First Impressions

The Jackrabbits look at you with the slow deliberateness of snakes. Warren introduces a handful; you get the sense they're in charge of -- whatever this is.

"This is "Padre" Charlie" -- an older man with the red shattered nose of a lifetime drinker. His fingertips are stained gray (your heart lurches in your chest -- why?) You eye the dingy white collar around his neck. He smiles briefly at you.

"Mr. Pinkerton, call him Old Pinkie" -- another older man, unsmiling, whip-thin, humorless. He puts you in mind of a starving wasp. In his hands are a whittling knife and a wooden peg.

"And everybody else, that's Jack Ishiguro, that's Miz Nils, that's her dad Mr. Nils back there in the kitchen."

Jack Ishiguro is the first Asian person you've seen in Amarillo; he gives you a little wave. The young petite Miz Nils bobs a curtsy that's completely sarcastic given her ripped jeans, machete and zero nonsense expression.

Everyone watches you expectantly. Jack Ishiguro giggles, high and startling.

Pinned

Pinned

Vinegar

The crowd isn't exactly friendly. Well: you're here now, so you might as well explain.

You tell the Jackrabbits you can't remember your name, but it's just swell to meet them anyway. Nobody is buying it. Everybody looks at Warren.

Honey

You give a warm introduction, shaking hands where available -- that's everybody but Old Pinkie, who stares you down, and Miz Nils, who instead clutches your forearm with all the gentleness of a crocodile.

When they ask your name, you explain you've misplaced it but it'll be along soon. Everybody looks at Warren.


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 Warm Reception

"He was on the train," Warren says. "It got robbed. Somebody caught him a good one upside the head. He can't remember who he is or who hit him. I found him sitting on the platform benches."

The Jackrabbits all nod. There's an uncomfortable silence before Jack Ishiguro springs out of his chair and slaps you on the back.

"You can stay with us," Jack Ishiguro says, talking fast. "As long as you like. For as long as you need. This is a safe place. A good safe place."

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Jack Ishiguro is now your Ally!

Miz Nils is now your Ally!


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.

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.

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

You've gained a new quality: Lizbeth's Ailments at 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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

1 x A Wrapped Package from Absolom the Tinker

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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.


Lay Your Weary Head to Rest

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 8 - you have 8

Pinned

Pinned


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.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

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


Lay Your Weary Head to Rest

A quiet period ensues. You watch the Jackrabbits; they watch you.

"Why don't I get you something to drink?" Jack Ishiguro says, and bounces off to the kitchen. He comes back with a cheap green plastic cup. It's got maybe two fingers of sticky brown liquor in the bottom. "Smells like motor oil and tastes like cat piss, but it'll help you sleep."

You look at the drink. Your stomach lurches.

"Let's get you a bed," Warren suggests.

Pinned

Pinned

Bed Should Be Spelled "Heaven"

So what if it's still early? You feel suddenly, brutally tired, and your head is throbbing to match. Maybe if you nap for a couple days, the world will look a little brighter.

Sleep is for the Weak

Warren's offer is tempting, but your circadian's still ticking sluggishly along. Besides, you hardly know these people. Better mix a little before you settle down.


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.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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.


Sleep is Also for the Weary

Warren shrugs and asks if you're hungry instead. You say you are, then settle into an armchair.

"Padre" Charlie is telling stories about how in the war he was stationed in the Pacific islands and ran into a komodo dragon, "one of those big horrible lizards the size of Dobermans with bites that kill you dead from all the bacteria if they even nip you, and they're territorial, like tomcats in summer, hissing and spitting and making all the noise under God's bright sun..."

You hardly notice yourself sliding down the armchair, chin on your shoulder. Without realizing it, you're sound asleep in just a few minutes, "Padre" Charlie's voice coming from far above you, as if from the mouth of a deep dark well.

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


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.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

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


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.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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.


Overnight

Images: dry multicolored leaves carpeting the dark green grass. Inches deep in places are the leaves. Dusty and fragrant. In the distance an elm tree. A silver-haired man in a flannel suit crunches across the leaves toward a younger woman. Long dark curls nearly down to her jeans.

The man has a rifle over his shoulder. He reaches the woman, aims the rifle at the elm tree. A target is hung from a low branch. More holes than paper, the target. The man sights and fires -- pock. Again and again: pock, pock.

The air smells like November. You're dreaming.

You open your eyes. You're in the Jackrabbits' spare room. Through the small window you can see it's the middle of the night. Your boots are still on. From somewhere above you hear: pock, pock.

You may have noticed this card came up without you clicking on anything. Cards which are played automatically are called "Must" cards.

"Must" cards represent things outside your control -- an unexpected fistfight, a dream about leaves in November. They are also used to model dialog and longer events.

There aren't many "Must" cards in Zero Summer. When you draw one, you can be sure something important is happening!

Pinned

Pinned

Check the Window

From the outside, it looked like Burrow and Briar was only two stories with a small attic. The <i>pocks</i> are coming from the attic or the roof. You might do to check outside the window.


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 Pouch

Every time the dragon snaked forward, its fire pouch bulged dangerously. I rested my revolver on flat cement, took my aim, and squeezed.

            1
            You need Aiming For 1 and Aiming For no more than 1 (you have 1)

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

            1
            Unlocked with Aiming For 1 - you have 1

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


The Night Sky

You pry open the window and stick your head out. Amarillo past midnight is quiet, even peaceful.

But the sky is a different story. Though there isn't a cloud in sight, the stars seem to boil, winking in and out of view as numberless indistinct black shapes flit back and forth. You have no idea how far up they are -- not the stars, not the shapes.

Over the lip of the roof you can just make out the toe of a boot. The next pock comes with a brief orange flash that kills your night vision. You pull your head back inside. Someone is standing on the roof with a rifle, shooting at -- what?

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


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.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

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


A Hit!

I Fired at its Pouch

            1
            You need Aiming For 1 and Aiming For no more than 1 (you have 1)

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

            1
            Unlocked with Aiming For 1 - you have 1

            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 pouch, 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, 4 more needed to reach level 5.

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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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 Highest Point

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 10 - you have 10

Some part of you stirs at the orange flashes and black boiling sky...

Pinned

Pinned


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...

Take the Shot!

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


The Highest Point

Some part of you stirs at the orange flashes and black boiling sky. You need to get to the roof.

Pinned

Pinned

The Safe Route

At least one other person is on the roof. They probably took the stairs. Stairs seem like a good safe bet.

The Direct Route

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A chancy challenge

The window is already open. The vinyl siding is rotting off the side of the house but the wood underneath looks solid. It's only ten feet up. And the odds of you getting shot are minimal. Probably.


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.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Man in Black

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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 Tense Few Moments

The Direct Route

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A chancy challenge

The Highest Point

Some part of you stirs at the orange flashes and black boiling sky. You need to get to the roof.

The window is already open. The vinyl siding is rotting off the side of the house but the wood underneath looks solid. It's only ten feet up. And the odds of you getting shot are minimal. Probably.

You were right about the siding -- it cracks and crumbles at the lightest touch -- but the wood underneath is solid oak and bears your weight uncomplainingly.

Until it doesn't. You're nearly to the roof when the top of an oak board comes away in your fingers. A few termites flee across your knuckles. You feel your weight shifting away from the wall and into hollow air. Fear clutches your heart and squeezes, hard, once. In the same moment, fingers close around your outstretched wrist. It's been awhile, you realize, since you heard any pocks. Strong hands pull you onto the roof before dumping you unceremoniously on the shingle.

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

Gunslinger is increasing...

Gunslinger 1 failed in a challenge!

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

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

You are now Afraid of Heights!


Afraid of Heights

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

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Seer of Rabbits

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

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 Pouch

Every time the dragon snaked forward, its fire pouch bulged dangerously. I rested my revolver on flat cement, took my aim, and squeezed.


The Boiling Sky

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 11 - you have 11

Pinned

Pinned


A Hit!

I Fired at its Pouch

            1
            You need Aiming For 1 and Aiming For no more than 1 (you have 1)

            1
            You need Bullets in the Chamber 1 (you have 3)

            1
            Unlocked with Aiming For 1 - you have 1

            1
            Unlocked with Bullets in the Chamber 1 - you have 3

The shot was muffled and hidden by the rain, but I could see it as a hit -- not on the dragon's pouch, 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.

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

Dragonslaying in Dixie is increasing...

There are three 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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Man in Black

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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 Boiling Sky

Before you stands Old Pinkie. He's wearing very dark blue jeans, a black shirt and a bandana over the lower half of his face. Only his eyes are visible. They watch you calmly before resighting along the length of his rifle, which Old Pinkie angles up at the sky.

Pock.

The sprawling vault of heaven looks like engine oil on blacktop. You wait after the orange flash fades to see whether anything falls onto the roof. Nothing does.

Pinned

Pinned

Ask What's Going On

Old Pinkie seems to be in charge here. Of what, you're not sure. Best to ask.

Observe Quietly

Old Pinkie seems unwilling to talk. Perhaps you should simply watch and learn.


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned

Distractions from the Minutemen

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


The Silent Treatment

Old Pinkie seems content without conversation. He's standing with his back against the house's broken-down chimey and his feet braced on the gutter. You notice the gutter has been nailed solidly to the roof. That explains the hatch, then; this isn't the first time Old Pinkie's been up here.

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

Doc is increasing...

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


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!

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.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Far, Far From Home

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


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.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Man in Black

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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 Certain Kind of Rain

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 12 - you have 12

Pinned

Pinned


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.

Opportunities

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

"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 1)

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

"Just Shoot the Damn Thing!"

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

A tough challenge

"Forget the pouch!" Robert yelled over the barricade. "Just aim for the face! Where it eyes are! Which it needs to see us!"

"Which we'd prefer it didn't?" Marcel called back.

"Just shoot the damn thing!" I shouted.

If this succeeds, your Dragonslaying in Dixie Quality will rise significantly!

            1
            You need Aiming For 1 and Aiming For no more than 1 (you have 1)

            2
            You need Bullets in the Chamber 2 (you have 3)

            1
            Unlocked with Aiming For 1 - you have 1

            2
            Unlocked with Bullets in the Chamber 2 - you have 3

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.


A Certain Kind of Rain

Time stretches out. The sky simmers and roils. Once or twice every minute, Old Pinkie fires in a high upstretched arc, then methodically reloads. Pock. Pock.

Without warning, one of the oil-black shapes in the sky resolves into a charcoal blur. Old Pinkie tracks it and fires once; as quick as it came, it's gone again, back into the pool above.

Images: black and charcoal gray. Two glassy orbs flecked with starlight. Sinews: fat and opaque here, thinner and venous there. Stiff hairs thick as grass. Rows of sharp white pyramids. Startling pinkness: a broad pointed tongue, darting in and out of view.

Size unknown -- but larger than you.

Pinned

Pinned

Accept What You Can't Change

Old Pinkie seems undisturbed. He's already back to his regular schedule of firing and reloading. Best leave well enough alone.

Eyes Wide Open

Fear is a disease and knowledge is the cure. Old Pinkie seems to think you're safe; he hasn't even moved from his perch. You concentrate on what you saw, sifting the images for meaning.


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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Man in Black

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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.


White Noise

Eyes Wide Open

A Certain Kind of Rain

Time stretches out. The sky simmers and roils. Once or twice every minute, Old Pinkie fires in a high upstretched arc, then methodically reloads. Pock. Pock.

Without warning, one of the oil-black shapes in the sky resolves into a charcoal blur. Old Pinkie tracks it and fires once; as quick as it came, it's gone again, back into the pool above.

Images: black and charcoal gray. Two glassy orbs flecked with starlight. Sinews: fat and opaque here, thinner and venous there. Stiff hairs thick as grass. Rows of sharp white pyramids. Startling pinkness: a broad pointed tongue, darting in and out of view.

Size unknown -- but larger than you.

Fear is a disease and knowledge is the cure. Old Pinkie seems to think you're safe; he hasn't even moved from his perch. You concentrate on what you saw, sifting the images for meaning.

You force your mind's eye open. Certain images stand out. The shape of the face, the tiny sharp teeth, the pink tongue and veiny wings. It was a bat. The sky is full of bats -- innumerable bats, huge bats, their awful wings obscuring the stars. You suppress a shudder. Fear is the unknown, and now you know what flocks and darts in the sky above.

You've just gained your first points of White Noise, one of Zero Summer's Menaces.

Menaces are negative Qualities which have unpleasant consequences if they get too high. Menaces are never deadly -- but they're never comfortable either.

White Noise measures how exposed you've been to the unnatural world. The real recedes. Your ears fill with static. In time, all will be White Noise.

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

Doc has increased to 2!

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

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

You've gained a new quality: White Noise at 2.


Afraid of Heights

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

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Seer of Rabbits

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

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

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

Reload!

Unlocked with Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington 4 - you have 4; Unlocked with Burning Burning Burning Burning 1 - you have 1


That Good Night

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 13 - you have 13

Eventually you realize nothing else is going to happen...

Pinned

Pinned


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.


That Good Night

Eventually you realize nothing else is going to happen. The skies will churn, the rifle will flash; the moon will sink onto the western lip of the world. Old Pinkie is paying you zero attention. And with your body sucked dry of adrenaline, you're headed for a crash.

Any time you get a few hours of restful, natural sleep, your Action pool will be refreshed.

Pinned

Pinned

Stick It Out

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

There are still things you don't understand -- about the bats, about why Old Pinkie is shooting at them. This is your best chance to figure them out.

By staying up all night, you forfeit your Action refresh. And you might learn something worth your while -- but then again, you might not.

Sleep It Off

It's been a long night. It could get much longer. It could also get more dangerous. You've learned a lot already, and tomorrow is a new day -- one in which you'll hopefully be better rested.


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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Man in Black

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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.


Bed, Sweet Bed

Sleep It Off

That Good Night

Eventually you realize nothing else is going to happen. The skies will churn, the rifle will flash; the moon will sink onto the western lip of the world. Old Pinkie is paying you zero attention. And with your body sucked dry of adrenaline, you're headed for a crash.

Any time you get a few hours of restful, natural sleep, your Action pool will be refreshed.

It's been a long night. It could get much longer. It could also get more dangerous. You've learned a lot already, and tomorrow is a new day -- one in which you'll hopefully be better rested.

You wish Old Pinkie a good night -- he doesn't reply, doesn't even look away from his rifle sight -- and slip back down the attic hatch and ladder. The house is still sound asleep; you tiptoe into your bedroom, shut the door quietly, and collapse into bed. The sensation is like falling into a deep black pit where the air is unbelievably, blessedly soft.

Your actions have been refreshed!

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


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!

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.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

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


The Morning of May 21

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 14 - you have 14

The smell of frying bacon brings you downstairs...

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.


The Morning of May 21

The smell of frying bacon brings you downstairs. Some of the Jackrabbits are there -- Jack Ishiguro, "Padre" Charlie, Warren Castillo and a handful of others. They're eating bacon, eggs and toast off of chipped ceramic plates. Warren fetches you one and you sit down to eat. Small talk ensues. No one mentions Old Pinkie or the bats.

After breakfast, Warren takes you aside. The Jackrabbits, he explains, are what you might call a gang. But not a nefarious one! They protect Burrow and Briar Streets from other area toughs. Like the police, Warren says. The Jackrabbits keep the peace when the Pony Express can't.

"And here's the thing," Warren says. "We'd like to help you figure out what happened. On the train. You can stay with us as long as you like. Call it a good deed or charity or whatever. But that's what we're gonna do. We'd like it if you'd help out around here, but your priority numero uno has to be getting your head straight. I'll pitch in. We all will."

There are murmurs and nods all around. You realize some of the Jackrabbits were listening. Jack Ishiguro is smiling, chirpy and birdlike; "Padre" Charlie is more serious, bobbing his head like a dandelion in the breeze.

"What do you say?" says Warren. He's waiting for you to agree. To his help? To the Jackrabbits'?

Pinned

Pinned

Of Course

Of course you'll take their help. What other choice do you have?

A Great Option

Show some enthusiasm! The Jackrabbits have gone out of their way to help you. So what if taking their offer is your only option? It's a <i>great</i> option!


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, 1 more needed to reach level 2.

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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Man in Black

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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 New Day

Of Course

The Morning of May 21

The smell of frying bacon brings you downstairs. Some of the Jackrabbits are there -- Jack Ishiguro, "Padre" Charlie, Warren Castillo and a handful of others. They're eating bacon, eggs and toast off of chipped ceramic plates. Warren fetches you one and you sit down to eat. Small talk ensues. No one mentions Old Pinkie or the bats.

After breakfast, Warren takes you aside. The Jackrabbits, he explains, are what you might call a gang. But not a nefarious one! They protect Burrow and Briar Streets from other area toughs. Like the police, Warren says. The Jackrabbits keep the peace when the Pony Express can't.

"And here's the thing," Warren says. "We'd like to help you figure out what happened. On the train. You can stay with us as long as you like. Call it a good deed or charity or whatever. But that's what we're gonna do. We'd like it if you'd help out around here, but your priority numero uno has to be getting your head straight. I'll pitch in. We all will."

There are murmurs and nods all around. You realize some of the Jackrabbits were listening. Jack Ishiguro is smiling, chirpy and birdlike; "Padre" Charlie is more serious, bobbing his head like a dandelion in the breeze.

"What do you say?" says Warren. He's waiting for you to agree. To his help? To the Jackrabbits'?

Of course you'll take their help. What other choice do you have?

You tell Warren that of course you want the Jackrabbits' help. He grabs your hand and pumps it warmly.

"I think this is the beginning," he says, "of a beautiful friendship." He doesn't smile when he says it. But his eyes do crinkle in approval.

So far, you've gained three Allies: Warren Castillo, Jack Ishiguro, and Miz Nils.

Allies are a special kind of Quality. Each Ally has a special card in the Opportunity deck. You can start drawing from the Opportunity deck in just a moment.

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

Warren Castillo is now your Ally!


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!

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.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

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


The Rules of the Game: Plots

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 15 - you have 15

<i><font color=#550000>This is when Zero Summer really begins: your first full day in Amarillo...

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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Man in Black

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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 Rules of the Game: Plots

This is when Zero Summer really begins: your first full day in Amarillo. But before you get started, there are a few other things you need to understand. Play through the Rules of the Game Storylets to learn more.

Pinned

Pinned

Plots

Zero Summer is a game with multiple narrative threads. We call them Plots. Click here to learn more about them.


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.


About Plots

There are two kinds of Plots in Zero Summer. They differ in length, mechanics, and what they're doing in the narrative. They are:

- The Main Plot. There's only one of these. The Main Plot is a big part of how you advance through Zero Summer; time won't move on until you've finished the current Main Plot section.

- Subplots. At any given time, you'll be following two Subplots. Subplots are controlled by your Gumption Quality, which can never rise above 2. When you choose to follow a Subplot, your Gumption will drop. Subplots also control whether you can advance through time. You CANNOT see all of Zero Summer's Subplots in one play-through.

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!

An occurrence! Your 'Gumption' Quality is now 2!


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!

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.

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

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

Lizbeth's Ailments has increased to 2!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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 Rules of the Game: Time

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 16 - you have 16

<font color=#550000><i>This is where Zero Summer really begins: your first full day in Amarillo...

Pinned

Pinned


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


The Rules of the Game: Time

This is where Zero Summer really begins: your first full day in Amarillo. But before you get started, there are a few other things you need to understand. Play through the Rules of the Game Storylets to learn more.

Pinned

Time

Progress through Zero Summer is closely tied to both the Date and Time of Day. Click below to learn more.


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 Pouch

Every time the dragon snaked forward, its fire pouch bulged dangerously. I rested my revolver on flat cement, took my aim, and squeezed.


About Time

Zero Summer measures time with two different Qualities: Date and Time of Day. It might help to think of them as the hour and minute hands on a clock.

Time of Day proceeds from Morning to Afternoon to Night, while Date ticks up every time you play the Advance Time card.

To advance time -- which means changing the Time of Day and Date -- you need to finish a certain amount of content. When you reach the end of your Main Plot and Subplots for a given Date, you'll gain a point in Time to Move On.

Once your Time to Move On is high enough (usually 3), you'll have access to a Pinned card called Advance Time that will allow you to move forward.

We know this is a lot to absorb, but we promise: it's intuitive once you get going, and it's worth it.

It's now the morning of May 21, 2026.

The Time of Day is now Morning!

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

Far, Far From Home is increasing!


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!

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.

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

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.

Far, Far From Home

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


A Hit!

I Fired at its Pouch

            1
            You need Aiming For 1 and Aiming For no more than 1 (you have 1)

            1
            You need Bullets in the Chamber 1 (you have 2)

            1
            Unlocked with Aiming For 1 - you have 1

            1
            Unlocked with Bullets in the Chamber 1 - you have 2

The shot was muffled and hidden by the rain, but I could see it as a hit -- not on the dragon's pouch, 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.

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

Dragonslaying in Dixie is increasing...

There are two 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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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 Rules of the Game: Items

Unlocked with Far, Far From Home 17 - you have 17

Pinned

Pinned


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


The Rules of the Game: Items

This is where Zero Summer really begins: your first full day in Amarillo. But before you get started, there are a few other things you need to understand. Play through the Rules of the Game Storylets to learn more.

Pinned

Items

You'll be able to use and equip all sorts of items in Zero Summer. Click here to learn more.


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: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

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.

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.


About Items

Items in Zero Summer come in three flavors: general, usable, and equippable.

General items are tokens: they sit in your Inventory until a Storylet interacts with them.

Usable items can be clicked on in your Inventory. They do all sorts of things, from lowering your Menaces to giving you information about your plots.

Equippable items can be 'worn' to increase your Styles and sometimes produce other effects. You can only equip and unequip items at The Guest Room in Burrow and Briar, which can be accessed through the Burrow and Briar Area.

You have moved to a new area: Burrow and Briar

You moved to a new setting: Amarillo.

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

'Far, Far From Home' has been reset: a conclusion, or a new beginning?

You can now equip Gunslinger Gear!

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

You can now equip Doc Toppers!

You can now equip Cityslicker Duds!

You can now equip Talismans!

Your inventory now has space for Usables!

Your inventory now has space for Currency!

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Your inventory now has space for Consumables!


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.

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: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Seer of Rabbits

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

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.


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 2)

            1
            Unlocked with Lizbeth's Ailments 1 - you have 2

"Just Shoot the Damn Thing!"

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

A tough challenge

"Forget the pouch!" Robert yelled over the barricade. "Just aim for the face! Where it eyes are! Which it needs to see us!"

"Which we'd prefer it didn't?" Marcel called back.

"Just shoot the damn thing!" I shouted.

If this succeeds, your Dragonslaying in Dixie Quality will rise significantly!

            1
            You need Aiming For 1 and Aiming For no more than 1 (you have 1)

            2
            You need Bullets in the Chamber 2 (you have 2)

            1
            Unlocked with Aiming For 1 - you have 1

            2
            Unlocked with Bullets in the Chamber 2 - you have 2

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.


Opportunities

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

O Brother, Let's Go Down

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

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

; Unlocked with

The hot dry Texas sand means hard living for the rough men and women of Amarillo...

Whispers on the Street

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

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

A tight nervous thread runs through the city...

Travel Around Town

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

The Ministry of Black Powder

"Padre" Charlie is sitting on the porch at Burrow and Briar behind a small wrought iron table...

Silk Shirts, Lace Sleeves

Unlocked with ; Unlocked with ; Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

The streets of Amarillo are filled with strange characters: the corn-flecked farmhands with skunk patches on their overalls; the high-lapelled young thugs in dusters and blunt weapons, loosely held; the rare Asian pushing furtively through the unfriendly crowds...

The Guest Room

Your own personal space here in Amarillo...

Pinned

Pinned


A Barrage of Misses

"Just Shoot the Damn Thing!"

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

A tough challenge

            1
            You need Aiming For 1 and Aiming For no more than 1 (you have 1)

            2
            You need Bullets in the Chamber 2

            1
            Unlocked with Aiming For 1 - you have 1

            2
            Unlocked with Bullets in the Chamber 2

We emptied our revolvers into the dragon's face, but to no effect: it reared its head back behind the curtain of rain and curled back on itself, snakelike, hiding its face behind the coils of its neck. Our bullets struck the asphalt and the road signs and the lip of the interstate -- everything but the dragon.

14 change points, 8 more needed to reach level 22.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker is increasing...

Lizbeth's Cityslicker 21 failed in a challenge! (When you try a challenge that's difficult for you, you learn more even when you fail.)

You've lost 2 x Bullets in the Chamber (new total 0).


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.

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Man in Black

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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.


Whispers on the Street

A tight nervous thread runs through the city. Everywhere people are on vibrating on edge, tense, standing in unhappy pockets of twos and threes where every face is pinched with inspecific fear. On Jefferson, a young woman clutches her light cotton dress and leans close to a frend. "Did you hear about poor William?" she asks, glancing over her shoulder for -- what?

"I heard," says her friend, who leans in close to whisper: "Same as happened to Sean and Thompson. Took the breath right out of them."

Pinned

Pinned

Listen Closer

The first woman seems ready to jump out of her skin; her friend is scared but glowing a little with sick morbid interest. If you slow down and listen hard, you might get a hint of why they're afraid.

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


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


They Aren't Being Quiet

"I'm scared," the first woman says. "I just don't know what I'd do if it happened to my boy.  You know William left behind two children?"

 "I know," says her friend. "That's how it is when the Harvestmen -- "

The first woman hisses for quiet. They both look nervously around. The friend continues:

"You don't believe they really show up if you say their name, do you?"

The question hangs in the widening silence between them.

You've lost 1 x Gumption (new total 1).

You are now pursuing The Harvestmen!


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.

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!

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.

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

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.


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.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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.

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...

O Brother, Let's Go Down

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

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

; Unlocked with

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.

Out of Bullets!

My gun's hammer came down on nothing. The click echoed even through the rain.

I Fired at its Pouch

Every time the dragon snaked forward, its fire pouch bulged dangerously. I rested my revolver on flat cement, took my aim, and squeezed.

            1
            You need Aiming For 1 and Aiming For no more than 1 (you have 1)

            1
            You need Bullets in the Chamber 1

            1
            Unlocked with Aiming For 1 - you have 1

            1
            Unlocked with Bullets in the Chamber 1


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


Hunkered Down

I ducked down behind our cement barricade and fumbled in my jacket for spare bullets.


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.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Man in Black

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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


Pinned


Travel Around Town

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

Pinned

Move to Burrow and Briar

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

Move to Platform #1

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

Move to St. Francis's

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

Move to The Highrise Hotel

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

Move to the Wall Market

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

Move to the Scrublands

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

Move to the Mission

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

Move to Little Japan

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

Move to Downtown Amarillo

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

Move to Amarillo Academy

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

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

            1
            You need An Invitation to Amarillo Academy 1

            1
            Unlocked with An Invitation to Amarillo Academy 1

Move to the Pony Express

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

            Unlocked when Date is:

May 22, 2026 - Morning

May 22, 2026 - Afternoon

May 22, 2026 - Evening

May 23, 2026


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.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Man in Black

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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.


Step Lightly

Move to The Highrise Hotel

Travel Around Town

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

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

Finding the Highrise Hotel is much like following the north star: aim for the tallest point in the sky and pick a path. Carefully, though; the roads are slick with human refuse and the natives are unfriendlier than usual.

You have moved to a new area: The Highrise Hotel


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.

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.

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.

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

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.


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.

Opportunities

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

"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.


Pinned

Pinned


Casings

Down among the highway grit my hands found casings, their metal blood-warm from the dragonfire. Luckily none had misfired. I popped the chamber on my revolver and started slotting them in with that special callous on my thumb.

"Almost done?" Robert said. "Because there's this dragon --"

"This is the time for you to sass me?" I asked, and elbowed him in the knee -- not hard enough to throw off his aim, but hard enough to let him know I wasn't playing.

"Nope," Robert said, and squeezed off a shot. All the playfulness had run out of his voice. Did he feel genuinely bad? or was this still backtalk, only more complicated? Looking back, I never asked.

There are six bullets left in your gun!


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.

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

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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.


O Brother, Let's Go Down

The hot dry Texas sand means hard living for the rough men and women of Amarillo.

No shirkers; too many victims -- of accidents, the environment, each other. But not as many as you might think.

There aren't many beggars or cripples outside the Highrise Hotel. Almost no one is homeless.

 And aside from the Ashling -- according to Jack Ishiguro "more like a local unconventional entrepreneur-type than your real actual crazy person-type" -- the streets are clear of mumblers, foamers and Millenarians.

All of which raises the question: where have all the destitute gone?

Pinned

Pinned

Down, Down, Come on Down

The only visible downtrodden in Amarillo are its orphans. They're not exactly chatty -- unless breakfast is on you. You won't have any problem trading a bite to eat for a little information.

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


Pinned

Pinned


Down to the River to Pray

You trade a hard roll from Butterloaf to a hard-eyed girl on Fifth who tells you -- sounding a little affronted -- that while she's fine on her own, "anybody who ain't always ends up on the west side at the Mission. Just go down Palmetto until you hit the iron cross." You can almost hear the capitals in her voice, affronted or not.

At the bottom of Palmetto where it turns into Jefferson you find yourself in the shadow of the cross. It arcs high above everything around it, an easy star to navigate by. It's attached to the roof of a long low brick building. There's a vegetable garden on one side; everywhere else there are people of all ages and colors in all stages of cleanliness and dress. They stream constantly in and out of the Mission's double-doors, which look permanently propped, and through the garden, where fat clucking chickens peck sedately at the bugs amid plantings of squash and beans. Inside you can see the pews are used for sleeping as much as sitting.

Almost everyone at the Mission is missing something -- an eye, a leg, a parent -- and almost everyone is smiling. They turn their smiles on you. A man on crutches invites you inside, where a group of dirty underfed beaming children are learning Ave Maria from a woman the size of a bear. The air smells like unwashed bodies and hope.

You have moved to a new area: The Mission

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

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

You are now investigating a certain Hallowed Ground!


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.

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!

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

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.


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.

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

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

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

Gumption

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Avatar

Your avatar.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

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.

Redwing Chicken

Unlocked with Hallowed Ground 1 - you have 1

Groups of people scattered like flung out handfuls of grain throughout the Mission; vegetables growing inside wherever the walls are knocked down...

Pinned

Pinned


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.

Not Yet

The bullets could wait.

"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!


Silk Shirts, Lace Sleeves

The streets of Amarillo are filled with strange characters: the corn-flecked farmhands with skunk patches on their overalls; the high-lapelled young thugs in dusters and blunt weapons, loosely held; the rare Asian pushing furtively through the unfriendly crowds.

But none are stranger than the silk-shirted, lace-wristed men and women who loiter in pairs or threesomes on streetcorners and in the windows of Amarillo's diners and saloons.

Pinned

Pinned

A Fine Fragrant Encounter

A high-cheekboned woman in a scarlet silk blouse waves you over from beneath a dusty awning.


At the Barricade

Not Yet

The bullets could wait.

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