State of Decay Apocalypse

There is a story, but we only know what is known to that world. We know what the characters learn, we don't get to see "behind the scenes."

A few weeks before the outbreak, people began dying. Car crashes, heart attacks, and other natural causes. Across the country, without anything in common with each other. Except, they all seem to have died from the same undiscovered virus or fungus. The cadavers had lethal amounts of an unknown biological material poisoning their bodies, though their causes of death seemed natural or accidental. By the time medical examiners were starting to link these cases, people were no longer just dying from it, but it was now bringing them back to life.

It seemed to happen everywhere at once at the same rate. Zombies began changing rapidly, new stains and physical forms branching out in days. No one knew how it changed so fast, and anyone close enough to study it were usually killed.

Militaries set up quarantines, but most were pulled back to protect the president and the capital - which fell. Without military command, units became rogue and self-interest. Red Talon, private mercenary companies, were sent in and abandoned around the time the military fell apart, likely being contracted through the US government to help keep things together while the rest of the armed forces failed or AWOL'd. CLEO supplies began distribution, with weaponry tailored specifically to combat zombies.

The last operating military force nuked the state capitol before returning to reclaim the US capitol. We now see 2 years into the outbreak as Networks, convoys, and enclaves have been reestablishing a society. The zombies haven't changed much since those first few weeks, but their blood has been.

Executive Security is a Private Military Contractor operating in the US before, during and after the zombie outbreak. They were heavily involved in containing the outbreak and assisted in evacuations throughout. Now they act in place of the military in most senses, sending out teams to clear hives and infestations, rallying with surviving groups and creating outreach, for a price. Red Talon operates in most American regions, where they dispatch mercenaries on specific missions like scouting the area, hunting Juggernauts, eliminating Infestations, scavenging for military-grade equipment, and even to trade with survivors. They operate in these areas often "recruiting" (obligating) members of wandering Enclaves to join their cause. Rarely they attack passing wanderers which are seen as a threat. They can sometimes be seen trying to contact other Red Talon operatives and planning operations to rescue stranded squads, often recruiting outsiders to go and help in these operations. Camp Eerie is a forced labor camp run by Red Talon during the events of State of Decay 2. The camp uses survivors who accepted Red Talon's offer for "protection" to constantly mine coal. After some point in the game, the player will receive a radio broadcast from a survivor at the camp warning every one listening to not trust Red Talon saying they should look for help elsewhere. This marks a low point for Red Talon in the propaganda war between them and The Network.

The Network is the other main group in the wasteland, establishing themselves as the more moral of the two factions. The beliefs of The Network are that of a community-support societal system, where individual communities aid each other, supposedly out of altruism. Their propagandists express religious views often, leading some survivors to believe that they are a makeshift religious order. While some are drawn to this, others are skeptical that The Network and its followers will survive. The Network is opposed to Red Talon, considering them tyrannical and shady, encouraging others to distrust them. Twain and other commentators frequently denounce Red Talon, and capitalize on events such as Camp Eerie to sow further distrust of the PMC. The Network also expresses distrust of the US government; Twain, the main representative of the group, believes that the government moved important people out of harm's way, leaving everyone else to their fate when the zombie outbreak started. Twain continues to express anti-establishment views, going as far as suggesting that the US military is responsible for starting the zombie outbreak.

Red Talon and The Network can be heard disparaging each other via radio broadcasts. Red Talon maintains that their mandate is to fight the undead, protect survivors, and attempt to restore the world to its former state. The Network gains a foothold in this "fight" after Camp Eerie is revealed putting Red Talon in a "bad light". Red Talon officers counter by stating that, while their methods are not always morally right, they are in fact helping. Red Talon will challenge the Network's beliefs, arguing that a world without law, order, or soldiers protecting people are no better than the current state of the apocalypse.

The remaining groups are often few and far between, consisting often no more than 3 to 5 members. Resources are somewhat plentiful, given the short order in which everything broke down. Survivors are often cold but not entirely unwelcoming of strangers, unsure of anyones potential motives. Bands are often comprised of skilled, collected and talented people such as ex-military or professionals in useful fields like medicine and food preparation/gardening.

The zombies are fast, extremely plentiful and come in a range of mutated forms. They hunt in packs up to 20 and sprint down any potential food. They hunt mostly by sound, having limited smell and vision capabilities. Infections are not guaranteed from standard infected, meaning scratches and even some bites might not prove lethal. The only way to put a zombie down permanently is with complete brainstem destruction. "Zeds" have decreased motor function, struggling with stairs, doors and completely unable to climb ladders.

Special infected: Ferals: Pack hunting mutated zombies that run on all fours at extreme speed. They're agile and powerful, known to recklessly leap onto oncoming vehicles to rip off their doors and tear at their occupants. They often work either alone or in packs of 3 alongside other zombies. Screamers: Armless and jawless, screamers are unable to attack and have been modified by their mutations to have increased air intake, allowing them to scream excessively to alert fellow zombies. Some screamers are known to projectile vomit acidic infectious goo at survivors who get to close. Bloaters: Horrific in smell, appearance and ability, bloaters have dissolved most of their internal tissue, maintaining a seal on the noxious gas combination inside their engorged stomachs. If shot or hit, they will explode, including if one happens to fall over. The only one to kill them without popping the stomach is with a headshot from any ranged weapon. Juggernauts: The tanks of the zombie world, their mutations have turned them into intimidating monsters. They now stand around 9 feet tall, and are built like elephants. They can shrug off nearly anything thrown at them, only being brought down by blood loss or overwhelming firepower. They weight nearly a ton, easily throwing around cars and only being staggered by being hit by a car. They are easily distracted, and move relatively slowly so survivors can get away from them with a little planning and coordination. Riot control and military: Some zombies did not receive mutation but are still cause for extra concern. Riot control zombies are armored head to two in protective gear, needing to be picked out of their suit to be finished off. Their protective visors end up protecting survivors, as they cannot bite. The case is similar with military zombies. They have protective helmets and face masks, but lack the protective body armor and can be dispatched easier.

Blood plague: An infectious disease that seems to be spreading from the zombies themselves, it turns their skin red, as their blood vessels pop beneath their skin. The disease is extremely deadly, once being transmitted to a survivor, it is only a matter of time before death without proper medical care. "Plague zeds" are often even more aggressive than their uninfected counterparts, failing at any sound they hear and running even faster to attack what they're after. They have distinctive, vibrant almost glowing bright red eyes that give them away even more than the crimson skin. Any touch from one, is often enough to spread the plague to a survivor. Plague hearts and walls: Plague hearts of clumps of biomass collected by plague zombies bringing prey and even sacrificing themselves to build up the pile. With enough bodies, the heart becomes sentient, spreading the Plague further and creating more plague zombies and filling the air with a thick, noxious gas that irritates the eyes nose and lungs. Plague walls are build ups of biomass that create hard barriers to survivors, often popping up relatively quickly around survivor camps who have been detected by a plague heart. Plague walls are invulnerable to fire, requiring bloater toxins to peel back their protective shells. Plague hearts on the other hand, have no shells and are easily dispatched with things like explosives or fire. Once attacked, plague hearts will scream and alert any nearby zombies that it is in danger.

Most vehicles are mostly destroyed beyond repair but some are still in working order. They will be heavily damaged from any hits with zombies however, and they will need to be maintained by groups that want to keep them working.

The location is Trumbull Valley, a small collection of towns near Mt. Rainier, Washington.

Mt. Tanner Part of the rough mountain ranges that form the Valley's northern border, Mt. Tanner is home to a national park and ranger station. It is a popular campground, known for its fishing and hunting. Few "modern" buildings exist in the area; only the Ranger Station, a gazebo, and a restroom building are part of the park complex. A small number of cabins, rented out by the park service, are scattered around the area.

Spencer's Mill Located in the northern part of the valley, Spencer's Mill is a small community on the edge of the northern mountains and woodlands. The town has few notable structures, although it is home to the Church of the Ascension and the Fork in the Road Diner. A gun store, veterinary clinic, and post office are also present in town, as is a Swine & Bovine restaurant. A large collection of houses and a trailer park are also present in town.

Marshall The Valley's main metropolitan center, Marshall is a large town straddling a river at the far southern end of the valley. Bordered by a river to its north and rugged mountains to the south, Marshall is nevertheless a significant town, with a main street any American town would be proud to have. The County Court House forms the seat of local government and is situated in east Marshall, next to a picturesque park along the river that divides the town.

East Marshall is largely commercial and residential property, while west Marshall is more industrial.

Fairfield Located across the river that forms the western border of the valley, Fairfield is the site of the Trumbull County Fairgrounds. Sparsely populated, Fairfield is largely flat and, apart from the fairgrounds, has no noteworthy landmarks.

Farmlands The center of the valley, surrounded by the loop road, is given over to farming. Sprawling fields cover the bulk of the valley floor, dotted by barns and farmhouses, with the occasional windmill nearby. Orchards are also found along the southern and southwestern edges of the valley.

Trumbull Valley Dam A large concrete dam, apparently of the double-wall construction type, is located very close to the town of Fairfield. A road, inaccessible until the endgame, runs along the top of the dam, but is blocked by a military barricade. The dam creates a sizable reservoir to the northeast, forming part of Fairfield's northwestern border. The large, metropolitan city of Danforth is visible from the dam.