This is a closed group roleplay, invitation/PM request only. This means, either we'll invite you, or you can PM me; but please come prepared with a fleshed-out character
idea, and a means to get involved in the story. We do currently have an opening for
one more player, so if you are interested, shoot me a message.
Some quick notes on what to expect:
* This is a long term, casual roleplay. Posting won't be rapidfire and the group is kept small so that nobody will be left behind.
* As a result, this roleplay will have an ending! Even if players drop out or leave, we will accept new characters to fill those spaces and continue along. Abandoned characters will simply die--if happens in this setting.
* I expect at least two well written paragraphs per post. I'd prefer more, but don't push yourself. Quality over quantity.
* I also expect dynamic characters. You might need to play side characters. I am only the GM in organizational purposes; I won't play all the characters and make all the story.
* I'm providing freedom over combat posts, but please be reasonable about it.
Other than that, there are no particular rules. Just work as a group and have fun :)
CHARACTER SHEETS:
These will be pretty basic but feel free to add whatever information you'd like. You can also withhold information that isn't astericked. Your most basic skeleton has 5 fields in it.
Your character can be pretty much whoever you'd like, although the main group here are Fireflies. You can play a FEDRA member, but be warned that you will have a lot of enemies. Children characters, elderly characters, disabled characters are definitely welcome so long as they can prove their worth.
Name: *
Age: *
Gender: *
Hometown:
Appearance: * (image if you'd like)
Personality: (only really required if you plan on having pre-existing relationships, or you can say a few words so we don't all have badass loner figures)
Family:
Strengths/Weaknesses: (if you want to name a couple thats cool)
Inventory: * (see below)
Background:
INVENTORY:
This is actually pretty straightforward. Just list some things your character has on them (a knife, a water bottle, dogtags, anything you think is notable). This is a survival roleplay, so keeping track of who has what is important (but not vital. Don't worry about it). I don't think many of us will start with a ton of guns and armor without reason, though, so try to keep things reasonable. Once we get out of the Firefly fort, we'll have all the loot to ourselves.
Inventory will be updated on a regular basis. I will be posting more information on this soon.
Some super simple background information for those new to the series. You can find all of this on the Wiki.
THE INFECTED:
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{slide=General|center}The infected are those infected by the
Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis, a fungus that will consume the hosts brain and take control (only previously seen in ants). The host will then go through four different stages of infection: Runner, Stalker, Clicker, and Bloater before death; each stage is more dangerous than the last. The infection is spread through the contact of
Cordyceps spores into the blood or lungs through inhalation, bites, wounds, or rarely ingestion. Aerial spore development is the last stage in the life cycle of the Infected, though all Infected can transmit spores through bites. When an Infected dies, their body becomes a breeding ground for these spores, releasing them into the air. When an Infected feels it is close to death, it will find dark, moist corners to die in. While this may be the end of the line for the host, the fungus will live on.
In order for the fungus to infect a host body, the host must first be alive. Dead victims who come into contact with the infection do not undergo transformation.
The infected are vulnerable to fire.{/slide}
{slide=Runners|center}A few days after infection.
Runners are the first and weakest stage of the Infected who have just recently entered their transformation. Since the eyes are first targeted by the fungus, Runners have poor eyesight, but maintain many human instincts. For example, their moans are still human, just like their overall appearance. A way to tell them apart from normal survivors is their somewhat glowing red eyes. Their body language is sluggish while they are passive, suggesting they are resisting the fungus's influence. Sometimes they do not attack at all, even when non-infected individuals are right in front of them. These non-aggressive runners will only attack if attacked first or when an object is thrown at or near them, instigating them. Much like sneezing, the urge to attack after such interactions happens involuntarily and unwillingly by the host. Runners are confirmed to be able to attack in packs, flailing their arms and trying to trample the survivor.
{/slide}
{slide=Stalkers|center}A week or two after infection.
Stalkers have the vision and speed of Runners, with the ferocity of Clickers. The most notable physical traits that define the Stalkers are the distinct croaking noises they make, the beginning of fungal growths on the head and face with typically only one eye able to see, the development of pseudo echolocation, and their discretion upon spotting a victim at distance. They will strafe and take cover, eventually closing in on the victim, hence the name "Stalker". Up close, Stalkers are very aggressive and will charge directly at the victim. They have the strength of a fit human.
{/slide}
{slide=Clickers|center}
Clickers are the third and most distinctly recognized stage of the Infected. They have had prolonged exposure to the fungus, and now possess strength that significantly surpasses the average human. This makes them deadlier, but at the price of being completely blind due to fungal infection overtaking their face. However, Clickers are able to maneuver through areas by utilizing echolocation, which produces noticeable clicking/screeching noises to locate sources of sound.
Clickers appear less human than Runners and Stalkers, with faces that are completely skewed and scarred by fungus developed from their infected brains. The fungal plates have apparently adapted to keep the host/pathogen alive and able to spread, as a direct shot to the face with a powerful weapon such as a revolver will more often than not just break off a chunk of the mold, leaving the Clicker's brain unharmed but exposing the victim's face and rendering them able to see once again.
They are stronger and more intelligent than the others, and will actually examine their surroundings quite thoroughly for survivors after they are provoked.
When provoked, a Clicker will immediately enter into a "berserk mode," aggressively flailing its arms and 'roaring'. At this point, if a survivor has been "spotted" by a Clicker, the Clicker will attack head-on and will not flinch when shot, unless the survivor is using high-powered rounds.
{/slide}
{slide=Bloaters|center}
Bloaters are the fourth, final, and most dangerous stage of infection. Bloaters take the longest to develop, making them the rarest of the infected. They are covered in thick fungus that effectively doubles as armor plate. Due to this protective covering, they can withstand multiple hits from weapons like shotguns, hunting rifles, and even fire. Bloaters are extremely aggressive, but are rather slow-moving causing them to be more predictable than other infected. Like Clickers, Bloaters 'see' using echolocation to locate and trap a survivor. Because the fungus has completely deformed their face and blinded them, their echolocation is a lot less refined than the Clickers.
They are extremely strong and can kill with a single hit, so it is best to simply avoid them or stay very far away. Be careful, though, because they also throw sacks of Mycotoxin, a poisonous fungus. Often times they will recklessly throw the sacks around as though in the hope that at least one attempt will hit a survivor.
{/slide}
{slide=Dead|center}
Even after an infected individual has died, the fungus will continue to grow. By this point, the corpse becomes skeletal and brittle, and the fungus sticks the body to whatever surface it is on. The fungus will begin to emit spores from the body which will infect anyone that breathes them. To combat this, most survivors carry gas masks, although if the person is immune to the infection they have no need for one.
They are commonly found in places that are underground or wet such as sewers and basements. The Infected are able to sufficiently determine when they are injured and dying, and will seek out damp, dark places for the fungus to grow.
{/slide}
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FACTIONS:
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{slide=Fireflies|center}The
Fireflies are a revolutionary militia group. Their goal is the return of all branches of US government in the wake of military oppression, and are the only known group actively working towards a cure. After the death of Marlene, their leader, the group is suffering heavy losses in their battles against FEDRA, though are hanging on by the barest of slivers.
The group was founded after the infection broke out and the country went into martial law and set up various quarantine zones. They have stages attacks in several of those zones and have 'liberated' some, although the aftermath never usually went well; civilians are often just as scared of the Fireflies as they are of FEDRA.
The group is well trained and armed, though they often in attempts to keep a low profile dress light.{/slide}
{slide=FEDRA|center}The
Federal Disaster Response Agency (
FE.D.R.A.) is one of the last remnants of the pre-outbreak United States government, alongside the Department of Defense and possibly the Center for Disease Control. They took control of the armed forces and declared martial law after the outbreak. {/slide}
{slide=Hunters|center}The
Hunters are hostile survivors, sometimes the remnants of quarantine zones (Pittsburgh is one such zone), sometimes groups who have either left zones or have never been in a zone. They tend to shoot and kill any 'trespassers' or visitors to their self proclaimed territory in order to steal gear and food. In some cases, these hunter groups can be cannibals. The groups can be very large or quite small, and can contain women and children.
I have grouped hunters, bandits, and cannibals from the game into one category to make thigns easier.{/slide}
{slide=Survivors|center}There are friendly
survivor groups across the country that have made enclosed settlements for themselves and live in general peace. There are also survivors who live on their own or with a small group; some travel, some do not. Many groups will settle in out of the way places--a water treatment facility, a sewer, a hotel in an empty stretch of highway. Some will claim entire cities as their own and will heavily fortify them and lay traps for newcomers.
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MISCELLANEOUS:
Zones: There is a zone is just about every major city, though some have been disbanded/destroyed (some by the influence of the Fireflies). Many are militaristic, requiring the youth to enter into training and giving out strict rations.
Here you can find a list of known zones (but feel free to make some up). Some fictional zones established in the roleplay include Houston, and Corpus Christi.
Tech: The tech hasn't gotten any better since 2013, although a detector has been made to determine if a person, with a simple scan, has been infected or not. Those who are immune and have been bitten/infected will be detected as being infected.
Time: It's been 21.5 years since the outbreak.
