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Post by Tyamius, Shadow Lord on May 30, 2013 7:17:14 GMT
Hello! It's your friendly neighborhood Tyamius bringing you a bit of his nerdy goodness with a larp that I do. Now touch on the bases to get the general idea of what's about to go down read the section below. I actually go out once a month for a weekend or two and live in this world i'm about to take you to. Welcome to Dystopia Rising.
The Environment:
At least four generations have passed since the world as we know it fell apart. Mass media, government regulated education, mechanized production and international commerce were all but been abandoned many decades ago. The sky has been burned with the remnants of radioactive fallout and any rain that falls could bring poison to most living things.
Within a year of the first outbreak of the Zombie plague, most of humanity was disorganized and overrun. Turning on itself like a serpent swallowing its own tail, humanity could not survive as it was. Countries fell beneath the weight of their own undead while the teachers and daughters of yesterday shambled forward as the undead nemesis of tomorrow... The electromagnetic pulse of the nuclear option eradicated the digital tools of humanity, plunging the survivors into a new dark age.Small bands of humans were able to scratch out a basic existence, and survivors banded
together for shared safety. Communities formed, as small as a single family unit or as large
as a few blocks, fortified against the threats of the outside world. As life continued to force its way forward, the first generation of the living were born into the land of the dead.
Imagine this first generation, raised in a dangerous world. Literacy and arithmetic traded off for munitions handling and scavenging. Youth and a life of untroubled Saturday mornings exchanged for a horrifying existence of animated corpses and radioactive storm clouds. The first survivors were forged in fire, but those that were born into this world have never
known anything but the flame. Faced with a world they could not escape, they claimed it
instead, taking on new names and Strains and leaving much of the old world behind.
If the first generation born to the fallen world blazed a path, the second generation began to truly adapt to the world that was. The strong, the quick, the smart, and the capable survived while others fell. Societies began to grow as remnants of cultures were passed by word of mouth from the remaining survivors of the generation before. Ideals began to be pulled from the dumpsters and social guidelines were put together out of need for structure. Running, hiding, and surviving were no longer the only drives of society.
By the turn of the second generation, most of the ingenuity and creations of man were lost to the erosion of time and the relentless predation of the shambling horde. Roads began to
resemble black cobbled paths, structures becoming the skeletal remains of a forgotten land.
All that remained of the once proud culture of humanity were broken icons dotting a world aiming to both eradicate and consume the past. Swarms of the restless dead haunted the remains of the cities, and were drawn to the walls
put up by the living as if drawn by the smell of life itself.
Unrelenting to the passing of time, the risk of being consumed by the infection grew more and more. Small bands scavenged
and recovered supplies. Churches and towns were spawned, and mankind began to feed upon itself much in the same way the dead did. Slavery, raiding camps, and cannibalism became part of the reality of this second generation as those that tried to hold onto a sense of humanity were besieged on all sides.
Now at least four generations have passed since the Fall of Mankind, and you and your ilk are born into a dangerous age. Society has just begun to be born again in this dark age of man. The starving dead hunt the land, the virus mutated a thousand different ways since the time of the Fall, bands of the morally depraved hunt societies looking to take supplies and slaves, and all the while the world changes and becomes wild once again.
The story you are going to be a part of is focused on a single town or settlement in this post-apocalyptic world. You, as a survivor, have to find your place within the culture and society that is the town.
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Now if I here enough positive feedback after posting this I will post the rest of the content and finish writing up Blackclaw Cliffs aka the town you will be in. I would provide chances to hop on caravans and go to other towns like the ones that exist in the games I go to and I'm using existing pcs as people you owuld meet. Meaning what happens June 7-9th could very well effect your game if someone were to die or a bomb were to go off in New Havyn at the end of June.
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Post by Tyamius, Shadow Lord on May 30, 2013 8:22:22 GMT
Oh you wanna know the strains? Humanity isn't humans anymore buddy.
Baywalkers- Boston people who lived in the flooded city
Yorkers- folks from old York who got out before the explosion
Semper morts- vampire esqeu people who mutated after waking up from cryostasis
Rovers- people who stick to riding caravans
Vegasians- people who's rule number one is self preservation, they'd sell there own mother for a quick buck
Muhricans- think Texas rednecks
Lasarians- underground vault dwellers who hate the sun and are willing to cannibalize a corpse of it means fresh food
Remnants- people who don't fit into any other strain or have mutated from another strain
Retrogrades- over irradiated people who look similar to zombies
Full dead- those who's mind is part of the grave mind but they still are semicoherant and not alive but not dead
Natural ones- people who went back into the wild and live without what little tech we have.
A few more I can't remember and don't have my book withen reach.
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Post by Tyamius, Shadow Lord on May 30, 2013 16:43:34 GMT
Alright, I feel i got a decent amount of positive feedback so i'm gonna start up the sign up. I am removing a few strains from being playable due to I have yet to see any of them and the way they are supposed to be played would get you killed by townspeople and other players fairly easily. These strains are Full Dead and Genjian.
Name:
Age:
Strain of Humanity:
The Strains of Humanity-
Bay Walkers:
Citizens of the remains of an old city, Bay Walkers are smart and serious, highly specialized to the area where they were raised. The dead city they come from was spared the nuclear holocaust that engulfed Old York and other major population centers on the eastern coast… but when fire came to other cities, the waters rose in Boston.
In the Bay, the legions of Shamblers that threaten most areas are significantly lessened for them – slowed by the risen waters. Instead, the Bay Walkers are constantly tested by the more specialized forms of the undead, far more prevalent here than anywhere else for unknown reasons. From packs of Hunters lurking in the shadows to the numberless Sleepers waiting just inches beneath the marshy streets, most adult Bay Walkers have survived by scavenging and building lives while being hunted, stalked, and harried by the worst of the worst… and learning to do the same without hesitation. This leaves many of this Strain understandably dry, though not entirely humorless.
Their clothing is typically practical and sturdy, favoring subdued shades like browns and blacks, along with many, many pockets and pouches to contain whatever scrap and scavenge comes along
Bay Walkers are very organized and often educated people. Calm and serious, they have a strong trust in rules and government, needing such discipline to survive the terrors of their dead city.
Advantages:
Fast Learner- Bay Walkers learn from their mistakes quickly, and are quick to wrap their minds around foreign concepts and new ideas. Learning a new Skill or Profession takes only half the time for a Bay Walker. Moreover, they understand how to impart their knowledge most efficiently, a serious advantage when both time and lives are on the line.
Old Wounds- A Yorker can never refuse a challenge from a Bay Walker
Disadvantages:
Toxic Shock- With past generations having avoided the brunt of the radiation and surging waste common to many other locations, Bay Walkers just don’t have the resistance of other survivors when it comes to nasty toxins and crippling poisons.
Tale of Two Cities- Bay Walkers don’t get along with Yorkers (“Disorganized beatsticks”), and Yorkers don’t get along with Bay Walkers (“Arrogant know-it-all pricks”).
Too Clever- Bay Walkers can never take the Professions Sawbones, Primitive, or Thug.
Iron Slaves:
The Iron Slaves did not have a solid root as a people before the world fell apart; instead, they are a shining example of how the human condition continues to evolve in these modern, radioactive times. New to this generation, these unfortunate people were born into forced servitude, children and great grandchildren of slaves. Considered legal property in many industrial zones, Iron Slaves are some of the most prized targets of Slavers.
Iron Slaves are strong people, capable of working many days without sleep. To aid them in the dark mines and long hours that they work, the Iron Slaves rapidly evolved a red bioluminescence that radiates from deep within their flesh. Once an Iron Slave survives to thirteen years, the red glow begins to shine beneath their skin and sinew. This red glow, which is strongest around the neck, legs, and hands, is a mark of pride for Iron Slaves, as it shows how they have become stronger despite the cruelty of others.
Carried as a story of pride and perseverance, each Iron Slave knows how they came to freedom. Be they tales of planned escapes, fortunate opportunities, or even rare moments of compassion, the Iron Slaves have etched every moment of their liberation into their minds. Determined to never be enslaved again, the Iron Slaves find that there is indeed a fate worse than death… and that is slavery.
Hardened by the fires they tended, strengthened by the labor they performed, and driven by the inhumanities they have suffered, the Iron Slaves are monuments of strength. While seldom trained to be artisans themselves, Iron Slaves find that they are very useful in regards to those who do crafting wok. Able bodied assistants, strong laborers, and fantastic helpers – Iron Slaves learn that the very aspects of them that make people covet them as slaves are the same traits that make them highly desirable as employees to craftsmen.
All Iron Slaves have scars, brands, and property tattoos in visible locations on their body that mark them as property somewhere. Iron Slaves tend to dress in heavy clothing, preferring styles that are utilitarian and also allow them to be inconspicuous – as much as they can be, anyway.
Advantages:
Able Helper- Iron Slave's are accustomed to hard work, they may help any Tinker, Brewer, or Engineer finish crafting an item faster than what it would normally take.
Strong Back- Due to their roots Iron Slaves are much stronger than any of the other strains. Where anyone else could carry one person, an Iron Slave could carry two at the same pace.
Disadvantages:
Bioluminescence- Iron Slaves glow and are branded as property. Because of these unique aspects, Iron Slaves can never benefit from stealth abilities.
Humble Roots- Due to their past Iron Slaves can't start with the following professions but may gain them later. Caravan Driver, Distiller, Doctor,
Gambler, Hook-Up, Mad Scientist, Martial Artist, Psionicist*, Sniper, Spy, or Tinker.
*Psionicist is not a learnable profession and by that standing an Iron Slave may never be a Psionicist
Lascarian
When the world fell to pieces, those who would become the Lascarians found refuge in bomb shelters, subway tunnels, and lost cities beneath the surface of the earth. They survived on stocks of canned food, military grade rations, and any foodstuffs that could be scrounged … including the fallen.
Lascarian culture is a society of scavengers and survivors, able to find food and scrap in nearly any environment and at almost any cost. The weak are culled and left behind, while the strong are fed and cared for. Natural selection has become more than a reality for the Lascarians – it is also a way of life.
In the brutal world beneath the surface, the Lascarians became sure of foot and strong of body, a necessity in the savage, lightless tunnels. Higher education has atrophied, replaced by a reliance on the simple realities of logistics and raw survival instincts.
Now Lascarians send squads of scavengers out to gather supplies and bring them back to the waiting families beneath the surface. For each Lascarian you see above the surface, you can be sure that half a dozen wait beneath who will never see the light of day, waiting for the shipments from the strong scouts that were sent out.
Lascarian culture is primitive, throwing away high culture and social structures in exchange for savage minimalism. Weapons, food, armor, and medicine are all that interest a Lascarian.
Lascarians are modern primitives in every sense of the word. They dress in dark colors, favoring ripped leathers and ragged clothes pieced together from scraps with no regard to ‘modern’ fashion, often in numerous piecemeal layers that only form an outfit when combined. It is unusual for a Lascarian to show much skin in any event, even during the summer months, and dark glasses or goggles are a must for their surface trips, as well as hoods, cowls or broad-brimmed hats to help keep off the hated sun.
Advantages:
Cannibalism: Natural Selection, only the strong survive in this world and Lascarians know this all to well. If a comrade or enemy were to fall in battle, a hungry Lascarian would not refuse a bite to eat to get back some of their lost strength.
Disadvantages:
Low Light Sensitivity- Lascarians are raised in dark underground areas, and because of
that, 100% skin cover is required to avoid this effect, even during
overcast days, and dark glasses or goggles are required or they would not be able to truly focus on the task ahead of them.
Savage Culture- Lascarians are banned from ever having the following Professions: Charlatan, Entertainer, Gambler, Hook-Up, Merchant, Officer, Politician, Ring Leader.
Mericans
Many things were destroyed when the world broke apart. Society, culture, and education fell to pieces. As a rule, only those who were strong, smart, and lucky were able to adapt and move forward after the fall of society. However, some folks were just too damned stubborn to die.
When the apocalypse happened, some people were so pigheaded about giving up how life was that they outright refused. Not willing to give up their homes, their beer, and their sports teams, these people dug in and took the apocalypse on the chin. Stalwart or not, the apocalypse killed the vast majority of these stubborn people; however, some survived by sheer dumb luck and dogged determination.
Holding on to values handed down by that first determined generation, a pride in a country that doesn’t exist anymore, and buckets of gumption... the Mericans were forged. Not the best educated of people, and without a doubt not the most spiritually minded, this wellmeaning Strain nevertheless views itself as the bastion of hope for the future. Shotgun in one hand, a beer in the other, and an eye on the neighbor’s daughter, the Mericans look to redefine their fallen nation.
While stronger and built tougher than most Strains, the Mericans have an issue in regards to the zombie virus. Many scientists believe that sometime in this Strain's history there was a failed anti-virus called “high fructose corn syrup”. This substance, as well as the many other strange chemicals in a Merican’s body, results in most Mericans succumbing to the virus and joining the undead faster than other Strains. Merican zombies never progress beyond the incubation phase of the infection process, and the widespread Merican culture explains the sheer number of zombies in the shambling horde.
Mericans come from all over what was considered the pre-Fall American continent. While heartland Mericans lean towards the tradition of cowboy hats and quick guns, it is not uncommon for far south Mericans to be confused with Natural Ones. To the north, Mericans tend to lean more towards hearty jobs like being a lumberjack while on the eastern and western coasts the Merican is often found working hard in foundries and forges.
MERICA! Love it or get run down. Merican men and women love blue jeans, cowboy hats, ironic t-shirts (whether or not they get it), tall boots, big belt buckles, and gun belts with lots of firearms. Social animals in every sense of the term, Mericans are never more than a few paces from a bottle or someone attractive to share it with. They have a natural distrust of authority, especially if it isn’t another Merican in charge, and tend to mock anyone in elegant or fancy attire, accusing them of “puttin’ on airs” and such. Well, most fancy attire with the noted exception of hats. All Mericans respect a properly impressive hat, though they will often bother other strains about “getting it right” by adding eagle feathers, playing cards, bullets, written slogans, ironic buttons and other outlandish and showy adornments.
Advantages:
Merican Mob- Mericans tend to group up and drink in unruly numbers, coming from far and wide to join in the festivities. If a group of at least 10 Mericans is gathered and drinking they all begin to regenerate from recent injuries, like some kinda magic from the Great Saint George Bush and his Blue Seals.
(If you want an explanation on the last line PM me, its to offensive to post openly to the board and I warn you it can seem racist as all hell. but remember, history has been passed by word of mouth and they don't know better.)
Disadvantages:
Social Pariah: Mericans can never tell when they are interrupting or intruding on a private social situation, unless it is specifically pointed out to them. This does not mean they are deliberately rude – though they certainly can be! – just that they have no natural ability to tell when they’re not wanted, at least not until they’re told. Thus even well-intentioned Mericans often find themselves offending others by offering advice when none is desired, approaching people who obviously want to be left alone, or speaking up at a gathering where they’re clearly an outsider.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAW!!!- Lacking subtlety, Mericans can never have the professions of Martial Artist or Spy.
Nation of Accensor:
When everything came crashing down, some people looked to the military or the government for safety. Others banded together and trusted each other, doing whatever it took to survive. A few, who saw this as the long-prophesied end of the world, threw themselves into the arms of their faith.
For some, this meant death at the hands of the creatures that came with the apocalypse. For others, this meant that they at least found peace when the bombs began to fall. For a small group, however, it provided true sanctuary. Sanctuary from the restless dead, sanctuary from the beasts of the fallen earth, and sanctuary from the world that was falling around them. And when the ash began to settle, they found themselves changed by being spared.
Those who found themselves shielded by their faith were able to tap into something within the human mind – or soul, as some would argue – that was not awakened before. The mind of those of the Nation is keen, and they find genuine pleasure in testing themselves and bringing aid to those who need it. As time passed, members of the Nation took on a more iconic appearance. Their clothes, armor, and tools are very personalized, often made by the person that wields them and designed to match the owner’s personal habits.
Deep within those of the Nation is strength and a desire to do what is right, regardless of what challenges are placed in front of them. Some continue to fight because of those challenges; others feel they can achieve redemption by bringing the acts of good into a godless land. This higher cause and purpose often causes Templars to travel alone since they cannot abide those who do not follow their strict moral codes. While those of the Nation will aid any who ask for it, they cannot long travel with those who do not share their desire for selfless betterment.
Members of the Nation of Accensor dress in utilitarian clothes – often with a religious theme or ornamentation – follow strict moral codes, and aim for the greater good at all times. As they progress along their path, their deep connection with their faith causes gradually lose their connection with ordinary people, and they slowly become more alien in both thought and appearance.
Advantages:
Meditation- Accensorites are so connected to their faiths that by simply meditating for half an hour they can begin to heal their wounds and regain the power of the mind they have used in the previous hours.
Blessed Life- Accensorites may come into the game baptized into one of the major religious faiths of the game, PM me about this if you would like to come in as an accensorite with this perk. If you choose not to come in baptized your meditation takes one hour instead of half an hour.
Disadvantages:
Code of Ethics- Each Accensor has a strict moral code that they adhere to unwaveringly, and find themselves alienated by those who do not follow their zeal. Many Accensor base their moral code on the tenets of their faith. Accensorites who abandon their tenets lose access to their Strain Advantages until they atone.
First in, Last out- Regardless of their individual beliefs, members of the Nation of Accensor always put the well-being of others of their faith above their own. An Accensorite cannot tend to their own wounds until all other injured members of their own faith that are present are taken care of.
Natural Ones:
Some wise men say that the fall of man was the fault of the mad, unrestrained hand of “science” and “progress.” As the bombs fell and the hordes came, shattering the landscape and destroying the world as it once was, there were those who took that wisdom to heart. They went back to the basics, living off the land and finding oneness with the earth.
These nomadic peoples survived by retreating to the deep wilderness and wide open plains, forming tight communities, gangs, mottles and troupes to survive together in an unforgiving and forever changed world. Choosing a personal style of fighting from adolescence onward, they lived by the blade instead of the gun, never wasting what precious few resources they could still find. The Natural Ones found that they could live a simpler life (many would say an easier life,) unfettered by the need for fanciful technologies of the past and meaningless luxuries.
The Natural Ones developed a bond with the earth, and each other. It was only a matter of time before tribes would meet on regular intervals of the seasons. These gatherings bring the wandering tribes together, to trade, matchmake, and test themselves against one another and the elements in celebration of their survival as a whole.
The Natural Ones are a pragmatic people, and might makes right by nature’s law. What cannot be settled peacefully is settled in ceremonial combat, overseen by tribal elders and leaders. In the spring of each year, the ceremonial combat takes a different tone, serving as both celebration and a system by which new leaders, champions and suitors are chosen amongst the warriors of the tribes. Through the massive three day feast, participants duel for glory and prestige, with the outcomes affecting the future of the tribes, as new bonds are forged, new leaders chosen, and the strong given a chance to rise.
All Natural Ones must have a prominent tribal society mark, including but not limited to such elements as prominent tattoos, scarification, body paint, use of particular colors, clothing styles, trophies, etc. It is also very common for tribal members to display unique accents, slang terminology, or religious views as further means of establishing their identity. Tribal society marks are not subtle at all, by design – they are intended to clearly identify an individual as part of a greater whole, and are a source of great pride to members. Insulting a tribal society mark is a fast way to earn a dire enemy, if not immediately result in drawn blood.
Apart from their marks, Natural Ones tend to favor simple, primitive clothing and adornments, with rough but durable furs and leathers being common, and rarely carry items that don’t have a practical use. While they can wear more modern clothing and equipment, they favor utilitarian pieces, and often do so in a distinctly primitive style – draping a jersey like a toga, for example – or completely transform it with primitive elements like paint, trophies, knotwork and beading. In addition, Natural Ones adhere to the spring high holiday every year, regardless of where they are. In societies where not many Natural Ones are around, prominent warriors of other strains are invited as guests at a Natural One’s table.
Advantages:
Natural Aim- Due to training from youth Natural Ones do more damage with melee weapons, bows, and javelins.
Disadvantages:
Shun the boomstick- Anytime a natural one would learn a skill requiring a gun it takes them double the time to learn that skill.
Xenophobic: Anyone not of your tribal structure, even if they are other Natural Ones from different societies, is treated with a degree of distrust.
Backwards- Natural Ones may not begin play with the Mad Scientist, Engineer or Gun Slinger professions, though they may acquire them later during play.
And taking a break be back tonight to wrap it up.
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