The Quiet Apocalypse - Year 2

A series played using a mash-up of Apocalypse World Burned Over and The Quiet Year. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

The Cast

Lavender (Monarch) open, polite, and warm

Parson (Lawmaker) calculating, graceful, and regal

Peregrine (Harrier) brooding, predatory, and studious

Year 2

Cards: Five of Hearts, Queen of Diamonds, Ace of Clubs, King of Spades (end of game)

Parson runs the Silverlake Confines on the principles of trust, non-violence, and seething intrigue. All deals are final; no guns, no grudges. Outside the marker, Lavender runs the trade union made up of the settlement's labourers. The third power in the Confines is the Grey Wing, a biker gang and death cult hybrid. Peregrine leads them in their devotions.

Spring

Lavender's followers gather around her, one of their number had come of age and must be initiated into the deeper mysteries. They bring songs of praise, offerings to appease their great teacher, and promises to serve their community in her name.

Lavender: Devotion (10)

They ask for nothing more in return than the boy's initiation and Lavender gives them nothing more. Through unknown means word has reached Peregrine and they have returned to play their part. The boy is initiated into the mysteries of the faith; a life in service to the teacher, the cult, and the wider community. Then he is shown the outer truth of the Grey Wing, that those who reject the rules of the Confines are rewarded with death.

Summer

Parson decrees that the Time of Accounting will be coming; a time when the settlement's laws of not holding grudges are ceremonially relaxed. Citizens and merchants are allowed to petition Parson so that he can hear their cases and make rulings. He listens and makes his judgement.

Parson: Laws speaks to him (8)

The Law tells Parson that there can be no room for mercy in matters of justice. His rulings are surgical applications of Law with no compassion. It soon becomes apparent why the Grey Wing sent Peregrine back to the Confines; the Grey Wing shows mercy even when the Law will not.

Autumn

Following the events of this most recent Time of Accounting, Lavender reports that the populace are uneasy in light of the executions. Parson has always been firm but fair, this feels almost brutal. There are calls for the prohibition against grudges to be relaxed, if not repealed.

Lavender: Reads a situation (5)

She realises that this could have ramifications for her cult. Their membership is shielded by their status to some extent. Also, will her followers become more demanding of her? Do any harbour unspoken grievances?

The population's unrest grows. Parson is aware and stresses the need to balance changes in legislation with the integrity of the Law. He is reticent to act lest the Law enact further executions.

Parson: Act under fire (11)

Lavender: Act under fire (14)

Parson maintains his hold on the Confines. He delivers a speech in which he promises to consider the people's concerns carefully. This assuages them enough that the crowds of protestors disperse.

Lavender maintains her hold on her cult. She promises the even if the Laws of the Confines change, she has Parson's ear and will advocate for protections for her followers. They remain in line and continue to attend to her teachings and to her needs.

Winter

For an extended period of times there is peace in the Silverlake Confines.

The Quiet Apocalypse - Year 1

A series played using a mash-up of Apocalypse World and The Quiet Year. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

The Cast

Amiette (Brainer) dead eyes, smooth face, angular body

Chaplain (Gunlugger) cunning eyes, bony face, compact body

Peacock (Skinner) laughing eyes, beautiful face, toned body

Year 1

Cards: Four of Hearts, Three of Diamonds, Two of Clubs, Jack of Spades.

Spring

The disaster polycule roll into the Silverlake Confines, a holding ruled by Parson and Lavender and held in an uneasy truce with a roving gang called the Grey Wing. The Confines proper operate under strict laws of non-violence and disarmament, so Chaplain initially elects to wait in the small shantytown outside the holding's limits. She refuses to part with her gun collection under any circumstances. Meanwhile Peacock and Amiette (who prefer a concealed carry) case the streets of the holding proper. Peacock draws attention (his expensive coat hanging open to reveal an impressive physique adorned with spectacular tattoos) while Amiette appraises the holding...

Amiette: Read a Sitch (6)

Amiette: Open Brain (9)

They struggle to read the people - the marketplace is a bustling mass of bodies and words - but they are able to discern vague psychic impressions. The holding is a hotbed of intrigue and extremism, including at least two cults. Rejoining Chaplain outside, they discuss options; the holding is a powder keg in need of a spark. Or three sparks...

Summer

There's a trade fair coming up, Silverlake Confines will grow from trade hub to trade metropolis; trade will spill out of the main holding and its strict laws. In previous towns Chaplain had led with her arms dealing, Peacock modelling the goods to boost sales, and Amiette working their own creepy side gigs.

Peacock: Helps Chaplain (4)

Chaplain: Fast Talks a Crowd (3)

Sales are poor. Chaplain hasn't been able to restock lately, Peacock's flirting with the marks is distracting, and selling weapons in a pacifist town is a tough gig.

Amiette: Creepy Side Gigs (7)

Amiette has slightly better luck. A settlement built on merchant rivalries, ideological extremism, and secret cults is a morally ambiguous telepath's playground. Of course such a location is also full of very experienced schemers and deceivers, so getting one over on them can prove challenging.

Autumn

As the fair wraps up the trio watch the visiting traders pack up to leave, They speculate on the likelihood of the Grey Wing or other raiders taking out the caravans.

Chaplain: Read a Sitch (12)

A sniper rifle makes spotting approaching raiders easy, which is more than can be said for the caravan. The Grey Wing swoops in on the last merchants to leave, howling and weeping. They use their rifles sparingly and Chaplain notes they're deliberately shooting to wound only; she notes their weakness for future use. Interestingly, after the raid, the gang's leader stays behind while the others fall back into the wastes. The leader rides straight through the holding's open gates, heading for the palace...

Winter

A stranger arrives from out of the wastes. Dressed in robes suggestive of an adherent of the Children of the White Sign; an ecumenical order that seeks to encourage unity between all faiths and ideologies. He staggers into the shantytown, wheezing and clutching his side. Peacock crosses his path first and decides to ply him for information about the wider area, offering his company in exchange.

Peacock: Seduce or Manipulate (10)

The monk speaks freely of his journey to the Silverlake Confines and the various groups he's met along the way. He describes a growing coalition of ideological groups united through ecumenism and diplomacy. Amiette is intrigued, if they can learn the secrets of this alliance they could offset the fractious nature of the local psychosphere. They slip on their glove, arrange for Peacock to administer some proprietary compounds to the visitor, and then pays him a visit.

Amiette: Casual Brain Receptivity (7)

Amiette: Deep Brain Scan (5)

The probing starts well, they confirm the visitor is telling the truth and that the purpose of his visit to the Silverlake Confines is to open diplomatic relations. However, his mind resists all of Amiette's attempts to push deeper. Sadly, the strain is too much for the visitor and he dies, blood leaking from his eyes and nose.

Chaplain arranges for the body to be disposed of. Amiette ponders how this development will impact their studies. Peacock briefly misses the visitor, consoling himself with his daily workout and grooming routines.