The thick mist clings to the perimeter of the Kingdom’s main walls, muffling the rhythmic thud of the gate machinery. Seth stands amidst the damp grass, his hand hovering near his Desert Eagle as he watches Paul, who remains eerily relaxed despite the tension.
Seth
You have one chance to tell us why you are lurking near a grave, Paul. Speak fast.
Seth
This man is either insane or dangerous. He doesn't even flinch at a gun barrel. I need to keep him talking while I scout for his backup.
Paul
Wait, I am not the one who should be worried. I am a traveler, like yourselves. Why so much hostility in such a beautiful, albeit foggy, morning?
Seth tightens his grip on his weapon, his gaze flicking to the treeline where the mist swirls around the wooden grave marker. The air grows colder, and the silence of the farm is broken only by the distant, low groan of a walker drifting in the vapor. Seth turns his back on the farmland, signaling Miller to secure the perimeter before pushing toward the secondary armory gate.
“He says come on friends call me Jesus he then says I'm looking for a place called the Kingdom it's supposed to be well off I've heard they have walls people and food and I thought I'd come see myself you guys looking for that too? We reply we're from there”
SUCCESS (Fair Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Paul
Friends, you can call me Jesus. I’ve been traveling a long time, hoping to find a place called the Kingdom. I heard rumors of walls, food, and a real community. I thought I’d see for myself. You two look like you’re searching for that same place?
Seth
We aren't just searching for it. We’re from there.
Seth
The way he carries himself... he doesn't have the dead-eyed stare of a scavenger or the malice of a Savior. He might actually be telling the truth.
Miller
It’s not much of a kingdom these days, just a place that hasn't fallen yet. But if you're looking for order, you’ve found the right people.
The tension in Seth’s shoulders finally drops. He lowers the Desert Eagle, his fingers relaxing away from the trigger. The mist shifts, revealing Paul’s open, empty palms as he gestures toward the horizon.
Seth
Trust is a luxury we don't have, but we need more hands if we’re going to hold these walls. Let’s see what he’s really made of.
“We Will be willing to take you back if you can help us rebuild and protect the people we have children and families in those walls I don't wanna let anything or anyone in who's gonna hurt them”
SUCCESS (Fair Diplomacy, rolled +3)
Seth
We are willing to take you back, but it comes with a condition. We have families and children behind those walls, and I don't intend to let anything or anyone inside who might bring harm to them. If you want a place here, you help us rebuild and you protect them with your life.
Jesus
That is a heavy ask for a stranger, but I appreciate the honesty. Order is worth the sweat. You have my word.
Miller
That's a start. Keep your hands where we can see them until we reach the main gate.
Seth
His eyes didn't flicker. No hesitation. Maybe he’s the kind of man we’ve been missing.
The mist swirls around their boots as Seth extends a firm hand toward Jesus. The standoff has shifted from a threat into a tentative alliance, the weight of the surrounding silence pressing in on the clearing.