Timbercrest is a small, gated enclave tucked into the foothills of Timberreach. Its roughly twenty residents live in modest, middle-class homes, keeping one another safe by informal rules rather than strict community organization. While it is one of the safer blocks in Timberreach, life here is far from easy. Every day is a careful balance between survival, routine, and human connection.
Mornings in Timbercrest begin quietly, often before sunrise. Windows are opened cautiously to gauge the outside world, and doors are checked for any signs of wandering infected.
Gardeners and cooks: Marla Jensen and Sofia Delgado start the day tending small vegetable plots or preparing breakfast for those who are awake. Fresh herbs and root vegetables are carefully rationed, cooked into simple meals.
Security and patrols: Leo Brooks, Eli Morgan, and occasionally Margot Flynn take their first watch shifts, scanning the perimeter from the gate, fence posts, and small observation decks. Their eyes constantly track movement in the hills and along the road that winds into Timbercrest.
Children and dependents: Any remaining children are tended to by Hannah Price or supervised briefly by other adults as tasks are performed. Quiet play is permitted only in the fenced-in park, with a constant ear toward potential threats.
Communication is minimal at first light, limited to soft greetings or small nods. Efficiency and caution outweigh small talk in these early hours.
By mid-morning, Timbercrest’s residents settle into their respective roles.
Maintenance and repairs: Harold “Hal” Kim and Dmitri Vass check fences, gates, and barricades. Katrina Zhao inspects water filters and tinkers with any small generator projects. Garages are inspected, and abandoned cars occasionally receive minor repairs by Jared Fields.
Scouting and supply runs: Selina Torres, Rachel Nunez, Niko Salazar, and Evan Li prepare for excursions into nearby Timberreach blocks. They gather food, tools, and materials while avoiding wandering infected. Runs are risky, and routes are planned carefully to minimize exposure.
Household chores: Other residents handle laundry, cooking, and cleaning, though all tasks are tempered by the understanding that supplies are finite and noise attracts danger.
Interactions remain semi-formal; residents acknowledge one another when necessary, but tight-knit bonds are still forming. Most people do not fully trust their neighbors, and some watch the others as closely as they watch the streets.
After midday meals, attention often shifts to surveillance, crafting, and personal projects.
Observation: Leo Brooks or Eli Morgan may climb to elevated vantage points to scan the foothills. Observing the Ardent River for movement is also common, as it serves as a potential path for infected.
Crafting and repairs: Residents like Dmitri Vass, Katrina Zhao, and Tobias Grant may fix furniture, reinforce doors, or tinker with small mechanical devices. Margot Flynn sometimes drills or trains others in defensive techniques.
Education and morale: Gregory “Greg” Lowe occasionally organizes informal reading sessions, storytime for the younger residents, or lessons to preserve knowledge and maintain morale. Omar Reed records daily events, small successes, and threats, acting as a chronicle for the enclave.
This period is quieter but deliberate. Residents balance productivity with vigilance. A single lapse can bring wandering infected into the community.
As the sun falls, Timbercrest settles into its evening rhythm.
Shared meals: Families and individuals gather for communal dinners where possible. Conversations remain cautious, but small humor and camaraderie ease the stress of survival.
Perimeter checks: Nighttime patrols rotate, with at least two people keeping watch at the gate or on elevated posts. Common infected may approach, but Skill Retainers are rare and avoided if possible.
Quiet time and chores: Residents clean up, repair tools, check water, and prepare for the night. Some use this time to record journals, improvise medicines, or work on personal skills.
The community is simultaneously alive and tense; everyone knows that a lapse could be fatal, but routines offer a sense of safety and normalcy.
0500–0700: Wake, check perimeter, prepare breakfast, morning chores
0700–1200: Garden work, maintenance, patrols, scouting prep, minor repairs
1200–1400: Midday meals, plan supply runs, organize tasks
1400–1800: Scavenging trips, crafting, observation, personal projects
1800–2100: Dinner, social interaction, check fence integrity, reinforce defenses
2100–0500: Night watch rotation, quiet rest, emergency response readiness
Cooperation exists but is fragile: Neighbors may warn each other, share food, or help with a barricade, but personal survival instincts often override full collaboration.
Hierarchy is informal: Margot Flynn and Eli Morgan command respect for combat skills, Marla Jensen and Sofia Delgado are central for sustenance, and Gregory Lowe shapes morale. Decisions are debated rather than dictated.
Tensions exist: Scarcity of supplies, disputes over garden plots or tool access, and differing willingness to venture outside create recurring conflicts.
Residents of Timbercrest are attuned to their surroundings:
Hills and forest edges are scouted daily.
Any movement along the streets or foothills is noted and sometimes investigated.
Weather and snow can block paths, making external supply runs riskier.
Wildlife occasionally drifts close, and though uninfected, it can startle residents or attract wandering infected.
Timbercrest is designed for a slow-burn survival story:
The focus is on mundane routines that carry tension naturally.
Small discoveries—like a new berry patch, a dead animal, or a fence breach—spark interaction.
Relationships and minor conflicts evolve over time, emphasizing human drama in a high-stakes world.
Players can interact meaningfully with residents, earning trust, taking part in routines, and influencing how Timbercrest grows as a micro-community.