A Great Searing Fire

All of a sudden the rain receded in a great whooshing backdraft -- and there was the dragon splayed out against the sky, its wings fully extended, at least thirty feet tall and much longer across if you counted its wingspan, long serpentine neck extended, fire pouch filled and burbling, its jaw cracked wide and display a row of sharp curved teeth and a long slithering tongue and behind it all, at the back of its throat, visible even from a distance, was a small orange flame.

Opportunities

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

Engulfed

There was no time to get under cover. The flame leaped out and engulfed us.


Banditos and Harvestmen

Unlocked with The Harvestmen 1 - you have 1

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

Travel Around Town

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

The Guest Room

Your own personal space here in Amarillo...

Pinned

Pinned

A Country Doc

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

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening

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

Small-Town Cityslicker

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

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening

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

Jack Ishiguro

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


Pain

I felt my hair catch, and the shoulders of my jacket, and Robert and I tumbled on the wet ground, trying to beat the fire out. Pain registered like a distant siren; the side of my face was icy-hot in a way that told me I would suffer, later.

"Your cheek," Robert said. His own face was charred and smeared and raw.

"Suck it up," I told him -- "pain is just weakness leaving the body" -- and forced myself to crawl back to the barricade. He followed without reply.

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

Lizbeth's Ailments 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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

1 x A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

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.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington 4

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Banditos and Harvestmen

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

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

Pinned

Pinned

From the Mouths of Babes

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

            3
            You need Cityslicker 3 (you have 1)

            3
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 3 - you have 1


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned

Dragonfire

Unlocked with Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington 4 - you have 4

The dragon's head reared back behind the sheet of rain...


Pinned

Pinned


Dragonfire

The dragon's head reared back behind the sheet of rain. For a moment, all was calm. Then an orange light began to glow behind the rain at dragon-height.

"Get Under Cover!"

I grabbed Robert -- or did he grab me? -- and we made ourselves small behind the cement barrier.


Banditos and Harvestmen

Pinned

Pinned


Burning

A long stream of fire crashed against our cement barrier and flowed over our heads. Robert's hand was on my shoulder and mine was on his back. As the fire got hotter, we cringed.

When it let up, we found we were scorched but not burned. A few sad fires sputtered and hissed on the road where they'd caught on something organic. We brought up our revolvers and waited for the dragon to swing back into view.

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

Lizbeth's Ailments 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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

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.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


The Guest Room

Burrow and Briar

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

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

Pinned

Pinned

Move to the Guest Room

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


Dragonfire

The dragon's head reared back behind the sheet of rain. For a moment, all was calm. Then an orange light began to glow behind the rain at dragon-height.

"Get Under Cover!"

I grabbed Robert -- or did he grab me? -- and we made ourselves small behind the cement barrier.


A Little Rest

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

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

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


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

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

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

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.

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.


Burning

A long stream of fire crashed against our cement barrier and flowed over our heads. Robert's hand was on my shoulder and mine was on his back. As the fire got hotter, we cringed.

When it let up, we found we were scorched but not burned. A few sad fires sputtered and hissed on the road where they'd caught on something organic. We brought up our revolvers and waited for the dragon to swing back into view.

2 change points, 2 more needed to reach level 4.

Lizbeth's Ailments is increasing...


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Retire Your Character

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

Change Your Avatar

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

Pinned

Pinned


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


The Guest Room

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

Pinned

Leave the Guest Room

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


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

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.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Back to Burrow and Briar

Leave the Guest Room

The Guest Room

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

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

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

You have moved to a new area: Burrow and Briar

You moved to a new setting: Amarillo.


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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

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

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

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.


Dragonfire

The dragon's head reared back behind the sheet of rain. For a moment, all was calm. Then an orange light began to glow behind the rain at dragon-height.

Opportunities

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

"Get Under Cover!"

I grabbed Robert -- or did he grab me? -- and we made ourselves small behind the cement barrier.


Pinned

Pinned


Burning

A long stream of fire crashed against our cement barrier and flowed over our heads. Robert's hand was on my shoulder and mine was on his back. As the fire got hotter, we cringed.

When it let up, we found we were scorched but not burned. A few sad fires sputtered and hissed on the road where they'd caught on something organic. We brought up our revolvers and waited for the dragon to swing back into view.

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

Lizbeth's Ailments is increasing...


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


The Guest Room

Burrow and Briar

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

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

Pinned

Pinned

Move to the Guest Room

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


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


A Little Rest

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

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


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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

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

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

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.

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.


Dragonfire

The dragon's head reared back behind the sheet of rain. For a moment, all was calm. Then an orange light began to glow behind the rain at dragon-height.

"Get Under Cover!"

I grabbed Robert -- or did he grab me? -- and we made ourselves small behind the cement barrier.


Pinned

Pinned


Retire Your Character

The time has come to rest your weary head.

This will allow you to delete your character and restart with a new one.

WARNING: THIS CAN'T BE UNDONE. BE VERY, VERY SURE BEFORE YOU CLICK THROUGH THIS CARD.

Pinned

Erase Your Character

All things are cyclical. Opportunities come around again.

WE'RE SERIOUS: only click here if you want to delete your character PERMANENTLY and start a new one.


Burning

A long stream of fire crashed against our cement barrier and flowed over our heads. Robert's hand was on my shoulder and mine was on his back. As the fire got hotter, we cringed.

When it let up, we found we were scorched but not burned. A few sad fires sputtered and hissed on the road where they'd caught on something organic. We brought up our revolvers and waited for the dragon to swing back into view.

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

Lizbeth's Ailments has increased to 4!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


Click Through

Erase Your Character

Retire Your Character

The time has come to rest your weary head.

This will allow you to delete your character and restart with a new one.

WARNING: THIS CAN'T BE UNDONE. BE VERY, VERY SURE BEFORE YOU CLICK THROUGH THIS CARD.

All things are cyclical. Opportunities come around again.

WE'RE SERIOUS: only click here if you want to delete your character PERMANENTLY and start a new one.

And please reassure us that you're sure.

Are you REALLY SURE you want to delete your character?


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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

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

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

Really Delete Your Character?

Are you SURE?

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.


Dragonfire

The dragon's head reared back behind the sheet of rain. For a moment, all was calm. Then an orange light began to glow behind the rain at dragon-height.

"Get Under Cover!"

I grabbed Robert -- or did he grab me? -- and we made ourselves small behind the cement barrier.


Are You Really Sure?

THIS WILL DELETE YOUR CHARACTER IF YOU CLICK THROUGH.

Pinned

Pinned

Please Make Sure

BECAUSE THERE IS NO GOING BACK.

No! I Don't Want To!

This option will NOT delete your character.


Burning

A long stream of fire crashed against our cement barrier and flowed over our heads. Robert's hand was on my shoulder and mine was on his back. As the fire got hotter, we cringed.

When it let up, we found we were scorched but not burned. A few sad fires sputtered and hissed on the road where they'd caught on something organic. We brought up our revolvers and waited for the dragon to swing back into view.

1 change point, 4 more needed to reach level 5.

Lizbeth's Ailments is increasing...


Sleep Now

Please Make Sure

BECAUSE THERE IS NO GOING BACK.

And then awake.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Really Delete Your Character?

Are you SURE?

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.

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.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

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

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

Pinned

Pinned


Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


A Savage Land (CLICK ME!)

Platform #1

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

The sky is blue and cloudless and filled with dust.

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

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

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

Pinned

Pinned

You Know This Place

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


Dragonfire

The dragon's head reared back behind the sheet of rain. For a moment, all was calm. Then an orange light began to glow behind the rain at dragon-height.

Opportunities

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

"Get Under Cover!"

I grabbed Robert -- or did he grab me? -- and we made ourselves small behind the cement barrier.


Sweet Home Amarillo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

You've upgraded to Zero Summer version 1.1!


Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Far, Far From Home

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


Burning

A long stream of fire crashed against our cement barrier and flowed over our heads. Robert's hand was on my shoulder and mine was on his back. As the fire got hotter, we cringed.

When it let up, we found we were scorched but not burned. A few sad fires sputtered and hissed on the road where they'd caught on something organic. We brought up our revolvers and waited for the dragon to swing back into view.

2 change points, 3 more needed to reach level 5.

Lizbeth's Ailments 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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


From a Certain Perspective

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

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

Pinned

Pinned


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned

Take the Shot!

The dragon darted in and out of the cold driving rain, its head bobbing snakelike and malicious, looking for an opportunity...


From a Certain Perspective

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

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

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

Pinned

Pinned

Absence

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

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

The only thing missing here is you.


Take the Shot!

The dragon darted in and out of the cold driving rain, its head bobbing snakelike and malicious, looking for an opportunity.

I Fired at its Wings

Every time the dragon snaked forward, its wings sliced into view. I rested my revolver on flat cement, took my aim, and squeezed.

            2
            You need Aiming For 2 and Aiming For no more than 2 (you have 2)

            1
            You need Bullets in the Chamber 1 (you have 6)

            2
            Unlocked with Aiming For 2 - you have 2

            1
            Unlocked with Bullets in the Chamber 1 - you have 6


The View from Inside

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

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

Not your name.

Cold sweat pricks everywhere on your unfamiliar skin.

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

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

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

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Far, Far From Home

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


A Hit!

I Fired at its Wings

            2
            You need Aiming For 2 and Aiming For no more than 2 (you have 2)

            1
            You need Bullets in the Chamber 1 (you have 5)

            2
            Unlocked with Aiming For 2 - you have 2

            1
            Unlocked with Bullets in the Chamber 1 - you have 5

The shot was muffled and hidden by the rain, but I could see it as a hit -- not on the dragon's wings, but somewhere on its trunk. The dragon thrashed -- in anger? in pain -- and drove me and Robert back behind the cool cement with a furious burst of fire.

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

Dragonslaying in Dixie has increased to 2!

There are five bullets left in your gun!


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Opportunities

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

Lost in Amarillo

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

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

Pinned

Pinned


Pinned


Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Far, Far From Home

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


Reload!

In my pocket were spare rounds. But in the crawl out of the burning truck they'd come dislodged. Some, I thought, might be on the ground beneath me. But it would take precious seconds to look, and longer to wipe them off and chamber them in.

"Buy Me Some Space!"

I ducked behind the barricade and started rooting for bullets while Robert laid down some cover.

This will completely refresh your Bullets in the Chamber!

Not Yet

The bullets could wait.


Your Real Actual Pockets

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

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

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

Rummage Around

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


At the Barricade

Not Yet

The bullets could wait.

I replanted myself at the barricade and sighted down the barrel of my revolver.


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


The Breadcrumbs of Memory

Rummage Around

Your Real Actual Pockets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

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


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


Lost in Amarillo

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

Pinned

Pinned

Rough and Tumble

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

The Love Song of Amarillo, Texas

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


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Rough and Tumble

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

Opportunities

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

In Your Breast Pocket

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


Distractions from the Minutemen

Marcel and PJP had taken up positions on the interstate. They were maybe fifty feet apart and thirty feet away from me and Robert. Each had their revolvers out. Every few moments one would take a shot at the dragon. Its head would swivel sharply toward whoever was shooting, which bought me and Robert a breather -- to rest, and to line up shots.

"Get It Off Us a Second!"

Robert popped his head over the barricade and yelled for Marcel and PJP to lay down some suppression fire.

"Lizbeth's hurt!" he shouted. "And I'm getting a little crispy! So any time with the distraction!"

This will reduce Lizbeth's Ailments!

            1
            You need Lizbeth's Ailments 1 (you have 4)

            1
            Unlocked with Lizbeth's Ailments 1 - you have 4

Suppression Fire

The suppression fire from Marcel and PJP was doing exactly what it was supposed to. I saw no reason to give other orders.


Practical and Clear-Eyed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

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


Slow and Steady

A few bullets plinked off the dragon's scales. It hissed at PJP, then at Marcel, then spewed a few lackluster bursts of fire at them.


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Opportunities

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

Lost in Amarillo

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

Pinned

Pinned


Pinned

Distractions from the Minutemen

Marcel and PJP had taken up positions on the interstate...


The Love Song of Amarillo, Texas

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

Knowing and Unknowing

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


Distractions from the Minutemen

Marcel and PJP had taken up positions on the interstate. They were maybe fifty feet apart and thirty feet away from me and Robert. Each had their revolvers out. Every few moments one would take a shot at the dragon. Its head would swivel sharply toward whoever was shooting, which bought me and Robert a breather -- to rest, and to line up shots.

"Get It Off Us a Second!"

Robert popped his head over the barricade and yelled for Marcel and PJP to lay down some suppression fire.

"Lizbeth's hurt!" he shouted. "And I'm getting a little crispy! So any time with the distraction!"

This will reduce Lizbeth's Ailments!

Suppression Fire

The suppression fire from Marcel and PJP was doing exactly what it was supposed to. I saw no reason to give other orders.


An Older, Harsher Voice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

a stranger

A past yet to be revealed

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

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


Hot Enough?

PJP waved distractedly and started running; Marcel rolled behind an orange cement pylon. Both brought their revolvers up and started fanning the hammer. The shots plinked off the dragon's scales and the asphalt road and plastic construction signs. The dragon's attention focused sharply on the running PJP; a lancing stream of fire followed him down the interstate.

Robert and I sunk down behind the barricade. He looked at me and, improbably, grinned.

"This is hot enough for you?" he said. "This could be hotter?"

Later, I realized: it was the first time I'd seen him really awake, really with it since New England.

1 change point, 4 more needed to reach level 5.

Lizbeth's Ailments is dropping...


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Lost in Amarillo

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

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

Pinned

Pinned


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


Lost in Amarillo

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

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

Pinned

The Miserable Ones

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

            4
            You need a stranger 4 (you have 4)

            4
            Unlocked with a stranger 4 - you have 4

Seems About Right

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


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

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.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Paladin

The Miserable Ones

Lost in Amarillo

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

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

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

            4
            You need a stranger 4

            4
            Unlocked with a stranger 4

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

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

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

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

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

A twist in your tale! You are now Paladin.

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

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


Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

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


Take the Shot!

The dragon darted in and out of the cold driving rain, its head bobbing snakelike and malicious, looking for an opportunity.

Opportunities

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

I Fired at its Wings

Every time the dragon snaked forward, its wings sliced into view. I rested my revolver on flat cement, took my aim, and squeezed.


The Man in the Stetson

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

Pinned

Pinned


A Hit!

I Fired at its Wings

            2
            You need Aiming For 2 and Aiming For no more than 2 (you have 2)

            1
            You need Bullets in the Chamber 1 (you have 4)

            2
            Unlocked with Aiming For 2 - you have 2

            1
            Unlocked with Bullets in the Chamber 1 - you have 4

The shot was muffled and hidden by the rain, but I could see it as a hit -- not on the dragon's wings, but somewhere on its trunk. The dragon thrashed -- in anger? in pain -- and drove me and Robert back behind the cool cement with a furious burst of fire.

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

Dragonslaying in Dixie is increasing...

There are four bullets left in your gun!


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

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.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


The Man in the Stetson

Someone coughs politely.

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

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

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

He smiles. It doesn't reach his eyes.

Pinned

Pinned

The Friendly Approach

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

A Thousand Things

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


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


Smart or Cunning

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

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

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

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

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

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

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


Distractions from the Minutemen

Marcel and PJP had taken up positions on the interstate. They were maybe fifty feet apart and thirty feet away from me and Robert. Each had their revolvers out. Every few moments one would take a shot at the dragon. Its head would swivel sharply toward whoever was shooting, which bought me and Robert a breather -- to rest, and to line up shots.

"Get It Off Us a Second!"

Robert popped his head over the barricade and yelled for Marcel and PJP to lay down some suppression fire.

"Lizbeth's hurt!" he shouted. "And I'm getting a little crispy! So any time with the distraction!"

This will reduce Lizbeth's Ailments!

Suppression Fire

The suppression fire from Marcel and PJP was doing exactly what it was supposed to. I saw no reason to give other orders.


Going Home

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

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

Pinned

Pinned


Slow and Steady

A few bullets plinked off the dragon's scales. It hissed at PJP, then at Marcel, then spewed a few lackluster bursts of fire at them.


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

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.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Going Home

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

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

Pinned

Pinned

No Way but Forward

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

Your Way in the World

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


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


Odysseus and Diomedes

Another memory stirs: the smell of apple trees in June, and perfume, and dark sun-warmed hair falling in curled waves on an open book; though you can't see it, the cover reads Odysseus and Diomedes at the Gates of Troy. You explain to Warren that you've got to strike out on your own, but thanks and all. He shrugs easily.

"Suit yourself. The offer stands, though. Look us up if you find yourself."

You can't help but wonder: who, exactly, is us?

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

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


The View from Platform #1

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 5 - you have 5; Unlocked with

The sky over Amarillo is clear as a bell; the sun shines down in full force on the ramshackle town and its rough hardy people...

One Friendly Face

There's a certain beauty to Amarillo: its dryness, its resilience...

Ashling the Witch

The flame-haired witch of Amarillo can be found rain or shine among the cobbles and crowds of Platform #1 with a wicked pack of cards...

Takers Among the Wheat

Unlocked with  - you have 1; Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 5 - you have 5

"What I heard is they come at night to those they got the smell of in the field and find the parts of them that look like the things they grow during the day and -- <i>schkkk!—

Pinned

Pinned


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

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.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

"Brewed right here in Amarillo by Dougie and Carmine Hoffenstader, your hometown hopsmasters!"

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

All natural. Plant-based. Highly addictive. Don't overdo it.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

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.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

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.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

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.


Ashling the Witch

The flame-haired witch of Amarillo can be found rain or shine among the cobbles and crowds of Platform #1 with a wicked pack of cards. This you hear; where she goes, people whisper, and not quietly. You can see her coming: head and shoulders above the crowd, taller even than the tallest man, orange hair curling unruly in the wind.

("Is she the devil?" a child whispers. His mother covers his mouth and looks around. Nobody's the devil, says the mother. Her eyes linger on Ashling; they seem to say, but if someone was...)

Into your space she comes, all tangerine hair and mossy fresh lips and the frank wild stare of a hunting bird. She gropes for your hand. Her fingers are surprisingly cool.

"No armed like forearmed," she says. "No seeing like foreseeing. Pull a card and hear the Ashling."

Pinned

Pinned

Pull a Card

What can it hurt?

And there's this: something about Ashling is electric, is in fact electrifying. She has all the glamour of a live wire. Dangerous but tame; contained by circumstance. Alive with frantic energy. Infinitely graspable -- until she frays.


Dragonfire

The dragon's head reared back behind the sheet of rain. For a moment, all was calm. Then an orange light began to glow behind the rain at dragon-height.

Opportunities

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

"Get Under Cover!"

I grabbed Robert -- or did he grab me? -- and we made ourselves small behind the cement barrier.


A Wicked Pack of Cards

You take Ashling's hand and get a real physical shock -- her body is dripping with static. She draws you over to a small table under an awning by the platform. "Must get apart from the crush," she says. "Who can hear themselves think?"

She sits you down and takes from her sleeve an oversized deck of cards. She cuts and shuffles with an expert hand, talking all the while -- "Hot today? Yes it's hot, and dear Mrs. Matterhorn down with the sniffles, not a killer yet no fun either, the common cold, but into every life I suppose some rain" -- then fans the gray-backed Tarot in front of you and abjures you to "pick, and get us underway!"

You draw; Ashling turns the card over. It's painted with a free-standing wood door in a sparse green-dusted meadow. In front of the door is a man doing a one-handed handstand with his back to you. One of his legs is straight out; the other is bent across the other.

Ashling sucks in through her teeth. "Bad luck," she says. "The Door. It means passages and reflections. The man in front has pearls for eyes, though you can't see them. Milky eyes unseeing. And nothing good behind the door either. Nothing comfortable."

Ashling gathers up her deck but presses The Door on you. "Can't undraw it," she says. "And if you see Miz Nils, remind her she's due for her horoscope. All her stars are out of line."

You now have 1 x The Door.


Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

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


Burning

A long stream of fire crashed against our cement barrier and flowed over our heads. Robert's hand was on my shoulder and mine was on his back. As the fire got hotter, we cringed.

When it let up, we found we were scorched but not burned. A few sad fires sputtered and hissed on the road where they'd caught on something organic. We brought up our revolvers and waited for the dragon to swing back into view.

2 change points, 3 more needed to reach level 5.

Lizbeth's Ailments is increasing...