--> Yellow toy truck

--> 2 cans of beans

--> Sturdy stick

--> Blanket

--> Piece of leather

--> Knapsack

--> Canteen

The boy watches his breath dissipate in the frigid air. The man said he was going somewhere dangerous, that he would come back soon.

^{I'm sorry,} he'd said. ^{If I'm not here you can still talk to me. And you'll hear me. I'll just be a little ways. If you get scared you call me and I'll come right away.}

Papa?

No response.

The boy stands. He walks on, alone.

Help him

Avoid him (The man suggests this. ^{There's nothing to be done.})

Plunder

+50 EXP

"Come closer, boy. I have stories to share."

Ask about:

Resources and Surroundings

Food

Enemies (The man suggests this. ^{You should always be on the lookout.})

+50 EXP

The boy reads.

Do you know the threats that lurk in these heights?

Do you feel the harsh conditions upon your frail back?

Do you wonder how this world came to be?

+50 EXP

The Burning Man was right, water in a lake. It looks muddy, but the boy is thirsty. He filters it through a dirty cloth and drinks his fill.

Store and return to The Burning Man

Store and move on (The Man suggests this. ^{We're losing the day.})

+50 EXP

Suffocating Winds --> Asthma Status Effect

-5 Constitution, -5 Strength, -10 Energy

The wind is poisonous to your kind.

To remove: move to caves and other barriers to block the polluted currents

Extreme Cold --> Hypothermia Status Effect

-10 Constitution, -10 Energy

The snow will burrow into your clothes.

To remove: requires fire or steam vents in a safe clearing

He explores:

The Kitchen

The Cellar (The man suggests this ^{Take a risk. You need to find something to eat.})

+50 EXP

Rotten remains sag on the branches. The boy doesn't recognize it. What had the man called it? ^{An apple orchard}

He steps on something. Hard, brown, shriveled. It's delicious, stem and core and all.

^{You did good.}

+50 EXP

The vertebrae of small marine animals litter the shores, and pieces of trash resurface.

Gray sludge, slick and shiny, reflective like clean gasoline in a jug. The boy doesn't know how it was in the man's time. Its roiling waves are mesmerizing.

Swim ^{I think you should do it.}

Rest ^{It's colder than you think.}

+50 EXP

The man gives a raspy thanks, says there's water north. Could the boy bring him some?

The man's breathing slows. It's difficult to see if his chest still rises from behind the trees. The boy walks on, alone.

The man groans. Grabs the boy's wrist with surprising strength and doesn't let go until the boy pulls, hard, and scrambles away

The journey back is arduous. The Burning Man is already dead. The Man says ^{It's okay for you to take it. He would want you to.}

The boy says a prayer, and moves on.

"The path of broken sticks is dangerous. The scent of blood follows."

"The fungi shaped like the wrinkles on an old man's hand are best to eat by day."

"Listen closely, little one. There are many dangers to expect."

Truckers: -5 Energy, -1 Blanket

They haunt the roads beside the forest, a mindless thing caged in metal monsters. Walk in the shadows, and keep things close

Missing Children: -10 Health, -5 wis.

More beast than human, scavenging in caves and water. Scour the surroundings before settling in for the night.

Falling Branches: -5 Health, -5 con.

They crack suddenly, a beacon of sound. The wood is brittle but sharp. Anticipate the sounds, and move quickly

Bears: -20 Health

They lurk in caves and deep, dense forests, hungry beyond their mind. Watch every step and move in silence.

A long time ago, the world was rife with words unnatural to you.

Wildlife: crows, cows, trout.

Man's creations: dams, billboards, sextants.

Colors: ocean blue, brick red, leaf green

Then I shall write of its secrets.

And now, you will know its effects.

The cabinets hold useful items and utensils. Within their depths, a rotting rat jumps from the darkness and scurries away, but not without a lasting injury.

The boy walks on, alone.

He explores. There's something in the dead grass. ^{Shovel at it.} The boy is scared.

Go

Explore (^{This is what the good guys do. They keep trying. They dont give up.})

+50 EXP

The cellar is hard to open. The boy finds a toolshed and uses its contents to pry the door. Inside is dark, and has a rancid smell that the boy can't quite place. He wonders what it is.

He descends further, and doesn't wonder anymore.

Beseeching eyes and a quivering voice stretch across the dim cellar. _{Help us. Please}

Untie Them

Run Away (The man suggets this ^{Hurry. For God's sake hurry.})

+50 EXP

The humans are frail but thankful. The ones with legs stumble towards the sky.

Shots ring out. 4 men and 2 women. Armed.

He escapes, but barely. No one else does. The boy walks on, alone.

The sight haunts the boy for a very long time. He can barely bring himself to eat. The man says ^{You couldn't help them because then they'd eat you too.}

Inside: shelves, a bed, a full pantry — untouched. The boy eats pears from a can.

5 days of heaven.

The man walks him through the valve and tank and burner.

Then, he sets off. ^{Because it's dangerous.}

He was put on this Earth for this boy. He failed his job. How will their story end? The boy's stomach moans with hunger. He has to carry the fire. Something beautiful.

The boy walks on, alone.

Mountain Lions: -20 Health

Snarling beasts, camouflaged in the blank white.

Avoid snow-topped rocks upon the crest of the ridge

Hikers: -10 Health

They have a black abyss where fire should burn.

Camp far from roads, and cover every track

Has your luck run out yet, little boy? Or will you continue living in a world not made for breath?

Wild memories, echoes of the past, dense in the water.

He is shivering when he steps out, and crying. He won't give voice to the reason.

The boy walks on, alone.

The waters are dangerous. He eats a light meal and tries to recall stories of helping people.

The boy walks on, alone.

Someone was coming down the road. He waited, anyways.

He can't see the fire like the man can. There's nothing to do but decide.

Go with them

+50 EXP

Your fate is in their hands, now.