Lockers are loud, those are a no-go and terrible if caught. Don’t split up, the whole point of all this is to reunite with people.

I say we should maximize our chances of running into friendly dudes while we know where Sheppard is, or at least his general direction.

B: go EAST.

also known as going B EAST mode

B go east, but slam a locker shut as you run past it, if the flashlight is off, and you know where you're going, there's at least a potential chance that he pauses and investigates a locker while you continue fleeing

>>1066201
Seconding this.

rolled 8 = 8

---

On a one or a two, slamming the locker will give Sheppard enough time to catch up, guaranteeing he'll still be on your tails next update.

On anything else, the misdirect will be executed successfully, and how Sheppard responds will be rolled for in secret.

The Storyteller 2023/06/21(Wed)23:56 No. 1066441 ID: 629f2e
File 168741698691.png - (306.30KB , 1000x1000 , 361.png )

You decided to run. Building distance was more important after all, and hiding was too much of a gamble. If he found you, there wouldn’t be any escape. At least if he stays on your tail, you can keep running. Sooner or later you might lose him in the darkness.

Hmm... Darkness... He didn’t have a flashlight on, so he’s relying on sound right now.

Thinking quickly, you run over to the lockers you’d opened before, and slam it shut. Enid flinches in your grip at the sound. It’s loud and impossible for him to miss.

You then rush out the door, taking you back to the room of engines.

Enid: “Now what–?”
Clive: “Shh!”

No obvious sounds. If you give away your position now, he won’t stop his pursuit. The diversion will have only lost you time.

In his position, you can only imagine two possibilities. The first is obvious, he’d check each of the lockers to try and find you in one. The second, is that he’d stop and listen, trying to hear for any indication of where we went, or if we were still in the room. After all, this running around could leave us breathless and panting for air.

This room only had two main places you could think to hide: The Bathrooms or behind one of the various Engines. Hiding carries the same risks as before, but running would be the loudest option. You could interrupt his search if you’re too loud, or simply be heard if he paused to listen.

Maybe you could walk away? That wouldn’t be too loud, but you’d be busted in seconds if he gets it in his head to peek into here before checking anything. Just because you didn’t see his flashlight doesn’t mean he didn’t have one, and a flash into the room would reveal you immediately.

So, what is it going to be?

A: Hide!
-Pick an area to hide.
-Do you have Enid hide with you, and risk standing out more, or hide separately?
B: Keep Running!
-Book it down the East Hallway
-You’re starting to get tired...
C: Walk?
-Walk down to the East Hallway without making much noise
D: Ambush!
-How do you prepare?
E: Other?
-What else could you do?

Hide with the engines. He's alone, so you can circle the engines while he looks for you.

Don't forget:
>>1061877
>Clive: [Quiet] - Clive and those around him move silently. No noise penalty when moving.

I don't think we have to worry about making noises when moving since our quiet bonus makes it so we have no noise penalty when moving.

B, lets run one more time to the east hallway. our quiet bonus will keep us safe from making noises while running, and I'd argue much safer than walking if he decides to peek or enter in here. We can rest after.

>>1066453

Ah, you've caught me on misinformation right there. What that really should say is:

Clive: [Quiet] - Clive and those around him move silently. No noise penalty when performing standard movement actions.

What this is meant to apply to would be actions like walking between rooms, moving around inside of one, climbing a staircase or ladder, or even doing these things with a naturally more noisy character such as Albert. It is not meant to apply to interacting with potentially noisy objects, or performing explicitly louder actions such as running. Sorry for the confusion.

Will have a mod correct that attribute later. Regarding this choice however, I will give you a boon to make up for the confusion: Sheppard's next action roll will be done publicly, and with disadvantage. AKA two dice will be rolled, and he'll take the outcome that's worst for him based on what you guys do.

C: walk to the East hallway, take advantage of the silent movement. Again, our goal is to meet up with the other team, hiding interferes with that.

B, tired is better than perforated!

The Storyteller 2023/06/25(Sun)17:29 No. 1066590 ID: 629f2e
File 168773939918.png - (509.89KB , 1000x1000 , 362.png )

Distance. The more you could place between you and Sheppard, the better.

Clive: “Keep moving.”

You tighten your grip on her hand, and continue running. Your lungs and legs are starting to disagree with you, but you’re able to push their warnings aside and sprint all the way across the room. You’d almost forgotten just how long the area was.

There’s only one path you can take. With no other options, you turn down the East Hallway. Maybe if you keep retracing your steps like this, eventually you’ll just go home and put this whole thing behind you.

Not the time for jokes, you know. It helps to not think about the danger though.

You drag a hand along the wall as you run, though it’s not completely needed this time. You’re running towards the light of the opened door, so there aren’t any worries about crashing into a wall. At least not unless you go past it.

This hall is a dangerous place to stay. If your diversion doesn’t keep Sheppard off your tails, then this is just about the last place you’d want him to catch you. It’s straight with no place to hide, and has some small amount of natural lighting, due to the exit door. Nobody could miss a shot with conditions like that.

Enid: “Stop!”

You’re broken out of your sprint only part of the way towards the hall’s center by Enid tugging you back.

Clive: “We can’t stop here–”
Enid: “There’s a door.”
Clive: “Wh– What?”
Enid: “Feel it!”

She drags your arm back against the wall, and you suddenly feel out the wood grain texture of it. It was surprisingly flush with the wall, with only a very minimal border separating them. Without light, it’s no wonder you managed to miss it. Doesn’t help that both times you’ve been here, you were running for your life.

Enid: “Help me pull it.”

Like some of the other doors you’d found, this one was stuck. Two clean yanks though, and it opens right up into a new room.

And THAT leaves you with a decision to make.

The Storyteller 2023/06/25(Sun)17:33 No. 1066594 ID: 629f2e
File 168773959220.png - (1.26MB , 1500x900 , 363.png )

What will you do next?

A: Enter this room
-Sheppard will be likely to miss this room for similar reasons as you
-If Sheppard does notice the door, it’s the most likely place he’ll look
B: Keep moving down the hall
-Which way are you going?
-Leave the door open? It may bait Sheppard into checking that room
-You’re REALLY getting tired. Wherever you go, you’re going to need to take a rest action afterwards.
C: Look and Listen
-Stop and check if Sheppard really is following you or not.
-If he is, you’ll automatically go into the room to avoid being in the hall with him. You will lose some ground that you’d gained.
D: Something Else
-What else could you do from here?

(Until you perform a Look and Listen action and confirm that Sheppard isn’t on your tails, you will assume that you are still in chase.)

A Get in there! It's a secret room, so it HAS to have something related to graduation

and NOW it's a standard movement, so the silent bonus will work. going inside will mean he won't hear you entered in here from the other room. plus, he'll either still be in the storage room, or in that previous room you were in, or in the bathroom.

The fact that the door was jammed (and hard to find) is a guarantee that none of our friends are inside. I'm going to recommend sticking to our strategy of "keep moving until we regroup."

B, north. Leave the door open, so Sheppard might get distracted. Leave the flashlight off so he doesn't have a clear shot if he followed us into the hallway, plus we move quietly.

Resting in the northeast room is as far as we can physically be from Sheppard, so this is also the safest option.

Although I do agree that it's better to cover more ground and meet up with the others sooner, being out in the open while fatigued and disoriented seems worse. Plus, if Clive's fatigued, Enid's doing worse.

C + A : Get in, close the door partway, keep an ear out, and close the door sooner or later, regardless if the coast's clear.

>>1066594
A, THEN C. in that order.

>>1066596
Just thought I'd make more of may case for A,

I only want to do A and nothing else because I remember asking if we can do two actions, and being answered that doing two actions means they won't be as effective as doing one. I think we'll have a better chance at avoiding the farmer if we just did A and not take risks, and then C next update if we have to.

the thing I worry about doing B and using the door as a distraction for the farmer to enter is that since he probably doesn't know about the room, he might find some stuff that he'll take for himself or destroy to prevent us from discovering something about graduation. Also, we might not be able to enter this room for awhile once he enters.

I recommend entering the room (we might learn something new and very important) and then taking a rest there (we will need the extra energy for what is about to come).

The Storyteller 2023/06/28(Wed)19:24 No. 1066795 ID: f99f83
File 168800548356.jpg - (1.34MB , 3024x4032 , 364.jpg )

You can't keep this up. You NEED to stop, and you aren't going to get another opportunity like this.

Clive: "In here!"

You throw yourselves inside, and close the door as quietly and quickly as you can. You slump over, ready to finally relax.

But!

You can't yet. Not until you Know that you're out of the woods.

You hold a breath, as you press your ear to the door behind you, listening closely.

There's silence, just for a moment. And then…

Footsteps. The same thundering footsteps that chased you this far. They weren't passing right by the door though. In fact, they hadn't even reached it. The noise was coming from the South. Seems you'd managed to at least slow him down a little bit, even if you haven't yet shaked him.

You heard Sheppard at the corner edge of the building. You don't doubt that he'll dash through the hall next, but what of the door? Does he know it's here somehow? Could he find it like you did?

You want to keep moving, but… you can't. Your lungs and your legs reject you. You've done too much, and you need to rest.

You aren't entirely out of options though, as you aren't alone. Enid is right there with you, and she's not as winded. While she's still tired from running with such small legs, you've been helping carry her weight by dragging her with you. If you hadn't, she'd never have been able to keep up.

Enid can still move. Should she though?

A: Rest
-Tell Enid to sit down and rest. This'll be good if you need to run again soon.
-Neither of you will be ready if the door behind you opens.
B: Do something
-What should she do? She could try to block the door, turn on her flashlight and start looking around, keep listening for Sheppard, etc.
-Certain actions might make noise, which could give away your position
C: Say nothing
-Let Enid choose for herself.
-Clive may recover a touch more Fear if he picks this.

A. Just rest quietly. This door was pretty hard to find and open, and there could have been 3 other known direction shepherd would have to guess where we went even if he found this door. We cant risk having the flashlight on or he'd see the light through the crack of the door, and we shouldnt make any noise like we would by choosing b or c.

>>1066798
A: Agree w/ Above Awesome Analysis

A.
If you gotta, rest your back against the door.

The Storyteller 2023/07/09(Sun)18:07 No. 1067493 ID: 4481aa
File 168895122562.png - (580.93KB , 1000x1000 , 365.png )

No. You may have been helping her along, but she has to be tired too. Short legs and long distances aren’t a nice combo. If you’re going to rest, you may as well do it together. Not like anything you’d ask her to do would really make you that much safer.

Clive: “Sit down and wait.”

She accepts without much argument. The door was to your backs, so if Sheppard enters, that’ll be it.

After a few seconds, you hear him. Footsteps charging down the hall behind you, not hesitating for even an instant. They get closer and closer, your breath quickening as they do. This is the moment of truth!

It’s right behind you, the heavy steps so near that you can feel it in the ground...

...And they keep going. Growing footsteps turn into dying ones, as they get further and further, quieter and quieter... Until you can’t even hear them anymore.

Sheppard had finally lost your scent.

The air in the room softens, as relief washes over you in waves. Fear comes with it, as the adrenaline that had been carrying you wears off, but it’s ultimately a positive feeling.

Sheppard pointed a firearm at you back there. If that situation had played out differently...

-Enid and Clive gain +15 Fear each

-Enid and Clive lose 3 Fear from resting, and then 6 more from out of sheer relief that you got away

-Clive REALLY isn’t doing too hot

Party Fear Levels:
[Clive: 78/100]
[Enid: 47/100]

The Storyteller 2023/07/09(Sun)18:07 No. 1067495 ID: 4481aa
File 168895127762.png - (104.32KB , 1000x1000 , 366.png )

You give it another minute at least before you’re both confident he isn’t coming back. Once you’re sure, Enid turns her light back on, giving you a better look at where you’d ended up.

It seems like this is some sort of Break Room. There are Tables to sit at, Cabinets and a Fridge for storing food, and a few simple Appliances. You feel a bit stupid sitting on the floor in a room with chairs, but there’s no changing the past.

There’s a Door against the other wall, to the West. If you had to guess, it probably leads back to that massive room you were in before the chase. You can’t be entirely certain though, given that you couldn’t make out where the back wall of it was when you were there.

Enid stares at it for a few seconds, before turning back to you.

Enid: “...Do you think Albert and Roger might... I mean, if they were there before?”
Clive: “Maybe. If it connects to the hallway in front of the entrance, then Sheppard might be there again.”

You aren’t too eager to chase after anyone else, given that doing so is what led you to Sheppard. Still, what are the chances that they already attracted his attention again?

...Higher than you’d like at least.

Still, What should you do now?

A: Investigate
-Any specific areas you want to look at?
B: Abscond
-Which way? West into an unknown room (probably the massive one from earlier), or East back out into the hall (hopefully Sheppard isn’t still there)?
C: Look and Listen
-Anything specific you’re keeping an ear out for?
D: Rest and Recover
-You could chat with Enid while you do. Anything you’d like to talk about with her?
-You could also look at those papers you picked up.
E: Other
-What else might you do?

>Clive REALLY isn’t doing too hot

in that case, D: Rest and Recover
go sit at the table, rest for a bit with Enid. you went through so much scary stuff just then and could have died, you earned a small break.

read those papers you got with Enid too.

and chat with Enid... maybe ask why she's been interested in speaking to or hanging out with you when most other kids are scared of you, for good reason too.

one last thing, eat your ration with enid to help lose more fear. You deserve it.

One last thing, before we leave this room at some point, we should check around the area like the cabinets and see if there is a kitchen knife, in case we need to protect ourself, or save someone from Shepherd with. (not now tho, just a future update, we need rest)

D, and look at the papers. Also look for a first aid kit; break rooms are usually where these are kept.

The Storyteller 2023/07/16(Sun)15:09 No. 1067974 ID: 4481aa
File 168954535376.png - (371.55KB , 1000x1000 , 367.png )

You’ve been pushing yourself this whole time, but the drop in adrenaline is finally enough to make you stop. You aren’t currently in danger, and you don’t think you will be anytime soon. It may be selfish, but you’re taking a break. If the others get into trouble while you’re resting, then it’s their fault. You distracted Sheppard. They should have gotten away or hidden.

Limply, you drag yourself to one of the tables and take a seat. It’s not very comfortable, but it’s a lot better than the floor at least. Enid joins you.

Enid: “It’s good that we got away.”
Clive: “Uh-huh.”
Enid: “...Um, thank you for not running ahead and leaving me behind?”
Clive: “Uh-huh.”

You don’t really feel like conversation, but Enid isn’t taking the hint. She keeps throwing out prodding statements and questions to try and get a real response out of you. Giving her what she wants would be easier, but you just aren’t feeling it right now.

Eventually she stops. It seems like a victory for silence, until she starts shaking your arm obnoxiously.

Ignoring her was now officially too much effort.

Clive: “What do you want?”
Enid: “To talk to you.”
Clive: “Why?”
Enid: “What else are we going to do? It’s just you and me, and I don’t like the silence.”
Clive: “...Fine.”

If you weren’t going to have a choice in whether or not to talk, then you’d at least get to choose the conversation topic.

Clive: “You’ve been weirdly Clingy. Why is that?”
Enid: “What do you mean?”
Clive: “You’re holding my hand a lot, even when you don’t need to. You’re talking to me more than necessary.”
Enid: “I think I’ve just been holding your hand because you were there. I wanted to hold somebody’s, and you’ve been near me all day, so it was yours.”
Clive: “That makes sense.”
Enid: “And what’s weird about talking to you? I’m just trying to be friendly. That isn’t weird.”
Clive: “With me it is.”
Enid: “That’s what the others said too, but you’re just another kid like us, aren’t you? Even if you... did things.”

She goes a bit quiet at that. You take the moment to dig through your pockets and pull out your Ration, a granola bar. Quick to eat, good protein, and a nice flavor. You couldn’t have picked better. You can feel yourself calming down as you eat it.

Enid: “So, did you really almost kill JoJo?”

You inhale an unhealthy amount of granola, and spend the next few seconds coughing it back up. When you’re finished, you glare at her.

Enid: “...Did you?”
Clive: “Yes.”
Enid: “Why?”
Clive: “Who cares?”
Enid: “I do. That’s why I asked.”
Clive: “You barely know her, so what’s it matter? Are you feeling sorry for her?”
Enid: “A little? I don’t know. I know that I don’t really know JoJo, but I kind of know you, so I wanted to know what the truth was about all those rumors I heard.”
Clive: “I attacked her, and only stopped because I was forcefully removed. That is all.”

Her head tilts down a bit.

Enid: “That’s still just what happened. I don’t understand why it did.”
Clive: “It doesn’t matter.”
Enid: “Yes it does. If you just did it for no good reason, then what’s to stop you from doing it again? It doesn’t feel like you will, but if you didn’t have a reason...”
Clive: “I had a reason. You haven’t given me one. Yet.”
Enid: “That isn’t very reassuring.”
Clive: “...”
Enid: “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
Clive: “I don’t want to think about it.”
Enid: “Because you feel guilty?”
Clive: “It just wasn’t a good time for me. I was dealing with... a lot.”

That was putting it lightly. It was only the night prior that you’d been up late digging Graves in your backyard.

Just... don’t think about it.

You take another bite of your granola bar, savoring the flavor.

Despite the troubling topic, you manage to calm yourself down somewhat.

-Enid loses 4 Fear from resting and the conversation

-Clive loses 3 Fear from resting, as well as an additional 5 Fear from enjoying his snack.

Party Fear Levels:
[Clive: 70/100]
[Enid: 43/100]

The Storyteller 2023/07/16(Sun)15:12 No. 1067976 ID: 4481aa
File 168954554878.png - (490.99KB , 1000x1000 , 368.png )

With the conversation clearly over, the only other thing you had to occupy time were the Papers you’d picked up on the floor of the Engine Room.

Clive: “Let me borrow your flashlight.”

Instead of just passing it over, she stands up and walks around the table, pointing it down at the pages.

You had two of them, and their contents were identical.

Clive: “These are Maps.”
Enid: “It looks like they only cover the ground floor, but look!”

She points to the small room you hadn’t gone into, which connected to the Storage Room.

Enid: “There are staircases. That means there’s either a floor above this one, or a basement.”
Clive: “Yeah, you’re right. We need to try and check those out soon.”

You should have checked these sooner. You could have progressed a lot smoother if you’d known the layout of the floor. If you’d known about the staircase, you could have tried to lose Sheppard on another floor.

Then again, would you? Once you leave this floor, you would be running blindly. Would you have taken that risk, or would you have come here just like you did without it? Knowing you, probably the option that felt safest.

Enid: “...Do you think Mr. Sheppard has one of these?”
Clive: “Huh?”
Enid: “It’s just... He didn’t check this room at all. He didn’t even slow down and think about it. I don’t think he knew this room was here.”
Enid: “Also, remember what he did at the entrance? He had to shoot the lock open, because he didn’t have a key.”
Clive: “...Of course.”

You drag a hand down your face. Why hadn’t you realized it sooner?

Clive: “He’s a Farmer. Even when this place was operational, he would have never have worked here. His land has probably been in the family for a couple generations.”
Enid: “He probably only knows as much about this building’s layout as we do.”
Enid: “That makes this a huge advantage over him!”

Your optimism isn’t on her level, but you agree that you’ll have a more significant advantage with this.

Ground Floor Map Updated!

The Storyteller 2023/07/16(Sun)15:14 No. 1067978 ID: 4481aa
File 168954568550.png - (14.90KB , 880x680 , 369.png )

You’re feeling better than you did before. It’s still awful, but less so. Although you wouldn’t mind hanging around here for a while longer, there’s plenty you could do.

So what’s the plan?

A: Investigate
-Any specific areas you want to look at?
-(The kitchen will be investigated simultaneously)
B: Abscond
-Do you go West into the Turbine Room?
-Or do you go East into the East Hallway?
C: Look and Listen
-Anything specific you’re keeping an ear out for?
D: Rest and Recover
-You could chat with Enid while you do. Anything you’d like to talk about with her?
E: Other
-What else might you do?

Did... you just see Enid's eyes for a moment? hmmmmm...

A. Investigate. Yeah, there probably isn't anything much related to graduation in here, but that's not just what we're looking for.

If there is a kitchen, there's bound to be silverware and other kitchen utensils. And if there's utensils, there most likely must be a a knife for us to protect ourselves and the others with. It'll suck if Clive will have to use it against Shepherd, but considering he has a gun, it'll be safer to have one than to not have one and have anyone get shot.

What else to investigate? check for food, like in the fridge or cabinets. Yeah, their expired, but we're not eating them.

What I want to check is the Expiration date on the packaging, that way, we can get a better idea on around WHEN this place was closed down. We already know when it was opened (1959) maybe we'll get more info on the timeline if we find out around what year it closed down. Be sure to look at multiple ones as different foods expire faster.

>>1067979
A. Agree with this, and also check the manufacturers' labels for the appliances. They'll have warranty info and where/when they were manufactured.

I feel like D

We should figure out if you want to either try to find a way upstairs and see if you can find something while Sheppard is chasing everyone, or if we should try to team up with another group and hand off one of the maps.

You could also do it while investigating this room, look for posters about workplace safety or about required labor laws, a *nuclear power plant* would definitely have something like that in it's breakroom even if it's a *big warning* about what not to do, heck it might even help to point you towards where to go/avoid since you now have a map

A-Investigate the room.
If/when you B-Leave the room, I think that left staircase would be a good destination. The most direct path would be through the turbine room, but be prepared to take the long way around if there's hostiles in there.

Time is of the essence. I recommend grabbing something sharp for protection and going into the basement. We might not find as many documents down there but we will certainly find visual clues as to what happened to make everyone crazy.

The Storyteller 2023/07/28(Fri)00:50 No. 1069135 ID: 4481aa
File 169053063159.png - (731.36KB , 1000x1000 , 370.png )

You both agree that it’d be a good idea to check this room out before you leave. You move to the kitchen first, while Enid starts digging through cabinets.

The kitchen is rather small, but it has most of the appliances you imagine people would want. A fridge, a sink, a microwave, a toaster, and even a dishwasher. The only thing it lacked was a stove top, but it was probably more than enough for employees to heat up their lunches.

Curiosity draws you to the fridge first. Opening it winds up being an awful mistake however. The Stench may not have been lethal in the way rotting corpses were, but it was still coming from a sort of death. There was no light when you opened the fridge, nor cold air. The fridge wasn’t powered, and the food inside was Rotten.

You close it fast, but the smell lingers in the air. Would it have killed somebody to clean this out?

...That’s a stupid question, isn’t it? This plant didn’t just stop operating. There wouldn’t be corpses all over the place if that were the case. Something happened here, and this just proves that whatever it was, it left the plant Unsalvageable. Or at the very least, nobody was around to try and make something of what was left. There was no effort to maintain the building or what was inside of it.

Something happened here, and multiple people died as a result. Their bodies were never collected, and the plant was completely abandoned afterwards.

You have the broad scope, but you still need the What and Why of it all.

Something to worry about later. You continue searching. None of the other appliances are housing food, thankfully. In a moment of clever thinking, you get it in your head to check the manufacturer labels for the appliances. The thought that it might help solve your date conundrum occurs to you.

No dice. They’re all from or before 1959. Seems none of them had to be replaced for as long as the plant was active. That, or they came used, so the information was outdated.

Aside from that, there’s only one area of note. When checking the dishwasher, you notice that it had a load sitting inside. No stench, so it must have been run before whatever happened, thankfully. However, among the silverware, one item stands out to you.

It’s small, and has clear rust from being left to sit while wet, but it’s clearly a Steak Knife.

You gulp, reaching into your pocket and gripping your plush toy tightly.

This is a weapon. Even for self-defense, the main purpose of this tool will be to hurt someone. Possibly even...

...

With significant hesitation, you decide to hold onto it for now.

The Storyteller 2023/07/28(Fri)01:11 No. 1069137 ID: 4481aa
File 169053186462.png - (627.64KB , 1000x1000 , 371.png )

You help Enid check the remainder of the break room afterwards, as it’s a larger space with more to examine. It doesn’t seem like there will be anything of note, unfortunately. Much like with the warranties, you run into the same issue when checking the posted required labor law poster sitting above a counter. The information is outdated. It’s not a good source for the latest date the plant has been in operation.

However, it isn’t a total loss. It seems the company did have to update the posters at least once, while the plant was still operation. The latest poster is dated February 4th, 1963.

So the plant was open for almost four years at the bare minimum. You should run that by the others at some point, and see what they think about it.

Enid: “I don’t think there’s anything else in here we need to look at. And if we go out the back, it at least seems... unlikely that we’ll run into Mr. Sheppard again.”
Enid: “I really hope he didn’t just go back there right after we stopped listening.”
Clive: “Same. If we see him, I should be able to run again.”
Enid: “We also have a better map, so maybe we can use that to get away more easily!”
Clive: “Maybe.”

You’re about to place your hand on the door, when the knob twists. Your heart leaps into your throat, expecting the worst. Instead...

Roger: “Hey! You’re okay!”
Albert: “I believe that could have been inferred by the fact that we didn’t hear the sound of any gunshots after they left.”
Roger: “You never know. They could have been strangled or punched out or something.”

...You were face-to-face with two of your missing allies.

Enid: “Roger! It’s so good to see you again.”
Roger: “Same! I really was worried about you. I don’t know if you saw us, but we were hiding in that big room when Mr. Sheppard came in.”
Albert: “It certainly was frustrating. We were present when he found you, yet unable to act without surely sacrificing our own lives. All because of that accursed firearm.”
Clive: “...We got away. It doesn’t matter.”

It would be hypocritical to be upset with them for abandoning you, knowing you’d do the same in their situation. Albert isn’t wrong. Trying to stop Sheppard without a plan really would have been a death sentence for them. Considering the outcome you reached saw nobody die, it’s better for everyone that they left things as they were.

Roger: “I’d like to sit down and share information, but we may want to leave.”
Albert: “That’s right. Somebody was making quite the racket in the Eastern Hallway, and seeing as you two are here...”
Enid: “I don’t think he’ll be able to find this room from the hall though.”

As she explains about the hard to notice door, you consider what meeting up with these two means for you.

- Roger: [Considerate] - Roger is good at keeping the peace, and monitoring everyone’s status. You’ll be made aware what other members of your party want more often while Roger is around
- Albert: [Logical] - While traveling with Albert, you’re more likely to be told the likely outcomes of your options (based on the information you have).
- Enid: [Coercive] - Clive is less likely to ignore the Spirits when Enid is present.
- Clive: [Quiet] - Clive and those around him move silently. No noise penalty from performing standard movement actions.

Inventory:
- Flashlight (Enid) - Necessary for investigating in darker areas
- Flashlight (Roger) - Necessary for investigating in darker areas
- Compass - Grants better pathing and maintaining a sense of position
- Ration (3) (Roger) - Lose more Fear when choosing Rest and Recovery
- First-Aid Kit (Albert) - Allows you to treat mild to moderate injuries
- Ground Floor Map - A map of the Nuclear Plant’s ground floor, found in the Break Room
- Steak Knife - A small rusted knife that you can use for self-defense

You still need to find ‘Bec, and gather enough evidence to convince the other’s you’ve found more than enough before you can leave. For now, what should you do?

A: Abscond
-Nobody wants to go East, so the only acceptable direction is West into the Turbine Room
-Is there a specific location you would like to go to?
-Enid wants to go upstairs to get further away from Sheppard
B: Look and Listen
-Anything specific you’re keeping an ear out for?
-Albert wants to monitor the situation in the East Hall, to track where Sheppard moves next
C: Rest and Recover
-This would give you the chance to catch Roger and Albert up on what you’ve found so far
-You get the feeling that Roger wants to hear about your investigation
D: Other
-What else might you do?

A: Let's investigate upstairs.

Oh hey, looks like they found us instead of us finding them. That was a nice surprise and a relief. Good for all of us.

I'm not fully sure, might change vote, but my gut tells me to go with Albert's option of B right now, there is activity going on in the east hallway for some reason, and it's kinda strange Shepherd would come back to the east hallway after we heard his footsteps run far away from here. I'm wondering what that is about and it might be best to do B to understand what the situation is.

Best case, it's Bec, and she is probably taking this opportunity to leave the power plant
bad case, it's Shepherd again for some reason, though silver lining we can figure out where he's going in that case and stay off his trail.
Terrible case: it's Bec getting chased by Shepherd and she's leading him to the east hallway.
worst case: it's more adults entering the power plant.

though my second choice will be A to sneak away from whatever it is in the east. the staircase southward near the storage room is probably the safest route since if we go towards any of the northern staircases, whatever is to the east hallway might see us when we walk past that hall leading to the east hallway.

I'm torn between C and A

Basically I want us to give them one of the maps and recap that you've only found a corpse and a bunch of papers in the previous rooms.

Albert will get use out of the maps and Roger will likely have a good idea of where to go on this floor for either clues or to snag the others.

I think you and Enid (or if Albert/Roger has another idea) should head upstairs when you can, though. Both to listen to Enid, but also because there might be *light* up there if this place is as fucked up, maybe broken windows, maybe offices, stuff that basic employees wouldn't need to access?

>>1069137
Note to everyone, we are past 8 updates.

Something else is wrong here now, something that affects everyone in the building. I suspect it's related to why they didn't come back for the corpses.

Radiation?
sci fi hijinks?
Some kind of spooky monster that goes a bloogy woogy woo?

I'd rather not like to find out, and we should consider coming back for more information later.

As much as I want Albert to do the big brain thinking for us, we are nearly OUT OF TIME. We’ll have to get out soon if we don’t want bad things to happen. We can show Albert the map later, and he can piece things together.

Abscond upstairs. A.

The Storyteller 2023/08/27(Sun)20:15 No. 1071052 ID: 4481aa
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Clive: “Talk later. We should go, before we’re found.”
Roger: “Go where?”
Enid: “Upstairs. Mr. Sheppard hasn’t left this floor yet, so we shouldn’t have to worry about bumping into him there. Not for a while at least.”
Albert: “Hmm, it would be a risky option for him. Leaving the floor makes it significantly easier for us to escape outside of his notice.”
Albert: “What would really be best for him would be to wait at the door, so that there’s no chance of us getting past him.”
Clive: “Yeah. Be thankful he’s not doing that.”

Enid pulls up her map, showing it to the others.

Roger: “The stairs in the laundry room are the closest, but...”
Enid: “It’s also the closest to where Mr. Sheppard might still be.”
Clive: “Then let’s use this one.”

You point to the top-left corner of the map, at the stairwell between storage and the turbines.

Albert: “That does seem to be our best choice. It’s hardly a short walk though.”

He isn’t wrong. Given that you aren’t running (hardly an option with Albert using a cane), traveling that far will take 2 Updates worth of time (assuming you aren’t interrupted).

[ A/N: When traveling longer distances, if nothing notable happens, we’ll skip past unnecessary updates and simply note the time spent ]

Considering that, it would be good to acquire a Second Floor Map sooner rather than later.

Roger: “If we’re going, then let’s go. We can talk and walk, and I think we’d all prefer to put some distance between us and the gun toting farmer.”

The others agree, and so you start moving. After slowly pushing open the door to the Turbine Room, listening for just a moment, you march in the darkness, flashlights off. You know that the door we’re looking for is against the wall, so you just have to keep a hand against it and feel our way there. Nobody wants a repeat of Sheppard walking in while you’re lighting the room up, especially with all the different entrances.

Albert: “There’s machinery up ahead, go around it.”

Albert was in the front again, naturally. You’d probably abandon him otherwise, given his slow pace. You all take the warning, feeling in front of you to get around the metal object, before reattaching to the wall.

It’s hard to keep track of how long you’ve been going for. Without seeing the path ahead, it feels like your understanding of distance has taken a leave of absence. You only recognize that you’ve arrived, because Albert’s cane stops tapping the ground. You hear a door open, and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Tap... Tap...

It was quiet and far away, and yet it sounded like it had been right next to you.

Footsteps. Somebody had entered the room, from one of the Northern entrances.

You quickly slip through the door with the others, and make sure it shuts behind you as quietly as possible.

The Storyteller 2023/08/27(Sun)20:16 No. 1071053 ID: 4481aa
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Enid and Roger turn their lights on, confirming that you’re in a Stairwell. There are two doors, the one you came in from and one that leads to the Storage Room; then of course the stairs. There seem to be two sets going up on opposite ends of the room, but it seems likely that they both end in basically the same place.

Albert doesn’t waste time, starting up the closest set of stairs, steadying himself against the wall. You all follow his lead.

Roger: “Hey, Enid, did either of you guys see ‘Bec earlier? After we all split up?”
Enid: “No, I don’t think so. You?”
Roger: “Nope. Think she’s up here somewhere?”
Enid: “That would make sense.”
Roger: “Hmm... Maybe we should prioritize finding her then? I mean, it’s important to make sure she’s safe, obviously, but we could also rely on her investigations.”
Albert: “Excellent point, Roger. We need not waste time examining areas she’s already searched, unless of course we doubt her thoroughness. While I wouldn’t rule that out–”
Clive: “‘Bec is reliable.”
Albert: “Hmm... Well she certainly hides it well, behind that thuggish simpleton persona.”
Roger: “Hey, don’t start with that again. She helped us get in here, remember?”
Albert: “And then cast blame upon us and fled on her own once the unexpected happened.”
Albert: “Frankly, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that she’s already left.”
Roger: “Aw come on, you don’t really think she’d just ditch us, do you?”
Clive: “...”
Albert: “...Your silence rings quite loudly on this point, Clive.”

It didn’t seem quite right for you to speak ill of someone else for potentially abandoning everyone, when you considered doing the same. More than that, it did seem like something she might do. Enid seems to catch your hesitance there.

Enid: “Even if it’s something she might consider, when would she ever make it to the front door without running into one of us first?”
Enid: “Unless she turned around immediately after fleeing, which doesn’t seem likely. Because... Mr. Sheppard could have been coming after her. So she would have kept running.”

It wasn’t air-tight, but she seemed satisfied with it. Roger picks up right where she’d left off.

Roger: “We went North, and they went South. She couldn’t have gone down either of those paths without bumping into us.”
Roger: “And she couldn’t have found the Break Room, because she didn’t have a flashlight. Plus, it was against the wall that she was probably running away from.”
Albert: “She could have used the wall to guide herself while running though. In which case, it’s quite possible.”
Roger: “Maybe, but I don’t think she would. Even if she wanted to use one of the walls to flee, she wouldn’t feel her way to the sides when she was in a hurry, would she?”

Albert clicks his tongue, not having a strong rebuttal.

Albert: “Fine.”
Roger: “Let’s not assume the worst of her when we don’t need to. She’s on our side. Our only enemy right now is Mr. Sheppard.”
Albert: “A salient point.”

The Storyteller 2023/08/27(Sun)20:16 No. 1071054 ID: 4481aa
File 169319257536.png - (323.02KB , 1000x1000 , 374.png )

You reach the top floor, and step out into another hallway. There are no immediate doors in sight, but three different directions you can go down.

Clive: “What are we doing?”
Roger: “Like I said before, I’d prioritize finding ‘Bec before anything else. It’d save us some trouble.”
Enid: “Should we all stay together for that? It’d be easier if we went in different directions, wouldn’t it?”
Roger: “That’s true, but we’d be more at risk then, right?”
Albert: “I’m not sure about that. As a collective, I’d think we make more noise and have a harder time going unnoticed than we did in pairs.”
Roger: “Do we really want to split up again though? We only just caught up with each other.”
Enid: “Hmm...”
Albert: “...”

You don’t want to waste any more time than necessary on this choice.

Should you split up?

A: Stay together
-Stick together as a group of 4
-This may cause difficulties if you ever need to hide or flee
-Roger seems to be leaning towards this
B: Split up to cover more ground
-Split up into two pairs
-Do you keep the same groupings as before, or do you want to go with someone else?
-It seems like Albert wants this
C: Stay silent
-Stay out of the decision
-You will recover a bit of Fear for not forcing yourself to choose

Whether or not you do, what do you want to do next?

1: Abscond
-You don’t currently know which way each path leads
-It will be assumed that if you split up, any other groups will go in a separate direction
2: Look and Listen
-Anything specific you’re keeping an ear out for?
3: Rest and Recover
-Any other groups will rest with you, giving you time to catch up on what Roger and Albert have been up to
4: Other
-What else might you do?

I'd say Split, but have at least one person (if not a whole pair) keep an eye on the stairwell. It's important to know if someone comes up after everyone else, regardless of if it's 'Bec or Sheppard.

It might also be good to agree on some kind of sound or signal to identify "I am here" or "Sheppard is here." while (almost) everyone's still grouped together.

A, stick together.

If the decision is to split up, stick with Albert so that you can cancel his noise, and go East with him. Roger and Enid can go south. Not north because there is another stairway there, and we don't want to get ambush. Tell them to meet back here in like, around 10 updates time.

If we leave, go south together.

3. Since we had Clive choose, lets also give him a rest to recover more fear, and get an update on everything now that we're somewhere safer(?) and update them on stuff. Maybe Albert and Roger discovered something.

I want to point out to them the loading area on the map, and how there is a big opening over there which MIGHT be an alternate exit if we can't exit through the east. I'm thinking it's a large garage door for vehicles to exit and enter. The question would be how we could open it. Also, we should tell them about how we found another dead body in the lockers of the storage room. Makes me wonder why they were hiding, and from what. but whatever threat that was in here, it was something that people were not only running from, but hiding from too. Albert might have some better conclusions over this.

or

2. Listen for any noises from up here. If Bec is anywhere, we might hear her since Shepherd isn't up here yet.

lastly, a thought, if there were noises down east of the break room like Albert claims there was, and we heard someone enter from the north of the turbine room just now, then that could mean that someone MAY have entered the plant if that wasn't Bec making a racket in the east.

Stick together and rest. We just spend like ten billion updates trying to get most of us back together, this eliminates most uncertainty with the tappy tap tap cane and oh no is it a shotgun man or a spiky haired asshole.

Plus if we’re all together we get to utilize all the benefits of people, for example Clive is silent and Enid is a diabolical mastermind who forces us to obey, which is great for Albert and his stubbornness. Stack the buffs!

Tell Albert about the body and use his big brain for something other than insults.

Stick together and start exploring, hugging the north wall.

Don't you know, you never split the party,
Enid at the back, keep the runners hale and hearty,
Albert right in the middle, where he can give insights,
And you shouldn't have let Becky out of sight.

Staying together and resting for a while in order to catch up with each other would be the best idea.

Afterwards, we should move east, since that's the direction with the direction that has the most rooms.