Monday, February 23, 2015

Rosebriar: Cultural Alienation

Finally we reach the end of my work on Rosebriar. We'll end not on physical geography but a cultural one. The question is what can I do to mirror the character's experience in the players (PCs)?

The theme of You Can't Go Home Again is a bittersweet one of returning home to the familiar and finding that things have changed and what was home isn't anymore. They suffer alienation, isolation due to cultural distance.

Demonstrating this to players is a subtle game of having non-player characters referencing a shared past, one that the PCs are not privy to. To be fully unsettling, this past should include cultural references that everyone in the area knows about. These might be local like the closing of a favorite ice cream shop or may be global like the election of President Hillary Clinton. In a way I am building an alternate history, one different in only minor ways (from the perspective of the common person) but divergent enough to make the players feel like they are living in a foreign land.
Remember the third x-files move? Wasn't it cool how the alien invasion began?
Remember the third X-Files movie? Wasn't it cool how the alien invasion began?
The trick of this is to reach an uncanny valley of differences. I don't want to make it feel like I am just switching names of cultural icons (different actors for major movies, exchanging major companies' successes). The tone should remain as serious as possible. I also want to keep the nature of the changes small enough that the world is still somewhat familiar. A world war or ungridlocked congress might distract from events within Rosebriar. Changes in the recent past or whose influence is broad but shallow work better for this.

Lets start by examining some of the cultural touchstones for the past decade, the period many of the player characters would have spent in Arcadia. The changes we make should start subtle and become more extreme with time.

Cultural Touchstones (2005-2015)

A sample of major events from previous decade.
I went a little heavy on geopolitics and light on pop culture. You can guess which I personally care more about.

Specific Deviations

Okay with all of that in mind here are some possible events and trends I can drop into the game. Some of these I came up with while others were inspired by my wife.

Unfamiliar Terms:

  • Whisper: Instead of Twitter, a different micro-blog with its own strange terminology makes its way through social media. People say "I’ll whisper it" or "I sent him a whisp."
  • Clintoncare: with a different Democratic nominee, we get a different (and potentially more ambitious) healthcare reform for people to complain about.

Popular culture:

  • Annifer: the scandalous super couple remained together for only a few years but shook the tabloids with the ensuring love triangle (I take no credit for this idea).
  • The MacGyver movies: Hollywood produced a relatively successful action-comedy based on the fondly remembered TV show. The sequel was much less well received and a possible third film looks likely to be canceled.
  • Michael Jackson's latest album/tour: following his hugely successful This Is It comeback concerts, Jackson reemerged as a pop music superstar.
  • X-Files: Invasion (2012): the widely anticipated third film brought closure to the long running TV series mythology with the Scully and Mulder facing off against the alien invasion.

Game Changers:

  • The Swine Flu Global Pandemic of 2009: while not as devastating as media hype made it out to be it was still as deadly as any the prior flu epidemics in living memory killing over two million people worldwide. Deaths in the US officially totaled 153,452. People still discuss how loved ones died of the "Irish Flu" (Northern Ireland being the epicenter of the initial outbreak).
That should be enough for me. A few simple thing to keep track of is easier than a vast collection of differences.

Friday, February 20, 2015

The Climbers Recap: Road to Miami, Part II

creepersbanner
Time to conclude another session of my Apocalypse World game, the Climbers. We left our characters finally in Miami working on repairs after an encounter with a python. While Jarhead and the majority of the NPCs stick with the convoy, November has taken Violet, Gator, and the neo-savage Shadow to talk to a procession from the Music Bowl.

We are about a third of the way through my planned 20+ session run for this campaign. The world is getting more developed but major questions remain about the psychic maelstrom, the 'gods', the Militia and other forces working towards remaking this world.

As in my earlier actual play reports, small green text indicates out of character talk, mechanics and other game aspects outside of the fiction.

Our main characters are:
  • Gator (the Gunlugger) is an assassin and part-time bodyguard who wears customized scrounged armor made from Kevlar and ceramic inserts. Camouflaged for the jungle, his face was ruined in a fight with an alligator. His eyes are always sizing things up and his brutal life has left his body a hard sheet of muscle. 
  • Jarhead (the Savvyhead) is a thing African-American man with a short goatee, long dreads, and clothes covered in pockets and gear. Travelling around in an old news van, he repairs items for a living. Recently obtained a strange device from a man named Dustwich, it can bend time and space. He is intrigued to say the least. He has also obtained employees in the form of a young woman Allison and her brother Waters. 
  • November Orleans (the Skinner) is descended from a family which left New Orleans before it sank. She is a beautiful woman of mixed heritage with dark eyes and skin, a sweet face and lush body. She dresses herself in a mix of scavenged clothing that somehow works together and wears a necklace made from rows of antique coins which jingle and shine as she moves. Her main profession is as a dancer, especially belly dancing, but she has a sideline business in cooking and animal training. 
  • Violet Jefferson (the Touchstone) is descended by survivalists and her clothing and gear reflects her origins. Plain looking but fit, she carries a pocket copy of the Federalist papers and founding documents of the United States of America, an idea she hopes to revive. Her followers are demanding her help putting on a mission to liberate Miami from a tyrant.

Previously...

Violet's followers are happy. Everyone has healed on the long car ride. Jarhead has an augury.

The highlighting is:
  • November: Hot, Weird. 
  • Gator: Cool, Sharp. 
  • Jarhead: Sharp, Weird. 
  • Violet: Hard, Hot. 

Road to Miami, Part II

Violet takes point with November, Shadow and Gator following. A procession emerges from the darkness ringing chimes and bearing an elderly man on a stretcher.

Gator notes ten of them, six playing music on chimes, two bearers, the old man and a procession leader bearing a bluish light. None of them armed worth a damn.

November steps forward and begins to belly dance. Her necklace of coins shimmers and jingles in rhythm to their chimes, entrancing all.

November rolls Artful & gracious. She earns an experience and rolls an 11. She gains an advancement and takes An arresting skinner. She decides that one of them wishes to meet her, another seeks her services, and the last wants to give her a gift.

The woman in white lowers her electric lantern. November recognizes her as Pandora, a mid-ranked priestess within the order.

“Greetings travelers,” Pandora says.

“Greetings,” November says curtsying. “Pandora don’t you recognize me?”

November spends one of her hold.

“It is good to see you again November,” she says with a smile, “and at the auspicious time of the year.”

“I often hoped to pass this way at the time of the festival.”

Note we still no idea what time of year it is. Welcome to the tropics.

“Yes, you should return with us after we’ve completed our mission. My fellow priests at the Music Bowl would happy for you to perform with us.”

“What a kind invitation.” November looks past Pandora. “It seems you might also be on your way to the Autodoc.”

Pandora looks to the bedridden man. “We are taking our venerable high priest Heron to Autodoc in the hopes he might continue the melody with us.”

“I hope so. We have one travelling with us whose wounds are not closing. But let me introduce you to my compatriots first.” She turns and gestures to each of her comrades. “This is Violet, a visionary of the North; Shadow, a warrior of Willowtree; and Gator of the sharp eye and quick hand.”

“This is an impressive company you travel with, but I expect no less,” she laughs.

As the porters rest, November leans in. “I haven’t been to Autodoc before. What can we expect?”

Pandora fingers an amulet. “It is a strange place, they say it has fallen farther and less than the rest of the world. The devices there still work and the halls are of the purest white. I’m also told that the machines are not to be trusted. But we hope to talk to the leaders of that holding. We have brought gifts to grease the wheels.”

“What gifts are deemed appropriate?”

“We bring some herbs from the wilds as well as some of the last goods we retrieved from the Big Ship before White closed off our access to the market.”

“The whole market’s been closed?” November asks.

“If you want to enter the market, you must pay a toll,” Pandora explains.

“A small exchange?”

“It depends on who you are. We've decided to close ourselves off from such thuggery.”

“I understand. Will you follow us to our vehicles, we are having some repair issues.”

“If it is not far.”

November leads the way back. As they walk a young woman approaches her. Her raven hair stands out against her white robe.

“You dance wonderfully,” she says to November.

”It is a pleasure,” the dancer tells her.

“I’m called Amber. I’m glad we encountered travelers out here that were not of the dangerous persuasion." She blushes. "Your display of art brings a bit of hope to me.”

Up ahead Violet turns to Pandora. “We can help each other out since we are traveling in the same direction.”

The priestess nods. “It would be better to travel in a group. Numbers would dissuade any looters or raiders.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Jarhead says, “no disagreement here.”

Amber stammers on. She stows her chime and pulls out a dark box. “I don’t have much, I would like to thank you for that performance.”

A quiet crackling comes from the device and yellowed gauge reads something called ‘millrads’.

“Is this what I think it is?” November asks.

“Yes," she beams. "I would hate for you to ingest any of the toxins that infest the harbor.”

“I thank you for your care.”

Back in the parking structure, Jarhead lies under the SUV making the final repairs. Allison hands him a wrench while Waters works on tightening the bolts on the new wheel. The boy finishes and goes to grab the hubcap. He doesn't make it.

The child tumbles to the ground, spasming and weeping.

“Oh damn it,” the tinkerer says pulling himself out from under the vehicle. He leans over the boy while Allison stands over him clenching her hands together.

“Waters wake up, get up!” he says, slapping the boy.

November quips, ”stop goofing around.”

”So compassionate,” Violet says.


Waters doesn't react and Allison tugs on Jarhead’s sleeve. “What are we going to do?”

Jarhead’s mind races. Without any better ideas, he stretches out the child beside the van away from any his gear. Allison weeps quietly.

After few minutes later, the boy stops twitching and slips into unconsciousness.

“If it’s not one thing it's another,” Jarhead says.

Waters mumbles in his sleep. Jarhead leans in. Faintly he hears, “clouds...bodies...”

Jarhead heads into his van to get a better idea of what the child is talking about. He turns on the receiver he’s rigged up to Dustwich's sphere, tuning it to Waters’s mental frequency.

Jarhead uses Augury to reach through psychic maelstrom to Waters. He rolls weird and gets experience. With the 8, he chooses to open a window to Waters and to reach deeply. There will be some bleeding.

A digital readout lights up and a string of characters scroll across it: “12 people infested with Ophiocordyceps americanis...12 hosts cases under the effects of Tetrodotoxin, Bufotoxin, and human ash...nearby the Gemignani Institute of Health...”

“Jarhead come quick!” Allison shouts.

The dark-skinned man comes back out to see Waters trembling with blood pouring from his nose.

“That’s not good.” Then as the blood spreads he shouts, “Ah! Ah, nosebleed!”

Jarhead snatches away the last of his equipment from the boy.

November spots him first, lying prone with Jarhead trying to keep the child from bleeding out. As Violet rushes over to help, Gator calls out, “You've got to raise the head, or he’ll drown in his own blood.”

November Opens her brain to see if he is empty like Shadow said. She gets a 10 and marks experience.

The sounds of her allies disappear into the scents and sensations of the city around her. November hears the chimes, the wind in the trees, the sounds of animal life, and the electric hiss from some device in Jarhead’s van. The deeper noises of the city come to the forefront: the lapping of far off waves, the crumbling of cement and wood, and the pops of distant gunfire. The scents of rotten wood mixes with that of leaves and life. Slowly a pattern merges as the waves of sound intermix. Where Waters sits the noise and other sensations cancel out. The boy is null spot in the grand pattern. But not quite. Within the quiet, she can sense tiny ripples, faint traces of some deeper pattern, something obscured by the general hubbub of the waking world.

”He’s not empty,” November concludes.

”He’s empty and not empty,” I say.

”He’s not empty.”

”However you choose to interpret that.”

Someone comments on using leeches.

”He obviously needs a good bleeding,” November says.


Violet eventually gets the bleeding under control. Jarhead then turns back to his work and finishes the repairs. As things calm down and Boo tests the SUV, Violet offers to place both Waters and Heron in the van. Pandora graciously accepts Violet’s offer with the stipulation that she accompany their aged leader.

Then the convoy rolls out, driving slowly so that the disciples can follow on foot. Violet joins them on the road.

The lights of the Autodoc greet them a few hours later. The 8-story structure remains seemingly untouched by the apocalypse in the darkness.

Gator raises a hand. “It’s too quiet. I've been here before.”

Gator rolls Read a sitch. November chooses to help him and succeeds at her Hx roll. With the +1 he gets a 7. He also marks experience.

”It would be suck to start off a Read a sitch with ‘Zombie Attack!’” I tell him.

He asks, "who is in control here?"

In the headlights they make out that someone barricaded the front door with desks and hospital beds. November points out blood spray on the cracked cement outside.

Normally control is debatable, falling with the either the Central Computer or the head nurse. Neither is in charge at the moment.

“Looks like they are battling for control,” Gator says. “Usually the head nurse has things under control but this isn't normal.“

“You think White could be moving on this place too?” November asks.

“Perhaps,” Pandora says stepping forward. “He’s been making forays on all of the small groups around here. I suppose he might be moving on one of the main holdings now.”

Violet rolls Read a sitch with Gator’s help. He gets an 8 and Violet gets a total of 9. Jarhead joins the crowd and get a 7 on his roll. He also mark experience.

What’s the biggest threat? Violet asks.

Jarhead asks, What enemy is most vulnerable?


Violet draws her rifle as a dozen armed men and women shamble out of the shadows. Scrapes and cuts give evidence to the recent conflict as does the blood on their machetes. Jarhead however transfixes on the syringe still sticking out of the eye of one of them. The green tinge to the remaining eyes reveal these people are heavily infected with the climbers.

"He’s got a blind spot," I point out.

November decides to act. “They are still people right?” she asks.

”Yes.”


November quickly steps in front of the headlights and starts to dance. With a single graceful motion she removes a scarf. Dumbfounded most of crowd simply stares at her, including the drugged victims of the climbers.

Using An arresting skinner, she paralyzes the crowd. She exempts people with weapons on her side.

“Is this normal?” Jarhead stammers as she removes another piece of clothing.

“What is normal?” Gator says bringing his sub-machine gun to bear on one of the knots of zombies.

“Oh yes, the smg.” I say.

”I take out my little gun,” Gator explains.

“Oh yes.” Then I make a long-delayed hard move.


He fires but only two rounds cut through the frozen warriors before his gun jams, a damp bullet from his dip in the swamp misfiring. “God damn it,” he says.

Boo readies his shotgun and Violet takes aim at the infected attackers, aiming for the head. She fires. Again. And again.

I debate making a roll here and settle on exchanging harm for harm (which with the zombies frozen makes this rather one-sided). Basically November ‘won’ the encounter via stripping.

In the end I have Violet roll Acting under fire to kill them without triggering any spores. She gets a 10 and all is well.

There’s a lot of laughter about An arresting skinner.

November points out that she could strip someone else to freeze them. “I think this is a seriously underrated move. I will work hard not to abuse it but I did just take it.”


Twelve corpses litter the ground as November quickly dresses. Gator unjams his gun while the others prepare a bonfire.

There is some discussion of advancements. Violet gets +1 hard and Jarhead ultimately goes with Wasteland Survival from the Tribal.

I comment to November, “the one that wants to meet you now really wants to meet you.”


As the flames lick at the dead, the sound of shifting wood and metal emerges from the Autodoc’s doors. A few minutes later a man in bloodstained hospital scrubs emerges.

He warily approaches the assembled crowd. “Who are you with?”

“Ourselves at the moment.” Gator says.

“What do you want? Why are you here?” the man says keeping his distance.

Gator decides to use his hold.

“Krin, don’t you remember me?” the assassin asks.

Gator explains Krin is a mechanic at the Autodoc who helps keep things going. Gator has visited before with the occasional horrible gunshot wound.

The man comes closer. “Oh Gator! I guess we can trust you.”

“Looks like you are having some trouble here,” the mercenary says.

Krin looks to the bonfire. “White sent these infected individuals to force us to join up with him.“

“What are they infected with?”

“What do you think? It’s good that you shot them in the forehead otherwise we’d have spores everywhere.”

“That’s fucked up,” he says, shaking his head.

“Yeah, well that’s how he took the ship,” Krin explains.

“Good to know. Is the head nurse around?”

“Yes, follow me,” Krin says heading for the front door. “Oh, you can take your vehicles around back.”

“Good, we've got a couple people here who need attention,” Gator points out.

Krin nods. He waves to the door and several people busy themselves removing the barricades.

“Also we just did you a service,” Gator adds. “It would be good to remember.”

“I’ll point that out to Barnum,” Krin says leading them inside. “It will up to him to make any arrangements.”

“Understandable.”

The vehicles pull around the side of the building and enter through a large sliding metal door. Both the lobby and loading dock are a gleaming white. An antiseptic smell hangs in the air.

As they pass through the entryway, they hear a buzz and momentarily feel warmer. Jarhead’s eye flick to the dark purple bulbs arranged above the entrance.

“What’s that?” the tinkerer asks.

A technician looks up. “It kills ambient bacteria.”

November checks her new Geiger counter but it doesn't register anything.

“How’s that work?” Jarhead asks.

“I don’t know, it just does,” Gator says joining them.

“I’m not asking you, of course you don’t know. I’m asking him.”

“I’m not really sure,” the technician says. “It has something to do these bulbs.”

“Do they do anything to people or just bacteria?” he asks.

“I don’t think they do.”

“Have you tried to make them do something?” Jarhead asks.

“Have you tried to weaponize your hospital?” November jokes.

”No we have not tried to weaponize our hospital,” Krin says forcefully. “You can talk to the head nurse about it if you want.”

“I will and see if he needs my services,” the tinkerer says.

“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” Gator admonishes.

“You are absolutely no fun at all Gator.”

“This place is useful, I don’t want it broken,” he says.

The crowd enters the main lobby, a huge open area filled with greenery and people in hospital gowns. Some are clearly recovering while others tend the small gardens scattered about the space.

Jarhead looks up through the glass ceiling to the ruined letters decorating the front of the hospital: _e_ig__ni In__itut_ o_ He_lth.

Pandora turns to Violet. “If you may, I prefer to deal with the head nurse myself first.”

Violet agrees and the most of the procession from the Music Bowl go to meet with the leader of the Autodoc.

While Gator and Violet attempt to dissuade Jarhead from his ‘frying light idea’, November finds herself approached by one of the acolytes.

“I’m awed by your impressive display of art,” the dark-haired man says. “I’m Wisher.”

“Thank you,” she says. “I’m just glad I was effective against those things. It is good to know some humanity persists.”

He smiles. “I can’t imagine any who would not be moved by that.”

November blushes prettily.

“Where are you are intending to go after this, after you companion is healed or otherwise?” Wisher asks.

“I’m not exactly sure. I've put my fortunes in with Violet’s mission but I’m not sure how she will pursue it.”

“What is her mission? If I may ask,” he says.

“You should hear her speak about the glories of the old republic,” she tells him. “I could not do it justice. I am no great orator.”

“Well I’m sure if you were to come back with us to the Music Bowl, it would be a great striking out point for anything that your companion was interested in.” He adds, “I’d be interested in your company.”

“I thank you for your invitation. I’ll certainly let the others know.”

As she says that the head nurse’s secretary comes out. “Next!”

“That’s us,” Gator says.

The man behind the desk shuffles some papers. Gator looks down on his balding head from his seat.

“Nurse Barnum?” the mercenary says.

“Gator? Yes, I recall you,” the man says absently brushing his lingering blond hair.

“Yes, this time it’s not for me.”

Barnum perks up. “Oh I thought you might be interested in a bit of reconstructive surgery?”

“No I keep that to remember,” he says grinning horribly.

“Our rates are reasonable and I think we've worked out the kinks,” Barnum says.

“No thanks, my face still works so I’ll leave that alone. If ain't broke then don’t fix it. We've got another issue with our travelling companion Waters. He’s pretty messed up and he’s having some weird seizures. We are hoping to get that looked at before his brain explodes or he drowns in his own blood.”

Barnum steeples his fingers. “We can do a diagnosis and depending on the result present reasonable treatment options.”

”Do we want to discuss terms before or after?” the gunlugger asks.

“I believe it’s always best to discuss these things beforehand.”

“Excellent. I want to start off by stating we did have to clear out twelve angry guys out front for you.”

I have Gator roll Manipulate a person (via Easy to trust) with a further +1 due to Krin vouching for him. He earns experience and rolls a 13.

“Okay,” the head nurse says. “We won’t know the full cost until we get the diagnosis but I believe your services rendered will take care of that bit of it. Shall we meet in an hour once the diagnosis machine has done its work?”

“Alright,” Gator says, getting up.

“Can I watch?” Jarhead asks.

“If you wish. What’s relation to the patient?”

“Employer?” he says uncertainly.

“Ah, okay.”

Jarhead stands up excitedly.

An hour later, Barnum pours over the reams of paper the diagnosis machine printed out. Jarhead replays the examination in his head: Waters within the giant tube, the holographic displays of internal organs, the precise scans and digital readouts.

He giggles to himself.

”That’s not at all creepy I swear,” he says.

“This child’s condition is quite severe,” Barnum says.

“I see,” Jarhead says sobering up.

“The physical wounds are well within our capabilities to repair,” the nurse says. “His mental wounds however are beyond our surgeon’s capabilities. We can put him the care of the Hospital. I can’t say for certain that he will emerge the same.”

“That may be Allison’s call,” Gator says.

”No it’s not, I’m his employer, it’s my call,” Jarhead says.

Barnum gives him a puzzled glanced. “Most people would just simply call him a slave.”

“No I’m his employer, he is in indentured servitude,” the tinkerer clarifies. “He gets paid in knowledge. They used to call that an internship.”

“I believe I stand with my statement.”

Jarhead ignores the comment. “So yes, go ahead with the operation.”

“This will still require compensation,” Barnum says.

“Allison should get a say,” Violet says.

Jarhead waves his hands. “Okay you can ask her, fine, whatever.”

As Violet leaves to fetch the girl, Gator leans in. “If you fix his body will he still have these fits?”

“Yes. He has deep neurological damage,” Barnum clarifies, “and the fits could still kill him.”

Jarhead questions why they can’t do the surgery themselves.

Barnum sighs. “We have lost much of the knowledge of the old world. I could list the procedures the diagnosis machine has given us but unless you are possess medical skills we do not, I don’t see it would be any help.”

“Show me anyway.”

Barnum reads out what sounds like gibberish.

“You may be a machine doctor but you are not a doctor doctor,” Gator tells Jarhead.

Violet returns with Allison. Barnum outlines her brother’s condition.

Allison sits on the edge of her chair. “Well if it’s going to kill him either way...he can’t go on like this. This is horrible. What could the hospital do to him?”

“There have been some deaths and others that we've had to relieve of their suffering after the hospital’s ministrations,” the nurse says coldly.

“What’s the best that can happen?” Gator asks.

“It has cured people in the past of severe ailments such as late stage cases of the climbers,” Barnum says hopefully.

Allison stares into her hands. “I guess then we don’t really have a choice I guess.”

Barnum nods and smiles. “Alright then there is only the small matter of our fee.”

“Okay then,” Violet says.

Jarhead interjects, “well I do have an idea for the light at the front entrance.”

Gator interrupts him. “No! People want to come here. I don’t want to be burned next time I come here.”

”You just need to set it properly,” the tinkerer explains.

“Can you get it to just burn zombies?”

“I think so.”

“That’s not very convincing.”

Jarhead rolls Manipulate a person to get a better price. He rolls a 7.

“I would rather that you didn't mess with any of the lower level technologies,” Barnum says. “There is however the East Wing. If you would bring that area back under control I will knock down the fee to a mere two barter.”

Jarhead becomes agitated. “I bring a huge portion of your hospital under control,” he rants, “wait what do you mean under control? What’s in there?”

“It’s gone quiet,” Barnum explains. “I don’t know that there is anything dangerous in there.”

“When was the last time anyone has been in this wing?”

“Five years. The East Wing doesn't have any windows and the lights have gone out.”

Violet mentions it might be psych ward.

Jarhead looks to the others.

“If you can bring the lights on,” Barnum repeats, “I can lower the price to two barter. I suppose you really want a bargain we can put him entirely in the care of Hospital for one barter.”

”Alright,” Jarhead says.

As Violet frowns, the tinkerer turns to the others, “I don’t actually have any barter at the moment.”

“I can pay,” Violet says. “Two barter.”

”And hey it is acting with hope,” Violet says.

End of Session

Hx improvements:
  • November gives +1 Hx to Jarhead. “He is a little less confused by her after her display.”
  • Jarhead gives +1 Hx to Gator. Everyone was exposed to a new level of crazy from Jarhead.
  • Gator gives +1 Hx to Violet.
  • Violet gives +1 Hx to Jarhead. “Apparently you care more about his employee than he does,” I comment.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Gaming with Baby: Choking Hazards

Another update on how my infant son is impacting my gaming life. The big item this time involves baby proofing the house.

Choking Hazards

IMG_20150201_153705_637
So as you might expect, all of the dice, chips, miniatures and the like are getting packed up. This includes a lot of board games that we'd otherwise play. Anything with small parts is bound for the closet until Sebastian (and the as yet unconceived Baby 2.0) can be trusted not to swallow anything he (or she) gets his (or her) hands on. That leaves us with mostly card games out like Cards Against Humanity, Dominion and Smash Up.

The other fun bit is assembling the baby gates and gradually restricting how we can get around the house. I think we leave the upstairs gate open half the time. That will need to change. By contrast plugging up all the outlets was easy.

Baby Report

As for Sebastian, he has moved from grandparent daycare to the Montessori school down the street. Thus he has been in a state of almost continual sickness. And with illness came many many sleepless nights for us parents. We finally broke down and bought a humidifier in the hopes it would help him sleep (the jury is still out). He's on the mend (again) but it is trying both on a daily basis and on our gaming schedule (playing with a sick baby is no fun).

When he's not coughing, dripping, or desperately trying to sleep (and giving me those horrible pleading eyes) he's continuing to grow and progress. Over the holidays he learned to scoot backwards and seemed like he might work out forward as well. Then he lost interest in movement.

Instead he enjoys sitting for hours and manipulating objects. His manual dexterity has advanced considerably. He drops things when he wants to and he can generally manage even large objects by using both hands. Thus motivating our efforts on removing choking hazards.

Babbling went from a furtive thing we would hear on the baby monitor late at night to a daily activity as "da", "ma", "ba', "be", and other syllables get strung together in endless combinations. Also on the communication front, he's learned to wave goodbye.

Gaming Update

Following the holidays, we've had a few changes in our gaming schedule.

The Online Game (The Climbers)

This continues to press forward. The holidays and Sebastian's sickness delayed the game but we are fast approaching session 13. We still need to work out how to get him to bed such that my wife doesn't lose too much playtime or enjoyment of the game. Hopefully it will become easier as he gets over his latest bout of illness.

In game, we've reach the point in Apocalypse World where characters must change playbooks or retire, Some interesting choices are surfacing. The Skinner became a Battlebabe, beautiful and dangerous as she accepts an offer of power from blood thirsty gods in the Psychic Maelstrom. The Gunlugger looks for something more peaceful instead. Meanwhile though they win every battle the PCs seem to be losing the war with White's forces.

Games at Our House (board games and RPGs!)

Our local group has decided to mix in some short roleplaying games with our usual board game fun. They requested an Apocalypse World based game and after some discussion I decided to run a short game of Worlds in Peril, a superhero theme game I backed last autumn. It is turning out really well with complex party dynamics, intriguing villains and fun little plot.

We probably won't go back to full-time playing of RPGs as one of the players wants to reduce her RPG intake but I think we might get to play some shorter games interspersed with board games (subject to the choking hazard issue above). One of my players has been discussing a Fate game set after some sort of apocalypse. I look forward to playing again.

A Future Game?

Talking about playing again, another of my friends has begun talking about possibly running a play by post game of Vampire: the Masquerade. I've been burned by play by post before so I'm a little hesitant. Generally I find everyone flakes out before an initial story can even be resolved. This particular friend is perhaps the last who has enough trust with me to get me to go along with it. Let's hope it works out.

Musings on the Future

I've gotten some great comments on this blog for this series of articles. I keep hearing how toddlers are even more time-consuming and limit gaming even more. I'm somewhat dubious that this is true given how Sebastian occupies 75 to 95% of our time when he's awake (while my wife takes care of him, I mostly deal with chores). Perhaps it is because he's never been a good sleeper (for a long while he only slept 9 hours a night with short half hour naps during the day). Also I've already boil down my gaming to maximize enjoyment time (by removing travel and getting good sessions done in 3 hours or less). I suppose only time will tell.

Oh and in other news I got older.
IMG_20150125_154338_131

Monday, February 16, 2015

Rosebriar: The Works

Finally I have reached the final district of Rosebriar, the industrial heart that keeps the community going. Locals call these rusty factories the Works but they don't do that anymore. The factories fall silent as industry shifts overseas.

Rosebriar: The Works

Welcome to the Rust Belt.
The Works

Description:

Discolored factory buildings decorate this side of Rosebriar. The rains wash rust and grease into the nearby canal where a few hardy fish survive upstream of Thornton Industries. On land most of the warehouses, aged foundries, and factory buildings collect dust, abandoned as work moves to other countries.

A few remaining businesses keep the town going. At least until they too go under. Sometimes they are helped along, pushed by falling steel prices or crippled by pension commitments. Then the unions picket the buildings, trying to squeeze a concession from the dried up organization. Nobody wins.

Most of the industry here focused on steel making and casting and that remains true today. Those businesses that survived create complex pieces of machinery that require high levels of accuracy and durability.By moving upmarket, they manage to justify their increased labor costs.

Local Hedge

Within the local Hedge, rusty barbed wire interweaves with the thorn bushes. Meanwhile a treacherous mess of muddy earth hides buried rusty steel beneath the trails. Hollows abound here, often adorned with abandoned pieces of strange machinery. sulfurous clouds sometimes obscure the sky and the air sits thick and musty in the mornings. A distant whirring and grinding never seems to get any closer no matter how long a traveler searches.

Those moving into the Hedge itself suffer twice as much harm as normal due to the sharp bits of metal among the thorns. The area grants a +2 bonus to efforts to hedgespin Tokens as the industry from the real world bleeds over.

Damnation City Stats:

Physical: Access 0, Safety 0
Mental: Information 1, Awareness 1
Social: Prestige -2, Stability 1

The Works cover much of the east end of Rosebriar, connected inward by major roads and outward via the highway and canal. Local security and regular police patrols keep out the worst excesses of the Heywood gangs. While the area has clearly seen better days, the neighborhood remains calm, perhaps deadened to its demise. The blue-collar jobs are almost gone and the workers who remain are well-educated engineers overseeing increasingly automated production. When multi-ton robots work around you, you keep an eye out for trouble.

Vice: Lethargy. The Works have moved past despair and into a pessimistic certainty. At its worst, repairs are neglected and dying businesses hemorrhage much-needed funds. Death is slow now that the weakest have died. The factories that still run have cut away the fat and now make thin slices at the muscle.
Virtue: Pride. Made in America means something here, something like hope, something like craftsmanship. The products the Works produces are top quality. People put their all into their products.

Site: Kalt Forge

Type: Industrial
History: This foundry sits quiet, cold but not entirely abandoned. Most people believe that competition overseas and bad investments sunk the Kalt company and to a certain extent that is true. But it is also true that its bosses were plagued by bad dreams and bewitched into odd (and unprofitable) purchases. Either way the factory shut down, the forges went cold, and the lights were turned off. The property was quietly sold off a couple of years later and now lies entirely in the hands of those who caused its demise: a group of changelings calling themselves the Bridgeburners.

Wise to the symbolism of the site's name, they have begun using the facility to build weapons and armor in their fight against the True Fae and their agents, which to their minds include ordinary Hobs and the Hedge itself. Forging cold iron, they have amassed daggers, swords, axes, even bullets and leather dusters lined with cold iron plates. Ground cold iron dust fill buckets for salting the earth on the other side. Soon they will be ready.

Story Seeds:

Burning Bridges: the local bridge burners have begun to assault supernatural sites such as Hollows, Hob homesteads, and Goblin Fruit patches. They salt the earth with ground iron, literally scorching the earth and leaving a dead poisonous Hedge behind them. Everyone knows the local Goblin Market is next. Who is willing to stop them? Will the Hobs abandon this town in retaliation? What happens when the Hedge is cut off to Changelings?

Carnival of Rust and Tears: A long time ago, a fae carnival visited Rosebriar every autumn. It served as a travelling market and a source of wondrous magics. The last time they visited however they all disappeared. The remains of the carnival can still be found rusting in the Hedge near the Works. At night the Ferris wheel and other rides come to life and ghoulish laughter can be heard from the glass strewn House of Mirrors. They say the carnival is haunted by the ghost of the last owner, a Darkling clown who acquired a taste for human flesh. They also say you can find tokens and other mystic items in and among the wreckage.

Closing Time: this story serves as a subplot for more magical threats. A factory begins hiring new workers. The PCs get the opportunity for honest work and a steady paycheck. They must balance this new life with their fae one. Along the way they get to know their coworkers. Perhaps one lives in Appleton and has a bothersome brownie or another has a sibling hunting changelings in Heywood. After several sessions of this, the factory shutters its operations. The union protests and tries to get the PCs to help out. Meanwhile the rumor mill says the work is being outsourced, the company is going under, or the government is shutting it down for breaking environmental regulations. Eventually whatever the cause the characters are again out of work and must deal with that life change. How do they adapt? Where do they get money?

NPCs:

Martin Wright manages one of the factories that still churns out steel products in Rosebriar. Overseeing schedules and hiring, this devious man has worked out a scheme with the local union to boost profits for both sides. He drives new workers relentlessly, scheduling them for odd hours and letting them go for the smallest infraction (such as failing to turn up for work due to missing the last-minute scheduling). But he waits until they've paid their union dues first. Then the union, whose long-term members keep cushy jobs at the factory, point out that the firing (or as typically referred to: 'voluntary resignation') was perfectly within the employee's contract. They kickback some of the dues to Martin and he never has to pay out health benefits or much of anything to these transient employees.

Lilly Steeltooth works at a locksmith in Heywood but spends her evenings at the Works, planning the next round of 'closings', slang for sealing Hedge gateways, with other Bridgeburners. This wizened locksmith developed a way to incorporate cold iron into door locks such that they resist efforts to open them into the Hedge.

A changeling attempting to create a gateway that she locked must roll Wyrd at a -3 penalty or they simply fail to open the door. any Glamour spent is lost. This works even if the locking mechanism is open. Only by removing the lock (often contained in the door handle) can a gateway easily be opened.

Up until now her handiwork has been limited to Heywood and few illegal installments throughout Rosebriar. The leadership of the Bridgeburners plans to fund her efforts to open her own shop in Appleton and spread the locks throughout town.

In person this thin hunched woman keeps her prematurely gray hair loose and clinks with the numerous tools she carries in her belt and pouches. Under the Mask, her teeth are metallic and her garb festooned not with tools but locks and clockwork.

The Iron Ogre: the mysterious leader of Bridgeburners is known to be a giantess who carries a significant amount of armament from the Kalte Forge at all times. Standing over 7 feet tall, this one-eyed woman is gathering changelings throughout the region. She plans to close of access to and from the Hedge throughout Rosebriar. Her goal is to create a stronghold inaccessible by the True Fae. If that works she intends to do the same for other towns in New York.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Rosebriar: Town Square Park

One place remains untouched by Rosebriar's decline, a small park in the center of Old Town. Here the best days of the town are remembered and a strange magic keeps it safe and clean, a respite from the dark outer world. But are the magics fading? What happens when the outer corruption rushes in?

Rosebriar: Town Square Park

You remind me of someone I used to know.
Town Square Park

Description

Within Old Town sits a shrine to better times. A square of green breaks up the grid of fading houses and tight streets with wide spaces and shady trees. Numerous statues commemorate the glories and prominent citizens of yesteryear. Children play while their parents look on from their picnics. An old couple feeds the pigeons. A city worker on her lunch break bites into a thick juicy sub. A warm breeze rustles the trees.

Town Square Park owes its existence to one of Rosebriar's early luminaries. Once part of Buck Gold's estate, the gold miner left it to the town in perpetuity. Some say the African-American adventurer was blessed and that his blessing passed to the park. The grounds stay verdant all spring and summer no matter how dry the rest of the region gets. Autumn decorates the trees in red and gold while winter snows seem to linger a bit longer here, just in time for green shoots to arrive to begin the process again.

Roughly twenty acres in size, several century old trees still stand from the original estate. These stately oaks and slender birches loom over their surroundings while below people lounge on park benches, play volley ball or jog along the cement paths.Those who visit find it strangely peaceful, losing themselves in reveries and thoughts of the past.

Local Hedge

Wide trails twist through this small corner of the Hedge, intersected by sunlit glades. Vine encrusted statues occasionally emerge from the borders, cast in the garb of an earlier age. Somewhere a radio plays tunes from a couple of decades ago and every so often travelers discover a toy, photo or other memento of theirs flapping in the breeze, pierced on a thorn.

Those travelling here find passage easy, gaining a +4 bonus to navigate the Hedge. Few threats are to be found within but strangely the region resists the creation of Hollows, destroying all work overnight.

Damnation City Stats:

Physical: Access 3, Safety 1
Mental: Information 2, Awareness 2
Social: Prestige 1, Stability 2

The major avenues of Rosebriar run swiftly to and from the park and nearby downtown. A small band of volunteers keep the trails and paths are kept clear and diligently remove any traces of trash. Patrol men from the police station across the street prefer to eat their lunches here on warm quiet days, dissuading criminal activity. Most of the park is only lightly wooded allowing long sight lines and plenty of space for volleyball and other sports. Three circular bulletin boards scattered about the park brim with flyers for activities and other announcements. The dim glow of hope ameliorates the view of the neglected surroundings.

Vice: Distant. Rosebriar has grown away form the park and Old Town, something reflected in the people here. Passersby are friendly but keep others at arm's length, unwilling to embrace strangers. The transient nature of encounters at the park makes friendships slow to grow.
Virtue: Hope. The park remains wholesome even as Rosebriar loses its small town charm. A symbol of hope and purity, it continues to brings smiles to the weary citizens. Perhaps with enough work and some luck, all of Rosebriar can be this way.

Site: The Statue of Alice

Type: Monument
History: This stone statue of a girl stands near the southern end of the park. The child Alice lifts her arms out before her in supplication. Her plain face looks up slightly, her wavy hair cascading behind her. A product of local folklorist and sculptor Alfred Gleik, it was installed in 2011. Gleik based it on a local legend about a desperate drought in Rosebriar's history. Supposedly Alice was a willing sacrifice to a local Native American tribe for one of their own who perished. She wandered off and disappeared. Shortly afterwards the drought lifted.

Those with a talent for it feel the pull of Fate around the statue. Pledges and Oaths made here feel stronger. If two people make a pact here they both benefit from an additional minor boon (such as Adroitness). One sided pledges gain no benefit.

Story Seeds:

A Drop of Memory: a rumor spreads among the fae that sleeping in the park overnight restores lost memories. With so many Changelings missing parts of themselves after their Durance, the park soon becomes crowded. Unfortunately it turns out that the worst memories return first, often starting with the sanity wrenching horrors of Arcadia. Those who make it to dawn recover recollections of the best parts of their mortal lives but at a terrible cost. Then there are some who seek the memories of Arcadia, broken souls who wish to become like their Keepers.

The Diggers: many believe there is something magical about the park. Some believe that literally. Lately a team of men has been spotted digging around the park at night. They claim to be working on the public utilities in the area. If confronted they flee. Those who manage to corner them learn that they seek an artifact they believe is buried beneath the park, something their master needs. They refuse to divulge anything more about their 'employer' but a search of their persons turns up tattoos in the form of an Egyptian hieroglyphic. Who are they? What is their master? Is there really an artifact?

Legacy of Gold: Buck Gold's statue stands near the south end of the park. People still talk about him and his gold fortune. For years after his death treasure seekers would dig around his estate seeking the fabled hoard of riches said to be buried there. But that particular treasure never existed. But there is a boon he has yet to bestow. Unknown even to himself, Buck was touched by the fae and a Kith lingers around his legacy for one willing to take up the mantle. Those able to divine the riddles of fate discover that they can seize this prize in a contest of martial prowess. The winner of the annual wrestling match at the summer fair feels a momentary twinge of power upon being awarded their trophy. Facing down the hauntings of the Bishopsgate cemetery where Mr. Gold is buried brings another such rush. Finally they must display their prowess before the one who would have been his Keeper: the lady of the Ruby Throne. With the final rush of power they gain the Draconic Kith.

Intersecting Paths: there is something about the park that brings up the past. Those who visit it often encounter old friends, classmates from grade school and other individuals from their earlier lives. This affects Changelings as well and they encounter people who remember who they used to be. This can lead to awkward questions as well as arousing the suspicions of any fetches they possess. On the other hand it presents an opportunity to reconnect with their lost humanity. Do they choose isolation or the comforts of the past? Remember that things change.

NPCs:

"Tom": Smiling in his flannel coat while building a snow man or climbing trees under the summer sun in shorts and a T-shirt, the boy can be seen at the park almost everyday. Golden hair tops the ten-year old's broad freckled face. Day in and day out, year after year he comes back. A few locals have wondered if he is the same child they saw last year or last decade. Local legend calls him a ghost and claims he died either from a fall from a tree or from a cold caught one wintry day. The truth is that no child has died within the park.

Tom, a name he often responds to, isn't a ghost. He's a memory, specifically a shared memory of childhood when life was full of adventure and long days of play. A composite of images of childhoods, sons and brothers, and friends gone by, he is lost in a haze of happiness, a fact clued-in Changelings use to their benefit, siphoning off Glamour for their own ends. Others wonder if there is more to the child and if he perhaps knows truths about Rosebriar and the park that others do not.

Alice Ruby

Alice_Ruby
Aliases: Alice of the Ruby Throne, Allison Red, Alice Wright

Background: Alice's life is entwined with Rosebriar. Fate and time snarl in her history in ways foreign even to Arcadia. A little girl, a changeling, a Keeper, an exile, banished and slain, Alice has been all of these things and none. To find the beginning of her story one must reach into the waste paper basket of history.

Once there was a little girl who lived with her parents in the small settlement of Rosebriar. Only a few years before her birth the colonies won their freedom from the British and the new nation was finding its feet. Her parents were simple craftsmen, more preoccupied with the deadly drought that threatened their community than larger events.

Relations with a local tribe of natives has soured with the dry spell. One of their children died in an incident the tribesfolk blamed on the citizens of Rosebriar. To restore peace, Alice was volunteered to take the place of the lost child. The tribe accepted.

She did her duty but after a few weeks was led to the edge of the forest and left there by her new family. Scared and confused, she was surprised to hear someone calling from the woods. She walked towards the sound and was never seen again.

She found herself the prisoner of a cruel resident of Arcadia, who tormented and shaped her over the centuries until she lost all connection to her mortal life and became like him. She won a title, calling herself Alice of the Ruby Throne. She stole others from our world and removing their humanity and replacing it with magic. For untold ages she reigned as a queen, a goddess, and a shameless manipulator. She took the role of the lady in need of rescuing, setting many lovers and innocents to kill each other in an effort to "protect" her.

Then things went wrong.

She crossed a more powerful fae, ruined a gala, and was exiled from Arcadia. She returned to Rosebriar, manipulating the magic there to regain her power. She failed and her former slaves murdered her.

But the True Fae don't die like normal beings.

Alice returned to the world believing she was an ordinary mortal. Even as she learned what she was again, she felt like this was her true nature, what she truly wanted to be. Using the last of her power, she made a deal with a mad changeling. He would be able to rewrite time to get his happy ending and she would live out her life as she was supposed to. It didn't work out well for either of them.

Alice awoke after the rewriting to discover herself a young teen at the dawn of the 19th century America. The drought had just ended though none could say how. The first few years seemed perfect. But gradually events began to diverge from her expectations. Her parents passed away of an illness. She moved to be with family in Bishopsgate. When she returned as a young woman, people seemed to think that the little girl Alice died to save the town. They began to forget her, as the earlier history reasserted itself.

Then came the first time skip.

Alice went to sleep one night, thirteen years after she was 'taken'. She awoke to discover herself a child again and that four years had passed. She managed to find a home again and tried to form a new life. Then it happened again.

She tried to kill herself but awoke whole and young again at the end of the next time skip.

Each time she lost everything. She began to hide resources for her future self and plan how to fix the broken record of her life. She no longer possessed any magic, except her seeming immortality. She consulted with diviners, traded with Hobs, and plotted. In the 1960s she went to NYC and planted a seed of something that could liberate her. She saved an infant, one whose children the seers claimed could undo this mess.

She again failed. She thought she could become mortal if she just rewrote time correctly. But her would-be agents chose to seal away that power instead. What will she do now?

She has a year before the next time skip.

Description: Once she possessed a dazzling beauty. Her hair shone gold. Her right eye was a deep blue, while her left eye blazed red. Her voice was trapped in eternal song and a deceptive aura of fragility and innocence surrounded her.

But now mostly mortal, she resembles an ordinary young woman, attractive but with heterochromia iridum.

Mental Attributes: Intelligence 2, Wits 4, Resolve 3
Physical Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2
Social Attributes: Presence 4, Manipulation 4, Composure 4

Mental Skills: Academics 2, Crafts 3, Investigation 3, Medicine 1, Occult 3, Politics (Arcadia) 3
Physical Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Larceny 3, Stealth 3, Survival 1, Weaponry (staff) 4
Social Skills: Expression 1, Intimidate (commands) 3, Persuasion 3, Socialize 2, Subterfuge 4
Merits: Striking Looks 2

Willpower: 7  Integrity: 8
Virtue: Hope  Vice: Greed
Initiative: 7    Defense: 5
Speed: 10        Health: 7

Aspirations: become truly mortal, get Lada Petrov to stop following her

Friday, February 6, 2015

The Climbers Recap: Road to Miami

creepersbanner
Another session of my Apocalypse World game, the Climbers. After a month-long break we are back to playing. We left our characters in the holding of Willowtree wondering if the boy Waters would live or die. Jarhead paid the price the gods demanded for their aid and now has a quest to find the Messenger, a messiah for Willowtree. November seduced the first hunter, Shadow, there. Meanwhile everyone else just wants to get to Miami.

For this campaign my major intention is to follow the development of a single Apocalypse World setting and set of characters over the course 20+ sessions (we are now 6 sessions in). I want to see how the world fills in with terminology, history, and peoples.

As in my earlier actual play reports, small green text indicates out of character talk, mechanics and other game aspects outside of the fiction.

Our main characters are:
  • Gator (the Gunlugger) is an assassin and part-time bodyguard who wears customized scrounged armor made from Kevlar and ceramic inserts. Camouflaged for the jungle, his face was ruined in a fight with an alligator. His eyes are always sizing things up and his brutal life has left his body a hard sheet of muscle.
  • Jarhead (the Savvyhead) is a thing African-American man with a short goatee, long dreads, and clothes covered in pockets and gear. Travelling around in an old news van, he repairs items for a living. Recently obtained a strange device from a man named Dustwich, it can bend time and space. He is intrigued to say the least. He has also obtained employees in the form of a young woman Allison and her brother Waters.
  • November Orleans (the Skinner) is descended from a family which left New Orleans before it sank. She is a beautiful woman of mixed heritage with dark eyes and skin, a sweet face and lush body. She dresses herself in a mix of scavenged clothing that somehow works together and wears a necklace made from rows of antique coins which jingle and shine as she moves. Her main profession is as a dancer, especially belly dancing, but she has a sideline business in cooking.
  • Violet Jefferson (the Touchstone) is descended by survivalists and her clothing and gear reflects her origins. Plain looking but fit, she carries a pocket copy of the Federalist papers and founding documents of the United States of America, an idea she hopes to revive. Her followers are demanding her help putting on a mission to liberate Miami from a tyrant.

Start of Session

As usual Gator is late.

Jarhead apparently has an advancement left over from last session. He decides to get an Augury by taking the move Reality’s fraying edge. After some discussion we decide that the Tesla device in its current state can at least do that. Basically in the week or so on the road, he gets it to function, maybe not as it was intended to, as an augury.

“Because you were inspired by the gods,” November says.

Highlighting

There is a great deal of decision-making in choosing who knew them best, with Gator always being one of the parties. Apparently he knows people well. Since Gator is late all the players choose the other person.
  • November has Hot (from Jarhead) and Weird highlighted.
“I definitely want to see you get hot,” Jarhead says.
  • Jarhead has Sharp (from November) and Weird highlighted.
“I want more characters to get into conversations,” November explains.
  • Violet has Hard (from November) and Hot highlighted.
“You've got to win hearts and minds, right?” I say.
  • Gator when he arrives has Sharp (from Violet) and Cool highlighted.
Since we had a long break and I want to accelerate their trip to Miami, I created some love letters with some custom moves to cover how the trip to Miami went.

Jarhead

A week has passed since the night of the cannibals. The road to Miami has been long and dull. You now have an honor guard of sorts. One of the warriors of Willowtree, Shadow, has joined the trip. But he spends most of his time with November. You also have two new “employees”. The girl, Allison, vouched for her brother, Waters, as being skilled with his hands. Turns out it is true. But since Willowtree he’s been different.

Roll +weird. On a 10+, pick none, on a 7-9, pick 1:
  • His wounds will never really heal, leaving him hobbled for life.
  • The experience left him prone to fits and visions.
On a miss, both and he is not long for this world.

What have you been working on during the journey?


Jarhead rolls a 4 which sucks for Waters. He marks experience. In addition to the augury device, he also builds a taser. He trades a working mp3 player to November for the batteries he needs. I decide it will still be unreliable until he has a couple of days off the road to perfect it.

He tells November the mp3 player has a set of 70s songs he can’t get off of it.

“So a mix tape of awesome,” November says. She also mentions needing her tablet recharged.

“When you are ready to talk about that let me know,” Jarhead says.

Violet

A week has passed since the night of the cannibals. The road to Miami has been one long argument. Another vehicle has joined your caravan, a motorcycle and sidecar carrying Starbuck, Lily Miami, and her mutt Exit. Also members of your scene, they heard about your quest from Willlowtree. Boo and Starbuck have different views on what a reborn USA should be like and have been debating the finer points of government the whole way.

First roll Fortunes.

Then roll +hard. On a hit, you manage to put up with their nonsense without hitting or insulting anyone. On a 10+ they manage to agree on something. Use +insight if not otherwise available. Otherwise gain +1forward. On a miss the experience leaves you drained. Take -1forward.

What are Lily and Starbuck like? Why do they not agree with Boo?


Violet gets a 12 on her Fortunes roll. Her followers Lily and Starbuck contribute 2-barter to the cause.

”Like a talking parrot?” November asks.

On the custom move she gets an 11 and experience.

I establish that Lily is an animal trainer (see below) and part of the affluent Miami family. Violet adds that she is the daughter of branch family with her father serving under the patriarch. Her husband, Starbuck, came from nothing and as such her family didn't approve of their union. They eloped anyway.

“What brought them into my scene was the idea of being free to make their own choices,” she says.

“What can Exit do?” November asks.

“He has your typical guard dog package but knows some extra tricks,” I tell her.

As for the argument, Violet explains that Lily and her husband are a lot younger than Boo. As such they are much willing to take risks. So the primary bone of contention is methodology, how they will retake Miami.

“Boo’s got a grown up son for god’s sake,” I point out. Though honestly I’m surprised, I thought Boo was the violent one. Lily and Starbuck must be really radical.

November

A week has passed since the trip to Willowtree. That warrior you hooked up with, Shadow, has joined the journey as an honor guard for Jarhead. But he’s probably more interested in you. Your wound has slowly healed and the trip has been eased by Shadow’s ministrations. Several other people have also joined the expedition: the woman you saved, Allison, a skilled seamstress; her brother Waters, a wood carver; and a devotee of Violet’s named Lily Miami, an animal trainer.

Roll +hot. On a hit pick one of them, you've managed to learn their art. On a 10+, you've also made friends with one of them (perhaps the same one). Gain +1ongoing in interactions with them. On a miss, Shadow and you are on the outs. Take -1ongoing with him until you patch things up.

Garber, Boos’ son, let slip a rumor that White deals in black magic. Specifically that he deals in zombies. That makes you think of your family. What surprising thing happens when you mix spores with zombie powder?


November gets a hard hit and learns animal training from Lily (as well as an experience). She chooses to befriend Allison.

“When you mix zombie powder with spores in the early stages of the climbers and you are sufficiently versed as a shaman, you can dictate their movements,” she explains. “It only works as long as the zombie powder is working and you can overdose with zombie powder. It’s not a cure but it can delay the disease. But they lack will. If you are a skilled medic as well you could use them as biological bombs, spore bombs.”

“That doesn't sound good,” Violet says.

“That’s why they call it black magic.”

Gator

A week has passed since the night of the cannibals. The road to Miami has been really dull since you skirted the Wrecks. You have healed any wounds at least. Allison led you to the Bargeman, Bannon, a fat bastard who tried to extract as much as he could from your group. At least he threw some gas in as well.

Ask November if she helps you then roll +cool. On a hit, transport didn't cost much. Tell Violet she’s down a barter. On a 10+ it doesn't even cost that much. On a miss, she pays plus you discover too late that he spiked the gasoline. Any roll involving the vehicles takes -1 ongoing until Jarhead can look at the engines properly.

Allison made you a nice black shirt from some scavenged cloth. What do you think of it?


When Gator finally shows up we run through this quickly. November agrees to help and gets 9 on her roll. With the extra +1, Gator gets an 11 and an experience.

As for the shirt he says, “I guess I like it. It makes me look presentable for business negotiations. Thank you, kindly.”

Road to Miami

”For most of you it’s been a long boring week. Some of you are better at entertaining yourself,” I tell them.

”Or others,” November adds.


The monotony of the 75 wears on the caravan. Even the addition of Lily Miami and Starbuck fails to stimulate them, at least positively. The pair keep to their bike and sidecar by day and argue with Boo and his son every evening.

In the van, Jarhead is happy to have ‘employees’ even if they are a nervous girl and a crippled child. Using some batteries he traded for from November, he builds a crude taser in his spare time. Allison watches as her brother Waters sinks deeper and deeper into himself. His wounds heal but every day he gets weaker.

Gator favors the black shirt the girl made for him and counts himself lucky to avoid the trouble of the Wrecks. The bargeman Bannon was greedy but he and November knocked the price down to something reasonable.

November is one of the few enjoying the trip, whiling away the days befriending Allison, the evenings learning to train animals with Lily, and her nights with the well toned Shadow. The warrior had chosen to throw in with them, supposedly to protect Jarhead and his mission.

By the time they cut across the Everglades, things settle down. Boo and Lily still argue about how to free Miami but to Violet’s relief, it no longer threatens to blow up into a fight.

As they approach the western coast, they find the highway isolated, surrounded by water on both sides. Boo remarks that the lake has finally flooded the region, turning the highway into a causeway. The off ramps dive into the brackish water leaving no way to escape but back.

“What kind of animals live in the waters around here?” November calls out to Lily as they wind their way through the tangle of wrecked vehicles.

“Around these parts, you gotta look out for pythons,” she shouts back. “The gators have been mostly forced up north. Then there are the brackish sharks pushing their way inland. That’s mostly it in the water. Oh and leeches. Always gotta look out for leeches.”

I establish that the highway is about 10 to 15 feet above the water with the water being 5 or more feet deep.

Jarhead muses on the leeches comment. “Allison could you make us a net for leeches?” he calls back.

The fair-haired girl looks up from her brother. “I guess, what do you want with leeches?”

“You’d be surprised how much protein they actually have.”

“Okay,” she shrugs. “I’ll get working on one.”

“It’s best to eat them before they eat you,” he says driving past another overgrown wreck.

“I’ll need a few days,” she says pulling some supplies off the shelves of the van’s interior.

“Fine. I used have one myself but I used it,” he rambles. “It wasn't a leech that it brought up and needless to say I don’t have it anymore.”

Ahead in the yellow SUV, Boo leans over to Violet. “We are getting close to Miami. If White’s got spotters out here, I’m not exactly sure how we are going to avoid them.”

“There’s not really a lot of cover,” she says grimly.

“No.”

After some debate, I have Violet Read a sitch as they approach some ruins.

”There is definitely something interesting here otherwise I wouldn't make you make a roll,” I tell her.

She gets an 8 with her +1forward and asks, “What should I be on the lookout for?”


Violet looks out ahead, along the crumbling highway to gauge where trouble might lie. The SUV rolls along the highway followed by Jarhead’s van. The Starbuck’s motorcycle brings up the rear, Exit’s head sticking out of the side car, his tongue flapping in the breeze.

Ahead she spots a clump of taller buildings emerging from the muck beside the road. Their height would make for a great lookout. Violet’s flick to the wrecked vehicles on the road. They block much of the highway, forcing travelers to maneuver between them.

And into a trap, she decides.

Violet tells Boo to stop. The well maintained vehicle pulls to a halt and the travelers disembark to learn what is going on. Violet voices her suspicions and sends a team to check for any booby traps: Jarhead, Boo, and Gator.

Jarhead nods. “Boo could probably find it, I can disarm it, and Gator is a good meat shield in case it all goes to shit.”

The trio walk over. A ruined hotel leans in to the highway 50 yards away while a wrecked bus and cement truck blocks two-thirds of the highway.

Boo peers over the wrecked truck. ”Well I guess it was a good idea to check but it looks like we are too late.”

He points to the other side where a dark blood stain fills a blast crate from some sort of explosive. The upper torso of a person lies about ten feet away.

“Well it’s not a total loss,” Jarhead says spying the debris of the man’s motorcycle near the bus. “Let’s go check it out.”

Gator arrives at this point and we fill him in. We quickly finish Hx and some of his love letter. I also mention Shadow has been sent to guard Jarhead.

“Which is to say he’s been spending most of his time with November,” I explain.

”So he guards me but likes her,” Jarhead complains.

”Well everyone likes November,” Gator says.

”Yeah,” she says.

Gator and Jarhead Read a sitch.

“Nothing bad can happen from that,” I say.

”Isn't that how bad stuff happened last time,” Gator comments.

“Yes that’s how Gunge ended up dying.”

Both of them get experience. Gator gets a total of 10, Jarhead eeks out a 7.

”What should I be on them lookout for?’ Jarhead asks.

”That’s an excellent question. Half of the guy is missing...”

Gator asks, “what’s my enemy’s true position?”


Jarhead stops in mid step as he notices that despite the blood and gore, there is less left of the man than one would expect. Gator’s eyes flash to the blood trail, days old, that winds its way across the highway and under the bus.

“Hey there’s a trail over there to the bus and half the guy is missing,” Jarhead says.

”Which enemy is the biggest threat?” Gator asks.

From your knowledge of swamp life, you are looking for a very big python.

”What is my best way past?”

You can use the SUV to swipe the bus to stun the snake and then everyone can blow pass. Otherwise it might try for the bike. The confines are such that there isn't enough room for two vehicles to drive through at the same time.


Gator nods, his eyes drawn to something slithering sluggishly beneath the wreck. “Whatever ate him is still here. We should go back and use the vehicles to get past.”

“There is also the busted bike,” Jarhead says.

”Yeah I don’t think Gator is really thinking about the busted bike.”

“We can get one elsewhere,” Gator says. “Why the fuck do we need a broken bike?”

“But there are pieces,” he pleads.

“It’s not worth it Jarhead,” Boo says. “We can find wrecked vehicles elsewhere if you need parts.”

“Alright,” he sighs.

The trio retreat and outline what they saw to the others. Gator explains his plan. Boo will ram the edge of the bus and while the beast tries to scramble to safety the convoy will move on past.

This is actual point where we resolved the gas stuff with Gator. Which is really timely. “Because someone is going to have to make an Acting under fire roll to get past the snake.”

Gator rolls the custom move from the letter, earns experience and gets an improvement. He is Insano like Drano (+1 Hard).

We break for me to get dinner. Sadly I left it at an awkward place so little in game chit chat happens. My wife show off our baby to the gang while Gator explains Our Last Best Hope.

Once I return I have Gator make the Acting under fire roll since it was his plan. He gets a 9 as well as experience.


Boo’s SUV smashes the front end of the bus, tearing down the highway. Frightened, a 30 foot python slithers away from the wreck.

”Holy fuck!” Jarhead exclaims as his van drives past. In the back, November, Gator, Shadow and the kids look out the window in disbelief.

”Those things are not to be messed with,” Violet says.

Before the creature can recover, Lily and Starbuck race by as well.

A half mile down the highway, Boo finds himself wrestling with the wheel as a terrible thumping sound comes from the left front tire.

”Damn it I think I broke something when I hit the bus,” he says.

“Is there a good place to stop and fix it?” Violet asks.

Here we break to detail Miami. We use the following custom move first:

When you return to a settlement which your character has visited before but which has not yet previously come up in-game, say if it was for business and/or pleasure.

If pleasure roll +hot. If business roll +cool. If both you choose which to roll but the MC will ask you a question about the history of the settlement since you spent so much time here. If you haven’t visited it, what rumor have you heard about it?

On a 10+ hold 3, on a 7-9 you and the MC each hold 1. On a miss the MC holds 3. Any time you encounter a new NPC in that settlement, you may spend your hold 1-for-1 to take +1 forward with them – they like you, still owe you for a job, they think you are a good customer, or maybe just remember you fondly. The MC can similarly spend hold 1-for-1 at any time to give you -1 forward with a new NPC – they dislike you, you wronged them, or they remember you being an asshole.


”Well I’m not returning so it doesn't matter,” Jarhead says.

I point out to Violet that Miami is a port city.”You did travel with the extensive maritime community that exists after the apocalypse.”

She agrees and November and Gator also indicate they have visited before.

Violet rolls cool, since it was business as does Gator. November rolls hot “...since everything is a pleasure with November.”

November and Gator both get over 10 and experience. Violet gets an 8.

I explain that people might dislike Violet “because she’s always talking about democracy.”

”Probably. Republican democracy,” she says.

I turn to Jarhead. “Since Jarhead has never been here, what rumor has he heard about it?”

“They've been poaching some really cool tech off of Disney World,” he says.

”Like animatronics?” Violet asks.

”World of Tomorrow,” Jarhead comments.

”Holograms,” I add.

”Spinning teacups,” November adds.

”That sounds hilarious. It’s probably true.”

Then I show them the map:
Miami
The initial lay out only showed the main roads, swamp land, and eroded ruins.

Violet says, “So it is like now but with less crime and people.”

”Less crime is debatable, the per capita crime rate has shot through the roof. Just think what happened in 3 days in Stumpland.”

We brainstorm ideas for the holdings. Along the way Jarhead realizes that Epcot is really far away and we work out an alternate source of technology to spur the rumors he heard.

November says there is a group that rebuilt a huge church organ adding extra parts and housing it an abandoned stadium. ”That is technically technology. They call it the Music Bowl.”

From the sound of it the Music Bowl must be run by some religious cult.

”They are nice people,” November says.

Gator suggests that there is a derelict tanker or aircraft carrier in the bay (which I dub the “The Big Ship”). We settle on an aircraft carrier and say it has run aground. The top deck is mostly level and a shanty town has been built there. It has a bustling market and is the main place ships dock.

We digress for a bit on an idea for a cruise ship instead. “The Princess,” November dubs it, where the cruise has never ends and “with an army of slaves in the bowels of ship filling the never-ending buffet table.” ”But what’s on the buffet table?” Gator asks.

Coming back to the aircraft carrier, I point out US carriers all use nuclear power. It could be still working but leaking contaminated water. “Now we know why the food is dangerous around here, it’s radioactive.”

”Got to take your iodine tablets,” Gator says.

“It’s probably a safe haven with all of the ordinance,”Jarhead says. “You can trade but you play by our rules.”

Boo is probably from the Big Ship and so White must have taken it over.

“Could be too well defended,” Jarhead mutters.

”That just makes it more interesting that it did fall to White. He does have black magic after all. If guys with green in their eyes pop up, the leaders of the Big Ship might be like ‘maybe we should let White take over here. He’s got zombies.’”

Violet points out that Miami is a hub for medical and biotechnology. She suggests an automated hospital.

I agree with that idea. “Automated doctors who may help you or might attach an extra arm.”

We locate it on coast and I dub it “Autodoc.”

Beyond that I say there may be other smaller holdings like Stumpland but these are the main three.


Boo grumbles, “there not much this close to Miami. We could make a run for Autodoc or the Music Bowl.”

Violet relays that information over the radio.

There is a crackle and November’s voice comes on. “Waters could be fixed up at the Autodoc.”

“Good point,” the survivalist says. “Boo see if you can get there.”

“If you think it will help,” a weak voice says over the air waves. Allison continues, “He’s not doing well, he keeps coughing up blood.”

“We could at least try,” Violet says.

“I like him, he’s a helper,” Jarhead adds.

“Well they've got tools there and it should be pretty safe,” Boo says. “Other than the robots.”

“Robots? Robots! Awesome, let’s go!” Jarhead says cheerfully.

A half hour later they can all hear it, an awful squealing coming from the front left wheel of the SUV. Jarhead can just barely see the wheel wobble and bounce ahead of him.

The water has receded from around the highway and to either side rise overgrown residential and commercial buildings. Potholes crater the overgrown highway. With each bump the noise gets louder.

Sweat trickles down the Boo's face as he wrestles with the wheel.

“Why don’t we find a spot along the side of the road and take a look?” Violet tells the older man.

The scavenger pulls off the road in the shade of a vine-covered liquor store. Starbuck's motorcycle pulls up beside them. “What’s the problem?” Lily asks.

“That wheel’s been wobbling,” Violet explains. “We need to see what we can do to keep it together. At least until Autodoc.”

The van pulls up behind them. Jarhead gets out and looks it over. He frowns. “That sucks. We probably can’t make it on that wheel. Let me look for a replacement.”

Jarhead rolls Acting under fire (using weird due to Spooky intense) to find the right part. He gets a 12 and marks experience.

The wiry man moves methodically along the road, oblivious to anything but a wheel of the right size. He blindly ducks beneath some foliage and emerges on the far side. “Found it!”

With his employees’ help he wrestles the parts from an overgrown wreck. The shadows grow longer as the sun slowly disappears to the west. Violet directs the convoy to a nearby parking garage. With a subdued squeal they push Boo’s truck inside and Jarhead gets to work on the repairs.

Violet sets people to watch the surroundings while the others rest or work. She douses the lights to the bare minimum needed for Jarhead’s repairs.

I ask November, “you've been here before, where did you spend most of your time?”

”I visited the Big Ship and Music Bowl mostly.”

”What is the Music Bowl like?”

”I didn't get to perform there last time. I really wanted to." She explains that the inhabitants are a cult but are friendly and don’t press people to join. They have a festival where outsiders can perform, but it wasn't the right time of year when she was here last.

We establish it is now. November also tells us that they grow mushrooms in the basement as a food source. Some of the fungi also aid in having religious visions.

”Is it more 'join by invite only' or do they just don’t actively recruit?” I ask.

”A bit of both. Most have been there their whole life. They have a complicated political structure that I don’t fully understand.”


Shadow slides up to November in the dying light. He looks over at the repair work or more specifically the blonde boy Waters.

November recalls many such glances over the past week. “Why are you interested in Waters?” she asks.

“That boy has been marked by the gods. I feel he has a role to play. Though it may his last.”

“What do you mean?” she says, the sun’s glow fading from her necklace of quarters and pennies.

Shadow shrugs, resting his strange spear on a muscular shoulder. “His wounds are not healing.”

“That’s why we are going to go to the Autodoc,” she explains.

“This ‘Autodoc’, is he some sort of miracle worker?”

“Sort of,” she says unsure how to explain a wonder of the Golden Age. “What grand design do you see him participating in?”

“I don’t know but I’ve seen others who have recovered like him.” Shadow peers out into the twilight. “My uncle was once First Warrior but fell in battle. The wise woman was able to bring his spirit back. But he was different. He was empty. And his wound though grievous never healed, even though such an ailment should have killed him. A year later when the tribes to east came back, he sacrificed himself to stop them.”

“Tribes to the east?”

“A tribe of cannibals,” he says. “They wore the skins of their enemies.”

“So you think the boy is going to save us and he is holding on for that reason?” she asks.

From the ever darker gloom, the tribal warrior says, “the gods have a purpose for him. that is what I believe.” Then he points to the south. “What’s that?”

November follows his gaze. Through the thick foliage and rubble, she makes out lights, some flickering like flame, others with the bluish glow of electricity. The lights slowly wind through the ruined blocks to the south of them.

November Reads a sitch and gets a 9. What should I be on the lookout for?

November’s keen ears pick up the rhythmic noise of chimes and soft voices. She recognizes the melody from her time at the Music Bowl.

This is an opportunity.

“I've met with these people before. They are religion types from the Music Bowl.” November seeks out Violet and relays the information. “They seem to be heading to the Autodoc. Maybe they can help us out.”

“We can certainly investigate,” Violet says. She gestures to Gator join them.

Boo stays. He’s not leaving his truck. So do Jarhead and the rest of the NPCs.

”So the four of you go out there. The seemingly unarmed, the well armed, the armed with a spear and the ‘my god what is he armed with!”

”What isn't he armed with,” Jarhead says.

That's it for now. Come back in two weeks for the conclusion.