The Zombie Apoc-Fur-Lypse, Group 5, Scene 3a
The Zombie Apoc-Fur-Lypse
Group 5, A Harrowing Event
copyright 2010 comidacomida
Although the group had chosen the back of the lorrie as a spot they considered protected from
zombies, the one thing they hadn't counted on was Cadence's incessant talking. She talked to
whomever would listen, usually depreciating comments about how little they knew or how she
wished she could have some reasonable intellectual discussion with someone other than herself.
When no one paid her any attention she'd mumble to herself as if reviewing a shopping list or
talking under her breath as if complaining to no one in particular. To say that it was hard to
sleep would have been a gross understatement.
"Listen, you old bird..." Ty spoke up some time in the early, early morning, "I don't really
care how--" but he was interrupted as Cadence just laughed and laughed and laughed.
"What's wrong with this daft monkey?" Ty asked of nobody in particular, working to hide a
developing scowl on his muzzle.
"She's probably just tired... we're ALL tired, Ty." Jake murmured, "And being old probably means
she's uncomfortable laying on metal in the middle of a dark car park."
"Better dark than well lit." Cadence said.
"Hold on a tic..." Ty sat up, "Awhile ago you said that you'd rather have light--"
"Only when I have to move about... you don't listen very well, do you, boy?" Cadence
interrupted, "If you keep jumping to conclusions eventually you won't have anywhere to land."
"Doctor VanHousen..." Aldo spoke up, rising up to a kneeling position.
"Yes, what is it... Doctor Ruben?" the monkey inquired in an almost sing-song tone.
"Why so much focus on the light? I mean... sight is one thing, but--" the orca was interrupted.
"Sight is everything, dear boy... but everyone here keeps focusing on just ocular vision... do
none of you have a greater sense of understanding?"
"What other kind of sight is there?" Jake inquired.
"Foresight? Hindsight?" Finley spoke up.
"Blindsight, if she plays Dungeons and Dragons..." Ty spoke flatly, "but what does this have to
do with anything?"
"Everything has to do with everything, child." Cadence leaned back against the inside wall of
the lorrie, "Just because you only see with one set of eyes doesn't mean that everything else
does. There are more variables to this equation than you're willing to explore."
"Are you saying," Aldo ventured, "That the zombies have another way of seeing?"
"Can you prove that they don't?" the old monkey countered, "They hunt in groups... I'm certain
you've seen this. When one finds something worthy of notice others are often quick to follow."
"It just means they can hear." Ty answered, "Every time I've seen a zombie go to attack
something they always let out a shriek or scream or roar or something... other nearby zombies
are attracted to that. It doesn't take much imagination to see what's going on."
"Imagination... feh," she snorted, "no linear thought processes... no progressive logic... I'm
surprised you went into medicine; you sound more like an art major." the monkey crossed her
arms, "And you will probably want to duck."
"Okay... hold on a minute..." Jared stood up with a paw out, one facing Ty and one facing
Cadence, "I think you both need a time out."
"As I said," Cadence stated, clearing her voice, "You will probably want to duck."
"And just what does that--" but the panther didn't get a chance to finish the question as the
side of the trailer began denting inward. Dozens of small holes appeared in it, accentuated by
the joint sound of metal breaking through metal and the nearby cacophony of small arms fire.
Cadence, the only individual already practically laying on the floor was the only one who didn't
immediately throw themselves flat.
"Ow... damn it!" Aldo cursed, his hand clamping down on his shoulder; blood seeped out from
between his fingers.
"No one in this day and age ever bothers listening." the monkey sighed.
"What the fuck?" Ty questioned, stumbling over everyone else who was slowly getting up off the
floor of the lorrie. The wolf held the side of his face, which had been grazed by a bullet. He pulled the loose-hanging sheet aside, allowing him to look out. "It'ssome army bloke." the wolf announced, "HEY!" he shouted, waving one arm wildly, "Over here!"
"I'm not sure that's a very wise idea..." Finley announced.
"He's got a gun, and we don't." Ty countered, "I'd rather have him over here than over there,
and the sooner he realizes we're not zombies the less chance we'll have of getting a bullet in
us."
"Too late for some." Cadence spoke up, and everyone's attention went to her. The monkey was
resting on her knees, gazing down at Jared, who was staring up at the ceiling, eyes wide,
coughing up blood. One of his paws was pressed against his ribs, the other latched onto the
edge of Cadence's white coat.
"Jared!" Jake shouted, falling down beside the panther.
"Say goodbye quickly," Cadence said to the fox, "They're coming."
"We can help him!" Jake said, and he turned to Ty, "Ty... you have a kit! Do something!"
Ty moved to kneel by the fallen panther. He looked him over, then shook his head, "Can't...
it's a gun shot, Jake, and, judging from where it is, he probably has a collapsed lung. If we
try to move him, he drowns... and if we don't move him he gets eaten."
"What can we do?" Finley asked Ty.
"We don't have what we need to help him." the wolf responded, "We... we can't do anything." and
he stood back up, "Damn it... why is that army bloke just standing there?"
"Because he's not on our side." Cadence answered.
"What do you mean 'our side'?" Aldo questioned, wincing as he kept pressure on his shoulder, "If
he's alive, then I'd say that means he's on our side."
"Why would you say he's alive?" the monkey questioned.
"Because he fired a gun." Ty answered as if it were the most obvious observation in the world.
"Do you think that is a trait left up to just the living?" Cadence asked.
"We haven't seen a zombie fire a gun yet." Aldo answered.
"Unless you just did." Cadence countered.
A loud, roaring howl of numerous voices rose up from the edge of the car park.
"Bloody hell!" Ty shouted, quickly drawing back further into the lorrie's storage trailer,
"There're zombies rushing in!" he knelt down to open his medical kit and pulled out a scalpel,
"Find something... anything you can use." he ordered.
Jake and Aldo began hurriedly searching the mostly-empty trailer, rifling through the discarded,
empty tins before searching their pockets. Finley calmly pulled out several paper, cloth, and
leather satchels from his pocket and began carefully combining different powders and granules
from each. Cadence casually and calmly took out handfuls of torches and turned them on one at a
time.
"We need weapons, Doctor VanHousen, not light." Aldo pointed out.
"You're far too concerned with fighting off something that could just as easily be avoided." she
responded.
"We've already tried the 'avoiding' thing, lady... it's a bit late for that now." Ty noted, and
he moved to the opening at the end of the lorrie's trailer, "Alright... we jump out and fight
our way past the zombies... then we keep going until we can find the best place to regroup."
"Head for the mall." Aldo directed, "We can look for access to the roof, or at least get through
the doors and see if we can bar them from the inside.
"Finally some thought being put into motion." Cadence added her opinion.
"Ready...." Ty spoke, waiting until the rest of the group could join him. Aldo came first,
hands empty and shaking. Cadence hobbled over second, hands full of lit torches; she smiled in
a the self-assured way only a lunatic could manage at the moment.
Jake took an extra moment, holding Jared's paw. The fox remained for a moment longer, "I'm
sorry, Jared... I'm so sorry..." Jared wheezed, motioning with his paw. Jake leaned a little
closer, and the panther reached up and took hold of the pendant hanging around the fox's neck.
Wheezing, and gasping for breath, Jared poked at the pendant with a claw, then poked at Jake.
"I'll find him... I will." Jake said. Jared smiled, and rested his paw back down on his chest.
The fox finally moved to join the rest of the party at the exit to the trailer.
"Coming, Dr Weatherburton?" Aldo called to the mouse who was just getting up from where he had
been sitting.
"Of course... I just... need to give something to Jared..." the mouse knelt down by him and
slipped something into his paw. Finley whispered something in the ailing panther's ears, and
Jared nodded. "Good man." the mouse nodded, and moved to join the group, "Ready."
"Alright... on three..." Ty spoke. He pulled back the sheet and the zombies were upon them
before he could say 'one'.
In the chaos that ensued no one could be certain of what happened. Ty leapt forward with his
scalpel leading the way. He was caught by a zombie, but only for a moment as the wolf used the
scalpel to cut the zombie's wrist, severing the tendon that allowed it to grasp him. He
shouldered forward, rushing past the gathering mob of over a dozen zombies. Although he tried
to keep running, the mob of zombies pressed in.
Jake was the next out of the lorrie, sticking close to Ty right up until the throng of zombies
pushed them apart. Jake lashed out, scoring a lucky hit with his elbow that knocked a zombie
under a car that was held up by a jack stand... it tried to rise up, but Jake quickly kicked the
release on the jack, and the zombie convulsed as the car landed on it... and then was still.
Aldo, following right after Ty, was not quite as fast and he had no way to free himself from the
grasping zombies. What he did have however was mass, and he used it to his advantage. Two
zombies reached for him but he quickly turned them aside. One, he sent careening into the arm
of a jack stand that had been holding up a nearby car. The zombie fell hard, impaled through
the stomach by the metal and,though it was still moving, it was unable to rise again being stuck
in place. The second zombie grabbed the orca by the neck, but he quickly pulled it over his
shoulder and forced it headfirst into the ground.
Still pressed by even more zombies, Aldo could do no more than shout as two more zombies were
immediately upon him. Aldo managed to push the first one back, but the second, a large boar,
raced toward him, tusks leading the way. The orca had only a half second to react, and
distinctly heard the sound of another zombie coming at him from behind.
At the last possible moment Aldo reached behind himself and spun to the side, forcing the zombie
at his back forward. The boar at his front, still charging, collided with it instead. Aldo
turned, dealing a stomping kick to the very first zombie which was only just recovering from his
shove. It was knocked back and fell headfirst through the glass of a car window. He turned
toward the others back at the lorrie just in time to see a burning satchel land amidst the
majority of the zombies; Aldo knew enough about Finley's tricks by that point to cover his face,
and even though he was ready for it the explosion still sent him reeling.
Finley quickly charged into the gap of zombies left by the explosion, but it filled rapidly as
more and more of the walking cadavers moved to fill in the space. Ty and Aldo were both free of
the zombie mass since the explosion changed the movement of the horde. Cadence, Jake, and
Finley were still by the lorrie, and were quickly being swarmed by zombies. Ty glanced to Aldo,
"Let's go!" and he began running.
"Ty! Everyone else!" Aldo shouted helplessly. He glanced at the fleeing wolf, then to the rest
of the group and snapped his teeth decisively... the orca barreled right back into the fray.
Against all odds, Aldo fought his way toward the other survivors. His movements were slowed,
partially from fatigue and partially from the wound in his shoulder. The orca gasped for breath
through clenched teeth, fighting even through the pain. He managed to trip a zombie squirrel
with a foot and spun, bringing his broad tail down on its head with a resounding smash.
He shivered as he felt its skull break under the force of his strike... but he didn't have long
to dwell on it as the boar that had charged earlier spun back around and came for him again,
somehow having freed itself from the other zombie's gut. He didn't wait for the boar to
approach again, rather, he strode out to meet it, raising his foot and planting it firmly in the
middle of the boar's forehead. It was far too powerful a charge for him to halt, and he was
forced backward and off balance, but he kept his cool and grabbed both of the boar's tusks with
his hands, rolling onto his back as he kept hold of the zombie boar.
As the boar arced over him, Aldo finally let go, sending the zombie flying through the air and
into a car windshield. Through some twist of fate or turn of good luck, the boar stopped
moving, its head twisted at an odd angle by the force of the impact, a tusk stuck in the metal
of the car and the rest of its body at a nearly 1800 degree tilt from the facing of its head.
The orca managed to return to a standing posture, just in time to see Finley rush by him,
"MOVE!" the mouse shouted, holding a bleeding forearm. Jake, who was on the orca's other side,
needed no further encouragement.
Cadence casually stood at the entrance to the lorrie's trailer, calmly tossing in torch after
torch, the light starting to create quite a show within. Every time a zombie drew closer to her
she'd flash it in the face with a torch, wave it back and forth, and then throw it into the
trailer. Without fail, the zombie invariably leapt in after it. Once Cadence was down to only
one or two torches, only then did she move to join Aldo and Finley, who were already making
their way past the zombies that charged the lorrie.
Back inside the lorrie, Jared lay in a pool of his blood, wheezing as reddish froth came
painfully to his muzzle. His labored breath was growing slower, and his rapidly-blinking eyes
were trying in vain to focus on something through the dark haze growing around them. He had
trouble rotating his head, but he could see that the numerous torches that had lit the inside of
the lorrie were rapidly dwindling. He could still manage to hear the sound of shattering glass
as the zombies stomped them and crushed them, but it was as if he were listening through gauze.
The panther's paw weakly gripped the cloth bag given to him by the mouse and, with labored
focus, managed to pull it up onto his chest where his other paw lay holding a lighter.. It was
getting harder to think and his eyes blinked slower... he breathed slower. One of his blinks
lasted a second... then the next step lasted two seconds. Somewhere in the back of his mind,
Jared realized that eventually one of his blinks was going to last for eternity... and his other
paw began trying to work the flint.
Back outside, Aldo limped faster, moving to catch up to the wounded mouse and the hobbling
monkey, "What's going on?"
"Someone is using her brain." the monkey answered cryptically.
"No..." Aldo stated, "I mean... why aren't they attacking?"
"They found something more interesting." Cadence responded.
"Jared was still alive in there!" Jake shouted, pausing to look back at the rest of the group as
they caught up with him, "He's still alive!"
"It's full of zombies..." Finley spoke back, "We couldn't save him... but he's going to do the
next best thing." Then, as if to accentuate the comment, a huge fireball erupted from the open
end of the trailer. Jake looked away from the scene; Finley lowered his head; Aldo closed his
eyes and let out a sigh. The group slowed, at least, until Cadence spoke up.
"Time's wasting." the monkey said emotionlessly, "You can all grieve later." She slowed
slightly, turning on the last of her torches. She threw one to the left, and one to the right.
The group caught up with Ty, who was pausing to assess the situation, staring at the mall ahead
of him. Aldo paused beside him, "Thanks for the help." he spoke coldly.
"We have to survive... we need to take every opportunity, and we can't afford to risk our lives
for nothing." Ty answered, ears drooped slightly.
"Keeping one another alive is NOT nothing." Jake spoke up, joining the two of them.
"We need to each keep ourselves alive... and we can't take risks like going back to save
others... for all we know it might only take one little bite--" and he froze as Finley joined
them, torn suit quite obviously bloody. A half-circle of bite marks were clearly present on the
mouse's forearm, "He can't come with us." the wolf said flatly.
"He's coming with us." Jake pressed.
"No way." Ty pursued the matter, "He'll turn into one of them... that's how this thing works."
"You still don't know HOW it works... you're just making random guesses." Cadence said, passing
him by as several zombies started to regroup and were slowly picking their way through the car
park, obviously disoriented. "Try coming up with a concise hypothesis first before you play
make-believe." She didn't bother turning around to look at the zombies, which were surprisingly
crawling around beneath the cars in the car park, going after the torches.
"We don't have time to argue," Jake gnashed his teeth, "Just move it... we're NOT leaving him
behind too."
"Ladder." Aldo said, interrupting any retort coming from Ty. The orca pointed to a metal ladder
attached to the side of the building, quite possibly for access to the roof's heading and
cooling units, or perhaps an antiquated way to escape an upper level in the event of the fire.
Regardless of its original intent, the group had use for it in their own way. One at a time the
party ascended the ladder, climbing up the 30+ feet to the flat roof of the mall.
"If he starts to change, then I want everyone's promise that we end him." Ty declared.
"If I start to change I'll end myself." Finley stated, pushing by Ty, "until that time, I plan
to take out as many of those things as I can." the mouse slumped to the ground with a groan,
holding his arm.
"Good enough?" Aldo questioned Ty.
"Yea..." the wolf slunk down into a seated position, "fine..."
"Just ignore him, Sir." Jake announced, sitting down beside the injured doctor, "Can you pull up
your sleeve... we need to do something with your arm."
"It's fine." Finley grumbled, "Blood's almost stopped and whatever it does to me it'll do to me
no matter what kind of medical care I receive."
"You could always remove the arm if you're worried about some kind of infection." Cadence
offered calmly.
"You're not helping." Aldo scowled at her.
"Just making sure he knew all of his options... this is silly anyway... it's just a bite." she
rolled her eyes.
"And what killed Jared was JUST a piece of lead." Ty stood up, pushing past the monkey, "Move...
you're just going to hurt him more." the wolf stated, tail lashing back and forth in an agitated
manner.
"Well, thanks for offering to help... finally." Aldo spoke up.
"Shove it." Ty replied, "I just want people to pay attention to what's going on... this wound
isn't even life threatening."
"Except for turning him into a zombie, right?" Jake demanded of the nursing student.
"Yea... that's a given." Ty answered, doing a quick cleaning of the bite, "A bandage'll be
fine... won't even need stitches."
"Going through quite a bit of trouble for a dead man." Finley spoke calmly, as if he were
discussing the weather. His twitching hands and rapid breath gave away his unease even if his
voice didn't.
"Easier than having people baby you the whole way." Ty answered simply and he stood up and
glanced aside to Jake, "Now what's wrong?" he asked the fox, whose ears had wilted. Jake
slumped, his tail curling slightly
"I can't believe he's dead..." the fox said, slowly slinking down to the rooftop, "Is... is that
gonna happen to all of us?"
"Yes. We're all going to die eventually." Cadence answered.
"Doesn't mean it has to be today... or tomorrow... or even next week." Ty knelt down next to
Jake, "You wanna die here?"
"No..." Jake responded quietly.
"No?" Ty repeated in a high-pitched, whining tone, "or 'HELL NO'?" he asked, practically barking
out the words.
"Hell no." Jake answered meekly.
"That sounds like a 'no' to me." the wolf stated flatly, whimpering out the word again.
"I said 'hell no'." Jake spoke up, a little more firmly.
"Sorry... what?" Ty asked, "I couldn't hear you over your whining."
"I'm not ready to die." Jake growled.
"Good... because neither am I." the wolf answered, and ruffled the fur on the fox's head.
Aldo, looking on at the exchange raised an eye ridge, "Did you just offer words of
encouragement?" he asked Ty.
"I'm not an asshole by nature..." the wolf responded, and he moved over to inspect Aldo's bullet
wound, "just by necessity."
"You must feel the need a lot lately." Jake mumbled just loud enough for the orca and the wolf
to hear him... and they both busted up into laughter. Jake, after a few seconds of pause,
joined in.
Off to the side neither Cadence nor Finley were laughing. "You've been calm since we first met
you..." Finley spoke, glancing at her as he absently rubbed the bandage on his arm, "What's your
secret?"
"Taking refuge in logic." Cadence answered in an almost lucid moment, "True logic overrides
emotion... there's no need to fear what you understand, only what you don't... thus, when I come
to understand something the fear disappears."
Finley smirked a little at that, "So this is what being a famous scientist does to someone, is
that it?"
Cadence scowled, but only a little, "Fame... bah... the only thing fame is good for is having
more people watching you when you bungle up."
"It sounds like you have the experience." Finley pressed.
"You do not live as long as I have without making mistakes." she answered, her eyes following
Aldo, "Everyone has regrets over what they've done."
"wrong?" Finley finished for her.
"No... I'm right." Cadence corrected.
"no... no... I mean everyone has regrets over what they've done wrong." Finley clarified.
"If you say so." the monkey shrugged.
Off to the side, Aldo, who had been paying attention to the conversation smirked, mouth slowly
pulling apart into a grin, and then he laughed. Cadence looked to him, "What?"
"It took me awhile to figure out your sense of humor... you're a lot less crazy than you let
on." the orca smiled.
"Flattery will get you nowhere." Cadence replied.
"Hey..." Jake suddenly yapped, getting to his feet, "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" questioned Aldo.
"I did." Ty responded. He finished tying off the bandage around Aldo's shoulder and got to his
feet. The wolf walked beside the fox over to the ladder. "Oh shit!" he announced. The rest of
the group moved to the edge of the roof and more gasps and exclamations went up as they saw what
had startled Ty.
Climbing up the ladder was the soldier everyone had seen at range. Now, much closer to them,
the huge gaping hole in its neck was much clearer and the blood that colored the entire front of
the soldier's chest was visible in the faint nighttime light. "He IS a zombie..." Ty rasped.
"Keen observation." Cadence stated.
"Zombies aren't supposed to be able to fire guns!" Ty pressed.
"Perhaps nobody told him that." Finley responded, "Hold it off... I'll prepare a little
'something special'..." and the mouse began searching through his pockets.
The majority of the group backed away from the ladder and began seeking out something to use for
self defense. Jake, remaining near the ladder, began furiously kicking at the metal where it
was attached to the roof, "You killed Jared, you wanker!" he seethed, repeatedly smashing his
foot against the ladder, apparently trying to kick it loose.
"Get away from the ladder, Jake... you don't want that thing pulling you off." Aldo offered.
Jake glanced back toward the orca, "I'm going to kill it for what it did to--" but his voice was
caught in his throat as a bloody hand reached up from the ladder and latched onto his shirt.
The fox let out a scream as the zombie's snarling face came into view. Aldo and Finley grabbed
either of Jake's arms and tried to pull him away from the edge, but succeeded in bringing the
zombie up onto the roof as well... until Ty stepped forward.
The white wolf swung forward, throwing knife leading the way. The blade embedded itself in the
zombie soldier's right eye and Ty followed it up with a punching jab to the zombie's left,
scalpel seamlessly slipping through the soft gel. The soldier's grip on Jake loosened
immediately and Ty withdrew his left hand, scalpel coming with it. The wolf released his grip
on the throwing knife, leaving it in the zombie's eye-socket, and casually brought a foot up to
push against its chest, sending the soldier falling backward off of the roof. A fleshy *thunk*
echoed up to the group from far below.
"That..." Jake paused, looking to Ty, "That was one of Jared's throwing knives."
"Looks like he's still looking after us then, huh?" the wolf answered simply.
"You took one of his knives..." Jake pressed.
"He didn't exactly need it anymore." Ty responded with a shrug, and moved away from the edge.
"You didn't have a right to--" the fox began, but Aldo gave his shoulder a squeeze.
"It saved your life." the orca spoke quietly.
"He didn't have a right." Jake murmured.
"Just get some rest." Aldo offered, "We can't stay up here forever and we need to collect our
thoughts before we make our next move."
"Mmm..." nodded Cadence, gazing out across the car park. It was alive with shambling corpses
meandering through the parked cars like stream water trickling past river rocks, "And it's only
going to get more interesting."
<END SCENE>
Welcome to the second Harrowing Event for the Apoc-Fur-Lypse. It seems a little horrific in its own right that both of the SF groups should be the first two out of six, but all I can say is "ouch". One or more members of Group 5 is now at 0 Plot Points. So Furry is again being subjected to the horrors of a Harrowing Event. The group is going to find out just how well their camp will hold up against a zombie onslaught. Hold on tight because things are about to get... harrowing.
What follows is a behind-the-scenes look at when and how everything went to hell in this scene, and a chance to save your favorite characters.
Cadence begins spouting out some random cack about the zombies.
Aldo makes a roll Awareness(8) to understand what she's talking about.
Aldo 5 + trait of 7 = 12 SUCCESS
Aldo understands a little bit about what she has to say.
The group camps in the lorrie overnight. Are there zombies?
This is a harrowing event. Of COURSE there are!
** Roll 3d10 to determine the number of zombies the group must face in the car park.
Roll of 8 + 3 + 1.** A group of 12 zombies comes to attack the party.
12 zombies is not enough for a Harrowing Event. We're throwing in a special zombie too.
**A roll on the 'special' zombie encounter index is made.
Result of 1d10 = 0.**
The party encounters an ENDURANCE zombie in addition to the 12 standard zombies.
The Endurance Zombie attacks the group with its assault rifle.
**Zombie rolls 2d10 to determine difficulty for the group to avoid injury.
Zombie 3 + 9 = 12.**
The group must roll 13 or higher to avoid injury.
Determine who is harmed as bullets spray the Lorrie
**Luck (13) to avoid being shot.
Cadence 6 + trait of 8 = 14 SUCCESS
Jake 7 + trait of 9 = 16 SUCCESS
Ty 8 + trait of 4 = 12 FAILURE
Finley 5 + trait of 8 = 13 SUCCESS
Aldo 9 + trait of 1 = 10 FAILURE
Jared 2 + trait of 5 = 7 FAILURE**
Ty, Aldo and Jared are hit by bullets.
Ty, Aldo and Jared are subjected to injury when they are shot.
Vitality (10) for Ty to avoid injury. (12) for Aldo to avoid injury. Vitality (15) for Jared to avoid injury.
Ty 7 + trait of 4 = 11 SUCCESS** Aldo 8 + trait of 6 = 14 SUCCESS**
Jared 3 + trait of 5 = 8 _ FAILURE
Ty and Aldo are just grazed but Jared loses 7 points of Vitality. As he does not have any remaining plot points to reduce the severity of the injury, he dies._
Can the group gather up weapons of some kind?
**Ingenuity (13) to get some kind of weapons put together. If Finley rolls 15+ then he has enough of what he needs to make a small amount of explosives.
Cadence 1 + trait of 9 = 10 FAILURE
Jake 7 + trait of 2 = 9 FAILURE
Ty 6 + trait of 7 = 13 SUCCESS
Finley 8 + trait of 7 = 15 SUCCESS-EXPLOSIVES
Aldo 0 + trait of 8 = 8 FAILURE**
Ty uses a spare scalpel from his first aid kit as a weapon while Finley prepares a bomb.
The group has a chance to disable as many as possible before they're overcome.
**Agility roll (10) to hit with explosives, (12) to hit with a melee attack, (13) to hit if unarmed. Roll must be +1 over difficulty to kill. Each character may continue their attack until they fail to hit or kill a zombie. Cadence may roll Ingenuity (11) one time but she gets a phenominal success with a 16 or higher.
Cadence 7 + trait of 9 = 16 PHENOMINAL SUCCESS
Jake 9 + trait of 5 = 14 SUCCESS-KILL
Jake 3 + trait of 5 = 8 FAILURE
Ty 9 + trait of 4 = 13 SUCCESS-HIT
Ty 5 + trait of 4 = 9 FAILURE
Finley 6 + trait of 7 = **** 13 SUCCESS-KILL**
**Finley 7 + trait of 7 = 14 SUCCESS-KILL
Finley 1 + trait of 7 = 8 FAILURE
Aldo 7 + trait of 7 = 14 SUCCESS-KILL
Aldo 9 + trait of 7 = 16 SUCCESS-KILL
Aldo 8 + trait of 7 = 15 SUCCESS-KILL
Aldo 6 + trait of 7 = 13 SUCCESS-HIT
Aldo 9 + trait of 7 = 16 SUCCESS-KILL
Aldo 3 + trait of 7 = 10 FAILURE**
The group successfully kills 7 zombies. 5 zombies and the Endurance Zombie remain.
Can everyone manage to escape the zombies without being torn apart?
**Agility or Awareness (10 +1 for every 2 zombies) to avoid DEATH while holding them off. Target # is 13.
Cadence 7 + trait of 4 = 11 FAILURE
Jake 1 + trait of 5 = 6 FAILURE
Ty 6 + trait of 7 = 13 SUCCESS
Finley 0 + trait of 6 = 6 FAILURE
Aldo 8 + trait of 7 = 15 _ SUCCESS**
Cadence, Ty, and Finley will die unless they are very lucky._
Cadence, Jake, and Finley better be pretty lucky.
**Luck (10 + amount the prior roll missed the target #) to survive.
Cadence 5 + trait of 8 = 13 Target number of 12. SUCCESS
Jake 8 + trait of 9 = 17 Target number of 17. SUCCESS
Finley 2 + trait of 8 = 10 Target number of 17. _ FAILURE**
Finley is stuck in the lorrie but Cadence and Jake get away. (-1 luck for needing the roll)._
Ty and Aldo have a chance to save Finley, or they can make a break for it.
**Tenacity (8) to get away while the getting is good.
Ty 8 + trait of 8 = 16 SUCCESS
Aldo 4 + trait of 2 = 6 _ FAILURE**
Ty makes a break for it but Aldo goes back to help Finley._
Aldo has to kill as many zombies as possible in order to give Finley a fighting chance.
**Agility roll (13) to hit unarmed. Roll must be +1 over difficulty to kill.
Aldo 9 + trait of 7 = 16 SUCCESS-KILL
Aldo 7 + trait of 7 = 14 SUCCESS-KILL
Aldo 2 + trait of 7 = 9 _ FAILURE**
Ald gets to Finley and kills 2. 3 zombies and the Endurance Zombie remain._
How hurt is Finley?
**Vitality 14 to avoid taking a serious wound.
Finley 7 + trait of 5 = 12 _ FAILURE**
Finley receives some serious wounds. (-2 Vitality)._
Can Finley and Aldo manage to escape the zombies without being torn apart?
**Agility or Awareness (9 +1 for every 2 zombies) to avoid DEATH while holding them off. Target # is 11.
Finley 6 + trait of 6 = 12 SUCCESS
Aldo 8 + trait of 7 = _ 15 SUCCESS**
Finley and Aldo get the heck outta there._
The group needs to find a way to evade the zombies!
**Ingenuity (14) to find a way to elude the zombies.
Cadence 7 + trait of 9 = 16 SUCCESS
Jake 3 + trait of 2 = 5 FAILURE
Ty 4 + trait of 7 = 11 FAILURE
Finley 5 + trait of 7 = 12 FAILURE
Aldo 7 + trait of 8 = 15 SUCCESS**
Cadence drops the last of the torches, distracting the zombies, and Aldo leads the group up a ladder onto the top of the mall.
Finley's wounds need to be treated.
Ingenuity (12) to reduce the injury he received. Ty gets +2 because of his medical background.
**Cadence 4 + trait of 9 = 13 SUCCESS
Jake 6 + trait of 2 = 8 FAILURE
Ty 8 + trait of 7 = 15 + 2 SUCCESS
Aldo 6 + trait of 8 = 14 _ SUCCESS**
Ty successfully treats Finley's wounds and reduces the damage to 0._
Group reflects on the loss of Jared.
**Endurance (12) to keep it together.
Cadence 6 + trait of 9 = 15 SUCCESS
Jake 5 + trait of 4 = 9 FAILURE
Ty 7 + trait of 5 = 12 SUCCESS
Finley 3 + trait of 4 = 7 FAILURE
Aldo 8 + trait of 4 = 12 SUCCESS**
Jake and Finley begin to lose their cool.
Cadence, Ty, and Aldo will have to calm Jake and Finley
**Influence (5 + the number by which Jake and Finley failed their Endurance rolls) for them to calm down.
Cadence 8 + trait of 5 = 13 SUCCESS-FINLEY
Ty 7 + trait of 2 = 9 SUCCESS-JAKE
Aldo 1 + trait of 2 = 3 _ FAILURE**
Cadence manages to calm Finley and Ty calms Jake._
Does anyone hear the Endurance Zombie coming up the ladder?
**Awareness (12) for someone to detect the zombie?
Cadence 7 + trait of 4 = 11 FAILURE
Jake 9 + trait of 5 = 14 SUCCESS
Ty 8 + trait of 7 = 15 SUCCESS
Finley 4 + trait of 6 = 10 FAILURE
Aldo 0 + trait of 7 = 7 _ FAILURE**
Jake and Ty have a chance to stop the Endurance Zombie._
Can Jake and/or Ty kill the Endurance Zombie?
**Highest Attribute (15) to dispatch the Endurance Zombie.
Jake 5 + Luck of 8 = 13 FAILURE
Ty 9 + Tenacity of 8 = 17 _ SUCCESS**
Ty kills the Endurance Zombie with one of Jared's knives._
No one in this chapter loses a Plot Point because there is a Harrowing Event taking place and, alas, Jared Pret is meeting his end in this chapter, and it may be possible that more characters are going to lose their life as well. Here is a chance for all readers (contributing and non-contributing alike) to help try and save their favorite character(s).
During this Harrowing Event, rolls will help a character survive but what it really comes down to are Plot Points. The more Plot Points a character has the better chance they will have to survive. Since no plot points are lost this story, everyone has at least 0... but they will probably want more than that. This is where readers come in.
Non-contributing readers may still provide a single vote for the character of their choice they would like to survive; the character with the most votes will automatically gain 1 plot point. But wait-- there's more! Characters now have the capacity to recharge Plot Points. Contributing and Non-contributing readers may provide bonus plot points for any character by providing fan art (with a cap of up to 5 bonus Plot Points).
You heard me: FAN ART! Post a link to your fan art on this story page. You could have done it yourself or it could be commissioned. Fan art may be of any character or might be a snapshot from one of the scenes thus far... it maybe it could be a fake movie poster for the Apoc-Fur-Lypse, a la something from Left 4 Dead. Make it creative, make it fun, make it meaningful-- just make it! And you may want to make it quickly because the results of the Harrowing Event will be up next week! You have one week from the date this story posts.
Contributing readers also have an opportunity to earn 1 bonus Plot Point for their character either by submitting their own art, or do a write-up of events from the character's point of view (2-5 pages), either in the form of a journal entry, train-of-thought, or personal narrative. Providing a link in a comment to this post is the way to go! Heck... you may want to advertise it on your page to encourage others to come vote for you too!
Once all Plot Points are tabulated the character with the least number of Plot Points WILL die. Among the remaining characters, bad rolls and low Plot Point scores may result in even more deaths so snap to it, folks... you don't have much time!
Lets cross are fingers and hope that as many characters from Group 5 survive as possible. Good luck!