Harthar's Zombie Survival IC

[Harthar]

The Situation

The relatively small town of Glendale was once your average peaceful North American city. Whilst there were roughly two hundred thousand living in and around the town itself with roughly double that living in the rural areas of the state, it was amazing how everyone was connected. It was often that you met a seemingly new person only to find out that they were a good friend of one of your good friends, or that they were actually related to you in some manner. There were many such connections that bound the city together. That was probably one of the reasons the infection took such a short amount of time to escalate from isolated incidents into a full blown outbreak. The news had reported, roughly two days previous, of incidents of people being bitten by crazed individuals who appeared to be suffering from some sort of malady. With each new report on the news the frequency of the bitting and attacks increased. Murders were on the rise as well, people claiming self-defence against those who wanted to bite them. All in all it was a very strange time that escalated into chaos.

It took two days for the infection to consume over thirty-percent of the town’s populace with an unknown number in the rural regions. The police were ineffective in containing and even culling the hordes of infected. The problem was they believed there was a cure; there was always a cure. Give the CDC long enough and they would devise one. Time was of the essence; the longer these infected roamed the streets the more would be infected until there was no one left to make a cure. With the police ineffective and being overrun at every turn, the Mayor of Glendale, Brian Senco, put in the request for the assistance of the National Guard. For now the lines of communication were still open and the Mayor addressed the people on TV, telling people to stay come, remain indoors and not to open the door to anyone they don’t know. He reassured the populace that within a few days the infected would be quarantined and everything would go back to normal.

The roads in the city were almost impossible to negotiate. Cars were bumper to bumper and whilst most of them were abandoned there were still a few with infected occupants. There were car crashes blocking the sidewalks, even some that had gone into shop fronts and the foyers of office buildings. All of this was topped off with the ever presence of roaming zombies. It would take hours to get through the chaos and out of the city and that was the reason why many more were infected. At some point the populace had thought it a good idea to exit the city en mass. That only make them a bigger target.

Now, only a few hours after that address and fifty-three hours after the first reported case of the infection, the hordes of ‘zombies’ (a term the government was trying to avoid) were roaming the streets, alerted to the presence of still living Glendalites in their houses by noise and smell. Effectively every suburban house was under siege. Within the city itself the hordes were far larger, whole office buildings were infected in mere hours. Few managed to survive in such a densely populated area; but there were exceptions.

May, 23rd, 2012
53 Hours since First Report Case

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Ok, a bit more of an open setting than I’m used to, to be honest. Whilst I usually like to detail locations and set the mood, it’s kind of difficult on such a wide scale and with what will be so many characters/players. So I figured that for now, whilst we are all spread out, I have two choices. I can set each player’s scene and write descriptions up for you, or (and the option that I’d like to go with for now) you set the scene of your own character’s beginnings. Obviously I’ll still DM the combat and work out what you find in each location, but it might be better for me and for you to begin with, to write up your own paths. Once we all start meeting up and forming larger groups that will change.

So for now, have fun role playing out your character’s interactions with each other and general escape from the city. Make your own encounters, they don’t have to be specific (road blocks that need to be cleared, oh no six zombies walk out of the bushes and approach the characters, do they attack or quickly focus on moving the road block?) that sort of thing. You can be as imaginative (keeping the realism that is the Walking Dead in mind), or as basic as you may see fit. Obviously I’d like it better if you were imaginative.

So, start posting those who have been approved.

[Harthar]

*Boom* The door exploded inward, a cloud of smoke enveloped the entryway. Ghost, his callsign, moved through the whitish grey particles without hesitation, the mist rolling around him in a current that drifted forward in his wake. His eye was mere centimetres from the optics of his M4A1 carbine, training the cross hair on the doorways to either side of the hallway but never leaving his field of fire. Through the muffled ringing of the door explosion he could hear the rest of his team move through the doorway behind him. His movement was swift but he did not rush, keeping his head constantly moving so as not to get tunnel vision. The operator moved past the first set of doors by several feet before falling to one knee. The next two members of his team breached and entered each door and, after clearing each room, they fell back in behind him. A pat on his shoulder indicated he was to continue. He stood and proceeded forward. Twice more he followed the breaching procedure before they reached the door at the end of the corridor.

As two of his men set the charges he used his small phone sized cord and camera to look under the door and gain some knowledge of what lay beyond. He noticed two armed insurgents patrolling, one with his back to the door. Conveying this information to his men through sign, he once more brought the carbine to bear. With a nod the door erupted away from him and he followed the destroyed pieces through. The first target, the one facing toward him, fell backward almost immediately following the three-round burst from his weapon; three red dots exploded high on the man’s chest. The second target received much the same treatment, two dots on the chest right over the heart, and another on the shoulder sending the insurgent spinning with the momentum. Ghosts forward movement never ceased, he continued steadily into the living room, turning and entering the kitchen as he reached the archway. The carbine spoke again with two short bursts, the first hitting a kitchen island an insurgent had ducked behind for cover, the second hit its mark as the man crouch-ran out the otherside. One bullet to the ribs, one to the arm and one to the back. A carbine, similar to his own, barked next to and behind him. In his peripherals he saw an insurgent fall to the ground with three to the chest.

Moving from the kitchen into the garage, he went down to one knee as an insurgent let off a burst of AK47 rounds at his doorway. The bullets narrowly missed him and the man behind him. The insurgent that had shot was not so lucky; both Ghost and his teammate fired at the same time. Ghost’s three bursts punched into the helmet of the insurgent whilst the other three rounds hit his chest. Seemingly moving as one the two operatives fired on the other insurgent, both punched into the man’s chest right over his heart. Ghost whispered, his comms live the whole time, “Clear.” This was followed a short time later, after a few bursts of carbine and AK47 fire, by others giving the clear on their vectors.

Suddenly florescent lights flashed on, bathing the once eerily lit garage in white luminescence. The backdoor opened and from it emerged a man in a dress uniform wearing the rank of Master Sergeant. All of the other operators made their way into the garage, pulling their helmets off. They were followed by the ‘insurgents’ now without their masks and safety glasses. “Operators, report to your barracks. ‘Insurgents’ thank you for your time, return to your barracks.” Everyone began to move but the Master Sergeant added one more thing, “Corporal Codiac, wait.” He stopped, standing at ease and wondering why he was being singled out. The Master Sergeant moved over to him, “Corporal, you have been honourably discharged.” Jacen’s features contorted in confusion and anger, he was about to ask why when the answer was given to him. “Your wife has been involved in a car accident, she is in hospital. Your son is fine, he is at your house with a social worker. Grab your gear and get to the airport, a seat is waiting for you on the next plane to Glendale...”

Jacen blinked, shaking his head to clear his mind. He focused once more on driving, glancing at his son who sat in the backseat fiddling with the seat cover. Eyes once more returned to the road he cleared his throat. “Dan, I... I’m sorry about your mum. How are you doing?” There was no reply, at least not at first. Eventually the boy spoke up, “I was thinking. Maybe it is Halloween... and everyone is dressed up like zombies?” The boy looked hopefully at his father. “Its not Halloween son... and what is a zombie?”

“Well... its like... a dead person who walks around... and when they bite you, you turn into one of them and want to bite other people. They are in some of my comics...” Jacen sighed, “I don’t think they are real, Daniel, they are made up. These people are just... infected with some disease that makes them attack people.” Dan nodded slowly but whispered, “Look like zombies to me.” Jacen shook his head slowly and then steered around a small group of zombies that began to move toward the car. “If they are, where should we go to be safe?” Jacen said, wondering where the boy thought was safe. If he took him there then maybe it would make him feel safe. “A church probably...” the boy replied.

A church. Jacen nodded, “A Church... We can do that.” He began to rack his brain to think of where the nearest church was.

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Knowledge, Local Check: (1d20+3)[22]

[Erasmas]

"God d@mnit! First I had to take a f^cking axe to Steven Helton's head, then that stupid b!tch jumped out in front of my beautiful baby and dented in her godd@mn bumper... and now this?!"

Either smoke or steam had just begun to plume out from under the hood of Spencer Davis' gorgeous black 2012 Anston Martin Vantage V8, causing his most recent tirade. The well-dressed man slammed the palms of his hands against the steering wheel in anger as he continued on. Frantic sat in the beige leather passenger seat without saying a word, so as not to further frustrate the other man. Instead, he still clung to the bloodied aluminum bat (now wrapped in deli sandwich paper, at the behest of Spencer) without even realizing that he was still holding it. Only recently had his pulse returned to normal after the events of the last couple of hours.

The driver continued to curse repeatedly as both occupants of the car nervously looked out the windows at the strange cannibalistic people wandering the streets. Stopping here would be a very bad idea, but it was starting to look as though they would have little choice. Suddenly, Frantic spotted a sign down the street that caused him to squeak out... his voice higher-pitched than he meant it to be.

"There! Look... Clay's Garage... we can stop there and get the car fixed!"

"Do you really think they're going to be open, kid?! Take a look around you... Glendale has gone to hell, finally. Somehow I don't think we can just pull in there and say 'Hey, how's it going? I hope you won't chew my face off, but could you put your greasy hands all over my car that is worth more than your house, please?'."

"I realize that they may not be open, Mr. Davis. But if someone is there, maybe they would be willing to help... maybe even for a price. And, if no one is there or if... or if there is and they are one of these things and we have to kill them... maybe we can fix it ourselves. It's a better plan than getting out here."

Spencer thought about it for a moment as they crept closer to the garage. He looked out the driver side window just as he saw a man in jogging clothes running way faster than a jog. Suddenly, a hooker that appeared to be missing her left arm tackled the man and bit into his stomach as several other of the creatures moved to join in the fray.

"Good point."

The black car pulled into the driveway of the shop and drove over the hose laid across the concrete outside the bay doors. The DING DING could be heard from inside the car as Spencer nervously killed the engine. Antoine quickly got out of the car and put his backpack on once more. He peeled the wax paper off of the baseball bat and placed both hands on on its grip. Spencer started to get out of the driver's seat, grabbing the axe, before Frantic got his attention.

"Mr. Davis... look!", Antoine whispered as he pointed to the two bodies laid outside, not even twenty feet from the doors to the shop. One of the corpses, the one that seemed to have been female, had its head bashed in to the point of being unrecognizable. The other had a massive stain of blood centered on what looked like a puncture wound in the left side of his chest. Spencer replaced the axe, its head still in the plastic bag, behind his seat and opened his briefcase. He pulled out his Beretta and inserted a magazine, chambering a round and switching off the safety. Just then, the blinds behind the barred window of the office moved as a figure looking out of them released them as the consultant looked that direction.

Spencer started towards the window, whispering loudly, "Hey! Hey, you in there! I saw you peaking out. C'mon, I need some help with my car. And we really need to get off the street!"

"Go away.", came a deep voice from the other side, muffled by glass, brick, and distance.

"We can't... my car is smoking. Look, we can pay you. And as soon as I get my ride fixed, we'll be out of your hair."

The blinds parted once more and Spencer caught a narrow glimpse of Wade's face looking out. The big man scanned the immediate area and then released the blinds once more before responding. "Put your weapons in the trunk and lock it. Put the car in neutral and push it up to the bay. When I open the door, get it inside quickly."

Spencer looked to Frantic, who nodded as he looked up and down the street. It was going to be dark soon, and those things were nearly done with the jogger. The two men moved to the trunk of the Aston Martin and started to put their things inside. Spencer made to keep the pistol, however, and Antoine shook his head. "We need this guy to help us. If he sees that, he might just shoot us without question."

"What makes you so sure that he won't shoot us anyways?"

"I don't think he is a bad man. Two bodies outside, laid out with care instead of thrown onto the ground. And he is still here... would someone that didn't feel justified in defending himself stay after committing murder?"

Spencer thought about it once more. He liked this kid, he thought things through and presented his case in a straightforward and convincing manner.. he almost reminded him of a younger version of himself... almost. Spencer put his gun inside with the other weapons and locked the trunk.

"I hope you're right, kid."

The consultant then opened the driver side door and shifting the Aston Martin into neutral and began pushing on the frame, wincing slightly from the strain on his knee. Frantic bent himself low and pushed with both hands on the back of the trunk. Slowly, the car rolled forward toward the bay door. Wade threw open the door about halfway, allowing just enough room for the car and both men to duck under. However, the loud clanking of the door's chain drew the attention of the gathered crowd of monsters, which now turned their attention to the scene and screamed loudly. Still pushing, Frantic looked over his shoulder to see the group running down the street towards them.

"Sh!t! Push faster, Spencer, push faster! They're coming!"

Spencer leaned into the car, pushing as hard as he could and trying to ignore the pain in his disgruntled knee. Just as the rear tires bumped over the rise in the concrete, Frantic could hear the noise of the creatures' shoes on the pavement behind him. Suddenly, Wade stepped out between Antoine and the approaching creatures and fired two shots from his sawed-off Remington, tearing the head of one of the things completely off and throwing several others back with the impact of the shot. The mechanic then took two steps back and without looking, hit the release on the chain. The door came down hard, crushing the arm of the nearest thing that had gotten close enough to swipe at Wade.

-----o-----

Several hours passed and the three men swapped names and stories as to what had led them here. Wade looked at the Aston Martin and determined that the radiator had been damaged when Spencer hit the woman in the garage and that the engine had begun to overheat. Luckily, he had what he needed to repair the radiator here in the shop and would perform the repair for free... in light of recent events. However, he asked that they move on immediately after he was finished.

"Can we please stay here for the night? The windows all have bars, those doors are steel... your shop is practically a fortress."

"The shop is my brother's. I don't have enough space and food... and how do I know that you won't simply rob me blind?"

Spencer already had his hand on its way out of his pocket before Wade finished his sentence. He dangled the key to the car in front of himself like he was offering the man a steak.

"Collateral."

"And we'll stay out of your way. And I still have some food... well, some energy bars at least, in my backpack. I'll share with Mr. Davis and can sleep on the floor."

Wade chewed on his thoughts for a long time, looking back and forth between the two men and the keys as if he was going to be able to size them up simply based on appearances. After what seemed an eternity, he held out his palm and took the keys from Spencer.

-----o-----

At some point during the night, Antoine was awakened from a deep sleep on the couch in the office. The sound of an engine... the Aston Martin - Wade was stealing the car! He leapt up and ran into the garage, nearly bowling over Spencer in the process, who was standing just inside the door to the garage bay. The consultant helped Frantic to a stop before he fell and then he could see that Spencer was wearing a smile.

"Relax, kid... I'm not leaving you and he isn't stealing it. He fixed it! EXCELLENT, WADE! NICELY DONE! NOW TURN IT OFF BEFORE WE WAKE UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD CANNIBALS!

Wade turned off the ignition and stepped out of the black sports car with an accomplished smirk on his face. Spencer shook his hand and patted him on the upper arm.

"Thank you. Too bad it's the end of the world, I would've recommended you to all of my friends that all had too much money!"

Frantic furrowed his brow, "What do you mean 'had too much'? Wait, 'end of the world'? What are you talking about?!"

The two older men exchanged glances, the smiles fading from their faces. "He was sleeping earlier, Spence."

"Right. It seems our little problem isn't just local. You remember all that weird stuff that's been happening recently? Well... it's starting to look like it's all tied together. The crazy sh!t that is going on out there... is going on everywhere."

Antoine crosses his arms across his chest to fight off a shiver that ripples through his body, despite not being cold in the least. He wandered off to gather his emotions.

After several minutes of contemplation, he starting thinking about how they needed to prepare. Where were they going to go? What should they do? The acrobat found himself at one of the windows of the office that faced the busier of the two streets. The glow of a blue neon sign across the street finally drew his attention away from his melancholy despair. Curiosity got the better of him and he opened the blinds and looked out. A hunting & sporting goods store called Bullseye's sat on the other side of the road, and then Frantic saw something that gave him an idea.

-----o-----

"I want to rob the hunting store across the street.", he spoke plainly to Wade and Spencer.

"Do what?!"

"What the hell for, Antoine?"

-----o-----

Back at the window, Antoine opened the blinds and pointed. "That."

There, in the window across the street, was a crossbow on display. The two other men looked confusedly at the young man. He rebutted, "Look... you both have guns. All I have is this bat and my little knife. I'd rather have something I can use without having to get too close." Wade produced the .45 he had taken from the thug who tried to rob him and tried to hand it to Frantic. The Canadian politely refused. "No, thank you. I would rather have something that was quiet... so I can get to places with a vantage point, cover you if I need to, and get out without compromising myself."

Spencer shrugged his shoulders with a slight nod; it made sense. He turned to Wade.

"What do you think, Big Guy? You gotta know the owner, you think he'll mind?"

"Not at all."

"Really?!", Spencer asked incredulously.

"How do you know that?"

"Because that's him right there." Wade pointed out into the street between the two stores. There, in the throng of about a dozen of the crazy creatures that used to be humans, was a balding man in his late fifties wearing a Bullseye's polo shirt.

---

1

The trio went to sleep - Wade on the couch, Antoine on the back cushions (borrowed from the couch), and Spencer on a bench seat that had been pulled out of a 1966 Ford pick-up that Wade's brother Clayton was restoring. In the morning... they were going after Antoine's crossbow.

[Harthar]

It had been a few years since he had been back to Glendale, his special operations missions and further training having kept him away for quite a good amount of time. He had seen his wife and son only a few months ago when the government had flown them up to the base he had been training at to visit him. Those visits had happened every few months and were always too short. Even though he was back in Glendale now it seemed unrealistic without his wife there with him. Her death was a blow that he doubted he would ever come to terms with, though he would have to for Daniel’s sake. Regardless of the time spent away the church that came to mind was only a short distance away, the problem was the walkers everywhere and the cars that were littering the road. These suburban streets didn’t have anywhere near as many cars as those closer to the city’s centre, and especially not as many as the highways. He managed to pick his way through the mess of cars rather quickly despite the trail of walkers following the sound of the SUV’s engine. It was not a quiet car and certainly not a smooth ride, but it served as a pretty heavy duty vehicle and was reliable. They got within a hundred meters of the church before he couldn’t find a way past the cars in the street and wasn’t able to backtrack because of the zombies. He cursed his luck for having drawn so many this close to their destination and decided that it would be a good idea to try and lead them in another direction before carrying on to their destination.

The good thing was that the cars blocking the way of the BT-50 also blocked the way of the zombies, creating a physical barrier that would not be crossed unless there was incentive to do so. “Come on son, grab your backpack, let’s hump it the rest of the way. We have to lead these things away first so I want you to stay close to me and make as little noise as possible. Get out your bat and if any of them get close to you, knee cap them and then hit their heads for six. I’ll try not to let them close to you though. Warn me if they are close.” His instructions were met by a wide eyed nod before the boy grabbed his backpack and readied himself to get out of the car with his dad. Jacen, before leaving the car, grabbed his Bugout backpack, taking the holster from it and attaching it to his belt before holstering the Glock. He took the spare mag and tucked it into a pocket before grabbing his climbing pick and getting out of the car, with the keys. His son followed and when the doors were all closed he pressed the button to lock the vehicle. It was a good car and they would return for it, hopefully when fewer zombies were milling around so that they could attempt to clear some of the road block. That was obviously depending on what lay ahead for them in the Church. Donning the backpack he guided his son away from the car and off to the left into the front yard of an old wooden house painted a very dull pink.

They moved around the back of the house quickly and when they were out of sight of the zombies slowed to take it more carefully in the hopes that they wouldn’t stumble onto another horde of the creatures. They rounded the side of the house and moved cautiously out the back, there in the middle of the yard watching a clothesline full of cloths blow in the breeze was a walker. She was elderly, just the kind of person he had expected to live in the pink house. He didn’t want to take the chance that they would be seen or heard by the creature and it would alert others to their presence. He motioned for Daniel to follow him forward and to attack the zombie as he did, one could never be too careful, especially when Jacen had no real experience in fighting these things. He, and his son, moved quickly up behind the zombie, raising the pick up before bringing it down in an attempt to penetrate the woman’s brain. Daniel brought his baseball bat around in an attempt to hit the woman.

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Jacen’s Actions:
Zombie’s Defence: (1d20)[9]

Attack One - Climbing Pick
Attack: (1d20+3)[16]
Damage: (1d8+3)[7]


Daniel’s Actions:
Attack One - Baseball bat
Attack: (1d20-1)[3]
Damage: (1d6-1)[1]

[Erasmas]

The sun rose, finally bringing the morning light with it... though it did little to dampen the darkness that had settled on Glendale. Antoine got up as the first rays sliced through the blinds of the office window and fell across his face. He quietly picked himself up off of the cigarette-smoke-saturated couch cushions that he had slept on all night and unwadded his hoodie he had used for a pillow. Frantic quietly pulled the gray article back on and zipped it partially up to ward off the early morning chill. He then made his way towards the breakroom, where he had left his backpack last night. I'm starving... time for an energy bar and a few stretches... what is that smell... is that... coffee?! He wrinkled up his nose as he passed through the saloon-style doors and stopped short.

"Good morning, sunshine."

"Bonjour. You're up early, Mr. Davis. I didn't expect anyone to be in here."

Spencer scoffed. "'Early'?! Please... it's 7:34, I would've been at the office for over an hour already. And call me Spencer, Antoine; Mr. Davis is my father. Coffee?"

"No, merci. I don't drink the stuff."

"Really? Hmm... its of little consequence, this stuff is hardly even 'coffee' really.", Spencer sipped once more from the mug sitting in front of him that he, no doubt, took from the cabinet nearby... as evident from the "Whoof Arted" slogan on its side. It was also apparent to Frantic that Spencer was prepared for a different kind of day today. Gone were his jacket, tie, and dress shirt and he simply wore his undershirt tucked into his slacks. He lazily thumbed through a magazine he had taken from the office waiting room - an eight month old issue of "Healthy Living", probably put in there for the female customers.

Frantic stood and moved to an area with some open space and began stretching out and limbering himself up, as he did every morning. Today, however, he thought that it might be especially important. The sudden stop of the rhythmic snoring from the other room indicated that Wade must also now be awake. Sure enough, within minutes, the lumbering frame of the large man appeared in the door, sniffing the air.

"You make coffee?"

Spencer nodded and lifted his mug without looking up from the article he was reading. "Borrowed a mug too. Hope that's alright."

"Sure, why not?", he managed to yawn out.

Wade moved into the room and eyed Antoine curiously. He then rolled his eyes and crossed to the coffee maker and took another mug from the cabinet... this one roughly in the shape of a fish, with its tail forming the handle. He poured himself a straight cup and sat down in one of the flimsy chairs across the small table from Spencer. The big man eyed the magazine the consultant seemed so keen on.

"Anything interesting?"

"Not in the least."

-----o-----

After about a hour, having scarfed down an entire pepperoni pizza that had been left in the fridge (Wade had half, while Spencer and Antoine split the other half), the three men gathered their belongings and stood looking over the broken down pizza box. Among the grease stains and crumbs, Spencer had drawn a rough layout of the street and both shops in Sharpie. With help from Wade, they were able to make a mock-up of what the inside of Bullseye's looked like (at least for the front of the store). Through looking out the window, they had managed to see four of those creatures wandering between the two stores... now represented by four dirty bolts. The plan was simple, but it should work.

"Alright. Let's go over it one more time. Wade?"

"I head out the front door and make a lot of noise, hopefully getting these four creeps to give chase. I run around to the back of the shop..."

"Where Spencer and I will be waiting at the bay door to let you in. I close the door while he covers the opening with his gun."

"Right. And then we all get back up here to the front door while those b@st@rds beat on the back door and grab our stuff."

"And then it's back out the front door..."

"Making sure we lock it behind us! I do not want those things in this shop wreaking hell all over the place."

"No, we need this place... this is our... your fortress, which you are being kind enough to let us ride this thing out in. So, she's our baby too... and we're all going to take care of her. Right? Right?"

Wade thought for a moment.

"Let's do this. Then we'll talk more about it."

The mechanic moved to the front door and unlocked it, placing the keys back in his pocket and readying his pistol. Antoine stood by to shut and lock the door behind him and Spence was already waiting at the bay doors. Frantic patted the big man on the shoulder.

"Good luck."

Wade made a non-committal growl, pushed open the door, and stepped outside. Frantic shut and locked the thumb-bolt, took a quick peek out of the window, and then dashed to the back.

"Hey! Over here, you ugly sons-of-b!tches! You want some? Huh?!?!"

The biker looked back over his shoulder to make sure his path was clear and started a sort of sidestep half-run towards the side of the shop as he clapped his hands loudly. He placed his forefinger and pinkie into the corners of his mouth and gave a sharp, piercing whistle.

"I got a nice big, juicy steak for you freaks right here. C'mon!"

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So, I am ready for some 'interactive guidance', Mr. GM!


Wade:
(1d20+2)[14] (Knowledge (Local) - to remember Bullseye's floorplan)

As soon as they begin to give chase, Wade will book it to the bay doors!

[North_Ranger]

Jacen and Daniel:

Jacen's military training proved its value once again. His attack with the climbing pick proved devastating to say the least, as the sharpened metal found surprisingly little resistance in the elderly zombie's cranium. The staggering thing did not even make a sound as the pick cracked open its skull, sending a spurt of black, pudding-like blood down the pick's handle.

All well and good, considering as Daniel's blow did not even graze the creature. The old lady fell on its knees, blood and brains dribbling down its silver hair and onto the shoulders of the bloodied robe. Once Jacen dislodged the pick, the walker simply fell down on its face and slumped on its side, its blood and brains slowly oozing out of the wound at the back of its head.

[Harthar]

Antoine, Spencer and Wade

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Ok, so according to the map there are only residential buildings right next door to Wade’s but since you couldn’t see that for obvious reasons, I’ve chucked the Hunting and Sports store across the highway, hehe. Just to make it a little bit more difficult for you. Heh. See the description below for the terrain inbetween and then around the store.

So here is a little visual reference to make things easier for you. For the zombies, I won’t represent them or your characters on the map as, I think, in the interests of the roleplay and convenience; we should just be realistic with movement and line of sights. So I’ll describe where the zombie is in relation to your characters and then we can go from there. This allows some improvisation with regards to movement and defence against the zombies. So without further a due, below are the maps.

Area View

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Floorplan

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Key

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A = Front Door
B = Car Space Door
C = Door Entry to Car Spaces
D = Side Entry from Car Spaces, Double Door
E = Side Entry from display yard
F = Display Yard, currently empty
G = Various Knives, selection is quite small and consists mainly of pocket knives and multi-tools with one hunting knife left.
H = Watches and Compasses, no really flash stuff here, just basic survival type deal with some even more basic and cheap stuff.
I = Handheld GPS, NAVman and two-way radios, with various other useless junk. No batteries readily available. There is a pair of rangefinders.
J = Crossbows and Bows, no strings are readily available or noticeable. There are also quivers of arrows here (40), usual plastic ones with one quiver of spade tipped wooden ones (20)
K = Some high visibility clothing. Nothing exceptional.
L = Lights and Lanterns, First Aide Kits,
M = Camping Tools, gas burners and chairs.
N = Dog Training Accessories
O = Backpacks and such.
P = Sleeping Bags and Swags
Q = Some basic, cheap sleeping matts.
R = Various tents.
S = More high visibility clothing. Nothing exceptional.

Wade does manage to recall the floor plan and jots it down; he even puts on it where he remembers items of interest to be.

Once the show starts and Wade is out the door, the others have a clear path to the highway. Luckily the Garage, and the superstore on the other side of the highway, are far enough away from the nearby overpass that the rise in the land only just begins at each location. This allows them a small jump down onto the road and a small jump up on the other side before they hit the back of the display yard at the rear of the superstore. The highway is not bumper to bumper with cars but there are a few. They are either crashed with other cars or sitting perfectly still in the middle of their lane. One of the cars still has occupants, though they are moving and far from alive; one is a baby whilst the other two are middle aged and barely resemble their human forms such is the extent to which they were eaten by the child before they turned. There are one or two zombies on the highway that are not in their cars and just walking around, they are far enough away that if you take a little extra time to be silent they will not hear or see you.

With Wade distracting the zombies around the store itself, the side door to the display yard is probably the easiest point of entry, though it is locked, as are every other door. The store owner may have the keys on him if the group is willing to risk taking out the zombies. There are no windows into the store itself, but the three walls around the carport have a gap in-between the top of the wall and the roof sufficient for a person to get through. There is a car in here, parked in front of the Carport doors.

[Harthar]

Jacen and Daniel
The climbing pick penetrated the elderly woman’s cranium, descending through flesh, bone and into the brain, spewing forth a small fountain of brain matter and black semi-coagulated blood which, luckily, sprayed a few inches away from Jacen, allowing him to narrowly miss being covered in the gooy substance. He had never witnessed blood in such a state before. His kills had always been fresh, the blood more liquid than solid and it had flown freely. This seemed to pool and bubble outward without the haste of blood that was overly aerated. He immediately pulled the pick out, using one hand as a brace on the woman’s shoulder. Once the pick from free he used his bracing hand to assist the corpse’s natural fall to the ground to ensure it was as silent as possible. He was not much concerned with the fact that Daniel’s swing had been so far off hitting the zombie that it was very close to hitting him instead. He merely nodded and smiled silent encouragement to his son.

Leaving the woman there, the two moved onward to the back fence of the yard, climbing over the waist high picket fence they moved through a hedge and into a rose bush; the thorns pulling and slicing new breaches in the jeans. When finally they were out of the danger of the thorns they took a moment to glance at their new surroundings. There were in a pool yard and there, in the pool starring up at them, were two completely naked and submerged zombies, a third floated unmoving a short distance away from the others. They had no doubt engaged in some night time frolicking before the third corpse had entered the scene and managed to wound them mortally before his head was then crushed with the rock that still remained wedged within it. The two had bite marks to their neck and it was in Jacen’s experience that such wounds bled out so quickly that the two of them would have been dead before they even made it out of the pool. They had then turned into the very same as their assailant and, because the knowledge of swimming and how to even exit the pool, had been lost to them, it was there that they remained submerged. They reached up and tried to walk along the bottom of the pool to no avail, only their fingers breached the surface of the water.

Jacen and Daniel moved past them quickly, heading out the pool gate which Jacen closed behind him as a force of habit from raising his son. There was also a good reason that later became apparent in that if the zombies managed to escape their watery prison they would still be trapped within the confines of the poolyard. The two pressed on still, moving down the side of the brick house with Jacen once more taking the lead and moving at a swift pace but one that was cautious all the same. They didn’t bother going into the house, or even thinking of doing so for a few reasons that Jacen just didn’t mention to ensure they reached the church in a speedy fashion. He knew that many of those that had died and come back to life as the walking dead would be trapped in their houses and so going inside would only invite disaster in such confined spaces. No, it was far easier to move about in the open terrain and risk being seen whilst having the option of running. The only reason they didn’t run straight for the church after exiting their vehicle was to ensure stealth to make sure they didn’t lead any more zombies than they could avoid to the place of worship.

Reaching the front of the house they were met with another gate, this one higher but luckily had a latch on their side with which to open it. He paused; looking through the slats in the wooden door to ensure nothing untoward awaited them on the other side. All he could see was a single zombie ambling away from them on the sidewalk. The walker stumbled on the gutter, falling on his face before slowly beginning to rise to his feet once more. Jacen knew this would be as good a time as any and so he opened the gate and moved out, heading toward that lone zombie to hopefully dispatch it with ease whilst it tried to get to his feet. This plan changed quickly however. As they moved around the front of the house a walker that had been out of their sight saw them and began to amble toward them, groaning and knashing its teeth in hunger. This sound alerted not only the one that had tripped but also a pair of zombies a little further down the street in the direction of the church. That had been the path they were going to take and so they would have had to deal with the creatures eventually anyway, Jacen just felt very uncomfortable with taking on all four at once.

Despite his discomfort he moved with the precision and lack of hesitation that his profession were known for, the climbing pick once more put into action. He moved first for the zombie that had approached from out of their initial sightlines whilst indicating for Daniel to try and take care of the zombie that was getting to his feet. Hopefully the boy would be able to at least hold that zombie off long enough for Jacen to dispatch his own. The other two zombies further down the street were far enough away that they would not be an issue for a little while, or so Jacen hoped anyway.

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Jacen’s Actions:
Zombie One Defense: (1d20)[16]

Attack - Climbing Pick to head (need 4 more than defense)
Attack: (1d20+3)[22]
Damage: (1d8+3)[10]

Daniel’s Actions:
Zombie Two Defense: (1d20)[5]

Attack - Baseball Bat to legs (need 2 more than defense)
Attack: (1d20-1)[3]
Damage: (1d6-1)[4]

EDIT: Wow, Jacen's kid is a really **** baseball player lol. And Jacen, on the other hand, is damn good with that climbing pick! heh.

[radmelon]

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Fred
Mikhail
Max

The ambulance weaved through the abandoned cars lining the road, keeping a slow pace so as not to hit anything. Sitting in the cabin of the ambulance are three men: A young EMT in uniform at the wheel, an elderly surgeon clutching a hunting rifle and occasionally swearing in Russian, and a young man in casual clothes riding (and holding) shotgun.

"Cripes, man; did you see that? That was genuine zombies right there. Hell's full and the dead are rising."

"Max, you're my friend, but if you don't stop babbling I'm kicking you out. Now, does anyone have an idea for where to go? The hospital is probably closed down with all the... infected around."

The ambulance turns left, fewer cars down this road so less swerving is necessary.

"Lets head back to our respective apartments. I have my kalashinov, and I know you have a modest collection.

"Sounds like we have a plan. Your place first? It's at 25th street, right?"

"Yes it is, let us do that."

With that the ambulance turns down the next street, stopping outside a townhouse with one of the doors smashed to bits, and a bloody smear around it.

"...That's my door that's all smashed in. проклятие.

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All I have for now, will try to post tomorrow.

[Erasmas]

Frantic, Spencer, & Wade

---

1

As soon as Wade rounded the corner of the mechanic's shop, Antoine started lowering it as fast as he could. Spencer readied his handgun, but luckily none of those things were quite quick enough to pose a problem. Wade ducked underneath the bay door and within moments of him locked the chain in place, pounding and scratching on the outside of the steel rolling door let the three men know that the plan had worked... at least this part of it.

They ran back to the front of the office and gathered up their gear for the trek. Antoine, Spencer, and Wade all exchanged looks, apprehension and a mild fear playing behind each of their eyes. Wade reached for the door handle, but Frantic grabbed his wrist suddenly.

"Wait. I know that we discussed spreading out as we cross the highway, but I think it would be best if we stay close enough together to help one another... if something goes wrong."

The two older men looked at each other once more, and then nodded in agreement. The idea was that Antoine would take point with his aluminum bat at the ready... his training with parkour should help him pick an efficient path through the wreckage. He just had to keep in mind that the other two were not suited for navigating terrain the same as the limber performer, and that the goal was to remain unseen by those monsters. Wade was to follow second, his shotgun out with the notion to only use it if he had no other choice. Spencer was bringing up the rear, his fire axe in-hand.

The door to the office opened and all three men quietly exited, shutting and locked it behind them. Frantic moved to the edge of the highway and picked a spot near an abandoned truck to jump down behind. He waited there for the other two to follow before moving on. Spencer climbed down the small change in elevation as to avoid blowing out his bum knee, reluctantly accepting a little bit of help from Antoine and Wade.

The trio waited there, watching the few of those things that were meandering around on the freeway. I don't think I've ever run across a highway before, Frantic thought to himself as he motioned for everyone to duck as gunfire somewhere behind them in the distance drew the gaze of several of the shambling creatures. A handful of them wandered by and the Canadian took his opportunity... running in a crouch to the median that divided the flow of traffic. There, he knelt down between a smashed up red Cavalier and the concrete wall where it had left a streak of its paint. Checking the surrounding area once more, he then motioned for the other two, who came immediately to where Antoine waited; Spencer not being able to crouch quite as low. The consultant winced as he moved himself into the hiding spot.

"Are you okay? How is your knee?", Antoine whispered. Spencer answered in kind, "Fine. It's fine. Piece of cake."

Frantic nodded and then clamored over the small divider and then he and Wade helped Spencer over, though the well-groomed man tried to wave them off with his freehand. They crossed the esplanade and moved northbound several yards, both to make scaling the far incline easier for Spencer and also to be near another crashed vehicle at the place where they climbed back onto the asphalt. When they reached the two wrecked cars, one a purple Scion and the other an old silver DeVille, Antoine quickly vaulted the concrete barricade and then aided Spencer once more. He started to make a complaint, when something nearby made a noise.

Wade put his finger to his lips and pointed to a nearby blue minivan. Antoine lowered himself to the ground and peered underneath the cars. After not seeing any feet in the immediate area, he righted himself and shook his head as he shrugged. Pushing forward, Frantic soon found the source of the noise as he leaned up against the blue minivan. Something inside slammed against the window right beside his head, causing him to jump. All three men trained their weapons on the woman who was still in the passenger seat as she lazily beat her fist against the glass. Luckily, she was strapped in and couldn't get much leverage... though the noise could still be problematic. So the three men quickly pushed on, crossing the remainder of the highway and climbing up the embankment.

Soon, they reached the fence of the display yard of Bullseye's and Wade peeked through.

"It's empty. And there's the door right there."

"Is it locked?"

"How should I know?!"

"Hey, hey. Look, I will climb over and go check. Wade, you watch the yard and cover me. Spencer, you cover out here and make sure one of those things doesn't sneak up on either of you. Okay?"

Both men nodded and Antoine handed Wade his bat. Frantic quickly scaled the fence and dropped down on the other side. After having the mechanic pass his baseball bat back over, he sprinted towards the door and tried it.

Locked. Merde!

He looked back in the direction of the other two men and exaggeratedly shook his head. The acrobat then pointed to his right, around the northwestern side of the building. Meeting them at the fence nearest the back corner of the sporting goods store, he and Wade helped Spencer up and over, before the biker joined them on the inside the yard.

"Are there other doors?"

"At the front. Other than that, no idea."

"Wait, wait... what's this?"

Antoine had seen the carport along the side of the building; chiefly it's opening near the top. He smiled broadly at the other two.

"I can get in there. Hopefully, from the other side, I can let you in!"

"You... can get in... up there?", Wade asked skeptically. Antoine's smile broadened even further. "Oui!"

Frantic lowered both his backpack and baseball bat to the ground and turned towards the fence, where he started climbing. When he reached the top, he turned, crouched on his haunches, swung his arms twice and launched himself up towards the lip of the opening in the carport. Once he gained his position, he looked down at the two men staring at him with their mouths slightly agape.

"Voila!, Antoine said. And then he lowered himself down on the other side until he was hanging by his fingers and then allowed himself to drop down to the floor.

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Antoine:
Stealth - (1d20+3)[14]
Climb - (1d20+6)[10] (Display Yard Fence)
Climb - (1d20+6)[18] (Display Yard Fence (for the Jump))
Jump - (1d20+8)[24] (To the Carport)

Spencer:
Climb - (1d20+0)[14] (Down onto the Highway)
Stealth - (1d20-2)[11]
Climb - (1d20+0)[20] (Display Yard Fence)

Wade:
Stealth - (1d20+1)[14]
Climb - (1d20+3)[17] (Display Yard Fence)

[Harthar]

Frantic, Spencer, & Wade
Just as Antoine landed on the other side of the carport fence, the telltale sound of a zombie alerted the young man to its presence on the opposite side of the carport. The once human shambled her way toward the man, arms outstretched and teeth gnashing in a feral hunger that could not be satiated. Had Wade been able to see the zombie he would have confirmed that it was indeed the wife of the owner of the sports store. A jingling accompanied her shambled movements, drawing Antoine’s attention to the set of keys that were half out of her pocket; a key ring with the writing Hunting and Camping Superstore held, what Antoine could only surmise as being, a set of the store’s keys.

Unfortunately the groaning sound of this one zombie was enough to alert two from behind the store, both of whom came stumbling toward Wade and Spencer, their won teeth gnashing and their moans joining the first. If these were not seen too quickly they would alert more walkers.

[rorikdude12]

Will jogs through the town towards the mechanic's, sword cane in hand. He ran out of red a bit ago, and he's looking to get some gas.

[Erasmas]

Antoine


"Merde!", Antoine cursed again. Then, in an action befitting his name, he searched for a weapon that was within arms' reach. Grabbing whatever he could find, he hefted its weight in his hands and readied himself for the creature's approach. When she got close, Frantic was going to try and attack her before she had the chance to attack him.

---

2
Spencer & Wade


Wade tapped the consultant on the shoulder as he pulled out his sheath knife, "Heads up; two Freaks inbound." Spencer spun around so quickly that he almost fell, righting himself against the wall of the carport. He lifted up his fire axe and cursed as he closed with the nearest one.

"D@mm!t... so much for today being any better."

Wade closed right behind him, a grimace playing upon his face.

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Antoine:
(1d20+2)[11] (Attack Roll - versus Owner's Wife)
(1d6+2)[7] (Baseball Bat damage (sized down for being small)) Scratch that... forgot that I didn't have my bat!

Spencer:
(1d20+0)[1] (Attack Roll - versus Outside Zombie1)
(1d8+0)[5] (Fire Axe damage)

Wade:
(1d20+3)[21] (Attack Roll - versus Outside Zombie2)
(1d4+3)[4] (Sheath Knife damage)

Well... that's about as divergent as it gets. Almost crit'ed with Wade, while Spencer all but dropped his damn axe!

[Harthar]

Antoine
There is nothing in the carport that is readily available for the young man to pick up, so instead he will have use his bare hands to crush the zombie’s skull. His punch connected fully with the zombie’s head, not causing any damage but knocking her to the ground. She immediately begins to slowly get to her feet while gnashing her teeth some more, wanting to taste Antoine’s flesh.


Wade
Wade’s attack with the sheath knife was for all intents and purposes a precision kill. He approached the zombie, waited for his moment and then punched the knife forward, sliding it into the creature’s eyeball and then its brain. It was a clean and instant kill. The man had just enough time to slide his knife out of the walking corpse before he was hit in the leg by the handle of Spencer’s fire axe. The blow was enough to see him fall to one knee; he would be hobbling for a day or so because of that particular blow and a bruise would remain for far longer.


Spencer
Spencer’s attack was perhaps the worst he had ever seen; he swung axe intending to bury the blade in the creature’s skull. Luck, however, appeared not to be on his side. His knee decided that was the perfect moment to give way under him, sending him crashing forward. In an effort to catch himself he released the axe and put his hands down against the ground. The axe flung away to hit Wade, luckily not with the bladed end. The zombie was on him in a moment, scratching at his chest and arms whilst trying to get closer so that it could take a chunk of flesh in its mouth.

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Spencer’s Defense: (1d20)[16] with an armour class of 8.

Zombie’s Attack: (1d20)[3]
Zombie’s Damage: (1d4)[2]

Little bit of luck and unlucky there. So the zombie is leaning over Spencer trying to grab/scratch him but not making a few good job of it. Spencer is either kneeling or prone on his back.

And the Zombie critical misses too, hehe.

As the zombie attacks it trips over Spencer, falling to the ground and hitting its skull against the concrete. It seems to shrug off the damage and try once more to scratch and grab Spencer, though it is moving a little slower. -1 to its next defense roll.

[Holocron Coder]

Kyle and Desiree

Kyle swerves the car around another corner. The streets they had been travelling through had been remarkably clear of traffic. Surprising, all things considered. Kyle glances over at Desiree before going back to watching the road.

"So, now what?" he asks, glancing in his rear-view mirror to see a zombie stumble into the street behind them.

Desiree shakes her head, clearing her thoughts. "If this is going to be as big as it looks, we need supplies. Food, ammo, everything," she replied, scanning the sides of the streets for something appropriate.

Kyle nods in agreement. He ponders for a second before turning a corner. He starts as he instinctively dodges a zombie crossing the street. He sighs, then asks, "Walmart?"

Desiree frowns and nods. "Good a place as any."

As Kyle drives the short distance to the nearest one he knew of, Desiree manages their two cats that they had brought along. Both of them are curled in the floorboards of the back seat, comforting each other through the trauma of a sudden car drive. "Extra cat food wouldn't be amiss."

Kyle murmurs agreement as they pull into the parking lot. The lot is packed, but Kyle cares little for parking etiquette as he parks right underneath the firelane "no parking" sign. He snorts in amusement as the two of them get out of the car.

"Stick together," he states the obvious, grabbing his spear as Desiree grabs her handgun. Cautiously, they approach the door and step inside.

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So, I think at this point I leave off and wait for DM to describe what happens / is available? Assumed I was able to find a Walmart in a normal city.

[Erasmas]

Antoine


Frantic tries to take advantage of the woman falling down on the ground and attempts to kick her across the face.

---

2
Spencer & Wade


Wade cried out in pain, "God@mmit, Spencer! Watch what the hell you're doing!"

He stood back up, grabbing the fence to ease the transition. The mechanic moves over to the creature that Spencer had failed to take out and attempts to stab it in the head as well.

"It's not my f^cking fault! My f^cking knee gave out! Oh sh!t... get this @$$hole off of me!"

Spencer tried to grab ahold of the creature by the throat, to keep his mouth away from him.

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Antoine:
(1d20+2)[22] (Attack Roll - versus Owner's Wife)
Zombie's Defense - (1d20)[11]

Spencer:
(1d20+1)[21] (Grapple Roll - versus Outside Zombie1)
I just calculated in his level (sorta like BAB) and his STR modifier to the roll. I didn't know what to figure in for the Zombie, so I just did a straight die roll.
Zombie's Grapple - (1d20)[6]

Wade:
[roll]1d20+7 (Attack Roll - versus Outside Zombie2; added in a +4 for prone?)
(1d4+3)[6] (Sheath Knife damage)
Zombie's Defense - (1d20)[6]

Alright boys! Two 20's... way to make up for that last round, Spencer! I screwed up Wade's attack roll; I will post on in the OOC thread!

[Harthar]

Antoine
Instead of the haphazard kick across the face that the man had intended, no doubt to ensure he was not injured in the process, he underestimates the distance between him and the woman’s head. His foot, propelled forward with the strength that allows him to be successful at his art form, strikes the woman’s face with full force and straight on, crushing her nose and forehead inward. The weakened flesh and bone giving way under the extreme pressure to such an extent that the head almost explodes with the force of the blow. Inky sludge-like blood, bone, brain matter and gore explode around and away from Antoine’s boot, painting the floor in a slowly expanding puddle of that blackish inhuman blood. The woman gives a last twitch before she never moves again. The keys twinkle enticingly on her belt in stark contrast to the blood now covering much of Antoine’s shoe and the ground. The force of the blow seemed to have reverberated through the corpse, making her light cotten over-coat flick open to reveal another set of keys that had previously been tucked into said coat’s pocket, the car keys. Upon closer inspection of the car, it appears to be a Jeep with heavy panelling and larger than normal tires.

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I couldn’t really give you any bonus there to killing a single zombie with a critical so I made it roll over to your perception.

Spencer and Wade

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Zombie had a -1 to defense roll also, thought I had said that in the last post. Doesn’t really matter though since you beat it easily either way.

The struggle seemed to stretch on forever, even though it was over in a matter of seconds. Spencer, having taken a firm grip of the zombie’s throat, was definitely able to hold its gnashing teeth at bay. He was a little too zealous in the action; as Wade brought his knife downward to plunge into the creature’s cranium the zombie’s head was forced upward with such power by Spencer, that the knife and some of Wade’s hand penetrated into the skull itself. The knife opened the wound and created a weak spot that made it easy for the hilt and then hand of the mechanic to smash into the zombie’s skull. Simultaneously they could hear the neck of the creature break under the force of both the downward blow against the top of the head and the upward force Spencer was exerting on the neck. The result was a mess that Spencer was lucky enough to have the sense to roll out from under before the blood and brain matter trickled down to where his face had once been.

[radmelon]

"Come on, watch my back while I get my gun, da?"

"Alright, I'll follow you."

"Let me actually park this thing first. I'll leave the keys in, in case we need a quick exit."

The trio carefully walk up the stairs to the door, being careful not to step in any of the blood. The door itself seems to have been beated down, and there is more blood leading inside.

"$h1t."

The noise of the expletive attracts the apparent culprit, a man splattered in blood and missing an arm stumbles out of the kitchen and into the hallway, ~15 feet away.

"Another! I got this one.

Dr. Klavdiya lines up a shot with his hunting rifle and fires, the shot echoing in the apartment.

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Attack: (1d20+4)[6]
Damage: (2d12)[14]
Defense: (1d20)[10]

[Synvallius]

Matthias
Matthias continued walking towards the church down the street from his apartment, mind wandering, until he saw two people (Jacen and Daniel) run across the street just ahead of him and scurry off in between two houses. He also noticed, a moment later, two zombies slowly making their way over towards the two people. Deciding he might as well warn them of what was going on, he walked (slightly faster) towards them, while still attemping to remain hidden from the two zombies on the road, and any others that may have been hiding nearby.

[Erasmas]

Antoine


"Ughh..."

Frantic nudged her stomach with the toe of his bloodied shoe, trying to see if this thing was actually dead... well, dead again, that is. When he was satisfied that she wasn't going to attack him anymore, he held his breath and rummaged through her pockets, taking both sets of keys and anything else he found that might be useful.

Once he had finished that, he searches around the carport for anything of interest and then went to inspect the Jeep, simply looking through the windows for now. If there was a window in the door that lead into the store, we would also try to peek in there.

After a brief look around, Antoine headed to the door that lead back outside, using the keys if it was locked. Once it was unlocked, he went looking for Wade and Spencer.

---

2
Spencer & Wade


Spencer scooted himself over to the wall in a great hurry, a look a sheer disgust on his face.

"Are you crazy?! That sh!t almost got all over me!"

Wade was already using the only clean area on back of the zombie's shirt to wipe as much of it off of his hand and knife as he could.

"Don't be such a p^ssy. At least I didn't clock you in the shin with an axe handle."

The mechanic stepped over to Spencer and held his hand out. The consultant looked at the hand as if it were already diseased, which caused Wade to roll his eyes and sigh, before offering his other hand in its place. About the time that Spencer had gotten to his feet and recovered his fire axe, Antoine rounded the corner of the building.

"Quickly; this way!"

He put back on his backpack, grabbed his baseball bat, and the three of them headed back inside to the carport, where Antoine locked the door behind them.

[Harthar]

Antoine, Spencer and Wade
There was nothing overly interesting in the jeep that Antoine could see through the window, anything that the owner and his wife had transported with it was either in the store or on their persons. As for the door into the carport, it was locked but with the keys he was able to unlock it. Once they were all together again they entered the carport, locking it behind them, and then opened the door into the store itself. There were no windows from the carport into the store and thus they were unable to get a glimpse of what lay beyond, each was ready to encounter more of the ‘walking dead’ though. Luckily they would find there were no zombies within, but that did not mean that they could make as much noise as they wanted; there could still be zombies in the surrounding buildings and walking about so noise was still a factor.

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AS to what you find within, that is pretty much detailed within that initial map of the location. I was going to restrict how much you could take, but I guess it doesn’t really matter. I’ll leave it up to your judgement and reserve the right to step in if I think what you loot or the amount you want to take is too out of control. Bear in mind that whilst there are no bowstrings and batteries, they may be hidden so checks might be a good idea.

Fred, Mikhail and Max
The shot missed, whisking through the air close but not close enough to the creature’s torso. The sound of the swear word had initially alerted the zombie to their presence, and now another came out of the kitchen behind the first. Which one had turned first and infected the other was up for debate, but regardless neither of these two was familiar. They moaned louder and became to shamble toward the gun totting surgeon. The first was able to even manage a callous one handed slash with its already bloodied nails, whilst the other was only partially hindered the first, it was still quite close to the three companions now and would most assuredly be upon them in a few moments if they didn’t react swiftly.

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Zombie Attack: (1d20)[9]
Zombie Damage: (1d4)[2]
Mikhail’s Defense: (1d20)[19] with an armour class of 14.

So damage inflicted by a zombie against a person isn’t localised to a specific part of the body initially, you are able to determine where the damage is taken on the body and must role play the effects of that injury. So, if the attack (that isn’t a bite) is 14 or below, which is your armour class, but is still a hit, your hitpoints won’t take damage. Essentially whatever you are wearing is what takes that damage. However, if the attack is above 14, the damage is physical and will take your hitpoints. If the attack is a bite, if it hits it is always physical and you are obviously infected, in which case you’re screwed unless you can get mystical healing. Human vs Human damage is slightly different.

In this case though it is a swiping scratching attack, so there is no risk of infection from the zombie virus.

EDIT: So its a critical fail on the zombie's part.

EDIT: The zombie slashes at Mikhail and misses by a mile, so much so that it falls over and is at the mercy of all three of them. This is also unfortunate however, as this provides the other zombie with room enough to move close to the three of them.

Jacen and Daniel
Jacen’s pick is once more bloodied as it penetrates the zombie’s skull and then is quickly withdrawn.

Daniel’s baseball bat attack whisks through the air above the zombie’s head, missing him completely despite the fact that the creature isn’t even moving much and was on the ground. It does manage to grab out at Daniel, attempting to grasp the boy’s leg or at least scratch and wound him.

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Zombie’s Attack: (1d20)[5]
Zombie’s Damage: (1d4)[3]
Daniel’s Defense: (1d20)[10] with armour class of 12.

The other two zombies further down the street are closing in, they will attack in the next round if they aren’t dealt with.

Matthias
Matthias would see the interaction between Jacen, Daniel and the two zombies that they are initially fighting, as well as the two that are approaching. It’s obvious that the man and boy are aware of these new threats, but they need to deal with the ones directly in front of them first.

[Holocron Coder]

Kyle and Desiree

They step into the Walmart and glance around quickly. With nobody in sight immediately, they relax slightly. The front of the place is a mess, as if many people had left in a hurry. Desiree glances down one of the checkout lanes and away quickly at the sight of blood and pieces.

Quickly, they move on to the sporting section, specifically, the weapons. It doesn't take them long to find the ammo section and begin sorting through what is left.

"What kind do we need?" Kyle asks, mostly unfamiliar with the details of Desiree's firearms.

"Look for--" she starts, but is interrupted by the sound of something being knocked over just a few aisles away. They both hush and exchange looks. Quickly, Desiree kneels down and points out a few boxes of ammo, which they quickly stuff into their bags.

"We still need food supplies," Kyle whispers. Desiree nods and they turn to head in that direction. However, soon after they step out of the aisle, they hear commotion to their right. Turning, they find three people. Or, rather, three former people; likely a family, mother, father, son. Surprised, Kyle and Desiree both step back.

Spoiler

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Kyle Initiative - (1d20+3)[9]
Desiree Initiative - (1d20+5)[19]

[Erasmas]

Frantic, Spencer, & Wade

---

1

Antoine had started to open one of the double doors into the main area of the store, when Spencer interrupted.

"Hey, let's check out the Jeep first."

"I already did. There is nothing inside it."

"We should load it up and take it with us back to the garage."

Frantic said nothing, but instead held up the keys to the Jeep with a smirk. The three men pushed forward into the store and after performing a sweep, they satisfied themselves that there was no one else here. Antoine heads directly to the crossbows and selects one for himself. Wade heads over to the cash register. Spencer looks around, somewhat disappointed.

"No guns?"

"What?"

"There isn't a single gun or bullet in this place!"

"Not since last year. The owner sold one to a guy who turned out to have a record. The big wigs with the new Wal-Mart caught wind of it and made a big stink about it. They lost their seller's permit... lucky they didn't competely lose the business."

Wade had been punching keys on the register, trying to get it to open, but to no avail. Suddenly, he slammed his fist down on the thing in frustration. Both of the other men make angry hissing noises in response.

"What the hell?! Keep it down! There could be more of those things outside!"

"I'm just trying to get into the register."

"Really?! What for?! Do you honestly think the paper in there is going to do you any good now?"

Wade shrugged. Antoine made his way over to the machine and presented the store keys, looking for one that would fit the drawer and open it. Once it was opened, Antoine went back to looking for the strings that seemed to be missing from all of the crossbows. Spencer went for the radios and began poking about for the batteries that went with them.

As they gathered stuff, they loaded as much of it into backpacks and duffel bags as they could and carried them to the Jeep... making sure to leave three of the seats empty.

Spoiler

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Antoine:
Search - (1d20+0)[20] (especially for crossbow strings)
Spencer:
Search - (1d20+2)[7] (especially for batteries)
Wade:
Search - (1d20+1)[20] (helping both)

The Shopping List:
The things they will be looking for and trying to take

Antoine:

• Multi-tool
• Compass
• Crossbow (w/string {if found})
• 40 fiberglass bolts
• 20 wooden bolts (w/spade tips)
• Crossbow maintenance/repair kit {if there is one}
• LED flashlight
• Dog whistle {if there is one}
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping mat

Spencer:

• Hunting knife
• Range finder
• LED flashlight
• Backpack
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping mat

Wade:

• Cash {whatever is in the register, if anything}
• Knife sharpener {if there is one}
• LED flashlight
• Folding camp saw {if there is one}
• Dog catch pole {if there is one}
• Dog bite sleeve {if there is one}
• Duffel bag
• Sleeping bag

Miscellaneous:

• 3 handheld radios (w/ batteries) - only if batteries are found
• Two lanterns
• Gas burner (w/extra propane tanks)
• First aid kits {as many as there are, within reason}
• Tent (big enough for all three of them)

[North_Ranger]

Novotech Solutions Ltd.
Carter

No. No no no no no no, Carter kept telling himself as he stared, dumbfounded, at the sight before him. The massive cubicle farm looked like the aftermath of a Christmas party from the deepest bowels of Hell. Fallen walls, chairs overturned, paper and broken computers everywhere, Hang In There poster smeared with blood on the wall - and Donna Newbridge chewing on the spilled entrails of Daniel McBride. Dan was still clutching that stupid coffee mug of his, his eyes staring stupidly up at the ceiling as if not understanding why his secretary was sampling his stomach contents.

Not today. Not f***ing today. Today was supposed to be my day. MINE! Carter yelled in the back of his head, his sweaty hands clutching at the shotgun he was carrying. He had planned this all; shoot, shoot, shoot every last damn one of these liveless f***tards who spent their meaningless lives labouring in here, only to be tossed aside when the management so decreed. And now it was all ruined. Ruined! He could hear gargling sounds from behind the glass wall at the other end of the cubicle farm, and see blood congealing on walls and glasses.

"Y-you couldn't even let me have this", the sweating man cursed as he looked at Donna. The blonde secretary was still doable, if you didn't take into consideration the pallid tone of her skin, the lifeless eyes and the fact that half her left cheek was missing. The eerie grunt she made when she looked up... well, that wasn't so different from the usual vapid sounds she made.

Shivering with anger, Carter took aim at the zombie as it got up - and fired.

Spoiler

Show

Zombie Donna's defense: (1d20)[9]

Carter's shotgun: (1d20)[18]
Damage on a hit: (2d8)[5]

[North_Ranger]

Emerson Plaza Mall; CCTV room
James Jefferson

James stared down the staircase where the... thing that had been Bill was lying against the wall. The creature's neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, the grey-skinned head still biting while the rest of the body lied in a slowly expanding puddle of black blood. Listening for the sound of any other intruders in the stairwell, James made his way to the corpse. "Sorry about this, Bill", he said as he kicked the still-living head, continuing to kick until he heard the skull break. A sickening sound that almost made him lose the coffee and donuts in his guts...

Keep it together, man, James told himself as he breathed heavily for a moment, then checked Bill for anything useful. He oughta be carrying his stun gun, and James recalled Bill had a concealed-carry license...

Spoiler

Show

I'm guessing this would be a Spot check? (1d20+6)[11]

Meanwhile...

Outside La Trattoria Milanese
Donny

Donny shivered at the sight: there were blood and entrails all over the sidewalk, and despite having seen his share of action movies, there was nothing in this world that could have prepared him for the sight of a human ribcage, torn and shredded and hollowed-out like a Halloween pumpkin. He heaved and started vomiting there and then, trying to force himself not to think that the bits and pieces scattered all over the sidewalk were all that remained of his uncle.

"F***, this... this f***in' isn't right", Donny hickuped, tears blurring his sight, bile making his voice wheeze and croak. Shivering, he forced himself to look away. There was a reason he was here... Uncle had said he kept a shotgun and ammo in his office, he had gone to get them along with supplies in his van. That might be in the back, and with luck the spare keys would still be inside as well... along with plenty of food to load up.

Donny wiped his mouth clean and headed towards the backdoor with a baseball bat in tow, listening for any sign of biters...

Spoiler

Show

Listen check: (1d20+4)[20]
Spot check: (1d20+4)[6]

[Erasmas]

Frantic, Spencer, & Wade

---

1

After loading up the Jeep, the three men looked to one another.

"Now what?"

"Back to the shop, I guess. We have plenty of supplies now to lay low for a while."

"No. We have no food back at the shop. We need to find someplace where we can get canned foods and things that do not need to be kept cold."

"We got the fridge, so frozen ain't a problem."

"Only as long as the electricity stays connected. What are the chances of it lasting longer than... ?"

Frantic searches for his answer in the two others, shrugging lightly.

"A couple of weeks, maybe. We could easily eat through a freezer-full of food in that time. But the kid's right, Wade... we will need to get more than just that refrigerator's worth of food stored up. There's no telling how long this could last."

"Where do we go for that?"

Wade responded without even thinking, "Wal-Mart."

"Wal-Mart?! Great... let's go shoot some redneck zombies..."

"Hey! I shop at Wal-Mart!"

Spencer climbed into the back seat of the Jeep and strapped in, while Antoine put the vehicle in neutral.

"... @$$hole." Wade opened the carport door and the two of them rolled the SUV out of the small garage, watching for nearby creatures.

With none in the immediate area, they rolled the Jeep back out onto the street and quickly hopped inside. Slamming the doors, Antoine cranked the ignition and floored it. They buckled up as they rode down the street, with Wade giving Antoine directions on how to get to the superstore.

[radmelon]

Mikhail moves backwards onto the porch to get away from the zombies, and tries to line up a shot on the standing zombie.

Spoiler

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Attack (1d20+4)[13]
Damage (2d12)[10]
Defense (1d20)[6]

Fred also backs up onto the porch, and brings up his pistol, trying to hit the downed zombie in the head.

Spoiler

Show

Attack(1d20+3)[15]
Damage (2d6)[6]
Defense (1d20)[15]

Max backs up, not wanting to expend a precious shotgun shell just yet.

[North_Ranger]

Jacen and Daniel

Daniel manages to slip away from the zombie's grasping hand. The undead creature lets out a gargling death rattle, its bloody mouth opening wider than a human mouth should be able. The other two zombies echo the disquieting moan, stumbling a little faster towards the father and son.

What's more worrying, however, is that the same moan can be heard being repeated in the distance... a horrible, keening echo that breaks the dead silence.

[North_Ranger]

Kyle and Desiree

The sight before the two survivors is a grisly one in its familiarity: the fat female zombie, her gut torn open so that remains of her intestines trail behind her, leaving behind a grim trail of bodily effluvia. The smaller man, half his face missing and his wifebeater and arms marred with dried blood. And the little boy, a flaxen-haired little angel in a hand-me-down jacket, one hand still clutching a teddy-bear... the only hand he still had left. The trio keep moving forward, the woman unsteadily pushing along an empty cart...

Spoiler

Show

Rolling zombie Spot:
Big Momma: (1d20)[2]
Daddy: (1d20)[15]
Kiddo: (1d20)[2]

The woman and the child keep moving forward in their own aisle, but the lanky zombie man stops dead in its tracks and slowly turns towards Kyle and Desiree. Its only remaining eye rolls wildly in its socket, the broken lower jaw opening as the thing tries to gurgle some kind of a moan. What it does manage is push black, clotted blood up through its torn windpipe, the foul-smelling substance leaking down its chest. Feet slipping in its wife's trail of gore, the thing begins to stumble forward, arms flailing erratically.

[Erasmas]

Frantic, Spencer, & Wade

---

1

Antoine drove down Cardinal Street, picking and swerving his way through the handful of grotesque things that darted out into the road.

"Take a right here.", Wade pointed out the turn onto Callaway Road, which would take them the majority of the way to the Wal-Mart.

Tires squealed as Antoine cut the wheel once again to avoid hitting another creature, who at one time apparently had been a stripper, judging by her lack of dress. The mechanic followed her with his eyes as they passed, until he caught the disgusted expression on Spencer's face.

"What are you looking at?"

"What are you looking at? That's gross.", Spencer stately flatly. The lawyer then reached out to stabilize himself as the Jeep swerved around another group of the things - this one a soccer mom clustered with a handful of her kid's team.

"'Frantic', right?"

"Oui."

"I can see why... you do realize that you don't need to go around these things, right? Why don't you just plow through them?"

"That just seems a little cruel, yes?"

"Kid, it ain't any more cruel than putting a baseball bat up to the side of their head. These things aren't people any more... they're monsters."

Antoine looked into the rearview mirror at Spencer as he thought it over.

"Would you hit them in your car... well, other than the one you hit yesterday?"

"Hell no! But that doesn't have anything to do with my morality on the cruelty of doing so. It just has to do with that car being my baby."

"Besides, this ain't your car. I mean... it kinda is, now... but it isn't like you gotta worry about keeping it pretty. I think our lives of keeping things pristine is over; it's time to start thinking of things as tools to get a job done and that's it."

As if on cue, a limousine flew through the intersection ahead of them, crossing their path. Flames and dark smoke roiled out of the back windows and the sunroof. A short ways down the cross street, it careened off of the road and into the storefront of a jewelry store, sending glass and fire everywhere.