him sitting on the platform benches."

The Jackrabbits all nod at Warren's explanation. There's an awkward silence before "Padre" Charlie creaks to his feet; you can actually hear his knees pop, and the joints between his ankles and feet.

 "Well, make yourself at home," Padre Charlie says. "Something about entertaining angels unawares. The kindness of et cetera. Nobody's gonna hit you again here."

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Jack Ishiguro is now your Ally!

Miz Nils is now your Ally!


Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Lay Your Weary Head to Rest

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 8 - you have 8

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Lay Your Weary Head to Rest

A quiet period ensues. You watch the Jackrabbits; they watch you.

"Why don't I get you something to drink?" Jack Ishiguro says, and bounces off to the kitchen. He comes back with a cheap green plastic cup. It's got maybe two fingers of sticky brown liquor in the bottom. "Smells like motor oil and tastes like cat piss, but it'll help you sleep."

You look at the drink. Your stomach lurches.

"Let's get you a bed," Warren suggests.

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Bed Should Be Spelled "Heaven"

So what if it's still early? You feel suddenly, brutally tired, and your head is throbbing to match. Maybe if you nap for a couple days, the world will look a little brighter.

Sleep is for the Weak

Warren's offer is tempting, but your circadian's still ticking sluggishly along. Besides, you hardly know these people. Better mix a little before you settle down.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Sleep is Also for the Weary

Warren shrugs and asks if you're hungry instead. You say you are, then settle into an armchair.

"Padre" Charlie is telling stories about how in the war he was stationed in the Pacific islands and ran into a komodo dragon, "one of those big horrible lizards the size of Dobermans with bites that kill you dead from all the bacteria if they even nip you, and they're territorial, like tomcats in summer, hissing and spitting and making all the noise under God's bright sun..."

You hardly notice yourself sliding down the armchair, chin on your shoulder. Without realizing it, you're sound asleep in just a few minutes, "Padre" Charlie's voice coming from far above you, as if from the mouth of a deep dark well.

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Overnight

Images: dry multicolored leaves carpeting the dark green grass. Inches deep in places are the leaves. Dusty and fragrant. In the distance an elm tree. A silver-haired man in a flannel suit crunches across the leaves toward a younger woman. Long dark curls nearly down to her jeans.

The man has a rifle over his shoulder. He reaches the woman, aims the rifle at the elm tree. A target is hung from a low branch. More holes than paper, the target. The man sights and fires -- pock. Again and again: pock, pock.

The air smells like November. You're dreaming.

You open your eyes. You're in the Jackrabbits' spare room. Through the small window you can see it's the middle of the night. Your boots are still on. From somewhere above you hear: pock, pock.

You may have noticed this card came up without you clicking on anything. Cards which are played automatically are called "Must" cards.

"Must" cards represent things outside your control -- an unexpected fistfight, a dream about leaves in November. They are also used to model dialog and longer events.

There aren't many "Must" cards in Zero Summer. When you draw one, you can be sure something important is happening!

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Check the Window

From the outside, it looked like Burrow and Briar was only two stories with a small attic. The <i>pocks</i> are coming from the attic or the roof. You might do to check outside the window.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Night Sky

You pry open the window and stick your head out. Amarillo past midnight is quiet, even peaceful.

But the sky is a different story. Though there isn't a cloud in sight, the stars seem to boil, winking in and out of view as numberless indistinct black shapes flit back and forth. You have no idea how far up they are -- not the stars, not the shapes.

Over the lip of the roof you can just make out the toe of a boot. The next pock comes with a brief orange flash that kills your night vision. You pull your head back inside. Someone is standing on the roof with a rifle, shooting at -- what?

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Highest Point

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 10 - you have 10

Some part of you stirs at the orange flashes and black boiling sky...

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Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Highest Point

Some part of you stirs at the orange flashes and black boiling sky. You need to get to the roof.

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The Safe Route

At least one other person is on the roof. They probably took the stairs. Stairs seem like a good safe bet.

The Direct Route

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A chancy challenge

The window is already open. The vinyl siding is rotting off the side of the house but the wood underneath looks solid. It's only ten feet up. And the odds of you getting shot are minimal. Probably.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Tense Few Moments

The Direct Route

Physical Style.

A straightforward challenge

You were right about the siding -- it cracks and crumbles at the lightest touch -- but the wood underneath is solid oak and bears your weight uncomplainingly.

It takes less than a minute to haul yourself up to the roof using loose joints between the wood and a shockingly sturdy downspout.

You've got one hand over the lip of the roof when fingers close around your wrist. It's been awhile, you realize, since you heard any pocks.

Strong hands pull you up and dump you onto the shingle.

1 change point, 2 more needed to reach level 3.

Gunslinger has increased to 2!

You succeeded in a Gunslinger challenge!

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Boiling Sky

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 11 - you have 11

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Boiling Sky

Before you stands Old Pinkie. He's wearing very dark blue jeans, a black shirt and a bandana over the lower half of his face. Only his eyes are visible. They watch you calmly before resighting along the length of his rifle, which Old Pinkie angles up at the sky.

Pock.

The sprawling vault of heaven looks like engine oil on blacktop. You wait after the orange flash fades to see whether anything falls onto the roof. Nothing does.

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Ask What's Going On

Old Pinkie seems to be in charge here. Of what, you're not sure. Best to ask.

Observe Quietly

Old Pinkie seems unwilling to talk. Perhaps you should simply watch and learn.


The Silent Treatment

Old Pinkie seems content without conversation. He's standing with his back against the house's broken-down chimey and his feet braced on the gutter. You notice the gutter has been nailed solidly to the roof. That explains the hatch, then; this isn't the first time Old Pinkie's been up here.

1 change point, 1 more needed to reach level 2.

Doc is increasing...

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Certain Kind of Rain

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 12 - you have 12

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Certain Kind of Rain

Time stretches out. The sky simmers and roils. Once or twice every minute, Old Pinkie fires in a high upstretched arc, then methodically reloads. Pock. Pock.

Without warning, one of the oil-black shapes in the sky resolves into a charcoal blur. Old Pinkie tracks it and fires once; as quick as it came, it's gone again, back into the pool above.

Images: black and charcoal gray. Two glassy orbs flecked with starlight. Sinews: fat and opaque here, thinner and venous there. Stiff hairs thick as grass. Rows of sharp white pyramids. Startling pinkness: a broad pointed tongue, darting in and out of view.

Size unknown -- but larger than you.

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Accept What You Can't Change

Old Pinkie seems undisturbed. He's already back to his regular schedule of firing and reloading. Best leave well enough alone.

Eyes Wide Open

Fear is a disease and knowledge is the cure. Old Pinkie seems to think you're safe; he hasn't even moved from his perch. You concentrate on what you saw, sifting the images for meaning.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


White Noise

You force your mind's eye open. Certain images stand out. The shape of the face, the tiny sharp teeth, the pink tongue and veiny wings. It was a bat. The sky is full of bats -- innumerable bats, huge bats, their awful wings obscuring the stars. You suppress a shudder. Fear is the unknown, and now you know what flocks and darts in the sky above.

You've just gained your first points of White Noise, one of Zero Summer's Menaces.

Menaces are negative Qualities which have unpleasant consequences if they get too high. Menaces are never deadly -- but they're never comfortable either.

White Noise measures how exposed you've been to the unnatural world. The real recedes. Your ears fill with static. In time, all will be White Noise.

Doc has increased to 2!

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

0 change points, 3 more needed to reach level 3.

You've gained a new quality: White Noise at 2.


Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


That Good Night

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 13 - you have 13

Eventually you realize nothing else is going to happen...

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


That Good Night

Eventually you realize nothing else is going to happen. The skies will churn, the rifle will flash; the moon will sink onto the western lip of the world. Old Pinkie is paying you zero attention. And with your body sucked dry of adrenaline, you're headed for a crash.

Any time you get a few hours of restful, natural sleep, your Action pool will be refreshed.

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Stick It Out

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

There are still things you don't understand -- about the bats, about why Old Pinkie is shooting at them. This is your best chance to figure them out.

By staying up all night, you forfeit your Action refresh. And you might learn something worth your while -- but then again, you might not.

Sleep It Off

It's been a long night. It could get much longer. It could also get more dangerous. You've learned a lot already, and tomorrow is a new day -- one in which you'll hopefully be better rested.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Bed, Sweet Bed

You wish Old Pinkie a good night -- he doesn't reply, doesn't even look away from his rifle sight -- and slip back down the attic hatch and ladder. The house is still sound asleep; you tiptoe into your bedroom, shut the door quietly, and collapse into bed. The sensation is like falling into a deep black pit where the air is unbelievably, blessedly soft.

Your actions have been refreshed!

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Morning of May 21

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 14 - you have 14

The smell of frying bacon brings you downstairs...

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Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Morning of May 21

The smell of frying bacon brings you downstairs. Some of the Jackrabbits are there -- Jack Ishiguro, "Padre" Charlie, Warren Castillo and a handful of others. They're eating bacon, eggs and toast off of chipped ceramic plates. Warren fetches you one and you sit down to eat. Small talk ensues. No one mentions Old Pinkie or the bats.

After breakfast, Warren takes you aside. The Jackrabbits, he explains, are what you might call a gang. But not a nefarious one! They protect Burrow and Briar Streets from other area toughs. Like the police, Warren says. The Jackrabbits keep the peace when the Pony Express can't.

"And here's the thing," Warren says. "We'd like to help you figure out what happened. On the train. You can stay with us as long as you like. Call it a good deed or charity or whatever. But that's what we're gonna do. We'd like it if you'd help out around here, but your priority numero uno has to be getting your head straight. I'll pitch in. We all will."

There are murmurs and nods all around. You realize some of the Jackrabbits were listening. Jack Ishiguro is smiling, chirpy and birdlike; "Padre" Charlie is more serious, bobbing his head like a dandelion in the breeze.

"What do you say?" says Warren. He's waiting for you to agree. To his help? To the Jackrabbits'?

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Of Course

Of course you'll take their help. What other choice do you have?

A Great Option

Show some enthusiasm! The Jackrabbits have gone out of their way to help you. So what if taking their offer is your only option? It's a <i>great</i> option!


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A New Day

You tell Warren that of course you want the Jackrabbits' help! He grabs your hand and pumps it warmly.

"I think this is the beginning," he says, "of a beautiful friendship." He beams at you, obviously pleased.

So far, you've gained three Allies: Warren Castillo, Jack Ishiguro, and Miz Nils.

Allies are a special kind of Quality. Each Ally has a special card in the Opportunity deck. You can start drawing from the Opportunity deck in just a moment.

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Warren Castillo is now your Ally!


Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Rules of the Game: Plots

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 15 - you have 15

<i><font color=#550000>This is when Zero Summer really begins: your first full day in Amarillo...

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Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Rules of the Game: Plots

This is when Zero Summer really begins: your first full day in Amarillo. But before you get started, there are a few other things you need to understand. Play through the Rules of the Game Storylets to learn more.

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Plots

Zero Summer is a game with multiple narrative threads. We call them Plots. Click here to learn more about them.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


About Plots

There are two kinds of Plots in Zero Summer. They differ in length, mechanics, and what they're doing in the narrative. They are:

- The Main Plot. There's only one of these. The Main Plot is a big part of how you advance through Zero Summer; time won't move on until you've finished the current Main Plot section.

- Subplots. At any given time, you'll be following two Subplots. Subplots are controlled by your Gumption Quality, which can never rise above 2. When you choose to follow a Subplot, your Gumption will drop. Subplots also control whether you can advance through time. You CANNOT see all of Zero Summer's Subplots in one play-through.

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

An occurrence! Your 'Gumption' Quality is now 2!


Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Rules of the Game: Time

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 16 - you have 16

<font color=#550000><i>This is where Zero Summer really begins: your first full day in Amarillo...

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Rules of the Game: Time

This is where Zero Summer really begins: your first full day in Amarillo. But before you get started, there are a few other things you need to understand. Play through the Rules of the Game Storylets to learn more.

Pinned

Pinned

Time

Progress through Zero Summer is closely tied to both the Date and Time of Day. Click below to learn more.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


About Time

Zero Summer measures time with two different Qualities: Date and Time of Day. It might help to think of them as the hour and minute hands on a clock.

Time of Day proceeds from Morning to Afternoon to Night, while Date ticks up every time you play the Advance Time card.

To advance time -- which means changing the Time of Day and Date -- you need to finish a certain amount of content. When you reach the end of your Main Plot and Subplots for a given Date, you'll gain a point in Time to Move On.

Once your Time to Move On is high enough (usually 3), you'll have access to a Pinned card called Advance Time that will allow you to move forward.

We know this is a lot to absorb, but we promise: it's intuitive once you get going, and it's worth it.

It's now the morning of May 21, 2026.

The Time of Day is now Morning!

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Rules of the Game: Items

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 17 - you have 17

Pinned

Pinned


The Rules of the Game: Items

Pinned

Items

You'll be able to use and equip all sorts of items in Zero Summer. Click here to learn more.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


About Items

Items in Zero Summer come in three flavors: general, usable, and equippable.

General items are tokens: they sit in your Inventory until a Storylet interacts with them.

Usable items can be clicked on in your Inventory. They do all sorts of things, from lowering your Menaces to giving you information about your plots.

Equippable items can be 'worn' to increase your Styles and sometimes produce other effects. You can only equip and unequip items at The Guest Room in Burrow and Briar, which can be accessed through the Burrow and Briar Area.

You have moved to a new area: Burrow and Briar

You moved to a new setting: Amarillo.

'Far, Far From Home' has been reset: a conclusion, or a new beginning?

You can now equip Gunslinger Gear!

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

You can now equip Doc Toppers!

You can now equip Cityslicker Duds!

You can now equip Talismans!

Your inventory now has space for Usables!

Your inventory now has space for Currency!

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Your inventory now has space for Consumables!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Opportunities

Draw cards from here to raise your Styles, meet your Allies, and risk your Antagonists.

O Brother, Let's Go Down

Unlocked with Gumption 1 - you have 2; Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

; Unlocked with

The hot dry Texas sand means hard living for the rough men and women of Amarillo...

Whispers on the Street

Unlocked with Gumption 1 - you have 2; Unlocked with ; Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

A tight nervous thread runs through the city...

Travel Around Town

Amarillo was once a largeish city; even now it covers a lot of ground...

The Ministry of Black Powder

"Padre" Charlie is sitting on the porch at Burrow and Briar behind a small wrought iron table...

Silk Shirts, Lace Sleeves

Unlocked with ; Unlocked with ; Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

The streets of Amarillo are filled with strange characters: the corn-flecked farmhands with skunk patches on their overalls; the high-lapelled young thugs in dusters and blunt weapons, loosely held; the rare Asian pushing furtively through the unfriendly crowds...

The Guest Room

Your own personal space here in Amarillo...

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Guest Room

Burrow and Briar

A shabby tuckaway at the corner of Burrow Street and Briar Lane. Home to the Jackrabbits, a local gang of rough characters with hearts of -- not gold, but perhaps another less precious metal that still glitters in the proper light.

Your own personal space here in Amarillo. A bed, a desk, a lamp, a window. It's not much, but for now, it's home.

Pinned

Pinned

Move to the Guest Room

There's no lock, but the Jackrabbits respect your privacy.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


A Little Rest

There now. Softly now. A little rest from the dust and toil.

You have moved to a new area: The Guest Room at Burrow and Briar

You moved to a new setting: The Guest Room at Burrow and Briar.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


Retire Your Character

The time has come to rest your weary head...

Change Your Avatar

[Your avatar is the picture next to your character name on your sidebar...

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Change Your Avatar

Your avatar is the picture next to your character name on your sidebar. You can change your avatar below.

Everyone has access to the basic Style avatars. Subplots and other story choices will unlock different avatars. Try to see which you can find!

Pinned

Pinned

Gunslinger

Unlocked with Gunslinger 1.

            1
            You need Gunslinger 1 (you have 2)

            1
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 1 - you have 2

Doc

Unlocked with Doc 1.

            1
            You need Doc 1 (you have 2)

            1
            Unlocked with Doc 1 - you have 2

Cityslicker

Unlocked with Cityslicker 1.

            1
            You need Cityslicker 1 (you have 1)

            1
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 1 - you have 1


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Your Avatar

Doc

Unlocked with Doc 1.

You are a Doc!

Your Avatar has changed!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Guest Room

Pinned

Pinned

Leave the Guest Room

Back into it, then, better-equipped than before, better-rested and -prepared.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Back to Burrow and Briar

The Jackrabbits take no note of your coming and going. There are always new faces about -- coming off patrol, making sandwiches, lazing in the afternoon sun through the cracked and blinded window.

You moved to a new setting: Amarillo.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Travel Around Town

Amarillo was once a largeish city; even now it covers a lot of ground. It takes time to move from one place to another.

Pinned

Pinned

Move to Burrow and Briar

Both an intersection and the tumble-down hideout of the Jackrabbits, Burrow and Briar represents a significant chunk of suburban Amarillo.

Move to Platform #1

The last stop on the Rio Sur line, located right here in Amarillo. A bustling place! Hub of commerce and social interaction! Mind the gap.

Move to St. Francis's

This tiny church near the heart of Amarillo is nevertheless a social hub -- for the worshipful few, the devotees of Santo Guerrero, and the better sort of criminal, the latter flocking like peacocks to the public fountain just outside.

Move to The Highrise Hotel

The tallest building in Amarillo was once public housing. Now its lower floors serve as flophouses for the indigent. And its upper floors? Rumors abound; no one can say for sure.

Move to the Wall Market

Beating heart of Amarillo's commercial district! Once a supermarket, now a sprawling swap meet where dollars and goods are bought and sold and bartered by hands both filthy and clean.

Move to the Scrublands

Step lightly through the lonely grass and sweeping sands north of Amarillo, where homesteaders and farmers and more unnatural things compete for water and precious black soil.

Move to the Mission

All brick and broken statues of angels. Here live the homeless and hopeless of Amarillo. The smell of chickens and the sound of singing will let you know you've arrived.

Move to Little Japan

On the west side, a forbidding place of blacked-out windows, steel doors and standoffish Japanese-Americans. Very few people are seen going in and out.

Move to Downtown Amarillo

A latter-day suburban sprawl! Choked with dust and the bright energy of commerce! Even now the wheels turn in Amarillo's rusted heart.

Move to Amarillo Academy

The former local college has been converted into an ivory fortress. Few students are accepted; none seem to leave. The masthead over the iron gate reads "Amarillo Academy of Arts and Speculative Sciences." Security is said to shoot on sight. It seems more credible than not.

A colored flyer on the gate announces a lecture series starting Friday, May 22nd on the subject of "Actuating Transposition in a Biplanar Society." The presenter will be Prof. M. J. Freiburg. The flyer promises light snacks and a Q&A.

            1
            You need An Invitation to Amarillo Academy 1

            1
            Unlocked with An Invitation to Amarillo Academy 1

Move to the Pony Express

The heart of Amarillo: its living breathing center. Its distributor of mail. Its carrier of justice. Only open when a postal rider is in town.

            Unlocked when Date is:

May 22, 2026 - Morning

May 22, 2026 - Afternoon

May 22, 2026 - Evening

May 23, 2026


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


Back Home

You make your way back to Burrow and Briar, the one place in town that's always hopping.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Opportunities

Draw cards from here to raise your Styles, meet your Allies, and risk your Antagonists.

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Ministry of Black Powder

Burrow and Briar

A shabby tuckaway at the corner of Burrow Street and Briar Lane. Home to the Jackrabbits, a local gang of rough characters with hearts of -- not gold, but perhaps another less precious metal that still glitters in the proper light.

"Padre" Charlie is sitting on the porch at Burrow and Briar behind a small wrought iron table. Small pieces of metal are spread across the table, and a filthy cloth, and greasy metal can.

Pinned

Pinned

The Calling

When he notices you watching, "Padre" Charlie waves you over.

This is the beginning of Zero Summer's first main plot: The Ministry of Black Powder.

Since this is part of the main story, playing this Storylet will NOT reduce your Gumption.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


One Man's Chapel

"Do you see what we have here? This is the bolt. It locks into the chamber with the cartridge. Here is the sight -- obvious, no need to explain. Here the barrel. Here the stock. Here the little nubbin of the firing pin tucked inside like a baby in a crib."

Your eyes move mechanically over the parts as "Padre" Charlie lists them. These things are known to you, barrel and bolt and firing pin. In this moment you're sure you could see them on the insides of your eyelids.

There's a roaring in your ears like the incoming tide. You could be swept away. O yes. You could be.

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

The Ministry of Black Powder has increased!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Needs of the Father

"Padre" Charlie is cleaning a rifle. You want to touch every piece of it so badly that your fingernails have dug little half-moons into your palm.

Pinned

Pinned

Hope for the Wrong Thing

"Padre" Charlie's hands work the rifle together, bolt into barrel into stock. "I'm filled with hope," he says, "but for the wrong thing."


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


The Difference

What does he mean, hope for the wrong thing?

"There's rain and there's green things and there's faith in the Book and the blood and the Man Himself. There are good things on this earth, healing things."

"Padre" Charlie spits deliberately over the porch. It lands on a dry patch of ground and kicks up a spray of dust.

"What I hope for ain't them. I want a flood of bullets and buckets of guns and a chain of hands to put the one into the other. Not very preacherly of me."


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Needs of the Son

The reassembled rifle lays across the Padre's lap. Newly oiled, it gleams.

Pinned

Pinned

You Have Questions

The Needs of the Son

Burrow and Briar

A shabby tuckaway at the corner of Burrow Street and Briar Lane. Home to the Jackrabbits, a local gang of rough characters with hearts of -- not gold, but perhaps another less precious metal that still glitters in the proper light.

Floods of bullets? Many hands for many triggers? What could he mean?

You Have Needs

Speeches are well and good, but your hands crave the stock and steel of a rifle. Holding it will tell you something about yourself. Something important. You're sure of it.

The Means to Power

To hell with it: take the gun! What's "Padre" Charlie going to do? He looks rough for a man of the cloth, but you feel rougher -- so very much rougher.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


He Has Answers

You ask your questions. "Padre" Charlie listens -- and when he listens, his whole world is suddenly all about you in a really intense and absolute way.

"Here is what I mean," he says. He holds up a hand. As he talks, he ticks off fingers.

"First: there isn't much law in Amarillo. Partly we're light on police. Partly we don't need much. Mostly people leave well enough alone, and when they get rowdy we step in, or the Roughriders do, or the Stars and Spurs. The only law we have is the Rule of One: there's only one thing you get to shoot and it lives" -- he points -- "out there."

Tick. "Second: everything's in short supply. Food's okay. Water less so. Guns even less. Somebody goes outside the barricades, there's a chance they end up in a shallow grave with their rifle slowly rusting."

Tick. "Third: there's a difference between us and the Spurs and everybody. We take care of our own, and we take care of business. And because of that, maybe some day we'll be down a gun we lost keeping folks in line."

"But not," he says, standing, "because we let ourselves be. Yes?"


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Holy Ghost

At his full height, "Padre" Charlie towers over you. The dirtiness of his coat and collar are transformed; they're splatterings of a fallen world on holy vestments.

"There is a weapon," he says. "Monsters fear it. Even the sight of it. The pistol of Santo Guerrero."

Some buried part of you lurches at the name. There's a weight on your chest and a strange lightness to your arms.

"There is a rumor that it was taken from Santo Guerrero -- the village, not the man -- by friends of Woodrow Pohoee, who never leaves his mansion on the hill."

He gestures over his shoulder into the rising sun, then levels a finger at you.

"Heaven provides. I believe it has provided you to us. This relic can't remain in darkness. Not any longer. Not with this man Pohoee, who does nothing with it. You must bring it to us."

Yes! cries the heavy aching part of you. O yes! And yes again!

Pinned

Pinned

O yes! And yes again!

You swear to "Padre" Charlie that you'll find the gun of Santo Guerrero and bring it back. Your tongue feels made of fire. Every time you've closed your eyes this morning, you've seen again the great black bats swarming in the nighttime sky. Never again. You can make it so.

For Whose Hand the Grip?

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A high-risk challenge

Certainly you'll get the gun away from Pohoee. And certainly you'll use it against the great black bats that swarm behind your eyelids every time you blink. You -- not the Padre and not the Jackrabbits. Such a weapon takes strength of character. Until they demonstrate some, yours is the only proper holster.

You're sure you can make "Padre" Charlie understand your point of view. You have to. Otherwise the gun might end up in the wrong hands -- again.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


A Grim Bargain

For Whose Hand the Grip?

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A tough challenge

You explain the situation. Of course you'll get the gun from Pohoee. Of course you'll put it to good use. But you won't hand it over to the Jackrabbits. Maybe if one of them proves they can handle it. You've only just met, after all. But if you're going to take the damn thing, you get to decide who keeps it.

"Padre" Charlie searches your face for a long time. Finally he draws close to you. There are yellow cigarette stains on his teeth and the smell of dead cigarettes on his tongue.

"You want to play hero? That's fine. But you're no Guerrero, and if you come up short, even a little short on your worst day, there'll be a reckoning. There's gonna be you, and me, and two guns between us, and a pine box painted black with your name cut into it with the knife in my back pocket. We understand each other?"

You tell the Padre that yes, you understand each other very well indeed. He nods once, then slumps back into his chair. The divine spark vanishes as quickly as it came; once again "Padre" Charlie is an unwashed old porch-sitter, soon you're sure to begin descending from twilight into night.

"I leave it to you, then. But I can't say how to start. You might try St. Francis's. There's the likeness, of course, and the deacon knows Pohoee a little."

Cityslicker has increased to 2!

Cityslicker 1 failed in a challenge! (When you try a challenge that's difficult for you, you learn more even when you fail.)

0 change points, 2 more needed to reach level 2.

A twist in your tale! You are now Man in Black.

Paladin is increasing...

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

You have a new Accomplishment... A Grim Bargain!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Opportunities

Draw cards from here to raise your Styles, meet your Allies, and risk your Antagonists.

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Whispers on the Street

A tight nervous thread runs through the city. Everywhere people are on vibrating on edge, tense, standing in unhappy pockets of twos and threes where every face is pinched with inspecific fear. On Jefferson, a young woman clutches her light cotton dress and leans close to a frend. "Did you hear about poor William?" she asks, glancing over her shoulder for -- what?

"I heard," says her friend, who leans in close to whisper: "Same as happened to Sean and Thompson. Took the breath right out of them."

Pinned

Pinned

Listen Closer

The first woman seems ready to jump out of her skin; her friend is scared but glowing a little with sick morbid interest. If you slow down and listen hard, you might get a hint of why they're afraid.

WARNING: this is the beginning of a Subplot and will reduce your Gumption by 1. This Subplot will focus on your Gunslinger and Doc Styles.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


They Aren't Being Quiet

"I'm scared," the first woman says. "I just don't know what I'd do if it happened to my boy.  You know William left behind two children?"

 "I know," says her friend. "That's how it is when the Harvestmen -- "

The first woman hisses for quiet. They both look nervously around. The friend continues:

"You don't believe they really show up if you say their name, do you?"

The question hangs in the widening silence between them.

You've lost 1 x Gumption (new total 1).

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

You are now pursuing The Harvestmen!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


Banditos and Harvestmen

Unlocked with The Harvestmen 1 - you have 1

The dusty streets are lousy with packs of children running and shouting and chasing each other at play, the boys in patchwork denim and corduroy and dirty white shirts, the girls in spattered cotton dresses and barrettes in every imaginable color and position...

O Brother, Let's Go Down

Unlocked with Gumption 1 - you have 1; Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

; Unlocked with

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


O Brother, Let's Go Down

The hot dry Texas sand means hard living for the rough men and women of Amarillo.

No shirkers; too many victims -- of accidents, the environment, each other. But not as many as you might think.

There aren't many beggars or cripples outside the Highrise Hotel. Almost no one is homeless.

 And aside from the Ashling -- according to Jack Ishiguro "more like a local unconventional entrepreneur-type than your real actual crazy person-type" -- the streets are clear of mumblers, foamers and Millenarians.

All of which raises the question: where have all the destitute gone?

Pinned

Pinned

Down, Down, Come on Down

The only visible downtrodden in Amarillo are its orphans. They're not exactly chatty -- unless breakfast is on you. You won't have any problem trading a bite to eat for a little information.

WARNING: This is the beginning of a subplot. Choosing this branch will reduce Gumption by 1. This subplot will focus on your Doc and Cityslicker Styles.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Down to the River to Pray

You trade a hard roll from Butterloaf to a hard-eyed girl on Fifth who tells you -- sounding a little affronted -- that while she's fine on her own, "anybody who ain't always ends up on the west side at the Mission. Just go down Palmetto until you hit the iron cross." You can almost hear the capitals in her voice, affronted or not.

At the bottom of Palmetto where it turns into Jefferson you find yourself in the shadow of the cross. It arcs high above everything around it, an easy star to navigate by. It's attached to the roof of a long low brick building. There's a vegetable garden on one side; everywhere else there are people of all ages and colors in all stages of cleanliness and dress. They stream constantly in and out of the Mission's double-doors, which look permanently propped, and through the garden, where fat clucking chickens peck sedately at the bugs amid plantings of squash and beans. Inside you can see the pews are used for sleeping as much as sitting.

Almost everyone at the Mission is missing something -- an eye, a leg, a parent -- and almost everyone is smiling. They turn their smiles on you. A man on crutches invites you inside, where a group of dirty underfed beaming children are learning Ave Maria from a woman the size of a bear. The air smells like unwashed bodies and hope.

You have moved to a new area: The Mission

You've lost 1 x Gumption (new total 0).

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

You are now investigating a certain Hallowed Ground!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Opportunities

Draw cards from here to raise your Styles, meet your Allies, and risk your Antagonists.

Redwing Chicken

Unlocked with Hallowed Ground 1 - you have 1

Groups of people scattered like flung out handfuls of grain throughout the Mission; vegetables growing inside wherever the walls are knocked down...

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Banditos and Harvestmen

The dusty streets are lousy with packs of children running and shouting and chasing each other at play, the boys in patchwork denim and corduroy and dirty white shirts, the girls in spattered cotton dresses and barrettes in every imaginable color and position.

You nearly trip over a group of kids by the Wall Market; they scatter in every direction, one of them shouting that she gets to be the Harvestman next.

Pinned

Pinned

From the Mouths of Babes

Children get everywhere and hear everything. And they don't have any problem sharing with their friends. Especially scary things, and especially when they're roughhousing and one-upping each other. Which means if you're interested in the Harvestmen, a little light lurking might be in order.

            3
            You need Cityslicker 3 (you have 2)

            3
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 3 - you have 2


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Silk Shirts, Lace Sleeves

The streets of Amarillo are filled with strange characters: the corn-flecked farmhands with skunk patches on their overalls; the high-lapelled young thugs in dusters and blunt weapons, loosely held; the rare Asian pushing furtively through the unfriendly crowds.

But none are stranger than the silk-shirted, lace-wristed men and women who loiter in pairs or threesomes on streetcorners and in the windows of Amarillo's diners and saloons.

Pinned

Pinned

A Fine Fragrant Encounter

A high-cheekboned woman in a scarlet silk blouse waves you over from beneath a dusty awning.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


A Small Token of Esteem

The woman draws you into the shade and pushes a coin into your unprotesting hand, closing your fingers over it with her own cool ones.

"Noticed you noticing," she says. Cautious, not unfriendly. Her breath smells like an impossible tropical flower. "Show us a little charity at St. Francis and we'll find you."

She pats your cheek and moves swiftly off, heels primly clicking. There was perfume on her wrist. It lingers for several long minutes after she's gone.

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

You now have 1 x 20th Century Penny.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.


Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Redwing Chicken

The Mission

TBD

Groups of people scattered like flung out handfuls of grain throughout the Mission; vegetables growing inside wherever the walls are knocked down. Even the altar has a haphazard stove and chimney rigged up where the priest must have once sat.

Sitting in a vacant church pew for a quiet moment: there is the smallest cluck, a soft scuffle. A chicken lunges at a bug in the dirt. More chickens pour in, clucking and preening and pecking. And yet they're largely unharrassed -- read: uneaten.

Pinned

Pinned

Chicken-scratch

Redwing Chicken

The Mission

TBD

There must be a plan here, some kind of organization. Someone has to keep an eye on the chickens and vegetable gardens. You just need eyes to see.

            2
            You need Cityslicker 2 (you have 2)

            2
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 2 - you have 2


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Reading a Pattern

Chicken-scratch

Redwing Chicken

The Mission

TBD

A flock of chickens run right through the children's chorus; the children break off singing and shriek and giggle before the chickens are shooed off.

From there the chickens swarm over a pew and its occupant, who wakes up long enough to swat them away. It's a wonder they haven't all been eaten, the chickens. But then neither have the vegetables hanging ripe on the vine. The Mission is clean and swept, inside and out.

Hallowed Ground is increasing!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Version

Game version number.

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

You're in Amarillo -- but who exactly are you?


Opportunities

Draw cards from here to raise your Styles, meet your Allies, and risk your Antagonists.

A Long Hello

Unlocked with Hallowed Ground 2 - you have 2

Nobody has paid any special attention to you so far at the Mission...

Pinned

Pinned


A Long Hello

The Mission

TBD

Nobody has paid any special attention to you so far at the Mission. It seems almost deliberate: would they even notice if you stretched out on the altar for a nap? All you've had so far are small, mysterious smiles -- and no follow-up.

And then there's a sharp thump on the front door and a low alto Valkyric shout from the woman in the frame of it. Six foot if she's an inch! Long hair like raggedy iron! Blacksmith's hands, huge and calloused! And on her shoulders a deer carcass, bled dry but still fresh.

Pinned

Pinned

A Sudden Entrance

A Long Hello

The Mission

TBD

The Mission is all of a sudden a messy active stew. There are happy hellos and shouts for the butcher's knife and to stoke the stove and to round up the kids so Janey or Bartholomew don't get literally underfoot.

The deer ends up on the altar surrounded by a group of competent-looking men and women with knives and twine. Everyone is looking to the iron-haired woman for direction. Someone shouts for the children to sing Ave Maria -- "We'd all love it, wouldn't we!" -- but the kids screech and holler and scatter.

            4
            You need Doc 4 (you have 2)

            4
            Unlocked with Doc 4 - you have 2