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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

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

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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

Tall Saul's Business Card

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


Small-Town Cityslicker

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

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

Opportunities

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

Wallet Lost

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A modest challenge

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

You really ought to hand it back. Really you ought to.

            11
            You need Cityslicker 11 (you have 13)

            11
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 11 - you have 13

A Potential for Profit

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A low-risk 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 13)

            9
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 9 - you have 13

Black Jack

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

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

            7
            You need Cityslicker 7 (you have 13)

            7
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 7 - you have 13

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 13)

            5
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 5 - you have 13

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 13)

            4
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 4 - you have 13

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 13)

            3
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 3 - you have 13

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 13)

            1
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 1 - you have 13


The Right Word

Fires in the Desert

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

            4
            You need Cityslicker 4 (you have 14)

            4
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 4 - you have 14

It turns out the right word is stranger -- as in you're a stranger, and don't know anybody around here, and don't even know your own name, and could use to stay a spell among the drumfires.

The broken men and women are solicitous. Surprisingly so; they don't have much, but three separate people try to share their breakfasts. You take a mouthful of baked beans from a surplus tin marked as from 2013. The man who offered it smiles; most of his teeth are missing, but in that moment his face is a thing of incredible sweetness.

0 change points, 15 more needed to reach level 15.

Cityslicker has increased to 14!

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

You've gained 1 x Reputation (new total 51).


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.

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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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 very 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 12)

            9
            Unlocked with Doc 9 - you have 12

Where There's a Will

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward 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 12)

            7
            Unlocked with Doc 7 - you have 12

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 12)

            5
            Unlocked with Doc 5 - you have 12

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 12)

            4
            Unlocked with Doc 4 - you have 12

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 12)

            3
            Unlocked with Doc 3 - you have 12

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 12)

            1
            Unlocked with Doc 1 - you have 12

Formulating a Hypothesis

Doc

Mental Style.

A modest challenge

A dry wind picks up in fits and starts, like an engine with dying carburetor. It scuffs and skids along, pushing at tumbleweeds and the vultures circling overhead. Hmm, vultures mean only one ominous thing. Something has died nearby.

            11
            You need Doc 11 (you have 12)

            11
            Unlocked with Doc 11 - you have 12


A Case for a Stronger Stomach

Formulating a Hypothesis

Doc

Mental Style.

A modest challenge

The stench of the pile of remains is overwhelming, a physical force pushing you away. Clutching your stomach, you hope that whatever has died out here wasn't human, and that whatever killed it isn't nearby.

8 change points, 5 more needed to reach level 13.

Doc is increasing...

Doc 12 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.

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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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."


Miz Nils

The most appropriate thing about Miz Nils is the crocodile skin belt cinching her hips -- it's her in spades. Tough, durable, and quite reminiscent of a creature that lurks silent until snapping its jaws and locking on tight. Not one given over to the silks and velvets of the Stars and Spurs, is Miz Nils. No, she is far more enamored of the open sky, the dust outside of the town, and the rough nature of the Scrub.

Opportunities

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

Perhaps Not

Your plate is already full.

Dust Devils

Out back of the Burrow, Miz Nils is ensconced by her lonesome on the creaking wooden porch. She has a small jar of oil, a whetstone, and a little dog-eared notebook on the table next to her. The expression on her face is one of very serious concentration.


Opportunities

Perhaps Not

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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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 0)

            1
            Unlocked with 1 x Revolver Bullet


Your Fellow Man

Sincere Forms of Flattery

Luck

Watch for the fall of a card.

Sermon urges you into a line for soup and bread instead of into a conversation. The crusty loaf needs some ashes from the fire knocked off it, but otherwise it and the soup engender a pleasantly full and content feeling.

Sermon says a few words for grace. "Peace friends, and relax. For the works of charity done here, I thank each of you." The murmured responses are varied, and everyone begins to eat.

You were unlucky. Better luck next time...


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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

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

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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

Tall Saul's Business Card

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


Travel Around Town

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

Pinned

Pinned

Move to Burrow and Briar

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

Move to Platform #1

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

Move to St. Francis's

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

Move to The Highrise Hotel

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

Move to the Wall Market

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

Move to the Scrublands

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

Move to the Mission

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

Move to Little Japan

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

Move to Downtown Amarillo

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

Move to Amarillo Academy

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

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

            1
            You need An Invitation to Amarillo Academy 1

            1
            Unlocked with An Invitation to Amarillo Academy 1

Move to the Pony Express

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

            Unlocked when Date is:

May 22, 2026 - Morning

May 22, 2026 - Afternoon

May 22, 2026 - Evening

May 23, 2026


Oh Brother, Let's Go Down

Orphans, chickens, the blind, the lame, the hurt and homeless all in one crowd.  A quiet crowd. Not a small one.

You have moved to a new area: The Mission


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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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."


Chasing Down Chickens

The Mission

TBD

After her brief intense hello, Sermon leaves you to your own devices. Like a forest after a brief violent storm, the Mission seems livelier now that she's back. Not every broken person in Amarillo is here -- the Highrise Hotel has its derelicts, the Wall Market is home to orphan gangs -- but most of them are. And it should be a dysfunctional carousel, throwing people off at crazed tilting intervals, but somehow it all just works.

And still there's this: even the chickens are uneaten. How to explain it?

Increase your Chasing Down Chickens Quality to open up new branches!

Pinned

Pinned

Follow Their Tracks

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

Chasing Down Chickens

The Mission

TBD

People are taller and easier to spot than chickens. If you want to know about the latter, follow the former.

            5
            You need Cityslicker 5 (you have 14)

            5
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 5 - you have 14

Following Them Home

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Chasing Down Chickens

The Mission

TBD

These are not plump white pastoral bantams. The Mission's chickens are rangy and tufted and brown and half-wild. And they're clannish, almost viciously insular. Which must mean they're stashing their eggs somewhere. Presumably that place is chicken HQ.

View from the Roost

A tough challenge

Chasing Down Chickens

The Mission

TBD

As you study the roost in the bell-tower, you see one of the orphans clambering up for eggs. It seems a simple matter once you give the route some thought, and the perspective from higher up is often a good one. At least novel, perhaps even enlightening.

            4
            You need Chasing Down Chickens 4 (you have 2)

            4
            Unlocked with Chasing Down Chickens 4 - you have 2


Theriomancy

Following Them Home

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Chasing Down Chickens

The Mission

TBD

One rooster has a particularly distinctive wattle, making him easy to pick out of a crowd. Rather than analyze a crowd of birds, you simply follow him through an hour of rooster-time.

One elderly man takes a swipe at the rooster, the gleam of a stew pot in his eyes, but the wily bird escapes, crowing madly. The bird rushes away, running with surprising grace. He heads for the door, but then leaps! Up, up, and though chickens can't do much in the way of flying, the rooster makes it to the rafters. In rows like feathered saints, the broodies and the bantams and roosters rest. Eggs are safely tucked up here in the bell tower -- only the boldest climbers can reach them.

9 change points, 4 more needed to reach level 13.

Doc is increasing...

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

0 change points, 4 more needed to reach level 4.

Chasing Down Chickens has increased to 3!


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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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.


Fellow Traveler

Sincere Forms of Flattery

Luck

Watch for the fall of a card.

She pats your hand comfortingly, her eyes and expression and very attitude reaching up and behind your own eyes. Motherly concern, serene understanding.

"It's sweet that you're thinking of us. But when you get up to that door, friend, it's you that turns the handle."

If goosepimples are the response to the feeling of someone walking over your grave, someone must be leading a brass band over it right about now.

You were fortunate!

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

White Noise is increasing...

1 change point, 13 more needed to reach level 14.

Doc has increased to 13!


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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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 low-risk 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 13)

            9
            Unlocked with Doc 9 - you have 13

Where There's a Will

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward 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 13)

            7
            Unlocked with Doc 7 - you have 13

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 13)

            5
            Unlocked with Doc 5 - you have 13

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 13)

            4
            Unlocked with Doc 4 - you have 13

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 13)

            3
            Unlocked with Doc 3 - you have 13

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 13)

            1
            Unlocked with Doc 1 - you have 13

Formulating a Hypothesis

Doc

Mental Style.

A modest challenge

A dry wind picks up in fits and starts, like an engine with dying carburetor. It scuffs and skids along, pushing at tumbleweeds and the vultures circling overhead. Hmm, vultures mean only one ominous thing. Something has died nearby.

            11
            You need Doc 11 (you have 13)

            11
            Unlocked with Doc 11 - you have 13


Painted in the Dust

A Walk in the Scrublands

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

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

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

2 change points, 12 more needed to reach level 14.

Doc is increasing...

You've gained 1 x Reputation (new total 52).


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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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."


Chasing Down Chickens

The Mission

TBD

After her brief intense hello, Sermon leaves you to your own devices. Like a forest after a brief violent storm, the Mission seems livelier now that she's back. Not every broken person in Amarillo is here -- the Highrise Hotel has its derelicts, the Wall Market is home to orphan gangs -- but most of them are. And it should be a dysfunctional carousel, throwing people off at crazed tilting intervals, but somehow it all just works.

And still there's this: even the chickens are uneaten. How to explain it?

Increase your Chasing Down Chickens Quality to open up new branches!

Pinned

Pinned

Follow Their Tracks

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

Chasing Down Chickens

The Mission

TBD

People are taller and easier to spot than chickens. If you want to know about the latter, follow the former.

Following Them Home

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Chasing Down Chickens

The Mission

TBD

These are not plump white pastoral bantams. The Mission's chickens are rangy and tufted and brown and half-wild. And they're clannish, almost viciously insular. Which must mean they're stashing their eggs somewhere. Presumably that place is chicken HQ.

View from the Roost

A very chancy challenge

Chasing Down Chickens

The Mission

TBD

As you study the roost in the bell-tower, you see one of the orphans clambering up for eggs. It seems a simple matter once you give the route some thought, and the perspective from higher up is often a good one. At least novel, perhaps even enlightening.

            4
            You need Chasing Down Chickens 4 (you have 3)

            4
            Unlocked with Chasing Down Chickens 4 - you have 3


An Insight

Follow Their Tracks

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

Chasing Down Chickens

The Mission

TBD

Outside the occasional over-eager child getting a scratch, the Mission's people and its chickens get along really very well. Chicken droppings are raked into the vegetable beds; the plants spit out huge zucchinis and tomatoes. And the chickens eat all the bugs, keeping the plants healthy and the people un-flea'd.

A memory stirs: temperate well-watered farms in neat rows, square pens for the animals, regular schedules. Isn't that how farms are supposed to work? But at the Mission everything is haphazard. Some of the bean rows are neat, others scraggly and wild. The chickens are similarly variable. Curious.

1 change point, 14 more needed to reach level 15.

Cityslicker is increasing...

1 change point, 3 more needed to reach level 4.

Chasing Down Chickens 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.

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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

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

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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

Tall Saul's Business Card

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


Small-Town Cityslicker

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

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

Opportunities

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

Wallet Lost

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A very modest challenge

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

You really ought to hand it back. Really you ought to.

            11
            You need Cityslicker 11 (you have 14)

            11
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 11 - you have 14

A Potential for Profit

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward 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 14)

            9
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 9 - you have 14

Black Jack

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

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

            7
            You need Cityslicker 7 (you have 14)

            7
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 7 - you have 14

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 14)

            4
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 4 - you have 14

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 14)

            3
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 3 - you have 14

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.

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            You need Cityslicker 1 (you have 14)

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            Unlocked with Cityslicker 1 - you have 14


Back to Their Corners

A Cherished Thing in Common

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

You insert yourself between Traeger and the other man. Both make symbolic pawing-motions over your shoulders -- Traeger's are a little more serious than the portly man's -- before backing off. Traeger scuffs his boot in the dirt and kneads his forehead with powerful fingertips; the portly man "remembers" a meeting and bustles off, though not before giving Traeger a dirty look from behind his wire-rimmed glasses.

Crisis averted. The crowd disperses -- not without a certain disappointment. And Traeger shakes your hand in appreciation for your cool head. He explains there was a little disagreement about a woman. Of what nature? "That little butterball thought he was involved with somebody he wasn't."

Ah. That explains it.

2 change points, 13 more needed to reach level 15.

Cityslicker is increasing...

You've gained 1 x Reputation (new total 53).


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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

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.

Time to Move On

You've accomplished at least some of what you've set out to do.

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.

The Postmaster's Right Hand

Rumors are circulating about the Postmaster General's right-hand woman.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Black Blood

You've taken a life. Perhaps more than one. That's a stain that won't come off.

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Ornithologist's Notebook

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

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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

Tall Saul's Business Card

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


Travel Around Town

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

Pinned

Pinned

Move to Burrow and Briar

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

Move to Platform #1

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

Move to St. Francis's

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

Move to The Highrise Hotel

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

Move to the Wall Market

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

Move to the Scrublands

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

Move to the Mission

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

Move to Little Japan

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

Move to Downtown Amarillo

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

Move to Amarillo Academy

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

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

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            You need An Invitation to Amarillo Academy 1

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            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 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