Realistic or Modern Versipolis- Lore and Character Expectations

[JokerValentine]

Lore​

The Outbreak

The fateful outbreak occurred in 2048. The United States, once long revered for its unmatched superiority, had seen a decline like no other country has. Stripped of its title of the “global superpower”, the once proud nation fell on hard times. A great depression had made the currency rather worthless some years before, and the nation had never fully recovered from it. Though, as some would surely like to believe, money stayed at the right sports for the wrong reasons, such as scientific research. Indeed, many believe that it was science, our pursuit of knowledge, that brought forth this virus. Nobody knows for certain, and survivors are rather quick to blame the large enterprises for these events.

What is agreed upon, however, is that the infection started in a region two hundred miles southwest from Lake Erie. An area that was once known as the great Lakes, but even before the disease they failed to live up to that name. It was at this time the world was gripped by a fascinating video, shot on a cell phone and posted to social media. Many saw it to be a hoax, but interconnected stories quickly surfaced in the locale. People were frightened, confused, some even thinking that this was not that big of a deal. Yet, in no time, the numbers of these infected increased.

Everyone has seen at least one zombie movie before. Politicians weren’t as stupid as those depicted in the films, ignoring the problem, referring to the problem as anything than what they really were. The issue eventually reached the point where it could not be overlooked. Towns were being attacked, people killed, and in a dramatic speech, the president himself addressed the nation, confirming these creatures were indeed real, and that the national guard would surely resolve this issue quickly.

The Creatures

Yet, what are they? What exactly was “this issue”? A video posted towards the beginning of the outbreak by Sydney Norman, a 21 year old college kid at a weekend party, describes these beasts as “werewolves”. No doubt that’s what they resemble, but there are notable differences. They are not allergic to silver, they do not shift at the full moon, they are not secretly buff dudes who are social outcasts. They are vile, virulent creatures. They stand about 7 feet tall (female) or 7.5 feet tall (male), weigh around the six hundred pound mark, and resemble lycanthropes in nearly every way. They are quick, despite their size. Their senses are keen. They hunt in groups, typically, picking off individuals, or attacking full groups in coordinated efforts. Their diet, at first, rarely consisted of humans. They hunted game, and usually consist off of such. Yet, when they grew in number, they had to make diet adjustments, and thus started to incorporate humans into their diets more..

Identifying Infected

The first sign that an individual is infected is a rather noticeable bite wound. The size of the lycans typically give such a bite an immense radius, and render it usually unmissable. However, transmission by open wounds and tear ducts have been reported. Once bitten, there is no cure. There is no magical herb one may take to whisk away the disease. The first signs of infection are typically flu-like: fever, followed by chills and pale complexion. However, despite this obvious sign, this feature goes away in the first 18 hours.

Another defining feature of infection is yellowing of the eyes, usually in the sclera (white parts). It’s a dead giveaway for late-stage individuals. However, an infected individual does not necessarily turn at first, or even at all. The transformation process is triggered by a spike in adrenaline, usually onset by pain, anger, or fear. If one were to remain calm for the rest of their life, theoretically they could survive. There was a group of these infected people rumored to exist, calling themselves the Monks of the New Age. However they are but an urban legend, and people are so very quick to turn. Most do by their first 24 hours.

Once turned, the human life is gone. There are no longer any base human emotions or understandings. There is no kindness, no higher-functioning irrationality. There is simply the beast. They act on purely animal rationality, and do as a beast would do, not a human. These beats are not immortal, however, and can be killed just as a human might. Though, they are much more resistant due to their size. They may also die, and typically live to their high 90’s (based off of estimates). Of course, there are not many scientists around to study these creatures, as one might think.

First Response

The United States, in response to the looming threat, quickly instated martial law. Localized efforts, at first, were moderately successful at containing. But the area kept getting larger as the troops were pushed back. As they were pushed back, it got much harder to contain. It also didn’t help that Canada and Mexico, as if they were so fearful of what was to come, closed their borders indefinitely, and no flights, boats, or any people whatsoever by any means were allowed in.

The government was quick to criticize this move, but their laments fell on deaf ears. The US received some support, but they were on their own. They had to quarantine, contain, control, all on their own. It also didn’t help that the government was woefully unprepared for the chaos. Things fell into ruins remarkably quickly as order broke down. Martial law could only do so much, and as fear mounted, everything was stricter.

The evacuation plans were by far the worst. People were placed into protected camps, but these proved to be slaughterhouses. The best groups survived in small numbers on their own, away from people. Even then, these beasts hunted groups, one by one, picking individuals off easily. Some of the survivors from this first quarantine zone recount the horrors of it all. But it was surely at this point where the governments of many other nations saw that their current plan was not enough.

Local efforts quickly turned into federal concerned as the area of infection spread too quickly.

Second Response

After the failure of the first response, the US government could hardly do anything else to combat the outbreak. The quarantine they established crumbled and now it was all about keeping whatever cities were left infected-free. Those in the Great Lakes area were left to their fate and the outbreak quickly spread. Canada and Mexico were the first countries to receive news of this plague that was spreading throughout the United States; while Mexico already had a strong wall built, Canada was less fortunate.

Canada made a desperate plea to the United Nations for assistance with keeping these creatures out of their country -- and they responded in full force. The United States military was sent to protect the builders of the walls, under the ruse that it was the precursor to a quick and effective evacuation procedure. At every turn, the military units stationed at the wall turned countless civilians away from the wall perimeter as well as protect the builders from the beastfolk. Yet, they had no idea that they too were being boxed in.

The wall was a controversial topic both to members of the UN and members of the US government but high-ranking officials in the government were promised a swift and safe evacuation of their families for their approval of the project and protection during the building. The United States military was lied to for the last time and over the course of nine years the military that once served its country proudly went rogue. Some focused on themselves, some focused on their fireteam or squad, and some focused on the well being and survival of others.

Order remained for some time in the now isolated nation, but gradually, things fell apart. As the wall was rushed to be constructed, miles at a time put up at an unbelievable rate. The United States military fought valiantly to contain the problem, but they were unprepared for the long run. One by one, the cities fell. Soon, the united states had collapsed, though after years of fighting. By then, however, the walls had been completed.

The Walls

The North and South border walls stand as a testament to the ingenuity of human construction. These concrete structures were built in the span of six years, four for the northern one and two for the south. Interestingly, the walls were rather easily built, as there were great attempts to ensure the fullest cooperation of the American people. Following the initial outbreak, Canada and Mexico had already closed their borders, but there are always ways to sneak in. The border walls were incredibly foolproof. Standing ten meters tall, around ten meters wide, the walls are made of solid, explosive-resistant alloy mixture. The wall is heavily protected at set intervals; soldiers composed of several nations and gunnery pose a threat to any who dare cross it.

The walls were the result of intense United Nations lobbying. Many nations, eloquently voicing their concerns, were quick to sign up for an isolative measure: a strong wall. The United States disagreed, citing that it would be a humanitarian crises. In a compromise, everyone agreed that there would be a wall, which the United States would oversee the construction of, but would not pay for. After the situation had been contained, the containment would be lifted.

Though, if one were to ask some of the troops, the story changes. The American soldiers were not told of what they were doing near the border. Their job was vague: turn away anyone caught crossing the border into Canada. They were unaware that a wall, some few miles to their North, was being constructed. Many believe that only a few knew about its construction in detail, or even agreed to it in the first place, since they were granted special privileges of safety for their compliance.

Progress on the wall proceeded quickly. Funds and men were abundant, at first. However, the strain was visible on many countries, including many in Europe. Alas, it was more than worth it for some. Soon, the entirety of the North and South borders were covered in an immaculate wall construction, at an unbelievable cost. Four years of hard work and secrecy, but four years of steady decline of order in America. At its completion, the remaining non-American forces pulled out, never to be seen again.

State of the World

The global economy was impacted hard by the construction of the US Wall. It was substantial, but it was nothing that the world could not bounce back from. With the United States left to its fate, much of the world lost a major consumer but the economy recovered. However, not much could be the said about the United States. Towards the end of the construction period, the initial containment collapsed. The beasts spread like wildfire throughout the nation, and not a moment too soon. Soon, the only question on people's minds was if there were any areas that are safe to thrive? The answer? No, not really. Any place that had a scarce population to begin with or disagreeable climate would be safest for small groups of survivors. Small was the key word here. European scientists projected that, in the current day, 99.7% of Americans are dead, with only around one million surviving.

No Man's Land

Certain dangerous areas in the United States have been dubbed “No Man’s Zones”. When everything went to hell, the United States military grew more and more desperate. They would use all of their resources to kill off these beasts. At first, it almost appeared to be successful. After some evacuation attempts, infested cities or forests would be bombed, attacked, cleared. As one may imagine, this went rather poorly, and proved to be of not much success.

You can still see many areas like this today. They are sporadic sites with a plethora of charred earth and depressing scenery. You may even be lucky to find anything of use there. You can contrast this with other areas too, not having been bombed but just as empty and vacant.

A New Threat

At first, surviving was not impossible. The beasts had their weaknesses, the main one being that they did not look like survivors at all. Also, they were prone to the same vices any animal faces in the eyes of a hunter. However, rather recently, survivors began to report a change to the ecology. The common, but insulting term for these beasts are “braindogs,” but there exist other terms as well. Many call them “tricks” or “shifters.”

When an individual shifts, they lose their human qualities They become big, bulky, lycan-like. Yet, these shifters are able to serve as in-betweens. It’s been theorized that a mutation occurs that allows this to happen in some very select beasts. They don’t ever regain their own human emotions, and they don’t appear entirely human while in their human form. However, they are able to blend in more easily. They are dangerous because they are able to infiltrate groups, and take them down without anyone even knowing.

The Goal

Our story begins in a small survival group in the middle of nowhere. Rather low on supplies, they stop in a small town to refuel, rearm, and resupply. They are headed North, avoiding No Man’s Lands, to a place known as the “NorthWest Passage”. Rumor has it that the wall is not as impenetrable as it may seem. It may be a physical breach, or maybe it’s a tunnel. Some have even thought it to be really nice guards. Alas, it’s the finest shred of home they got. But they aren’t alone in wanting to find it. Shifters want to spread the infection beyond the wall, vaguely the same goal as survivors. However, their goal is to not be discovered.

The Factions

For this RP, we ask you maintain one or two characters. Here are some things to know about the factions:

Shifters
As explained earlier. There will be at most 2-3 of these roles possible, so we will be very selective. Your strength will be your senses, but your weakness will be your lack of empathy. You will not act entirely human, but mostly.

Survivors
Your standard human survivors. You are prone to infection, and your level of preparedness may vary. You are proficient at ONE weapon. You can either be: quick, strong, or precise (as with aiming).

Ex-Patriots
When the military collapsed, the remaining troops scattered in every direction. You will be well disciplined and trained, perhaps a leader of the group. However, this role will also be selective, 1-2 roles.

Monks
These are individuals who have been infected, but have not turned due to amazing self-control and isolation. These characters will not be playable, but many appear down the stretch. However, you may have a character that gets infected, but leaves the group to live their life in solitude. Alternatively, there is rumored to be a group known as the Commune, a group of monks that lives near the epicenter of the outbreak. You may want to direct your character there, if he or she becomes infected.

Beasts
Please note that Beasts will not be playable, but will serve as NPCs. They will not be human in any way, thus would not make for good characters.

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[JokerValentine]

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