This is a Young people-pocalypse as I like to call it, of the Shade's children, Between sort of vibe, with elements from The Last of Us, The Walking Dead etc: The modern world has ended and the only people left are young adults. The characters will have to learn new skills to adapt to the new world. While dealing with challenges from both the old and new worlds. There'll be tension, fear, hope and love, certainly being 18+, while also sticking to the guild's rules and guidelines. I intend on having this Rp take place with a general plotline. While at the same time have a sandbox feel to it. I'm going to allow participants to have extensive creative freedom, while at the same time insert events and situations over the course of the RP.
Timeline
The timeline is what the current in game date is. As the RP progresses, time jumps will have to take place to advance the various plots. Therefore the timeline offers a quick summary of events that have happened each step of the way.
The Ashing Pandemic has wiped out the greater majority of the human race. Leaving only small numbers of people left all over the world. Buren County has been quiet for a week now. There has been no news from the government and electricity is temperamental and blackouts are common.
Plot
Buren County is a quiet county. No more out of the ordinary than any other county in the US. The Baptiste river is the focal point of the towns and settlements of the county. First inhabited by bears, elk and other varied wildlife. Then the native americans, who learnt and roamed the trails all over the county, before the europeans and later americans molded the valley in their modern image. Away from the lights of Portland and the activity of the Willamette Valley, Buren is nestled into the mountains of Eastern Oregon, popular with vacationers looking for untapped wilderness and would-be residents looking for rural charm. 2016 was going to be no different, the summer tourist season was booming as it did every year and the festivals and farmers markets were packed as they always were. At least until people started dying.
A fungal infection was loose across the world. Starting slow and appearing in rare isolated cases. It was called the Ashing. The infection affected the internal organs, specifically the lungs but also the heart and other organs too. It's transmittion was mostly though close proximity to individuals breathe and bodily fluids. The Ashing effectively disintergrates your internal organs slowly, turning them into an ash like powder that can for a short time infect other individuals as they are coughed, vomited etc: out of the body. It's success had been put down to going unnoticed for so long that some people speculated that it started all they way back in 2015. Of course, it was too late now.
All over the world, the Ashing Pandemic wiped cities clean of people. Governments tried to contain the plague, but from the onset it was difficult to determine who was infected unti lit was too late. Soon the lacking numbers of people led to breakdowns of essential services and the worser side in people was shown with acts of violence. A phenomena was occuring though, if a person was in the age bracket between seventeen and twenty three, they had a significantly higher chance of resisting the effects of the Ashing to the point of immunity. Not every person in that age bracket could survive infection, but a significant amount did. They could care for their relatives and friends, then watch them all die.
Now, the world has quietened down. Somehow even Buren County is quieter than it was before. Houses have been abandoned or ransacked, some buildings have burnt down, others are filled with hazardous dead bodies. What people are left have started scavenging a living across the valley. There's been no news of the outside world since the electiricty went out. Just the occaisional lost soul trying to scratch a life out along the Baptiste River. What news is ever present is that summer is ending and fall prepares the valley before the grip of winter reaches the valley.
Baptiste River Valley, Buren County
Addisson Salt Mine - Salt has been mined from the Addisson's salt mine since the fifties, and has kept going since the Addisson's sold their mine in the nineties. The mine was closed for repair works in the early weeks of the Ashing pandemic and has remained closed ever since. Atherstone, Pop: 2,181 - The Town of Atherstone is the largest town on the Baptiste River and second only to New Leipzig in Buren County. Atherstone is the beating heart of the Baptiste Valley. Restaurants, bars, supermarkets, warehouses, hotels, a middle and a high school. All surrounded by sparse houses and suburbs. The main street is home to not only the valley's fire station but also a police station for the county sheriff. The town hall is the oldest building in the town, as it was the only one to survive the fire of 1909. Asisko Township, Pop 133 - Asisko Township is a relatively new settlement made up of a swelling of farms along the edge of the river. More of the area that makes up Asisko is farmland rather than actual residences. Asisko State Park - The Asisko State Park is made up of three camping sites tightly knit besides the river. Baptiste River - The ever flowing force that over thousands of years carved out the Baptiste Valley. The contemporary name comes from french fur trappers who discovered the river. Despite the name, it is known that native americans passed through and lived in the valley for many years before the first europeans. The river itself is a long river that tributaries from the Columbia river and down into Buren County. It is rich with salmon and trout at certain parts of the year and is home to kayakers, canoeists and fishermen respectively. The highway follows along the river, now and then crossing over the river. Bremner City, Pop 923 - Bremner City is the eastern most settlement of Buren county, some forty miles away. Bremner city is built along the shore of Bremner Lake, the body of water that the Baptiste finishes it's run. Bremner City is mainly known for it's aging population and even older whiskey distillery. Canteen Hills - The Canteen Hills denote the end of the Baptiste Valley. Protecting the valley from the thick forests and sparse farms and pastures between Baptiste valley and Bremner Lake. Connor Ridge - Connor Ridge is named after the american outlaw, Connor Dunbarr. Who hid on Connor Ridge for years before being tracked down and hanged in New Leipzig in 1899. The ridge itslef looks over the river and down onto Atherstone. Doumer Hills - The Doumer hills stretch along the southern edge of Elk valley for miles, covered in dense forests. Elk Valley - Elk Valley is a stretch of arable land, large sections of which is divided either by the state or by private farmers. Eye Patch Stables - The stables cater mostly to the tourists that stay in the campgrounds of the valley. Throughout the spring and summer, they organise horse riding lessons and rides up the trails up into the Karl Hills wilderness. The owners of the stables are believed dead, and most of the horses have somehow obtained free-reign of the farm and it's pastures. Fiber Hill -Sitting above McKinley Pass, Fiber hill is popular with UFO spotters. It's sparse tree cover and range of meadows, make for excellant spots for observers and abductees alike. Giscard Ridge -Giscard Ridge seperates Tardieu valley from Elk valley and New Kiev. It is noted amongst locals for being almost untouched for decades and perhaps centuries by forest fires. Ironically named after the french fur trapper, who was struck by lightening on the ridge and inadvertently prevented a fire. Halkirk Campsite - The campsite is privately owned by the Halkirk family for two decades, it rather optimistically stayed open throughout the Ashing pandemic. Though is still just as empty as it was then. Hansson Valley - Hansson Valley is where a lot of upper class houses of Atherstone are built. Mostly vacation homes of wealthy families from Portland and Seattle. Howser Farms - Howser Farms is one of many corporate farms owned by Jan and sons florists. The fields of Howser were filled with daffodils and tulips throughout the warmer months although harvest this year was postponed by the ashing pandemic. Marston Campgrounds - The Marston campgrounds are owned and run by the state parks service who also regulate the Vand Wilderness. The rangers and employees of the parks service had long abandoned the site almost as soon as the pandemic started dominating headlines. McKinley Pass, Pop 1,356 - McKinley Pass is the town at the eastern end of the Baptiste valley. It is the last major settlement before reaching Bremner City. It is home to an elementary school, some bars and restaurants along the highstreet. Unlike Atherstone however, the only government building in town is the post office and the community center. New Kiev, Pop 149 - New Kiev is a small township on the edge of Elk Valley, a very spread out settlement with a post office that was already abandoned before the pandemic was even a thing. New Leipzig, Pop 6,771 - New Leipzig is the seat of the county court and the most populated town in the county. Despite being over thirty miles away, New Leipzig is the center of the county government. The people of New Leipzig are mostly either in timber or farming industries. Although the town itself is close to the interstate and is where the recognisable brands and stores are probably going to be found. Revelstoke Quarry - The slate quarry of Revelstoke is a relatively new mine that was protested against throughout the nineties by locals and activists from across the state. It was abandoned a few months prior to the pandemic and was later used by CDC to deposit the early surcomers of the pandemic. Most of the bodies have been left out under the sun and has since been abandoned. The best clue to getting close to the quarry is the smell of the bodies and the sounds of scavenger birds. Skagway Commons - Skagway Commons is a lower class trailer park that has a reputation for until recently, illegal medicinal marijuana production. It was partly burnt down in a fight between residences and has since been abandoned. Silversson Golf and Country Club - A popular spot amongst the residences of New Bremner and Hansson Valley. The golf and country club was established to cater to more classier tastes of the elite of Buren County. It was one of the first spots in the Baptiste Valley to be looted. Sum River - The Sum river is more of a stream that pulls through Hansson valley and Atherstone to feed into the Baptiste River. Tango Estate Trailer Park - Tango Estate is a trailer that caters more for vacationers to the valley rather than for permanent residents. Tardieu Valley - Tardieu Valley is a thin valley between Giscard Ridge and the Vand Wilderness. It is mainly filled with small farms and pastures wedged between private residences. Tenakee Springs, Pop 108 - Tenakee Springs is a stretch of houses along the river that main features are the gas station and diner beside the highway. Most of the houses are middle class residences that pay more for the riverside properties than the convenient commute. Tenakee Springs was where the last murder occured in Baptiste Valley before the pandemic, in 2005. Vand Wilderness - The Vand wilderness is a large stretch of wilderness that dominates it's chunk of the valley. The hiking trails leave much to be desired and is a noted refuge for the many forms of oregon wildlife.
Characters
**Picture here if you want**
Physical description
What does your character look like that the picture can't tell us.
Age
Preferably between 17 and 23.
Occupation
We have one in some shape or form.
Background
Where has your character been and what have they done? How'd they end up in Baptiste Valley anyway?
Skills and Talents
We all have them, some more useful than others.
Weaknesses and Faults
We all have them, some not as bad as others though.
Personality
What's your character like?
NPCs
NPCs are characters not controlled by the players (except the GM) though are necessary for the various plots and sub-plots of the RP.
Name
Adam Davies
Physical description
Standing at 5'11", Adam Davies is a rather average young man. His hair is usually dishevelled, though he doesn't like going without a clean shaven face. His time as an athlete in high school and volunteering with his father meant that he has developed to be rather strong and a good runner. Looking at Adam Davies more closely, you'd spot his broken nose that he got in an accident when he was in middle school.
Age
19
Occupation
Student
Background
Adam is an Atherstone resident, born and bred. His parents worked for the emergency services, his mother was a deputy and his father was a firefighter. He went to the local high school, local middle school and local elementary school. He was on the track team and was generally popular with both students and staff throughout his schooling. It was also during his late teens that Adam started volunteering with his father in the fire station, accumulating more and more responsibility the older he got. Adam returned from university out west for the summer when the ashing pandemic started. Adam started helping at the Atherstone community centre, which had been set up as an emergency clinic in town. Generally helping maintain the clinic's equipment and helping move patients from around Baptiste Valley to the clinic. The clinic also allowed him to dive into work as his parents became patients and then passed on. Despite the dead starting to outnumber the living, Adam still kept working, until there was less than a handful of people left. Then Adam along with others just hung around the clinic, waiting for some sort of word from the government. If there is even one out there.
Skills and Talents
Athletic: Being on the track team and volunteering as a firefighter has given Adam high endurance and a lot of physical strength. Natural Leader: Adam can quickly grasp a situation and take control. Adam sees the best way to do this is to get people organised and plan out tasks to accomplish an objective. Firefighter: Volunteering with his father at the fire station has given Adam a good understanding of both man-made and natural fires. He has learnt skills and techniques utilised to stop fires of all sorts and has had practical experience with the forest fires that plague Oregon summers. He knows how to operate firefighting equipment, including Atherstone's small fire engine (really a pickup truck with a hose and tank on the back). Weaknesses and Faults Bossy: His instinct to take control of a situation can often put him at odds with people. Especially the sort who don't like to be bossed around or Laura Palmeresque: People who have grown up with Adam have noticed a few things about him. Stints of time where he'd not been around, suspiciously clean social media, mood swings. There's something off about this guy, people just aren't entirely sure what exactly. Some people have suspected drugs, others that he's got some weird fetishes. Though no one's really sure. ?: (The thing wrong about Adam Davies)
Personality
Adam Davies is just like most, if not any old teenager. At least the sort that normal parents like to have. Good grades, an athlete who's also creative and helpful. He's popular and well liked around town for a reason. He's grown up with most of the town and gets along well with most of them. Adam knows that he's well-liked and responds with even more kindness and helpfulness. If you could say anything bad about Adam Davies is that he does have his suspicious moments, and people who know him well, will say that he doesn't like people who don't participate and help out. Apart from that, Adam's just like any regular guy. Right?
Name
Beth Nilsson
Physical description
Beth is 5'9" in height. Though this is often accentuated by how she ties her hair up on day to day business. Beth has struck a careful balance when it comes to her figure, being athletic whilst also retaining a feminine telling to her. It's not uncommon to spot Beth Nilsson in a jumper and jeans.
Age
19
Occupation
Student
Background
Beth was born in New Leipzig along with her twin brother Greg Nilsson. They grew up in the more up market Hansson Valley though as their parents took up management jobs in businesses around the valley. Together they went to the same elementary school, however were split up into different classes. Beth grew up more socialised and outgoing than her brother. It was during high school that the two started really being driven apart. Beth was a popular girl at school, while Greg was ostracised and kept to a small group of friends, most from out of town. Beth joined the swimming team and excelled in her studies, eventually securing a scholarship in an Ivy league school. When Beth returned to Baptiste Valley for the summer, she yearned to re-connect with her brother, who hadn't gone to university and worked for their mother at the Silversson Golf and Country Club. She got what she wanted, like she usually did, though at the expense of losing her parents to the ashing pandemic. Together they'd worked together at the clinic in Atherstone's community centre. As usual, Beth excelled at her work with the patients, while Greg could only do his best. As the number of patients started winding down, Beth butted heads with Adam Davies, who wanted to wait for a government that wasn't coming. Together with Greg, the two left the community centre, much to the displeasure of Davies and hauled up down at the Asisko State Park.
Skills and Talents
Strong Swimmer: Always a good swimmer, Beth practiced every day in the family pool and for the high school's swim team, before competing in state championships and joining her university's team too. No lake or river is a challenge to her.
Determined: Beth will do almost anything she can to get what she wants and doesn't forget easily. It's lucky for most people then that Beth didn't have to ask for much, considering her wealthy background.
?: (Something to find out later)
?: (Something else to find out later)
Weaknesses and Faults
Unpractical Upbringing: Despite her intelligence and physical prowess, Beth has little to no practical survival skills. She tries to make up for it with a strong work ethic, but nature doesn't care how hard you try.
?: (Something to find out later)
?: (Something else to find out later)
Personality
Beth Nilsson is deep down a loving and caring person. Never one to say a bad word about someone and always willing to help. Beth is however rather suspicious and nosy, especially to those who have a poor regard for her friends and loved ones. Only recently has Beth rekindled her relationship with her twin brother Greg Nilsson. Despite a cold patch during their high school lives, due to social and interest differences. Beth is a much more calmer and optimistic person since reconnecting with her brother.
@LloydTurquoise Aw yea, been awhile since I was stoked for an rp... Been awhile since anything looked good honestly. Apocalyptic always has a special place in my writing life.
Normally, Kiki looks like an angry ball of cotton candy. Her teased, curled up locks of hair stand out from her head and rest on her shoulders. Her dark makeup and plushy pink lips round out the look. Her skin is fair and she has no visible tattoos when wearing regularly fitting clothes. She is short, only about 5’2” but her thick boots boost her an inch. She’s thin, but not bony, weighing about 115lbs. Perhaps the reason that she dresses up her body so much is the fact that she is uncomfortable with it. Her torso is unproportionally long and adversely that makes her legs a bit shorter, adding to the effect that she is stubby. She’s learned to not care and just wear cute skirts instead.
After the fungus spread, however, her roots grew out. Her appearance wasn’t exactly a priority, and blending in was much more important than a sense of style. Her blonde hair rejoined the world and her clothes got simpler. Her shirts became more useful, her pockets multiplied, her heels got shorter. She also matured over this time, as it’s been a few years since she’s put away the pink dye. Her cheeks shaped more, her eyes became more serious, even her jaw looks sharper than the young Kiki that she sees herself as.
Age
19 July 1995 - Age 20
Occupation
Field Scientist
Background
Kiki is somewhat of a strange girl. She is an unnaturally smart person, hailing from the land of Sweden. After graduating high school at the age of 16 she attended university for four years, double majoring in biology and ecology/evolution/conservation (she was surprised that those three were considered one major, as well). During this time she was recruited as a field scientist and spent her last three summers in Africa a to work on an evolution project. Her sector mostly handled Zimbabwe and Botswana. At first, Kiki figured the Americans were freaking out over another tiny germ and didn’t put much thought into it, continuing with her studies in Africa. It wasn’t until the strange fungus was well-known that she had looked into it independently. She followed all of the scientific journals and studies about the strange bug and looked into their peculiarity. She was between projects and was left at her house to mull over the science behind it. It seemed to eat away at the organs and the fungus’ excrement wash dusty, like ashes. It was bizarre, like nothing she had heard of before. What strand of fungus did it evolve from? Was it man-made? The saddest part of it was the fact that the scientists would usually just begin to grasp the idea before disappearing. Either into some bunker or dying off, what she guessed was the latter. It took some time but finally the researchers found out that there was an age of immune subjects. Not everyone, but adolescents seemed to be the most likely to survive. Perhaps children were not strong enough and adults’ immune systems didn’t have the ability to make antibodies quickly enough? It was no more than four hours after this time frame was discovered that she got a call from a blocked number. It was the WHO, offering to fly her to the US and their team on the west coast to be part of their team. They had gathered budding scientists between the ages of seventeen and twenty-three, as they had the highest chances of survival. She was one of the highest-esteemed with the most background, even though she was at the upper end of the scale. They seemed desperate.
But, Kiki would never make it there. After her connecting flight from the JFK airport was canceled because lack of pilots, a bus driver was paid to ship the small crew in the most panic-inducing road trip known to man. It didn’t take long before their bus was looted, stolen, and a few members seriously injured. The young bus driver, only seventeen himself, couldn’t have done anything to prevent the stronger group of people in masks from ransacking them. With crushed hopes, they decided to press on alone. They got directions from strangers and hiked in the hot grasslands, somewhere past the appalachian mountains. So long as they were going west, they were satisfied. They got lifts by trading homemade medicines, medical aid, and trading their acidic solutions for reasons they weren’t going to ask about. After a fallout or two between the group, separation and even straight up kidnapping, Kiki ended up traveling alone. She had no clue where the others were or if they were headed the right way. Hell, she didn’t know if they were still wanting to help in the project, as it seemed to have already devastated the world. Was the research lab even open still? Had they given up? It had been months since she had landed in the US, they had probably pronounced her as missing or dead and moved on. Being the determined type, Kiki pressed on. Even if the lab was closed, she had a key card and passcode. She would work on it herself if she had to. Perhaps the thing that kept her going was her family back home. She looked down at a ragged photo. It had been folded and unfolded many times, white lines across its middle. Her mother, father, little sister, even that little brat of a brother looked back. The younger version of herself held a steeley glare, as if to say “Is that all you’ve got?” The trip had tested her willpower, that was for sure. If it wasn’t her safety, it was the hunger. If it wasn’t the hunger, it was the feeling of helplessness. She even considered stopping, setting up her own safehold. Her skills at making drugs alone would be enough to keep her afloat. People will always want to get high, especially if everyone they love is gone. She heard gravely wheels on the road. She didn’t usually walk in earshot of the highways, as raiders usually patrolled them but this didn’t sound like an SUV full of little shits. It was a bike, like not even a motorcycle. She could take on one person on a bike, so the risk was worth it. She jogged to the road, waving her arms around and the cyclist stopped, looking her over. “Look, I’ve got nothing,” he said simply, holding up his hands, “I’m just trying to get home,” “Where’s home?” she skipped the formalities, putting her hands on her hips. “Uh, Oregon. Buren county. You from around there?” he asked innocently. “No. Is it close to California?” he gave her a strange look. “Uh, relatively. California is pretty big though. You don’t know how close to California that Oregon is? Where are you from? I’d love to help but my mom is at home and she just sent me after some stuff. I’m just headed home. I’m not g-” “Is it closer to California than we are now?” she said impatiently, looking around suspiciously. “Well yeah, a lot closer. We’ll be in Buren in about two hours if we keep going South and then-” “South?” she said to herself, exasperated, “Where are we?” He looked a bit shocked, “Who are you?” She crossed her arms and gave him an intense glare, “Possibly the last person on this Earth that can save your mom, or the last one that gives a shit,” She got a ride to Buren county.
Skills and Talents
Researcher: Kiki is used to working with bacteria and fossils. Her extreme attention to detail can pick out things that others might not have seen. Piecing together small bits of information to get the bigger picture is what she does daily. She has a myriad of facts in her head about microbes and body parts.
Focus: Intense focus can get things done in a quick and efficient manner. Kiki can really hone in on what she needs to do to get something done, as well as having the patience to find small things. She will often notice small things that people do, like habits and faces. Focusing, though, can also happen to a fault (see obsessive).
Genius: As a loose definition, she’s a smart girl. She thinks about things in a different way and has no problem remembering things. She’s above average for her age, or any age really.
Confident: In whatever she does, Kiki is confident. Otherwise, she wouldn’t do it. She sees things in a matter-of-fact way and will lay it out on the table. She gets down to business, her business, and is sure-footed in her stance. Like most things, this can also be a fault (see stubborn).
Honesty: You don’t have to worry about her lying to you or deceiving you. She will tell you exactly what she means. Even if she speaks in a sort of enigma sometimes, it’s not to trick you but to rather get you to find your own means. Honesty can also be annoying to others, as she doesn’t really have a filter (see hard to like).
Weaknesses and Faults
Obsessive: When she is locked on to something, there should really be a “Do Not Disturb” sign on her back. She will spend hours, even days mulling over things and simply thinking about them. You can often find her speaking to herself softly when she’s in one of these moods. This obsessiveness carries over into some OCD-type behaviours, for example if something touches her hand in a certain way she has to touch it with her other hand in the same way and then both hands but opposite. She does everything in counts of four: breaths, steps, bites of food. It may be hard to tell by watching as she does it casually or works it into what she’s doing but she has these habits.
Stubborn: When she gets something in her head, it’s difficult to change her mind about it. She will refuse to see it in another light unless it’s brought to her by her own mind. Some may even see her as bossy.
Hard to like: From obsessing over things to spewing out things, many find it hard to like Kiki or even work with her. She’s going to take over a project and make it exactly how she wants it. People have many words for her: Crass, cynic, unbearable, overbearing. They may be true, but her talents are so obvious that it’s worth putting up with it to have her on your team.
Inexperienced: Not only is she bad with people skills, but other normal life skills. She has either been in college or in a research tent brushing fossils for the past four years, and before that was nearly solely education. There are a lot of things that she doesn't know about, partially from her age and partially from her detication to her passions, shutting out everything else.
Personality
Kiki doesn’t give a f😸ck. Despite what people might think by her appearance, Kiki is an intelligent and successful human being. She graduated high school early and has earned marks toward being a scientist. She’s even a greenie, eating organic, recycling and is a fan of Green ideas. Green is the new pink. Pink is the new black. Besides studying, she enjoys quite a bit of music and art, which is how she came across her style. She could never choose if she wanted to be frilly and girly or black and moody so she chose both! She can both scoff with disgust and giggle like a schoolgirl without feeling out of character.
@LloydTurquoise I looked through this and the interest check, and I'm very much interested. I have a question though: can I make two characters? I had an idea for a character who's mute and depends on a second character to help them survive and communicate with others, but if you prefer to have just one character per person then I can make just one and change it up a bit.
@LloydTurquoise Thanks for the permission! I've been in past RPs where I controlled several characters at once so I do have experience with it. I'll hopefully have the characters finished by either the end of today or tomorrow.
Finished, I think. It's not perfect but hopefully it'll do.^^
Name
Reagan Rose Harper
Physical Description
Reagan's hair holds natural yet brilliant shades of copper with golden tones throughout; while eyes hold a creamy jade hue. These vibrant signature colors pop on their own allowing her to nix outfits with bright shades. Fearing she'd look like the inside of a crayola carton she has cut color out of her wardrobe altogether over the years. She's fairly self conscious about being a red head which has lead to her fashion choices or lack thereof. Besides navel and ear piercings there is nothing peculiar or noteworthy about Reagan's body modifications. Anything other than that would have caused an ass whooping by her father.
Age
20
Occupation
Farm hand
Background
According to Reagan, life is like a country song. Nimble fingers used to play violin while her sweet voice sang heartfelt lyrics about growing up on a busy farm, dealing with heartbreak, and spending time with her loving family. Born a twin into a family of six and the only girl among the flock excluding her mother. The Harper's raised their rambunctious children while also managing to home school them on one of the largest farms in Idaho. The 11th largest to be exact.
From this lifestyle Reagan learned discipline along with a bundle of skills and freedom. Time on the farm would be spent tending to three types of crops and raising cattle. Pastimes included rigorous hunting with her father and brothers. Although not afraid to get dirty and play in the mud she also enjoyed keeping both feet on dry land as well. Mrs. Harper taught Reagan that having a 'girly' side was perfectly acceptable too. Her mother was the most elegant woman she knew and she aimed to become just like her.
Naturally her twin brother Roth and her became bestfriends over the years. She was often teased for having red hair though Roth never was. An air of confidence surrounded him his whole life and it always lured people. Fortunately, Roth's self-reliance eventually passed to Reagan. Not many were attracted to her until she learned this characteristic. It was thanks to him she learned her social ways and became popular with the locals.
Many nights the duo would run away from home to gather with friends. Reagan enjoyed these non complex moments in life best. Lounging about on a rotted deck overlooking a sparkling river, drinking lukewarm beers her older friends would legally purchase, and gaze at the moon-time well spent. Nothing fancy was needed to make this simple country girl happy. Many teenagers were so angst driven and loathed life except Reagan. Everyday she felt a happiness and freedom most people her age never experienced. Even though the good times were fleeting she had experienced a fulfilling life.
A few years later Roth set off to Oregon to make his dream come true. His knowledge of car mechanics would pay the bills while scouted for band mates. Although they had planned to start this project together, Reagan could not leave her ailing father's side. Before his departure Roth and Reagan exchanged custom gifts for their birthday. A violin for Reagan and a guitar for Roth with matching designs-an item she never parts with.
A nightmare soon set in on the Harper farm. Not one month went by without a tragedy. Mr. and Mrs. Harper passed from drinking contaminated cow$s milk. Ethan and Travis, her last remaining family in Idaho left one afternoon to help with a neighboring crop wild fire-only to never return. When the flames settled a search went underway only turning up a number of unrecognizably scorched bodies.
Life became isolating on the farm with no one to keep her company. What animals not torn apart from ravenous wolves ended up turning on her from infection. This left her with no other choice but to end their lives. It was a day she would never forget. Each hour dragged on as she emptied 22. caliber rounds into cattle she had known nearly all her life. Having to put down the once loyal family hunting dogs pushed Reagan over the edge however, and caused her to turn the gun on herself.
By some miracle a jam locked up the rifle leaving her unable to end her life. Reagan screamed at the horizon cursing God while dropping to her knees in uncontrollable sobs of anguish. She had to get away from this land and seek out signs of life. She couldn't live like this anymore especially with all the lingering memories. She had to find her twin brother in Oregon, he was her only hope. An image of Roth within her mind was all it took to bring back some sanity. This got her feet moving again and out of the desolate countryside.
Packing up her truck she drove off toward Baptiste Valley.
Skills and Talents
Social Butterfly
Not only does Reagan enjoy making new acquaintances she full on flourishes from social interactions. This charismatic creature will go out of her way to introduce herself and make new faces feel welcome-especially at parties. Multitasking relationships isn't difficult for her. She's been known to flutter to multiple functions in one night to spend quality time with close friends.
Meandering around parties enjoying a good laugh with outrageous company is all fine and dandy but Reagan's no fool. She's not in denial about who her true friends are. Out of the many she socialized with less than two could be trusted and those people never stuck around. It takes a lot to become someone she actually confides in.
Jill of all trades
A surprisingly quick learner she took to guns fairly well at a young age. All that time spent on target practice left her shooting with the best of them. Not only does she know her way around a handgun and rifle, but efficiency with daggers also come in handy at the end of a successful hunt. Reagan can hold a perfectly normal conversation while slicing and digging around a carcass without becoming squeamish.
From skinning, using daggers, and first aid Reagan can be useful somewhere. She is knowledgeable about farm equipment and has had some luck with fixing automobiles- courtesy of her twin brother. Unfortunately, she only knows the basics of the skills she possesses excluding firearms and farming.
Gunslinger girl
Growing up with firearms and a family that used them on a daily basis was the norm. Surrounded by gun toting country folk almost 24 hours a day has caused a biased perspective. This solidifies the fact that discussing any negative outlook on guns would prove futile and possibly hazardous to a naysayers health. Along with a resolute pro gun opinion she is quite efficient with rifles, handguns, and she isn't afraid to use them.
Weaknesses and Faults
Semi Dependent
Reagan does not cope very well by herself though she is capable of survival on her lonesome to an extent. She thrives on socialization, which boosts her moral and mental state. Anything involving company can lift her spirits and bring a smile to her face.
Fear of heights & airplanes
Due to a small-scale crash mid air Reagan has been unable to gain a pilots license to become a crop duster. This event created an intense fear of heights and planes. Mr. Harper put hope into his daughter taking over dusting when he became too feeble since his sons were much too reckless. Her father, disappointed in Reagan's recent phobia, never let up. He constantly told Reagan to 'get over it' and conquer her cowardice. To this day the very sight of planes make her nauseous.
Asthmatic
A bothersome condition one would not wish to have in the midst of a global disaster. Sprinting for long periods of time can cause flare ups of asthma. Something so little as jumping out of bed to take a shower has caused coughing so severe she's passed out. Her illness is not so grave as to cause much concern-just irritating nonetheless and her diagnosis is non life threatening. While each negative symptom that stems from her medical condition is not enough to mentally stop her; often she'll still try to advance through, but sometimes it gets the best of her physically.
Personality
Reagan is an equal mash up of her parents. Charisma and humility come from her mother's side while diligence with an aptitude for hard work are traits of her father. She's affable and empathetic to everyone she meets no matter how unique or what walk of life they are in. Although she hails from the backcountry her curiosity of humanity has broadened her mind; not like many of her chauvinistic friends. Her tolerance of people is almost saintly, but that's not to say she won't straighten someone out if they disrespect her.
@Temperance Hi there! Loved your CS backstory, but I noticed a typo "Ethan and Travis, her last renaming family in Idaho" do you mean remaining? Not trying to be mean or anything, just sometimes it's nice to have a second pair of eyes!
Regardless of if you've put up your CS or not. The start of our RP is gonna take place initially in the western half of Baptiste Valley. If you could all take a look and tell me where you intend to initially place your characters.
I'm gonna update the maps as time goes on, representing locations of NPCs, areas of danger, bases and safehouses etc. Not every 24 hours or something like that, but on the occasion as things progress.
I managed to finish my first character, but it's getting late so I won't be able to finish my other character until tomorrow, so I'll just post the first one for now.
Name
Grant Dwyer
Physical description
Grant appears to be perfectly normal to the average person. He stands at around 5'7", has an average if not somewhat trim build, and has decent posture. His outfits are all similar to one another and mostly just consist of different color variations of the same type of clothing. He does rather well at physically expressing himself, as anyone could take a single look at his body language and facial expressions and be able to tell how he's feeling and the message he's trying to get across.
Age
17
Occupation
Student
Background
Grant and his family aren't native to the Baptiste Valley, having only lived in the region for little more than a couple years. He lived a city life in northern California for most of his years, and had a rather average life there. He had both of his parents, but only one sibling, Jasmine, who had been adopted four years before he'd been born. She teased and picked on him like any older sibling would, being that she was six years older than him, but for the most part the two got along well enough. She even beat up some older teens that were picking on him once, though she got in trouble for it. She left for college soon after graduating high school, so for a couple years it was just him at home. He had a few friends, but no close relationships, so while he would never admit it he did feel lonely without his sister.
But then something shattered his average life. When he was 14 years old, he suddenly vanished without a trace. Nobody knew what happened to him or where he'd gone, only that he only could've disappeared on his way home from school since his friends had last seen him during class. Jasmine returned home during this time, leaving college behind so that she could help search for him and be there with her family during this horrific time. And then after a month, as if out of the blue, Grant returned. A person walking their dog found him wandering the streets one night, seemingly in a daze and unable or unwilling to speak. After being taken to the hospital and being medically evaluated by doctors and nurses, they thankfully didn't find anything physically wrong with him, but it was clear that he'd gone through some form of extreme psychological trauma. He'd become mute, unable to bring himself to talk despite his vocal chords being undamaged and brain scans showing that he wasn't suffering from any physical trauma.
Whatever it was that had happened to him, he refused to talk about it or explain it. He would communicate with others through writing, and over time he began to learn sign language, but anytime anyone tried to ask about what happened he would just shut down. His family learned not to push the topic despite being so worried about what could've happened to him, and tried to find some way to help him recover. Staying in the city just seemed wrong, so after a few months it was decided they would move to a more rural area with a smaller population, and his parents sold the old house and bought a new one in Atherstone in the Baptiste Valley. Jasmine never returned to college, and instead stayed at home to help care for him and support him. Their bond grew stronger as a result, and while Grant thinks that she can be over-protective at times, he's still glad that he has a close relationship with her.
The Ashing Pandemic brought tragedy back to the Dwyer family, however. While both he and his sister managed to avoid contracting it, their parents weren't so lucky, and like all of the other victims they succumbed to the infection. The two siblings could do nothing but try to care for their parents until they died, and soon the two of them were alone and had to fend for themselves. Always the protective one, Jasmine would eventually go out and try to scavenge for supplies, while Grant would keep watch at home and keep the house inhabitable for them. They've been holding out hope that the government will come to help them, but even Grant knew that if they didn't come soon, they were going to run out of places to scavenge in their area pretty quickly. They wouldn't be able to stay there forever.
Skills and Talents
Housekeep: Most wouldn't consider it a skill, but Grant is good at keeping a household going. He's quick and efficient at cleaning, and he actually knows how to cook. He's no five-star chef, but he can make food edible and taste good. He's reliable at keeping track of supplies as well.
Alert: Despite sometimes coming off as aloof, Grant is actually constantly aware of his surroundings. It's hard to get the jump on him, and he's observant enough to notice if something is strange, usually before most people would notice.
Stealthy: His somewhat small size and silent demeanor allows him to sneak around with ease. He's also quite nimble, so he wouldn't normally be stumbling around and making noise if he did indeed have to sneak. His knowledge of sign language also allows him to send silent messages to anyone who can understand.
Weaknesses and Faults
Mute: Grant cannot speak, which is a massive disadvantage to have in the apocalypse. His communication with others is severely limited, and while Jasmine does know sign language and can interpret what he says to other people, if he's away from her he's basically screwed unless someone else he's with knows it, but the chances of that are slim.
Non-Combatant: Grant never learned how to fight, isn't particularly strong, and has little experience with weaponry. At most, he can wield a kitchen knife without hurting himself, but it's hardly a practical weapon.
Dependent: While his close bond with his sister is something he cherishes, he realizes he's grown to be dependent on her. He doesn't like to act without her, and constantly looks to her for advice. With the onset of the apocalypse he's slowly learned to be more independent and take care of himself, but old habits are hard to break and he finds it hard to commit to anything without her approval or advice.
Personality
Despite being mute, Grant is actually quite social, and though he tends to be more of a listener in conversations he'll still try to reply via signing or writing. He's an incredibly empathetic person, and would rather put other people's needs before his own. He hates being seen as weak or handicapped, and absolutely loathes being pitied, and so he does anything he can to prove he's just as capable as anyone else. He's not one to give up, but he also isn't blind to his own limitations and knows when dogged determination just isn't enough to achieve a goal. He prefers to tackle issues from different angles rather than just the most straightforward one, and if he's got an idea he'll be sure to let people know.
One thing that's certain though, is that he'd do anything for his sister. She's the only family he's got left, and he would protect her at all costs, and he knows she would do the same for him. He worries about her, knowing how much she does to care for him at the cost of her own wants, and he wants to be able to return the favor somehow.
EDIT: To answer your question, I was going to start my characters out in Atherstone.
@LloydTurquoise Lily will be in her familial home little outside of the main town in the Western half, in one of those farms I think they are just north of Stowmore Hill.
