The year is 5 AB (After Bloom), and you live in what is now called Biltmore City, a community of survivors settled in the ruins of the historic Biltmore Estate in Western North Carolina. The year was 2009, and the time was 3:31:54 AM EST on Friday, April 10th when The Bloom occurred. In the span of 12 minutes and 49 seconds, the entire Earth experienced a super-rapid forestation of all terrestrial surfaces. Trees erupted from the ground and into full maturity, regardless of any manmade materials present - asphalt roads were obliterated, buildings were toppled, and underground structures were perforated with roots. All human infrastructure was rendered essentially inoperable and unsalvageable due to the density and ubiquity of the trees. Some areas burst instead into fields of exotic flowers, and buildings or vehicles therein were merely engulfed by vines, instead. In many other places freshwater springs surfaced inexplicably, generating ponds, creeks, or even rivers. The biodiversity of this perpetual forest defies common logic. Banyans, alders, acacias, eucalyptus, olives, and towering sequoias can all be found inside of the same ten acres, regardless of geographic location, sometimes twice or three times their 'natural' size. Animal life appeared in much the same manner, out from behind trees or from warrens revealed by new roots, equally diverse and at home in all locales. Lions now prowl the slopes of what were the Rocky mountains and pythons hang from the branches of magnolia trees in the now forested Siberian steppe. The most devastating element of The Bloom, however, was what it did to the human population. >Cont'd
16 minutes and 4 seconds after the completion of The Bloom, two things occurred simultaneously. First, the sun rose in the East, and arced across the entire sky, setting in the West after only 2 hours and 48 minutes. It stopped moving entirely at that time, and has not moved since. Regardless of where one was located on the surface of the Earth, the sun was seen to rise and set along this timeline. No matter how far one travels East or Westwards, post-Bloom, the sun remains exactly half set on the horizon from all perspectives. Secondly, 4 out of 5 humans experienced a profound compulsion to walk deeper into the forest. Over the course of the 2 hours and 48 minutes during which the sun moved across the sky, any person that happened to be part of this 80% of the population wandered into the forest. Any that were impeded from doing so would fight to proceed. If fully restrained until the expiration of that 2 hour 48 minute period, the compulsion shifted towards vicious, rabid suicide by any available means. None of those that experienced the compulsion and entered the woods during that period have ever been seen again. None returned. No trace of their passing could be found. They disappeared. Many of the surviving 20% died in the ensuing chaos due to exposure, lack of medical care, violent looting, or even predation by wild animals.In the 5 years since, in some places where the foliage is relatively less dense, and structural remains are relatively more habitable, groups of survivors have banded together to form communities and settlements. Beyond their borders, there are still many that survive in small, nomadic groups or bandit gangs. But no one goes alone. Any person alone in the forest for 5 hours 22 minutes and 8 seconds begins to hear Whispers. These voices drive the listener mad, eventually. Some manage to resist for days or weeks. Others crumble to derangement in minutes, becoming unpredictable, maybe violent, or merely running off into the forest to disappear like so many before. These poor unfortunates are referred to as Greens, and there is no treatment or cure for the condition. The community you are a part of, Biltmore City, is one of the more populated, and thus powerful, regional hubs. The community is administrated by a Tribunal in tandem with a six member Council. There is hope here for a stable future. >Cont'd
This game will revolve around three characters that reside in Biltmore City. They are different in many ways but share two traits:1) All three have seen things that even many other survivors are reluctant to believe. They know there are more than Whispers in the woods. There is a Presence out there. There are things in the forest that are neither human nor animal. 2) All three possess a secret which they have shared with no one else. You will select which of the three you will begin play as, Then you will select one of three distinct Scenarios to begin our story with. The two you do not select will be assigned to the other two characters, who will then experience those scenarios independently of the character you chose, beginning their stories. The decisions you make as each of these characters will impact the others, directly and indirectly, over the course of play. Perspectives and play will shift between the three.Actions will generally be resolved by the best of three 1d100 rolls with applicable modifiers. Nat 1's or 100's are considered Critical, and take precedence.>Cont'd
Select a starting character: Oliver, The Stargazer Oliver was 22 when it happened, and only a year away from achieving his doctorate in astronomy at Caltech, with designs on a degree in astrophysics as well. He was visiting the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute and one of the early refugees to reach Biltmore. He's young, physically frail, and lacks social finesse, but as a bonafide scientific prodigy he is one of the brightest minds in the region. His scientific knowledge extends beyond space, and he helps the community in a variety of ways.His secret is: that the wife of one of the Tribunal members is having an affair with him. Her husband is jealous, maybe dangerous, and the scandal could destabilize the entire community if he becomes aware. Roy, The Great Detective He has a real niche in the Biltmore community as a P.I. for hire, often lying about being a police detective. He was actually a skip tracer for a bondsman in Asheville. He's at least above average in a fight, decidedly below average academically, yet has an uncanny talent for convincing people, reading them, misleading them, and seeing through BS. The cigarettes have him looking closer to 40, but he's really only 33.His secret is: that he is a Green. His wife fled into the woods during the Bloom, and took their infant daughter when she did so. He will do anything to get his daughter back. He searched alone for months. Something heard his pleas. It offered to give her to him in exchange for Roy's servitude. Magda, The Tiger WidowHer husband was killed by an 1100lb tiger. She got her revenge with a bowie knife and a shotgun, and has the trophies to prove it. At a seasoned 38 years old, she's not book-smart, but clever in other ways, and while far from charming, her intimidating disposition can still produce results. When it comes to blows, however, she's one of Biltmore's deadliest. That's why she serves as one of four Captains for its security forces, despite only arriving a year and a half ago. Her secret is: she wasn't a nomad before Biltmore like she says. She was actually part of a cult of ruthless crusaders. She's done unutterable, unforgivable things. Things the community would rightfully hang her for. She just wants to leave it in the past. Select a Scenario:1) You are having a professional meeting, either with a colleague or a client, discussing your work or being hired to do some. 2) You are enjoying some of your leisure time, or perhaps not enjoying it very much; either way, you're free for the moment and in the middle of doing whatever it is you do when not busy with work. 3) You are alone in the forest, barely armed, and pursued by something very dangerous.
>>6359998>Oliver, The Stargazer>1) You are having a professional meeting, either with a colleague or a client, discussing your work or being hired to do some. We could farm a lot of lore this way and then use the stronger characters to actually affect the world in a bigger scale.
>>6359998>Roy, The Great Detective3) You are alone in the forest, barely armed, and pursued by something very dangerous.
>>6359998>Roy, The Great Detective3) You are alone in the forest, barely armed, and pursued by something very dangerous.Secret sounds interesting.
>>6359998>Oliver, The Stargazer>1) You are having a professional meeting, either with a colleague or a client, discussing your work or being hired to do some.
Cool concept by the way, OP. I'm looking forward to this!
>>6359998>Magda, The Tiger Widow>2) You are enjoying some of your leisure time, or perhaps not enjoying it very much; either way, you're free for the moment and in the middle of doing whatever it is you do when not busy with work.
My typing fingers are itching, so I am gonna give it another hour or two before I use dice to break the tie, forgive my impatience; already feels nice to have four votes in a couple hours. I am really excited for this one! >>6360051Thank you, but I can only take so much credit - this is inspired heavily by 'Summerland', a kind of obscure TTRPG that used to pop up in certain /tg/ threads. I kept the overnight primeval forest and apocalypse elements, but made it more diverse and alive, and made a lot of adjustments to the rest - I didn't care for the main dynamic or themes of being mentally ill and hoping to mend that in order to reintegrate with human society. I think having the corrupting urge to enter the forest should be its own thing, and felt that the survivor communities would be the ideal setting for a wider array of stories. Will the community even make it long term? Will our characters seek positions of political power? It's conceivable that all three of them ascend to the Tribunal if that's what players want. What is the culture like? What conflicts are you having inside the walls that you couldn't have outside? Etc etc.
>>6359998>Oliver, The Stargazer>3) You are alone in the forest, barely armed, and pursued by something very dangerous.
>>6359998>Magda, The Tiger Widow>1) You are having a professional meeting, either with a colleague or a client, discussing your work or being hired to do some.
>Oliver, The Stargazer1) You are having a professional meeting, either with a colleague or a client, discussing your work or being hired to do some.
The people are chomping at the bit for the female custodes.
Wanna write, gotta do shit, ain't that just the way? Calling our first vote! >4 Oliver>3 Magda >2 Roy >4 Meeting >3 pursuit >2 Playtime We will begin with Oliver, and a Work Meeting! Meanwhile... Magda will be taking some time to herself to have a few drinks over a game of cards with a few of the other security personnel.and...Roy will have a near-lethal encounter with Something in the Neverending Woods.
Your name is Oliver Thomas Mottley, and despite the perpetual golden dusk that hangs overhead, the time is actually 10:43 AM EST. You have 17 minutes until your meeting with Henry Langdon, the Commander for BC's Security Office, a sizeable militia that maintains the peace, administrates scavenger runs, and defends the city against both bandits and animals alike. To return to your office ahead of his arrival will be just a short walk from where you are now, Miss Jordan's first tier classroom, standing by the whiteboard. You've just finished help teach a lesson about the different anatomy of plants, the seed cycle, and photosynthesis. This used to be the Oak Sitting Room, situated between the bedrooms of Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt on the second story. Now, all three rooms constitute BC's community school. The coffered walls are covered with children's art, educational diagrams, and encouraging posters. Bookshelves are cluttered with what could be salvaged from libraries or traded for with merchants, and warm light streams in the windows, though there are candles on sconces along the wall to provide extra illumination. The kids all sit on cushions along the floor, looking up at you with equal parts awe and curiosity. There are twenty two children here altogether, ranging in age from 6 to 9. None of them can remember a world before the Bloom, though they have no shortage of questions about what it was like. Your past as a prodigy in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics - that is, stars that the children only barely remember, if they do it all, and can only now view in pictures - makes you not entirely unlike a wizard in their wide eyes. "Ok everyone, let's say thank you to Mr. Mottley for taking the time to visit today and help with our lesson!" Miss Jordan instructs, rising up from her desk in the front corner of the chamber, next to the fireplace. The children all shout out their thanks in unison, some of them smiling, others distractedly looking out the windows or art on the walls even as they comply with her request. >Cont'd
You smile, and nod back. "Of course, any time, guys! Happy to see you!" You say, you tug at the color of the striped mock neck sweater you have on, and then put your hands into the pockets of your pants. When things have quieted down, Miss Jordan approaches to stand near you at the head of the class. She is in her early fifties, with salt and pepper hair done in a messy shag, wearing cargo pants, a tank top, and a denim jacket, over her sleight frame. She's got a red bandana tied around her neck, and a kabar combat knife sheathed on her hip, and on her feet, black leather boots a bit older than your own finish the outfit. She clasps her hands in front of her and speaks up again. "Before he leaves and we dismiss class, can you guys show him what we learned last week? I'm gonna keep drilling these as we learn more across the quarter, so I'll be asking a lot. Who can tell me the first Law of The Jungle, and what does it mean?" She inquires. A fair-skinned little boy with a bright blonde bowl cut is the first to raise his hand, and she points to him. "The Rule of Three! It means you never go in the woods without at least two other people!" He says confidently. "Very good, Jake!" She reaches in a pocket and then tossed him a stale hard candy in a strawberry-styled wrapper. "What about the second?" She asks, scanning the group. A dark-skinned girl with braids full of multi-colored pastel beads shoots her arm up excitedly, and Miss Jordan picks her next. "It's Only End What You Tend." She answers. Miss Jordan nods and smiles. "That's exactly right, Imani, and what does that mean?""It means you never kill a plant that wasn't planted by a person, or tended by one for a long time... You can harvest but if you kill the plant you get hurt." She follows up. The teacher throws her what looks to be a butterscotch. It's impossible to hear the second Law recited without certain images coming to mind, even if you rather they wouldn't: men with stumps on their wrists because they cut down trees before learning about the risk, or a child with a missing foot because she stepped on a particularly delicate flower. A lot of the foliage is surprisingly resilient in the Neverending Woods, but it's still possible to make a mistake. >Cont'd
Miss Jordan pulls out one last piece of candy, a Hershey's kiss that is probably more than a little stale, but still a rare treat. "Ok guys, one more, the third law is?" She calls on one of the older students, a slightly larger girl with orange hair going down her back and taped-together glasses with green frames. "The Five Hour Limit... Someone that's alone in the woods for longer than five hours is an enemy of the city, and can't be trusted, no matter what." She says, catching the candy just after. Only a couple of the students here probably have a full idea of why that law was written by the Admin Council all those years ago. But it, like all the Laws of The Jungle, was decided to preserve the precious sanctity of Biltmore City and protect it's people. "Very, very good, Sam! That's correct." Miss Jordan says cheerily. "Ok, great job today, everyone! Go ahead and clear your cubbies and form a line in the hall, we're gonna move on to outside learning, recess, and lunch." She adds, and as the children get up and start gathering their things, she touches your back to get your attention and smiles. "Thank you again, Oliver, the kids are obsessed with you, and it really helps keep them attentive. I know you're very busy, so it means the world to me and them." You withdraw a hand to scratch at the back of your neck and head sort of coyly. "Oh, please, I love these guys too, don't mention it Kate. Will I see you and Howie at the screening tonight?" You ask. She nods, and pats your shoulder. "Yes! Absolutely! He might of told you, but we met at a Halloween party where he was dressed as the guy with the, the, uh, chest-burster, thing - he made it out of foam and red food coloring and glue, sticking out of his shirt, oh my lord! I showed up dressed as Sigourney Weaver, we were married by the end of the year!" She chuckles, and then pulls you in for a quick hug. "Ok, don't let me hold you up anymore. Let's just do a nightcap after the movie or something, alright?" She says. It was your turn to pick this week's adult movie, and you chose the original Alien film, having never seen it before - back when you had the chance, you were either too young, too busy studying, or both. >Cont'd
"Ok, ok, great, sounds perfect!" You replied, glad for the invitation. Katie and Howard are a fair bit older than yourself, but some of your better friends. She had done work as a substitute teacher pre-Bloom, but actually had two degrees in physics and mathematics, and Howard used to be a college professor with a doctorate in chemical engineering. Not everyone can keep up with you in an intellectual conversation, and the two of them are some of the rare exceptions. Thinking of stimulating conversation, you stepped out into the corridor and began moving along to your private office. Conversations with Commander Langdon are always stimulating affairs for you, because...Select One:>You are best friends. You saved his life when he nearly fell through the collapsing floor of the Pisgah Observatory where you first met. He was doing research for NASA, having been an air force pilot in the 90's and almost astronaut. >You have a distant relationship, rarely speaking at length, and unbeknownst to him, his wife Sarah has been cheating on him with you for over a year. >You are bitter enemies, you disagree broadly on political matters and find each other's personalities grating. You've seen him abuse his power, and your attempts to hold him accountable have led to threats both veiled and direct. >Write-in
If you don't choose for your affair to be with Langdon's wife, you will have an opportunity later to decide which other member of the Tribunal your paramour is married to - the Mayor or the Judge. There are benefits and disadvantages (some more obvious than others, like Langdon controlling the militia) to each of the three.
>>6360216>You are best friends. You saved his life when he nearly fell through the collapsing floor of the Pisgah Observatory where you first met. He was doing research for NASA, having been an air force pilot in the 90's and almost astronautWhile him being the most direct threat would maybe make for an easier- opponent to deal with directly, having SecOff on our side is very appealing, too.
>>6360216>You are best friends. You saved his life when he nearly fell through the collapsing floor of the Pisgah Observatory where you first met. He was doing research for NASA, having been an air force pilot in the 90's and almost astronaut.Guy who controls the guns is de facto ruler anyway, let's be friends with him.
>>6360216>You are best friends. You saved his life when he nearly fell through the collapsing floor of the Pisgah Observatory where you first met. He was doing research for NASA, having been an air force pilot in the 90's and almost astronaut.
>>6360216>You are bitter enemies, you disagree broadly on political matters and find each other's personalities grating. You've seen him abuse his power, and your attempts to hold him accountable have led to threats both veiled and direct.
>>6360216
>>6360216>You are best friends. You saved his life when he nearly fell through the collapsing floor of the Pisgah Observatory where you first met. He was doing research for NASA, having been an air force pilot in the 90's and almost astronaut.Fucker ate my post
>>6360216>>You are best friends. You saved his life when he nearly fell through the collapsing floor of the Pisgah Observatory where you first met. He was doing research for NASA, having been an air force pilot in the 90's and almost astronaut.
>>6360216>>You are bitter enemies, you disagree broadly on political matters and find each other's personalities grating. You've seen him abuse his power, and your attempts to hold him accountable have led to threats both veiled and direct.
>>6360216>You are best friends. You saved his life when he nearly fell through the collapsing floor of the Pisgah Observatory where you first met. He was doing research for NASA, having been an air force pilot in the 90's and almost astronaut.Sarah is too old, where da trophy wives at?
Calling the vote (7 besties/2 enemies), working on the writeup now, wanna test something.
>>6360448Not great quality, but may be helpful for some of you.
>>6360448How do people even *live* with such small halloween rooms? You can really tell we're in appalachia.
Henry is one of your best friends. As you stride over to the nearby staircase you think back to how you met. He was part of a small team assigned to collect data at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute for NASA, where he was working after twenty combat missions with the U.S. Air Force during the first years of the Iraq war, and an advanced degree in astrophysics. You hit it off asking him questions when you met at the observatory, and when The Bloom took place, it was somehow you that saved his life by pushing him out of the way of falling debris. The two of you, along with a half dozen other survivors, were some of the first few to reach Biltmore Estate after hearing the radio transmission from Mayor Campbell and his group. Henry has since been like an older brother to you, you couldn't imagine having made it here without him, and you've seen firsthand how he's succeeded in protecting this community against overwhelming odds more than once. He's a major factor into how this place has made it this far. Your office is located in the North Tower Room, on the third floor, directly above the part of the community school that's used as a combination office and lounge for the teachers. When you unlock the door and step inside, you take a deep, comforting breath of air that smells like books, paper, old wood, and brass. Half of the windows are shrouded by vines of Chinese wisteria, some of which has crept inside and along the ceiling to hang cascades of drooping flowers above like chandeliers, though you've sealed the breaches around their point of entry to keep bugs out. The leftmost window, however, is unobstructed and left open, showing the field of flowers on the West side of the mansion, and the treeline beyond. Occasionally one tree protrudes dramatically from the canopy - a redwood, a towering baobab, or even something like a douglas fir or cherry that is inexplicably many times the natural height for such a plant. From this window, however, none obscure your view of the hazy, orange sunset that melts into pastel purples and blues high overhead. There are three telescopes poised together there, one an antique number crafted from brass, but the other two more modern both in shape and materials, including a stout, aluminum model that you managed to have recovered from UNCA. >Cont'd
You've got a half dozen bookshelves here, crowded with reference books, textbooks, and binders of your own writing, all of the material organized by subject matter and date. Since settling here, you've become the de facto scientific expert for Biltmore City. You've advised on several major projects, and spearheaded others, frequently becoming an expert in whatever field is necessary to address a problem by reading scores of books and memorizing their contents. While the heavenly bodies will always be your first love, you now possess the combined educations of a mechanical engineer, metallurgist, chemist, biologist, and in a few more years of carefully curated study, probably a medical doctor as well. There are gaps, sure, but your insights are still very important to the management of this place. That's why the Admin Council gave you this entire room, and it's why Henry indulges your astronomical research with the occasional scavenging run for equipment that serves no purpose other than to study the endless enigma that is the sunset you're squinting at right now, or the stars, the weather, and other skybound mysteries that seem to be simply immutable. It hasn't rained in five years, the temperature is never below 70, and never above 74, and the sun never moves. How do the wells and the creek and the pond never run out of water? How do the plants never die? How do they photosynthesize so well? How is gravity even functioning at all, is the Earth even rotating? Your compulsion to figure out every part of this bizarre new world is insatiable, at times one might even say you approach it with the obsessive single-mindedness of a Green. It's probably the main thing that keeps you going. You take a seat behind one of the two beautiful Victorian desks situated in the room, the one that is relatively less cluttered with documents and lenses than the other, though still rather messy. You start making an honest attempt at introducing some order, and the time begins to fly by. You're half startled when you hear a knock at the door, and Henry let's himself in, offering you a friendly wave. >Cont'd
He's wearing patched jeans, a white collared shirt, and over it a v neck olive commando sweater with epaulets and elbow patches that make him look like the security officer he is. There's a fat black radio on his left hip, the handle of a kukri poking out from behind him, where it's sheathed laterally at the small of his back, and on his right hip, a holstered Smith & Wesson model 627 V-Comp that looks plenty mean even just aimed at the floor. His facial hair is scruffy, but shorter than usual, with a few greying hairs starting to show that he's just entered his 40's. "Hey bud, how were the kids for you today?" He asks, drawing nearer and gesturing to the leather couch angled near your desk. He steps past the velvet loveseat across from it when you nod in confirmation, and you return his greeting. "Oh hey, thanks for coming by. Uh, yes, yeah the kids were great, they were awesome. Learning the Laws of The Jungle right now. I was helping with the lesson on plant anatomy. It was good. Maybe when I'm older and I have less work to do around here I'll just focus on the school program, there's something about it especially, you know, that uh, well, idunno, just makes this all seem that much more worth it. It reminds you why it all matters so much..." You trail off, letting your gaze wander back towards the open window. "I think this place could hardly ask for a better brain to be teaching it's children, my friend. But I don't know if I'd hold my breath about there ever being less work to do." He smirks, settling comfortably into the corner of the couch nearer your desk. "And I'm always glad to visit, so no need to thank me. Excited for the movie tonight, too! Back when I had dreams of being an astronaut, I'd have nightmares about something getting into the ship with me... It's a great film, I know you're gonna love it. All that said, I feel pretty confident you didn't ask for this meeting to discuss movies. What is it you wanted to talk about?"Select One:>I want to discuss my proposal for that scavenging mission I mentioned before, just hear me out, I think it could take my research to the next level and maybe produce some real answers. >I want to discuss something Strange I saw in the forest yesterday, I think you need to know about it as the BCSO Commander. >I want to discuss the community, I have finished reports on some of the things you were curious about - our supply of food, energy, and medicine.
Forgot pic>Henry
>>6360452Fucking KEK
Also, couple of updates deep so first check in: are these updates feeling too lengthy, or are the passages too dense? I can break up the text a bit more and be more concise if it'd make the reading easier, but I am kind of just Vibing & Describing right now as I start getting us up to ramming speed. I think they seem normal for the board but figured I would ask; got today and tomorrow off, not much better to do than gab with my questions and write updates.
>>6360475I meant to say Questoids but autocorrect does not like that word KEK
>>6360468>I want to discuss the community, I have finished reports on some of the things you were curious about - our supply of food, energy, and medicine.It would be good to know some of this. Like, getting wood for charcoal without killing trees. Without being able to cut raw timber we likely have to build out of fired brick, as well as fabricating other basic goods from ceramics. Charcoal is probably a massive part of the economy. How stable is our food supply? Where do fibers for clothing come from? How *do* we know the water isn't going to dry up suddenly one day?
>>6360468>I want to discuss something Strange I saw in the forest yesterday, I think you need to know about it as the BCSO Commander.
>>6360478>How *do* we know the water isn't going to dry up suddenly one day?The rest can be answered in game (perhaps concisely now, or perhaps gradually over time), but I will indulge this question directly - you don't know that the water won't dry up. The sun could start turning any minute, or could even just get closer and swallow you all up. It could rain for forty days and forty nights. That's one of the big things that people struggle with; the trauma of having seen things change in ways they shouldn't be able to, suddenly, and without notice or even a familiar logic to explain the mere possibility of the new status quo. All you can do is keep living and hope that everything doesn't get turned on it's head again, in a totally new way.
>>6360468>I want to discuss my proposal for that scavenging mission I mentioned before, just hear me out, I think it could take my research to the next level and maybe produce some real answers. Our first and greatest love, she calls!>>6360475They're a t a god length IMO, but I'm also a wordy motherfucker so take that with a grain of salt, lol.>>6360496It's a phenomenally spooky setting, QM.
>>6360468>>I want to discuss the community, I have finished reports on some of the things you were curious about - our supply of food, energy, and medicine.
>>6360448The only reason I know of this estate is because of the Serafina books, frankly.>>6360468>I want to discuss the community, I have finished reports on some of the things you were curious about - our supply of food, energy, and medicine.
>>6360448Anon, I just want to share with you the rabbit hole this image has taken me. I saw it, thought thought that an image like it could be useful for an rpg I'm running, then saw that for some reason the source of it is a website called HogwartsCampus. So I went to it, but the domain is bust. I went to the Wayback Machine, discovered that it has simply been moved to the creator's main website, which I went to. And found myself in a tiny corner of the internet that hasn't been updated since 2007.It has the floorplan of plenty other places that the author has autisted into being by scrutinizing movies (like Hogwarts), or just by "modernizing" old castles, almost two decades ago. Not only that, the author also made music, wonderfully 2004's music, in a website that tells us all about how he was a child prodigy that began composing when he was 12.There is only one problem: While he has some of his music in the website, there is nowhere to download or even buy his cds. There is also no other sign of this fucker's work anywhere else in the internet I could find. So I spent the last several hours scouring the wayback machine to see how much of his music I could find, and listening to it, which reminded me of an old nonsensical RPG Maker game called The Way, whose name I couldn't remember, which then I spent some more time searching for, which is why it is now five in the morning.Thank you for this wonderful bit of autism, anon, it was a lovely distraction from the work I should have already done. And, of course,>I want to discuss my proposal for that scavenging mission I mentioned before, just hear me out, I think it could take my research to the next level and maybe produce some real answers.Because that's the one that will probably get us more lore about wtf is going on in this world
>>6360639You have a link to the music?
Rolled 2 (1d2)Community = 1 Something Strange = 2
Also, while I'm writing today, you guys ought to make some suggestions for who should be depicting Roy Harris and Magdalene Pickett. I was thinking maybe Tom Phelphrey or Wilson Bethel for Roy? Lakeith Stanfield maybe? And for Magda I'm just not very sure. Was considering Mackenzie Davis, specifically from her role in that terminator film where she has short hair. This is a callback to my days of playing/running MUSH/MUX games, where it's common practice to use IRL actors or people to represent characters for the wiki. So! Fancast away, guys, I might put it up to a vote if you guys get contentious about it but I will probably just pick whichever one feels the most right to me for who they are - a charismatic, fast-talking nut job, and a highly lethal, reserved (and sometimes short-fused) badass respectively.
>>6360639Also also this fucking rules dude, post links, or I will later when I have the time to find this shit, sounds baller as hell.
>>6360775Maybe Paul Rudd for Roy? Specifically from that one film where he looked the right kind of unkempt for a guy that lives in a post-apocalyptic forest? Idunno, I gotta run some errands, should have an update tonight.
>>6360775Here's Magda
>>6360775Norm Macdonald for both. ;)
>>6360775>reserved badass with attitude problemYou just described Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow perfectly.
"You're right, yeah... I wanted to..." You continue to trail off, hesitating. Unsure how to relay what's on your mind. You squint, and then shift your gaze away from the window and back to Henry. You frown and sigh through your nose. "Look, what I... Idunno, sorry, this is just... I saw something yesterday, and I felt you needed to know. It's going to sound... It'll sound kind of ridiculous, but I was looking through one of the telescopes at the treeline, I do sometimes ever since the leopard sighting a year ago-" You start to say. "What, another one? Should've just said so, Ollie, we'll get a crew out an-" Henry cuts you off to jump on the problem, but he stops when you shake your head and hold up your hands, shutting it down. "No, not that. Different..." You lean back in your chair and your brow furrows as you look back towards the window again, unable to even fully maintain eye contact as you recollect what you'd seen. "The cypress tree, slightly Northwestern edge of the flowers, I think it's a Saharan cypress, with the wide trunk, you know the one?" He nods, leaning forward now with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together. You sigh again, and finally look back to Henry as you speak. "Yesterday afternoon, maybe a touch after 3 or so, I noticed a knife buried in the trunk. It was a steel dagger, double edged. Kind of like a stiletto, I suppose. Concerned me, so I looked closer, I was about to grab my radio, thought it might be a threat, but... I looked closer, and I saw it was moving. Like the blade was dragging along the tree. Then it stabbed in again, just wedged there for a couple of seconds. Then it came out of the trunk and it... It floated away. I don't know how or why, but it floated away, off deeper into the woods. I'm sure that's what I saw, Henry, I know it is. I was afraid to say sooner, I don't want to cause a panic. There are logs showing all my times outside the border, showing I never go alone, I'm not going Green, I'm not losing my mind. But I mean, I just, idunno, it's.. it doesn't make any sense. Not that there aren't a thousand other things that don't make sense anymore, mind you, but I've, you know, I've never seen something just move through the air like that, as if it has a mind of its own. I don't know what it means, I just need you to believe me, ok? I know what I saw." You get a little frantic as you lay it out, perfectly aware of the risks of appearing to have lost your sanity under the circumstances, perfectly aware of how delusional you sound. >Cont'd
For his part, Henry nods along, listening carefully as you speak. When you finish, he lets a pause hang, looking to the floor with his own brow furrowed as he puzzles over what you've shared. Your mouth is dry and there's a heavy pit in your stomach that makes you feel cold as you await his response. Finally, he looks back to you with an eyebrow quirked. "You still have the telescope trained on that tree?" He asks. "Y-yeah, yes, I, uh, I didn't want to move it, just in case. Look for yourself." You reply, stammering a little, and you gesture over towards the window. "It's the plastic one in the middle, the black one. I've checked it since. I haven't seen the dagger again." You add. He nods, rising from his seat and stepping over in that direction. "Have you told anyone else about this yet, or am I the first?" He asks, glancing over his shoulder as he approaches the instrument. You shake your head. "No, you're really the only one I'd trust to take me seriously... I really don't want to cause alarm, I don't know what it means..." You reply, words trailing off once more. "Understood. Well, first of all, I do believe you, Oliver. Stranger things have happened, have they not? I recall that being why you have this lab." Henry replies, bending over and pressing his eye to the lens in order to see the tree in question. "I don't know what it means either. But I don't like it. I see the tree... I wanna go check it out. Why don't you come with me?" Select One: >Are you sure that's safe? I think you should send security officers instead and have them report back. >I'm game. I think it may have been carving something into the bark... I want to know what exactly that would be... >Write-in
>>6361018>We should bring the Tiger-Widow
>>6360943I wish she was more muscular, but that might be a perfect fit, pic related is Mackenzie giving a strong Magda vibe, too.
>>6360817You joke but... Norm as Roy? Only problem is a lack of good pictures. This is a 32 year old who is going on 40 due to stress, smoking, and probably a few other things besides.
>>6361018>>I'm game. I think it may have been carving something into the bark... I want to know what exactly that would be...>>6361042Im down for this, I love Norm.
>>6361018>I'm game. I think it may have been carving something into the bark... I want to know what exactly that would be...
>>6360639Ok now you're activating my autism, can u pls send a link?
>>6361018>>I'm game. I think it may have been carving something into the bark... I want to know what exactly that would be...>>6361023Plenty of images of ripped Emily Blunt
>>6361018>I'm game. I think it may have been carving something into the bark... I want to know what exactly that would be...We ain't no coward.
>>6361227Oh that one is perfect! Thanks anon(: Waffling on Norm-Roy, I just feel I need something more... Unkempt... Anyhow, calling the vote, working on update, thanks all!
>>6361240Might I suggest Owen Wilson, then?
>>6361250Not bad... The problem I run into is finding a guy that looks like or is young enough to have had an infant daughter 5 years ago - so no older than late 30's but probably younger. But he also has to look a little like shit, which I can at least use to explain away maybe using an actor that's in his 40's, yaknow? I'm not married to the short little description up at the top, he doesn't have to be 33 exactly. I'ma peruse some Owen, I think that might do. Still, Wilson Bethel in this pic kinda hits the right number I think! Will keep thinking on it for now, not in a rush since we got plenty more Oliver time for now.
You freeze up at the notion for just a moment, more afraid than anything that you'll join him only to discover together that there is no trace of a blade having been wedged in the cypress' bark. But you shake your head as if to banish the thought with centrifugal force. "Oh, uh, sure. The way it moved at first, it may have carved something, into the tree, that is. I'll bring a digital camera." You say, opening a drawer on the desk to withdraw one of a few such devices, an old Canon PowerShot A5 - a little silver brick with some scuffs on it, but a lens you repaired yourself. The battery is on the other side of the drawer, charged using a hand-crank generator you threw together a few years ago, and waiting to be used. "I think a good idea. Grab your gun, too. We're not gonna go into the forest, and it'll be just the two of us for now while we check this out, so let's play it safe." Henry says, stepping back from the plastic telescope in the middle of your array. He nods towards the door and begins walking that way while you unlock another drawer and pull out a compact M1911 knockoff chambered in 9mm, more scuffed up than the camera. But it has a slim profile, a recoil you can manage, and while you're a downright lousy shot you have managed to defend yourself with this firearm on a few occasions - which you vastly prefer to the rarer moment when you've been forced to rely on a blade. You tuck the gun into the holster inside of your waistband behind your back, close the drawer, and follow out behind Henry as he steps over the threshold. He waits as you re-lock the door to your private office. "So while we head that way, talk to me a little bit about energy, would you? I caught Hector at breakfast, he said the install was no headaches, where does that put us?" Henry is referring to Hector Mendoza, the de facto foreman for most construction projects around BC, and specifically in this case, the installation of some fresh solar panels that were scavenged by a crew last week. >Cont'd
You nod, following him to the staircase nearby. "Right, we're doing well, this most recent install puts us just shy of 200 Kilowatt-hours in output from solar. Ethanol production is still low, but gas reserves are holding from scavenger runs. Charcoal production is starting to dip. There's essentially no dead wood left in an accessible radius. Occasionally an animal will snap a branch, but it just isn't a feasible source of fuel. I'm sure you heard about Barry?" You pause your rundown to ask a question you already know the answer to. Henry sighs and nods slowly, looking pained. You both step out onto the second floor, and brush past a handful of others on their way up, and a couple more residents that are loitering in the corridor as they chat about animal tracks, you think, but you keep your focus on your friend as he leads you to another set of stairs leading down. "Yeah, heard about Barry. They said he tried to coppice an Oak?" He confirms, glancing back at you briefly. "He was reading about it in that arborist's manual. Stupid." "Well, it was a nice thought. Pollarding has always been slow going and slow growing. But, yes, he stressed it too much, and it died..." You trail off. "And now Barry will never know the joy of playing the guitar." He replies with another exasperated sigh. You scrunch your face. "Try not to be so glib, he meant well... But, well, well yes. His hands... Fell off. It's been a long time since we had one, and it seems to have frightened the pollarding crew, about nine have already rescinded and want reassignment with precedence, citing the risk they already took with prior volunteering. Even if we replace them all this week w-" Henry cuts you off as you step out onto the first floor now. "We'll have to up our purchase of coal from The Union, of course, as if we don't already send them enough of our fucking food, Jesus." He complains. "We might have to start turning away refugees this year, Ollie. It's getting tight." >Cont'd
You both step around a corner and he leads you through what was once the Biltmore's banquet hall, which is now the barracks and partial armory for the Security Office. There are cots all over, rifle racks and gun lockers along the walls, some free weights, hard plastic military footlockers and a couple of Pelican field desks where security officers are oiling and reassembling firearms. There are a few metal overhead lights, and occasionally a candle to supplement, both of which cast severe-looking shadows on the severe faces of the men and women that keep BC safe. Towards the far corner is a card table in the corner where a few roughnecks appear to be playing poker. A woman with a necklace of large fangs and claws over her kevlar vest seems to feel you looking at her from across the room, and her eyes rise from her hand of cards to meet your gaze. Her stare has an edge that could cut glass, and so you quickly look away and hasten your stride to stay near Henry while you move through and into the main atrium of the old manor. A tulip poplar which, by appearance, could easily be 500 years old given it's massive diameter (pushing up against a staggering twelve feet), reaches up from the middle of the now ironically named 'Winter Garden', a greenhouse situated mostly in the interior of the front of the mansion. It's actually only five years old, of course, and the ceiling of the greenhouse is still totally shattered so that the tree can stretch up properly to the heavens, swaying in the dusk. From here you can see the bottom of the 'treehouse' that acts as the city's primary watchtower, and the bridges leading to it from the upper floors and rooftop. The open roof would be a problem if it ever rained or got particularly cold. Even birds and rodents aren't a problem here, however, due to the residence of a few dozen semi-domesticated cats all around the estate. You pick the conversation back up when Henry holds the front door open for you, and you both step by the East guards and plenty of other people coming and going from various parts of the estate. "Speaking of The Union, we're expecting a group from them tomorrow. I did already advise Erin that she should place a larger order and start looking at our potato stores, they seem particularly glad to trade for those. Do you... Well, should we tell them about the... The knife?" You draw closer and practically whisper the last part, casting a few furtive glances around so as to be sure you aren't overheard. "I think not. Maybe if we have an idea of what we're dealing with." Henry replies evenly. A beat passes. "First we have to see if you're even sane." He claps you on the shoulder and smirks, then upnods in the direction you're both going, around the building. >Cont'd
The poplar behind you is the only truly massive tree to have sprouted up under the foundation of the mansion proper; the three others were not large enough to cause any catastrophic damage. Moving Southwards at a brisk pace together, you see the branches of the Southern live oak growing out of the corner of old first floor of the the library come into view, gnarled arms reaching for the forest, laden with Spanish moss and creeping vines. The tree growth on the estate property is likewise on the sparse side, favoring larger, solitary trees with ferns or grass sprawling beneath and between. The canopy is more bare in turn, and casts a lattice of faint shadows from the sunlight that beams over the mansion. All of the open space is capitalized upon by tents, yurts, lean-to's, and three longhouses constructed from a mix of pre-Bloom timber and corrugated steel. Campfires and workstations fill the gaps like the mortar of a brick wall, and dozens of people bustle by each other here. Roughly half of BC's people stay out here, and very nearly all of them gladly; it's one of the safest encampments in the region. Taking these together with the residents of the mansion, the current population of Biltmore City is today an exact 282 citizens, including yourself. It is, frankly, an almost inconceivable number, given the circumstances of the world. It poses a lot of tremendous challenges. There are bad weeks, sometimes bad months, and you lose people. But it's still a tremendous accomplishment, as well. Henry turns the knob on his radio and lifts it up to his face. "Top Gun to Crow's Nest, put eyes on the South lawn, scan the Northwest treeline, over." He instructs, waving for you to stay close as you both step under one of those oak branches and around the building. SHKRSH "CN-2 copies, Top Gun." Responds the device before he puts it back on his hip. >Cont'd
"You think Tim can hit a knife from up there?" You ask a little incredulously. The commander doesn't look back at you, but you can tell he rolls his eyes by the way his head moves. "No, numb-nuts, that's for the fucking leopard. God damn thing must've been 800 pounds." At this, Henry does turn briefly to give you a certain wry look, but then turns ahead and shakes his head again. "When we're through with this, what do you have planned for the rest of the day before the screening tonight? I've got lunch with the Mayor, after that was gonna spend my break doing some drinks and darts with P.K. and John Stoker over at the usual watering hole, they might be running late but you're welcome to warm up a bar stool for one of em', or hang if you're feeling social for once." Select One: >I need to finish compiling reports and transcribing some old notes for a current project, so I'll be in my office. >I have a date scheduled for this afternoon, actually, so I can't make it. No, my girlfriend isn't imaginary just because you haven't met her.>I need to finish compiling reports and transcribing some old notes for a current project, so I'll be in my office. (LIE: You actually have a date scheduled but are keeping that to yourself). >Sure, I think I could do with a stiff drink and hanging out with a friend today. >Write-in
>>6361374I mean this to be WEST lawn, excuse me, I got turned around.
>>6361375>I need to finish compiling reports and transcribing some old notes for a current project, so I'll be in my office. (LIE: You actually have a date scheduled but are keeping that to yourself). Maybe with the Mayor's wife, since he's busy...
>>6361375>I need to finish compiling reports and transcribing some old notes for a current project, so I'll be in my office. (LIE: You actually have a date scheduled but are keeping that to yourself).
>>6361375>I need to finish compiling reports and transcribing some old notes for a current project, so I'll be in my office.
>>6361375>>I have a date scheduled for this afternoon, actually, so I can't make it. No, my girlfriend isn't imaginary just because you haven't met her.
>>6361375>I need to finish compiling reports and transcribing some old notes for a current project, so I'll be in my office. (LIE: You actually have a date scheduled but are keeping that to yourself).282 people * .6 working age = 170 workers * 4.5 hours/day = 765 working hours per day(3060 labor hours per week @ 4 day work week)(12,240 labor hours per lunar month @ 16 work days per 29.5 days)Hey OP do we still have phases of the moon? Is the council using any method to enforce work or are there free riders and I-got-mine-jacks not contributing sufficiently to the collective?Human physiological needs: air, thermal equilibrium, shelter, water, bathroom/hygeine, food, clothing, sleep, security/stability.-Air: Not constrained-Thermal equilibrium: Not constrained-Water: A single 1 HP wellhead can provide 300 people with 10 gallons of water daily for 18 KWh/day (the average american supposedly uses 38 gallons per day from faucets, toilets, and showers so if the council is not rationing water you'll probably need 4x this amount. Livestock also need to drink and could be another 2x-10x if they're not drinking from a creek)-Bathroom: Latrines aren't too hard, if unpleasant. Easy upgrade to a septic system with some earthworks. Nitrate bearing soil is where gunpowder comes from, too.-Food: 300 people at 3000 calories per day require 900,000 calories/day-Clothing: Unknown-Sleep: Provided by shelters-Security/Stability: Provided by the wise and benevolent council>Cont'd
>>6361534Shelters can be made of brick with shingle rooves. John Plant (primitive technology) makes 50 bricks at a time with what I will guestimate is 360 pounds of wood. 4800 bricks would be needed to make simple brick dwellings. Almost 100 cycles. 36,000 pounds of wood. 24 labor hours for a two man team to lay the bricks, 20 labor hours to clear and level the ground, 36 labor hours to collect the wood @ 1000 pounds per hour, guessing an early medium scale clay refining operation with hand tools would be 120 labor hours for a total of 200 labor hours per person plus 20% tip for inefficiencies and miscellania = 220. If each bunkhouse has 4 rooms (8ft x 10ft) and an 80ft*ft foyer and hallway, and you put 2 people to a room, that's 8 people per bunkhouse or 36 bunkhouses or about 10 days at full employment. It would also consume 14,500 ft*ft of campus area or about a third of an acre.An acre of corn would provide enough calories for only 17.4 days, but since the sun never sets and you can probably farm 3 crops a year, let's triple that to 52 days meaning you'd need 7 acres of really well managed and rotated crop land, plus I'm gonna say 4 acres minimum for chicken tractors and 4 acres for dairy animals (sheep and goats)The only real mandatory power draw besides the wellheads is cooking. A fast food restaurant uses 16 KWh/day on cooking and 32 KWh/day on freezers and refrigerators. Combined with the wellhead needs that's 120 KWh/day in power generation needs. Thankfully we don't need any lighting, cooling, or heating. Charging 282 smartphones or tablets is 10 KWh/day. A 220 volt drill press backwards engineered as a windmill turbine that got 33% of full capacity per day on average would generate 12.3KWh/day so you would need 11 windmills and a hefty battery bank to power everything if no rationing takes place. More if you use artificial lighting.>No one asked.But I enjoy this.
>>6361534>>6361535Woh...
>>6361534I am going to continue to mainly address these questions through gameplay, but there are some questions here that may be best answered directly now: >do we still have phases of the moon? No, it hasn't risen above the horizon since The Bloom. Oliver's best telescope, which he got a year ago, has allowed him to study cloud formations, but he doesn't have one capable of observing the stars at the moment. He believes with a powerful enough telescope, facing East, he may be able to see if there even still are stars, and if so, whether they are moving in relation to the Earth and what that might mean. >Are there free riders? Everyone contributes, it's kind of an anarchist compound and those that aren't willing to work are exiled - even the members of the Tribunal have to spend some time doing labor. Henry patrols and goes on runs, The Mayor hunts game, and The Judge gardens/farms. No one is forced to do a particular job, though if someone gets too picky and prissy and makes problems they have an evaluation meeting in front of the Admin Council, which if it goes badly, can lead to a trial before The Judge, at which point they CAN be punitively assigned to a task or possibly exiled. That's very uncommon though, most people are happy to do hard work for the benefits of being at BC. As referenced above, some jobs are more dangerous, and volunteering for them can come with extra privileges with labor - like a lower quota of labor hours overall, or getting priority placement when trying to be reassigned. Pollarding trees to produce wood for charcoal is very important, obviously, as it's used for energy and cooking, but if it isn't done carefully, the tree can die from stress or infection (IRL it's best to do this during Winter dormancy, but it is an eternal Summer now, so one must act accordingly). Everyone gets a basic allotment of food and leisure time, and one can work more to accrue more - go on an extra scab run, you get to keep more of what you find, grow extra crops, you get to keep them, etc. >Shelters can be made...To be clear, no one is being forced to sleep in tents. The main reason more solid shelters haven't been constructed is that all the time, energy, and resources going into it are better off elsewhere, because the weather is pleasant and on estate property it's quite rare for bandits or animals to get into the main camp to hurt anyone. Many of those using tents do so because they take them with them when going on hunting, scavenging, or trading runs (often requiring multi-day hikes with groups of 6 to 24 people). Eventually, it may be beneficial to invest more heavily in building stronger housing on the estate grounds, but that means building around the plant life in order to not inadvertently damage it too badly, yaknow? Anyways, awesome posts, glad to have you, anon!
>>6361381>>6361413>>6361448>>6361534It looks like lying takes the cake here, so I am going to call the vote. This will initiate our first roll of the quest. All of our characters have 9 main Ability Modifiers which govern their ability to undertake certain tasks: >Intelligence>Wits>Resolve>Strength>Dexterity>Stamina>Presence>Manipulation>ComposureThese are split into two sets of categories. Mental, Physical, and Social, for type, and Power, Finesse, Resistance, for application. In this instance, Oliver is attempting to lie to his friend Henry about being busy with one thing, when really he is up to something else. This will be a test of his Manipulation, his ability to sound convincing when he tries to mislead someone, which in Oliver's case means a -5 penalty. Henry also knows him rather well, and is highly perceptive, which will apply another -5 penalty. Roll 1d100-10, BO3
Rolled 95 + 10 (1d100 + 10)>>6361552
>>6361553OH HE'S SLICK WITH IT
>>6361557
Rolled 63 - 10 (1d100 - 10)>>6361552Oof, hard number to follow.
Rolled 36 - 10 (1d100 - 10)>>6361552
>>6361552Recently caught up with this, like it. Reminds me of Over the Garden Wall.With the plant retaliation do the repercussions happen seemingly magically such as a hand falling off with no visible cause? Or does the local flora retaliate? If so i think that most of the forest is in contact via a mycorrhizal network
>>6361593Good question - the plants do not move of their own volition in unnatural ways like that. If you kill a 'wild' (not planted or grown/tended by a person) plant, the offending appendage is severed from the body by unexplainable means. The hand(s) or feet are generally the main casualties, but if someone were to kill a wild plant. To an observer, it would appear that a peerlessly sharp, invisible guillotine has come down and cleanly, instantly removed the body part. To the victim, the severance itself is not actually painful, though of course one's nerve endings being exposed to the open air is extremely painful, and the blood loss can be lethal. A lot of the early people to learn this lesson firsthand have not survived very long, and BC currently has 14 residents that have lost limbs in such a way, including Barry. The parameters around what kind of tending is needed to avoid being hurt is still not fully understood, but experiments would obviously be unethical and damaging to the community. Trees planted by people before the Bloom can be harvested, as can ones that were cultivated as they grew. Plants that grew naturally on their own before the Bloom, however, are considered as 'wild' as anything produced entirely by the Bloom. The Pisgah National Forest, where BC is located, is now probably about 40% composed of plants that are pre-Bloom, with lots of foreign vines, ferns, moss, etc filling out the undergrowth in some places, and some foreign trees bursting up sporadically, especially in particularly large or manmade clearings and on trails. Some parts of the forest have a higher or lower percentage of pre or post Bloom flora, with a few spots seeming almost totally 'normal' for the region, and others being as alien and chaotically diverse as the full-Bloom forests that have toppled urban landscapes. And thanks! Glad you're enjoying it! OTGW was a partial inspiration, actually. Lots of fairytale, fable, I am not sure how this shit works but it's all around me, big creepy forest stuff all swirling around in the blender on this one. Another major inspo, which I will continue to post, is the art of Hiro Isono!
>>6361599>but if someone were to kill a wild plantPart of my text got ate as I formatted! If someone were to kill a plant with their teeth, or their forehead, for example, they would be decapitated.
