Camp Moonshade

Scene 1: Morning Arrival (8:00 AM - 9:30 AM)

Location: Camp entrance, parking area

Duration: 20-30 minutes

NPCs Present: Camp Director Morrison, counselors' scouts, background campers

Mood: Excited, bright, optimistic

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• Have each counselor describe their character and introduce themselves
• Let them pick 2-3 featured scouts from the roster to focus on
• Encourage them to help scouts off the bus, carry bags, make first impressions
• This is a normal, happy moment—emphasize the mundane details

Key Information to Establish:

• Camp Layout: Mess hall (center), cabins (north), lake (south), woods (west), flagpole (east)
• Daily Schedule: Flag ceremony 9 AM, activities 10 AM-5 PM, dinner 6 PM, campfire 8 PM, lights out 10 PM
• Scout Personalities: Let featured scouts shine—Doc asking questions, Lisa organizing, Tommy joking, Sarah sketching, Billy being nervous
• Normal Details: The creaky mess hall door, Morrison's whistle, the smell of bacon from breakfast prep, distant laughter

NPC Behavior:

• Director Morrison: Gruff but kind, focused on logistics, mentions it's his 10th year running the camp
• Scouts: Age-appropriate energy—excited, nervous, showing off to each other
• Background Counselors: Friendly, experienced, talk about past summers

Decision Points:

1. How do counselors introduce themselves to scouts?
   • Authoritative → Scouts respect but don't open up immediately
   • Friendly → Scouts relax and start bonding
   • Hands-off → Scouts form their own cliques
2. Do counselors explore camp or stay with orientation?
   • Stay → Learn schedule, meet Morrison, get organized
   • Explore → Find mess hall, cabins, lake, notice details for later loops
   • Both → Split the party (track separately)

Pacing Notes:

• Don't rush this scene—establish the baseline
• Let players roleplay interactions with scouts
• Drop subtle hints that something is off (optional): shadows at wrong angles, Morrison checks his watch twice and frowns, clock in mess hall runs slightly backward for a moment
• End when counselors are settled and ready for orientation

Transition:

Scene 2: Orientation and First Activity (9:30 AM - 12:30 PM)

Location: Flagpole → Activity stations (archery range, lake, craft shed)

Duration: 30-40 minutes

NPCs Present: Morrison, activity instructors, all scouts

Mood: Energetic, structured, classic summer camp

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• Present counselors with activity options: archery, swimming, orienteering, crafts, first aid
• Each counselor picks an activity for their troop
• This is where scouts' personalities and skills emerge
• Track time—mention the position of the sun, the heat, the sounds of camp

Key Information to Establish:

• Scout Skills: Doc excels at first aid, Lisa at organization, Tommy at athletics, Sarah at crafts, Billy struggles but tries hard
• Camp Routine: Activities run in 90-minute blocks, everyone rotates, whistle signals transitions
• Normal Camp Dangers: Scraped knees, homesickness, minor conflicts between scouts, heat exhaustion concerns
• Temporal Markers: Note specific times—"It's 10:15 when Tommy takes his first archery shot," "At 11:30, the lunch bell rings"

NPC Behavior:

• Activity Instructors: Enthusiastic, teach skills that might matter later (fire-building, knot-tying, map reading)
• Scouts: Engaged, competitive, asking questions, bonding with each other
• Featured Scouts Moments:

- Doc: Bandages another scout's scraped knee, shows natural medical instinct

- Lisa: Organizes her troop's equipment, keeps everyone on task

- Tommy: Jokes around but surprises everyone by being naturally athletic

- Sarah: Sketches the camp in her notebook during downtime

- Billy: Struggles at archery but tries his best, needs encouragement

Decision Points:

1. How do counselors handle scout conflicts?
   • Mediate → Scouts learn to resolve issues, bond
   • Discipline → Order maintained, some resentment
   • Ignore → Conflicts escalate, teach independence
2. Do counselors notice anything unusual?
   • Observant → Morrison keeps checking his watch, seems distracted
   • Focused on scouts → Miss subtle clues
   • Investigate → Ask Morrison if something's wrong (he dismisses it)
3. How much do counselors interact vs. observe?
   • Hands-on → Bond with scouts, learn personalities
   • Supervise → Maintain order, notice patterns
   • Balance → Best of both

Pacing Notes:

• Keep activities light and fun—this is the "normal" they'll yearn for in later loops
• Let players succeed at being good counselors
• Introduce scout names and personalities through action
• Optional subtle wrongness: Counselors might notice they've seen this exact scene before (deja vu), or a scout says something that feels like it was said earlier

Transition:

Scene 3: Afternoon Activities and Growing Unease (12:30 PM - 6:00 PM)

Location: Mess hall → Woods (orienteering) → Lake (swimming) → Cabins

Duration: 40-50 minutes

NPCs Present: All camp staff and scouts

Mood: Warm, tiring, subtle hints of wrongness building

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• Lunch is roleplay-heavy—counselors interact with scouts, build relationships
• After lunch: afternoon activities (swimming at lake, orienteering in woods, or cabin rest time)
• This scene is where the first real hints of wrongness appear
• Begin introducing the uncanny—small things that don't quite add up

Key Information to Establish:

• The Woods: Dense, old-growth forest, trails marked with Junior Braves signs, deeper areas are off-limits
• The Lake: Clear, cold mountain water, old wooden dock, rope swing, canoes
• The Cabins: Rustic, wooden bunks, trunks for belongings, group bonding space
• Temporal Anomalies (subtle):

- Clocks occasionally show 11:47 when they shouldn't

- Morrison becomes increasingly distracted and checks his watch obsessively

- Shadows fall at slightly wrong angles

- Counselors experience deja vu—"Didn't Tommy just say that same joke?"

- Background scouts repeat actions (walk past the same spot twice in minutes)

NPC Behavior:

• Morrison: Distracted, mutters about his watch being broken, mentions he "feels like he's forgetting something important"
• Scouts: Energetic at first, become tired as afternoon wears on, some complain of headaches or deja vu
• Other Counselors: Mention feeling "off," blame it on altitude or first-day stress
• Featured Scout Moment - Doc Henderson: Notices Morrison's distress, asks if he's okay, Morrison brushes him off

Decision Points:

1. Swimming at the Lake - Safety Call:
   • Scouts want to swim to the far dock (dangerous, deep water)
   • Allow it → Builds trust, small risk of accident
   • Forbid it → Safe but scouts feel controlled
   • Compromise → Buddy system, supervised swim
2. Orienteering in Woods - Boundaries:
   • Scouts want to explore off-trail areas
   • Allow it → Discovery opportunity (find old warning signs, disturbed ground)
   • Forbid it → Safety maintained, miss clues
   • Accompany them → Control risk, find clues together
3. Investigating Morrison's Behavior:
   • Confront him → He admits feeling strange, mentions time feeling "wrong"
   • Ignore it → Continue normal activities
   • Talk to other counselors → They feel it too but can't explain it

Investigation Opportunities:

If counselors explore or investigate:

• Woods: Can find old "RESTRICTED AREA" signs buried under leaves, faded and weathered (from 1952)
• Mess Hall: Kitchen staff mention the clock "acts funny sometimes," resets itself
• Morrison's Office: If they sneak in, find a journal where Morrison notes "time discrepancies" going back years
• Lake: Swimmers might notice the water's reflection shows the sky at a different time of day
• Ground Vibrations: Subtle humming sound if they put their ear to the ground near the mess hall

Pacing Notes:

• Balance normal camp fun with growing wrongness
• Don't make anomalies too obvious—players should feel unsettled, not certain
• Let counselors dismiss oddities as tiredness, altitude, imagination
• Build to the evening's events

Transition:

Scene 4: Evening Campfire and The Reset (6:00 PM - 11:47 PM)

Location: Mess hall → Campfire circle → Cabins → The moment of reset

Duration: 45-60 minutes

NPCs Present: All camp staff and scouts

Mood: Nostalgic and warm → growing dread → horror at reset

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• Dinner → Cleanup → Campfire (8:00 PM) → Songs and stories → Lights out (10:00 PM) → The wait
• This is the emotional core of Loop 1—the moment before everything changes
• Counselors should feel attached to their scouts before the reset
• Build tension slowly toward 11:47 PM

Key Information to Establish:

• Campfire Traditions: Songs ("Kumbaya," "This Land Is Your Land"), ghost stories, marshmallows
• Scout Bonding: Feature moments of connection—Doc teaching first aid to Billy, Lisa organizing a cabin cleanup competition, Tommy leading a silly song, Sarah gifting sketches
• Morrison's Breakdown: He becomes increasingly agitated as time passes
• The Final Hour: 10:00 PM - 11:47 PM, scouts in cabins, counselors notice time moving strangely

NPC Behavior:

• Morrison: At campfire, tells a story about the camp's history, mentions it was built on "old government land" in 1955, says "Sometimes I think this place has a memory of its own"
• Scouts: Tired, happy, heading to bunks, whispering and giggling until lights out
• Featured Scout Moments:

- Doc: Asks what the stars will look like later, wants to stay up and stargaze

- Lisa: Organizes a "cabin of the day" award system for tomorrow

- Tommy: Tells a joke that makes everyone laugh, says "This is the best day ever"

- Sarah: Gives each counselor a quick sketch portrait, says "So we remember today"

- Billy: Finally relaxes, tells counselors he was scared but now feels safe

The Build to 11:47 PM:

10:00 PM - Lights Out:

10:30 PM - Counselors' Watch:

• Counselors are expected to do a final check on cabins
• They might notice:

- All clocks in camp show different times

- Morrison pacing near the mess hall

- A faint humming sound from underground

- Stars in the wrong positions

- Shadows that don't match the moonlight

11:00 PM - Morrison's Warning (if counselors seek him out):

11:30 PM - The Acceleration:

11:47 PM - The Reset:

Boxed Text (read slowly and dramatically):

Pause. Let the silence hang.

GM Guidance for The Reset:

Player Reactions:

• Players will be confused—that's intentional
• Counselors remember everything from Loop 1
• Scouts act like it's their first day (they don't remember the loop)
• Morrison acts normal, as if the previous day never happened

Key Points to Establish:

• Counselors' Memory: They remember every moment of Loop 1—the conversations, the bonds, the reset
• Scouts' Memory: Scouts don't remember anything—or do they? (Doc might have deja vu, Lisa might say "Have we met before?")
• Physical Reset: Everything is exactly as it was at 8:00 AM—scabs from scraped knees are gone, Sarah's sketches vanish, equipment is back in storage
• Emotional Impact: The counselors just spent a full day bonding with these kids, and now the kids don't remember them

Questions Players Will Ask:

"Do we remember?": Yes, counselors remember everything.

"Do the scouts remember?": Not clearly—they might have feelings of deja vu, but no concrete memories.

"What time is it?": 8:00 AM, July 16th, 1967—again.

"Can we leave camp?": You can try—this should be tested in Loop 2 (spoiler: temporal barrier prevents exit).

"What happens if we do something different?": The day proceeds based on your choices, but it always ends at 11:47 PM with a reset.

Pacing Notes:

• End Loop 1 on the reset cliffhanger
• Don't explain everything—let mystery build
• Give players a moment to process
• Transition directly into Loop 2

Transition:

Scene 1: The Second First Day (8:00 AM - 10:00 AM)

Location: Camp entrance → Flagpole → Activity stations

Duration: 20-30 minutes

NPCs Present: Morrison, scouts, staff

Mood: Counselors are alert and urgent, scouts are confused by deja vu

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• Counselors likely act differently this loop—let them
• Scouts show strong deja vu but can't articulate why
• This scene establishes: counselors remember fully, scouts remember partially, world resets perfectly
• Counselors will want to test the loop—encourage it

Key Information to Establish:

• Perfect Reset: Everything is exactly as it was—same weather, same time, same events
• Scout Fragments (9-10 MP):

- Doc: "I had the strangest dream about stars last night... but we just got here?"

- Lisa: Already knows where things are, confused why she knows

- Tommy: Tells jokes he "just thought of" (same ones from Loop 1)

- Sarah: Draws scenes from yesterday, doesn't know why

- Billy: Feels safe around counselors immediately, can't explain it

• Morrison's Loop: He doesn't remember, acts exactly the same, will give same speech
• Deterministic Events: Without intervention, events unfold identically (bus arrives 8:00, flag 9:00, etc.)

NPC Behavior:

• Morrison: Identical to Loop 1 unless counselors interrupt the script
• Scouts: Confused by their own deja vu, look to counselors for explanation
• Other Counselors: Don't remember the loop (only player counselors do—or GM decides if NPCs also remember)

Decision Points:

1. How do counselors react to scouts' deja vu?
   • Dismiss it → Scouts confused but move on
   • Acknowledge it → Scouts trust counselors, bond faster, but get scared
   • Investigate it → Ask what scouts remember, learn about memory fragments
2. Do counselors tell Morrison about the loop?
   • Yes → He thinks they're joking or crazy, dismisses it
   • No → They investigate on their own
   • Test him → Ask about his watch or the reset (he has no memory)
3. Do counselors follow the script or deviate?
   • Follow → See if exact replication changes anything (it doesn't)
   • Deviate → Try to trigger different outcome
   • Split up → Some follow, some investigate

Testing the Loop - Common Player Actions:

"We skip orientation and explore the woods":

• Allowed—they can find the old warning signs, disturbed ground near mess hall
• Morrison protests but can't physically stop them
• Scouts are excited by the adventure

"We tell the scouts about the time loop":

• Scouts react with disbelief, fear, or fascination depending on personality
• Doc believes immediately (scientific mind)
• Lisa wants proof (organization)
• Tommy thinks it's a prank (humor defense)
• Sarah starts sketching memories to "save them"
• Billy panics (needs reassurance)

"We try to leave camp":

• Critical test—this reveals the barrier
• 1-2 miles from camp center, there's an invisible barrier
• Feels like walking through thick gel, then impossible to push further
• Scouts feel it too, become frightened
• Temporal distortion visible: air shimmers, shows reflections of past/future

"We search for a way to stop the reset":

• Encourage this—it's the core mystery
• Leads to Scene 2 investigation opportunities

Pacing Notes:

• Let players experiment freely
• Answer "what happens if..." questions with outcomes
• Don't roadblock creative solutions, but establish loop rules
• Move to Scene 2 when counselors shift from "testing" to "investigating cause"

Transition:

Scene 2: Investigation and Discovery (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM)

Location: Camp grounds, woods, mess hall area, Morrison's office

Duration: 30-40 minutes

NPCs Present: Varies by location

Mood: Urgent, investigative, uncovering mystery

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This is an investigation scene—counselors choose where to search
• Present multiple investigation paths simultaneously
• Scouts can help or be assigned to normal activities
• Time pressure: they have until 11:47 PM
• Each location reveals clues about Project Hourglass

Investigation Locations:

A) The Woods - Old Warning Signs:

• Finding Them: Any thorough search, orienteering activity, or following hunches
• What They Find:

- Faded metal signs reading "U.S. ARMY - RESTRICTED AREA - AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY"

- Date stamps: 1952

- Buried under 15 years of leaves and soil

- Signs point toward mess hall area

• Scout Reactions: Doc finds it fascinating, Lisa takes notes, Tommy jokes about "secret army base," Sarah sketches them
• Next Steps: Leads to searching near mess hall

B) Morrison's Office - The Journal:

• Getting In: Morrison's office is in the main building, door usually unlocked during activities
• What They Find:
  • Personal journal on desk, recent entries
  • Morrison's handwriting, increasingly frantic
  • Excerpts:
    • "July 10: The watch thing happened again. Lost 3 hours, but everyone says it was normal time."
    • "July 12: Dreamed I ran this same week last year. And the year before. How many times?"
    • "July 15: Something is wrong with this place. Time doesn't work right. I should cancel camp. But I know I won't. I never do."
  • Older entries mention campers "disappearing" in the 1960s, never explained
• Scout Reactions: If scouts see this, they get scared; Doc wants to investigate more, Billy wants to leave
• Next Steps: Confirms time anomalies aren't new

C) The Mess Hall - Ground Vibrations:

• Finding It: Putting ear to ground, noticing sounds, investigating basement
• What They Find:

- Constant low-frequency humming from beneath mess hall

- Floor vibrates slightly if you stand still

- Kitchen staff mention "the generator in the basement acts up sometimes"

- There is no generator—the camp runs on diesel power from a shed

• Basement Access:

- Locked door in kitchen marked "STORAGE"

- Morrison has key, or door can be forced/picked

- Stairs lead down 20 feet to... concrete wall

- Wall is reinforced, thick, industrial—newer than the building

- Humming is loudest here

- Faint glow visible through cracks in concrete

• Scout Reactions: Doc theorizes about underground structures, Sarah draws the humming as waves
• Next Steps: Clear evidence something is buried beneath

D) The Lake - Temporal Reflection:

• Finding It: Swimming, fishing, or staring at water during investigation
• What They Find:

- Water surface sometimes shows wrong time of day

- Reflection shows sunset when it's noon

- Ripples move backward

- Fish swim in stuttering patterns (temporal lag)

- If counselor dives deep, they see: darkness, then flashes of other times (campers from other years, construction from 1952, reset moment in blue light)

• Scout Reactions: Scouts are unnerved, refuse to swim; Doc wants to study it, Sarah sketches the "wrong reflections"
• Next Steps: Confirms temporal distortion centered on camp

E) Talking to Scouts - Memory Fragments:

• Approach: Sit down with featured scouts, ask what they remember
• What They Reveal:

- Doc: "I remember you teaching me about stars... but that hasn't happened yet?"

- Lisa: "I organized the cabin awards... in a dream? Or was it real?"

- Tommy: "I feel like I've told these jokes before. A hundred times."

- Sarah: Pulls out sketches from yesterday—they shouldn't exist, but they do, fading like photographs in sunlight

- Billy: "I'm scared, but I don't know why. I feel safe with you, but we just met. I don't understand."

• Memory Clarity: Still 9-10 MP, memories are strong but feel like dreams
• Scout Theories: Doc suggests "time loop like in science fiction," Lisa proposes "government experiment," Tommy jokes "aliens"
• Next Steps: Scouts ask counselors to stop it

Decision Points:

1. How much time to spend investigating vs. comforting scouts?
   • Investigate → Learn more, but scouts feel neglected/scared
   • Comfort → Scouts feel safe, less information gathered
   • Balance → Involve scouts in investigation (makes them feel empowered)
2. Do counselors confront Morrison with evidence?
   • Yes → He breaks down, admits he's suspected for years, shows journal
   • No → Continue secret investigation
   • Accuse him → He gets defensive, but reveals information under pressure
3. Do counselors try to access the basement?
   • Force it → Succeed but damage camp property, Morrison angry
   • Ask Morrison → He says it's "just old foundation," refuses key
   • Wait → Plan to access it during Loop 3 or later

Key Information Players Should Learn This Scene:

• Something is buried beneath the camp (specifically under the mess hall)
• It's related to 1952 U.S. Army activity
• Morrison suspects time anomalies but doesn't understand them
• Temporal distortions are increasing (lake reflections, vibrations)
• Scouts' memories are fading slightly (they notice their memories feel more dreamlike by afternoon)

Pacing Notes:

• Let players choose investigation path
• Reveal clues in layers—each discovery leads to next question
• Build tension: time is passing, reset is coming
• Transition to Scene 3 when counselors have enough info and want to test a solution

Transition:

Scene 3: First Attempt to Break the Loop (2:00 PM - 6:00 PM)

Location: Various—depends on counselors' plan

Duration: 30-40 minutes

NPCs Present: Scouts, Morrison (if involved), staff

Mood: Desperate hope, creative problem-solving, building toward failure

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This scene is player-driven—they choose the approach
• Let them try creative solutions
• Most attempts fail (it's Loop 2, mystery isn't fully solved), but reward creativity with information
• Failure should feel meaningful, not arbitrary
• The goal: show the loop is breakable but requires understanding its mechanics

Common Player Approaches:

Approach 1: "We try to leave camp before 11:47 PM":

The Attempt:

• Pack up scouts, vehicles, supplies
• Drive/hike toward the barrier (discovered earlier)
• Barrier is 1-2 miles out, invisible but solid

What Happens:

• Vehicles stall as they approach barrier
• Hikers feel increasing pressure, like walking into a wall of gelatin
• At barrier edge: air shimmers with blue light, time distortions visible
• Scouts see their own reflections aged—Doc as an old man, Sarah as a teenager, Tommy as a child (different temporal states)
• Pushing through barrier causes temporal displacement: counselor's watch ages 10 years in seconds, rust forms on metal, food spoils
• Barrier is impassable

Information Gained:

• Loop has a physical boundary
• Boundary is temporal, not just spatial
• Something at camp's center is generating the field

Scout Reactions (9 MP):

• Doc: Fascinated, theorizes about "temporal containment field"
• Lisa: Frustrated, wants data on barrier properties
• Tommy: Scared, jokes fall flat
• Sarah: Draws the barrier, shows it as concentric circles centered on mess hall
• Billy: Panics, needs reassurance they're not trapped forever

Approach 2: "We access the basement and investigate the source":

The Attempt:

• Break down the basement door OR convince Morrison to open it
• Descend stairs, find the concrete wall
• Tools bounce off—it's reinforced, thick, professional construction

What Happens:

• Humming is deafening here
• Blue light pulses from cracks in concrete
• If counselors touch the wall: temporal shock (see flashes of 1952 construction, scientists in hazmat suits, a young girl screaming, the word "HOURGLASS")
• Morrison (if present) has a breakdown: "I knew. God help me, I knew something was down there. But what could I do? Cancel camp? Tell people? They'd think I was crazy."
• Wall cannot be breached with available tools (sledgehammers barely chip it)

Information Gained:

• Project Hourglass (name seen in visions)
• Built 1952, sealed beneath the camp
• Still active, still running
• Morrison knows more than he's admitted

Scout Reactions:

• Doc: Determined to understand, asks Morrison for more information
• Lisa: Demands Morrison tell truth, loses trust if he hid information
• Tommy: Angry, feels betrayed
• Sarah: Sketches the visions from the wall
• Billy: Terrified, refuses to go near basement again

Approach 3: "We create a paradox to break the loop":

The Attempt:

• Counselors reason: if they create an impossible situation, loop must break
• Examples: Destroy something that exists at loop start, prevent scouts from arriving, kill Morrison (dark), create proof of future loops that can't be explained

What Happens:

• Minor paradoxes: Loop adjusts (destroyed object reappears at reset, prevented event happens anyway)
• Major paradoxes: Temporal distortion spike—

- Air crystallizes

- People flicker between ages

- Scouts scream as they feel themselves existing in multiple times

- Reality stutters

- Loop emergency-resets early (11:30 PM instead of 11:47)

Information Gained:

• Loop has self-correction mechanisms
• Paradoxes don't break it—they trigger emergency reset
• Loop is designed to contain and adjust, very robust

Scout Reactions:

• All scouts are traumatized by distortion event
• Memories begin degrading faster (8-9 MP now)
• Doc: "It's defending itself. Like an immune system."
• Lisa: "We need to understand the rules before we break them."

Approach 4: "We document everything and try to remember more":

The Attempt:

• Counselors and scouts create written records, videos (if available), physical proof
• Hide evidence where they'll find it next loop
• Carve messages into trees, bury time capsules, etc.

What Happens:

• Physical objects reset at 11:47 (carvings disappear, videos erase)
• BUT: Memories remain for counselors
• Scouts' memories degrade but emotional impressions remain
• Exception: Sarah's sketches sometimes persist partially—faded but visible (temporal anomaly related to her connection to the loop)

Information Gained:

• Only memory persists through resets
• Scouts lose memories faster than counselors
• Some scouts (Sarah) may have special connection to temporal anomaly

Scout Reactions:

• Scouts are desperate to remember
• Sarah realizes her art sometimes survives, doesn't know why
• Doc theorizes counselors are "observers" who exist outside loop's memory wipe
• Lisa creates mnemonic devices, memory triggers

Approach 5: "We wait and observe, gather data":

The Attempt:

• Methodical documentation of loop mechanics
• Timing events, noting anomalies, mapping distortions
• Scientific approach

What Happens:

• Counselors learn:

- Distortions increase as day progresses (mild at 8 AM, severe by 11 PM)

- Certain locations distort more: mess hall, lake, deep woods

- Scouts' memory clarity fades through the day (sharp at morning, hazy by evening)

- Loop is exactly 15 hours 47 minutes (8:00 AM to 11:47 PM)

- The number 47 appears repeatedly (Morrison checks watch at :47, events happen at :47 past the hour)

Information Gained:

• Loop has patterns and rules
• Understanding mechanics may reveal solution
• More data needed from multiple loops

Scout Reactions:

• Doc loves this approach, assists
• Lisa organizes data collection
• Tommy gets bored but helps
• Sarah draws temporal maps
• Billy feels helpless, wants action

Decision Points:

1. Do counselors involve all scouts or protect some?
   • Involve all → Faster progress, but all scouts exposed to trauma
   • Protect younger/scared scouts → Slower, but some scouts spared
   • Let scouts choose → Some step up, some opt out
2. How far are counselors willing to go?
   • Ethical limits → Won't risk scouts, won't destroy property
   • Desperate measures → Willing to break rules, endanger themselves
   • No limits → Dangerous choices (GM warns of consequences)
3. Do counselors rest or push through evening?
   • Rest → Scouts less traumatized, counselors miss investigation time
   • Push → Maximum information, but scouts exhausted and scared

Pacing Notes:

• Let players try their plan fully
• Failure should feel earned, not arbitrary
• Provide new information even in failure
• Build tension toward the second reset
• Transition to Scene 4 as evening approaches

Transition:

Scene 4: The Second Reset and Memory Degradation (6:00 PM - 11:47 PM)

Location: Mess hall → Campfire → Cabins → The reset

Duration: 20-30 minutes

NPCs Present: All scouts and staff

Mood: Exhaustion, fear, grim determination, heartbreak at memory loss

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This is an emotional scene, not investigative
• Focus on counselor-scout relationships
• Scouts are scared and need reassurance (even if it's false hope)
• This scene establishes the cost of the loop: watching these kids suffer and forget
• Build to the reset with dread, not surprise

Key Roleplay Moments:

Dinner (6:00 PM - 7:00 PM):

• Scouts ask questions: "What's happening to us?" "Are we going to be okay?" "Will we remember tomorrow?"
• Counselors must decide: tell the truth or lie to comfort them
• Featured scouts' reactions:

- Doc: Wants truth, can handle it, starts theorizing about memory preservation

- Lisa: Demands honesty, gets angry if lied to, creates contingency plans

- Tommy: Jokes to hide fear, breaks down if pushed

- Sarah: Quietly sketches everyone, says "I want to remember your faces"

- Billy: Clings to counselors, terrified of forgetting them

Campfire (8:00 PM - 10:00 PM):

• Morrison (if he's broken) cancels campfire, or it proceeds with heavy atmosphere
• Scouts sit close to counselors, seeking comfort
• Songs feel hollow, ghost stories feel too real
• Possible moments:

- Doc asks counselors to teach him something "in case I forget, maybe it'll stay"

- Lisa makes everyone promise to stay together tomorrow

- Tommy tells one last joke: "Why did the Junior Brave cross the road? To get to yesterday!" (gallows humor)

- Sarah gives each scout a sketch of themselves, "so you remember who you are"

- Billy asks, "Will you still be my friend tomorrow, even if I don't remember you?"

Emotional Beats:

• Let counselors have moments with individual scouts
• These are the last moments scouts will fully remember Loop 2
• After reset, these conversations will be gone for scouts but permanent for counselors
• This is the horror: building relationships that only one side will remember

The Final Hour (10:00 PM - 11:47 PM):

10:00 PM - Lights Out:

11:00 PM - Counselors' Watch:

• Counselors are left alone or together
• Time to process, plan, grieve
• Morrison (if aware) might approach: "How many times have you done this? How many times have I?"
• Temporal distortions increase:

- Stars blur across sky

- Shadows flicker between multiple positions

- Scouts cry out in sleep, temporal echoes of their fear persisting

- Humming from underground reaches audible levels

11:30 PM - The Acceleration:

11:47 PM - The Second Reset:

Boxed Text:

GM Guidance for Second Reset:

Key Differences from First Reset:

• Counselors now expect it—less shock, more dread
• Scouts' memory is noticeably worse (9 MP → 7-8 MP)
• Visual: Counselors see scouts "fading" in the blue light (metaphor for memory loss)
• Scouts' opening reactions are less clear—deja vu is weaker

Scout Memory Changes (Loop 3 Start):

• Doc: Still remembers fragments but less detail—"We've met... haven't we? I can't... I remember stars?"
• Lisa: Knows she's organized something but can't remember what—"I feel like I had a plan. What was it?"
• Tommy: Repeats jokes but doesn't know why—"This feels familiar. Not in a good way."
• Sarah: Her sketches fade faster now, sometimes only partial images remain
• Billy: Feels safe with counselors but doesn't know why, more confused than afraid

Information Gained:

• Loop resets from below (beneath mess hall = confirmed source)
• Light radiates outward (concentric field)
• Scouts are "fading" (losing substance, losing memory)
• Each reset costs them more

Pacing Notes:

• This reset should feel sadder than the first
• Emphasize the loss—relationships built, now partially erased
• Counselors carry all the memory, scouts lose it
• Transition directly into Loop 3 or pause for player processing

Transition:

Scene 1: Fading Memories (8:00 AM - 11:00 AM)

Location: Camp entrance → Activities → Investigation

Duration: 20-25 minutes

NPCs Present: Scouts, Morrison, staff

Mood: Melancholy, urgency, growing horror at memory loss

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• Scouts have 6-8 MP now—memories are fragmented, emotional impressions remain
• This scene establishes the tragedy: counselors remember everything, scouts remember almost nothing
• Counselors likely skip normal activities and go straight to investigation (allow this)
• Introduce first visible temporal distortions

Scout Memory State (6-8 MP):

What Scouts Remember:

• Vague feelings: "I feel like I know you," "This place feels wrong," "I'm scared but I don't know why"
• Emotional impressions: Trust counselors without knowing why, fear the mess hall, avoid certain spots
• Fragments without context: Doc remembers the word "Hourglass" but not where he heard it, Sarah remembers blue light, Tommy remembers counting "Loop 3?"

What Scouts Have Forgotten:

• Specific conversations from Loops 1-2
• Details of investigation
• Why they're scared
• Counselors' names (have to be reminded)
• Their own actions from previous loops

Scout Behavior Changes:

• Doc: Still curious but frustrated he can't remember his own theories; "I figured something out yesterday... didn't I?"
• Lisa: Anxious without her organizational structure; keeps making lists then forgetting what they're for
• Tommy: Jokes less, withdrawn; "I feel like I'm losing myself."
• Sarah: Draws compulsively, trying to capture memories before they fade; sketches show previous loops but she doesn't know why she's drawing them
• Billy: Paradoxically calmer—he's forgotten most of the fear, just has baseline trust in counselors

First Temporal Distortions:

Loop 3 introduces visible reality glitches:

Visual Distortions:

• Scouts occasionally appear at two ages simultaneously (Doc flickers between 12 and 15)
• Shadows don't match sun position—camp has "temporal shadow" from different time
• Objects exist in two states (flag is both raised and lowered, mess hall door open and closed)
• Background scouts repeat actions in loops (walk same path 3 times in 10 minutes)

Auditory Distortions:

• Echoes of previous loops: counselors hear yesterday's conversations overlapping with today's
• Scouts' voices sound layered, like multiple versions speaking at once
• Humming from underground is audible to everyone now
• Clock chimes occur before or after the hour

Physical Distortions:

• Temperature fluctuates (cold spots where temporal field is strong)
• Counselors' watches run at different speeds
• Food spoils and unspoils (bread moldy then fresh again)
• Water flows uphill near mess hall

NPC Reactions to Distortions:

• Morrison: Visible distress, admits "it's getting worse, it always gets worse around mid-summer"
• Kitchen Staff: Notice but rationalize ("generator acting up," "altitude sickness")
• Scouts: Frightened, look to counselors for explanation
• Other Counselors (if NPCs): Some deny it, some panic, some join investigation

Decision Points:

1. How do counselors explain distortions to scouts?
   • Truth → Scouts are terrified but trust counselors
   • Partial truth → "Something is wrong with camp, we're fixing it"
   • Lie → "It's normal / you're imagining it" (scouts lose trust, fear increases)
2. Do counselors prioritize investigation or scout comfort?
   • Investigation → Make progress but scouts feel abandoned
   • Comfort → Scouts feel safe but lose investigation time
   • Involve scouts → Scouts feel empowered, help with investigation
3. Do counselors confront Morrison now or investigate independently?
   • Confront → Morrison breaks, reveals what he knows (see below)
   • Independent → Find information themselves, Morrison remains in denial
   • Collaborate → Morrison helps reluctantly

Morrison's Breakdown (if confronted):

If counselors push Morrison (show evidence, describe loops, demand answers):

Information Gained from Morrison:

• Kids have disappeared before (1962: Michael Reeves—note the surname)
• Government owns the land, blocks investigation
• Morrison is partially aware of loops but can't break free
• He's trapped in a longer cycle—every summer, he opens camp despite knowing it's wrong
• The date July 16th is significant (mid-summer, peak distortion?)

Pacing Notes:

• This scene establishes new stakes: scouts are fading, distortions are worsening, time is running out
• Let counselors react to memory loss—it's heartbreaking
• Move to Scene 2 when counselors commit to a plan of action

Transition:

Scene 2: Deeper Investigation and Temporal Hazards (11:00 AM - 3:00 PM)

Location: Varies—woods, basement, lake, camp records

Duration: 30-40 minutes

NPCs Present: Depends on location, featured scouts (if involved)

Mood: Tense, dangerous, racing against time and reality itself

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• Counselors have limited time and increasing urgency
• Multiple investigation paths available—let them split up if they want
• Introduce temporal hazards: investigating is now actively dangerous
• This scene should yield critical information (Project Hourglass name, temporal engine, shutdown possibilities)

Investigation Paths:

Path A: Accessing the Basement - The Sealed Bunker:

Getting There:

• Morrison gives key (if cooperating) OR counselors break down door
• Basement stairs lead to reinforced concrete wall
• Tools are insufficient—need explosives or heavy equipment (not available)

Alternative Access—The Crack:

• If counselors examine wall closely: there's a hairline crack from 15 years of stress
• Using tools + temporal distortion (wait for a surge), crack widens
• Dangerous: temporal radiation leaks through (see Temporal Hazards below)
• Through crack: can see blue light, hear machinery, feel intense vibration

What They See Through the Crack:

• Chamber beyond, 60+ feet deep
• Massive cylindrical structure—the temporal engine
• Glowing blue, rotating in impossible directions
• Walls covered in 1952-era control panels, military markings
• Words visible on machinery: "PROJECT HOURGLASS - U.S. ARMY TEMPORAL RESEARCH"
• A warning sign: "EMERGENCY CONTAINMENT ACTIVE - LOOP DURATION: 24 HOURS - LOOP COUNT: 4,783"

Critical Information:

• Name: Project Hourglass
• They're in Loop 4,783 (this isn't the first time loop cycle—the facility has been looping for YEARS during past summers, they just didn't remember)
• 24-hour loop (but camp only experiences 15:47 of it—8 AM to 11:47 PM)
• Emergency containment active = automatic, defensive system

Temporal Hazard Here:

• Anyone sticking hand through crack: temporal shock

- Watch ages 50 years

- Skin wrinkles then smooths

- Sees their own death in fast-forward

- Memory flash: scientists in 1952, a girl screaming, the word "Eleanor"

- Takes stress/mental damage

Scout Involvement:

• If Doc is here: immediately understands it's a temporal loop device, starts theorizing about how to shut it down
• If Sarah is here: draws the engine, her sketch persists after reset (anomaly: her art sometimes survives)
• If others: scared, want to leave, need counselor reassurance

Path B: Searching for Records - Michael Reeves:

Location: Morrison's office, camp files, old records

Finding Records:

• Morrison keeps files in a locked cabinet (key easily found or given)
• 1962 summer session records
• Photo of Michael Reeves: age 12, red hair, bright smile
• He looks exactly like Tommy Reeves (time loop connection? reincarnation? same family line?)

Michael's Disappearance Report:

• Official record: "Michael Reeves withdrew from camp on July 18, 1962, due to family emergency"
• Morrison's personal note (in margins): "No family emergency. He was here at breakfast, gone by lunch. Searched for days. Government told me to stop asking. Records were altered. I'm the only one who remembers."

Other Disappearances:

• 1959: Two scouts, names erased from records
• 1965: One counselor, officially "quit mid-summer"
• Pattern: All disappeared mid-July, usually around July 16th
• All disappearances coincide with Morrison's journal entries about time anomalies

Critical Information:

• Michael Reeves may have been caught in a previous loop cycle
• Tommy may be related (family connection)
• Disappearances = people trapped in loops until they became temporal echoes (hollow)
• Government actively covers up incidents

Scout Involvement:

• If Tommy sees Michael's photo: intense deja vu, "That's... that's me. Why does he look like me?"
• If Lisa is here: organizes all records, creates timeline, notices pattern
• If others: disturbed by disappearances, fear they'll disappear too

Path C: Investigating the Woods - Buried Facility Evidence:

Location: Deep woods, off-trail areas marked "RESTRICTED" in 1952

What's There:

• Old warning signs, more numerous deeper in woods
• Ventilation shafts (sealed) for underground facility
• Disturbed earth where facility was buried under topsoil
• If counselors dig: find concrete slabs just 3-4 feet down (facility roof)
• Graffiti on ventilation shaft: "Eleanor was here 1952" and "Help us, we're still down there"

Temporal Distortions in Woods:

• Strongest distortions away from camp center
• Trees flicker between seasons (summer, winter, fall simultaneously)
• Counselors see temporal echoes: soldiers from 1952 setting up fences, construction crews burying the facility, scientists in hazmat suits
• Hear voices from the past: "Seal it up, no one can know," "The girl is still inside," "Loop containment holding"

Critical Information:

• Facility extends beneath entire camp (huge underground complex)
• Eleanor (mentioned before) was trapped inside during sealing
• Facility was deliberately buried to hide it
• Loop containment has been "holding" for 15 years but is degrading

Temporal Hazard Here:

• Time dilation zones: Counselor walks into area, experiences 4 hours in 10 minutes (ages visibly, exhausted)
• Temporal echoes: Encounter ghostly figure of Eleanor (1952 girl, translucent, repeating "I can't get out" over and over)
• Reality tears: Sky cracks like glass, shows other times beneath (1952, present, far future)

Scout Involvement:

• If Sarah is here: sees Eleanor clearly, Eleanor tries to communicate through Sarah's art
• If Billy is here: terrified by echoes, needs protecting from temporal hazards
• If Doc is here: theorizes Eleanor is trapped in a sub-loop, her consciousness fragmented across time

Path D: Testing the Loop - Finding the Rules:

Approach: Scientific method—test hypotheses, document results

Tests Counselors Might Try:

1. "Does distance from center affect memory?"
   • Result: YES—scouts farther from mess hall retain memories slightly better
   • Implication: Temporal field is strongest at center (engine location)
2. "Can we remove scouts from the loop?"
   • Result: NO—barrier prevents exit
   • But: Counselors can attempt to "shield" scouts by keeping them at camp edge (minimal effect)
3. "What happens if we destroy camp infrastructure?"
   • Result: Physical damage resets at 11:47 PM
   • But: Destroying things near mess hall causes temporal distortion spikes (engine defends itself)
4. "Can we find the loop's weakpoint?"
   • Result: YES—temporal field is weakest at 11:46 PM and 8:01 AM (transition moments)
   • Implication: Best time to attempt shutdown is right before or after reset
5. "Why do counselors remember but scouts don't?"
   • Result/Theory: Counselors are "observers" (older, more mental resilience, trained to remember/report), scouts are "subjects" (targets of containment)
   • Doc's theory: "It's designed to make kids forget. We're collateral—it doesn't work as well on us."

Path E: Talking to Temporal Echoes - Eleanor:

If counselors encounter Eleanor (ghostly girl from 1952):

Who She Is:

• Dr. Helena Vance's daughter, age 12 in 1952
• Snuck into Project Hourglass during test
• Caught in the first temporal loop
• Consciousness fragmented across thousands of loop iterations
• Exists as temporal ghost, awareness flickering in and out

What She Can Tell Them (fragmented, broken sentences):

• "Father tried to save me... couldn't... shutdown codes... scattered..."
• "Emergency protocol... trap everyone... until forgotten... protect the secret..."
• "I've been here... fifteen years... a thousand years... a moment..."
• "You're Loop 4,783... they all forget... you'll forget too..."
• "Shutdown requires... codes... three pieces... camp... find father's notes..."

Critical Information:

• Dr. Vance (her father) was lead scientist
• Shutdown codes exist, split into three pieces
• Emergency protocol is to loop until all witnesses forget
• Eleanor has experienced thousands of loops, driven mad by it

How Eleanor Appears:

• Translucent, flickering, age shifts (child, teenager, old woman)
• Speaks in overlapping echoes of her own voice
• Appears in reflections, shadows, temporal distortions
• Can communicate through Sarah's drawings (if Sarah is present)
• Vanishes if distortions fade

Scout Reactions to Eleanor:

• Most scouts can't see her clearly (2-3 MP scouts see nothing)
• Doc sees her, recognizes temporal echo
• Sarah sees her perfectly, can communicate
• Tommy jokes to hide terror
• Billy runs away screaming

Temporal Hazards:

Loop 3 introduces active dangers from temporal distortions:

Temporal Shock:

• Exposure to raw temporal energy (through cracks, from Eleanor, in distortion zones)
• Effects: Rapid aging then de-aging, memory flashes from other times, physical exhaustion, mental stress
• Mechanical: Take stress, temporarily lose memories, age visibly (reverts after leaving area)

Time Dilation Zones:

• Areas where time moves at different speeds
• Counselor enters, experiences hours in minutes (or vice versa)
• Aging, exhaustion, disorientation
• Scouts caught in dilation can lose Memory Points faster

Reality Tears:

• Visible cracks in reality showing other times
• Looking through: see past (1952), present (now), possible futures
• Dangerous: Reaching through can trap you between times
• Falling through: Counselor temporarily becomes temporal echo

Temporal Echoes (Ghost Loops):

• Shadows of people from other loops
• Usually harmless but disturbing
• Can be communicated with if counselors try
• Some echoes are hostile (people who went mad in previous loops)

Paradox Damage:

• If counselors create impossible situations
• Reality "fights back" with distortion surge
• All nearby people age/de-age rapidly
• Scouts lose 1-2 MP instantly
• Can trigger early reset

Decision Points:

1. How much risk are counselors willing to take?
   • High risk → Access engine directly, expose scouts to hazards, push boundaries
   • Moderate risk → Investigate safely, protect scouts, controlled experiments
   • Low risk → Minimal exposure, prioritize scout safety over information
2. Do counselors share all information with scouts?
   • Full disclosure → Scouts know everything, can help, but terrified
   • Partial disclosure → "We found the problem, working on solution"
   • Minimal → "Don't worry, we'll handle it" (scouts lose trust)
3. Do counselors attempt shutdown now or gather more info?
   • Attempt now → Likely fail (not enough info), but shows initiative
   • Gather info → More loops, more memory loss, but better chance of success
   • Split party → Some attempt, some investigate

Key Information Players Should Learn This Scene:

• Project Hourglass name and purpose (temporal research)
• Eleanor Vance (trapped girl, Dr. Vance's daughter)
• Shutdown codes exist in three pieces scattered around camp
• Loop count: 4,783 (this has happened before, many times)
• Michael Reeves and other disappearances (became temporal echoes)
• Emergency containment protocol is designed to loop until witnesses forget

Pacing Notes:

• This scene is information-dense—don't overwhelm, but reward investigation
• Let counselors choose depth of investigation vs. time spent
• Temporal hazards add stakes and danger
• Move to Scene 3 when counselors have enough info and time is running short

Transition:

Scene 3: First Hollow Child (3:00 PM - 7:00 PM)

Location: Throughout camp, focusing on scouts

Duration: 25-35 minutes

NPCs Present: All scouts, Morrison, staff

Mood: Mounting dread, protective urgency, horror at witnessing point of no return

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This scene is the emotional gut-punch of Loop 3
• One scout (default: Billy, but could be another if counselors neglected them) reaches 0 MP
• "Hollow" state: alive, functional, but no personality, no memory, no self
• This scene shows counselors the stakes: this is what happens if they fail

The Hollow State:

What Billy Is Now:

• Physically present, breathing, moving
• Responds to direct instructions: "Sit here," "Eat this," "Follow me"
• No initiative, no personality, no fear or joy
• Doesn't recognize anyone, doesn't remember his own history
• Goes through motions of camp activities but with no engagement
• Looks through people, not at them
• When asked about himself: "I don't know. I don't remember."

What Billy Has Lost:

• All memories of loops 1-3
• His personality (nervous but brave, seeking comfort, trying to fit in)
• Relationships with counselors and other scouts
• Sense of self ("Who am I?" "I don't know.")
• Emotional responses (doesn't cry, doesn't laugh, doesn't fear)
• The spark that made him Billy

What Billy Retains:

• Basic motor skills (can walk, eat, dress himself)
• Language (can speak, understand commands)
• Basic instincts (hunger, thirst, pain response)
• No resistance to reset (he'll reset to 8 AM like always, still at 0 MP)

Is He Gone Forever?:

• Unknown at this point
• Doc theorizes: "Maybe if we break the loop, memories return?"
• Lisa: "Or maybe he's gone and this is just... what's left."
• Tommy: Silent, terrified he's next
• Sarah: Draws Billy with blank eyes, tears streaming

Other Scouts' Reactions:

Doc Henderson (7-8 MP):

• Immediately diagnoses the problem: "Temporal amnesia, complete memory loss, personality degradation"
• Tries to revive Billy's memories: "Remember the bus? Remember breakfast? Remember me?"
• No response from Billy
• Doc becomes obsessed with preventing this happening to others

Lisa Chen (6-7 MP):

• Takes charge of Billy, keeps him safe
• Creates schedule to keep him functioning
• Desperate to organize a solution: "We have to stop this. Now. What's the plan?"
• Angry at counselors if they don't have clear next steps

Tommy Reeves (7-8 MP):

• Jokes stop completely
• "That's gonna happen to me, isn't it? I'm gonna forget everything. I won't know who I am."
• Clings to Doc and Lisa, trying to hold onto connections
• Asks counselors: "Promise you'll remember me. Even if I don't remember you."

Sarah Kim (6-7 MP):

• Draws Billy obsessively, trying to capture who he was
• "If I draw him, maybe he'll come back. Maybe the loop will remember him."
• Her sketches of Billy show his personality from Loop 1—the scared boy becoming brave
• Becomes convinced her art can preserve memories (partially true—her sketches sometimes survive resets)

Other Featured Scouts (4-6 MP):

• Most are fragmenting badly
• Know something terrible happened to Billy but can't remember what
• Deja vu is constant, disorienting
• Some ask: "Why are we all so scared?"

Counselor Responses:

This scene is player-driven—let counselors respond authentically:

Possible Reactions:

• Grief: Billy is gone, even though he's standing there
• Anger: At the loop, the government, themselves for not stopping it sooner
• Determination: "Never again. No more hollow children."
• Despair: "We can't save them. We're going to watch them all disappear."
• Urgency: "We break the loop tonight, whatever it takes."

What Counselors Can Try:

1. "Can we restore Billy's memories?"
   • Showing photos, telling stories, recreating moments: No effect (0 MP = gone)
   • Doc: "It's like trying to fill a cup with a hole in the bottom. There's nothing to hold the memories."
2. "Can we protect other scouts from reaching 0 MP?"
   • Yes—spending time with them, creating strong emotional moments, keeping them away from temporal distortions
   • Lisa suggests: "We need a system. Rotate time with each scout, keep their memories active."
   • Limited effectiveness (can slow loss, not stop it)
3. "Is this permanent?"
   • Unknown—maybe breaking the loop restores them?
   • Eleanor (if contacted): "Some came back... most didn't... I don't remember..."
   • Only way to find out: break the loop
4. "Can we use Billy to learn about the hollow state?"
   • Doc might examine Billy, ask questions
   • Billy shows no temporal distortion (he's fully integrated into the loop now, no resistance)
   • Theory: 0 MP scouts become part of the loop mechanism itself

Investigation Continues Despite Tragedy:

Even while processing Billy's loss, counselors must keep investigating:

Searching for Shutdown Codes (Eleanor mentioned three pieces):

Location 1: Morrison's Office:

• Hidden in journal, coded message
• Morrison doesn't know it's there (implanted by Dr. Vance years ago?)
• Code Fragment 1: "TEMPORAL ANCHOR OVERRIDE: VANCE-7-ECHO"

Location 2: Buried Near Mess Hall:

• If counselors dig in specific spot (requires Eleanor's guidance or lucky search)
• Find sealed metal box, 1952 military issue
• Inside: Dr. Vance's notebook, equations, and Code Fragment 2: "EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN SEQUENCE: HOURGLASS-52-DELTA"

Location 3: Eleanor's Memory:

• Must communicate with Eleanor's ghost
• She can't remember clearly (fragmented across loops)
• Through Sarah's sketches, Eleanor conveys: Code Fragment 3: "CONTAINMENT RELEASE AUTHORIZATION: ELEANOR-LIVED"
• The last fragment is personal—her father's reminder that she existed, she was real

Complete Shutdown Code:

When all three fragments are combined: "VANCE-7-ECHO / HOURGLASS-52-DELTA / ELEANOR-LIVED"

How to Use the Code:

• Must be entered into the terminal in the sealed bunker (beneath mess hall)
• Requires accessing the engine room
• Terminal is behind the concrete wall counselors found earlier
• Wall must be breached (impossible with current tools, needs explosive or catastrophic distortion event)

Decision Points:

1. How much time do counselors spend on Billy vs. investigation?
   • Focus on Billy → Emotional closure, but lose investigation time
   • Focus on investigation → Progress toward solution, but scouts feel abandoned
   • Balance → Harder to achieve, requires splitting party
2. Do counselors tell remaining scouts what happened to Billy?
   • Full truth → Scouts terrified, some give up hope
   • Partial truth → "Billy is sick, we're helping him"
   • Lie → "Billy is fine" (scouts don't believe it, lose trust)
3. Do counselors attempt desperate shutdown tonight or wait?
   • Tonight → Wall isn't breached yet, likely fail, but urgency is real
   • Wait → More loops, more hollow children, but better prepared
   • Partial attempt → Test the codes/access, gather data for future loops

Pacing Notes:

• Billy's hollow state should be played with quiet horror, not melodrama
• Give counselors space to grieve and react
• The other scouts' fear is contagious—entire camp feels the dread
• Build toward evening with ticking clock pressure
• Transition to Scene 4 as dinner/evening approaches

Transition:

Scene 4: The Third Reset and Government Arrival (7:00 PM - 11:47 PM + 8:00 AM Loop 4)

Location: Mess hall → Campfire → Cabins → Reset → Loop 4 opening

Duration: 20-30 minutes

NPCs Present: All scouts, Morrison, DARPA team (arrives at reset)

Mood: Exhausted dread → resignation → shock at new complication

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This is the final scene of Loop 3
• Counselors likely can't break the loop yet (no way through the wall)
• Focus on emotional preparation, relationships, setting up Loop 4
• The reset brings a new complication: the government arrives

Evening Activities (7:00 PM - 10:00 PM):

Campfire (if held):

• Most scouts don't attend (too scared, too tired, too hollow)
• Those who come sit silently
• Traditional songs feel wrong, ghost stories too real
• Morrison might speak (if he's aware): "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I've let this happen for ten years. I should have stopped it."

Counselor-Scout Moments:

Let counselors have final conversations with scouts before reset:

• Doc: "I won't remember this tomorrow, will I? Then... then just tell me this one thing is true: we figured it out once, so we can figure it out again. Right?"
• Lisa: "I made a promise to myself—to all of us. We stay together. Even if I forget, I'll feel it. I know I will."
• Tommy: Says nothing, just hugs his counselor and cries
• Sarah: Gives each person a sketch—portraits from Loop 1, somehow still existing, faded but real. "I'm trying to hold on. I'm trying so hard."
• Billy: Sits alone, staring at the fire, no thoughts behind his eyes

Final Hour (10:00 PM - 11:47 PM):

10:00 PM - Lights Out:

11:00 PM - Counselors' Watch:

• Counselors are exhausted mentally, emotionally, physically
• Time to discuss strategy for Loop 4
• Temporal distortions are severe:

- Multiple timelines visible simultaneously

- Counselors see themselves from previous loops, ghostly overlays

- Entire camp flickers between day and night

- Scouts' cabins echo with cries from past loops

11:30 PM - Final Moments:

• Morrison approaches counselors (if he's aware):

"I'll forget this tomorrow. I always do. But tonight, I remember enough to say: Thank you for trying. Thank you for caring about these kids more than I did."

• Counselors might make promises to each other, to the scouts, to themselves
• Some might pray, some might plan, some might just wait

11:47 PM - The Third Reset:

Boxed Text:

Loop 4 Opening - The Government Arrives:

Boxed Text (different from previous loops):

GM Guidance for Government Arrival:

DARPA Team Composition:

Agent Sarah Reeves (team lead):

• Professional, mission-focused, pragmatic
• Personal stake: Her younger brother Michael Reeves disappeared from this camp in 1962 (she's been searching for him)
• Agenda: Assess temporal anomaly, extract data, contain witnesses
• Potential ally if counselors mention Michael

Dr. Marcus Chen (temporal physicist):

• Fascinated by Project Hourglass, wants to preserve and study it
• Terminal illness (late-stage cancer)—sees loop as chance for immortality ("If I'm trapped in a loop, I never die")
• Becomes antagonist in later loops (wants to keep loop running)
• Agenda: Study the engine, possibly sabotage shutdown attempts

Specialist Rodriguez & Kowalski (military contractors):

• Follow orders, protect the team, contain threats
• Not inherently hostile but will use force if necessary
• Rodriguez has a conscience (potential ally)
• Kowalski is by-the-book (potential obstacle)

What the Government Knows:

• Project Hourglass exists and is beneath the camp
• Temporal readings spiked in the last 72 hours (Loops 1-3 caused detectable anomalies)
• Standing orders: Secure site, extract technology, eliminate evidence
• They do NOT know about the time loop yet (they're experiencing Loop 4 as their first day)

What the Government Wants:

• Access the buried facility
• Retrieve any functional technology
• "Contain" witnesses (rescue or terminate, depending on assessment)
• Prevent public exposure of classified program

Counselors' Advantage:

• Counselors remember Loops 1-3, government doesn't
• Counselors know the shutdown codes, government doesn't
• Counselors understand loop mechanics, government is figuring it out
• Counselors can manipulate/guide government actions based on foreknowledge

Scout Memory at Loop 4 Start:

• Doc, Tommy: 6-7 MP (fragmented, deja vu, emotional echoes)
• Lisa, Sarah: 5-6 MP (vague feelings, trust counselors but don't know why)
• Billy: 0 MP (hollow, empty, no change from Loop 3)
• Other Scouts: 3-5 MP (mostly blank, scared without knowing why)

Information Gained This Loop:

• Government is aware and responding
• Agent Reeves has personal connection (Michael)
• Dr. Chen is potential antagonist (wants loop to continue)
• Shutdown codes are collected (counselors know all three fragments)
• Billy is first hollow child (stakes are clear)

Pacing Notes:

• Government arrival should feel like a complication, not necessarily an enemy
• Let players decide: Work with government? Against them? Manipulate them?
• Loop 3 ends on a cliffhanger leading directly into Loop 4
• Counselors are now veterans (3 loops down), scouts are fading badly

Transition:

Scene 1: Government Assessment and Counselor Decisions (8:00 AM - 11:00 AM)

Location: Camp entrance → Main office → Throughout camp

Duration: 30-40 minutes

NPCs Present: DARPA team (Reeves, Chen, Rodriguez, Kowalski), Morrison, scouts

Mood: Tense standoff, strategic maneuvering, divided loyalties

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This scene is about information control and alliance building
• Counselors have huge advantage: they remember 3 previous loops, government doesn't
• Decision point: Cooperate with government? Lie? Manipulate? Resist?
• DARPA team has resources counselors need (tools, explosives, authority) but also threatens containment

Agent Reeves' Interview:

Questions She Asks:

1. "Have you noticed any temporal anomalies? Time moving strangely, déjà vu, memory gaps?"
2. "Has anyone gone missing or exhibited strange behavior?"
3. "What do you know about the history of this camp? Anything unusual about the location?"
4. "Have any of the scouts or staff mentioned seeing or hearing things that aren't there?"
5. "I need access to all camp records, particularly from 1962. Where does Morrison keep files?"

Possible Counselor Responses:

Option A: Full Disclosure

• Tell Reeves everything: loops, scouts' memory loss, Project Hourglass, shutdown codes, Billy's hollow state
• Reeves' Reaction: Initially skeptical, but sensor data supports claims; becomes cautiously cooperative
• Advantage: Gain DARPA resources and expertise
• Disadvantage: Reeves' orders are to "contain witnesses"—she might decide everyone knows too much
• Chen's Reaction: Becomes obsessed, wants to preserve/study loop

Option B: Partial Truth

• Admit temporal anomalies and memory issues, but hide loop knowledge and shutdown codes
• Present as confused victims seeking help
• Reeves' Reaction: Suspicious but protective, treats counselors as civilians to rescue
• Advantage: DARPA helps investigate, doesn't see counselors as threat
• Disadvantage: Slower progress, counselors can't use full knowledge openly
• Chen's Reaction: Studies phenomenon, might discover loop independently

Option C: Misdirection

• Lie or deflect, claim everything is normal or blame issues on altitude/stress
• Reeves' Reaction: Doesn't believe it, becomes adversarial, increases monitoring
• Advantage: Keep DARPA in dark, maintain control of situation
• Disadvantage: DARPA interferes with investigation, might use force
• Chen's Reaction: Sensors detect anomalies anyway, works around counselors

Option D: Strategic Alliance

• Offer deal: "We have information you need, you have resources we need. Let's work together."
• Reveal some information, hold back critical details (like shutdown codes)
• Reeves' Reaction: Pragmatic cooperation, mutual benefit acknowledged
• Advantage: Best of both—resources and control
• Disadvantage: Requires careful management, could backfire
• Chen's Reaction: Participates but pursues own agenda

The Michael Reeves Connection:

If counselors mention the 1962 disappearance or show Morrison's files:

Result of Michael Connection:

• Reeves becomes genuine ally (personal stake overrides orders)
• She'll help access bunker, provide tools, cover for counselors
• But: She wants to find Michael, might make impulsive decisions
• Tommy's reaction: "That's... that's my uncle? I never met him. Dad never talks about him."

Dr. Chen's Investigation:

While counselors deal with Reeves, Chen is studying the camp:

What Chen Discovers (with sensors):

• Temporal field centered on mess hall, radius ~2 miles
• Field strength increasing exponentially (loops are destabilizing)
• Loop duration: 15 hours 47 minutes, resets at 11:47 PM (he predicts the reset)
• Memory degradation patterns in scouts (he can measure MP loss)
• Temporal engine signature matches Project Hourglass specifications

Chen's Agenda:

Chen Becomes Antagonist:

• Will sabotage shutdown attempts in later loops
• Tries to convince others to accept eternal loop
• Rationalizes scouts' suffering
• Genius intellect makes him dangerous opponent

Morrison's Breakdown:

If Reeves interrogates Morrison (or counselors support him):

Morrison's Information:

• Government has suppressed reports for decades
• Disappearances follow pattern: mid-July, peak temporal activity
• Camp lease is controlled by DoD shell company
• Morrison might be in a longer loop (every summer) or just traumatized and complicit

Scout Status During Government Presence:

Scouts in Mess Hall (4-7 MP):

Doc Henderson (6-7 MP):

• Fascinated by government agents: "This means something big is happening"
• Tries to eavesdrop, asks specialists questions
• If talked to by counselors: "I feel like I've done this before. Not camp. This exact moment. You, me, them. Why?"
• Wants to help investigate, insists on being useful

Lisa Chen (5-6 MP):

• Trying to maintain order among scouts: "Everyone stay calm, stick together"
• Frustrated she can't remember why she knows to do this
• Asks counselors: "What's really happening? Don't lie to protect me—I need the truth."
• If told truth: Takes charge of keeping scouts safe, creates emergency plans

Tommy Reeves (6-7 MP):

• Makes nervous jokes about "men in black" and "alien invasions"
• If he sees Agent Reeves: feels strange connection, "She seems familiar"
• If told about Michael: "Dad has a brother he never talks about. Said he 'went away' when Dad was young. Could that be...?"
• Emotional if connection is confirmed

Sarah Kim (5-6 MP):

• Sketching everything compulsively
• Shows counselors: her sketch pad has faded drawings from previous loops—government agents she "hasn't met yet"
• "I keep drawing the same woman. Blue light. A girl screaming. I don't know why."
• If counselors explain: terrified but determined to document everything

Billy Holloway (0 MP):

• Sits quietly, eats when told, moves when directed
• Other scouts are disturbed: "What's wrong with Billy?"
• Specialists notice: "That kid's affect is completely flat. Catatonic?"
• Chen scans him: "Fascinating—zero temporal resistance. He's fully integrated into the loop structure."

Background Scouts (2-4 MP):

• Scared, confused, looking to featured scouts and counselors for leadership
• Some cry, some act out, some withdraw
• Temporal distortions are visible to them now (scary)

Decision Points:

1. Do counselors ally with Reeves, Chen, both, or neither?
   • Reeves → Gain resources, ally with personal stake, risk containment orders
   • Chen → Gain expertise, risk him sabotaging shutdown
   • Both → Maximum resources, maximum complications
   • Neither → Independence, but no DARPA tools/authority
2. How much do counselors reveal about shutdown codes?
   • Full reveal → DARPA can help but might take over
   • Partial → "We know there's a way to shut it down, still figuring it out"
   • Secret → Keep codes hidden, maintain control
3. Do counselors involve scouts in discussions or protect them?
   • Involve → Scouts feel empowered, can help, but exposed to stress
   • Protect → Scouts safer emotionally, but feel excluded/scared
   • Let scouts choose → Some step up (Doc, Lisa), others opt out (Billy is hollow, can't choose)
4. Do counselors attempt bunker access this loop or plan for later?
   • This loop → Use DARPA explosives/tools to breach wall
   • Plan for later → Gather more info, prepare better
   • Both → Send some counselors with DARPA, others stay with scouts

Key Information to Establish This Scene:

• Reeves is potential ally (Michael connection)
• Chen is emerging antagonist (wants loop to continue)
• Specialists are neutral (follow orders)
• Government has tools to breach bunker
• Scouts are deteriorating rapidly
• Chen predicts reset at 11:47 PM (government now knows about loop structure)

Pacing Notes:

• This scene is dialogue and decision-heavy
• Let players navigate social dynamics
• Establish clear DARPA motivations and personalities
• Don't rush—decisions here affect remaining loops
• Move to Scene 2 when alliances are formed and action plan is set

Transition:

Scene 2: Breaching the Bunker (11:00 AM - 2:00 PM)

Location: Mess hall basement → Bunker access

Duration: 30-40 minutes

NPCs Present: DARPA team, counselors who join the breach, Morrison (possibly)

Mood: Tense, dangerous, anticipation and dread

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This is the major action scene of Loop 4
• Breaching succeeds (DARPA has proper tools)
• But: Accessing the bunker triggers temporal defenses
• Dangerous: Reality distortions, temporal hazards, possible injuries
• Reward: Full view of engine, access to terminal, ability to attempt shutdown

The Breach:

Countdown:

Boxed Text - The Explosion:

Temporal Defenses Activate:

The engine's emergency protocols detect the breach:

Defense Mechanism 1: Temporal Acceleration

• Time inside the chamber moves at 10x speed
• Anyone entering experiences 10 minutes outside = 100 minutes inside (rapid aging, exhaustion)
• Mechanical: Counselors who enter age visibly, take stress, have limited time
• Chen: "The field is trying to burn out intruders. We have minutes before it becomes lethal."

Defense Mechanism 2: Reality Distortions

• Gravity fluctuates (people float, fall, slam into walls)
• Spatial dimensions shift (room is bigger inside than outside, Escher-like geometry)
• Multiple timeframes overlap (see scientists from 1952 working, self from future loops, temporal echoes)
• Perception attack: Hard to focus, hard to move, hard to think

Defense Mechanism 3: Temporal Ghosts

• The seven dead scientists become active
• Not hostile—confused, trapped, repeating last moments
• "Seal the chamber!" "Eleanor is still inside!" "It's not shutting down!" "We're trapped!"
• They physically block access (walking through them causes temporal shock)
• Eleanor's father, Dr. Vance, is among them—he recognizes shutdown code attempts

Defense Mechanism 4: Emergency Reset Threat

• Engine detects shutdown attempt
• Begins charging early reset (11:47 PM → could trigger at any moment)
• Blue light pulses faster, humming reaches scream-pitch
• Chen: "It's going to reset! If we're inside when it happens—we might not come back!"

Attempting the Shutdown:

Getting to the Terminal:

• Must cross 30 feet of distorted space
• Navigate around/through temporal ghosts
• Resist time acceleration (aging/exhausting)
• Maintain focus despite perception attacks

Possible Approaches:

Approach 1: Brute Force Sprint

• Rush to terminal, ignore hazards, type codes fast
• Risky: High stress damage, temporal shock, might not make it
• Fast: Can attempt shutdown in single action
• Result: Codes entered, but is it enough? (See below)

Approach 2: Careful Navigation

• Study the chamber, find safe path, minimize exposure
• Safer: Less stress damage, avoid worst hazards
• Slower: Takes time, emergency reset might trigger
• Result: Reach terminal safely, but time pressure

Approach 3: Split Party

• Some create distraction (interact with ghosts, manipulate panels)
• Others go for terminal
• Balanced: Divide risk, divide tasks
• Complication: Separated in dangerous environment

Approach 4: Use DARPA Resources

• Rodriguez volunteers: "I'll go. Military training, expendable civilian contractor."
• Reeves: "Tell me the codes, I'll enter them."
• Chen: "Let me go—I understand the system."
• Trust issue: Do counselors reveal codes to DARPA?

What Happens When Codes Are Entered:

If counselors (or ally) reach terminal and enter: "VANCE-7-ECHO / HOURGLASS-52-DELTA / ELEANOR-LIVED"

Critical Information Revealed:

• Codes alone aren't enough
• Eleanor is the paradox—she's been looping for 15 years, consciousness shattered across thousands of loops
• Two shutdown paths:

1. Remove Eleanor (free her consciousness somehow)

2. Manual Override (someone physically enters the engine core)

Temporal Ghost - Dr. Vance Speaks:

If counselors interact with the ghost scientists, one becomes coherent—Dr. Helena Vance:

Two Shutdown Paths Revealed:

Path 1: Consolidate Eleanor's Consciousness

• Requires finding a way to bring all 4,783 Eleanor fragments into one moment
• Sarah's sketches might be the key (her art persists across loops—temporal anchor)
• Would take multiple loops to accomplish
• Result: Eleanor freed, loop ends, no sacrifice required

Path 2: Manual Override Sacrifice

• Someone enters the engine core physically
• Becomes new temporal anchor, replaces Eleanor
• Loop ends immediately, everyone else freed
• Sacrificed person is trapped forever (or until engine finally fails)
• Result: Immediate shutdown, heavy cost

Chen's Reaction:

Reeves' Reaction:

Emergency Reset Triggered:

The breach and shutdown attempt stress the engine:

Boxed Text - Early Reset:

Loop 5 Opening - Immediate Continuation:

Scout Memory Degradation - Loop 5 Start:

| Scout | Loop 4 End | Loop 5 Start | Status |

|-------|------------|--------------|--------|

| Doc Henderson | 6-7 MP | 4-5 MP | Fragments only, frustrated |

| Lisa Chen | 5-6 MP | 3-4 MP | Vague feelings, organizational instinct |

| Tommy Reeves | 6-7 MP | 4-5 MP | Emotional echoes, no context |

| Sarah Kim | 5-6 MP | 4-5 MP | Draws compulsively, doesn't know why |

| Billy Holloway | 0 MP | 0 MP | Hollow, unchanged |

| Background Scouts | 2-4 MP | 1-2 MP | Nearly hollow, blank |

Pacing Notes:

• This scene is intense, action-heavy
• Breaching bunker is major milestone
• Discovering shutdown requires Eleanor's freedom is the "uh oh" moment
• Chen's heel-turn establishes clear antagonist
• Early reset should feel like a failure but also progress (learned critical info)
• Transition directly into Loop 5 opening

Transition:

Scene 1: The Race Against Forgetting (8:00 AM - 11:30 AM)

Location: Throughout camp, focus on scouts

Duration: 25-35 minutes

NPCs Present: Scouts (degrading rapidly), DARPA team (remembering fragments), Morrison

Mood: Desperate urgency, heartbreak, running out of time

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This loop is about making hard choices under pressure
• Scouts are nearly gone—counselors must decide: save them this loop (impossible) or accept loss and focus on permanent solution
• DARPA team is more aware (Loop 4 was traumatic enough to leave echoes)
• Chen is now active antagonist
• This scene establishes: time is running out, counselors must commit to a plan

Scout Crisis Points:

Doc Henderson (4-5 MP):

What Counselors Can Tell Doc:

• Full truth: He absorbs it, tries to help, but forgets details within hours (down to 3-4 MP by afternoon)
• Partial truth: Easier to process, less traumatic, still loses it
• Comfort: "We're fixing it, you don't need to worry"—he knows you're lying but appreciates the kindness

Doc's Contribution (if told truth):

• "Eleanor is the paradox. Sarah's drawings persist. What if... what if Sarah is like Eleanor? What if her consciousness is touching multiple loops through her art?"
• "Use Sarah. Consolidate Eleanor through Sarah's drawings. It's a link."
• This is a critical insight—Sarah is the key to Eleanor's consolidation

Lisa Chen (3-4 MP):

Lisa's Crisis:

• She's aware she's losing identity
• Desperately trying to hold on through organization (her core trait)
• Asks counselors: "Will you remember me? If I forget who I am, will you tell me?"
• If counselors promise: She relaxes slightly, trusts them to preserve her

Lisa's Contribution:

• Shows counselors her schedule: she's been tracking time patterns across loops (instinctively)
• "Something happens at 3:47 PM every day. I don't know what, but I wrote it down every time: 3:47 - IMPORTANT"
• This is a real pattern—3:47 PM is a temporal weak point (exactly 8 hours before reset, field is thinnest)

Tommy Reeves (4-5 MP):

Tommy's Crisis:

• Raw fear without context (emotional memory remains when factual memory is gone)
• Connection to Michael is fading—he feels the loss but doesn't understand it
• Needs physical comfort—hugs, presence, reassurance

Tommy's Contribution:

• If Agent Reeves talks to him: family resemblance triggers her fragmented memories
• "You're Michael's nephew. You're proof he existed. You're proof I'm not crazy."
• Reeves becomes even more committed to freeing Michael/Eleanor

Sarah Kim (4-5 MP):

Sarah's Crisis:

• Her temporal anchor ability is consuming her
• She's becoming like Eleanor—fragmenting across loops
• She's terrified but also compelled to draw

Sarah's Contribution:

• She is the key to consolidating Eleanor
• If counselors ask her to help: "I can draw Eleanor from every loop into one picture. Bring them all together. But... what happens to me if I do?"
• Legitimate concern: using Sarah to consolidate Eleanor might fragment Sarah instead

Billy Holloway (0 MP):

• Unchanged, hollow, empty
• Other scouts avoid him (uncanny valley effect)
• Morrison watches him with grief: "I let this happen"
• DARPA scans him: "Complete integration with loop structure—he's part of the mechanism now"

Background Scouts (1-2 MP):

• Most are nearly hollow
• Blank stares, minimal responses
• Follow instructions but no personality
• A glimpse of the future if counselors fail

DARPA Team Dynamics:

Agent Reeves (remembers fragments):

If Counselors Ally with Reeves:

• She shares resources, authority, protection
• Helps access bunker again
• Personal mission: find/free Michael
• Willing to sacrifice herself if necessary

If Counselors Distrust Reeves:

• She investigates independently
• Discovers shutdown attempts, might interfere
• Orders could change to "contain all witnesses" if situation seems uncontrollable

Dr. Chen (remembers clearly, actively hostile):

Chen's Sabotage:

• Will try to prevent bunker access
• Might warn the engine (interact with terminal) to strengthen defenses
• Could attempt to trap counselors in temporal distortion
• Smart, resourceful, desperate—dangerous combination

How to Handle Chen:

• Convince him (difficult): "You'll loop forever at exactly this age, this health—your cancer never advances, but you also never heal"
• Restrain him (requires DARPA help): Reeves can detain him if counselors explain his sabotage
• Avoid him (easier): Work around him, keep plans secret
• Use him (risky): His expertise is valuable if counselors can manipulate his cooperation

Specialists Rodriguez & Kowalski:

• Follow Reeves' orders
• Rodriguez is sympathetic: "These kids are in trouble. We should help."
• Kowalski is pragmatic: "Our mission is containment. We extract intel and secure the site."
• Might split depending on Reeves' choices

Decision Point: The Plan for Loop 5:

Counselors must choose their approach:

Option A: Consolidate Eleanor (Permanent Solution)

• Use Sarah to draw all 4,783 Eleanor fragments into one image
• Risky: Might fragment Sarah instead
• Time-consuming: Requires accessing bunker, reaching terminal, completing consolidation ritual
• Result if successful: Eleanor freed, loop ends permanently, everyone (including scouts) saved
• Result if failed: Sarah becomes fragmented, loop continues, lose more time

Option B: Manual Override Sacrifice (Immediate Solution)

• Someone enters engine core, becomes new anchor
• Fast: Can be done this loop if bunker is accessed
• Cost: Sacrificed person trapped forever
• Who volunteers?: Reeves (find brother), Rodriguez (soldier's duty), Morrison (atonement), counselor PC (heroic), Chen (perverse immortality)
• Result: Loop ends immediately, scouts freed, heavy emotional cost

Option C: Continue Gathering Information (Delay)

• Not enough info yet, need more loops
• Safe: No major risks this loop
• Cost: Scouts deteriorate further—Doc, Lisa, Tommy, or Sarah likely hollow by Loop 6-7
• Result: Better prepared for Session 2, but scouts suffer

Option D: Attempt Both (Split Party):

• Some counselors work on Eleanor consolidation
• Others prepare sacrifice backup plan
• Efficient: Cover both options
• Risky: Divided attention, might fail both
• Result: Flexible, but complicated

Pacing Notes:

• This scene is emotionally heavy—spend time with each featured scout
• Let players grieve for what's being lost
• Establish clear stakes: make a choice now or lose the scouts
• Don't rush the decision—this is Session 1's climax setup
• Move to Scene 2 when plan is set

Transition:

Scene 2: The Consolidation Attempt (11:30 AM - 3:47 PM)

Location: Bunker, Sarah's location, throughout camp

Duration: 30-40 minutes

NPCs Present: Varies by plan

Mood: Desperate action, racing against time, hope and fear

Opening Boxed Text (if pursuing Eleanor consolidation):

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This scene varies dramatically based on counselors' chosen plan
• Three major paths: Consolidation, Sacrifice Prep, or Both
• High tension, high stakes, time pressure
• This is where Session 1 can "succeed" or "fail" (though failure leads to Session 2)

Path A: Eleanor Consolidation Through Sarah:

What's Required:

1. Sarah must draw the "complete" Eleanor—all 4,783 fragments in one image
2. Drawing must be done in temporally significant location (bunker near engine, or temporal weak point)
3. Ritual/process to "pull" Eleanor's consciousness into the drawing
4. Risk: Sarah's consciousness might fragment in Eleanor's place

Step 1: Preparing Sarah (11:30 AM - 12:30 PM):

Counselors' Choice:

• Proceed with Sarah: She volunteers, accepts risk
• Find alternative: Use something else as anchor (counselor volunteers their consciousness, use Chen's equipment, etc.)
• Abandon plan: Too risky, try something else

If Sarah Proceeds:

Step 2: Accessing the Bunker (12:30 PM - 1:30 PM):

If DARPA Helps:

• Reeves authorizes: "We're doing this. Everyone, bunker access, now."
• Rodriguez and Kowalski use remaining explosives to clear any remaining wall
• Quick access, professional, safe

If DARPA Opposes:

• Chen blocks: "I won't let you destroy the loop!"
• Counselors must bypass DARPA (sneak in, distract them, restrain Chen)
• Slow access, risky, complications

If No DARPA Involvement:

• Counselors and scouts work alone
• Use previous breach from Loop 4 (wall is already damaged)
• Moderate difficulty

Reaching Engine Room:

• Temporal defenses active (time acceleration, distortions, ghosts)
• Sarah must be protected (she's fragile, 4-5 MP, essential to plan)
• Featured scouts can help (Doc provides guidance, Lisa organizes effort, Tommy provides courage)

Step 3: The Drawing Ritual (1:30 PM - 3:47 PM):

The Consolidation Process:

Sarah draws for two hours (game time: 10-20 minutes real time). During this:

Complications:

1. Chen Interferes:
   • Tries to stop the drawing: "You'll destroy everything!"
   • Counselors must restrain or convince him
   • If he succeeds: Drawing is disrupted, must restart (lose time)
2. Temporal Defense Surge:
   • Engine fights back: distortions intensify, ghosts become hostile
   • Someone must protect Sarah while she works
   • Risk of injury, temporal shock, early reset trigger
3. Sarah Begins to Fragment:
   • As Eleanor consolidates, Sarah starts to fade
   • She flickers, becomes translucent, speaks in echoes
   • "I can feel it... I'm spreading... across time... it hurts..."
   • Counselors must choose: Stop now (incomplete) or continue (lose Sarah)
4. 3:47 PM - Temporal Weak Point:
   • Lisa's discovery is correct: at 3:47 PM, temporal field weakens
   • Perfect timing: if Sarah completes drawing at exactly 3:47, consolidation succeeds with minimal risk
   • But: Chen's interference or other complications might make them miss the window
   • If timing is wrong: Sarah fragments OR Eleanor doesn't fully consolidate

Critical Choice at 3:30 PM:

Options:

A: Let Sarah Finish (Noble Sacrifice):

• Sarah completes drawing at 3:47 PM
• Eleanor fully consolidates, becomes real, paradox resolved
• Sarah fragments, becomes temporal ghost
• Loop shutdown initiates
• Result: Loop breaks, everyone freed except Sarah (she's now the ghost)

B: Pull Sarah Back (Save Her):

• Stop drawing at 95%, prevent Sarah's fragmentation
• Eleanor partially consolidates but not enough
• Paradox remains, shutdown incomplete
• Result: Sarah saved, but loop continues, must try again in future loops (Session 2)

C: Sacrifice Counselor Instead (Heroic):

• Counselor physically enters the drawing, offers their consciousness instead
• Sarah stops fragmenting, counselor fragments
• Eleanor consolidates, loop ends
• Result: Loop breaks, everyone freed except sacrificed counselor (PC becomes ghost/echo)

D: Sacrifice Chen (Poetic):

• Force Chen into the drawing (he's been sabotaging)
• He fragments, Sarah saved, Eleanor consolidates
• Chen gets his "immortality"—as scattered ghost
• Result: Loop breaks, everyone freed, Chen gets twisted version of wish

E: Find Alternative Anchor (Creative):

• Use Morrison (willing to atone), Reeves (save brother), Rodriguez (soldier's duty), or Billy (already hollow—nothing to lose)
• Depends on player creativity and NPC availability
• Result varies by who's chosen

Path B: Manual Override Sacrifice Preparation:

If Counselors Choose Sacrifice Path Instead:

Possible Sacrifices:

Agent Reeves:

• "I've been searching for Michael for fifteen years. If I can free him, even if I never see him... it's worth it."
• Personal stakes, emotional weight
• Leaves DARPA team without leader

Morrison:

• "I've let this happen for years. Let me make it right. Let me save one group of kids."
• Atonement arc, fitting end
• Least useful character afterward (guilt drives him)

Rodriguez:

• "I'm a soldier. This is what soldiers do. We hold the line so others can escape."
• Heroic duty, selfless
• Kowalski and Reeves respect it, honor it

Dr. Chen (forced):

• "You want immortality? Here it is. Forever in the loop. Alone."
• Poetic justice, dark
• Chen fights back, must be subdued

Counselor PC:

• Player chooses heroic sacrifice
• Massive emotional impact
• GM should allow but make sure player understands consequences

Featured Scout (desperate):

• Sarah or Doc volunteer: "I'm forgetting anyway. At least this way I matter."
• Heartbreaking, counselors should prevent if possible
• Only if counselors truly have no other option

Billy (Already Hollow):

• "He's already gone. At 0 MP, he's integrated. Maybe... maybe he's the perfect anchor."
• Pragmatic but disturbing
• Billy can't consent—ethical nightmare
• But: might work precisely because he's already part of the loop

The Sacrifice Process:

Boxed Text - The Sacrifice:

If Sacrifice Succeeds:

• Loop begins immediate controlled shutdown (not reset)
• Everyone must evacuate bunker (collapsing)
• World starts to "unfreeze"—time moves forward past 11:47 PM for first time in loops
• Result: Session 1 ends with loop breaking, scouts saved, heavy cost paid

Path C: Both Approaches Simultaneously:

Split Party:

• Some counselors/NPCs work on Eleanor consolidation
• Others prep sacrifice as backup
• Coordination challenge: both groups need updates
• Time pressure: doing both means divided attention

If Both Attempted:

• Eleanor consolidation at 3:47 PM deadline
• Sacrifice prep as fallback if consolidation fails
• Dramatically tense: two plans running simultaneously
• Outcome depends on timing and dice rolls (if using mechanics)

Regardless of Path - Temporal Disturbances Increase:

As 3:47 PM Approaches:

• Reality breaks down further
• Scouts who are in bunker see impossible things:

- Their own ghosts from future loops

- Michael Reeves as temporal echo

- The moment the facility was sealed in 1952

- Themselves at 0 MP, hollow, walking through walls

Featured Scouts' Final Moments of Clarity (if present):

Doc (4-5 MP → degrading to 2-3 MP):

Lisa (3-4 MP → degrading to 1-2 MP):

Tommy (4-5 MP → degrading to 2-3 MP):

Sarah (if fragmenting from consolidation):

Billy (0 MP, if used as sacrifice):

Pacing Notes:

• This is the Session 1 climax—spend time on it
• Let players make meaningful choices
• Emotional beats are more important than mechanical success
• Whether consolidation/sacrifice succeeds or fails, transition to Scene 3

Transition (if consolidation/sacrifice attempted):

Scene 3: The Second Hollow Child and Complications (3:47 PM - 7:00 PM)

Location: Throughout camp, bunker aftermath

Duration: 20-30 minutes

NPCs Present: Survivors of bunker attempt, remaining scouts

Mood: Aftermath processing, new loss, rising dread

Opening Boxed Text (if consolidation/sacrifice failed or partially succeeded):

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This scene only occurs if consolidation/sacrifice fails or partially succeeds
• If players fully succeeded, skip to Scene 4 (Epilogue/Transition)
• This scene introduces second hollow child and complications for Session 2
• Establishes: the stakes are increasing, the cost is mounting, counselors need Session 2 to finish this

The Second Hollow Child:

Who Goes Hollow:

• Most likely: Lisa Chen (3-4 MP → 0 MP from stress of failed attempt)
• Alternative: Doc Henderson or Tommy Reeves (if they were heavily involved in bunker attempt)
• Sarah can't go hollow this loop if she was used in consolidation (she either fragments or survives)

Lisa Chen Goes Hollow:

Impact of Second Hollow Child:

On Doc (if still coherent at 2-3 MP):

• Breaks down completely: "We're all going to be like them. Like Billy. Like Lisa. Empty."
• Becomes fatalistic or desperately driven
• Asks counselors: "How many loops do I have? How long until I'm gone?"

On Tommy (if still coherent at 2-3 MP):

• Stops pretending to be okay
• Clings to counselors, terrified
• "I don't want to forget. I don't want to be nothing. Please don't let me be nothing."

On Sarah (if still conscious at 2-4 MP):

• Draws Lisa's hollow state
• "She's still in there. I can see her. All the Lisas from all the loops. Trapped inside the empty shell."
• This is either hopeful (she can be recovered) or horrifying (she's aware but can't communicate)

On Remaining Background Scouts (0-2 MP):

• Most are hollow or nearly hollow
• Only a handful still have fragments of personality
• Camp feels empty, haunted
• Only featured scouts and counselors have any real presence left

On Morrison:

On Agent Reeves:

Complications for Session 2:

Complication 1: Chen's Sabotage Escalates:

Result:

• Future shutdown attempts require overcoming Chen's modifications
• Chen must be stopped before loop can end
• Potential paths: Convince him to undo it, destroy his equipment, force him into sacrifice

Complication 2: Temporal Distortions Worsen:

Because of the failed shutdown attempt, the engine is stressed:

New Distortions:

• Time skips: Suddenly it's 6:00 PM, no one remembers 4:00-6:00 PM
• Temporal duplicates: People exist in two places at once
• Age shifting: Scouts flicker between ages 5, 12, 18, 60
• Reality tears: Cracks in the air showing other timelines, other loops
• Voices from other loops: Hear yourself from Loop 3, 6, 10, 47...

Most Disturbing:

• Counselors see themselves hollow in future loops
• Glimpses of loops 4,784, 4,785, etc.—the future if they fail
• Everyone is hollow eventually, empty camp repeating forever

Complication 3: Eleanor's Partial Manifestation:

If consolidation was attempted but incomplete:

Result:

• Eleanor is now active NPC (can help or hinder)
• Her partial state creates problems
• Must be fully consolidated in Session 2 to prevent catastrophic distortions

Complication 4: Michael Reeves Appears:

Impact:

• Reeves becomes even more determined to break loop (personal stakes maximum)
• Michael has information from 1962 loops (different phase of the experiment)
• Tommy meets his uncle (emotional moment)
• Michael is another fragmented consciousness that needs consolidation

Decision Point: How to Spend Remaining Time:

Option A: Try Again Immediately:

• Attempt another consolidation/sacrifice before reset
• Risky: Exhausted, complications, limited time
• Determined: "We can't waste another loop"

Option B: Prepare for Next Loop:

• Accept this loop is lost
• Document everything, make plans, set up for Session 2
• Strategic: Better prepared, but scouts deteriorate more

Option C: Comfort the Scouts:

• Spend final hours with remaining coherent scouts
• Last chance for meaningful interactions before they hollow
• Emotional: Relationships over solutions

Option D: Confront Chen:

• Stop his sabotage, destroy modifications
• Difficult: He's entrenched, protected, smart
• Essential: Can't win without removing his interference

Pacing Notes:

• This scene establishes Session 2 complications
• Let players process failure (if they failed) or partial success
• Introduce new NPCs (Eleanor partially, Michael if relevant)
• Build toward Session 1 finale
• Move to Scene 4 for loop resolution

Transition:

Scene 4: The Fifth Reset and Session Finale (7:00 PM - 11:47 PM + Session Conclusion)

Location: Various, ending at reset moment

Duration: 20-30 minutes

NPCs Present: All remaining characters

Mood: Exhaustion, grim determination, setup for Session 2

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This is Session 1 finale—wrap up emotional threads, establish Session 2 hooks
• Three possible outcomes:

1. Full Success (rare): Loop broken, scouts saved, Session 2 is epilogue/aftermath

2. Partial Success: Progress made, complications created, Session 2 is completion

3. Failure: Loop continues, scouts deteriorating, Session 2 is desperate final attempt

• Most likely outcome is Partial Success (narratively satisfying, creates Session 2 stakes)

Outcome Path 1: Full Success (Loop Broken):

If Consolidation/Sacrifice Fully Succeeded Earlier:

What Happens:

To Hollow Scouts:

• Billy and Lisa and background scouts remain hollow (damage is permanent)
• Or: They slowly begin to remember (kindest outcome, GM's choice based on players' heroism)
• "Billy blinks. Looks at his hands. Whispers: 'I... I remember. I was scared. You helped me. I remember.'"

To Remaining Scouts:

• Doc, Tommy, Sarah retain their memories
• They remember all five loops clearly (trauma but also growth)
• They're changed—wiser, sadder, bonded to counselors forever

To Eleanor:

• Freed from loop, appears as real 12-year-old girl from 1952
• 15 years of life to catch up on
• Reunites with Agent Reeves (bittersweet—her father is gone)

To Michael (if manifested):

• Freed, but he's lost 5 years
• Reunites with Sarah Reeves (his sister)
• Meets Tommy (his nephew, nearly same age now)

To Sacrificed Person:

• Remains in engine as anchor
• Loop is broken, but they're still trapped
• Final words: "I can feel time moving again. I held it. Long enough for you to escape. Thank you for letting me matter."
• Heartbreaking but heroic

To Camp:

• Government seals the area
• Camp Moonshade closed permanently
• Junior Braves organization continues elsewhere

Session 1 Ends: Move to epilogue, possibly Session 2 as aftermath/healing session

Outcome Path 2: Partial Success (Most Likely):

If Progress Was Made But Loop Continues:

What's Different Going into Session 2:

Positive Changes:

• Eleanor is partially consolidated (easier to finish in Session 2)
• Chen's modifications are known (can be countered)
• Reeves is fully allied (Michael's manifestation sealed her loyalty)
• Shutdown method is proven (just needs refinement)
• Scouts' deterioration is slowed by counselors' efforts (bought time)

Negative Changes:

• Two scouts hollow (Billy, Lisa)
• Remaining scouts at critical levels (1-3 MP)
• Temporal distortions severe
• Chen entrenched
• Time pressure maximum

Session 1 Ends:

Outcome Path 3: Failure (Rare but Possible):

If Players Made No Progress or Critical Mistakes:

Session 1 Ends:

Final Scene: The Campfire That Never Was:

Regardless of outcome, include this emotional beat:

Session 1 Ends

GM Wrap-Up:

• Thank players for emotional investment
• Highlight memorable moments
• Preview Session 2: "Next time, we finish this. One way or another."
• Leave them wanting more

Session 1 Conclusion: GM Debrief

What Players Should Know by End of Session 1

✅ Loop Mechanics Fully Understood:

• 15 hours 47 minutes (8:00 AM - 11:47 PM)
• Counselors remember, scouts forget (Memory Point system)
• Temporal barrier prevents escape
• Engine beneath mess hall is source
• 4,783+ loops have occurred over years

✅ Project Hourglass Complete Picture:

• 1952 U.S. Army temporal research facility
• Dr. Helena Vance, lead scientist
• Eleanor Vance, her daughter, trapped during test
• Facility sealed with Eleanor inside
• Emergency containment protocol: loop until all witnesses forget

✅ Shutdown Methods Identified:

• Shutdown codes: "VANCE-7-ECHO / HOURGLASS-52-DELTA / ELEANOR-LIVED"
• Requires: Eleanor consolidation OR manual override sacrifice
• Eleanor consolidation: Use Sarah's temporal anchor ability to unify 4,783 fragments
• Manual override: Someone enters core, becomes new anchor, holds system while it shuts down

✅ Key NPCs and Allegiances:

• Agent Reeves: Ally (personal stake: Michael)
• Dr. Chen: Antagonist (wants loop to continue, terminal illness)
• Rodriguez: Potential ally/sacrifice
• Kowalski: Neutral, follows orders
• Morrison: Broken, seeking atonement
• Eleanor: Victim, fragmented, key to solution
• Michael Reeves (if manifested): Victim, motivation for Reeves and Tommy

✅ Scout Status (End of Loop 5):

• Billy Holloway: Hollow (0 MP)
• Lisa Chen: Hollow (0 MP) - if second hollow child
• Doc Henderson: Critical (2-3 MP)
• Tommy Reeves: Critical (2-3 MP)
• Sarah Kim: Critical (2-4 MP, possible fragmentation)
• Background Scouts: Mostly hollow (0-2 MP)

✅ Complications for Session 2:

• Chen's modifications strengthened loop
• Multiple hollow scouts
• Temporal distortions severe
• Eleanor partially consolidated (unstable)
• Time running out (scouts won't last many more loops)

Session 1 Pacing Summary

Total Session Time: 3-4 hours

Loop 1: 45-60 min (establish normal, build relationships, reset shock)

Loop 2: 40-50 min (discovery, investigation, barrier test)

Loop 3: 50-60 min (deep investigation, Billy hollow, codes found, government arrival)

Loop 4: 45-55 min (DARPA dynamics, bunker breach, shutdown attempt)

Loop 5: 50-70 min (consolidation/sacrifice attempt, second hollow child, finale)

Breaks: 10-15 minutes total (suggested after Loop 3)

Emotional Arcs Completed

Counselors:

• Shock → Understanding → Determination → Desperation
• Built deep bonds with scouts (now tragically lost or fading)
• Understand the cost of failure (hollow children)
• Ready to sacrifice anything to break loop

Scouts:

• Normal kids → Confused → Scared → Fragmented → Hollow (some)
• Doc: Curiosity → Frustration → Acceptance → Despair
• Lisa: Organization → Confusion → Loss of self → Hollow
• Tommy: Humor → Fear → Raw emotion → Clinging to connections
• Sarah: Quiet observation → Temporal awareness → Potential fragmentation
• Billy: Fear → Trust → Hollow emptiness

NPCs:

• Reeves: Professional → Personal → Desperate ally
• Chen: Curious → Obsessed → Antagonist
• Morrison: Denial → Guilt → Broken atonement
• Eleanor: Ghost → Victim → Key to solution

Session 1 Success Metrics

Minimal Success:

• Players understand loop mechanics
• Have identified one shutdown method
• Lost some scouts but not all
• Ready for Session 2

Good Success:

• Players have both shutdown methods
• Strong alliance with Reeves
• Most featured scouts still conscious
• Clear plan for Session 2
• Emotional investment high

Excellent Success:

• Made progress on consolidation or sacrifice
• Chen's sabotage understood and countered
• Scouts protected as much as possible
• Players deeply engaged emotionally
• Eager for Session 2

Exceptional Success (rare):

• Loop actually broken in Session 1
• Most scouts saved
• Satisfying resolution with appropriate cost
• Session 2 becomes epilogue

Transitioning to Session 2

If Continuing Same Session:

• Take 10-15 minute break
• Let players decompress emotionally
• Recap: "Here's where we are..."
• Jump directly into Loop 6

If Ending Session Here:

• Recap on cliffhanger: "Doc is at 2 MP. Lisa is hollow. The loop continues. How will you save them?"
• Ask players: "What's your priority for next session?"
• Build anticipation: "Session 2 is the finale. Everything you've learned, every sacrifice, every choice—it all comes together. Be ready."

Loop-by-Loop Soundtrack Recommendations

Loop 1: The First Day

• Opening/Bus Arrival: "Summer Camp" (ambient, happy, nostalgic)

- [YouTube Search: summer camp nostalgic music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=summer+camp+nostalgic+music)

• Activities: "1960s Summer" (upbeat, period-appropriate)

- [YouTube Search: 1960s summer instrumental](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=1960s+summer+instrumental)

• Growing Unease: "Something's Wrong" (subtle dissonance)

- [YouTube Search: subtle horror ambience](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=subtle+horror+ambience)

• Campfire: "Kumbaya My Lord" (traditional, warm)

- [YouTube Search: kumbaya campfire](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kumbaya+campfire)

• The Reset: "Temporal Collapse" (intense, overwhelming)

- [YouTube Search: time loop reset music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=time+loop+reset+music)

Loop 2: Recognition and Testing

• Second Morning: "Déjà Vu" (familiar but wrong)

- [YouTube Search: deja vu unsettling music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=deja+vu+unsettling+music)

• Investigation: "Mystery Unfolds" (tense, investigative)

- [YouTube Search: investigation mystery ambient](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=investigation+mystery+ambient)

• Testing Barriers: "Temporal Wall" (frustration, resistance)

- [YouTube Search: invisible barrier sound effect music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=invisible+barrier+sound+effect+music)

• Second Reset: "Again and Again" (resignation, dread)

- [YouTube Search: loop repeat ambient](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=loop+repeat+ambient)

Loop 3: Cracks Appear

• Fading Memories: "Forgetting" (melancholy, loss)

- [YouTube Search: memory loss sad music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=memory+loss+sad+music)

• Bunker Discovery: "What Lies Beneath" (ominous, discovery)

- [YouTube Search: underground facility music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=underground+facility+music)

• Billy Goes Hollow: "Empty Shell" (quiet horror)

- [YouTube Search: hollow empty horror ambient](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hollow+empty+horror+ambient)

• Government Arrival: "Authority Arrives" (military, tension)

- [YouTube Search: government military tension music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=government+military+tension+music)

Loop 4: Outside Contact

• DARPA Assessment: "Negotiation" (political, careful)

- [YouTube Search: tense negotiation music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tense+negotiation+music)

• Breaching Bunker: "The Engine Revealed" (epic, horrific)

- [YouTube Search: lovecraftian horror epic](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lovecraftian+horror+epic)

• Temporal Defenses: "Reality Breaks" (chaotic, dangerous)

- [YouTube Search: reality distortion music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=reality+distortion+music)

• Failed Shutdown: "So Close" (tragic, almost)

- [YouTube Search: almost made it tragic music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=almost+made+it+tragic+music)

Loop 5: Breakthrough and Despair

• Last Morning: "Time Running Out" (desperate urgency)

- [YouTube Search: desperate urgency music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=desperate+urgency+music)

• Consolidation Attempt: "Bringing Her Together" (hopeful but dangerous)

- [YouTube Search: ritual summoning music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ritual+summoning+music)

• Sacrifice Moment: "Into the Light" (noble, heartbreaking)

- [YouTube Search: heroic sacrifice music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=heroic+sacrifice+music)

• Second Hollow Child: "Another Lost" (grief, loss)

- [YouTube Search: loss grief ambient](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=loss+grief+ambient)

• Session Finale: "Until Next Time" (unresolved, anticipation)

- [YouTube Search: cliffhanger ending music](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cliffhanger+ending+music)

Scene 1: The Last Morning (8:00 AM - 10:00 AM)

Location: Camp entrance → Throughout camp

Duration: 25-35 minutes

NPCs Present: Remaining scouts (mostly hollow), DARPA team, Morrison

Mood: Apocalyptic calm, desperate clarity, final chances

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This scene is about commitment—players must choose their path and stick to it
• No more investigation, no more delays
• Three viable paths remain:

1. Eleanor Consolidation (complete Sarah's drawing ritual)

2. Manual Override Sacrifice (someone enters the core)

3. Chen's Destruction (stop him, undo modifications, then attempt shutdown)

• Pressure is maximum: scouts won't survive another loop

Featured Scouts' Final Lucid Moments:

Doc Henderson (2-3 MP):

What Doc Can Still Do:

• Recognize temporal patterns (instinct, not memory)
• Understand basic science if explained simply
• Provide emotional support to other scouts
• Volunteer for sacrifice (he knows he's fading)

Tommy Reeves (2-3 MP):

What Tommy Can Still Do:

• Feel emotions (fear, love, trust) without understanding why
• Seek physical comfort and connection
• Respond to kindness with instinctive gratitude
• Volunteer for sacrifice (to make the fear stop)

Sarah Kim (2-4 MP):

What Sarah Can Still Do:

• Complete the consolidation ritual (she's the only one who can)
• See across time (provides glimpses of future loops, possible outcomes)
• Communicate with Eleanor (they're resonating)
• Accept fragmentation as her choice

Hollow Scouts (Billy, Lisa, Background - 0 MP):

DARPA Team Status:

Agent Reeves (Ally - Personal Mission):

Reeves' Resources:

• Full DARPA authority (can commandeer, detain, use force)
• Explosives and equipment (for bunker access)
• Rodriguez and Kowalski (soldiers who follow her orders)
• Personal motivation (will go further than orders allow)

Dr. Chen (Antagonist - Saboteur):

Chen's Sabotage:

• Power feed strengthens loop (shutdown attempts fail until disconnected)
• He's armed (pistol, for "self-defense against temporal threats")
• Brilliant mind (can predict and counter counselor strategies)
• Desperate (dying of cancer, loop is his only hope)

How to Stop Chen:

1. Convince Him: Show that loop immortality is torture, not salvation (Difficult - requires strong argument)
2. Detain Him: Reeves can arrest him for interference (Moderate - he resists, causes scene)
3. Destroy Equipment: Cut power line, smash reactor (Easy - but Chen might shoot)
4. Force Him Into Sacrifice: Dark justice (Controversial - is it murder or mercy?)
5. Use His Expertise: Manipulate him into helping despite himself (Risky - he might betray)

Specialists Rodriguez & Kowalski:

• Follow Reeves' orders
• Rodriguez: "Ma'am, we're soldiers. We follow lawful orders. But those kids... we should save them."
• Kowalski: "Mission is containment. We contain the threat—Chen, if necessary."
• Both willing to help, both potential sacrifices

Morrison's Breakdown:

Stopping Morrison:

• Convince him there's hope (show progress on shutdown)
• Disarm him (Reeves or Rodriguez can do this)
• Use him (he volunteers for sacrifice - atonement)
• Let him stand guard (gives him purpose without violence)

Decision Point: Choose the Path:

Players must commit to one primary approach:

Path A: Complete Eleanor Consolidation

• Use Sarah to finish the drawing ritual from Loop 5
• Access bunker at 3:47 PM (temporal weak point)
• Risk: Sarah fragments, becomes new paradox
• Solution needed: Alternative anchor or accept Sarah's sacrifice
• Time: Requires accessing bunker, protecting Sarah during 2-hour ritual
• Chen obstacle: Must disable his sabotage first

Path B: Manual Override Sacrifice

• Someone volunteers to enter engine core
• Becomes new temporal anchor, holds system during shutdown
• Immediate resolution (if successful)
• Volunteers: Reeves, Morrison, Rodriguez, Chen (forced), Counselor PC
• Time: Can be done quickly once bunker accessed
• Chen obstacle: Must disable his sabotage first

Path C: Destroy the Engine

• Overload reactor, cause catastrophic failure
• Dangerous: Temporal explosion might erase everyone
• Fast: No ritual, no codes, just destruction
• Unpredictable: Might work, might kill everyone, might make it worse
• Chen obstacle: His reactor is feeding it—might cause bigger explosion

Path D: Use Chen's Modifications Against Him

• Reverse his power feed to drain engine instead of strengthen it
• Requires his cooperation (forced or willing)
• Clever: Uses sabotage as solution
• Complex: Need technical expertise (Doc can help if coherent enough)
• Chen obstacle: He is the obstacle and the solution

Path E: Multiple Loops Strategy

• Accept that this loop won't solve it
• Set up perfect conditions for Loop 7/8/9
• Strategic: Maximize chances, minimize risks
• Cost: More scouts go hollow each loop
• Dangerous: Players might lose hope, scouts might all hollow before success

GM Guidance for Path Selection:

• Let players discuss and choose
• Reeves pushes for consolidation (save Michael too)
• Morrison pushes for sacrifice (atonement)
• Chen sabotages any shutdown attempt
• Time pressure: "You have 13 hours and 47 minutes"

Pacing Notes:

• This scene is about decision-making, not action
• Let players plan in detail
• Introduce complications (Chen's sabotage, Morrison's rifle, scouts' degradation)
• Move to Scene 2 when plan is set and action begins

Transition:

Scene 2: Confronting Chen (10:00 AM - 1:00 PM)

Location: Mess hall area, Chen's equipment, bunker entrance

Duration: 30-40 minutes

NPCs Present: Chen, DARPA team, counselors, possibly scouts

Mood: Tense confrontation, battle of wills, desperate struggle

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This is the major obstacle scene
• Chen must be neutralized before shutdown can proceed
• Multiple solutions possible: convince, detain, destroy equipment, force sacrifice
• This can be combat, social encounter, or clever problem-solving depending on player approach

Confrontation Options:

Option 1: Convince Chen to Stand Down

Approach: Dialogue, persuasion, showing him truth about the loop

Arguments That Work:

• "You'll loop forever at exactly this health state—cancer frozen but also never healing. Trapped in pain."
• "Everyone you loop with will go hollow. You'll be alone. Truly alone. Forty-six empty shells for company."
• "The engine is failing. Eventually it collapses, and when it does, everyone trapped inside dies. True death. Not immortality."
• "Eleanor's been looping since 1952. Have you seen her? That's your future. Fragmented. Insane. Suffering across thousands of iterations."
• "Your work could save people if you help us. Be remembered as the scientist who broke a temporal loop, not the madman who trapped children."

Chen's Responses:

• Initially dismissive: "You don't understand. This is transcendence."
• If pressed on suffering: "Temporary. An adaptation period."
• If shown Eleanor: [Shaken] "That's... that's different. The engine was primitive in 1952. Modern stabilization—"
• If pressed on loneliness: [Pause] "I've been alone my whole life. What's the difference?"
• If offered legacy: [Considering] "To be remembered... to have my work vindicated..."

Success Condition:

• Counselors make 3+ compelling arguments
• Invoke his scientific ego ("help us perfect the shutdown")
• Show him Eleanor's suffering directly (Sarah can make him see across time)
• Offer him something he wants more than immortality (legacy, vindication, redemption)

If Convinced:

Result: Chen volunteers for sacrifice, disables sabotage, becomes ally

Option 2: Detain Chen by Force

Approach: Reeves arrests him, Rodriguez/Kowalski restrain him

The Confrontation:

Combat Encounter (if using Kids on Bikes mechanics):

• Chen fires warning shot (not trying to kill, just deter)
• Rodriguez and Kowalski return fire or tackle
• Can be resolved with opposed rolls or GM fiat based on approach
• Counselors can help (distract, flank, talk him down mid-fight)

Non-Lethal Resolution:

• Rodriguez tackles Chen, disarms him
• Kowalski secures the weapon
• Chen is restrained with zip-ties
• "I won't help you! You'll have to figure out my modifications yourselves!"

Lethal Resolution (if it goes wrong):

• Chen is shot (non-fatal or fatal depending on circumstances)
• If dying: "You've... you've killed me. Six months early. But... at least I'll die having lived. Having tried. Free me from the loop. Please."
• If dead: Reactor still running, counselors must disable it themselves (technical challenge)

Result: Chen neutralized but uncooperative, counselors must deal with reactor independently

Option 3: Destroy Chen's Equipment

Approach: Bypass Chen, cut power lines, smash reactor

The Sabotage:

• Counselors create distraction (scouts cause commotion, counselor argues with Chen)
• Someone sneaks to reactor
• Cut power lines with tools/weapons
• Or: Shoot the reactor (causes small explosion, dangerous)

Chen's Reaction:

GM Decision:

• If players made solid plan: Chen is bluffing, reactor was only strengthening loop
• If players rushed without thought: Chen is right, temporal instability increases
• Either way: Path to shutdown is open, but complications arise

Result: Equipment destroyed, Chen powerless but possibly right about consequences

Option 4: Force Chen Into the Sacrifice

Approach: Dark justice—make him the anchor

The Confrontation:

Moral Dilemma:

• Is forcing Chen into sacrifice justice or murder?
• He's dying anyway (6 months) vs. violating consent
• He endangered kids vs. executing him without trial
• Players must decide

If Forced:

Consequences:

• Shutdown proceeds with Chen as unwilling anchor
• Morally heavy (players forced a man to eternal torment)
• Reeves objects: "This isn't justice. This is revenge."
• Morrison: "This is what he deserves."
• Splits the party morally

Result: Chen is anchor, loop can be broken, but at moral cost

Option 5: Use Chen's Expertise

Approach: Trick or manipulate him into helping

The Manipulation:

• Convince Chen to "stabilize the loop better" while actually preparing shutdown
• Ask for his help "perfecting the temporal field" (reverses polarity to drain instead of feed)
• Promise him something (scientific credit, survival, a role in new timeline)

Chen's Response (if players are clever):

Result: Chen helps while thinking he's hindering, or genuinely becomes interested in the science over his fear

Regardless of Resolution Method:

Once Chen is dealt with (convinced, detained, killed, forced, or manipulated):

The Bunker is Accessible:

Pacing Notes:

• Don't let Chen confrontation drag—resolve in 30-40 minutes max
• Multiple solutions are valid—reward player creativity
• Chen can be sympathetic or monstrous depending on player approach
• This scene establishes: obstacles can be overcome, path to ending is open
• Transition to Scene 3 for the final attempt

Transition:

Scene 3: The Final Attempt (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)

Location: Engine room bunker

Duration: 40-60 minutes (longest scene)

NPCs Present: Sarah (if consolidation), sacrifice volunteer, Eleanor, Dr. Vance ghost, Michael Reeves ghost (if manifested)

Mood: Desperate hope, maximum tension, emotional catharsis

Opening Boxed Text (Consolidation Path):

Opening Boxed Text (Sacrifice Path):

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This is the climactic scene—the moment of potential victory or failure
• Two main paths with different mechanical challenges
• Both paths have complications, dangers, and costs
• Success is possible but not guaranteed—player choices and luck matter

PATH A: CONSOLIDATION (SARAH'S RITUAL)

Step 1: The Drawing Begins (1:00 PM - 2:30 PM)

Sarah needs 2 hours and 47 minutes to complete the drawing (finishing at exactly 3:47 PM for maximum stability).

Complications During Drawing:

Complication 1: Temporal Defense Activation

Solution Options:

• Counselors clear a path (take temporal damage to protect Sarah)
• Use Eleanor's voice (she can call ghosts away from Sarah)
• Rodriguez/Kowalski provide covering fire (futile against ghosts, but brave)
• Doc (if coherent) explains how to "phase" with ghosts instead of fighting

Complication 2: Sarah Begins Fragmenting

Player Decision Point:

Option A: Let Sarah Finish (Noble Sacrifice)

• Sarah completes ritual at 3:47 PM
• Eleanor fully consolidates, becomes real
• Sarah fragments, becomes new temporal ghost
• Loop can now shutdown (Eleanor removed from paradox)
• Cost: Sarah is lost, scattered across time
• Outcome: Tragic but successful

Option B: Pull Sarah Back (Save Her)

• Stop drawing at 95%, prevent Sarah's fragmentation
• Eleanor 95% consolidated (not enough to remove paradox)
• Shutdown fails this loop
• Cost: Loop continues, must try again later loops with different approach
• Outcome: Sarah saved, but problem unsolved

Option C: Find Alternative Anchor

• Someone else volunteers their consciousness to complete consolidation
• Counselor, Morrison, Rodriguez, or Tommy (desperate to help) offers
• Sarah saved, Eleanor consolidated, volunteer fragments instead
• Cost: Different person sacrificed
• Outcome: Sarah saved, someone else pays the price

Option D: Use Michael Reeves as Anchor

• Michael's ghost (if manifested) volunteers: "I've been fragmented since 1962. I'm already broken. Use me."
• His existing fragmented state makes him ideal anchor
• Eleanor consolidates, Michael takes her place
• Cost: Reeves loses brother again (but he chooses it)
• Outcome: Bittersweet—Michael sacrifices himself for Eleanor

Complication 3: The 3:47 PM Deadline

The Consolidation Moment:

Result: Consolidation Success

• Eleanor freed
• Sacrifice made (Sarah or alternative)
• Shutdown in progress (8 hours to complete)
• Must survive until 11:47 PM for full shutdown
• Proceed to Scene 4 (complications during shutdown)

PATH B: MANUAL OVERRIDE SACRIFICE

The Volunteer Enters the Core

[Volunteer] can be: Agent Reeves, Morrison, Rodriguez, Chen (willing or forced), Counselor PC, or desperate scout

The Walk:

The Core:

The Exchange:

Result: Sacrifice Success

• Eleanor freed
• [Volunteer] trapped in core as new anchor
• Shutdown in progress (4 hours to complete - faster than consolidation)
• Must survive until 11:47 PM for full shutdown
• Proceed to Scene 4 (complications during shutdown)

PATH C: FAILED ATTEMPT

If players make critical mistakes, hesitate too long, or get very unlucky:

Result: Failure

• Loop continues into Loop 7
• Scouts degrade further (Doc, Tommy, or Sarah goes hollow)
• Party must try again with even fewer resources
• Pressure increases dramatically
• GM should provide hints: "You were close. Here's what would have worked..."

Pacing Notes for Scene 3:

• This is the longest single scene (40-60 minutes)
• Balance mechanical challenges with emotional moments
• Let players make meaningful choices about sacrifice
• Success should feel earned, failure should feel educational
• Whether success or failure, transition to Scene 4

Transition (if successful):

Scene 4: Surviving the Shutdown (4:00 PM - 11:47 PM)

Location: Throughout camp, bunker, various

Duration: 30-40 minutes

NPCs Present: Remaining characters, Eleanor (freed), temporal distortions

Mood: Desperate survival, holding on, racing the clock

Opening Boxed Text:

GM Guidance:

Setup:

• This scene is about survival, not solution
• The shutdown is inevitable but not instant
• Engine's death creates escalating temporal chaos
• Players must protect themselves and scouts until 11:47 PM
• Multiple complications arise in sequence

Complications (Choose 3-4 based on time/pacing):

Complication 1: Emergency Reset Attempt

Challenge: Stop the emergency reset

Solutions:

• Counselors enter terminal codes again: Reinforces shutdown command
• Destroy engine's power source: Chen's reactor (if still intact), or camp's diesel generator
• Eleanor uses her connection: She was the paradox—she can command the engine: "SHUT DOWN. I ORDER YOU."
• Michael (if present) helps: Two paradox entities together can overpower the engine

If Failed: Emergency reset at 11:47 PM instead of shutdown—Loop 7 begins with even worse conditions

If Succeeded:

Complication 2: Temporal Predator

Challenge: Protect scouts from temporal predator

Solutions:

• Combat: Futile—it's not fully real, bullets phase through
• Temporal shielding: Keep scouts away from distortion zones (harder to hunt them there)
• Eleanor's command: She can communicate with it, calm it, redirect it
• Feed it something else: The dying engine is pure temporal energy—lure predator there
• Sacrifice play: Someone draws it away, becomes prey, buys time

If Failed: Predator kills/scatters one or more scouts—even hollow scouts can be destroyed

If Succeeded:

Complication 3: Hollow Scouts Awakening

This is HOPE: A sign that breaking the loop might restore everyone

Challenge: Keep hollow scouts stable until shutdown completes

Solutions:

• Keep them calm: Talk to them, remind them who they are, keep memories active
• Temporal shielding: Keep them near Eleanor (her freed presence stabilizes them)
• Doc helps (if coherent): Uses his notes to re-teach them what they forgot
• Counselors stay close: Bonds across loops create emotional anchors

If Failed: Scouts re-hollow, memories lost permanently even if loop breaks

If Succeeded:

Complication 4: Counselor Temporal Displacement

Challenge: Maintain identity through temporal displacement

This is a roleplay challenge more than mechanical:

• Counselors must state who they are: "I'm [Name]. I'm a counselor. I'm in Loop 6. I'm breaking the loop."
• Others help ground them: Scouts, NPCs, each other say "You're real. You're here. You're [Name]."
• Focus on mission: "We're almost there. 1 hour 47 minutes. Hold on."

If Failed: Counselor becomes temporally displaced—might phase into different loop, become echo

If Succeeded:

Complication 5: Chen's Ghost Returns

If Chen died or was sacrificed:

Challenge: Deal with Chen's ghost/regret

Solutions:

• Forgiveness: "We're sorry. We did what we had to. Rest now."
• Refusal: "You endangered kids. You earned this."
• Promise: "When the loop breaks, you'll be free. We think. We hope."
• Anchor swap (if he's in core unwillingly): Someone volunteers to take his place, freeing him

If Forgiven/Helped:

Complication 6: The Final Hour

Final Challenge: Hold together until 11:47 PM

This is narrative, not mechanical:

• Counselors gather scouts
• Everyone stays together
• Those who can speak share memories of Loop 1 (when everything was normal)
• Remind each other of the good day they had before the reset
• Prepare for the unknown

The Final Minutes:

Pacing Notes:

• Choose 3-4 complications based on time and table engagement
• Balance action (predator, reset) with emotion (hollow scouts, Chen's ghost)
• Build tension toward 11:47 PM
• This scene should take 30-40 minutes, feeling longer due to intensity
• Transition directly to one of the ending paths

Transition: