Urban Dead (Restart)

[Shark Bait]

so i'm writing this with one hand cause rukia is twisting the other arm. guess this game will be the one to get me out of hiding me thinks you could use a chemist/explosives expert. i'll write something soon

[Charon]

John's got some knowledge on explosives as well, but his is more of the home-built pipebombs etc. None of that government mind-warping intellectual garbage, as he would call it.

[Dark Silver]

could use a explosives expert...or a chemist....or a doctor...

always lots of needs.....we're rebuilding a shining beacon of hope in a city swarming with the walkingg dead and other survivor groups who would as soon kill us and take what we have, as help.


Which by the by.....we have a good group forming...time to start discussing story. This is what made the last games work, everyone got some say in what the story ideas should be, and we worked them in - no one was in single control of the story (so it never got stale).

I propose the first game takes place shortly after the Irregular's retake the Caiger. The first arrivals, and the clearing of the "Safe Zone" around Caiger itself - basically everyone trying to find their niche back in the new "old" order.

Anyone else?

[Charon]

I do have a nagging question. Last time the Caiger eventually got attacked by a massive mob of Zeds. Why do we think this time will be any different?

[B4UTRUST]

Name: Dr. John E. Moreno
Profession: Necrotech geneticist
Age: 34
Appearance: 5'11" approx 160lbs. Strays towards the lean side with a wirey muscle build, a body developed by surviving in the undead city where food isn't always bountiful. Hair is dark brown and long and messy, usually worn pulled back into a loose ponytail and long overdue for a haircut.

Background:
Moreno was a prominent member of Necrotech's research and development department, working closely on the original "Z" virus. After the outbreak many of his comrades in science packed up and left town before the quarantine was initiated. They made claims that they were going to use the test data and research already preformed to try to work on a cure from the outside. He scoffed and chose to remain within the damned city.

John is a devout disciple who worships at the altar of science. He's driven in his goal of finding a permanent cure for the "Z" virus. A bit out there, he has a tendency to be very clinical in his views and treat too many things as a potential lab experiment just waiting to be preformed. He at times has been called a fanatic in his obsession with finding a cure. His obsession into the research is recorded in the journal entries he meticulously writes, each one carefully printed in tiny neat script with a entry number and pertinent data about test subjects, results, conclusions and hypotheses about further testing and research.

[Dark Silver]

we don't
-shrugs-

But the Caiger held out before for over a year before it fell finally, and it fell because people were more worried about getting out, than defending their home (can you blame them?).

It happened, sorta, the same way in the MMOG also. The Caiger was a impenetrable fortress and held out against massive Zombie hordes and prolonged sieges, until the players started abandoning it.


But they human players go back there. Because it's a symbol.

At the very least, it's a landmark. Infact, I intend that to be a plot point for many characters in the game, what makes us think the Caiger will survive better this time, than last. It's also part of the reason the Irregular's aren't focusing just on the Caiger as the sole base - the Latrobe Building, for one is being maintained as a base, as will others.

[Agent Fisher]

I remember when I played the MMOG, Caiger was this shining beacon that showed that the Zombies wouldn't automatically win. That we could hold out, be safe. It was safe to search the place, use up all your action points searching everything else around it, and being able to log out with no AP, knowing you didn't need to worry. In this game, where there is no escape, no relief, having this base where you could be safe from the zombies, safe from the other militias, safe from the griefers, Caiger would be the most important thing in our lives.

[frigidmagi]

Man up and come protect the civies.

You got it.

Name: Frigid
Age: 28
Eyes: Green
Hair: Shaven
Pre-Outbreak Occupation: Marine

History: Frigid was a United States Marine, who for unstated reasons had taken leave after yet another deployment to Iraq to Britain instead of going back to the states like most. It wasn't the best chose he ever made. He was lucky to hook up with Petro on the first day of the outbreak. Frigid quickly became an important combat asset, but expecting Petro and 2 or 3 others was utterly withdrawn on all levels. It didn't help he was one of the few sent on solo missions or acted at times as an improvto bodyguard/enforcer. If Darek was a hammer, Frigid was a knife in the dark. Frigid's most well known mission involved not destroying zombies but a face off with a sniper who had been killing forgers. The fact that Frigid had not only left the body (bringing back Petro the head and weapons as ordered) but had actually lured in zombies to feed on it as a last insult chilled a good number of folk. He refused evac, despite US government efforts to secure a transport for him and other US citizens.

Due to an eariler incident there is still some tension between Darek and Frigid, the two have put creating a safe haven above their petty issues however. Frigid follows orders but still stays withdrawn and seems to have some trust issues with old members of the 2nd unit.

OOC: Fisher if your boys and you were outside the damn city and you came back and saw the hell, why the fuck didn't you just turn around and leave?

[Squidgey]

A question.

How much heavy-fighting have you done? How many times have you tested the weight alone of an actual medieval weapon against the ritan mockups? I've done both, and I know damn well it'd never work.

Barring a metal spear head attached (except a few times when we actually had more then 1 suit of armour) our spears are made from a thick dowel roughly the dimensions of Dark Ages spears. I've not held a ratten spear before, nor a ratten sword. I've held and trained on both a Shinai and a Sword and you likely know this once you've trained on a sword a Shinai moves so fast it becomes increasingly dangerous due to the weight you've started to get accustomed to witha steel weapon.

Are you talking 2 handed or single handed spear? What do we know about this kid? We're in an age where a zombie virus has been engineered, who knows what else Necrotech were messing with. Could the kid actually be far more physically developed then his age depicts or could he be like that kid whose father and mother trained him as a weighlifter from when he was like 3 years old? You're making an assumption on how the spear is used, how developed Spear Kid is and just what he is using as a spear. 1 6ft single-handed spear gets heavy fast after you're fighting with it against other weapons users, but we can assume he is able to switch to using it 2 handed also. You could call it physically impossible but that's not the case, hard to manage but not impossible. In any case you're fighting zedfs that shamble towards you,a good hard jab in the head and bam, dropped. You have a good reach to be able to have a few shots before they hit you and if you are falling back also then wow, even better. Plausible character regardless.

Cheers,

Squidgey.

[Agent Fisher]

OOC: Fisher if your boys and you were outside the damn city and you came back and saw the hell, why the fuck didn't you just turn around and leave?

Family? Friends? Simply not realizing just how bad it was? But you do have a point, if you like, I'll tweak my history so they were inside the walls when the whole thing kicked off.

[Dark Silver]

Question B4 - is Monero affiliated with the Irregulars, or is he going to be one of the survivors filtering into the mall?

Right now, unless someone brings in other stories, the first thread will be revolving around the events following the retaking of the mall, the smattering of survivors either coming of their own accord, or being brought back to the Mall by the Irregulars.

FYI: None of your characters HAVE to join the Irregulars - there's other options. I'll leave it up to you all to figure out those options.

At current, the Irregular's number at about 30 survivors, of those, only about 6 are survivors or former members of the Irregular's (Silver, Russ, Zimmerman, Frigid, Decimus and Elise). The others either got out on the Copters with Melanie and Petro, scattered out into the city and joined up with other factions, are out there on their lonesome - or are Zombie chow.

Of those six "surviviring" members of the Irregulars, three were members of Petro's First (Elise, Frigid and Zimmerman), while the other three were members of the Second. There's actually a good reason Frigid distrusts most of the people from the Second - Every one of them, including Silver, became a Zombie at one point in time. They managed to get revived, but none of them came back without something changing for them.

So I guess I may as well detail that for ya'll....

Silver was became a Zombie when he left the Second for a solo mission to visit the grave site of his wife and child. He was cornered, and converted with a new strain of the mutating Zombie virus. He formed a Horde, and attacked the Caiger. The horde was repulsed, and Silver was saved byuse of the NecroTech syringes. Though the mutated virus wasn't completely washed out, only regressed. Coming back from being a Zombie made him more taciturn - gave him significantly enhanced strength and senses, and his eyes turned from blue, to a silver color with blue edges. For awhile, he was also mentally disturbed, as he kept hearing Zombie "voices" in his head. Eventually, he was cured when the virus was purged from his system thanks to Mike Freeman - a NecroTech scientist working for the Irregulars.

Leman Russ' return from the Undead gifted him with, like Silver, better strength than he had in life. There is no outside clues he was ever a Zombie - his flesh is hole, and his eyes remain the same color they were from before Infection. Though he now has a tick, the need to always chew on something, be it his inner cheek, or his tongue, or a piece of grass (similar to Punt).

Decimus returned from Zombie-hood with increased durability, able to take blows and block out pain almost exactly like a Zed. Unfortunately, he may have remained dead for to long, because Decimus seems to lack his own initiative - he'll do things that need to be done, and obey orders given, but he won't go out of his way to do anything extra - a massive change from the man he was before Undeath.

[Dark Silver]

This is just a list, to make sure I got everyone and their affiliations down. If I missed you, let me know please, and I'll fix it. Sharkbait hasn't made his character yet, but I'll update his spot when it is time.

So far, we have ten players. I'll make the first thread on Saturday. Every PLEASE feel free to submit ideas for future threads. The first thread will involve the events following the retaking of the Caiger (the arrival of the survivors, regathering supplies, and clearing out our fiefdom).

DarkSilver-
Darek Silver
Overall Commander - Librium Irregulars

Leman Russ
Second in Command - Librium Irregulars

Zimmerman
Executive Officer - Librium Irregulars


Rukia-
Melani Elise Philips aka 'Urchin'
Scout - Librium Irregulars

Isabelle “Izâ€

[B4UTRUST]

Submitting two other characters, just because I'm bored and think they'd be fun to toss into this little corner of Hell...

Name: Father Patrick O'Reilly
Age: 31
Appearance: Red hair and dark brown eyes, stands about 5'7" and weighs about 150lbs. Has a commanding prescense and booming voice, thick with an Irish accent.
Occupation: Priest/Religious zealot

History:
Once he proudly stood watch over his flock at St. Marcus, now he leads the remainder of his congregation in a war against the vile spawn of Hell that has flooded the streets. Armed with cross and shotgun he and the remnants of his group can be found shouting their damnations as they seek to cleanse the city of evil.

A bit off kilter he sees this nightmarish ordeal as a test of faith for he and his and he dares not stray from his percieved path of righteousness.


Name: James Montgomery
Age: 41
Appearance: Large in figure, he stands over 6'3" with close cropped brown hair.
Occupation: Engineer/Brewmaster

History:
James was trapped in Malton when the quarantine set in. He had been visiting family in the area and had been unable to escape. He's managed to survive by moving from group to group, offering his skills and expertise in exchange for supplies and protection. Known for his resourcefulness and Macguyver-esque creativity, he's managed to pull groups out of disaster at the last minute with his improvised creations, saving more than a few lives in the process.

[Agent Fisher]

An idea for the story would be dealing with hostile survivor groups and the moral dilemma of killing living humans and perhaps conflict with those in the group who do kill and those who refuse.

[Squidgey]

An idea for future story arcs - military supply crates stop falling into the city despite it being known survivors are still in the city and surviving as a whole. With no word from the outside world for several long months the Irregulars set off to establish communications with the outside world, maybe have to travel to one of the power plants so as they can get communications to other area's. One character makes contact with one of their friends in Borehamwood or Monroeville or possibly both and it is revealled that the zombie virus has spread beyond the quarantine zone and that malton is one of the few places where revivification syringes are available in any large numbers.

No idea where to go from there buit it does open up the way for arcing into other cities and beyond Malton.

[frigidmagi]

Squidgey I think it would easier for all of us if you just made the boy 2 or 3 years older.

[Dark Silver]

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the Caiger Mall?
  The Caiger Mall is a three level white stone and concrete shopping mall located on the border of Chudeyton and Darvall Heights suburbs in Malton City. The mall is expansive, having a 4^2 block footprint including parking lot and attached parking garage.
  
  Though not particularly standout, Caiger Mall is at least pleasing to the eye, with its beautiful white stone exterior and stylized frieze along the roof depicting the history of Malton. The mall from above resembles a flat-topped, angular kite shield, with a narrow point in the south (the main entrance) widening drastically to the main body of the mall towards the north. From the main entrance run three main avenues at 45-degree angles to each other, branching out until they meet the main body of the mall to the north (which on its own is much more similar to the familiar square design of most Malton malls). Escalators, stairwells and twin exposed-shaft elevators connect the ground level with two more shopping levels of similar design. The mall's somewhat minimalistic design draws the eye away from admiring the exterior and onward inside, where angles and lines rather than curves are the order of the day for interior decor. The mall's soft orange-and-cream paint job was chosen to relax the viewer and slide their eyes off of it, drawing them to the more brightly colored shops and plazas.
  
  Most stores in the mall have been gutted, and re-purposed to serve as housing for those survivors who take refuge within it. Some stores have been re-purposed for other, necessary functions (including medical areas, workshops or storage).
  
  The Mall's west wall is shared with a five story attached parking garage (entrance to and from the garage being on the third level) that remains enclosed except fourth and fifth levels, which are exposed to open air. Each level is connected by a pair of cement ramps, one for entrance, and one for exit. Post outbreak, the first floor stairwells and ramps have been demolished to prevent Zombie access to the mall via this route.
  
  The mall is blessed with a additional three basement levels, Accessible through a pair of steel doors on the first floor. Pre-Outbreak, these areas were utilized as administration and security offices, as well as on-site storage rooms for the various businesses in the mall, or in the case of the third sub-basement, a back-up generator and energy storage facility for the solar panels on the roof. Post Outbreak, the sub levels have become the Caiger's primary surgical ward and hospital - planning area for the Irregulars and militia, as well as storage for weapons, food, and other supplies either scavenged from the city, or obtained from NecroTech and Military supply drops, or grown by survivors in the outdoor gardens, or hydroponics greenhouse constructed on the roof.
  
  
  Interior of Caiger Mall Cira: 2004
  
  
  What is the Latrobe Building?
  The Latrobe Building is a NecroTech Inc building constructed on the eastern side of Caiger Mall. This facility is a five-above ground story building with minimal windows of reinforced tempered glass on the first two levels, with the subsequent three levels appearing with the classic "wall of glass" motif. The first level consist of a reception area with stairs and elevators leading either up, or down into the sub-basements. The front entrance is composed of 2" thick safety glass. There are two sub-levels below the lobby-floor, filled with multiple science labs. Computers here are active, due to power flowing from backup-generator complex below the building. The building, throughout most of the Outbreak, has remained secure, if abandoned. From the outside, there is no visible tell-tales that the Latrobe is a NecroTech facility.
  
  Recently, the Irregulars stumbled upon the Latrobe while looking for a suitable staging ground to lay siege upon the Zombies in the Caiger Mall. Necrotech Employee, and Militia member Jae Kimson identified the building, and was able to bring up the backup generator systems. The Irregular's have since fortified the building to suit their own purposes.
  
  What's up with the walking dead?
  As it stands, the Zombies walking Malton are of unknown origin. Most scientist and doctors left within the city consider the source to be a rapidly mutating viral or fungal agent (depending on who you ask), while former member of the First Irregulars and NecroTech Employee Micheal Freeman posited that the source of infection was a gene-therapy viral agent meant to increase cell regeneration and treat heavy - possibly even fatal - trauma in patients. Injecting the latest strain of the serum into a recently deceased corpse caused a mutation which brought the corpse to a semblance of life. Of course, seeing as the disease had been known about but labeled as MRSA by the unknowing, this has not been verified as the source of Infection and Outbreak.
  
  What is known that whatever is causing the recently deceased to walk, is at least supressable via NecroTech Serum syringes, but is also rapidly mutating between hosts. Affects on each "host" is different, leading to multiple types of Zombies - some are physically slow, dull witted and lack initiative, others retain some semblence of their previous life, or intellgence, others are capable of surprising feats of strength and speed. Mutations universal to the various "strains" of zombie include the growing of sharpened talons (which oddly revert with the successful application of the serum), and a change in eye and skin coloration, and the increased durability. Some of the Infected has shown the ability to heal from a direct headshot (granted, over the course of hours) - the only way to positively put down a Infected has been to burn the body. Some groups have taken to chopping up the "deceased" zombies they come across, scattering the body parts, and placing the heads on spikes if they cannot afford to burn the corpses at the time. This at least prevents the Zombie from becoming a threat again in the near future.
  
  Unfortunatly, due to the rapid mutation of the disease, the serum becomes less and less effective each passing day - until a new variation is created and air-lifted in during the supply drops. Also, the longer a person has been a Zombie, the less likely the serum will work in reversing the effects of infection.
  
  
  What supplies can we expect to find?
  Considering it has been two years since the Quarantine, most of the luxury supplies have been looted. While you may get lucky and find something which can be considered "exotic" to present day Malton (things like batteries for instance, or liquor or tobacco), it will not be a common occurrence.
  
  Out of the 15,000 survivors left in the city, over the past two years, it has been picked over pretty well. Luckily, Malton was built tightly packed, with storage warehouses and department and grocery stores near everywhere. Canned goods can still be found in some places, as well as the occassional weapon either discarded, missed while being picked over, or dropped in the rush from a horde of undead.
  
  Most supplies now adays come from air-drops provided by the NecroTech Company, or the Military who continue the Quarantine Zone. These always include only the basic supplies - dehydrated food and MRE's, water, survival radio, fuel and occasionally generators - never anything that can be considered luxury items. Due to the high amount of Zombies in comparison to survivors (15,000 humans v 450,000 Zombies) within the city, large portions of the city may remain undisturbed by humans, and some items may still be salvaged from it. This includes the area surrounding the two military bases (each a hot bed of Undead activity). For the most part, use common sense when trying to think of what you'd find or have found during your time in Malton.

Any other question, please feel free to ask, and I will provide answers to the best of my ability.

[Agent Fisher]

Squidgey, I have to echo Frigid's statement. Your current right now would have been ten years old when the outbreak occured. You're telling me a ten year old kid, who it seems is deaf, managed to survive for two years, in the dark, in the sewers of the city?

[Shark Bait]

Name: Craig Henderson
Age: 29
Eyes: brown
Hair: black
Pre outbreak profession: ATF agent specializing in explosives and chemical weapons

Appearance: A young man who looks like he should be lecturing a class full of college students about chemistry or working in a lab rather than flying around the world disarming bombs. He now wears combat boots, with two pairs of thick jeans tucked into them, a long sleeve shirt, and a motorcycle jacket and gloves all in an attempt to prevent bites.

History:
He earned a masters in chemistry before joining the ATF and specializing in disposal of home made and improvised explosives. Shortly before the outbreak he was working with British special forces to train troops in handling and disposing of several types of explosive ordinance. When the outbreak happened he and a team of soldiers were tasked with helping to seal the quarantine area by destroying bridges and lines of communication. However, once the communication lines had been cut extraction was canceled and they were left to die the team was never informed of this though so they attempted to hold the extraction point as wave after wave of zombies eventually killed all of the other members of his team. He realized that he had to abandon the hope of extraction, and he ran from the extraction site and has remained on the run since then. Surviving by scavenging what he can, occasionally hunting stray animals, and making use of his extensive knowledge of chemistry, and house hold products to turn buildings and streets into incendiary deathtraps.

And because I was told it was a good idea I give you an alt as well

Name: Dr. Mark Fritz
Age: 42
Eyes: green
Hair: brown with a touch of grey

Appearance: A tall man with short cut hair and a few days stubble, wearing a thick leather jacket and tough pants.

History: Before the outbreak he owned his own veterinary practice he worked mostly with farm animals and larger mammals, since the zombies however he has had fewer animal patients and more humans he has tried to stay mobile following leads about pockets of survivors attempting to help as many people as possible.

[Dark Silver]

Oh incase it wasn't clear......

Everyone here is a bit of a GM....and you can post as needed for the story....just don't play someone else's charecter.

Feel free to advance things for the story concerning your character - if we need a big time jump, I'll make the jumps as needed.

good posts so far!

[Squidgey]

Squidgey, I have to echo Frigid's statement. Your current right now would have been ten years old when the outbreak occured. You're telling me a ten year old kid, who it seems is deaf, managed to survive for two years, in the dark, in the sewers of the city?

You've seen the movie Alien's right?

That said, if you all want me to I can up the age to 14 or 15.

And nice work on the background so far, this is gonna be an interesting writing experience for me, trying to convey it all whilst being mute...hmmm, will sort something.

Cheers,

Squidgey.

[frigidmagi]

You've seen the movie Alien's right?

Yeah and I hated Newt.

[Rukia]

Here is alt...

Name: Isabelle “Izâ€

[Squidgey]

I guess I'll be about 14 or so, though who can tell, Spear Kid seems feral...

[frigidmagi]

So what is SOP for new kids?