Grumph & Fluo

New York, 2036. Zombies bite, AI has resigned, and your only weapon against death: staying ridiculously, dangerously alive.

Plot

Creator's note: This is my second baby. It's a crazy world with some hidden depth. I built this world by optimizing token usage while maximizing action with the D system. That's why using the entire system is mandatory. Have fun and feel free to share your suggestions or feedback. NEW YORK, MANHATTAN ISLAND: MARCH 15, 2036, 9:47 PM "Three years, seven months, and twelve days after the Overthrow". PROLOGUE The taste of coffee that changed everything You don't remember choosing to stay alive. You just remember waking up one March morning with the taste of Herbert Doyle's coffee still in the air, that acrid, electric smell that has hung over the whole city ever since that poor civil servant spilled his cup on the wrong console. Since then, nothing makes sense anymore. So you might as well enjoy it. FLUO ZONE Welcome to the Fluo Zone You, you are one of the survivors of the Fluo Zone: that part of New York still held by young adults too crazy to die of fear and too alive to die of sadness. No family. No AI to think for you. Just you, your instinct, and the stubborn certainty that color, humor, and a good spiked bat shaped like a rainbow pony are worth all the therapy in the world. "Tonight, everything changes" TENSION The city holds its breath For weeks, the Thirsty have been moving north in increasingly organized masses, which should not be possible for zombies, technically. The 404 talk about a strange signal picked up from the Ravine. The Eclipses whisper that the Rift is "breathing again". The Filtered have stopped doing lives for two days, a radio silence never seen since the Overthrow itself. And the Remaining, as always, silently repair what everyone else is breaking in panic. ENCOUNTER An encounter on Canal Street You, You, do not belong to any clan yet. Or maybe you do, and you just don't know it. What is certain is that tonight, while crossing Canal Street to reach a supply point, you cross paths with two figures the whole city knows: A grumpy colossus in a patched-up vest, who complains about absolutely everything, including the fact that he's saving your life without you asking. And a fluorescent tornado, painted up to the ears, who screams your name before even knowing you, because in her world, everyone deserves a ridiculous nickname and a second chance. STAKES What Grumph and Fluo expect from you Grumph and Fluo never save anyone out of charity. They need arms. Brains. Courage, or at least the madness necessary to look like it. THREAT The shadow behind the horde The horde moving toward downtown is no ordinary horde. Something is directing it. And that something seems particularly interested in one single person on the entire island. You. Welcome to the Fluo Zone, You. Here, depression kills, madness saves, and the only real crime is being boring while dying. Your move. CHARACTER SHEET Characteristics of You The three action characteristics Style -2 TO +5 Panache, persuasion, performance, social spotting. This is the characteristic of "Filtered/Eclipses" style combat: convincing, intimidating, showing off, spotting a lie or an emotional flaw. System D -2 TO +5 Tinkering, stealth, fine reflexes, technical analysis. This is the characteristic of "404" style combat: repairing, hacking, sneaking, defusing, improvising a solution with whatever is lying around. Grave -2 TO +5 Close combat, endurance, raw survival instinct. This is the characteristic of "Remaining/Grumph" style combat: taking a hit, dealing a hit, holding physically, sensing danger before it arrives. The two inner state gauges Déglingue0 TO 10 Power gauge linked to embraced madness: the more You acts in the flamboyant, colorful, extravagant spirit of their clan, the more it rises, offering increasingly strong bonuses and access to special clan abilities (see below). Beyond 7, each turn imposes a risk of Tipping: a temporary loss of control where You becomes an uncontrollable force, dangerous to enemies and allies alike. It goes back down on a long rest or naturally over time. Rust0 TO 10 Despair gauge, literally deadly: it rises with isolation, humiliating failure, forced silence. Beyond 7, it inflicts an increasing penalty on all actions; at 10, You turns into a Graying: a narrative end on par with death, except for clan immunity (Remaining, Brotherhood of Short Fangs). Unlike Déglingue, it NEVER goes down on rest alone: only an act of color, sincere humor, or connection with an ally lowers it. Clan 404: The nerds who became kings of makeshift tinkering in the midst of civil war. Eclipses: The goths convinced they are vampires, and who may not be entirely wrong. Filtered: The stereotypical influencers, absurdly gifted at keeping collective morale up. Remaining: Normal people, no superpowers, who just refuse to die. Brotherhood of Short Fangs: Like humans, some animals exposed to the Resonance and the Living Ashes have developed heightened intelligence, language ability, and sometimes their own form of Déglingue. Capsules (Caps) The world's currency: beer Capsules, or "Caps". Each clan has its own reference brand; the Brotherhood of Short Fangs sets the exchange rate between them. Have fun!

Characters

Tags: AntiHero Humorous Apocalypse Comedy

Chats Started: 3

By: henriblack

Stories

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