Fifty to Cincy — IC

[Namelessjake]

"Worth a shot, let's try the side door" Nate concurs with Tane, moving to head down the alleyway.

[ratwizard]

With the dead drawing closer, hardly a couple buildings away now, you race around the corner of the sporting goods store toward the backalley. It is cramped and narrow: a pair of dumpsters against a brick wall, and a passageway alongside the backs of buildings that could only fit double-file trespassers.

There is a roll-up garage door that'd hardly fit a pick-up truck, currently closed. Beside it is a metal door that leads into the rear of the store, with a half-size, single-pane window beside it at waist-level.

Tane

Based on the pace of the horde following, you suspect that returning the way you came may not be a safe guarantee if you spend a moment longer back here.

[Namelessjake]

Approaching the door, Nate grabs the handle and tries it.

[ratwizard]

Nate

The handle grinds in place and does not turn, but the door budges slightly in place. You sense there is no deadbolt engaged, and a simple, old, and flimsy doorlock.

[Namelessjake]

"The lock should break with a good shove," Nate says, looking to the other burlier members of their group expectantly.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Well, no reason to wait around then," Lane says, stepping up to the door and attempting to force it open with a shoulder shove. Not the first time, won't be the last. Least there's not smoke pouring out.

Mechanics

Str/Exert: [2d6+2]=10+2=12

[ratwizard]

Lane rams the door with deliberate and localized force, causing the pins in the doorlock to snap with a dull crunch and sending the door swinging inward.

Afternoon light fills the small corridor, illuminating labeled doors for a changing room, a bathroom, and a staff closet. The corridor bends, leading into the main shopping area: quiet, untouched, and dark.

Behind you comes the cries and growls of the risen dead, booming across the narrow brick walls of the alleyway you approached from.

[Namelessjake]

OOC

Are they any large items in the corridor, shelves, vending machine etc? that could be used to barricade the door shut? Or could it be barred with an axe or baseball bat?

[ratwizard]

OOC

There is a tall, wheeled rack meant to store merchandise to be returned from the changing rooms. The weight alone won't be able to properly barricade the door, but at a certain angle it could be wedged against the weakened door-handle to delay your aggressors.

You could also try and bar it with a bat or axe, if you have something else to secure to it like a belt.

In either case, give me a Fix/Int or Fix/Dex.

[Namelessjake]

Nate grabs the wheeled rack, using it to hold the door shut.

"That should buy us some time, let's go," he says, heading down the corridor towards the shop floor.

Mechanics

Int/Fix: [2d6+2]=8+2=10

[ratwizard]

Nate tips the wheeled rack in place, barring the door with a clever angle. It won't hold the tide forever, but it should for the moment.

You proceed into the building but quickly find out that is far too dark to traverse at the moment, with the only light coming in from the scant daylight from the front of the building you had peeked in earlier.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Yeah, we don't know how long til they start knocking," Lane says, stepping into the proper store. He squints into the darkness, hoping that there's no one lurking around. Kneeling down, he rummages through his backpack and pulls out his flashlight, scanning the darkened store with the beam of light. Let's see what we've got for sale.

[Namelessjake]

Nate follows suit, pulling out his own scavenged flashlight from his jacket and turning it on.

[ratwizard]

Flashlights come out as the four of you surge through the sporting goods store for a complimentary shopping spree.

OOC

The AWN loot system is abstracted, and not fully published yet, so I'm extrapolating for this scenario.

Pick one "item" you wish to look for this round. If I believe it could conceivably be found and taken from this store in this setting, you can have it. If not, you fail to find it.

For Woody who does not have a flashlight, you will need to either:
A) Follow another person and loot something that would conceivably be in the same aisle or location.
B) Go off on your own. Make a DC 8 Notice/Wis check: on a pass, you can ignore the lack of a flashlight for this scene; on a fail, you cannot loot this round.

[Namelessjake]

Nate scans around the store with his flashlight, looking for any hockey pads, dirt bike leathers or other gear that might stop a zombie bite or scratch.

Mechanics

Protective Sports Gear pls

[Scratcherclaw]

Lane scouts around the store, looking for any football, hockey, or other sporting padding that might offer him more protection than his clothes alone. Always hated those shin guards mom made me wear while skateboarding. Better than getting chomped though.

Mechanics

Protective Sports Gear too pls

[Fialova]

Now regretting his lack of flashlight, Woody chooses to follow after Lane within the store, sticking close enough that he can make use of the other man's light. "Hey, sorry to bum light off you, man. Don't have my own flashlight," he says, as he he glances around them, hoping that whatever Lane is looking for would be useful for him too. 

Mechanics

looking for big club (baseball bat)

[Chanchabruhh]

Tane starts looking around the store for anything protective padding or clothing wise as well as maybe a baseball bat while following everyone else 

OOC

 Protective Sports Gear and another melee weapon or something close too it 

[ratwizard]

As the four of you search through the darkened aisles of the sporting goods store, you hear the following horde crash against the door Nate had barricaded. It appears to be holding for the moment, but the violent noises combined with the flashlight beams has drawn some attention from a few of the undead still lingering by the front windows.

Round 2: Go!

Mechanics

Round 1 Results:

Nate: finds Protective Sport Gear
Lane: finds Protective Sport Gear
Woody: finds Big Club (now overencumbered by 2 Readied capacity)
Tane: finds Protective Sport Gear

Zombies roll a 3 vs Nate's previous roll of 10. Fail to bust down the door.

Round 2. You get another opportunity to loot, same rules as before.

[Namelessjake]

Nate finds a dirt bike jacket, hurriedly stuffing it into his pack for later. With his thoughts once again turning to the Walking Dead, he looks for the hunting section of the store, hoping to find a compound hunting bow.

Mechanics

Modern Bow + Arrows

[Scratcherclaw]

Lane tears through the packaging of football padding, trying to quickly slip it on and pulling a black and orange Dalton jersey off a rack. Least the Bengals didn't suck ass this year. He smirks, grabbing a football helmet off the rack. Hell yeah, now feel like I could really bash some zombie skulls in. Buuut I'd rather not be ripped apart.

Mechanics

Spend round equipping gear

[Chanchabruhh]

Tane finds some protective gear and takes some time to put it on as he rummages through different boxes and whatnot of what he finds 
Well i guess its better than nothing haven't worn shit like this since high school well at least it will help against these annoying ass zombies 

Mechanics

 Spend round equipping gear

[Fialova]

While Lane sticks in place to don his newly-acquired sports gear, Woody takes a moment to remove the tarp he has in his pack and stowing his new baseball bat in its place. This should come in real handy down the line.

Mechanics

spend round removing and discarding tarp, and stowing the new big club (bat)

[ratwizard]

The rummaging continues as Nate finds a compound bow and a modern locking quiver with a half-dozen arrows loaded inside, while the others strap on armor or rearrange their packs.

You hear a strained creak and then a dull snap that echoes from the back entrance you came in. The door slams against the doorstop, before the sounds of several tremerous steps fill the hallway. They're here.

Round 3: Go!

Mechanics

Round 2 Results:

Nate: finds Modern Bow & quiver of 6 arrows
Lane: equips Protective Sport Gear
Woody: drops Tarp, stows Big Club
Tane: equips Protective Sport Gear

Zombies roll a 11 vs Nate's previous roll of 10. Door is busted down.

For round 3, you have the opportunity to continue to loot, but you are no longer safe: the Horde is here. Or, you can make for an exit.

[Fialova]

"Not good," Woody whispers to Lane. "Let's get the fuck outta here," he continues, waving towards the others to follow suit. Not sticking around for any of that, not for some random sportswear.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Yup," Lane hushes back through gritted teeth, hearing their makeshift barricade come collapsing down. "Front door? Unless there's a another door too."

[ratwizard]

Taking a look around for possible points of egress, you spot the main entrance — double-doors that lead onto the streetfront, where you were before. In addition, there are a number of windows that line the facade of the building, though they would have to be broken. You also see a dimly lit EXIT sign in the far corner of the building, which appears to be an emergency exit.

While most of the horde seems to have followed you around the backside of the building, you catch glimpses of movement from outside in the front, leading you to suspect there may be a pocket or two of the undead still lingering out there.

Tane

From your They're Here edge, based on your sightlines and growing knowledge of the undead's movements, you get the sense that the emergency exit likely has fewer of them near it.

[Namelessjake]

"I was hoping that'd hold them longer" Nate says, hearing his makeshift barricade fail.

"Emergency exit?" He asks the others, spotting the green glowing sign. "No windows like the front and no one followed us there like the back, should be quieter," he adds.

[Chanchabruhh]

Tane nods "Yeah i got a feeling there are likely less by the exit so i'm with that plan." he says as he tightens his new gear and pulls his knife out

[ratwizard]

You converge on the emergency exit door just as a throng of the dead spill out from the rear corridor into the inky depths of the sales floor.

Warnings on the door insist only to use in case of emergency such as a fire or tornado.

[Scratcherclaw]

"This might set off an alarm so... be ready to run," Lane warns as he reads the emergency exit. Least it should if they're up to code. But more than a few disable it after enough kids set it off while screwing around. Guess we'll find out.

[Chanchabruhh]

"Yep i'm ready whenever" Tane says before tightening his grip on his knife and gets ready

[Namelessjake]

"That might work in our favor and keep the horde here, let's go," Nate says moving to open the emergency exit.

[ratwizard]

As soon as Nate shoves the crash bar of the emergency exit door, alarms spark to life, emitting a whooping siren throughout the building and outside PA speakers. A few spare lights blink on and off throughout the sales floor, illuminating the oncoming horde in amber hues, their eyes wild and beady upon you as you make your escape.

In the avenue outside, only a handful of the creatures have lingered, close enough to immediately notice your presence but too far to close the gap before you make a run for it.

Behind you, the horde converges, a couple dozen spilling out of the storefront in murderous fashion. You can outpace them, you realize. It is only one more block to the bridge defenses.

[Fialova]

"Guess we're going back now," Woody says, as the four of them escape through the emergency exit. Some of them saw us, but the rest will hopefully be drawn by the alarm. Not like they can tell the others where we went. Hopefully...

"You think they're gonna let us back on the bridge with all these following us? I think we might need to find another route, or we're fucked," he continues, speaking his thoughts aloud to the others. We could dip through some more buildings maybe, get out of line of sight. Would be pretty fucked up to bring this whole horde to that bridge but hell, they might have the resources to take care of it.

[Namelessjake]

"Probably not, let's loop around the block, try and lose them," Nate agrees.

[ratwizard]

OOC

The Horde is mostly regrouped in the streets and is following you with unrelenting effort.

If you want to attempt to distract / redirect the horde away from your route back to the bridge overpass, you need at least one of you to serve as bait to loop around the block. Choose one person to make a Dex/Exert contested check against the Horde. Note: if there is a different tactic used, a different check may be used.

[Namelessjake]

"Anyone want to volunteer as bait?" Nate asks.

[Fialova]

"Anyone especially fast? If not, probably one of them two is best," Woody responds, nodding towards Lane and Tane. "You and I got some range to cover," he continues, facing Nate, specifically his newfound bow. "Make sure if anything gets too close, it goes down." Not that that will help much with keeping them off our tails. But fuck it, worst comes to worst, no man left behind.

[Namelessjake]

"Tane?" Nate asks, looking to the man. He's the reason we're here after all.

[Scratcherclaw]

"I'm kinda quick on my feet but," Lane starts, patting the heavily-loaded pack he's carrying. "All this might slow me down a bit." Plus we're fucked if we lose my stuff.

[Chanchabruhh]

"hm i can do pretty well i did do a lot working security and i don't have a whole lot i'm carrying right now so i can be a sprinter distraction if needed." He says before doing a few stretches 

[Namelessjake]

"Looks like you're our star quarterback then."

"They're the ones who run right?" Sports analogies had never been a strength of Nate's.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Running back," Lane corrects matter-of-factly. "It's even in the name." He smirks, giving Tane a pat on the shoulder. "Right, just uh, be careful, and make sure your shoes are tied."

[Chanchabruhh]

"Right but remember don't look back once i loop the block ill catch up with you guys maybe ill start set something up to send them in another direction ill figure it out." he shrugs his shoulders and then smiles before rolling his shoulders "i'm good to go whenever."

[ratwizard]

Tane

Make a Dex/Exert check to see how well you are able to redirect the horde through agility and athleticism.

[Chanchabruhh]

Mechanics

 [2d6+1]=6+1=7

[ratwizard]

Mechanics

Tane rolls a 6, succeeding the Small Horde's roll of 3+3=6. 3d6->11 zombies are leftover.

Tane makes a mad dash into the street, his sudden movements spurring the horde toward him with a chorus of growls and yowls and inhuman snarls. The other three among you stick to the sides of the avenue, your presence mostly forgotten as the army of the dead quickly descends upon its prey — or bait.

In a quick lap around the block, Tane zig-zags through a small parking lot, hops a waist-high fence like a hurdle, and doubles back around a storefront as he breaks line of sight. Within a minute or two, he has regrouped with the three still on the avenue, his chest heaving with steady breaths, but no worse for wear.

For the most part, the horde has dispersed toward the side-streets of the West End, seemingly lost in a bewildered hunt for the former security guard — for now. However, a few clusters of the dead, totaling just short of a dozen walkers, remain on the block. They groan in alert as they catch sight of you again, and begin their slow march your way.

[Chanchabruhh]

"Well did better than i thought for a ex-football player but uh looks like we still got some ground to cover yeah? lets keep moving." Tane says as he approaches the group and clears his throat a bit he hasn't had to run like that in a hot minute

[Fialova]

Damn, impressive, Woody thinks, watching from afar as Tane manages to lose most of the pursuing horde in the side streets. Guess we had the right guy for the job there. "Still about a dozen left, not great, but way better than before," he says, as they watch the remaining zombies continue to shamble their way. "Let's keep moving, if we're gonna fight these last ones we should at least get closer to that barricade first." As he continues to move towards the bridge, Woody takes this brief moment of respite to reorganize his belongings, preparing to use his new bat if needed. 

Mechanics

Adjust storage by moving currently readied knife and phone to duffle bag, and readying new baseball bat instead.