Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Burning

"Get Under Cover!"

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.

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

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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

1 x A Wrapped Package from Absolom the Tinker

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

1 x A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington 4

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


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.


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


A Small Token of Esteem

The woman draws you into the shade and pushes a coin into your unprotesting hand, closing your fingers over it with her own cool ones.

"Noticed you noticing," she says. Cautious, not unfriendly. Her breath smells like an impossible tropical flower. "Show us a little charity at St. Francis and we'll find you."

She pats your cheek and moves swiftly off, heels primly clicking. There was perfume on her wrist. It lingers for several long minutes after she's gone.

You now have 1 x 20th Century Penny.


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.

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.

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.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


Opportunities

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

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...

The Guest Room

Your own personal space here in Amarillo...

Pinned

Pinned

The Skunk Brothers Farm

Unlocked when The Skunk Brothers Farm is:

; Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening

Long brick buildings and ordered greenery and verdant climbing hops!—

Small-Town Cityslicker

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

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening

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

A Gunslinger in Amarillo

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

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening

There are endless opportunities here for you to brush up on all the things a gunslinger needs to know...


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.


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.


At the Barricade

Not Yet

The bullets could wait.

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


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


They Aren't Being Quiet

Listen Closer

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."

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.

"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.

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

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.

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.

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.


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned

Take the Shot!

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


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.

I Fired at its Wings

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

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

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

            2
            Unlocked with Aiming For 2 - you have 2

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


The Skunk Brothers Farm

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

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

Water for the Vats

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

A high-risk challenge

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

Making the Rounds

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A high-risk challenge

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

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

That Cornskunk Taste

Doc

Mental Style.

A tough challenge

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

Perhaps Not

Your plate is already full.


A Hit!

I Fired at its Wings

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

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

            2
            Unlocked with Aiming For 2 - you have 2

            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 wings, but somewhere on its trunk. The dragon thrashed -- in anger? in pain -- and drove me and Robert back behind the cool cement with a furious burst of fire.

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

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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


Opportunities

Perhaps Not

The Skunk Brothers Farm

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

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

Your plate is already full.

Opportunities always come around again.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

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.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

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

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.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


Pinned


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Hallowed Ground

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

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


The Ministry of Black Powder

Burrow and Briar

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

"Padre" Charlie is sitting on the porch at Burrow and Briar behind a small wrought iron table. Small pieces of metal are spread across the table, and a filthy cloth, and greasy metal can.

Pinned

Pinned

The Calling

When he notices you watching, "Padre" Charlie waves you over.

This is the beginning of Zero Summer's first main plot: The Ministry of Black Powder.

Since this is part of the main story, playing this Storylet will NOT reduce your Gumption.


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.


One Man's Chapel

"Do you see what we have here? This is the bolt. It locks into the chamber with the cartridge. Here is the sight -- obvious, no need to explain. Here the barrel. Here the stock. Here the little nubbin of the firing pin tucked inside like a baby in a crib."

Your eyes move mechanically over the parts as "Padre" Charlie lists them. These things are known to you, barrel and bolt and firing pin. In this moment you're sure you could see them on the insides of your eyelids.

There's a roaring in your ears like the incoming tide. You could be swept away. O yes. You could be.

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

The Ministry of Black Powder has increased!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

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.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

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

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

20th Century Penny

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

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.


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Hallowed Ground

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

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


The Needs of the Father

Burrow and Briar

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

"Padre" Charlie is cleaning a rifle. You want to touch every piece of it so badly that your fingernails have dug little half-moons into your palm.

Pinned

Pinned

Hope for the Wrong Thing

"Padre" Charlie's hands work the rifle together, bolt into barrel into stock. "I'm filled with hope," he says, "but for the wrong thing."


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned

Dragonfire

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


The Difference

What does he mean, hope for the wrong thing?

"There's rain and there's green things and there's faith in the Book and the blood and the Man Himself. There are good things on this earth, healing things."

"Padre" Charlie spits deliberately over the porch. It lands on a dry patch of ground and kicks up a spray of dust.

"What I hope for ain't them. I want a flood of bullets and buckets of guns and a chain of hands to put the one into the other. Not very preacherly of me."

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


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.

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.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

20th Century Penny

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

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.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Hallowed Ground

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

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


The Needs of the Son

Burrow and Briar

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

The reassembled rifle lays across the Padre's lap. Newly oiled, it gleams.

Pinned

Pinned

You Have Questions

Floods of bullets? Many hands for many triggers? What could he mean?

You Have Needs

Speeches are well and good, but your hands crave the stock and steel of a rifle. Holding it will tell you something about yourself. Something important. You're sure of it.

The Means to Power

To hell with it: take the gun! What's "Padre" Charlie going to do? He looks rough for a man of the cloth, but you feel rougher -- so very much rougher.


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.


He Has Answers

You ask your questions. "Padre" Charlie listens -- and when he listens, his whole world is suddenly all about you in a really intense and absolute way.

"Here is what I mean," he says. He holds up a hand. As he talks, he ticks off fingers.

"First: there isn't much law in Amarillo. Partly we're light on police. Partly we don't need much. Mostly people leave well enough alone, and when they get rowdy we step in, or the Roughriders do, or the Stars and Spurs. The only law we have is the Rule of One: there's only one thing you get to shoot and it lives" -- he points -- "out there."

Tick. "Second: everything's in short supply. Food's okay. Water less so. Guns even less. Somebody goes outside the barricades, there's a chance they end up in a shallow grave with their rifle slowly rusting."

Tick. "Third: there's a difference between us and the Spurs and everybody. We take care of our own, and we take care of business. And because of that, maybe some day we'll be down a gun we lost keeping folks in line."

"But not," he says, standing, "because we let ourselves be. Yes?"

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


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.

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.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

20th Century Penny

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

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.


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.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Hallowed Ground

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

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


The Holy Ghost

Burrow and Briar

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

At his full height, "Padre" Charlie towers over you. The dirtiness of his coat and collar are transformed; they're splatterings of a fallen world on holy vestments.

"There is a weapon," he says. "Monsters fear it. Even the sight of it. The pistol of Santo Guerrero."

Some buried part of you lurches at the name. There's a weight on your chest and a strange lightness to your arms.

"There is a rumor that it was taken from Santo Guerrero -- the village, not the man -- by friends of Woodrow Pohoee, who never leaves his mansion on the hill."

He gestures over his shoulder into the rising sun, then levels a finger at you.

"Heaven provides. I believe it has provided you to us. This relic can't remain in darkness. Not any longer. Not with this man Pohoee, who does nothing with it. You must bring it to us."

Yes! cries the heavy aching part of you. O yes! And yes again!

Pinned

Pinned

O yes! And yes again!

You swear to "Padre" Charlie that you'll find the gun of Santo Guerrero and bring it back. Your tongue feels made of fire. Every time you've closed your eyes this morning, you've seen again the great black bats swarming in the nighttime sky. Never again. You can make it so.

For Whose Hand the Grip?

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A high-risk challenge

Certainly you'll get the gun away from Pohoee. And certainly you'll use it against the great black bats that swarm behind your eyelids every time you blink. You -- not the Padre and not the Jackrabbits. Such a weapon takes strength of character. Until they demonstrate some, yours is the only proper holster.

You're sure you can make "Padre" Charlie understand your point of view. You have to. Otherwise the gun might end up in the wrong hands -- again.


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


A Grim Bargain

For Whose Hand the Grip?

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A tough challenge

You explain the situation. Of course you'll get the gun from Pohoee. Of course you'll put it to good use. But you won't hand it over to the Jackrabbits. Maybe if one of them proves they can handle it. You've only just met, after all. But if you're going to take the damn thing, you get to decide who keeps it.

"Padre" Charlie searches your face for a long time. Finally he draws close to you. There are yellow cigarette stains on his teeth and the smell of dead cigarettes on his tongue.

"You want to play hero? That's fine. But you're no Guerrero, and if you come up short, even a little short on your worst day, there'll be a reckoning. There's gonna be you, and me, and two guns between us, and a pine box painted black with your name cut into it with the knife in my back pocket. We understand each other?"

You tell the Padre that yes, you understand each other very well indeed. He nods once, then slumps back into his chair. The divine spark vanishes as quickly as it came; once again "Padre" Charlie is an unwashed old porch-sitter, soon you're sure to begin descending from twilight into night.

"I leave it to you, then. But I can't say how to start. You might try St. Francis's. There's the likeness, of course, and the deacon knows Pohoee a little."

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

Cityslicker has increased to 2!

Cityslicker 1 failed in a challenge! (When you try a challenge that's difficult for you, you learn more even when you fail.)

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

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

A twist in your tale! You are now Man in Black.

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

Paladin is increasing...

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

You have a new Accomplishment... A Grim Bargain!


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.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

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.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

20th Century Penny

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

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.


Dragonfire

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

Opportunities

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

"Get Under Cover!"

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


Pinned

Pinned

Small-Town Cityslicker

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

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening


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.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


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 2)

            3
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 3 - you have 2


Opportunities

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

Pinned

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!


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.


At the Barricade

Not Yet

The bullets could wait.

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


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


Down to the River to Pray

Down, Down, Come on Down

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?

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.

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

Your capacity to pursue new and exciting adventures.

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

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.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

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.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

20th Century Penny

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

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


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


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


Redwing Chicken

The Mission

TBD

Groups of people scattered like flung out handfuls of grain throughout the Mission; vegetables growing inside wherever the walls are knocked down. Even the altar has a haphazard stove and chimney rigged up where the priest must have once sat.

Sitting in a vacant church pew for a quiet moment: there is the smallest cluck, a soft scuffle. A chicken lunges at a bug in the dirt. More chickens pour in, clucking and preening and pecking. And yet they're largely unharrassed -- read: uneaten.

Pinned

Pinned

Chicken-scratch

Redwing Chicken

The Mission

TBD

There must be a plan here, some kind of organization. Someone has to keep an eye on the chickens and vegetable gardens. You just need eyes to see.

            2
            You need Cityslicker 2 (you have 2)

            2
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 2 - you have 2


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 2)

            1
            Unlocked with Lizbeth's Ailments 1 - 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.


Reading a Pattern

Chicken-scratch

Redwing Chicken

The Mission

TBD

A flock of chickens run right through the children's chorus; the children break off singing and shriek and giggle before the chickens are shooed off.

From there the chickens swarm over a pew and its occupant, who wakes up long enough to swat them away. It's a wonder they haven't all been eaten, the chickens. But then neither have the vegetables hanging ripe on the vine. The Mission is clean and swept, inside and out.

Hallowed Ground 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.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

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.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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

20th Century Penny

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

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.


Slow and Steady

Suppression Fire

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.

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

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


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


Opportunities

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

A Long Hello

Unlocked with Hallowed Ground 2 - you have 2

Nobody has paid any special attention to you so far at the Mission...

Pinned

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


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.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

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.

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.

The Ministry of Black Powder

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


Dragonfire

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

"Get Under Cover!"

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


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.


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned

A Country Doc

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

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening

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


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, 2 more needed to reach level 3.

Lizbeth's Ailments is increasing...


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


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.


Opportunities

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

Pinned

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!


Banditos and Harvestmen

Pinned

Pinned


At the Barricade

Not Yet

The bullets could wait.

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


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


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

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.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


A Great Searing Fire

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

Engulfed

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


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.


Pinned

Pinned


Pain

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

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

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

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

Lizbeth's Ailments has increased to 3!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


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.


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned


Dragonfire

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

"Get Under Cover!"

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


Banditos and Harvestmen

Pinned

Pinned


Burning

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

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

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

Lizbeth's Ailments is increasing...


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

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

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

A Bottle of Hoffenstader Honey Wheat

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

Doc Roslyn's Patent Nostrum

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

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Sermon on the Mount

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

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Man in Black

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

Seer of Rabbits

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

Hallowed Ground

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

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Helping the Brothers Skunk

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

Ally: Calo

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

Connections: The Mission

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

Aiming For

Lizbeth called the shot for this.

Bullets in the Chamber

How many bullets are left in your gun.

Burning Burning Burning Burning

Fire reflecting in a watery mirror.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Lizbeth's Ailments

Physical damage.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

Chasing Down Chickens

Surely all the Mission's chickens come from somewhere.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Dragonslaying in Dixie

Progress on fighting the dragon south of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

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

The Door

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


Opportunities

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

Pinned

Pinned