"Reckon yer 'bout ready to head off eh? Can't say's I blame ye. Not much here but my toll house. Down the road here you'll find the town of Cleanslate. I'd suggest talkin' to Joe Plate about where to go from there. He was an adventurer for a long old time, up'ntil he took a spear in the knee." The old man said with a smile as he rose the bar of the toll booth he had built a house onto. Waving as he watch you on your way, you lowered the bar for the next traveler on the path.



Beyond this point you will find the first town on your journey, Cleanslate. I will act as all NPC's. If you wish to interact with anything, shops being most important, tag me in your post, and I will respond as quickly as I can. Any questions should be asked in the OOC thread, HERE

"Damn Grandpa, thanks for the burglary kit." Dane sniggered to himself as he 
looked over his new gifts. Well, "new" would be pushing it, but it was still more 
than most people've given him for shooting the breeze. Course, this might just be 
his sly little way of avoiding hauling off his old junk, but there was use to be 
found among this detritus and ideas were already coming to mind. He stopped for a 
few moments to store his newfound wealth, wrapping the knife blade within the 
balaclava and stuffing it and the waterskin into his right leg pocket and the 
small bundle of cordage into his left. As Dane shouldered the satchel, he 
couldn't help but feel a slight satisfaction from the efficient distribution, at 
least until he noticed that the pipe wouldn't remotely fit in his bag of modest 
means. With little else to do, he simply carried it along as an impromptu walking 
stick. Statelier canes there were, but this one was his.

As he casually made his way along the faded and cracked pavement, Dane noticed 
the odd clink and clatter at his feet. He looked down to find a patchy trail of 
nails going back about ten feet. There's a hole in the bag. Great. Dane sat down 
his pipe and removed the offending accesory to assess the damage. Vertical gash 
about two inches long. "This isn't too bad then". He shifted the contents away 
from the hole then grabbed two nails with one hand and clamped the edges of the 
tear from the inside with another. He pinned the edges together and bent the 
nails in half and and gave the bag a cursory shake. "Seems good for now, least 
until I come across a needle n' thread. If or when that may be".

After about ten minutes of the hazy town coming closer and closer into view 
through the heat waves of the road, Dane eventually came upon the town gate. He 
tapped the weathered metal twice with his pipe and within the minute a guard 
peered over the side of the wall, eyes squinting equally likely from sun glare or 
in scrutiny of the new traveller. After a few moments, the guard receded from 
view and with a muffled order the gate screeched open. Evidently he didn't seem 
too dangerous. Dane walked through the opening and nodded to the fine gents that 
granted him passage before continuing into the main thoroughfare. It wasn't 
terribly lively, indeed sparse would be the next best descriptor after rusty, but 
life trickled through all the same. It was good to be in an honest-to-god town 
again. Dane looked through the small crowd and singled in on the fellow with the 
biggest moustache. "'Scuse me sir, might you be Joe Plate by chance"?

@Atlin

The moustachio’d man turned and smiled at the stranger, his hand held out to shake the new comers.

“Why yes, yes I am. How might I be of service to you stranger?”

His white smile gleamed in the mid-day sun.

[@Elbeck]

Dane offered his own smile as he accepted Joe's handshake. He couldn't help but think to himself that the man had a surprisingly gentle grip for an old badass. "My name's Dane Holcomb, just an ordinary wayfarer for the time being. The gatekeeper in the tollbooth told me I should find you, that you might give me some direction or something to the effect. I'd kind of assumed that meant you had something that needed doing. That's usually how these things pan out in my experience".

@Atlin

"No friend, nothing needs done. Cleanslate is quiet, because our parties our out scavenging, but we're better off than most settlements."

With the tilt of his head, Joe gestured for Dane to follow him up the the wall's walk. He stopped midway past a watch tower and pointed to the east.

"Ninety miles east you'll find a town called Bedwin. They'll have some work for you. You might even make a name for yourself. Before you go, let me give you this to help on the road. I'll let you fill in the rest."

You acquired:

Area Map [ Covers 90 square miles, with 80% of the map left blank]

[@]Elbeck]]

"You're a good man, Joe" Dane said with a small smile as he accepted the map and 
gave it a quick lookover. "Ninety miles though...That'd be the better part of a 
week, at least." a note of apprehension in his voice. "Is there a place I 
could trade or scavenge for supplies, and get a refill on water? Oh, and I'm not 
seeing anything on this map, but I wouldn't suppose there's a source of water 
between here and there? I've mostly been subsisting off cacti on the way here, 
but I don't know if I'll be so lucky out that way." Dane said as he leaned over the wall and 
scratched his scruffy face, seeing naught but sand and road out to the horizon.

@Atlin

The man smiled, but shook his head no.

" Sure, friend. We have a few shops here in town. If you want travel supplies, go see Mart Jans in the Quarry Yard Supply Depot. We have a well beside the old garage that works when it wants to. As for scavenging, our parties usually head out to Tanner's Cliff for that. A mile north of here, it's the remains of an entire city from before the fall. Thirty years and we haven't made a dent."

He turned and pointed north, large dust clouds bellowing out over the horizon.

"That's our digger now, breaking through old buildings. As for the water, aside from our temperamental pump, there's nothing else until you reach Bedwin, or another traveler."

He was approached by a young man man with a clipboard, and promptly signed off on it, watching the young boy run back into the building he'd come from.

"Is there anything else I can help you with friend?"

@Elbbeck

Mary rolled her eyes and scoffed at the toll operator. She didn't need help from him, she'll live on her own. But Mary did continue on to Cleanslate, needing more food and water if they had it. The heat bore down on her, but she wore many layers, allowing for her to remain cool. The occasional wind would kick the dust into Mary's face and make her clothes flap together, but she continued on saving her water the best she could. Squints, her salamander, came out of his pocket to bask in the sunlight. "You're lucky I don't eat you." She said to the brown stone coloured creature. Mary did like the little critter though and she didn't need to feed him either because he ate the annoying little bugs. The only thing he needs is the occasional dousing of water which, depending on Mary's water supply, could become rare.
The town came in the distance, materializing on the horizon out of nowhere. This didn't make Mary move any faster though she was happy to find a place to restock.
Mary entered the town and looked around, going into a random shop. It had nothing of significant value unless bottle caps and taps are worth your while. So Mary tried another place just to find it just as promising as the last. She groaned, deciding that it would be best to follow that old man's instructions.
Mary went up to a random by standard, not bothering with the useless greetings. "Where can I find Jo Plate?" She hated having to ask someone. Some of Mary's best days are when she never has to speak or see a single human being.

Dane folded up his map and slid it into his pocket. "Nah, that oughta be plenty. Thanks Joe." he said as he grabbed his walking pipe and idly tapped the battlement underfoot before he headed down the thankully sturdy walkway to get his preparations underway. "Alright. First things first, I need a drink somethin' fierce." Dane hopped down the last three feet of ramp and was pleased with the low recoil of the landing. These shoes were a primo find, even if they ran a little big. Nothing a few bits of rag couldn't fix anyway. 

"So, a garage then." Dane mumbled under his breath, surveying the area. This place wasn't a corrugated metal shantytown. Not most of it, anyway. There were enough brick and wooden buildings to stir a bit of regret for his previously derisive thoughts. Hell, the place Joe's errand boy came from looked outright municipal. A repurposed courthouse or the like, he would guess. There wasn't much to suggest the purpose of the impressive stone building, come to think of it. Whatever inscriptions may've  adorned it were scoured away at some point. And so it stood, blank. Weird.

"There. That might be it." Dane shaded his eyes with his hand as he spied a large, distinctly boxy building with a pair of roller doors on the left side and an entrace to the supposed service area on the right. It was easily the most rust-struck building he'd seen here in Cleanslate, but it didn't seem to be in outright disrepair. They probably maintained the digger here. It couldn't be too huge if it actually fit through these doors, though. At least what was left of the seafoam paint kept it lively.

Dane walked past a neatly stacked pile of scrapped truck bodies as he searched the left side of the building. A decidedly industrial pump stood, welded onto a small plate and bolted into the concrete. Dane jimmied the wrapped blade aside as he retrieved his waterskin. He held it to the spout as he grabbed the angular handle and pumped in slow, drawn out motions. After about two minutes, all he'd collected hardly filled a third of the skin. Dane wiped his pinkie against his pants and dipped it into the water. After a quick sniff, he deemed it good enough to try a sip. "Not bad. Probably won't get sick, at least." He sighed at the frustrating speed of the well, stifling the urge to give it a kick in hopes of getting it moving. Instead, he consigned himself to continuing as he had. He wouldn't be the asshole that broke the town's sole source of water if he could help it.

After sating his thirst and rinsing the dust from his head, Dane topped off his waterskin and tied it to his waist with the length of paracord. After a couple jumps and a shake of the hips, it remained attached. Good enough. There was still the matter of supplies though. "What was the place, Quarry Yard Supply Depot? Somethin' like that, I think." Not recalling such a place on the way to the garage, Dane headed toward the opposite end of town. About five minutes walk later, Dane identified the sign and felt mildly proud that he recalled the name properly.

As he reached for the door, someone called out toward him. "Where can I find Joe Plate?" Dane startled a bit at the brusque question. He turned around to find a tall, surly woman impatiently awaiting his response. "Uh, he was hanging out near the south entrance when I last saw him. That was probably about a half hour ago, though. If he's not there, you might try the big stone building around the same area". Apparently satisfied with the answer, the woman walked off without saying a word. "Damn, she's none too friendly, is she?" Dane whispered to himself as he entered the shop.

"Well, this sure is a cozy little place, isn't it?" There was little in the way of wasted space: racks, shelves, bins, barrels, stacks of boxes; lining each wall and covering much of the floorspace. At the back of the room was a horseshoe-shaped counter bearing a bronze lantern; the sole source of light in the windowless shop. A shuffling noise sounded behind the counter, but no one was visible. "Uh, hello? Anyone there? I came to buy, or trade or...however people around here exchange stuff." Dane felt a bit self-conscious prattling off like a jackass to a person he didn't strictly know was there. He shifted in place uncomfortably, as inch long seconds passed without a reply.

@FallChild @Atlin

Vincent walked into a shop and found two people already in there, it surprised him that there were people, "I'll me blown, ain't it a coincidence that there are other people?" he spoke.
@FallChild
@Elbeck

Hearing a voice in his shop, the haggard old man that ran things got out of his cot behind the counter. Scratching his knee length beard with a yawn he opened his right eye.

“What can I do ya fer?”

He asked, his breath giving off an almost palpable smell of eggs. He’d heard only a voice, not what the stranger was saying, all the same he was happy to have business.

[@Elbeck]

A creaking sound emanated from behind the counter, then a groan. Before the mysterious shopkeeper could make themself known, the door flung open and a pie-eyed boy walked in. He seemed to address the room more than the occupants. "I'll me blown, ain't it a coincdence that there are two other survivors?" Dane took a quick look around the shop. Yep, still only him. "Listen kid, you might wanna stay outta the sun for a while. You sound like a moonman; barging into buildings, yelling about 'survivors'. Not sure that you noticed, but there's a whole town here. I think it's doin' alright." Dane explained as he slowly shifted his grip on the pipe. He'd be ready if this loon decided to get grabby.

By then, the noises behind the counter ceased and Dane uneasily took his eyes off the boy. Sure enough, the shopkeeper appeared; and a wizard at that. "What can I do ya fer?" the old man sleepily asked. "Uh, yeah. I was hopin' you might give me a quick rundown on your stock. I don't have much to trade at the moment, but I'll be in the area 'til I get some gear." Dane was hesistant to say much about himself around the kid, but he didn't seem to be leaving soon. "Is there anything I should be on the lookout for, things you'd be willing to trade for"?

@Cpt.Nemo @Atlin

The old man stared for a moment, shaking his head as the second person entered his shop.

"Sun'll do wiggy things tah the brain"

He added with a tooth-spotted grin as he tucked his long beard into his shirt. He then opened a book and handed it to the man asking about trading. It was a stock list of everything he had in the shop for sale.

"Says you want to trade, best look et what I gots. We'll settle a price once yins pick somethin' out."


Shop Stock:

• Nail Board
  
• Shetty
  
• Napper Sack
  
• Drinkin' Buldge
  
• Clean Drinkin' Water
  
• Ball O' Twine
  
• Forks
  
• Rucksack
  
• Mage Vial
  
• Tater Spade
  

The man began to brush his teeth after handing the stock list over to Dane.

[@Elbeck]

Dane accepted the book and looked over the stock list. Oh my. Clearly, these items were valuable beyond their material means. As he looked through the book, struggling more and more to suppress his laughter, one item caught his eye more than the rest. Mage Vial. No way. Is this guy actually a wizard? Dane sat the book on the counter, double-checking his mental list. "Alrighty sir, I'd like a rucksack, two water buldges, sorry, drinkin' buldges, a ball of twine, a couple forks, and a tater spade. I'd also like a big piece of cloth, like a blanket or somethin', and some tape, if you happen to have any. Oh, and a compass and magnifying glass, again, if you have them. Also, what exactly is a mage vial"?

@Atlin

Mary had just rolled her eyes at the man, not caring to thank him. She moved to the front gate, looking for the man in question, Jo Plate. She scanned the small crowd that had accumulated there, wondering if the man had passed on.
Deciding that it wasn't worth her time, Mary turned to look at the town. It seemed nice a quaint here with the few shops and some small housing. Defiantly one of the bigger places she has seen in a while.
After taking a small swig of her water, Mary decided that she needed to grab a few things before leaving. She went back to the shop, seeing the man from earlier and that kid in there. She chose to ignore them both but looked over the man's shoulder to get a look at the list. The man seemed to be demanding a lot out of the shop keeper. Mary just wanted some water for now and hoped the lug of a man didn't take everything. She backed away, crossing her arms and waited her turn.

The old man whistled as he scratched his beard through his shirt, listening to the strangers list of wants. He soon took out a pad and pencil, running the pencil off his tongue like he was lighting a match he wrote everything down.

"That'er be:

• 3 Spoons
  
• 9 Nails
  
• 1 Empty Bottle
  
• 12 Aserted Wires
  
• 1 Diggin' Glove
  
• 1 .357 shell
  
• 1/2 a Salamander
  

"

The old man noted everything down and handed Dane the list of what was needed for the trade. After doing so he reached under his counter and pull out a vial of glowing blue liquid.

"This'er be Mage Vial. Special tonic yins can drink down an' feel better. Says it's a hook, can't takes to much. Start seein' fairies an' such. Been to the ocean an' an back, seen some mighty strange things. I says there magic out there, an' this'n be how ta gets it."

The old man explained, waving his hands around as he did so.

[@Elbeck]

Someone else entered the shop, lady from before, it seemed. This old man's presumably been asleep for a while, gotta wonder why everyone's in such a hurry to shop now. Not even dark out yet. Wait, wasn't she leaving this place as I came in? Probably just left something behind. The old wizard pulled out a glowing blue vial and explained it's storied past, or was it his? Dane wasn't entirely sure, as he found himself somewhat captivated by the magical artifact. That can't be safe. 

"That's uh, That's an awfully specific list there, sir." Dane said as he regained his senses. "Hm. Well, I don't think I'll have much luck finding most of these things, but I've got the nails at least." Dane opened his satchel and carefully picked out nine of the nicer ones and sat them on the counter, pushing back a stragler that tried to roll away. "I'll try and get back to you if I find any of your other pieces. What's a diggin' glove anyway? I can guess toward it's purpose, but I can't say I've heard of such a thing".

@Atlin

The old man watched Dane place the nails on the counter and rose a brow. testing one as if it were a gold coin, he smiled, and handed Dane a Ball O' Twine. He then turned from the desk and started using one of the nails to hang a sign on the wall that read 'Nails ain't money'.

"Gots eight mer tah hang up."

He stated as he began doing so all around the shop, explaining the glove as he did.

"Diggin' Gloves a glove lets yins dig better. Puts on yer hand and shifts tha dirt so's you can git done faster."

The old man stopped only for a moment as he layed a second book on the counter, much smaller, only a dozen pages, all but one blank. It detailed the Digging Glove. He then got back to hanging his signs.

The page in the book read:

"Digging Glove, or, 'A means by which to dig quicker'. By Mart Jans and Joe Plate. Edited by Slim Dusty.

A Digging Glove is a tool that allows you to shift the dirt in a more controlled manner, before tearing intothe ground with a shovel, or machine digger. The device looks like a drill, and is worn on the hand only in the right that there is a small cup like imprint into the device, that holds the trigger. This handle style allows the user to turn and control the path of the Digging Glove more effectively. The Digging Glove is powered by steam, which makes it slow, and costly, but can be useful if you don't want to break desert ground by hand."

[@Elbeck]

Kyle muttered a thanks, turning his head and continuing through the blaring light the sun cast over the seemingly endless lands. At least that human was somewhat decent, compared to the others he had passed on his journey down here. He sighed softly as he looked up at the sun, placing a hand over his head so he could see it properly. It was most probably the only thing which kept him intact each day of his life on this hell hole. It let him know Earth was still alive and they had a chance of reviving this world - he let the sun diminished the thought of Earth never being revived and this staying this way until he died. He couldn't let that get to him.

The town of Cleanslate came into view after quite some time and he exhaled with relief. It'd be the first proper town he'd seen in the last couple of months which looked like it had a fair amount of human life on it. For the last couple of days he'd been sleeping in an abandoned building which had been recently used as a toilet by passers by. It may of stank, but it was better than facing the harsh condition the weather would throw at him at night. Cleanslate would be something new... a fresh start which he deemed prosperous and exciting, even thought he'd be seeing cluster of humans wherever he went. Something he didn't look forward to, but he'd end up getting used to it. He'd recently learnt to get used to things as quick as he good - it was the only way to survive.

Kyle Diaz reached the dirt roads of the town, looking around at each human which seemed to stay in the shadows the elongated roofs cast over the ground. One of the humans snarled at him once Kyle got to close to a house and he walked the opposite way, placing his hand on the hilt of his weapon, giving a slight shudder once he was out of sight of the man. Just as he expected - the same barbaric animals would reside here also. He remember what the operator had told him about seeing someone for directions and help. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go somewhere else or stay here for the meantime. Kyle sighed, what was the guys name, again? He dismissed the thought and found a wooden seat which looked like it had been made in a hurry, seating himself on it.

Kyle placed his head in his hands and didn't bother looking up as the shadows flickered, signalling someone was walking past. New surroundings - more people - he just had to get used to this.

Approaching the new comer in the wooden chair, Joe smiled.

"Hello. Welcome to Cleanslate. My name is Joe Plate. Is there anything I can help you with?"

[@Anorak]

Kyle looked up from his hands slowly. Surprised he had been approached, but scowled softly once he heard the man’s name. Of course it was this guy. Some joyous prick that put all his energy in welcoming people, instead of helping this ripped apart earth and its revival. He swallowed a small chunk of his pride and looked away, the sun distracting his view. “Do you have any free structure I could possibly reside in?” He asked, putting on his sweetest voice he could possible manage and an innocent smirk – betraying his every emotion which boiled inside him.

Joe shook his head.

"I'm afraid not friend. All I can offer is information."

He said with a smile as he squatted down beside the newcomer.


[@Anorak]

Kyle blinked once, not even bothering to give the man any eye contact. "Equipment..." He said in a soft mutter, the thought expelling from his mouth as soon as it hit him. He then turned his head sideways and his eyebrow raised upon instinct. "Are you able to point me in the direction of any shops?"

@Atlin @Anorak

Joe stood up and pointed to a building across the way from the town's water pump.

"You'll find a give list of thing at Mart jans' shop. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

He asked as he turned to face Kyle, a smile on his face.

[@Anorak@Atlin]

Kyle stood up as he shoved both hands in the pockets of his shorts. "Thank you." He said, the imposed sweetness drowning from his voice as he walked away from the man and advanced down the streets. He looked up at the imposing water tower which was predominately rusted and the logo on it had faded away. He made sure he stayed in the centre of the road - away from the people. Keeping to himself kept him alive.