So... damn... thirsty. Dallas was overwhelmed by exhaustion as he planted himself on the dusty pavement. He reached into the pockets of his fire resistant jacket and pulled out a red crystal. The glassy jewel was molded into the shape of a tear drop. It was a blood bead. His last blood bead. Dallas didn't want to consume it, but his endurance had been pushed to the limits. Another day without a meal and he might lose himself to the frenzy.

Dallas removed his mask and brought the end of the blood bead to his lips. He drank greedily. It only took seconds for the bead to be emptied of its contents. He tilted his head back and let the final drops pass his lips before tossing the vial away. His heart rate accelerated instantly, sending the life giving liquid to every cell in his body. Strength returned to his limbs as the BOR parasite in Dallas's body left starvation mode. For a couple more weeks, he could be a man, not a monster.

I've been following the road for days now. I was lucky to find a big city like this, but I still can't locate the mistle. Dallas leaned back on his hands and tried to bury the anxiety creeping into the back of his mind, instead focusing on recuperating. The wanderer had been walking nonstop without rest or sleep while stretching his rations to the limit.

Dallas turned his head right and left, observing his immediate surroundings. It was a two way street with a wall of buildings on either side. Several abandoned cars and unidentifiable wrecks littered the street. There was even a sedan that had somehow managed to land perfectly on its nose, hinting at the chaotic events that took place here long ago. Across from the curb he was sitting on he could see various businesses, long deserted by their former owners. There was a shoe store, a souvenir shop, and even a restaurant. Happy Takeout was the name, or at least that's what Dallas inferred based on what letters hadn't fallen off the storefront. The structures here looked old. The brickwork didn't match up with the architecture closer to the city limits. Dallas assumed this must then be the inner city, where what used to be a small town began to grow into the concrete jungle it was now.

After a few minutes, Dallas was ready to resume traveling. He picked his battle axe up off the ground and secured his mask in place over his mouth. He had no intention of investigating any of the businesses here. Whatever goods that weren't taken in the chaos of the Collapse would have been looted by survivors or eroded by time. Dallas looked up at the small belt of sky that could be viewed between the towering city structures. It was a crisp blue, with a few cotton balls floating on the wind. The weather was favorable, though a biting wind occasionally raised goosebumps on Dallas's skin.

Without warning, a dull buzzing noise broke the silence. Dallas, alerted to a potential threat, raised his axe in preparation for an attack. His eyes darted all over the place, attempting to lock onto anything that moved. Wait, what's that?

It should have been hard to spot clearly at the height it was flying, but Dallas's revenant senses allowed him to comprehend the shape of the unidentified object. Speeding overhead was a quad copter drone the size of a dish plate. As it passed through the area, pieces of paper were ejected from a box shaped receptacle that had been bolted to it ad hoc. The drone quickly turned a corner further down the street, disappearing from sight as it followed the route designed by its operator.

Then, there was another sound in the distance. Footsteps. Several of them. Along with the sound came a faint smell carried by the wind. It was a scent that was both nauseating and intoxicating, a contradictory odor that made Dallas's nose tingle. He smelled the blood of the dead.

The Lost are coming. Dallas had no time to think about his next move. With no way of knowing how many enemies were approaching, he instead chose to evade. He dove into an abandoned cafe, stepping over toppled chairs and overturned tables until he reached the back of the shop. Once behind the counter, he crouched down until he could just barely see over the countertop.

After a few minutes, a pack of Lost rushed down the street, howling and screeching as they passed through. The humanoid creatures all appeared to be armed. If he'd chosen to confront them, Dallas would have put himself in a dangerous position. Prolonged fasting was chipping away at his energy, and he didn't want to waste it here. Dallas deduced that the monsters were following the drone, who were attracted either by its noise or motion. Though the Lost moved at great speed, he still waited a few minutes more before leaving his hiding spot. Now that he was upwind of their pack, he didn't want his smell to bring them back here.

As Dallas began to move away from the area, he saw a piece of paper floating towards him. He effortlessly plucked it out of the air and examined it.

These are... directions to a safehouse. By pure coincidence, Dallas was standing at one of the main cross streets listed on the leaflet. The author of the missive promised food and shelter to anyone in the city seeking asylum. There were childish drawings all along the unused borders, presumably done in crayon before the message was scanned and copied. There was a telescope, various flowers, and even faces of people drawn in a flat cartoonish style. They're not asking for humans specifically. This probably isn't a trap set up by revenants. Probably. I bet I can outrun them if it turns out to be trouble.

---

It took several hours for Dallas to crawl back out of the inner city and make his way towards the outskirts. The urban hub was crawling with Lost, and there was a lot of looping around and backtracking as he struggled to find the correct streets and landmarks written on the drone's message. The sun began its slow descent as the day progressed into the late afternoon. Dallas was now on the final road. He followed the path with his eyes and spotted a sizeable complex sitting atop a hill. The message described it as a place called the "Crow's Nest". It was an observatory now being used as a base by a mixed group of humans, revenants, and even sidhe. Sidhe! Dallas had never seen one face to face before.

With only his feet to carry him, it took some time for Dallas to make his way up the hill. His slow pace had nothing to do with fatigue however. He just wanted to be careful. Out here, the dull colors of the city gave way to a sea of green. Wildflowers swayed in the breeze while basking in the sun. Weeds sprung up in the cracks of the black asphalt underneath Dallas's feet. The lack of cover made him feel exposed as he got closer to the safehouse.

In order to crest the hill, Dallas had to first cross a river down below by walking across a small stone bridge. The moment his feet left that bridge, he felt something bump his shoulder. Dallas spun around to find a revenant standing before him. Somehow, he had been snuck up on. Whoever this man was, he had managed to get behind Dallas while making no sound and without being spotted on an open hillside. This was somebody dangerous, and Dallas felt a bit intimidated.

To describe him in a single sentence: tall, dark and handsome. His hair stuck up wildly like the fur of an angry predator. The revenant didn't move for several seconds. He just stared at Dallas's face. In the brief moment before either of them spoke, Dallas noted the stranger's flashy overcoat and the handles of blades hidden within.

"You're welcome here, but don't try anything." The unnamed revenant finally said. He seemed satisfied with something, but Dallas didn't know what. He gestured for Dallas to keep walking. As he did so, Dallas heard the man following close behind. Whoever these people were, they must have sent the strong one to keep an eye on him.

They proceeded into the observatory without incident.

---

"...told you the fliers would work! I saw him coming a mile away on the motion sensors!" Inside the "Great Room" were two individuals having an animated discussion, a man and a woman. The man had the complexion of a bronze statue and stood a bit taller than either Dallas or "Ajax", as his escort called himself. The woman was fairer skinned and had hair down to her shoulders. Surprisingly, she was bound to a wheelchair. Revenants didn't have disabilities, so this one was human.

As he and Ajax got closer to these two, Dallas glanced around the room. It definitely looked like a converted observatory. There was plenty of furniture and appliances around the space, and it was all arranged as tastefully as possible, but the shape of the room itself clearly wasn't intended for habitation. There were couches, tables, and even a kitchen and dining area.

"Haha, alright Lys. You won the bet. By the by, it looks like our guest is here. Show him in Ajax!" Dallas and Ajax approached the two, but before Dallas could get too close his bodyguard put a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from getting too close. The snowy haired man raised an eyebrow like he was trying to communicate something to Ajax. The two must have been on the same wavelength; Ajax wordlessly released his hold. Was this one the leader then?

"Thanks for the concern there partner. Anyways, nice to meet you new guy! My name is Erik. Don't bother calling me Mister." Erik closed the gap and offered a hand to Dallas, who firmly grasped it in a strong handshake. "Good to meet you. People call me Dallas."

The chairbound woman behind Erik cleared her throat. "Whoops! Let me introduce Lysandra. She's the one dropping fliers on people's heads." "Don't talk about me like I'm a serial litterer!" Lysandra rolled up and shook Dallas's hand as well.

"You can call me Lys there, big guy; the Commune's resident tech specialist. You helped me win a bet, so consider yourself good in my books." For a moment, her face softened with a smile. "Freaking nice to see the drones brought a new face here too. I wasn't sure it was gonna work." Dallas released her hand and tapped his head with his knuckles. "Yeah, they also brought a gang of Lost down on me. Can't you make 'em quieter?" At that, Lysandra made a look that fell between "Oh shit!" and "You dare question my intellect?". She rested her hands on her lap and furrowed her brow before releasing a sigh. "They did huh?" Lysandra chewed her bottom lip. "Shit, sorry about that. I'll... make some improvements." After speaking her part, Lysandra rolled off to another part of the base that needed her attention. "Glad you're alive though!

"Alright, this isn't a job interview so let's cut to the chase Dallas. We are a group of what you might call vigilantes. We are the Commune. What we want is to bring peace back to this region and end the threat posed by the Lost. Our goals aren't very complicated, but we need manpower. The number of enemies keeps growing and we could use a fighter like you. We're ready to take care of you if you're willing to lend us your strength. Interested?" "If you'll have me." Erik nodded. He turned his gaze to Ajax, who was leaned against a wall to listen to the conversation.

"I have no objections." Ajax closed his eyes, signalling the end of his input. Erik grinned at that. Turning back to Dallas, he continued speaking. "This isn't the army, nor is it the provisional government. We're not just trading food for labor, we're trying to build relationships with people. If you stay here, we're gonna treat you like family, and we'd like you to do the same." Erik clapped a hand on Dallas's shoulder. "We watch your back, you watch ours. How's that sound?"

Dallas thought about what he was committing to here, but deep down he felt like his decision had already been made. It was fascinating to see humans working as equals with revenants here, rather than being protected like cattle. There was also something beyond that. In his wanderings he had joined hands with many groups like Erik's, but those were just temporary arrangements made in exchange for food and shelter. There was a compelling quality about this Crow's Nest, an element that made it feel like a home that Dallas had forgotten. He'd made up his mind.

"I'll protect you with my life."

Greenlights: Either non-human derived or so devolved as to be completely unrecognizable, these aren't very common. A sickly green colour, they tend to cluster in dark and damp areas, often hanging and oozing. They're fond of trying to drop down on you, but they're extremely slow, have low health, and hit like a wet noodle by swishing their tongues back and forth. The only real danger is that they're poisonous. Contact with skin can cause a painful, burning rash while ingestion or contact with blood can lead to a furious stinging, itching sensation that can last for up to a day.
Danger Rating: ★
Researcher's Note: These things are really weak. I've literally backed over one and splattered it with my wheels. I'm thinking of keeping one as a pet, to be honest. Not sure if it can be trained, though. That itch is really nasty.

Mello Yellos: Either non-human derived or so devolved as to be completely unrecognizable, these aren't especially common. A sickly yellow colour, they tend to cluster in damp areas with partial sunlight, often hanging and oozing. They're fond of trying to drop down on you, but they're extremely slow, have low health, and hit like a wet noodle by swishing their tongues back and forth. The main danger is their particular type of poison. It attacks the nervous system with chemical inhibitors that slow the transmission of signals, leading to lessened reaction time and a sort of false lethargy. When under attack, they can also bubble up once and 'splat' forward about a foot with surprising quickness.
Danger Rating: ★★
Researcher's Note: interestingly, the effect of their poison seems to bypass the bloodstream and travel through the nerves directly. I've tested this on myself. When I allowed a captive specimen to strike my legs, there was no effect on the rest of my body. Its progress was stopped at the site of my injury. Had it traveled through my bloodstream, this would've been irrelevant. When I let it contact my arms, however, the spread of its lethargy was universal and almost immediate.

Carrot Cakes: Either non-human derived or so devolved as to be completely unrecognizable, these aren't very common. A muted orange colour, they tend to cluster in dark and moldy areas, often hanging and oozing. They're fond of trying to drop down on you, but they're extremely slow, have low health, and usually hit like a wet noodle by swishing their tongues back and forth. Like other Grimes, they have a particular type of poison. Skin contact causes swelling and a dull ache, but their real goal is ingestion. Carrot Cakes bubble and send sprays of spittle into the air. Contact with the bloodstream or ingestion can lead to near-immediate and violent nausea. These are best dealt with from a distance.
Danger Rating: ★
Researcher's Note: These things stink! It's a sickly sweet kind of smell and it lingers. Wear your mask around Carrot Cakes, humans, and honestly, just let the revenants handle them. Revenants, don't eat before a mission!

BRB (Big Red Bastards): Either non-human derived or so devolved as to be completely unrecognizable, these are only moderately common. A deep, sanguine red, they tend to cluster in dark and musty areas, often hanging and oozing. They're a good deal larger than their green, yellow, and orange cousins and aren't as fond of trying to drop down on you. Instead, they like to congregate around and occupy chokepoints. They're still extremely slow, but noticeably tougher than lesser grimes, and a smack from their tongues is heavy-hitting can be quite an unpleasant experience. Contact with one produces an immediate, blistering burn and is best avoided. They'll also try to lob little splatters of goo at you, but this is pretty telegraphed. Dodge it.
Danger Rating: ★★
Researcher's Note: I've been knocked clean out of my wheelchair by one and sent sprawling. Any physically competent individual should be able to dodge these, however, unless swarmed (which can happen - be careful - they travel in packs!)

Purple Nurples: Either non-human derived or so devolved as to be completely unrecognizable, these are moderately common at best. A dusky purple colour, they tend to cluster in dark areas, often in tunnels or long straightaways, often hanging and oozing. Sometimes, they'll try to drop down on you, but they're quite slow, have only moderate health, and prefer other methods of attack over the "swish tongue back and forth" approach. These guys tend to hunt in packs and lob gobs of goo at you from a distance that splatter upon landing. These are mildly corrosive and contact with skin not only leaves a temporary burn, it also stimulates pain receptors, causing excruciating localized pain that can be crippling in the short term. Ingestion is... not recommended. It can lead to unconsciousness and seizures.
Danger Rating: ★★★
Researcher's Note: their range is nothing to write home about. I've out-sniped them before, but they're rough on melee types. They're also skittish and won't attack unless they think they can succeed. A note of caution, keep their numbers down if you can, because they will swarm!

Blue Meanies: Either non-human derived or so devolved as to be completely unrecognizable, these are quite rare. Great dark blue hulks that seem to absorb the light, they tend to lurk in cool and dark areas, often in alcoves or under a thin layer of debris. They're fond of trying to ambush you, oozing up unexpectedly, and they're a bit faster than other grimes, have more health, and can hit a good deal harder by smacking you with their full weight. Their poison is nothing to write home about (a very mild adhesive and corrosive), but the buggers are strong and resilient. They can absorb and ingest you if you're not careful. It's best to use decoys in areas where they're common, to lure them out and take them down from range.
Danger Rating: ★★★
Researcher's Note: "faster, tougher, and harder hitting" here are still relative. An experienced revenant with good armour and weaponry should still be able to deal with these one-on-one without too much trouble.

Kaboom Boxes: Either non-human derived or so devolved as to be completely unrecognizable, these are somewhat uncommon. A matte, faintly metallic black and noticeably angular, they tend to cluster in dark and dry areas, often seeming completely inert until they sense potential prey approach. They're excruciatingly slow, have low health, and hit like a wet noodle by bumping into you, but that's not their main hunting method. They'll begin to glow faintly before exploding, and these explosions can be very dangerous and even fatal, especially if a cluster goes off all at once. They detonate, reform, and then feed on the scraps of their prey's body that remain.
Danger Rating: ★★
Researcher's Note: These are very dangerous if you're dumb and only if you're dumb. Take them out from a distance, throw them, dash through quickly (and carefully), or use decoys. Just don't go stomping on them. They'll still blow and, even if it's not as bad, it'll still cause considerable injury. Seriously, though, I've never suffered so much as a scrape from a Kaboom Box.

Tsar Bombas: Either non-human derived or so devolved as to be completely unrecognizable, these are extremely rare. Towering, glossy silver-white hulks, they tend to appear solo in cold, bright areas, often seeming completely inert until they sense potential prey approach. Tsar Bombas are slow, but they're huge, and this size proves an obstacle to defeating them, as they can absorb most traditional projectiles without being ruptured and bladed weapons struggle to cut far enough into their bulk to deal significant damage.
Attacks: Offensively, Tsar Bombas are powerhouses. Though slow, even one swat from them can be bone-crushing and they're also capable of forming temporary appendages in sharp shapes and lashing out with these. Be careful! A Tsar Bomba can impale you. They're not limited to melee range either, as they also release clouds of a scratchy sort of powder that doubles as a smokescreen and weapon. Breathing it in can dehydrate you quickly, make your eyes water and itch uncontrollably, and cause your throat to constrict. Finally, if sensing that it is outmatched, a Tsar Bomba will go still and begin to glow. There is only one response to this: run for your lives. The explosive force that these things can generate is truly awesome. The larger ones are capable of leveling a city block.
Danger Rating: ★★★★★★🕱 (boss)
Researcher's Note: There's no exact science to it, but you've usually got about thirty seconds to clear the area from the time that a Tsar Bomba starts to glow until it detonates. I've never run so fast in my life as the time when I encountered one.

Loser Thralls: Clearly human-based, Thralls are the weakest of this morph of enemy, possessing - as one might expect - little free will or complex thought. They are completely slaves to their hunger and instinct. In many cases, this are the result of weaker or recent revenants losing the battle against their endless thirst. Generally speaking, these guys aren't much more dangerous or durable than a strong human. In the case of Loser Thralls in particular, their weakness is exacerbated by their lack of weaponry. They have only their four limbs and bite to do damage with, often also possessing subpar hand-eye coordination and balance, compounded by their nonexistent intelligence. Given the right opportunity, one of these can still kill a human or even a revenant with their bare hands and teeth, but you have to be unusually weak, stupid, unarmed, or unlucky to let that happen.
Danger Rating: ★
Researcher's Note: These are pretty much your classic 'runner' zombies, only, they aren't zombies per se. A solid headshot or centre-of-mass shot with most projectile weapons should deal with them, or a stab/slash to the vital organs. Sometimes, they look very humanlike, though, and it can be disturbing to deal with that.

Lumberjack Thralls: Clearly human-based, Thralls are the weakest of this morph of enemy, possessing - as one might expect - little free will or complex thought. They are completely slaves to their hunger and instinct. In many cases, this are the result of weaker or recent revenants losing the battle against their endless thirst. Generally speaking, these guys aren't much more dangerous or durable than a strong human. In the case of Lumberjack Thralls, they seem to have last wielded axes before losing their reason, so these are their weapons of choice. It is a poor choice, as their lack of fine control, tendency to overbalance, poor reflexes, and unreliable aim cause them to be easy to counter. The axe can still kill you, of course, but you can usually see their swings coming from a mile away, and they leave themselves very open to being countered.
Danger Rating: ★★
Researcher's Note: They swing hard, but it's incredibly telegraphed, and they tend to overbalance badly. I've dodged one in my wheelchair. That's the standard that we're looking at here. Just don't get caught by a mob of them and you'll be okay. Of course, sometimes, when they mob, they accidentally hit each other...

Edgelord Thralls: Clearly human-based, Thralls are the weakest of this morph of enemy, possessing - as one might expect - little free will or complex thought. They are completely slaves to their hunger and instinct. In many cases, this are the result of weaker or recent revenants losing the battle against their endless thirst. Generally speaking, these guys aren't much more dangerous or durable than a strong human. In the case of Edgelord Thralls, they seem to have last wielded swords before losing their reason, so these are their weapons of choice. It is a mediocre choice, as their lack of fine control, poor reflexes, and unreliable aim cause them to often hit with the flat of their blades, struggle to stab, and be easy to counter. The sword can still kill you, of course, and has more cutting surface and less tendency to overbalance them that the axes of Lumberjacks do, but you can still usually see their swings coming quite easily, and they still leave themselves very open to being countered.
Danger Rating: ★★
Researcher's Note: They often drag their swords while walking, kicking up sparks and dulling the blades. If you see recent looking scratches on pavement or furrows in softer ground, it's almost always a sign that Edgelords are about. Like many other thralls, they tend to mob and sometimes strike each other when in a frenzy. Avoid getting caught in the middle of a group and you should be able to pick them off pretty easily, however.

Marksman Thralls: Clearly human-based, Thralls are the weakest of this morph of enemy, possessing - as one might expect - little free will or complex thought. They are completely slaves to their hunger and instinct. In many cases, this are the result of weaker or recent revenants losing the battle against their endless thirst. Generally speaking, these guys aren't much more dangerous or durable than a strong human. In the case of Marksman Thralls, they seem to have last wielded rifles before losing their reason, so these are their weapons of choice. It is an incredibly poor choice, as the guns are almost always out of bullets and, in any case, their lack of fine muscular control, impulse control, and unreliable aim cause them to be totally ineffective. Some of the guns have bayonets, and these can be a pain, but the thralls' telegraphed stabs are easy to sidestep and leave them open to being countered. Of course, those that don't have bayonets just kind of smack or poke you with their guns while roaring.
Danger Rating: ★★
Researcher's Note: I have seen one properly fire a gun perhaps twice ever, and I have seen hundreds of these things over the years. Still, it pays to vigilant. Get in close and maul them as they do not let go of their weapons. Also, they tend to cluster, like other thralls. A well-placed pitfall trap or incendiary can take out a half-dozen. I know. I've done it.

Kruger Thralls: Clearly human-based, Thralls are the weakest of this morph of enemy, possessing - as one might expect - little free will or complex thought. They are completely slaves to their hunger and instinct. In many cases, this are the result of weaker or recent revenants losing the battle against their endless thirst. Generally speaking, these guys aren't much more durable than a strong human. In the case of Kruger Thralls, however, they seem to have either grown or acquired long, sharp, horror movie-style claws since losing their reason. Though this leaves them with little range or offensive weaponry, they attack with extreme ferocity and recover faster from their wild swings than other Thralls. Do not count on them to leave many openings and do not rely on them telegraphing their attacks. Exploit their lack of range and predictable behaviour instead. Those claws aren't quite as deadly as a sword or an axe, but they're more likely to hit you unless you're focused and careful.
Danger Rating: ★★★
Researcher's Note: They tend to move in pairs and they seem a little bit quicker and more durable than most other Thralls. Double tap them. They're weak and stupid, but unpredictable, so keep your range if you have it and you should be fine.

Winged Thralls: Clearly human-based, Thralls are the weakest of this morph of enemy, possessing - as one might expect - little free will or complex thought. They are completely slaves to their hunger and instinct. In many cases, this are the result of weaker or recent revenants losing the battle against their endless thirst. Winged Thralls, however, are the strongest of the lot by a considerable margin. Though their wings are fragile and the struggle to fly in complex patterns or for long distances, they're tough overall, can move in three dimensions, and can close in quickly. In many cases, they also carry shields. They use these more to bash than to block, but it also means that taking one down requires a bit more aim and thinking. Their secondary weapon of choice varies, but is usually a short sword or axe. The shield leaves them less vulnerable when they inevitably miss a swing, so don't rely on easy counters. Go for the weapon-wielding arm or feint them. Just, be careful. These guys aren't soft touches despite technically being Thralls.
Danger Rating: ★★★★
Researcher's Note: They seem a bit more tactical than other Thralls too, though that's very relative. If they have one easy exploit, it's that they only ever seem to swing their weapons vertically, and will never block low. If you have range and can take out the legs, then do it. They're useless without legs... right?

(Pic is going to be edited accordingly with the character's appearance)