Zenith : In Character → Threads, Logs, Events

Who: Owen and Cecilia
When: After the game
Where: Billiard room

( Good moods for a change. )

Who: Damon, Lennon and Jim
Where: in town
When: late morning

( dressed, armed and ready )

Who: Evie and OPEN
Where: The beach
When: Morning

( Not the worst wake up she'd had here )

Who: Kate
When: morning
Where: The woods where she woke up
What: Being pissed off and stubborn


For the second time in ten days, Kate found herself waking up outside. It was no less creepy the second time around, and the good mood she'd been in after hanging out with Jack plummeted fast as she took in her status. Clothed in the short boxers and tank she'd fallen asleep in, alone, and being beeped at by some strange black machine.

( Good morning, Kate. Please read me to begin the game. )

Who: Tobias and Maurya
Where: Near the cemetery, trees
When: morning

( he would probably lose )

Who: Jack, Juno, Juliet, and Marco
When: Morning
Where: In the street, not far from where they all woke up

( Mexican Stand-off! )

Who: Madison and Owen
Where: Here (to start)
When: Around two hours after waking up (11:15am give or take)

( nooooooooooooo god why )

Who: Chase, Kiley, Pam and Avram
Where: Chase's position, Kiley's position, then the Tower
When: After waking

( IRL FPS FTW )

Who: Cecilia and OPEN
When: Morning
Where: north of her initial position

( This is stupid, how dare they, I can't belie--is that a sword? Crap. )

Who: Oliver and Edwin
Where: In the trees where Oliver started
When: Soon after starting

( Right in my wheelhouse )

Day 27.

Weather: You could not ask for a better fall day. There’s not so much as a cloud in the sky, temperatures have risen to a comfortable 68° Fahrenheit during daylight hours, and the world is alive with color! Lots and lots of color, actually. About that...

Events: At some point, regardless of any intention, everyone fell asleep at some point before 2 AM. They will all awake at dawn in a new location - in almost all cases, they wake outside. Every person is alone, and under the exact same circumstances.

They will wake wearing whatever they were wearing last, but in the event that someone slept naked, they will find they have at least been wrapped in a blanket. How courteous! Everyone will see a very strange machine directly in front of them. It looks a little like a tall black vending machine with a computer screen on the front. Once the individual starts moving around, the computer screen automatically lights up with a message, and a robotic voice greets them. ”Good morning, *name*. Please read me to begin the game.”

Wait. The what?

Approaching the console will cause a message to automatically launch. It reads:

Greetings.

You have all had a very draining week, and come through it quite admirably. We thought it would be beneficial to you all to be able to have fun and blow off steam. Welcome to Mount Zenith’s paintball tournament.

Each of your companions has woken in identical conditions in a different location in town. Each of you has been assigned a color, and will be allowed to choose what equipment suits you best. For every hit landed on an opponent, you will be given five points. Every time you take a hit, you will lose four points. At sunset, the game will end, and we will announce your scores.

Please note, the winner (or winners) shall receive nothing but bragging rights. We shall offer no awards, nor inflict any punishments upon those who do not perform well. We intend for today to simply be something of a vacation day, and as such, we will not hold you accountable for any damages done to the property during the game.

Please keep in mind that finding a cozy, secluded corner to wait it out will not be an option. We are sending a number of drones into the town, and they are equipped to shoot the paintballs as well. They will be actively seeking out any human life to target, and you will have to shoot them down when you see them.

There is one more thing. Each hit is graded depending on where it lands on the body. Hits to arms and legs are graded superficial, and sustain no penalty. Hits to the torso and back will incur a five minute penalty to the victim. Headshots will incur a twenty minute penalty. On these penalties, the implant in the back of your neck will paralyze you, and you will be incapable of moving until your penalty has expired.

With that said, we must ask that you please keep your safety goggles on at all times, and do at least try and avoid shooting each other in the face. All equipment has been tested on our interns, and they can attest to the fact that they can in fact be quite painful.

How you choose to play the game is up to you. You are more than welcome to find your friends and team up. So go out there, have fun, and embrace your inner child.

When the individual finishes reading the message, a selection screen comes up. It explains that each person has ten Equipment Points (or EP) to spend on their weaponry, and explains the cost, advantages, and disadvantages of each weapon. Their choices are:

Hunting Knife.
A foam knife, its edges acts like a marker. Can be used at close range only.
Cost: 1 EP.

Sword.
A foam sword, its edges act like a marker. Can be used at close range only.
Cost: 2 EP.

Crossbow.
A mid-range weapon that functions silently. Has the disadvantage of only being able to fire one paint-bolt at a time.
Cost: 3 EP.

Pistol.
Mid-range weapon that can hold 9 paintballs per clip.
Cost: 4 EP.

Shotgun.
Extremely powerful at close range. Any hit with a shotgun, even if only to an arm or leg, adds an additional sixty seconds penalty time. Has the disadvantages of only being effective at a closer range than the pistol, and is also extremely loud - and may give away your position.
Cost: 5 EP.

Hunting Rifle.
Five bullet capacity, bolt-action rifle, with scope. Effective mid to long range. Slight kick when fired.
Cost: 6 EP.

Automatic Rifle.
Comparable to an AK-47, holds 90 paintballs. Loud, powerful, effective mid to long range. Not as accurate as the Hunting Rifle, but multiple shots on one limb will result in a 60 second penalty for the victim.
Cost: 7 EP.

Sniper Rifle.
Very heavy, but the most effective long-range weapon in the game. If you think you could handle it, this baby will make headshots possible from two blocks away.
Cost: 8 EP.

Characters are asked to spend their EP however they like, and yes, multiples of the same weapon are allowed. After all points have been spent on the console, they will hear the machine rumble slightly for a short time, and then a click. At that point, a locker door on the back of the machine opens. Inside everyone will find a set of camouflage coveralls, combat boots, and safety goggles, along with whatever weapons they chose. They will also receive a utility belt, a bag for carrying extra ammo, and whatever holsters or carrying straps necessary for the equipment they chose.

Keep in mind that they’re serious about those drones. Finding a cozy place to hide inside isn’t going to work. Windows or even air vents will pop open on their own and the little buggers will fly in.

Each character wakes in a different place around town, and has been given a different color for their paintballs.

PAINTBALL COLORS:

Lennon
Juno
Marco
Maurya
Pam
Georgie
Kate
Kiley
Jim
Damon
Edwin
Jack
Chase
Daphne
Avram
Cecilia
Oliver
Juliet
Evie
Madison
Owen
Tobias

( Waking Locations )