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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

1 x A Wrapped Package from Absolom the Tinker

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


A Gunslinger in Amarillo

There are endless opportunities here for you to brush up on all the things a gunslinger needs to know.

This is one of Zero Summer's "grind" cards. "Grind" cards can be replayed as often as you like. And most of their branches have a chance to produce a Rare Success, which will significantly increase one of your Styles and yield certain other benefits as well.

Opportunities

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

Hammer and Tongs

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A modest challenge

Hammond Traeger is short-staffed and needs a hand pouring bullets. His usual apprentice is out with a case of forge-lung. He brushes off questions about whether it's contagious; the doctor, he explains, assured him it was neither viral nor bacterial.

            9
            You need Gunslinger 9 (you have 10)

            9
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 9 - you have 10

Operational Support

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A low-risk challenge

The Roughriders periodically sweep the city for gun caches. They're looking for a spotter to help them clear the neighborhood around the Highrise Hotel. Gangs with loose interpretations of the Rule of One often squirrel away guns, bullets and heavier ordnance. Everywhere is a potential hiding place: abandoned buildings, converted stretches of sewer, even dead trees with false knot-holes.

            7
            You need Gunslinger 7 (you have 10)

            7
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 7 - you have 10

Cleaning House for the Pony Express

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A straightforward challenge

Word is that that a Pony Express carrier is due in tomorrow, and Governor Berkshire will show his appreciation to anyone who clears out the Pony Express office beforehand. Abandoned buildings tend to attract varmints, pests and squatters -- especially in Amarillo, and even the Pony Express office. Carriers tend to be particular about their spaces being clear. And given how much Amarillo depends on them, it's no surprise the governor is taking extra precautions.

            5
            You need Gunslinger 5 (you have 10)

            5
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 5 - you have 10

Bullets for Little Japan

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A straightforward challenge

Traeger the gunsmith on Short Vine is looking for someone to deliver a package to Little Japan, an apartment building on the west side of town where every unit is owned by one large Japanese-American family. According to Traeger, they're secretive, stand-offish, and endlessly thirsty for bullets. No one but him will do business with them.

            4
            You need Gunslinger 4 (you have 10)

            4
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 4 - you have 10

Keeping the Peace

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A straightforward challenge

The beating heart of Amarillo's commercial district is the Wall Market, a sprawling parking lot bazaar and former supermarket where you can buy or barter anything you desire. Petty theft is obviously a problem.

A doughman for Butterloaf Bakery is looking for warm bodies to fill the morning security shift. A bad case of food poisoning from the salmon jerky stall has the regular crew doing the Texas two-step. The way the doughman tells it, they're having a graphic morning. Borderline tragic.

            3
            You need Gunslinger 3 (you have 10)

            3
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 3 - you have 10

Getting to Know the Roughriders

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A straightforward challenge

The local police -- the Roughriders -- have exactly two jobs: keeping the Rule of One and handling the local unnatural fauna. The chief of police is fiercely-mustached Nicco Carfora. He's asked for a civilian volunteer to take one of the Roughriders' aging motorcycles out for a loop around the nearby farms and snoop for unnatural activity.

            1
            You need Gunslinger 1 (you have 10)

            1
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 1 - you have 10


Not Exactly Reading Miranda

Keeping the Peace

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A straightforward challenge

Turns out you're a natural at working security. It only takes a few minutes to figure out what 'suspicious behavior' looks like. You nab half a dozen bread thieves, one with his hand into a basket of hot-from-the-oven rolls, and hand them over to Wall Market security proper, a group of neckless thugs who work out of a windowless office inside the gutted supermarket.

You're assured by the doughman that the thieves are in for a bleak afternoon -- bleak but not fatal, he's quick to add.

3 change points, 8 more needed to reach level 11.

Gunslinger is increasing...

You succeeded in a Gunslinger challenge! (Simple challenges mean you don't learn so much.)

You've gained 1 x Reputation (new total 42).


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


A Country Doc

Amarillo is bracketed by stone, sand and sky. There are things to see and explore beyond the Roughriders' barricades. And unexpected dangers. Which nearly anyone will tell you can add spice to an otherwise humdrum life.

This is one of Zero Summer's "grind" cards. "Grind" cards can be replayed as often as you like. And most of their branches have a chance to produce a Rare Success, which will significantly increase one of your Styles and yield certain other benefits as well.

Opportunities

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

A Pale Dusty Shroud

Doc

Mental Style.

A modest challenge

On your way back from a hike outside the city, a strong wind blows a shroud of pale dust over your eyes. The roofs of buildings just visible in the distance disappear entirely. The grit stings your eyelids and lips. Miz Nils mentioned this: the quick sudden sirocco, there and gone again. Only slightly deadly. <i>Only slightly.</i> Best get back behind the barricades, and fast.

            9
            You need Doc 9 (you have 10)

            9
            Unlocked with Doc 9 - you have 10

Where There's a Will

Doc

Mental Style.

A low-risk challenge

Miz Nils suggests you spend a little while in the canyon area east of the city -- a place, she claims, with both aesthetic and tactical value.

There you find a sheer expanse of rock drops downward at your feet, neatly exposing layer after layer of rock. Strong gusts of wind play through the deep canyon, whistling a tune that is unfamiliar. Lights reflects off of something at the bottom of the canyon. It's difficult to make out what it is from here. The climb looks treacherous but well within your capacity.

            7
            You need Doc 7 (you have 10)

            7
            Unlocked with Doc 7 - you have 10

The Quick-Witted Ornithologist

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

In the scrub you spy the Quick-Witted Ornithologist, the woman previously so concerned with owls. As she sees you, an eager smile cracks her dusty wind-chapped face.

"I don't usually see anyone else out here, especially not more than once," she says, and holds up a dog-eared notebook. "I'm gathering data on migratory patterns. Could you help?"

            5
            You need Doc 5 (you have 10)

            5
            Unlocked with Doc 5 - you have 10

Bird-Watching

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Out in the Scrublands you find yourself under an unmistakable human shadow. You look up and shade your eyes: there in the dry scraggly tree just off to your side is a small woman in khakis with binoculars in hand. "A burrowing owl!" she calls quietly to you. Her binoculars are pointed at an unremarkable patch of ground. What's this, then?

            4
            You need Doc 4 (you have 10)

            4
            Unlocked with Doc 4 - you have 10

A Walled Garden

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Sometimes nature is best seen from a distance. On the east side of Amarillo is a quiet wealthy neighborhood full of two-story houses with front porches and sweeping views of the desert. The Heywoods' porch is a notorious hang-out/salon for retirees, mostly old men and the widow Heywood herself; they spend their days playing rubbers of bridge, smoking cigars and emptying bottle after bottle of Cornskunk's best.

Rumor has it that the widow Heywood is also a first-class birdwatcher and liberal with her binoculars. If you can talk your way onto her porch, you could get all the nature you want without risking an unfriendly few moments with a rattlesnake.

            3
            You need Doc 3 (you have 10)

            3
            Unlocked with Doc 3 - you have 10

A Walk in the Scrublands

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Miz Nils turns out to be the Jackrabbits' resident naturalist. She recommends a walk through the Scrublands north of Amarillo to get a feel for what grows around here. It might look hot and dry and dead, she says, but keep an eye: the scrub is teeming, alive, and way better at surviving in the desert than any person.

            1
            You need Doc 1 (you have 10)

            1
            Unlocked with Doc 1 - you have 10


Painted in the Dust

A Walk in the Scrublands

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Low sprawling tumbled-down Amarillo fades into the horizon just a few short minutes' walk past the northern barricade. The desert is a still life painted in dust: long gritty tempera stripes in umber and scarlet and a few distant threads of light-sucking black strung along the brown sandy soil.

Soon enough you come to a shallow gully filled with smooth boulders much larger than yourself. The gully walls are cracked and fissured by centuries of brief soaking rains and long bright scalding days that steam the water right out of the ground. Down in the gully is a single lonely bullet casing. No body or blood -- just the last inorganic scrap the scrub couldn't digest.

10 change points, 1 more needed to reach level 11.

Doc is increasing...

You succeeded in a Doc challenge! (Simple challenges mean you don't learn so much.)

You've gained 1 x Reputation (new total 43).


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


A Gunslinger in Amarillo

There are endless opportunities here for you to brush up on all the things a gunslinger needs to know.

This is one of Zero Summer's "grind" cards. "Grind" cards can be replayed as often as you like. And most of their branches have a chance to produce a Rare Success, which will significantly increase one of your Styles and yield certain other benefits as well.

Opportunities

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

Hammer and Tongs

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A modest challenge

Hammond Traeger is short-staffed and needs a hand pouring bullets. His usual apprentice is out with a case of forge-lung. He brushes off questions about whether it's contagious; the doctor, he explains, assured him it was neither viral nor bacterial.

Operational Support

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A low-risk challenge

The Roughriders periodically sweep the city for gun caches. They're looking for a spotter to help them clear the neighborhood around the Highrise Hotel. Gangs with loose interpretations of the Rule of One often squirrel away guns, bullets and heavier ordnance. Everywhere is a potential hiding place: abandoned buildings, converted stretches of sewer, even dead trees with false knot-holes.

Cleaning House for the Pony Express

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A straightforward challenge

Word is that that a Pony Express carrier is due in tomorrow, and Governor Berkshire will show his appreciation to anyone who clears out the Pony Express office beforehand. Abandoned buildings tend to attract varmints, pests and squatters -- especially in Amarillo, and even the Pony Express office. Carriers tend to be particular about their spaces being clear. And given how much Amarillo depends on them, it's no surprise the governor is taking extra precautions.

Bullets for Little Japan

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A straightforward challenge

Traeger the gunsmith on Short Vine is looking for someone to deliver a package to Little Japan, an apartment building on the west side of town where every unit is owned by one large Japanese-American family. According to Traeger, they're secretive, stand-offish, and endlessly thirsty for bullets. No one but him will do business with them.

Keeping the Peace

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A straightforward challenge

The beating heart of Amarillo's commercial district is the Wall Market, a sprawling parking lot bazaar and former supermarket where you can buy or barter anything you desire. Petty theft is obviously a problem.

A doughman for Butterloaf Bakery is looking for warm bodies to fill the morning security shift. A bad case of food poisoning from the salmon jerky stall has the regular crew doing the Texas two-step. The way the doughman tells it, they're having a graphic morning. Borderline tragic.

Getting to Know the Roughriders

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A straightforward challenge

The local police -- the Roughriders -- have exactly two jobs: keeping the Rule of One and handling the local unnatural fauna. The chief of police is fiercely-mustached Nicco Carfora. He's asked for a civilian volunteer to take one of the Roughriders' aging motorcycles out for a loop around the nearby farms and snoop for unnatural activity.


We're All In It Together

Operational Support

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A low-risk challenge

You and a pair of Roughriders comb the west side for guns. People scatter before your belching roaring motorcycles.  At every stop, different faces watch you from a distance: cultured pale blonde ones at the rifle cache by the pond in Thompson Memorial Park, tanned stubbled ones atop brown leather lapels by the grenade hideaway in the old maple tree by the playground at Highrise. One of the Roughriders waves at them. When asked, he cheerfully explains: we're all in it together, yeah?

5 change points, 6 more needed to reach level 11.

Gunslinger is increasing...

You've gained 1 x Reputation (new total 44).


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


A Country Doc

Amarillo is bracketed by stone, sand and sky. There are things to see and explore beyond the Roughriders' barricades. And unexpected dangers. Which nearly anyone will tell you can add spice to an otherwise humdrum life.

This is one of Zero Summer's "grind" cards. "Grind" cards can be replayed as often as you like. And most of their branches have a chance to produce a Rare Success, which will significantly increase one of your Styles and yield certain other benefits as well.

Opportunities

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

A Pale Dusty Shroud

Doc

Mental Style.

A modest challenge

On your way back from a hike outside the city, a strong wind blows a shroud of pale dust over your eyes. The roofs of buildings just visible in the distance disappear entirely. The grit stings your eyelids and lips. Miz Nils mentioned this: the quick sudden sirocco, there and gone again. Only slightly deadly. <i>Only slightly.</i> Best get back behind the barricades, and fast.

Where There's a Will

Doc

Mental Style.

A low-risk challenge

Miz Nils suggests you spend a little while in the canyon area east of the city -- a place, she claims, with both aesthetic and tactical value.

There you find a sheer expanse of rock drops downward at your feet, neatly exposing layer after layer of rock. Strong gusts of wind play through the deep canyon, whistling a tune that is unfamiliar. Lights reflects off of something at the bottom of the canyon. It's difficult to make out what it is from here. The climb looks treacherous but well within your capacity.

The Quick-Witted Ornithologist

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

In the scrub you spy the Quick-Witted Ornithologist, the woman previously so concerned with owls. As she sees you, an eager smile cracks her dusty wind-chapped face.

"I don't usually see anyone else out here, especially not more than once," she says, and holds up a dog-eared notebook. "I'm gathering data on migratory patterns. Could you help?"

Bird-Watching

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Out in the Scrublands you find yourself under an unmistakable human shadow. You look up and shade your eyes: there in the dry scraggly tree just off to your side is a small woman in khakis with binoculars in hand. "A burrowing owl!" she calls quietly to you. Her binoculars are pointed at an unremarkable patch of ground. What's this, then?

A Walled Garden

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Sometimes nature is best seen from a distance. On the east side of Amarillo is a quiet wealthy neighborhood full of two-story houses with front porches and sweeping views of the desert. The Heywoods' porch is a notorious hang-out/salon for retirees, mostly old men and the widow Heywood herself; they spend their days playing rubbers of bridge, smoking cigars and emptying bottle after bottle of Cornskunk's best.

Rumor has it that the widow Heywood is also a first-class birdwatcher and liberal with her binoculars. If you can talk your way onto her porch, you could get all the nature you want without risking an unfriendly few moments with a rattlesnake.

A Walk in the Scrublands

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Miz Nils turns out to be the Jackrabbits' resident naturalist. She recommends a walk through the Scrublands north of Amarillo to get a feel for what grows around here. It might look hot and dry and dead, she says, but keep an eye: the scrub is teeming, alive, and way better at surviving in the desert than any person.


Yes, an Owl!

Bird-Watching

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

            4
            You need Doc 4 (you have 11)

            4
            Unlocked with Doc 4 - you have 11

The woman in the tree points with all the certainty of a hunting hound. And there it is!  What a tiny fellow! A little larger than a robin, feathers brown with white speckles. Other than the oddness of it being an owl on the ground during the day, you're unsure why the woman in the tree sounds so excited.

0 change points, 12 more needed to reach level 12.

Doc has increased to 11!

You've gained 1 x Reputation (new total 45).


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


Small-Town Cityslicker

Compared to the big cities up norte, Amarillo is a smear in the desert. But over the Wall, Amarillo is the center of civilization. Nowhere rivals it in size or style. And being this close to Corpus Christi, Amarillo's social scene always carries an exciting hint of danger.

This is one of Zero Summer's "grind" cards. "Grind" cards can be replayed as often as you like. And most of their branches have a chance to produce a Rare Success, which will significantly increase one of your Styles and yield certain other benefits as well.

Opportunities

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

A Potential for Profit

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A modest challenge

Amarillo's financial district rotates slowly around the Wall Market; around noon every day, bankers and financiers trickle out of the center to nearby saloons and restaurants. They're easy to spot: this season's trend is for silk vests in jewel tones. A pair of them pass you on Palmetto -- the stretch between the Wall Market and the governor's mansion. Both are wearing emerald vests; one is blandly handsome, the other toothy and uncharming. Out of the handsome one's pocket slips a brown leather wallet -- well-worn but clearly fine. And there it sits on the sidewalk like an accusation.

You really ought to hand it back. But then again, the potential for profit is, ah, tantalizing. A rich guy like him? Probably won't miss it anyway.

            9
            You need Cityslicker 9 (you have 10)

            9
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 9 - you have 10

Black Jack

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A low-risk challenge

Cards are one of those things worked into Texas's own personal identity. Spades. Poker -- of course. And black jack. You hear a rumor that a mercurial socialite called Tall Saul -- that's his gambling name -- runs a floating table out of a small airless room in the Wall Market proper. If you got yourself a seat, it could be lucrative, and not just financially.

            7
            You need Cityslicker 7 (you have 10)

            7
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 7 - you have 10

A Cherished Thing in Common

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

The sound of shouting from two blocks down draws you to a small crowd surrounding local gunsmith Hammond Traeger and a portly middle-aged man in a green waistcoat and bristly mustache. It only takes a few moments to figure out that they're arguing over a woman who it turns out is both of their lovers. The particulars are unclear except that they're struggling with this new information -- and are both carrying heavy-caliber revolvers.

The Roughriders haven't turned up yet, meaning somebody else needs to get involved before the Rule of One is resoundingly broken and at least one beloved local icon is disappeared into the grim blackness under the governor's mansion.

            5
            You need Cityslicker 5 (you have 10)

            5
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 5 - you have 10

Fires in the Desert

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

Even here in the desert in ninety degree weather under a cloudless sky that promises an afternoon heat so thick you could chew it, people keep the drumfires lit outside the Highrise Hotel. Partly it's practical; the smoke keeps the flies away, and they're hard to get started once they go out, and anyway how else are you going to make breakfast? And then again it's partly emotional. One woman in a patchwork coat -- clearly a resident -- tells you that the Deacon of St. Francis's told her that fire is purely human, and monsters hate the sight of it, and if she kept it lit all the time they wouldn't ever get near her, even the ones that swarm and boil overhead most nights.

And then suddenly the dozen-ish people around the Highrise drumfires are looking at you, thinking -- surely they're thinking! -- that you're an outsider, and a stranger, and why shouldn't we hustle him out of here right now? All it could take is a word either way. Figuring out which word is the trick.

            4
            You need Cityslicker 4 (you have 10)

            4
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 4 - you have 10

High Noon Saloon

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

One of the largest, best-known saloons in Amarillo is the High Noon. "Padre" Charlie explains it was built before the Longest Day as an old-timey theme restaurant. Now an actual frontier saloon, it boasts Hoffenstader on tap and salty/fried fingerfood and a dim cheerful gloom every hour of the day, plus a real actual pianist and full-time muscle to keep everybody civil.

There's nowhere better to make new friends -- this also from "Padre" Charlie, whose nose is red and veiny from a lifetime of dedicated social drinking. He slips a quarter into your breast pocket and pats your hand with fatherly affection. For a warm mug, he says. Can't get any other kind out here.

            3
            You need Cityslicker 3 (you have 10)

            3
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 3 - you have 10

What The Boys Said

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

The sand and crowds and sweat of Amarillo are new to you, but to the children born here after the Longest Day it's all they've ever known. And to the animals -- cats and dogs and rats and every conceivable urban creature, constantly barking and hissing and underfoot.

A romping yipping puppy streaks past you on the street with a throng of stick-thin boys close behind. If you collar one of the boys, you might be able to talk a little local flavor out of him.

            1
            You need Cityslicker 1 (you have 10)

            1
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 1 - you have 10


Tall Saul Himself

Black Jack

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

            7
            You need Cityslicker 7 (you have 11)

            7
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 7 - you have 11

Dropping Tall Saul's name to one of the Wall Market security grunts lands you a seat at the table, no questions asked. It really is in a claustrophobic former break room; there's a many-sided green felt table stacked with plastic chips and bottles of Hoffenstader Wheat and five-year Cornskunk, and the air is foggy with unventilated cigar smoke.

Around the table are six rough characters, including Tall Saul himself, a podgy little man who despite his bankerish green visor looks like he could punch out a donkey. He gives you a long searching glance; the others ignore you.

The hands move fast. Your tiny buy-in multiplies. Several people go broke or buy out and are replaced. Finally Tall Saul stands and announces he's headed back to work. The look he gives you is a clear invitation to follow.

Just outside, he pulls you over by a defunct water fountain and asks point-blank if you're the man they carried off yesterday's train. Without waiting for an answer, he slips a card into your breast pocket.

"There's a garden party tonight at Sunrise House," says Tall Saul. "If you wind up there, give one of the waiters my card -- they'll come and find me. It'd be to our mutual benefit if we found a way for our interests to align."

Later you look at the card. It reads Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies.

10 change points, 1 more needed to reach level 11.

Cityslicker is increasing...

You succeeded in a Cityslicker challenge! (Simple challenges mean you don't learn so much.)

Tall Saul's Business Card has not changed from 1 because it's higher than 0.

3 change points, 9 more needed to reach level 12.

Cityslicker has increased to 11!

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

You've gained 1 x Blue Chip (new total 2).

You've gained 2 x Reputation (new total 47).

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

You've gained 1 x Dollars (new total 5).


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


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


All Aboard!

You pick your way through town to Platform #1, where at all times of day many people and places and things to see can be found.

You have moved to a new area: Amarillo: Platform #1


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


At Last, The Deacon!

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.

This time of morning, Platform #1 is a breath of fresh air -- no trains, therefore no crowds. It only takes a moment to spot the Deacon crouched in the shadow of the platform roof, his hat pulled low over his face and his cane clutched between long thin fingers. A sheaf of papers is halfway out from his right pocket. As you watch, the Deacon casts his head this way and that. He's watching for something, you realize. Waiting. Afraid.

As you start toward the Deacon, you realize you're not the only one here for him. A young man in a brown leather duster is on the platform, on the other side of the tracks from you and the Deacon. The man hops the tracks, pauses. Your eyes meet. He breaks into a run; startled, the Deacon looks up and raises his cane. His eyes swivel wildly.

Even from here, you can tell the Deacon is blind. Looking around and raising the cane, those are reflexes. Useless now.

Pinned

Pinned

Protect the Weak

As you watch, the man in the duster slips a pair of brass knuckles out of his pocket. His intentions are clear. Just as clearly, you can't allow this. Goals to the side, the Deacon is defenseless. And possibly still a man of the cloth.

Risk and Reward

As you watch, the man in the duster slips a pair of brass knuckles out of his pocket. His intentions are clear. Just as clearly, you can't allow this. It's not that the Deacon is weak and defenseless. It's that if the man in the duster beats the Deacon too badly, and you do nothing, you might be back to square one with Pohoee and the gun.

Leave Well Enough Alone

Clearly the man in the duster is dangerous. Look: the brass knuckles shining dully on his hand! The look in his eyes: like a junkyard dog! The Deacon can't be the only man in town who knows Pohoee. And those documents in his pocket look promising. Perhaps you'll have a peek once the unpleasantness is over.


Aegis

The man in the duster is already running, but you're closer to the Deacon. And quicker, you realize. You place yourself between the Deacon and his attacker and set your feet. The man in the duster looks you up and down. His face is a blend of confusion and raw jackal joy.

You moved to a new setting: A Fistfight with John the Biter.

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

A twist in your tale! You are now Paladin.

Man in Black is dropping...

The Ministry of Black Powder has increased!

An occurrence! Your 'Whupping John the Biter' Quality is now 1!


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

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.

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Whupping John the Biter

You're beating him back! Don't let up!

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


A Shield of Your Body

The man in the duster closes fast, his dukes up and his head low.

"Maybe you heard of me," he says. "John the Biter. John from my mother, Biter from -- well: you'll see, if you don't shift yourself promptish."

Increase your Whupping John the Biter Quality to open up new options!

But watch out: if your Losing Ground to John the Biter Quality gets too high, you won't be able to protect the Deacon!

Pinned

Pinned

Jockey For Position

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A low-risk challenge

The Deacon is your first concern. You can pump John the Biter for answers later. Like after you beat the grit and sass out of him.

Words Before Blows

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

You've obviously never heard of John the Biter, but from his name you've got a rough idea what he's about.

Other questions remain unanswered: what does he want with the Deacon? and what's the Deacon done to deserve him? Now seems a perfect time to ask.


The Beginning of a Beautiful Bruise

Jockey For Position

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A low-risk challenge

John the Biter lunges for your face, brass knuckles outstretched. You lean out of it -- and discover it was a feint all along when a boot meets your stomach, which explodes in a kaleidoscope of pain.

6 change points, 5 more needed to reach level 11.

Gunslinger is increasing...

Gunslinger 10 failed in a challenge! (This challenge was old territory for you - you won't learn so much.)

John the Biter is giving as good as he gets. Don't let this get to 5!

You are now Losing Ground to John the Biter!


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

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.

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Losing Ground to John the Biter

John the Biter is giving as good as he gets. Don't let this get to 5!

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Whupping John the Biter

You're beating him back! Don't let up!

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


A Final Decisive Strike

The truth is that John the Biter is younger than you, and armed, and alive with the hot hunger of a wild animal. He's desperate. Your only real chance lies in exploiting that.

Your fight with John the Biter can end one of two ways: with success in this Storylet, or when your Losing Ground to John the Biter Quality rises to 5.

But watch out: if you try this Storylet and fail, your Whupping John the Biter Quality will drop!

Pinned

Pinned

Seize the Moment! Strike Him Down!

Whupping John the Biter

You're beating him back! Don't let up!

A high-risk challenge

You've both worn each other down. But while you've kept your head, John the Biter has gotten sloppy. He's not keeping his arms up and his footwork is even slower than before. One good jab to the nose should put him down for the count.

            5
            You need Whupping John the Biter 5 (you have 1)

            5
            Unlocked with Whupping John the Biter 5 - you have 1


A Shield of Your Body

Unlocked with  - you have 1; Unlocked with Whupping John the Biter 1 - you have 1

The man in the duster closes fast, his dukes up and his head low...

A Final Decisive Strike

Unlocked with Whupping John the Biter 1 - you have 1; Unlocked with  - you have 1

The truth is that John the Biter is younger than you, and armed, and alive with the hot hunger of a wild animal...

Grit Your Teeth!

Unlocked with Whupping John the Biter 1 - you have 1; Unlocked with Losing Ground to John the Biter 1 - you have 1

Sometimes physical strength isn't enough...

Pinned

Pinned


Grit Your Teeth!

Sometimes physical strength isn't enough. Moral fortitude is required.

WARNING: while both options below will reduce your Losing Ground to John the Biter Quality, they will also significantly drop your Paladin/Man in Black!

Pinned

A Knight Without Armor

If you fail, who knows what will happen to the Deacon? Certainly harm. Maybe worse. You can't allow that to happen.

            1
            You need Paladin 1 (you have 1)

            1
            Unlocked with Paladin 1 - you have 1

Walk the Line

The Deacon must be defended. Otherwise you may never have your answers.

            1
            You need Man in Black 1 (you have 1)

            1
            Unlocked with Man in Black 1 - you have 1


Strength of Character

A Knight Without Armor

            1
            You need Paladin 1

            1
            Unlocked with Paladin 1

You take a deep breath and inhale your second wind. All of a sudden your body is drenched with -- adrenaline? Fear, or joy? Or something greater still?

0 change points, 1 more needed to reach level 1.

A twist in your tale! You are no longer Paladin.

Your 'Losing Ground to John the Biter' Quality has gone!


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Whupping John the Biter

You're beating him back! Don't let up!

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


A Shield of Your Body

The man in the duster closes fast, his dukes up and his head low.

"Maybe you heard of me," he says. "John the Biter. John from my mother, Biter from -- well: you'll see, if you don't shift yourself promptish."

Increase your Whupping John the Biter Quality to open up new options!

But watch out: if your Losing Ground to John the Biter Quality gets too high, you won't be able to protect the Deacon!

Pinned

Pinned

Jockey For Position

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A low-risk challenge

The Deacon is your first concern. You can pump John the Biter for answers later. Like after you beat the grit and sass out of him.

Words Before Blows

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

You've obviously never heard of John the Biter, but from his name you've got a rough idea what he's about.

Other questions remain unanswered: what does he want with the Deacon? and what's the Deacon done to deserve him? Now seems a perfect time to ask.


A Quick Morning Interrogation

Words Before Blows

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

You fend off a series of blows -- here a knee, there a jab, once a spurred boot shot thigh-ward -- while pressing for info.

Turns out John the Biter runs with the Dusters, the local under-21s gang. Sort of a farm team for both the more serious toughs and the police.

And it seems the Deacon hasn't done anything to them, exactly, or to John the Biter specifically. Instead the Deacon "stepped on the wrong piggies of a certain Mister." Whatever that means.

4 change points, 8 more needed to reach level 12.

Cityslicker is increasing...

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

Whupping John the Biter 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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Whupping John the Biter

You're beating him back! Don't let up!

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


A Shield of Your Body

The man in the duster closes fast, his dukes up and his head low.

"Maybe you heard of me," he says. "John the Biter. John from my mother, Biter from -- well: you'll see, if you don't shift yourself promptish."

Increase your Whupping John the Biter Quality to open up new options!

But watch out: if your Losing Ground to John the Biter Quality gets too high, you won't be able to protect the Deacon!

Pinned

Pinned

Jockey For Position

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A low-risk challenge

The Deacon is your first concern. You can pump John the Biter for answers later. Like after you beat the grit and sass out of him.

Words Before Blows

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

You've obviously never heard of John the Biter, but from his name you've got a rough idea what he's about.

Other questions remain unanswered: what does he want with the Deacon? and what's the Deacon done to deserve him? Now seems a perfect time to ask.


Shuck and Jive

Jockey For Position

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A low-risk challenge

You narrowly duck a quick left jab and come up bobbing a few feet away. John the Biter keeps on you, moving a few steps away from the Deacon.

8 change points, 3 more needed to reach level 11.

Gunslinger is increasing...

You succeeded in a Gunslinger challenge! (Simple challenges mean you don't learn so much.)

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

Whupping John the Biter has increased to 2!


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.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Blue Chip

Marked with a TS on one side for Tall Saul. Redeemable for a dollar at the floating table.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Afraid of Heights

You were born on the ground and you'll die on the ground. Preferably not just after a fall.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount. Community organizer. Runner of Missions. A warm imposing figure.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Reader of New England and Lexington

You have read New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Poor Lonely Patches

You've agreed to help find an old woman's Patches. You think it might be a rabbit.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer

Amarillo's pre-eminent gunsmith and baker are having an affair. You know at least some of the dirty details.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

The Skunk brothers' farm is a local institution; you've lent a hand to keep it running.

Ally: Calo

Calo. As in Flaca Loca. As in crazy-skinny.

Connections: The Mission

You're working with Sermon on the Mount at the Mission.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Whupping John the Biter

You're beating him back! Don't let up!

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

A dog-eared Moleskine filled with notes, locations, and neatly rendered watercolors.

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.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.

Tall Saul's Business Card

It reads "Franz Schirmer -- Purveyor of Unexpected Delicacies."


A Shield of Your Body

The man in the duster closes fast, his dukes up and his head low.

"Maybe you heard of me," he says. "John the Biter. John from my mother, Biter from -- well: you'll see, if you don't shift yourself promptish."

Increase your Whupping John the Biter Quality to open up new options!

But watch out: if your Losing Ground to John the Biter Quality gets too high, you won't be able to protect the Deacon!

Pinned

Pinned

Jockey For Position

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A low-risk challenge

The Deacon is your first concern. You can pump John the Biter for answers later. Like after you beat the grit and sass out of him.

Words Before Blows

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

You've obviously never heard of John the Biter, but from his name you've got a rough idea what he's about.

Other questions remain unanswered: what does he want with the Deacon? and what's the Deacon done to deserve him? Now seems a perfect time to ask.


A Quick Morning Interrogation

Words Before Blows

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

You fend off a series of blows -- here a knee, there a jab, once a spurred boot shot thigh-ward -- while pressing for info.

Turns out John the Biter runs with the Dusters, the local under-21s gang. Sort of a farm team for both the more serious toughs and the police.

And it seems the Deacon hasn't done anything to them, exactly, or to John the Biter specifically. Instead the Deacon "stepped on the wrong piggies of a certain Mister." Whatever that means.

5 change points, 7 more needed to reach level 12.

Cityslicker is increasing...

You succeeded in a Cityslicker challenge! (Simple challenges mean you don't learn so much.)

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