The farmhouse sits atop a barren hill, its weathered white paint peeling like dead skin. Seth steps onto the porch, his boots crunching on glass shards. The air smells of salt and rot.
Seth
This place feels like a tomb. I need to make sure the cellar is still clear before I bring the others inside.
Miller
Seth, stop moving. Listen to that.
A faint, rhythmic dragging sound echoes from the kitchen floorboards. Seth grips his AK-47, his knuckles white against the dark metal. Through the cracked doorway, a shadow shifts, revealing a pair of hollow eyes staring back from the darkness of the pantry.
Seth
Not again. These things are everywhere. We need to clear this floor now or we lose the night.
+ Scene Quest Added
Clear the farmhouse cellar of threats
“Tell them to freeze”
SUCCESS (Legendary Tactics, rolled -1)
Seth
Freeze. Don't even breathe, Miller.
Seth’s voice is a low, jagged edge that cuts through the stagnant air. Miller stops mid-step, his boot hovering inches above a splintered floorboard. Seth flows into a tactical crouch, his AK-47 steady, tracking the movement in the pantry with surgical precision.
Seth
The creature is fixated on the movement behind me, not me. If I take the shot now, the sound will draw every roamer within a mile. If I wait, the floorboards might scream under Miller’s weight.
The walker in the pantry lurches forward, its jaw hanging loose, claws scraping against the wood frame. It is blind, relying on the sound of Miller's heavy breathing. Seth’s finger tightens on the trigger, his eyes flicking to the darkened hallway behind them, wondering if this is a lone straggler or a lure into a larger ambush.
Miller
It's closing in, Seth. Tell me you have a move for this.
+ Scene Quest Added
Neutralize the pantry walker
“We need to go now regroup with John outside then find a new safe spot to lay low”
SUCCESS (Legendary Tactics, rolled +0)
Seth
Don't move. Back out, slowly. We don't fight this, we vanish.
Seth signals with a sharp, downward flick of his hand. He keeps his gaze locked on the creature in the pantry, matching its erratic lurching with his own slow, rhythmic retreat. Miller exhales a shaky breath, his boots sliding silently back over the splintered floorboards as they pivot toward the porch.
Seth
The structure is too compromised. If we engage, the noise will trigger a chain reaction. We regroup with John at the perimeter and find somewhere without a rotting foundation.
They slide out through the doorway, leaving the walker to claw at empty air in the dim, stale pantry. Once on the porch, Seth doesn't look back, moving toward the tree line with the fluid, calculated grace of a predator who knows when to yield the ground.
Miller
Smart call, Seth. My gut says this place is nothing but a death trap anyway.
“Ask John if he has any ideas of where we could set up a place to call home”
SUCCESS (Legendary Tactics, rolled +1)
The trio gathers near the tree line, the farmhouse silhouetted against a darkening sky. John keeps his rifle trained on the front porch while he pulls a creased, hand-drawn map from his tactical vest.
John
Look, the farmhouse is a bust, but I marked a secondary site further east. An old concrete substation. It’s walled, reinforced, and tucked into the valley. If we move now, we can reach it before the light fails.
Seth
A substation. That's tactical gold. High ground, restricted entry points, and likely built to withstand heavy weather. It’s the closest thing to a fortress we'll find in this sector.
Seth
Good eye, John. Miller, gather your pack. We move fast, keep the noise discipline tight until we cross the creek. If that place is as solid as it looks on your map, we might actually get some sleep tonight.
Seth
Everything hinges on this site. If the substation is empty, we build. If it's occupied, we take it. No more half-measures.
+ Story Quest Added
Secure the concrete substation