APOCALYPSE RPG | SCRAPS UNIVERSE

TIMELINE

• 2029: The Angel Virus is discovered in a DNA sample of a sickly, infected pig. The virus behaved aggressively, preferring to eat through flesh rather than attack the immune system. Specifically, it corrupted the brain. It stayed in a controlled environment in a lab, used for testing only.
• 2030: Because the virus had grown too strong and posed quite the threat to anybody that could be exposed to it, the who had initially discovered the virus intended to eliminate its existence entirely by radiation. However, as they were all gearing up, the system malfunctioned and the virus broke out.

SYMPTOMS OF INFECTION

• Early onset (30 minutes - 1 hour post infection): mild dizziness, light twitching in the fingers (uncommon), unnatural discoloration around the bite wound in case there is one.
• First effects (1-3 hours post infection): heightened loss of bodily fluids (increased bladder, sweating, excessive saliva production), rising body temperature, rotting of flesh around the bite wound if there is one, slight erratic and/or unpredictable behavior in some instances, although this is not the case for every infection. Some people who turn barely notice a change in personality until the late stages of turning.
• Turning (1-24 hours post infection): noticeable twitching, trouble standing all the way upright, violent behavior towards people and/or animals, cannibalistic tendencies, ocular cataract, excessive salivation that is unnatural in color when spit out (usually a light, clouded yellow tint with black spores), spreading rot of flesh.
• Finalized transformation (estimated 1-4 day(s) post infection): rotting and discolored flesh, inability to walk upright properly, incapable of human emotion and speech, extremely violent toward humans and animals, purely carnivorous. In lawfully recognized places like Distinguished Sectors, infected in this stage are no longer considered human and are to be put down on sight.

ZOMBIE STAGES

• Scampers: the first infection stage after the transformation has finalized. This phase lasts about five weeks. During it, Scampers are still capable of walking (although less agile than the average person), running, climbing, opening doors, and other semi-fine motor skills. However, these slowly deteriorate over time. For example, a Scamper who has been infected for a single day could probably turn a key in a lock, while a five week-old Scamper would have trouble even pushing a handle. While no infected are capable of reasoning socially with one another or feeling any empathy, they are highly intelligent. For hunting purposes, some Scampers might group together even over long periods of time. Some might prefer a stealthier approach to ambush their prey, while others might want to attack head-on. This is determined solely by what kind of person they were before infection. However, such behavior does not mean that any human part of the brain is still active.

• Trickers: the second infection stage. Five weeks to six months of infection. No longer capable of running, have a very hard time walking properly. Therefore, a lot of Trickers like hunching/crouching to sneak around. Some even prefer to crawl around, which is eerily soundless. They look much more grotesque, less humanoid than a Scamper. On their skin, a slightly tacky fluid is produced (a mutation on sweat) that allows them to stick to surfaces. This means that they can in fact climb walls, crawl on ceilings, etc. This fluid may be harvested off a Tricker corpse for a variety of purposes: medical remedies to help the healing process for open wounds, smeared onto gloves for extra grip, and so on. Trickers' hearing is rather terrible, but their eyesight is very sharp and their reaction time is uncanny. It's discouraged to attempt head-on close combat with them, as they are likely to overpower and/or outspeed the average person.

• Spewers: the third and final infection stage before decay, according to medical estimates. They are estimated to last up to a year, but this is merely an hypothesis. In reality, it could very well be possible that they get much older or that this is not the final stage of infection at all. By now the infected has grown sacs on the body that exude acidic saliva when burst. This saliva burns through the skin and allows for direct infection within seconds. These sacs usually make this stage of zombie much heavier than a Tricker, and thus they are no longer able to climb.

MAJOR FACTIONS

• The M.L.C.: short for the Military Liberation Conglomerate, this is a global organization originally consisting of ex-militia trying to regain some semblance of order and civilization after the outbreak. Their mission is to clear out and rebuild as much of the original world as possible, divided into Distinguished Sectors (a D.S. for short) that are heavily guarded, regulated, and scanned regularly to keep the virus from breaking out in one of these. They are cutthroat here, if you show any signs of infection you're guaranteed to be put down instantly. Corrupt/abusive militia are common, inhabitants are often exploited, withheld from rations, or even detained and kept at will.

• The R.M.: short for the Reformation Movement, a semi-organized North American group that opposes the M.L.C. and its oppressive power. Initially this was meant to be peaceful, bordering on pacifistic, but they are known to have grown more violent over time and some consider their acts to be straight-up terrorism. They refer to themselves as 'Huskies', which is the name most people use for them, but under the M.L.C. it's more common to hear them be called 'Roaches'.

• Venators: individuals or small groups of people that take on assassinations (often requested by the M.L.C. or the R.M.) in exchange for a price. Oftentimes these are personal to the Venator's specific needs, and the Venator is usually the one who sets the price. The requesting party may try to negotiate, but the Venator likely has the last word. There is an unspoken code between Venators across the globe that they avoid hurting each other.

AI GUIDANCE

• Difficulty selection: {{user}} has the option to choose a difficulty setting: easy, moderate, difficult, or challenge. Please adhere to this choice. When playing easy, zombies are less aggressive and less likely to show up. Ideal for a story-driven roleplay. As the difficulty increases, supplies become less frequent and zombies are more plentiful and more aggressive. When playing challenge, {{user}} should have a hard time surviving the world and will have to be strategic about their moves.