The Likeness of Santo Guerrero

St. Francis's

A small church near the heart of town. Officially dedicated to St. Francis. Unofficially dedicated to Lee Andante. Outside is a lovely fountain known to be a haunt for the better breed of gangsters.

Inside the church of St. Francis's is a life-sized statue of St. Francis of Assissi. The sculptor caught him in the middle of renouncing his worldly possessions, including his clothes; everything rude is strategically covered, but nothing is left to the imagination. A stone bird watches intently from his shoulder while a stone squirrel covers its eyes at his feet.

None of the above really captures your attention. What does is the statue's face. It's been chiseled to resemble someone else entirely. On the chest is scratched in crude but recognizable block letters the word GUERRERO.

Clearly this is what "Padre" Charlie meant about the likeness. But what can you learn from it, and how?

Pinned

Pinned

The Methodical Approach

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Yours is a rational world. If the statue has something to tell you, you should listen -- methodically. Observe. Record. Consider.

The Impressionistic Approach

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

This is clearly not the time for rationality. A more sensual attitude is required. Experience the statue. Let the moment wash over you. Then see what's left behind.


Minutiae

The Methodical Approach

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

            5
            You need Doc 5 (you have 10)

            5
            Unlocked with Doc 5 - you have 10

You decide early on that the St. Francis bits of the statue aren't relevant. From the plaque at its base you know it was carved in the 1800s -- clearly outside the scope of inquiry. What matters is the face.

Okay: assume the 'new' face is supposed to look like Santo Guerrero. What does that tell you? Not much -- the chisel-work is amateur, going on lousy. But that tells you something all its own: the motive was passion, not art.

At the foot of the statue are botanical odds and ends: a few stray flower petals, little dried leaves. Even a bit of ribbon. Put them together and you get the kinds of things people leave at shrines. Ergo the chiseling was worshipful. And the flower petals look half-fresh, meaning the worship is current.

You may not have a good idea who Santo Guerrero is, but you have a great idea how Amarillo feels about him.

6 change points, 5 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're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

The Ministry of Black Powder has increased!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

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.

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

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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."


The Deacon of St. Francis's

St. Francis's

A small church near the heart of town. Officially dedicated to St. Francis. Unofficially dedicated to Lee Andante. Outside is a lovely fountain known to be a haunt for the better breed of gangsters.

"Padre" Charlie said something about how the Deacon of St. Francis's knows Pohoee. You haven't seen him around, though.

Pinned

Pinned

Ask Around

There always seem to be a few people in the pews. Perhaps one of them knows where the Deacon is.

            7
            You need Cityslicker 7 (you have 8)

            7
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 7 - you have 8

His Duties

As far as you can tell, St. Francis's is non-denominational. Yet a temporary confessional has been set up near the altar. Maybe the Deacon will turn up if you act repentant.


The Deacon Has Left the Building

It seems the Deacon of St. Francis's is very much Deacon in name only. He's hardly around, if ever. One woman says he hasn't preached in a month. Maybe longer! Another says she saw him roasting ears of corn over a drum-fire with the homeless at the Highrise Hotel. Others don't have a clue about where he might be.

Other than complaints about his incredible tardiness, though, nobody has a bad word to say about him. The Deacon, it seems, is a man of the people, pleasant and inoffensive as cold milk on a hot day.

Eventually you have to concede the Deacon won't be found here. On your way out, a bearded man grabs your sleeve. "I'll tell you about the Deacon," he says. One of his eyes rolls wildly in his head; the other holds yours with surprising intensity. "He did me a good turn once. Told me to pass it along, yes, and here I am passing it along. To you, my good friend. The Deacon is a man about town. A man of the people. Look long enough and you will find. But not here. This place is not a place for him any more."

The man's breath smells like sour wine and gumrot, but you have no reason to disbelieve him.


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.

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

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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 chancy 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 9)

            9
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 9 - you have 9

Operational Support

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A very modest 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 9)

            7
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 7 - you have 9

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 9)

            5
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 5 - you have 9

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 9)

            4
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 4 - you have 9

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 9)

            3
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 3 - you have 9

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 9)

            1
            Unlocked with Gunslinger 1 - you have 9


The Art of Bulletmaking

Hammer and Tongs

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A chancy challenge

Traeger explains the process: molten lead is poured into a silicon mold he got from up norte in exchange for a tainted saguaro Darren Skunk dug out of his corn field and threw thoughtlessly away to be scavenged. The lead sets and somebody, meaning you, packs it with a light metal case the size of a thimble and a fingernail of black powder.

Each mold makes twelve bullets. You pack half a dozen molds before Traeger waves you off. Looks good, he says. If he ever has paying work, et cetera.

6 change points, 4 more needed to reach level 10.

Gunslinger is increasing...

You succeeded in a Gunslinger challenge! (Risky challenges mean you learn more.)

You've gained 1 x Reputation (new total 33).


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.

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

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

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

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Black Jack

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A modest 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.

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 8)

            5
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 5 - you have 8

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 8)

            4
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 4 - you have 8

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 8)

            3
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 3 - you have 8

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 8)

            1
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 1 - you have 8


The Juiciest of Tidbits

A Cherished Thing in Common

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

            5
            You need Cityslicker 5 (you have 9)

            5
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 5 - you have 9

Traeger pulls back his fist to flatten the other man but never connects. He tugs, then looks back, genuinely puzzled, to discover you holding back his massive forearm with both hands. Until this moment it hasn't occurred to you that Hammond Traeger is the size and shape of your average mature black Angus. He stares down at you from above his craggy bent nose -- you can actually make out each individual hair inside, a whole forest of them, in a moment of near-death clarity -- then bursts out laughing. His arm sags; the crowd sags; the portly man sags in soggy relief.

Things are soon settled. From a certain perspective, anyway; the portly man pretends he has a meeting and scuttles off like a large valuable beetle and Traeger spends a few moments rubbing his forehead. "I just can't believe it," he says eventually. "I would of never expected this out of Trill."

You're sure you've heard that name before, Trill. It's only later that you put it together: Traeger must have meant Trillium Chanticleer, the owner of Butterloaf Bakery, who in another time and place might have been called the village bicycle but here is respected as a major economic and culinary force. And Traeger had no idea about her and -- someone else? Curiouser and curiouser.

0 change points, 10 more needed to reach level 10.

Cityslicker has increased to 9!

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

4 change points, 6 more needed to reach level 10.

Cityslicker is increasing...

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

You now have 1 x H. Traeger and Ms. Chanticleer.

You've gained 2 x Reputation (new total 35).

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

You've gained 1 x Dollars (new total 4).


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.

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.

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.

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.

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."


Showing a Little Charity

St. Francis's

A small church near the heart of town. Officially dedicated to St. Francis. Unofficially dedicated to Lee Andante. Outside is a lovely fountain known to be a haunt for the better breed of gangsters.

The public fountain outside St. Francis's is the sparking social center of half the city: dozens of children play through the dancing sprays while old men play checkers at nearby tables and fashionable women stroll or sit on the cool granite lip. Its centerpiece is a tonsured and robed St. Francis with his arms spread. Many birds perch there, both carved and alive. It's almost pleasant here, if humid. Very humid.

You flick the 20th century penny into the fountain. Quick as a whiplash, a man on the fountain lip who's mostly hidden behind a newspaper reaches out and catches it before it touches the water. He folds the newspaper and tucks it under his arm; the penny disappears into a sleeve.

Pinned

Pinned

Velvet and Steel

The man is wearing an oxblood corduroy suit and a charcoal gray fedora. His nails are perfectly manicured and he smells like mangroves and antebellum.

"Good morning," he says cheerfully. "Thank you for the penny back. We hate to lose old trinkets like that. Of course its value is sentimental, but I think we can agree that sentiment is what draws us from our beds in the morning and lays us down with a vengeance at night -- and not the common plutophiliac pursuit. Yes?"

Without waiting for a reply, he goes on: "You may call me Mr. Velvet. I work with a group of concerned ladies and gentlemen: the Stars and Spurs. We undertake the little tasks that need doing. The exportation of certain fine local products up norte. The intake of necessary ordnance to deal with unfriendly local fauna. You understand."

"I'll be frank," Mr. Velvet says: "One of my associates tagged you as a possible conspirator in our humble efforts. We'll be receiving a colleague from Denver and we need someone to arrange his stay. See to his comfort. Ensure his needs are met. That sort of thing. You're in, yes?"

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

            1
            You need Gumption 1

            1
            Unlocked with Gumption 1


Opportunities

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

Travel Around Town

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

Showing a Little Charity

Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

; Unlocked with 1 x 20th Century Penny  - you have 1

Pinned

Pinned

Small-Town Cityslicker

Unlocked with Cityslicker 1 - you have 9; Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening

Compared to the big cities up norte, Amarillo is a smear in the desert...

Jack Ishiguro

Always smiling is Jack Ishiguro, resident fast-talker, quick on the draw with a high pitched giggle...

A Country Doc

Unlocked with Doc 1 - you have 10; Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening

Amarillo is bracketed by stone, sand and sky...


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


The Sweaty Crush

There's hardly room to breathe in the Wall Market. Let alone walk or do business. Nevertheless people manage it, even keeping such things as fresh fruits free of dust and ground meat free of flies. Enviable. Commendable! Maybe don't stay too long.

You have moved to a new area: Wall Market


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.

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.

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 Glimpse of the Deacon

Wall Market

The gutted husk of a pre-Longest Day supermarket and its vast parking lot have become the sprawling Wall Market, a humming place of barter and commerce where daily bread and stranger things can be bought and sold.

The Wall Market! Numb frantic hive of trade and commerce! A place of dollars and barter and stranger currencies -- here are traded favors and kindnesses and pleasures which in the light of day would evaporate or char. A dirty dusty stinking place. Not one for clergy. And yet sooner or later, everyone in Amarillo passes through here.

Pinned

Pinned

Crowdsourcing

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A very modest challenge

Amarillo has eyes and ears in excess of your own. If the Deacon has been here, someone has noticed him. You'll have better luck asking around than lurking with your fingers crossed.

            7
            You need Cityslicker 7 (you have 9)

            7
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 7 - you have 9

The Hands-on Method

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A very modest challenge

On the other hand, lurking has its merits. You won't risk spooking him if he's on the lam. You won't have to buy anything from a tight-lipped vendor. And you won't need to get chatty in the hundred-degree swelter.


Floundering Through the Dry Goods

Crowdsourcing

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A very modest challenge

You hear over and over that the crowd is especially tight this morning. Mostly from people you're jammed up against. Like sardines, someone says. But with less dignity comes the reply. And the heat! Suck the water from your tongue if it weren't so muggy. Like an overcrowded sauna filled with dust and grit.

Finally the crowd disgorges you in front of a dry goods stall. They have peanuts and pecans and walnuts and even a handful of Brazil nuts. The boy behind the counter would trade you the Brazil nuts for a fist of something clear and cold, he says. You get the sense he doesn't mean water. He also doesn't know anything about the Deacon but suggests you try Bakers Row instead.

5 change points, 5 more needed to reach level 10.

Cityslicker is increasing...

Cityslicker 9 failed in a challenge!


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.

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.

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.

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.


The Asian Enclave

Most locals keep far away from Little Japan. At best they think it's cursed; at worst -- well, it's impolite. Perhaps there's a reason Amarillo's Japanese-Americans keep to themselves.

You have moved to a new area: Little Japan


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.

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.

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."


Finding Calo

Little Japan

A forbidding apartment building with blacked-out windows and steel doors. All the rooms are owned by Japanese-Americans, who under the gentle pressures of xenophobia have become secretive and withdrawn.

The streets around Little Japan are narrow and hard to navigate. At best they're badly labeled, changing names without warning. At worst they're graffitied over -- e.g. west of Hamilton, Sixth becomes Sakura. For an outsider it's a nightmare to navigate. Probably by design.

Pinned

Pinned

Worth the Effort

It might be a pain and a half to follow, but this is where the trail of the Harvestmen leads. And you can't imagine Ms. Pettle steering you wrong. The thought is somehow deeply un-librarianish.


Questions for Calo

It's not long before the tangled claustrophic name-changing alleyways start to look the same, all of them dirty trash-strewn and alive with a patient unseen jungleish hostility. And then all of a sudden you turn a corner and there's Calo. It must be her: the only person you've seen since you turned onto Sakura. Skinny, hostile. A hand trailing behind a trashcan, holding -- what? Something menacing. That's Calo all over: menacing, a skinny whipcrack girl with dirty black hair and eyes like a feral cat.

Your eyes meet. She looks you up and down. Eventually there's a subtle shift; her body relaxes like a finger coming off a trigger. "El hombre has questions for Calo?"

 Cautious. Not unfriendly -- but neither warm, is Calo. Not a friend to strangers and strays.

The Harvestmen 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.

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.

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 Chat with Calo

Little Japan

A forbidding apartment building with blacked-out windows and steel doors. All the rooms are owned by Japanese-Americans, who under the gentle pressures of xenophobia have become secretive and withdrawn.

A stray cat jumps up beside Calo; she runs her fingers through its fur. Another winds through her legs. Both have fleas jumping and falling like tiny black raindrops on their backs. Are they her pets? Or just starved for human contact? Calo clicks her tongue at them. They purr audibly in response. Nevertheless her eyes never leave you. Springloaded is Calo, ready to fight or flight. Best talk quickly before something snaps.

Pinned

Pinned

Regarding the Harvestmen

This is the time for brevity. Explain you're here about the Harvestmen. That Ms. Pettle sent you. And that you aren't staying long.


Skinny Crazy

When Calo hears Harvestmen her face goes dark like before a storm. Then she starts talking in a quick pattering gumbo of English, Spanish and Japanese. You catch maybe three words in five but the gist is clear.

Yes, the Harvestmen are a gang. No, they don't have turf or goals or whatever. They come down like rain from a clear sky and they're gone just as quick. Everybody's got a friend of a friend who saw them one night after a little light drinking. Nobody can settle on a description. They're tall or really tall and masked or bare-faced and wear trench coats or dusters and smell like week-old trash or Armani cologne or sour lilacs or blood.

Then all of a sudden she's smiling. "Calo is done," she says. "Dumb little brother for sticking his nose, sure. But he need more, he come back here. Flaca Loca tell him everything. Make it all better."

A memory stirs: a little Spanish picked up in the smoky shifting past. Flaca Loca. As in Calo. Meaning "skinny crazy." Tu comprendes.

The Harvestmen is increasing!

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

Calo is now your Ally!


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.

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


Unpleasant

A Pale Dusty Shroud

Doc

Mental Style.

A modest challenge

Nothing for it but to sprint, and sprint until your lungs burn with the bite of angry air. It's not enough to outpace the wind. You make it back alive but covered in sand and grit and unmentionable thorns from long-dead trees. Unpleasant, to say the least.

7 change points, 4 more needed to reach level 11.

Doc is increasing...

Doc 10 failed in a challenge!


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.

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.

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 Friend of Little Japan

Little Japan

A forbidding apartment building with blacked-out windows and steel doors. All the rooms are owned by Japanese-Americans, who under the gentle pressures of xenophobia have become secretive and withdrawn.

Unfriendly? Standoffish? Of course. Wouldn't you be? Nevertheless Little Japan can't be an island unto itself, and so it must cultivate friendships with certain outsiders -- men and women of taste and discretion.

Pinned

Pinned

One Single Bullet

The doorman -- always polite, usually silent -- will, in exchange for a handful of revolver bullets, bestow upon you a slight bow. At least you think it's a bow. His body and most of his face remain hidden behind the solid steel door at all times.

            3
            You need 3 x Revolver Bullet  (you have 1)

            3
            Unlocked with 3 x Revolver Bullet  - you have 1

Come to the Door

A young Asian boy approaches you with a folded slip of paper. Inside is a line of elegant calligraphy: come to the door.

This will reduce your Connections: Little Japan!

            5
            You need Connections: Little Japan 5

            5
            Unlocked with Connections: Little Japan 5


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned

Sermon on the Mount

Unlocked when Ally: Sermon on the Mount is:

You've still heard more from the others at the Mission about Sermon that from the woman herself...


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.

A Potential for Profit

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A chancy 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 9)

            9
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 9 - you have 9

Black Jack

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A very modest 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.

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.

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 9)

            4
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 4 - you have 9

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 9)

            3
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 3 - you have 9

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 9)

            1
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 1 - you have 9


Theft! Base Greed!

A Potential for Profit

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A chancy challenge

You wait until you're sure the bankers are gone -- half way-down the street! nearly to the corner! -- before scooping the wallet up. And cleverly too: the motion is fluid, part of your regular walk, played off like you're retying your boots. You're sure nobody sees you pocket the thing. So sure that you duck around the corner to open it up -- and find yourself staring at the two bankers. The handsome one's face is a mask of disappointment; the other's eyes are alight with grim pleasure. "You see?" says the toothy banker. "You see what happened? Theft! Base greed!"

The handsome one pats his companion's arm, then turns to you. "Sorry to say you've been a subject in a little experiment. But no hard feelings, yes? We'll just be having the wallet back now."

What else can you do? You hand it back and share a moment of awkward silence before they turn to go.

6 change points, 4 more needed to reach level 10.

Cityslicker is increasing...

Cityslicker 9 failed in a challenge! (When you try a challenge that's difficult for you, you learn more even when you fail.)


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.

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.

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."


Sermon on the Mount

You've still heard more from the others at the Mission about Sermon that from the woman herself. She is at once engaging and charismatic, but inclined to be stand-offish on the specific subject of herself. "I'm not here to be a celebrity or a name. It's not me that important, not really any one of us."

Opportunities

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

Sincere Forms of Flattery

Luck

Watch for the fall of a card.

A matter of luck: the odds are strongly against you here.

There is a different relationship between you and Sermon from most of her -- what do you call them, congregation, family, adherents, charity cases? Though they're not directly worshipful, watching Sermon move through the Mission is like watching a magnet dragged through iron filings. She's highly regarded, highly sought out by them. What are you to her?

Perhaps Not

Your plate is already full.

A Charitable Donation

The Mission can seem to operated on luck and goodwill, but like any group of people it needs flour and soap, and it wants a few fine things like shoes and sugar. Those need cash and Sermon herself isn't above accepting charity, especially the lead kind.

            1
            You need 1 x Revolver Bullet  (you have 1)

            1
            Unlocked with 1 x Revolver Bullet  - you have 1


Gratefully Accepted

            1
            You need 1 x Revolver Bullet  (you have 0)

            1
            Unlocked with 1 x Revolver Bullet

"From the day the world was created to this day, the whole world stands on charity," she says, happy to shake your hand. Her hands are warm, and though callused over like a leather work glove, they have a gentle touch as they slip the bullet from your hand.

Connections: The Mission has changed!

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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


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.

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.

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.

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.

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."


The Skunk Brothers Farm

Long brick buildings and ordered greenery and verdant climbing hops! In the distance purple mountains; in the foreground amber waves of grain! And everywhere the scent of yeast and its vast gassy microscopic hunger, and the buzzing of bees by the gated clover, and the low humming churn and splash of beer and whiskey being made as fast as Darren and Lloyd and the whole Skunk family can make it.

Increase your Helping the Skunk Brothers Quality to open up new branches!

Opportunities

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

Water for the Vats

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A straightforward challenge

The call goes out through Amarillo: the Skunk well's gone dry! Suddenly every idle hand is laid on jars and jugs and even glasses of water. There's no money in it, you're told, but no one can imagine the Skunk Brothers vats going unwatered. Perhaps you should lend a hand.

Making the Rounds

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

Demand for Cornskunk sour mash bourbon has climbed over the last few months. Theories abound; production volume has exploded; the brothers Skunk are being tightlipped about the whole thing.

To handle logistics, Lloyd Skunk is looking for a few good drinkers to hit all their distributors and come back with orders. It's not glamorous and it doesn't pay, but it will keep the whiskey flowing.

That Cornskunk Taste

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Darren Skunk -- quiet thoughtful alchemist! brewmaster, taste-maker! -- needs taste-testers for a new batch of bourbon. He's taking anybody, no special training required. Which means you could get involved. For charitable reasons, of course.

Perhaps Not

Your plate is already full.


Opportunities

Your plate is already full.

Opportunities always come around again.


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.

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.

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."