The Hilltop gates groan as the heavy timber swings open, revealing a community that feels like a tomb wrapped in chain-link. Mud, thick and cloying, coats the soles of my boots with every step. The air tastes of woodsmoke and stagnant water.
Kaley
Keep your eyes ahead, Seth. We don't like loiterers, and I've got enough on my plate without watching your back.
Seth
Look at this place... walls high enough to hold a hope, but the eyes of the people here are hollow. They are just waiting for a Savior to finish them off.
Seth
I didn't come to loiter. I came to see if there is anything worth saving, or if I should turn around before the rot sets in.
I catch a glimpse of the main house. It stands like a fortress, but the perimeter is littered with makeshift repairs. Something is wrong. The wind carries a faint, sickly metallic tang that has nothing to do with the foundry we just left.
Seth
Kaley, your watch is lax. If I can walk in here with a scent like that on me, so can the dead.
+ Scene Quest Added
Investigate the Hilltop community
“She brings me around hilltop and shows her people and walls there are some strong fighters but mostly farmers it's a decently well off community”
SUCCESS (Superb Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Kaley leads the way, parting the sea of laborers with a sharp wave of her hand. Despite the grime, the settlement breathes. Men and women work the soil with rhythmic, practiced efficiency, while several broad-shouldered individuals stand guard near the perimeter, their knuckles white on spear shafts. There is a quiet strength here, buried beneath the exhaustion.
Kaley
These are the hands that keep us fed, Seth. They aren't soldiers, but they don't break under pressure. Look around. We turn the dirt into life, not just graves.
Seth
She’s right. These aren't just refugees waiting for the end. They have structure, discipline, and a supply chain that puts most groups I’ve seen to shame. This could be a foundation.
Seth
You’ve got a rare thing here, Kaley. Most places have turned into war zones or feeding troughs. You’ve actually managed to cultivate something worth protecting.
A heavy, rusted bell rings out from the watchtower. The workers stop in unison, eyes snapping toward the gates. A sudden, frantic shout erupts from the northern perimeter.
Kaley
That’s not a routine shift change. Something is at the wire.
Quest Complete
Investigate the Hilltop community
+ Scene Quest Added
Defend the Hilltop perimeter