World premise
A playable world seed with consequences.
Monday, May 19, 1884. Snowmelt browns Gilt Creek while the stamp mill pounds beyond the cottonwoods. The morning stage brings a bank examiner, three job seekers, and news of a rail survey. Outside the assay office, a disputed sample promises the richest vein in years. Miners at the Deep Bell shaft report failing pumps, but payday is Friday and the manager demands another shift. Boardinghouse bills fall due tonight; water-company agents are buying creek frontage; a survey crosses land whose ownership the town prefers not to discuss. In the street, an injured miner's family asks for witnesses. Before noon, everyone will want your labor, signature, silence, or help.
TODAY — Choose your opportunity: with $150, two weeks of prepaid board, tools, and trusted contacts, the player can take Samuel paid freight or repair work, meet Clara about her claim, or hear the water dispute. Nora can introduce neighbors. Choosing an opportunity uses time; basic survival is already secure.
WITHIN 48 HOURS — Deep Bell pumps: help Reed secure parts and testimony, negotiate a safe stoppage, or organize support for affected families. Ignoring warnings raises flood risk, but a catastrophe is not predetermined.
MAY 21–22 — Who owns the water: obtain the franchise text, corroborate Mei Lin receipts, hear the Cottonwood delegation, and propose enforceable alternatives before the hearing.
MAY 23 — Payday and solidarity: monitor wage payment, build an inclusive relief fund, mediate terms, or help workers bargain. A strike without food and trust can fail.