Live Together or Die Alone.You’ve been running for hours and you’re starting to feel it. The stitch in your side has been a near constant companion but you know if you stop they’ll be on you in seconds. Even now, after so long and so far, they’re still snapping at your heels.
You had to leave all your gear at the camp, no time. Even if you do escape what’s the chances you’ll survive the night?
No shelter,
No food,
No weapons,
No torch,
No hope.
Of course the little voice is there telling you it’s all over. Your own personal cheerleader.
“You’re fucked, game over. Surviving two months was a good innings. Can’t say you didn’t have a good run.”
Ha Ha, very funny. You hate the voice but proving it wrong is what keeps one foot going in front of the other.
The stink of death is overpowering, getting nearer. You think you might throw up from it or maybe it’s the fatigue.
The overgrown wet grass whips against your legs and you tell yourself all you gotta do is make to the tree line, just the tree line and then you might have a shot.
You’ve been telling yourself that all day.
Just to the end of the street...
Just out of the city...
Just to the next house...
The next car...
The next rock...
The next body...
You just need to keep going, this can’t last forever.
Your lungs burn as you suck down another ragged breath and your dumb legs stumble on.
At least six behind you now.
They won’t get tired.
Question is...
How the hell are you getting out of this one?
Or does it all end here?LTODA is a Short Story RP. What this basically means is each post functions as a Short Story inside of a wider narrative. The easiest way to think about is like a TV show. In each episode the characters confront an issue that is resolved one way or the other by the end, however there are often plot lines that span entire seasons. You remember that show the Xfiles? It’s kinda like that in that each week the main characters confront a “freak of the week” however there is a wider story arc at play, this RP will work in a similar way.
Another focus of the RP is on allowing you guys to develop the world. This means I will give you the initial conditions of the world and from there it’s kind of open season bar a few rules. Most NPCs can be killed or interacted with you can create your own NPCs that can develop into major characters etc.
This brings us neatly on to the final focus of the RP which is realism. If you’ve been accepted into this RP it wasn’t because your character was good it was because I feel you are a good writer. This means I don’t really care if your characters live or die just that you write good stories. With this in mind don’t feel you have keep a character alive, you could have a new character every week if you wanted to and were able to keep the posts interesting. Point is there will be times where it makes more sense to have a character bite it and if this is done well you will hailed as a God among Mortals and we’ll love you for it.
Anyway the Rest of the first Post is divvied up into section that will hopefully explain what going on.
The United Kingdom.
May
2015
Two Months ago the sky turned black and people started to get very sick. Millions died in a matter of hours and those that were left had no idea what had just happened.
Then the recently deceased started to walk.
Those that survived fled the cities and escaped in the countryside followed slowly by those they left in the cities.
Of course there were the old explanations, viral out break, chemical weapons, religious intervention. None made sense though, for a traumatised nation there was no time for questions only survival. People refer to this period as the Cataclysm.
In the months that passed since the Cataclysm only two things mattered how fast you could move and how lucky you were.
The first glimmers of civilisation are starting to form though, those that made it this long with out falling have started to find each other and build communities.
The RP takes place in one such community called Haven.
Haven is a small farm in the north east of England near the Lake District. For the purposes of the RP we’ll be using a fictional version of the Lake District as not everyone will be familiar with it, know I’m not. However the broad strokes will be similar. The Lake district is a mountainous area famous for its Lakes (obviously) as well as it’s forests, wildlife and history.
Haven it’s self consists of a Farm House and some outbuildings. It’s location is advantageous as it sits atop a small hall that allows observation of the surrounding area. In the weeks since it’s establishment as a base the survivors calling it home have taken great strides to make it more secure and are increasingly reaching out to other Groups.
Haven was founded by two people Callie Winters a Primary School Teacher and Jonathan Monroe a Security Contractor. Callie acts as a radio operator while Monroe offers advice where he can since a leg injury ended his career as a Scav. Haven has one other resident Doctor Ruth Baker a retired GP who moved to the country from London.
Haven is only a few weeks old and isn’t self sufficient yet this means they must send people out into the wild to collect supplies this is where your characters come into the mix. All you characters are Scavs. This is a high risk proposition and they will need to be physically fit if they are to survive. The only advantage is if they made it this far they probably posses the basic skills to survive. All Scavs are issued with two items. A radio and a basic medical pack. Other items can be added at your own discretion, just remember realism.
Ok so the idea with the RP is we try to write realistic stories that are fun to read. Hopefully my first post will help to set the tone. I’m not thinking relentlessly dreary but I don’t think Everything is Awesome would really be the tone we’re going for either. Realism also expresses it’s self in other ways. If you character gets injured I expect it carry for as long as would be normal. For example a broken leg means a character won’t be going out for a couple of months etc. It is also important to keep in mind the UK has the strictest firearms laws in the world so keep this in mind when selecting equipment.
When the sky turned black people got sick and died very quickly. A few short seconds after expiring however the recently deceased started to move. For a few seconds they seemed ok and there were some stories of them even speaking to those around them, however within minuites they had turned feral. The Followers are uncontrollable and will attack anything. They are very pale and are completely bald. They are stronger than a regular human but this is most likely due to hysterical strength.
The followers are named as such because they will stop at nothing the hunt down a target they only advantage the living have is their wits. The Followers are just as fast or slow as they were in life.
The name is apt however as there is a special type of Follower called a Director. These are similar to the Followers except they are very thin with pure black eyes. They are more intelligent than a Follower and seem to be able to organise and control groups of followers. This is what makes them so lethal. They have been known to lay traps and attempt to lure survivors to them. They are repelled by light however and as such tend to stay in dark places.
Ok I assume you’ve all been around the block a few times when it comes to RPing so I’m guessing your familiar with the rules of the site. Obviously we will be observing them however I have a few additional rules and it’s vital you give them a read as this RP is a little different from what you might have done in the past.
1. Goes without saying I’m sure but the GM’s word is final on all issues.
2. No godmodding etc, however this RP is all about you guys having an impact on the world so if an NPC has been identified as off limits they are pretty much open season. Remember though there will be repercussions in terms of story. Obviously you may not interact with another RPers characters in a way they are not OK with.
3. Swearing etc is ok it would be weird if it was absent given the setting, however I’m not a fan of being crude for being crudes sake. If it’s a character thing ok but excessive adult themes are not ok.
4. Relationships between characters are fine if they make sense however I’m not intrestred in reading something by Millis and Boon. Keep stuff of this nature 12 or to use the American system pg-13.
5. Violence is going to happen but again let’s not be weird about it. Action sequences are fun but slogging though paragraph after paragraph is not.
6. If you are unsure about a plot please PM me and I’ll try to advise.
7. Once a job has been excepted you have one week to write your job. This can be extended if you contact me like I said it’s not an intense RP and I understand these posts can run on. If we are waiting on one person after the week and I’m not getting a response the expectation will be your character failed and died. I will then start recruiting for a replacement.
Name-Cassie Winters
Age-28
Gender-Female
Physical Description- Cassie is a young woman who is physically fit. She keeps her dark hair trimmed although she’s no hairdresser so the results are a little punk looking.
Place of Origin- Born in London. Lived in Liverpool.
Occupation Pre Cataclysm- Primary School teacher
Character History- Cassie was born in London and was brought up primarily by her mother in Liverpool after her parents split up. As a child she wanted to be a dancer but as time went on she decided instead to become a school teacher. She taught at a Primary School in Liverpool for around four years before the outbreak where she had a reputation amongst the children as being tough but fair.
After the Cataclysm Cassie and her boyfriend Matt were able to flee the city together and decided to head north however they found themselves unsure of how to survive and what to do. Their period confusion was short as they found themselves falling into the company of gruff Northern Irish man called Jonathan Monroe.
She met Jonathan Monroe by chance when they happened to both stop for the night under the same motorway overpass. Cassie and Matt had a few tins of food and Monroe had a tin opener, thus a friendship was forged between the trio.
They travelled together to the Lake District and eventually found themselves in a small nameless farm. One day Matt and Monroe decided to scavenger a local shopping centre but only Monroe returned.
Cassie was devastated by the loss of Matt but it spurred her on to attempt to build a community on the farm. Monroe had wanted to call the place Bastion but Cassie eventually convinced him naming their community after a military base was a bad idea. She chose the name Haven.
She believed Monroe was no longer capable of going on Scav runs (something he would disagree with) so she set up the Scavengers so he could focus on defending Haven and getting supplies. She runs the logistics of the Group by making sure the Scavs have enough information to complete their missions. Her knack for compartmentalisation seems to serve her well in this respect.
How did your character end up in Haven?- Cassie founded Haven.
Skills- While Cassie has picked up numerous survival skills from Monroe in the time they have travelled together her main attributes remain her people skills. She is especially deft at handling children and on more than one occasion has avoided bloodshed using only her words. She has a good organisational mind which makes her well suited to running the operations room in Haven.
Name- Jonathan Monroe
Age- 37
Gender-Male
Physical Description- Monroe is a balding man who carries himself in a standoffish manner. He is lean and most people would describe him as wiry. He has a tattoo of the Parachute regiment Cap Badge on his left Bicep and is 5’9.
Place of Origin- Belfast Northern Ireland.
Occupation Pre Cataclysm- Security Contractor
Character History- Jonathan Monroe was born in Belfast in 1976. As a child he remembers the Troubles in Northern Ireland but instead of becoming involved he decided he wanted no part in it and tried to find the earliest opportunity to get out. This opportunity came in 1994 when he joined the British Army as a Paratrooper.
Unfortunately due to Monroe not keeping up to date with current events he later found his first posting with the Parachute Regiment would be back to Belfast. The stay was brief though and Monroe soon saw action across the world in the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan. He attained the Rank of Staff Sergeant and in 2003 he received the Military Cross for action taken in Sierra Leone.
Despite his career growth Monroe found it difficult to hold down a relationship for any length of time in part due to his job. While he had opportunities to settle down he would say he decided against it instead preferring life in the Army. His womanising personality in conjunction with his inability to say no to a drink may also have contributed but Monroe wouldn’t admit to this.
When he left the British Army in 2012 he quickly found work in the Private Sector as a Contractor in Afghanistan. While the work was much duller than what he had done in the military he was paid twice as well.
Monroe was on leave when the Cataclysm occurred and found himself in the middle of London. He was able to escape the city by fleeing through the London Underground Tunnels.
He kept marching North under the assumption that it would be best to avoid population centres. While looking for a safe place to sleep one night he met a young couple. Cassie Winters and her boyfriend Matt Stanley were struggling to open a tin of beans, he offered then a tin opener and a friendship was born.
The trio were spending a few days in an abandoned farmhouse and decided to attempt a food run in a nearby shopping centre. Cassie stayed at the farmhouse to defend their equipment while Matt and Monroe went on the run. Matt died during the outing while Monroe’s left leg was crippled. Monroe holds himself responsible for Matt’s death believing he should have died as Matt had more to live for.
While he was recuperating from his injuries Cassie set about making the farm a community by accepting new comers. Cassie also named the place Haven. Monroe for his part accepted that they were settling down as his leg meant running was off the table for him. For better of worse Haven was his home. He set about making defences and fixing the place with his limited carpentry skills while also using the survival training he half remembered for the army to catch game.
In time their community began to grow and they needed more than Monroe could catch in his snares. That’s when Cassie formed the Scavengers. Monroe feels the Scavengers are putting themselves at unnecessary risk but he appreciates the help. His time is mainly spent ensuring the town’s defences are up to snuff and training whoever will listen in whatever skills he can.
How did your character end up in Haven?- Monroe founded Haven with Cassie.
Skills-He has military training so is aware of small unit tactics, knows basic first aid, firearms use and maintenance and Military Theory (albeit in a more practical than academic way).
His personality makes him seem quite abrasive and he has difficulty meeting new people which is something he leaves up to Callie.
He is a truly terrible cook.
Right so below is the character sheet. When filling it out keep in mind I need to walk away from it knowing two things. First I need to know if your writing style will fit the concept (odds are if you’ve made it this far the answer is yes) Secondly I need to have a sense of the character. Of course you characters will grow and change over time but this is their starting position. Anyway here it is.
Name-
Age-
Gender-
Physical Description-
Place of Origin- (Be Specific)
Occupation Pre Cataclysm-
Character History-
How did your character end up in Haven?-
Skills-
One character per person for the moment but we may expand in the future.
