(Had the game already started? No problem. You can join any time. Just post your character sheet here so Venetia can verify it.)
THE PANDEMIC - INFO/SIGN UP
a story of surviving the WWII Zombie Apocalypse
BACKGROUND
It is July 15th, 1944.
In the United States, a scrappy and polio-ridden Franklin Roosevelt is quickly edging out the competition in his electoral race for President against Thomas Dewey. Ever-witty Winston Churchill remains Prime Minister of England, while Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Japan, is seriously contemplating his withdrawal from office. Fascist Benito Mussolini is ailing, yet subserviently heading the Nazi-mandated Italian Social Republic. Europe is war-torn by WWII. The streets of cities such as Warsaw and Paris are deserted except for the constant droning boom of exploding shells. The water runs red, the skies loom grey, and Hitler seems all too adroit at dodging assassination attempts.
Meanwhile, in an [obviously fictional] Italian city named Ortense (pronounced "Or-ten-seh") …
A little girl named Maria carries a warped water jug to a babbling river, which runs alongside her family's mill. The entire city had been cleared of jews by the occupying nazis several years ago, but her family had successfully hidden away two of them: a young couple originally from Poland. Maria had to visit the brook several times a day to fetch water for her family and their guests, as most passersby or onlookers would not question why a quiet girl of eight was meandering to and fro incessantly. As she stoops down to scoop up her quarry, she notices a strange huddle of people and carriages at some distance upstream. She could not read yet, but it's easy to identify the emblems emblazoned on the sides of the coaches: swastikas. Whatever the fascismo were doing was happening at the source from which most of Ortense drew its drinking water.
However, being an eight year old girl, Maria takes little time to question the light, strange odor emanating from the water, and returns to her home to share the jug amongst her thirsty family.
The next day, all five Italians and the two Jews awake with a terrible illness. Their skin has gone pallid and sticky, their throats are dry, their eyes, bloodshot. Simply moving about is a chore. They soon find that most of Ortense is feeling very much the same way. Infants and the infirm begin dying as early as that very evening. The Polish jews staying in Maria's home, worried about their remaining time, send a letter filled with kisses and farewells off to their family in Greece. Four days later, three-quarters of Ortense have passed away.
The plague spreads. It begins with the jews' letter in Greece. The grief-addled family hugs the letter to their chests to breathe in the sentiment. A week later, after touching and speaking to many, they are gone. It spreads out in a web fashion, afflicting any and all who come in contact with the diseased, or their corpses. People worldwide begin donning surgical masks in a futile attempt at staving off the killer disease. The war screeches to a halt, as many of the companies and their leaders begin to fall. And something is wrong with those who die: They don't remain dead. They rise again, with a primal urge for bloodlust unlike any has seen. Those who are immune often fall prey to those who were not. As people travel, so does the plague. As people try to flee, the plague follows them on the wind. It spreads like wildfire.
After three months, the world has fallen to its knees. The plague is given many names, but to most, it is called Hydra. The killer with many heads.
FACTS ABOUT THE PLAGUE
- After getting sick, a healthy adult can die within 2-3 days. Children and the infirm take significantly less.
- After dying of Hydra, it takes approx. 4 hours to become a zombie.
- Symptoms of the sickness include: pallid/clammy skin, visible vericose veins in face, bloodshot eyes, lethargy, coughing up blood, vomiting in general, diarrhea.
- Hydra zombies' abilities degrade with time. At first they can run/jump/etc. But as time wears on they become less and less able to get around, until they slow to a shamble.
- Hydra zombies are more interested in killing you than eating you. They will eat anything, from animals to paper to people. Whatever is organic and they can bite down on. They also eat each other if they are hungry enough. They will fight each other for a meal, too.
- You can make up as many nicknames as you want for Hydra.
- The Hydra strain does not affect anything but humans, monkies, and apes. Occasionally dogs, horses, and cats may become more violent/ferocious when infected, but it is not common.
- There are 2 Hydra strains: One is airborne, and one is carried by blood/saliva. If you are in the RP you are automatically immune to the airborne pathogen. You make the choice as to whether or not you're susceptible to the bloodborne one. Read at the bottom where you make stats.
- Hydra zombies can smell the plague on you. Their eyesight is poor but they will flock to noise. If you're not infected, and one smells you, or is hungry, look out.
- You "kill" a zombie (i.e. making it inert) by severing their brainstem or destroying their brain. All other actions will only stun/immobilize them.
HOW TO PLAY
Begin by starting off in one of the following places (map to follow later):
- You are holed up inside of a villa formerly belonging to the Russo family. It is a rural dairy farm on the outskirts of town. The Russo family had turned, but are now all dead and inert in the corner.
- You're inside of the Ortense General Hospital.
- You are stuck at the harbor, shacked up in one of the dilapidated houseboats.
UPDATE 2-26-10: If you're now new to the game, post your character sheet with a blank space for your starting point, and Venetia will make one for you based on the story.
In all 3 situations, your immediate vicinity is surrounded by zombies, but they are not aware of you yet.
Your character can be native Ortensian or from any country you wish. The language barriers are up to you. It has to make sense as to why your race would be in 1944 rural Italy, however. And it can't be any made-up shit.
You cannot leave Ortense. All other cities around are far more infested with zombies, and the seas are treacherous. Your goal is to survive in this Italian village.
If you are speaking in a language other than English, write brackets of what language before the speech. (i.e. [IN ITALIAN:]"Hello I'm Italian.") If your character can't understand certain languages then you must demonstrate that.
You are not Rambo. It is 1944 in a mostly unoccupied village. There are not many guns around, and if you find any, they are shoddy German hand-me-downs to the Fascismo, and will likely jam or will probably be out of ammunition. You can get lucky sometimes but don't run with it.
If you don't participate within a few weeks, you will be automatically assumed by the horde.
If your character dies, you have to make a new one. It's possible for your new character to run into a zombie version of your old one.
LIMITATIONS
You can be anything you want that would make sense in 1944 WWII rural Italy. You can be a roaming soldier, or a native farmer, a fascismo, a wanderer from other lands, etc.
If you are a soldier, polizia, or someone good with weapons, you are not allowed to be immune to bloodborne Hydra.
If you're non-trained in combat, you are allowed to be immune to bloodborne Hydra, but you cannot operate rifles without being taught in-game by a soldier, polizia, etc.
If you're a woman, you cannot be proficient in swinging blunt objects.
If you are a physician, you are automatically immune to everything. You can also save a bloodborne-infected person within 15 minutes of infection. You cannot wield any gun larger than a handgun.
If you give yourself a handicap, such as being elderly, or a broken leg, etc., you are automatically immune to everything, and can use any weapon proficiently. (It's assumed you have to be proficient to have survived this long with a handicap).
Your character cannot be under the age of 17 or over the age of 65.
If you're a native Italian, please god have an Italian name. Etcetera.
If you're not proficient in something you can still use it. You just will have a harder time with it, or consequences.
You can control other characters in a limited way. You cannot kill other player-characters but you can put them in harm's way or have them do simple actions or dialogues. Consult them in the OOC thread for agreements on these matters. Be mindful of their skills and limitations.
You can kill another player-character with yours only if you consult that player first in OOC and you both agree.
If your character only speaks one language, they are automatically good at using grenades. ONLY these characters and soldiers can effectively use grenades. This is for balance.
CITY MAP
The formerly militarized zones means that there may or may not be caches of weapons or ammunition in those places. You should also note that these and government buildings are the most dangerous areas as you're more likely to run into a soldier zombie (the most aggressive and the strongest zombies).
Farmlands are full of high grasses and weeds by now, so while it is a good hiding spot for you, it's a good one for zombies, too.
The ugly-drawn unfilled private business there in the center-north is a hostel. I forgot to label it.
GAMEPLAY UPDATE NOTICE 2-25-10
On the map, you will notice a hexagonal-shaped house.
This will now be referred to as Cappella di'Esagono, or Hexagon Chapel.
(yes i stole and edited the map off something i found on google)
a story of surviving the WWII Zombie Apocalypse
BACKGROUND
It is July 15th, 1944.
In the United States, a scrappy and polio-ridden Franklin Roosevelt is quickly edging out the competition in his electoral race for President against Thomas Dewey. Ever-witty Winston Churchill remains Prime Minister of England, while Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Japan, is seriously contemplating his withdrawal from office. Fascist Benito Mussolini is ailing, yet subserviently heading the Nazi-mandated Italian Social Republic. Europe is war-torn by WWII. The streets of cities such as Warsaw and Paris are deserted except for the constant droning boom of exploding shells. The water runs red, the skies loom grey, and Hitler seems all too adroit at dodging assassination attempts.
Meanwhile, in an [obviously fictional] Italian city named Ortense (pronounced "Or-ten-seh") …
A little girl named Maria carries a warped water jug to a babbling river, which runs alongside her family's mill. The entire city had been cleared of jews by the occupying nazis several years ago, but her family had successfully hidden away two of them: a young couple originally from Poland. Maria had to visit the brook several times a day to fetch water for her family and their guests, as most passersby or onlookers would not question why a quiet girl of eight was meandering to and fro incessantly. As she stoops down to scoop up her quarry, she notices a strange huddle of people and carriages at some distance upstream. She could not read yet, but it's easy to identify the emblems emblazoned on the sides of the coaches: swastikas. Whatever the fascismo were doing was happening at the source from which most of Ortense drew its drinking water.
However, being an eight year old girl, Maria takes little time to question the light, strange odor emanating from the water, and returns to her home to share the jug amongst her thirsty family.
The next day, all five Italians and the two Jews awake with a terrible illness. Their skin has gone pallid and sticky, their throats are dry, their eyes, bloodshot. Simply moving about is a chore. They soon find that most of Ortense is feeling very much the same way. Infants and the infirm begin dying as early as that very evening. The Polish jews staying in Maria's home, worried about their remaining time, send a letter filled with kisses and farewells off to their family in Greece. Four days later, three-quarters of Ortense have passed away.
The plague spreads. It begins with the jews' letter in Greece. The grief-addled family hugs the letter to their chests to breathe in the sentiment. A week later, after touching and speaking to many, they are gone. It spreads out in a web fashion, afflicting any and all who come in contact with the diseased, or their corpses. People worldwide begin donning surgical masks in a futile attempt at staving off the killer disease. The war screeches to a halt, as many of the companies and their leaders begin to fall. And something is wrong with those who die: They don't remain dead. They rise again, with a primal urge for bloodlust unlike any has seen. Those who are immune often fall prey to those who were not. As people travel, so does the plague. As people try to flee, the plague follows them on the wind. It spreads like wildfire.
After three months, the world has fallen to its knees. The plague is given many names, but to most, it is called Hydra. The killer with many heads.
FACTS ABOUT THE PLAGUE
- After getting sick, a healthy adult can die within 2-3 days. Children and the infirm take significantly less.
- After dying of Hydra, it takes approx. 4 hours to become a zombie.
- Symptoms of the sickness include: pallid/clammy skin, visible vericose veins in face, bloodshot eyes, lethargy, coughing up blood, vomiting in general, diarrhea.
- Hydra zombies' abilities degrade with time. At first they can run/jump/etc. But as time wears on they become less and less able to get around, until they slow to a shamble.
- Hydra zombies are more interested in killing you than eating you. They will eat anything, from animals to paper to people. Whatever is organic and they can bite down on. They also eat each other if they are hungry enough. They will fight each other for a meal, too.
- You can make up as many nicknames as you want for Hydra.
- The Hydra strain does not affect anything but humans, monkies, and apes. Occasionally dogs, horses, and cats may become more violent/ferocious when infected, but it is not common.
- There are 2 Hydra strains: One is airborne, and one is carried by blood/saliva. If you are in the RP you are automatically immune to the airborne pathogen. You make the choice as to whether or not you're susceptible to the bloodborne one. Read at the bottom where you make stats.
- Hydra zombies can smell the plague on you. Their eyesight is poor but they will flock to noise. If you're not infected, and one smells you, or is hungry, look out.
- You "kill" a zombie (i.e. making it inert) by severing their brainstem or destroying their brain. All other actions will only stun/immobilize them.
HOW TO PLAY
Begin by starting off in one of the following places (map to follow later):
- You're inside of the Ortense General Hospital.
- You are stuck at the harbor, shacked up in one of the dilapidated houseboats.
UPDATE 2-26-10: If you're now new to the game, post your character sheet with a blank space for your starting point, and Venetia will make one for you based on the story.
In all 3 situations, your immediate vicinity is surrounded by zombies, but they are not aware of you yet.
Your character can be native Ortensian or from any country you wish. The language barriers are up to you. It has to make sense as to why your race would be in 1944 rural Italy, however. And it can't be any made-up shit.
You cannot leave Ortense. All other cities around are far more infested with zombies, and the seas are treacherous. Your goal is to survive in this Italian village.
If you are speaking in a language other than English, write brackets of what language before the speech. (i.e. [IN ITALIAN:]"Hello I'm Italian.") If your character can't understand certain languages then you must demonstrate that.
You are not Rambo. It is 1944 in a mostly unoccupied village. There are not many guns around, and if you find any, they are shoddy German hand-me-downs to the Fascismo, and will likely jam or will probably be out of ammunition. You can get lucky sometimes but don't run with it.
If you don't participate within a few weeks, you will be automatically assumed by the horde.
If your character dies, you have to make a new one. It's possible for your new character to run into a zombie version of your old one.
LIMITATIONS
You can be anything you want that would make sense in 1944 WWII rural Italy. You can be a roaming soldier, or a native farmer, a fascismo, a wanderer from other lands, etc.
If you are a soldier, polizia, or someone good with weapons, you are not allowed to be immune to bloodborne Hydra.
If you're non-trained in combat, you are allowed to be immune to bloodborne Hydra, but you cannot operate rifles without being taught in-game by a soldier, polizia, etc.
If you're a woman, you cannot be proficient in swinging blunt objects.
If you are a physician, you are automatically immune to everything. You can also save a bloodborne-infected person within 15 minutes of infection. You cannot wield any gun larger than a handgun.
If you give yourself a handicap, such as being elderly, or a broken leg, etc., you are automatically immune to everything, and can use any weapon proficiently. (It's assumed you have to be proficient to have survived this long with a handicap).
Your character cannot be under the age of 17 or over the age of 65.
If you're a native Italian, please god have an Italian name. Etcetera.
If you're not proficient in something you can still use it. You just will have a harder time with it, or consequences.
You can control other characters in a limited way. You cannot kill other player-characters but you can put them in harm's way or have them do simple actions or dialogues. Consult them in the OOC thread for agreements on these matters. Be mindful of their skills and limitations.
You can kill another player-character with yours only if you consult that player first in OOC and you both agree.
If your character only speaks one language, they are automatically good at using grenades. ONLY these characters and soldiers can effectively use grenades. This is for balance.
CITY MAP
The formerly militarized zones means that there may or may not be caches of weapons or ammunition in those places. You should also note that these and government buildings are the most dangerous areas as you're more likely to run into a soldier zombie (the most aggressive and the strongest zombies).
Farmlands are full of high grasses and weeds by now, so while it is a good hiding spot for you, it's a good one for zombies, too.
The ugly-drawn unfilled private business there in the center-north is a hostel. I forgot to label it.
GAMEPLAY UPDATE NOTICE 2-25-10
On the map, you will notice a hexagonal-shaped house.
This will now be referred to as Cappella di'Esagono, or Hexagon Chapel.
(yes i stole and edited the map off something i found on google)
