Zombie Outbreak anyone? [RECRUITING AND BEGINNING]

[madlilnerd]

Okay... it's a common fact that I have RSI in both wrists from extended periods of playing house of the dead games in arcades (I completed no.4! Totally anticlimatic ending). My favourite book is the zombie survival handbook (although, I have dangerously misplaced my copy). I've been watching my brother play Resident Evil games on and off for 3 days.

Does anyone else share my passion for the shambling undead we call zombies?

I was thinking of starting a role play about a zombie outbreak, beginning as the first few begin to rise and take over the city, and then progressing through to later days of survival in the wilderness etc.

I guess characters would have to all be human... because a zombie post would go like this:

[Tuvok8917]

Well, it could be interesting. I like Zombies and other scary things, so i'm willin to join....

[madlilnerd]

Okay! I've been doing some thinking about this...

I've decided that the outbreak will start in a large town in England.
I decided on England simply because you can't just say:

*Herbert grabbed the AK-47 his dad had given him for christmas and blew all the zombies away.*

Or

*It was okay, she always kept a pistol in her coat pocket*

Because the gun laws are a lot tighter here. In fact, I think the only guns a civilian can keep legally are:
-a shotgun (used by farmers mainly)
-a BB gun (every 12 year old round my way has one)
-an air rifle
-any gun of which the ammo is not readily available, such as a musket, blunderbus or other gun from the past.
-a starting pistol (made for use with blanks, but you can tinker them to fit bullets. That is, if you can find bullets)

The only way a character could get any other gun would be for them to be in the full time army, tactical army (they only work 30 something days a year), in special branches of the police or as a gun trafficer.
IMO, this will make the role play more intense, because it's harder to destroy the undead (although in the Resident Evil movie, one of them was destroyed with the blunt force trauma caused by a paperweight.). People will most likely use hand to hand weapons, such as hatchets (weirdly enough, we have a hatchet under our sink at home).

Facts about the outbreak
- The virus that caused reanimation was transmitted via a toxic waste dump to a water body supplying an expensive brand of mineral water. The virus, when ingested, did not cause instant death and reanimation of the people, so the water was not taken off the shelves. The infected water is called L'eau de Pompenau, although it is actually bottled in south east england, not france.

-When those who had ingested the infected water did die- either through natural causes or accidents- their corpses reanimated 24 hours later. These first zombies began biting people, and the outbreak began

-It takes several hours for a bitten person to become a zombie. First, roughly 1 hour after coming into contact with the fully fledged virus (after being bitten), a fever will break out in the body. The person will lash about violently, in a lot of pain. Roughly 6 hours after being bitten, the victim will die. Another hour later, reanimation will begin. It takes roughly 2 hours more for the body to be fully reanimated.

-The virus can be transmitted by being bitten by a zombie (their saliva contains the virus, and the act of biting injects it into your bloodstream), sexually transmitted (remember, in the first hour after being infected, there are no symptoms) or by blood to blood contact (such as sharing dirty needles).

Facts about Zombies
- Zombies are not very agile. This is because the act of dying, and subsequent rigamortis, causes stiffness in corpses. And they are effectively corpses. They cannot climb ladders easily or run, but will crawl over obstacles to get to freash meat. However, if in close quarters with prey, they seem to be able to charge momentarily with speed, almost pouncing on people.
-Zombies will eat any meat, but prefer fresh human to any other.
-Zombies have well harnessed senses. They rely on not only their sight, but their hearing and smell too. Your average zombie can spot a lit cigarette from a mile away in the dark.
-They are attracted to loud noises, strange lights and anything else that might indicate the presence of food.
-The only way to destroy a zombie is by decapitation or brain trauma. Note that after decapitation, the head is still active and can bite.

Well, that's all I'm saying for now, I'll post more when someone else shows interest.

[tomparis]

I've always been a fan of the zombie thriller movies. I'd join it. One question. Does our character neccesarily (sp?) have to be British to be a soldier? I mean, could I be, for example, an American that is in the U.S Army and is in England for some reason?

[Lord Borg]

^That's not so far fetched.

It looks cool. Plus I am sure the underground could have weapons stashed.

[madlilnerd]

Both of those ideas are fine. Although the government over here doesn't want to admit it, a few of people here have weapons that we're not supposed to (such as machetes, knuckledusters, shotguns). People traffic guns and other weapons to ireland and then take them over on the ferry.

There could even be a group of people who were anticipating the outbreak, and had a stash.

Just remember, ammunition is a lot harder to get hold off.

I'll post more later (my computer is being v. annoying)

[madlilnerd]

Strangely enough... this is all very much like my hometown, Slough, with the biggest industrial estate in Europe, ICI paints and the mars factory... and of course, salt hill park....

Facts about the setting
-The role play is set in a large town (practically a city), called Slewton, in the south east of england, not all that far west from london, and no more than a 40 min drive to the airport.
- The backbone of the town is its industrial estate, being one of the largest in Europe and residing only 2 km from the centre of town. The industrial estate includes a paint factory, car manufacturers and a chocolate factory. Of course, the L'eau de Pompenau bottling plant also resides here.
- Housing is expensive here. The suburban houses sell for around �300,000. Apartments are the cheaper option, coming in at anywhere between �50,000 and �150,000. Many people live in shoddy houses and flats built by the council.
-A large park lies in the centre, just past the high street and its 2 shopping centres (The Kingsway Shopping Centre, and the Planetarium Shopping Centre). This park is called Pepper Hill Park.
-A large government research facilty, known as Zam-B-Tech used to lie roughly 1 km from the town centre, in a housing area. After protests from animal support groups, the research facilty closed down, dumping all of their toxic waste into the nearest resevoir, which just happened to feed the bottling plant. The research facilty now lies empty and dormant, unused by anyone except as the subject of dares by the local reckless teenagers.
-The nearest Army barracks are 6 km away in the neighbouring town of Vinsorham, where there is a castle where the royal family occassionally stay. Fortunately, the royals have taken an extended vacation to the canary island. Many of the soldiers take there leave in Slewton or have family there.


You can post character profiles now.
I'm all done annoying your brain with background information. I'll be posting mine later, once I've got a suitable picture.

[tomparis]

Two things. What do you want for the profiles, and second, am I restricted with my weapon. I do understand that I can't have anything crazy, such as a machine gun, but could I have an assault rifle? O.K, three things. Am I going to have a pretty good stash of ammo on me or available to me at a location, or even both?

[madlilnerd]

Profile should include at least:
Name
Occupation
Short bio

But can also include
Age
Family
Photograph
and anything else you think will help us to relate to your character.

It is VERY unlikely that a civilian would have an assault rifle, even a gun trafficer. They're a lot more difficult to smuggle. Stick with something compact, like an uzi or magnum, or the classic zombie dispersal unit, the good ol' shotgun.
You can have an assault rifle if you're in the army, but remember it's harder to carry this around on the street (for days after an outbreak has happened, the police may try and arrest anyone they see as a threat, and the governement will probably try to cover this whole ordeal up as a terrorist attack or similar). I guess you could carry one around if you were in uniform, and have the ammo on you.
You'd only be able to get ammo for such a gun from an army base or somewhere illegal. We don't stock bullets in regular shops here.

okay... my profile coming up...

Name: Stella "Revolver" Berlin
Occupation: crime scene photographer
Age: 24
Family: Parents, Sally and John live in Scotland. Brother, Ricky, lives in Vinsorham and is part of a notorius crime group.
Short Bio: Stella gained a degree in biochemistry, hoping to make it in the medical research industry. Until it closed 6 months ago, Revolver (as she likes to be referred to) worked in the infamous Zam-B-Tech labs, as part of a team developing the latest in preservatives and bio-chemical warfare. After its closure, she managed to secure a steady job as a crime scene photographer with the police and also enjoys amatuer photography in her spare time, although she misses the financial security and brain workout she recieved working at Zam-B-Tech.
She now lives on the 3rd floor of the Elmswood Apartment Block, just across the street from the abandoned labs and with a view of both the labs and the main road below her balcony.
Her hobbies include archery, botany and knitting.
Revolver's boyfriend, Private 678-349 Samuel Jacobs, resides and works on the army barracks in Vinsorham and she keeps a replica of his dogtags around her neck at all times.


"The Scarlot Harlot"- self portrait by Revolver Berlin
((It's a self portrait I did at my prom!))

[tomparis]

Name: Benjamin Thornberry
Occupation: Colonel, U.S. Army
Age: 32
Bio: Benjamin joined the U.S. military shortly after high school, and, shortly after earning the rank of colonel, was sent to oversee the defense of the American Embassy in London. Benjamin, instead of shipping back to America, decided to spend his leave in Britain, and opting to stay with his uncle, who lives near the park in Slewton. Benjamin, being slightly paranoid, opted to keep his pistol, an M-9 , his rifle, an M16A2, and extra rounds for both. Both weapons are in a locked box and kept in a closet.

[Tuvok8917]

Name: Arthur Hackle

Occupation: Butcher
Age: 51
Bio: Born in Manchester, his father and mother died after a car accident and Arthur was adopted by his Aunt in Slewton. When he reached the age of 35, Arthur's Aunt died and since she had no children, Arthur got all her stuff and her house. Arthur sold the stuff and decided to make a Butcher shop in his Aunt house. After renovations where made, Arthur started to sell top quality meat in Slewton. He became very known as "The Friendly Butcher", since he always serves his customers with a smile and always laugh. Although Arthur never married, he is happy with his way of life.

[madlilnerd]

Hey, should I start the role play here or have it moved to RPGs? (I've never started a role play before!)

[Lord Borg]

Start here, but I'd recomend making this the recruitment Topic, and starting a new topic for role playing.

[madlilnerd]

/\ are you joining or just bumming around?

If I start here, how do I stop people just posting their recruitment profiles in the middle of a RP?

[Lord Borg]

I dunno about joing I'm a mod of the area, so I was answering you, Usually people arent supposed to once you start, but this is a partial reason, why there are TWO topics, one for posting of bios and recruiting, and one for just RP'ing, if you want to start here, just simply tell people to PM the bios from now on

[madlilnerd]

Okay, thanks for your help.

Note to everyone: if you now want to join, you have to PM me your profile and I'll put it up.

The RP will commence from here on (although I might not be able to start it until friday)