Borkus Lazorus
Senior Member
I touch the light, the sun rising to welcome another dreary day.
Such is life in the Zone.
I taste the faint scent of radiation in the air, the invisible haze of death that grows stronger everyday.
Such is life in the Zone.
I see the skies enraged with storms and cackling to the brim with lighting, the clouds darkening as time is waning.
Such is life in the Zone.
I hear things crawling about and under, to my side, far away, things that were not meant to be known. Things that weren't meant to be here.
Such is life in the Zone.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT
Doldrums is a roleplay that takes place in the fictional S.T.A.L.K.E.R universe, a universe that contains elements of post-apocalypse, horror and sci-fi. S.T.A.L.K.E.R is originally a intellectual property that was derived from the book, Roadside Picnic, a Russian Novel, along with a film known as Stalker by Andrei Tartovsky, based on the book itself as well. Some elements of the canon have been removed
Doldrums takes place in an alternate version of Earth that deviates around 1960 and mainly takes place within the area of Chernobyl, focusing on the after-events of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster. For those of you who are not history aficionados, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was simply, one of the worst nuclear containment failures in the history of the world itself. Occurring in 1986, a massive leak of radiation in the power plant caused the mass evacuation of several cities in Ukraine and Belarus. Like the real world itself, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was created to contain the radioactive outbreak from the nuclear power plant as the radiation leaked into the environment.
The deviation from real-world history began in 1960 when the Soviet Union began using the areas of Chernobyl and Pripyat as a glorified research facility into the existence of the noosphere, a theory that a sphere of human thought exists in the bio-sphere. Research was made into the noosphere in order to develop psychotropic weapons that would ensure the victory of the Cold War into Soviet hands and manipulate the behavior of the civilian population of the USSR. These experiments were held in the city of Chernobyl and the surrounding areas.
The research into the noosphere was originally one of the causes of the Chernobyl Power Plant Disaster, due to a a massive power surge within Reactor 4. The creation of the Zone proved beneficial to the multiple scientists who stayed within it as it proved to be a great testing ground. The rate of experiments doubled as scientists continued their foray into proving the existence of the noosphere. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 did not hinder the scientists in any way as they continued their work. Rumors soon spread about strange experiments with the government promising a investigation into the numerous kidnappings.
A massive breakthrough took place as scientists now had new goals. To exploit the noosphere to end all suffering and injustice within humanity by globally psionically manipulating the globe. Experiments with the noosphere broke numerous humanitarian laws as the rate of kidnapped tourists and civilians around the Zone increased. The government shut down access of the Zone, creating a military blockade.
In 2006, the first experiment in altering human behavior using the noosphere took place. The first trial was a success but unfortunately, the trial only took a place of over two hours. The second trial resulted in the noosphere being torn open within the testing site, killing most of the scientists and causing the experiments to be shut down. This rift resulted in a large area being created where the known laws of science to mankind were broken and mysterious paranormal activity began to manifest.
The Zone, as of now, continues to expand every year one kilometer. Former scientists of the noosphere project struggled to find a way to slow down the expansion of the Zone. In 2007, they found a solution. A large machine was formed within the center of the Zone which would suppress its expansion. Unfortunately, the energy contained would have to be released every so often. This release of energy were known as emissions.
After 2007, multiple expeditions into the Zone were attempted by the Ukrainian government, failing as they were killed by mutants. The government gave up the initiative of exploring the Zone and blockaded it even further, preventing passageway into it. In 2010, the government discovered evidence of people known as Stalkers, people who made profit in the zone by selling artifacts. Objects that had formed in the Zone which had several anomalous properties. Attempts by the government to stop the rising population of stalkers in the zone failed through illegal routes and bribing of military officials. Eventually, the government declared a 'shoot on sight' policy on all Stalkers that the military encountered.
It is now March 8th, 2016. The population of S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs within the Zone of Alienation is estimated to be around 4,815. Multiple factions of S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs strive for control of the Zone and its resources while scientists try to figure out a way to stop the Zone from expanding.
There are many words for what you are right now. Scavenger, Trespasser, Adventurer, Loner, Killer, Explorer, Robber. You are now known as a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. A new one of all things. They don't know how you got in. Secret tunnel-way? Bribing military officials? Illegal entry by air? I doesn't matter. All that matters is that you've been contacted to join a group of newbie S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs looking to make a profit within the Zone.
Good luck, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. You'll need it.
Groups of Interest
Anarchists
The most despised out of any faction within the Zone, Anarchists are ex-criminals or convicts that have escaped and roam free within the Zone to do whatever they want. They engage in all sorts of morally reprehensible activities such as murdering other stalkers in peace zones, extorting stalkers, prostitution, drug running and to hide from the law. A startlingly large proportion of the population within the Zone are Anarchists. Anarchists are often divided up into roving groups and have the poorest gear out of any faction within the Zone.
Loners
The unofficial term for S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs who are unaffiliated with any faction or any group. All loners are independent and prefer to not join any group.
Mercenaries
The Mercenaries are the term for factions of private military contractors that operate within the zone and are highly secretive. Mercenaries charge their clients for vast sums of money for finding artifacts and other unique objects within the Zone. Mercenaries are often mistrusted by most factions due to their unpredictability and furtive nature. With most of their members being ex-special forces and being experienced in fighting, they are one of the most dangerous forces to encounter within the zone.
Mercenaries will usually trump any ordinary S.T.A.L.K.E.R in terms of combat skills but lose in terms of experience with the Zone and its intricacies.
Puritans
When a S.T.A.L.K.E.R ventures into the Zone, one finds that his or her mind might change soon over time. For the poor souls who are designated as 'Puritans', their minds have been fried and changed from exposure to the energies of the Noosphere, claiming to have gained psychedelic visions of the one they call Monolith, their god. The Puritans are one of the only other factions, aside from the Bandits, to have a 'shoot upon sight' policy by all S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs. The Puritans are a cult who believe that the Zone should expand no matter what and that it is a miracle that does not need the likes of 'unbelievers' exploting its riches. Puritans are actively hostile towards all S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs and will attempt to coerce S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs to be converted to their religion.
Puritans are heavily armed with high-grade modern weaponry and while brain-washed, its members still have their skills intact. It is a rumor that these Puritans have gained similar psionic capabilities such as telepathy and telekinesis akin to most psionic mutants in the Zone.
Surveyors
The Surveyors are a government-funded group made up of national and international scientists around the world who want to actively explore, research and investigate phenomena within the Zone, in order to harness the miracles within it for the good of all mankind. Surveyors regularly hire S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs from almost every faction within the Zone to help them with their experiments. The Surveyors are also responsible for the release of emissions and the control of the expansion of the Zone. This has lead them odds to odds with the Puritans who wish to accelerate the expansion of the Zone. The Surveyors are under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian government.
Surveyors are some of the most scientifically intelligent individuals around in the Zone and possess various experimental technology that gives them an edge to other factions.
Military
The Military or known as the State Sponsored Security Service are responsible for the maintenance of the blockade of the Zone of Alienation's perimeter since 1987. The Military is tasked with providing security among the border along with controlling distribution of all artifacts and items created in the Zone in and out, without government supervision. The Military is , in fact, one of the most corrupt factions in the Zone, telling of the corrupt nature of the Ukrainian government, shooting at S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs for sport, engaging in extortion and accepting bribery. The Military are some of the most dangerously armed individuals in the Zone.
Duty
Duty is a self-professed group of professional ex-military soldiers whose main directive is to stamp out and eliminate the Zone. Most of its members believe that the Zone is a plague that needs to be wiped out before it destroys humanity and everything along with it. Its members firmly believe that they are the only protectors of the outside world from the Zone. All members of Duty live by a strict code of rules and regulations that must be obeyed at all times, lest they risk execution. All artifacts collected by Duty members are to be passed on to the Surveyors faction which Duty maintains an alliance with. Duty's operations consist of wiping out most mutants within the Zone. Duty is at fierce odds as well with the Puritans and view them as scum and vermin worse than the Anarchists.
Freedom/Liberty
Freedom is a group of un-organised S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs whose main adjective is to give free access of the Zone to the outside world and make it legal for it to be a public domain where everyone can visit it. They wish for a peaceful co-existence with the Zone itself. Their other objective is to give legal ownership of the Zone to S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs rather than the people and create a miniature nation state inside the Zone. This has led them to odds with Duty, who they view as short-sighted and behind the cause of the Zone retaliating against S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs. The organisation of Freedom is akin to a militia rather than the regimented life-style of Duty members.
Locations of Interest
Zaton
Zaton is located to the far north of the Zone and is a notable hub for most veteran S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs. Numerous beached industrial ships surround the swampy area along with a few industrial factories as well. A large ruined tanker known as the Skadovsk acts as a bar, a emission shelter and a place of residence for many S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs and traders. Traders such as Owl, Nimble and Tremor can be found in this area. A man known as Beard is the sole proprietor of Skadovsk and is the leader of the Loners in Zaton, responsible for ending the existence of bandits within Zaton, and creating a successful peace-zone that has prospered for years.
There are a number of locations and anomaly hot-spots within Zaton that make it the largest concentration of Loners in the north side of the Zone.
Cordon
Cordon is a area where most newbie S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs gain access to the Zone and stay for a period of time to avoid the more inhospitable natures of the Zone located north, east and west. Cordon is located on the outermost edge of the Zone, next to a military outpost. Relations between S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs and the military posted there have been frosty, although, the 'shoot on sight' policy ordered by the Ukrainian government has been ignored time and time by the military soldiers standing guard.
Most newbie S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs stay within the confines of Cordon to gain gear and experience before they walk out into the reaches of the Zone. The main man of Cordon is Sidorovich, a fat bastard (don't say that to his face) who has claimed to be one of the first person to step inside the Zone. Sidorovich has been responsible over the years as a negotiator between the S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs of the Zone and the army along with maintaining the illegal underground black-market that is essential for providing traders and S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs with supplies. Sidorovich has also cooperated with the man known as 'Barkeep' to open a set of roads through the center of the Zone.
Needless to say, pissing off Sidorovich is not on your bucket-list of things to do.
Red Forest
The Red Forest is a psuedonym for the large area of woodland and deciduous forest that is to the south-west of the Chernobyl NPP. The large area of forest supposedly got its nickname from the red-brown color of the leaves of trees that died after exposure to radiation from the Chernobyl Power Plant. The Red Forest is known to many S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs as a veritable natural maze. While it seems easy to traverse at first, many S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs can get potentially lost inside the borders of the Red Forest.
Combined with the high populations of mutants that reside within the Red Forest along with rumors of the Puritan Faction taking shelter in the Forest, any S.T.A.L.K.E.R who wishes to walk in the forest may have a death wish.
Pripyat
Pripyat is a abandoned concrete jungle located east to Chernobyl. Once hosting a population of over 49,000, most of its inhabitants evacuated after the Chernobyl Power Plant Disaster. After 2006, Pripyat has become home to one of the largest mutant populations in the Zone and is filled to the brim with anomaly fields. S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs who wish to go to Pripyat find that it is one of the only safe ways to access the CNPP.
Pripyat has become a battleground between the factions of the Zone for control since 2006. As of 2016, Pripyat has been left empty with no other faction willing to take it over again.
Garbage
Garbage is a name given to a extremely large industrial waste dump located to the north of Cordon. It is often the first place for rookie S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs to get their first loot with numerous bandits and S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs loitering around like flies over a half-eaten corpse. One can find the odd artifact or useful knick-knack if they rummage long enough in Garbage.
Garbage is now currently being contested over by Loners and Anarchists as of 2016.
Agroprom
Agroprom is the name given to a large factory area located to the west of Garbage. It is famed for being the artificial maze of the Zone, Agroprom being host to a system of underground tunnels and corridors. Agroprom is heavily contaminated with radiation, S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs being recommended to take a radiation suit or anti-rad drugs if they wish to survive a dip in Agroprom. A small population of mutants roam underneath Agroprom.
Agroprom is made up of the Agroprom Factory Complex and the Agroprom Research Institute.
Dark Valley
Dark Valley is one of the most sinister places in the Zone. Home to Lab X-18, Dark Valley is considered by many S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs to be a 'no man's land' aside from the Red Forest. Due to the various experiments inside Lab X-18, Dark Valley has a sizable population of powerful mutants, even rare psionic ones. Dark Valley also has numerous bandit camps which dot its landscape.
Rostok
Rostok is the home of the Duty Faction and one of the most 'civilized' areas in the Zone by many. Due to the diligence of the Duty members, Rostok is completely rid of any anarchists and is considered a safe haven. A bar known as the 100 Rads, run by Barkeeper, is located here along with the only place in the Zone that hosts live fighting. The Arena is run by Arnie and hosts daily fights between S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs everyday. S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs can place bets on which combatant is going to win or not. These fights have the option of being to the death or not to the death. Fights to the death have a higher betting price than fights not to the death. The Arena also hosts cock-fights between mutants.
CNPP
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. One of the most recognizable features of the Zone. It is a cautionary tale of the dangers of nuclear power and the dearly costs upon the environment. No, you don't have to be worried about getting cooked by radiation. In 1986, the Ukranian government built a structure known as the Sarcophagus over the radioactive core of the power plant. 200 tons of concrete and rebar is a effective barrier. The CNNP is considered the heart of the Zone and therby, the capital of it for a good reason. Legends tell that the CNPP contains a wealth of artifacts waiting to be harvested inside its core, if you don't mind the large population of Puritans residing inside the power-plant along with the mutants that guard the gate to your treasure.
Great Swamp
The Great Swamp is a ecological hot-potato. Before 1991, the Great Swamp was a successful agricultural area until a faulty leak in a hydroelectric dam rendered the inhabited area into a large stinking swamp. The birth of the Zone has caused the Great Swamp to be inhospitable and even more inaccessible. The irradiated swampwater is a danger for those who soak in it. Mutants and bandits surround the area along with a high number of anomalies waiting in the waters.
Needless to say, it is not a great idea to take a dip into the Great Swamp.
Limansk
Limansk is a ghost-town. Just like Pripyat, it once was host to a large population of civilians until the Chernobyl Power Plant Disaster caused a mass evacuation. After the creation of the Zone, Limansk became frequently populated by large scale anomalies, concealing it from many S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs. The Puritans use Limansk as one of their main base of operations aside from the CNPP.
Jupiter/Yanov
Yanov is one of the major S.T.A.L.K.E.R settlements within the Zone. It is a mixing-pot of almost every faction in the Zone and has been a brewing ground for a war since 2006. Notably, Jupiter/Yanov is the location of the main base of the Surveyors, in the Jupiter Power Plant. There, they try to slow down the increasing area of the Zone using the generators of the power plant to fuel a device known as the Gatekeeper. The Surveyors have hired a large band of mercenaries to protect them from anyone who dares to interfere with their operations.
The main central hub of activity in this area is Yanov Station, an old underground train station that acts as a peace-zone between the main factions. Numerous traders reside in this area and offer their services to any S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs.
Army Warehouses
The Army Warehouses are one of the most important areas within the Zone as of this moment. Abandoned by the army since the Chernobyl Power Plant Disaster in 1986, the creation of the Zone in 2006 caused the army to return back to their dwellings and take operation of the base again. After suffering grievous casualties from a emission, the Freedom faction sought to take advantage and drove the military out of the Army Warehouses.
The Army Warehouses are now the official base of the Freedom Faction and is one of the most heavily defended areas in the Zone.
The Zone
The Zone is the name given for the large area of expanse created by Noosphere radiation. The Zone, currently of 2016, covers a area of at least 120 km wide. The Zone is noted as one of the most notorious and deadly environments in the world currently existing as of this moment. The Zone consistently grows every year by 1 km to 5 km into foreign territories. Research is being made into stopping this expanse or slowing it down.
Artifacts
An artifact is a item or material that has been changed by exposure to the conditions of the Zone. Artifacts have various anomalous properties, such as increasing the toughness of your skin to the point where you can deflect bullets, or healing your very wounds before your eyes or increasing your stamina. These artifacts are considered valuable scientific material with corporations and scientists who are willing to pay thousands to get their hands on these artifacts.
Most artifacts, however, generate a semblance of radiation that is dangerous to the user. S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs often work around this disadvantage by using anti-radiation medicine or using radiation-absorbing anomalies in tandem with the artifact. The radiation requires skin-contact and will not damage the user if placed in a strong enough container. This often blocks the useful properties of the artifact in return. Artifacts often have side-effects such as making the user more vulnerable to burns or electricity.
Anomalies
Anomalies are a phenomenon within the Zone that often has dangerous effects to a S.T.A.L.K.E.R who enters them, usually killing them on contact or severely injuring them. Most anomalies are visible while some are not visible. At first. Most of these invisible anomalies generate a invisible sheen caused by the interaction of the strong magnetic field generated by these anomalies with light.
S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs often use a anomaly detector crafted by the Surveyors to avoid these anomalies or use metal objects to detect these anomalies. The degeneration of anomalies often create artifacts. Most S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs seek anomaly filled areas to procure artifacts of high value. Most anomalies form in large clusters which leads to a anomaly field forming where the environment is extremely affected and warped beyond belief.
Mutants
Most of the wildlife within the Zone has been mutated and warped by the Zone, changing their appearances and causing them to develop extra-normal abilities. Most of these mutants are merely improved physically from their non-mutated brethren while others have gained psychic powers courtesy of high exposure to Noosphere energies.
Most mutants are harvested by S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs and eaten. Most mutants, particularly the psychic ones, are valued by the scientific community for study of their anomalous properties.
Emissions
A emission, commonly referred to as a blowout, by the inhabitants of the zone, is a brief and powerful release of noosphere radiation from the center of the zone. These emissions can cause bursts of energy that radiate throughout the entirety of the area inside the Zone. These bursts of energy can cause extreme weather to occur. Signs of a emission are usually a rumbling of a ground and loud bursts of thunder. S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs must find appropriate shelter in time before the brunt of the emission hits. Appropriate shelter usually includes underground bunkers or shelters with thick layers of metal sheeting. Any open concrete structure or wooden structure will not do. Emissions usually result in the Zone increasing by a range of 1 to 5 kilometers. Effects of emissions on living beings other than living beings usually mutate them. Emissions can also 'zombify' recently dead S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs or alive S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs caught in the storm. There is a one in 100 chance of a S.T.A.L.K.E.R miraculously surviving a emission and becoming 'enlightened.' These S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs make up a large majority of the Puritan Faction.
During periods of emissions, some mutants typically flock to shelters in order to survive the storm. These involve in large hordes of mutants usually overrunning S.T.A.L.K.E.R bases. Be wary of these hordes.
Rules
1. A decent semblance of literacy and grammar is to be expected in this RP.
2. You are able to create multiple characters, although, I would advise you to stick with one.
3. There is absolutely no NSFW shtick allowed within this RP.
4. If you are able to, contact me if you want out of the RP. I will assume you don't want to be in the RP if you don't reply for more than 1 week at least. A detailed post will be a decent apology if you post extremely late.
5. I'm looking for a group of at least 4 people. There will be a regular reservation list for people who want to join the RP if someone else drops out.
6. No god-modding whatsoever.
7. Have fun in the Zone, S.T.A.L.K.E.R
This thread will be acting as the official Q/A thread for this RP. I am expecting to create the IC for this RP in the next two weeks or so. If life doesn't interfere in these manners.
Such is life in the Zone......
Such is life in the Zone.
I taste the faint scent of radiation in the air, the invisible haze of death that grows stronger everyday.
Such is life in the Zone.
I see the skies enraged with storms and cackling to the brim with lighting, the clouds darkening as time is waning.
Such is life in the Zone.
I hear things crawling about and under, to my side, far away, things that were not meant to be known. Things that weren't meant to be here.
Such is life in the Zone.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT
Doldrums is a roleplay that takes place in the fictional S.T.A.L.K.E.R universe, a universe that contains elements of post-apocalypse, horror and sci-fi. S.T.A.L.K.E.R is originally a intellectual property that was derived from the book, Roadside Picnic, a Russian Novel, along with a film known as Stalker by Andrei Tartovsky, based on the book itself as well. Some elements of the canon have been removed
Doldrums takes place in an alternate version of Earth that deviates around 1960 and mainly takes place within the area of Chernobyl, focusing on the after-events of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster. For those of you who are not history aficionados, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was simply, one of the worst nuclear containment failures in the history of the world itself. Occurring in 1986, a massive leak of radiation in the power plant caused the mass evacuation of several cities in Ukraine and Belarus. Like the real world itself, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was created to contain the radioactive outbreak from the nuclear power plant as the radiation leaked into the environment.
The deviation from real-world history began in 1960 when the Soviet Union began using the areas of Chernobyl and Pripyat as a glorified research facility into the existence of the noosphere, a theory that a sphere of human thought exists in the bio-sphere. Research was made into the noosphere in order to develop psychotropic weapons that would ensure the victory of the Cold War into Soviet hands and manipulate the behavior of the civilian population of the USSR. These experiments were held in the city of Chernobyl and the surrounding areas.
The research into the noosphere was originally one of the causes of the Chernobyl Power Plant Disaster, due to a a massive power surge within Reactor 4. The creation of the Zone proved beneficial to the multiple scientists who stayed within it as it proved to be a great testing ground. The rate of experiments doubled as scientists continued their foray into proving the existence of the noosphere. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 did not hinder the scientists in any way as they continued their work. Rumors soon spread about strange experiments with the government promising a investigation into the numerous kidnappings.
A massive breakthrough took place as scientists now had new goals. To exploit the noosphere to end all suffering and injustice within humanity by globally psionically manipulating the globe. Experiments with the noosphere broke numerous humanitarian laws as the rate of kidnapped tourists and civilians around the Zone increased. The government shut down access of the Zone, creating a military blockade.
In 2006, the first experiment in altering human behavior using the noosphere took place. The first trial was a success but unfortunately, the trial only took a place of over two hours. The second trial resulted in the noosphere being torn open within the testing site, killing most of the scientists and causing the experiments to be shut down. This rift resulted in a large area being created where the known laws of science to mankind were broken and mysterious paranormal activity began to manifest.
The Zone, as of now, continues to expand every year one kilometer. Former scientists of the noosphere project struggled to find a way to slow down the expansion of the Zone. In 2007, they found a solution. A large machine was formed within the center of the Zone which would suppress its expansion. Unfortunately, the energy contained would have to be released every so often. This release of energy were known as emissions.
After 2007, multiple expeditions into the Zone were attempted by the Ukrainian government, failing as they were killed by mutants. The government gave up the initiative of exploring the Zone and blockaded it even further, preventing passageway into it. In 2010, the government discovered evidence of people known as Stalkers, people who made profit in the zone by selling artifacts. Objects that had formed in the Zone which had several anomalous properties. Attempts by the government to stop the rising population of stalkers in the zone failed through illegal routes and bribing of military officials. Eventually, the government declared a 'shoot on sight' policy on all Stalkers that the military encountered.
It is now March 8th, 2016. The population of S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs within the Zone of Alienation is estimated to be around 4,815. Multiple factions of S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs strive for control of the Zone and its resources while scientists try to figure out a way to stop the Zone from expanding.
There are many words for what you are right now. Scavenger, Trespasser, Adventurer, Loner, Killer, Explorer, Robber. You are now known as a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. A new one of all things. They don't know how you got in. Secret tunnel-way? Bribing military officials? Illegal entry by air? I doesn't matter. All that matters is that you've been contacted to join a group of newbie S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs looking to make a profit within the Zone.
Good luck, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. You'll need it.
Groups of Interest
Anarchists
The most despised out of any faction within the Zone, Anarchists are ex-criminals or convicts that have escaped and roam free within the Zone to do whatever they want. They engage in all sorts of morally reprehensible activities such as murdering other stalkers in peace zones, extorting stalkers, prostitution, drug running and to hide from the law. A startlingly large proportion of the population within the Zone are Anarchists. Anarchists are often divided up into roving groups and have the poorest gear out of any faction within the Zone.
Loners
The unofficial term for S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs who are unaffiliated with any faction or any group. All loners are independent and prefer to not join any group.
Mercenaries
The Mercenaries are the term for factions of private military contractors that operate within the zone and are highly secretive. Mercenaries charge their clients for vast sums of money for finding artifacts and other unique objects within the Zone. Mercenaries are often mistrusted by most factions due to their unpredictability and furtive nature. With most of their members being ex-special forces and being experienced in fighting, they are one of the most dangerous forces to encounter within the zone.
Mercenaries will usually trump any ordinary S.T.A.L.K.E.R in terms of combat skills but lose in terms of experience with the Zone and its intricacies.
Puritans
When a S.T.A.L.K.E.R ventures into the Zone, one finds that his or her mind might change soon over time. For the poor souls who are designated as 'Puritans', their minds have been fried and changed from exposure to the energies of the Noosphere, claiming to have gained psychedelic visions of the one they call Monolith, their god. The Puritans are one of the only other factions, aside from the Bandits, to have a 'shoot upon sight' policy by all S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs. The Puritans are a cult who believe that the Zone should expand no matter what and that it is a miracle that does not need the likes of 'unbelievers' exploting its riches. Puritans are actively hostile towards all S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs and will attempt to coerce S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs to be converted to their religion.
Puritans are heavily armed with high-grade modern weaponry and while brain-washed, its members still have their skills intact. It is a rumor that these Puritans have gained similar psionic capabilities such as telepathy and telekinesis akin to most psionic mutants in the Zone.
Surveyors
The Surveyors are a government-funded group made up of national and international scientists around the world who want to actively explore, research and investigate phenomena within the Zone, in order to harness the miracles within it for the good of all mankind. Surveyors regularly hire S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs from almost every faction within the Zone to help them with their experiments. The Surveyors are also responsible for the release of emissions and the control of the expansion of the Zone. This has lead them odds to odds with the Puritans who wish to accelerate the expansion of the Zone. The Surveyors are under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian government.
Surveyors are some of the most scientifically intelligent individuals around in the Zone and possess various experimental technology that gives them an edge to other factions.
Military
The Military or known as the State Sponsored Security Service are responsible for the maintenance of the blockade of the Zone of Alienation's perimeter since 1987. The Military is tasked with providing security among the border along with controlling distribution of all artifacts and items created in the Zone in and out, without government supervision. The Military is , in fact, one of the most corrupt factions in the Zone, telling of the corrupt nature of the Ukrainian government, shooting at S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs for sport, engaging in extortion and accepting bribery. The Military are some of the most dangerously armed individuals in the Zone.
Duty
Duty is a self-professed group of professional ex-military soldiers whose main directive is to stamp out and eliminate the Zone. Most of its members believe that the Zone is a plague that needs to be wiped out before it destroys humanity and everything along with it. Its members firmly believe that they are the only protectors of the outside world from the Zone. All members of Duty live by a strict code of rules and regulations that must be obeyed at all times, lest they risk execution. All artifacts collected by Duty members are to be passed on to the Surveyors faction which Duty maintains an alliance with. Duty's operations consist of wiping out most mutants within the Zone. Duty is at fierce odds as well with the Puritans and view them as scum and vermin worse than the Anarchists.
Freedom/Liberty
Freedom is a group of un-organised S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs whose main adjective is to give free access of the Zone to the outside world and make it legal for it to be a public domain where everyone can visit it. They wish for a peaceful co-existence with the Zone itself. Their other objective is to give legal ownership of the Zone to S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs rather than the people and create a miniature nation state inside the Zone. This has led them to odds with Duty, who they view as short-sighted and behind the cause of the Zone retaliating against S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs. The organisation of Freedom is akin to a militia rather than the regimented life-style of Duty members.
Locations of Interest
Zaton
Zaton is located to the far north of the Zone and is a notable hub for most veteran S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs. Numerous beached industrial ships surround the swampy area along with a few industrial factories as well. A large ruined tanker known as the Skadovsk acts as a bar, a emission shelter and a place of residence for many S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs and traders. Traders such as Owl, Nimble and Tremor can be found in this area. A man known as Beard is the sole proprietor of Skadovsk and is the leader of the Loners in Zaton, responsible for ending the existence of bandits within Zaton, and creating a successful peace-zone that has prospered for years.
There are a number of locations and anomaly hot-spots within Zaton that make it the largest concentration of Loners in the north side of the Zone.
Cordon
Cordon is a area where most newbie S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs gain access to the Zone and stay for a period of time to avoid the more inhospitable natures of the Zone located north, east and west. Cordon is located on the outermost edge of the Zone, next to a military outpost. Relations between S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs and the military posted there have been frosty, although, the 'shoot on sight' policy ordered by the Ukrainian government has been ignored time and time by the military soldiers standing guard.
Most newbie S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs stay within the confines of Cordon to gain gear and experience before they walk out into the reaches of the Zone. The main man of Cordon is Sidorovich, a fat bastard (don't say that to his face) who has claimed to be one of the first person to step inside the Zone. Sidorovich has been responsible over the years as a negotiator between the S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs of the Zone and the army along with maintaining the illegal underground black-market that is essential for providing traders and S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs with supplies. Sidorovich has also cooperated with the man known as 'Barkeep' to open a set of roads through the center of the Zone.
Needless to say, pissing off Sidorovich is not on your bucket-list of things to do.
Red Forest
The Red Forest is a psuedonym for the large area of woodland and deciduous forest that is to the south-west of the Chernobyl NPP. The large area of forest supposedly got its nickname from the red-brown color of the leaves of trees that died after exposure to radiation from the Chernobyl Power Plant. The Red Forest is known to many S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs as a veritable natural maze. While it seems easy to traverse at first, many S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs can get potentially lost inside the borders of the Red Forest.
Combined with the high populations of mutants that reside within the Red Forest along with rumors of the Puritan Faction taking shelter in the Forest, any S.T.A.L.K.E.R who wishes to walk in the forest may have a death wish.
Pripyat
Pripyat is a abandoned concrete jungle located east to Chernobyl. Once hosting a population of over 49,000, most of its inhabitants evacuated after the Chernobyl Power Plant Disaster. After 2006, Pripyat has become home to one of the largest mutant populations in the Zone and is filled to the brim with anomaly fields. S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs who wish to go to Pripyat find that it is one of the only safe ways to access the CNPP.
Pripyat has become a battleground between the factions of the Zone for control since 2006. As of 2016, Pripyat has been left empty with no other faction willing to take it over again.
Garbage
Garbage is a name given to a extremely large industrial waste dump located to the north of Cordon. It is often the first place for rookie S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs to get their first loot with numerous bandits and S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs loitering around like flies over a half-eaten corpse. One can find the odd artifact or useful knick-knack if they rummage long enough in Garbage.
Garbage is now currently being contested over by Loners and Anarchists as of 2016.
Agroprom
Agroprom is the name given to a large factory area located to the west of Garbage. It is famed for being the artificial maze of the Zone, Agroprom being host to a system of underground tunnels and corridors. Agroprom is heavily contaminated with radiation, S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs being recommended to take a radiation suit or anti-rad drugs if they wish to survive a dip in Agroprom. A small population of mutants roam underneath Agroprom.
Agroprom is made up of the Agroprom Factory Complex and the Agroprom Research Institute.
Dark Valley
Dark Valley is one of the most sinister places in the Zone. Home to Lab X-18, Dark Valley is considered by many S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs to be a 'no man's land' aside from the Red Forest. Due to the various experiments inside Lab X-18, Dark Valley has a sizable population of powerful mutants, even rare psionic ones. Dark Valley also has numerous bandit camps which dot its landscape.
Rostok
Rostok is the home of the Duty Faction and one of the most 'civilized' areas in the Zone by many. Due to the diligence of the Duty members, Rostok is completely rid of any anarchists and is considered a safe haven. A bar known as the 100 Rads, run by Barkeeper, is located here along with the only place in the Zone that hosts live fighting. The Arena is run by Arnie and hosts daily fights between S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs everyday. S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs can place bets on which combatant is going to win or not. These fights have the option of being to the death or not to the death. Fights to the death have a higher betting price than fights not to the death. The Arena also hosts cock-fights between mutants.
CNPP
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. One of the most recognizable features of the Zone. It is a cautionary tale of the dangers of nuclear power and the dearly costs upon the environment. No, you don't have to be worried about getting cooked by radiation. In 1986, the Ukranian government built a structure known as the Sarcophagus over the radioactive core of the power plant. 200 tons of concrete and rebar is a effective barrier. The CNNP is considered the heart of the Zone and therby, the capital of it for a good reason. Legends tell that the CNPP contains a wealth of artifacts waiting to be harvested inside its core, if you don't mind the large population of Puritans residing inside the power-plant along with the mutants that guard the gate to your treasure.
Great Swamp
The Great Swamp is a ecological hot-potato. Before 1991, the Great Swamp was a successful agricultural area until a faulty leak in a hydroelectric dam rendered the inhabited area into a large stinking swamp. The birth of the Zone has caused the Great Swamp to be inhospitable and even more inaccessible. The irradiated swampwater is a danger for those who soak in it. Mutants and bandits surround the area along with a high number of anomalies waiting in the waters.
Needless to say, it is not a great idea to take a dip into the Great Swamp.
Limansk
Limansk is a ghost-town. Just like Pripyat, it once was host to a large population of civilians until the Chernobyl Power Plant Disaster caused a mass evacuation. After the creation of the Zone, Limansk became frequently populated by large scale anomalies, concealing it from many S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs. The Puritans use Limansk as one of their main base of operations aside from the CNPP.
Jupiter/Yanov
Yanov is one of the major S.T.A.L.K.E.R settlements within the Zone. It is a mixing-pot of almost every faction in the Zone and has been a brewing ground for a war since 2006. Notably, Jupiter/Yanov is the location of the main base of the Surveyors, in the Jupiter Power Plant. There, they try to slow down the increasing area of the Zone using the generators of the power plant to fuel a device known as the Gatekeeper. The Surveyors have hired a large band of mercenaries to protect them from anyone who dares to interfere with their operations.
The main central hub of activity in this area is Yanov Station, an old underground train station that acts as a peace-zone between the main factions. Numerous traders reside in this area and offer their services to any S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs.
Army Warehouses
The Army Warehouses are one of the most important areas within the Zone as of this moment. Abandoned by the army since the Chernobyl Power Plant Disaster in 1986, the creation of the Zone in 2006 caused the army to return back to their dwellings and take operation of the base again. After suffering grievous casualties from a emission, the Freedom faction sought to take advantage and drove the military out of the Army Warehouses.
The Army Warehouses are now the official base of the Freedom Faction and is one of the most heavily defended areas in the Zone.
The Zone
The Zone is the name given for the large area of expanse created by Noosphere radiation. The Zone, currently of 2016, covers a area of at least 120 km wide. The Zone is noted as one of the most notorious and deadly environments in the world currently existing as of this moment. The Zone consistently grows every year by 1 km to 5 km into foreign territories. Research is being made into stopping this expanse or slowing it down.
Artifacts
An artifact is a item or material that has been changed by exposure to the conditions of the Zone. Artifacts have various anomalous properties, such as increasing the toughness of your skin to the point where you can deflect bullets, or healing your very wounds before your eyes or increasing your stamina. These artifacts are considered valuable scientific material with corporations and scientists who are willing to pay thousands to get their hands on these artifacts.
Most artifacts, however, generate a semblance of radiation that is dangerous to the user. S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs often work around this disadvantage by using anti-radiation medicine or using radiation-absorbing anomalies in tandem with the artifact. The radiation requires skin-contact and will not damage the user if placed in a strong enough container. This often blocks the useful properties of the artifact in return. Artifacts often have side-effects such as making the user more vulnerable to burns or electricity.
Anomalies
Anomalies are a phenomenon within the Zone that often has dangerous effects to a S.T.A.L.K.E.R who enters them, usually killing them on contact or severely injuring them. Most anomalies are visible while some are not visible. At first. Most of these invisible anomalies generate a invisible sheen caused by the interaction of the strong magnetic field generated by these anomalies with light.
S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs often use a anomaly detector crafted by the Surveyors to avoid these anomalies or use metal objects to detect these anomalies. The degeneration of anomalies often create artifacts. Most S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs seek anomaly filled areas to procure artifacts of high value. Most anomalies form in large clusters which leads to a anomaly field forming where the environment is extremely affected and warped beyond belief.
Mutants
Most of the wildlife within the Zone has been mutated and warped by the Zone, changing their appearances and causing them to develop extra-normal abilities. Most of these mutants are merely improved physically from their non-mutated brethren while others have gained psychic powers courtesy of high exposure to Noosphere energies.
Most mutants are harvested by S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs and eaten. Most mutants, particularly the psychic ones, are valued by the scientific community for study of their anomalous properties.
Emissions
A emission, commonly referred to as a blowout, by the inhabitants of the zone, is a brief and powerful release of noosphere radiation from the center of the zone. These emissions can cause bursts of energy that radiate throughout the entirety of the area inside the Zone. These bursts of energy can cause extreme weather to occur. Signs of a emission are usually a rumbling of a ground and loud bursts of thunder. S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs must find appropriate shelter in time before the brunt of the emission hits. Appropriate shelter usually includes underground bunkers or shelters with thick layers of metal sheeting. Any open concrete structure or wooden structure will not do. Emissions usually result in the Zone increasing by a range of 1 to 5 kilometers. Effects of emissions on living beings other than living beings usually mutate them. Emissions can also 'zombify' recently dead S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs or alive S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs caught in the storm. There is a one in 100 chance of a S.T.A.L.K.E.R miraculously surviving a emission and becoming 'enlightened.' These S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs make up a large majority of the Puritan Faction.
During periods of emissions, some mutants typically flock to shelters in order to survive the storm. These involve in large hordes of mutants usually overrunning S.T.A.L.K.E.R bases. Be wary of these hordes.
Rules
1. A decent semblance of literacy and grammar is to be expected in this RP.
2. You are able to create multiple characters, although, I would advise you to stick with one.
3. There is absolutely no NSFW shtick allowed within this RP.
4. If you are able to, contact me if you want out of the RP. I will assume you don't want to be in the RP if you don't reply for more than 1 week at least. A detailed post will be a decent apology if you post extremely late.
5. I'm looking for a group of at least 4 people. There will be a regular reservation list for people who want to join the RP if someone else drops out.
6. No god-modding whatsoever.
7. Have fun in the Zone, S.T.A.L.K.E.R
This thread will be acting as the official Q/A thread for this RP. I am expecting to create the IC for this RP in the next two weeks or so. If life doesn't interfere in these manners.
Such is life in the Zone......
Last edited:
