The End Of The World RPG (Part 1)

Description

2018 is over! We did it! It can't hurt us anymore. New year means a brand new season of Dragon Friends - but first we're going back to basics with a couple of one shots. First cab off the ranks is a special zombie-themed runthrough of The End of the World RPG by Fantasy Flight Games - the Game Where You Play Yourself And Murder Your Friends Because You Have Trouble Expressing Affection. Note: Alex and Ben are away for these first two episodes because they both had children over the break (!!!). Instead, this episode features Victoria Zerbst and Jenna Owen from Freudian Nip!

## Synopsis

Simon, Michael, Edan and David gather for a Dragon Friends show while a flu epidemic wracks the city. Just as the show begins, Dave Harmon's eyes roll back in his head and he collapses on the stage. Edan attempts to nudge Dave to see if he's OK, and Dave grabs Eden as he stands up, his body cold and his eyes white. Hing runs into the crowd to his car to fetch his emergency "go bag" out of the back of his car (which apparently contains a screwdriver, gloves, a butane cylinder, some garbage bags, a hammer, some water, some shears, a lighter and some AAA batteries - and that he keeps there in real life) while Simon attempts to club Dave over the head with a bottle of white wine and misses. Dave's hand abruptly turns into a claw, with which he slashes at Edan; Edan grabs the claw and rakes it against Dave's face, which wounds Dave badly, but the point on Edan's skin where he touched begins to turn black and ice-cold. Returning from his car, Hing sees that Nathan the show technician is swaying emptily and walking towards him brandishing a Leatherman tool, and smashes his head in with his hammer.

Simon sees that the audience, who had begun to riot after Dave's attack, are starting to shift in their demeanor and fight with each other; he grabs the microphone stand and yells for the other friends to flee out of the back (while telling the audience there are no refunds). As they leave, several of the crazed audience move up and start to grab at Dave's body, tearing it apart.

The Friends consider heading to a hospital to get Edan's wound treated, but reasoning that this will likely be filled with sick people who may also transform, they instead go to Redfern Chemist on Wells Street, but find the doors barricaded shut. Hing smashes in through the glass storefront with his hammer. Inside, they encounter Victoria Zerbst and Jenna Owen, both panicking having taken Ecstasy believing it would make them more agile, and barricaded themselves into the pharmacy because it was likely to be a "feminist safe space". The Friends move off to gather medicines to help them while Hing tries to deal with the ladies (being their actual friend, this isn't actually too hard); Edan gathers a bunch of medicines and suggests heading to his Mum's house, which has a high fence and "enough supplies to rebuild civilization". Simon suggests the Paramount Hotel. Edan says that the first supply to fail when the power goes will likely be water, and that he has friends who owned a property in Kangaroo Valley which is fed by a stream. Victoria suggests the revolving restaurant at the top of Sydney Tower, thinking that zombies may have trouble standing up in a rotating building. After a roll of Persuasion to resolve the discussion, the group goes with Victoria's decision and they head to the Sydney Tower.

## People

### Dragon Friends

* Simon Greiner
* Michael Hing
* Edan Lacey

### Guest PCs

* Victoria Zerbst
* Jenna Owen

### Places

* The Giant Dwarf Theatre https://goo.gl/maps/SPeVV7ZzJRmAAFMb6
* Redfern Pharmacy aka Gold Cross Pharmacy (which is indeed a compounding pharmacy) https://goo.gl/maps/cdzudDnidqBhgpkq5

## Themes, tropes and running jokes

* Baffling Reference for our International Listeners: "Simon, do you think this is our least accessible episode?"
	+ Michael Hing apologized on Facebook for his "David Tennant has a Leatherman" joke "not really landing". He suggested it should be replaced with “Hey, this guy is handing out free step sibling hentai!”‬
	+ "Pingers" is used as the nickname for Ecstasy.

## Quotes

* "Backstage you find yourself wondering if his eyes seem more bloodshed than normal.. bloodshot. That's bloodshot."
* "I'm swinging it.. at his head.. oh, goodness.. nope. No Empathy. Alright. Suck it up, Hing."

## Table Talk

* Dave: "A 5 is olympic. A 1 is barely catatonic." Hing: "What the fuck! I have 1 Charisma! This is bullshit! These fucking lazy ass parents have given me a 1 for Charisma and a 1 for Empathy!"
* "I became the host of a Dungeons & Dragons Podcast so I wouldn't have to be arm wrestled, thank you very much."