The Scotsman

[High Cas+] The Few, The Brave {Post-Apoc Journey}

The Few, The Brave

A story of survival, hope, and fellowship

*

Ladykind and gentlepeople, another fascinating day on the Muscle Track. Word from my little hummingflappers is that an event may be unfolding which may categorically deny you terrible, horrible, abominable creations of the Painter your right to wasteland freely. We have someone immune to the Amygdala Decay Virus, otherwise known as Sunburn to you puny sand-rats, across our Vast Vastness in River Place, trying to run, jump, and desecrate their way all across to Riola City. Without the devoid and wonderful lack of two-walkers - many thanks to the Burnt and Burning out there - we might have houses and fatties again, and we have a shortage of blubber-bearers to fuel our battle wagons. So maybe we should let these hopeful fun bandits toddle along, or maybe we should de-fat them. I'm just the naughty boy who brings you the word of the Quiet Lands, courtesy of the grains of sand out there who roll their way to my doorstep. As always, if you're gonna die, die like a true beast with a weapon in your hands a bullet between the eyes. War out and claw out, maggots, because Jimmy Talk is signing out.

-Jimmy Talk, the largest news reporter and voice of the people

*

The Story

300 years ago the first bout of the Amygdala Decay Virus struck the world. It attacked the amygdala, the portion of the brain which controls anger, and altered the neurons in the area to process the electrical signals differently, forcing the brain to interpret everything as a threat, and the response to always be attack. In the early stages of infection however, the brain was still alive, and despite the reaction being to attack, the infected person was still there, and curious to why it believed it was being threatened. This led many to hesitate when their loved one charged at them, eager to emancipate them from their limbs. After a while however, the virus would shut down the rest of the brain that commanded any human aspects, leaving an angry husk to charge onward. This was not a zombie, this was a the The virus was spread far and quickly in the first few weeks. No-one knew how it was passed along, but soon realised it was from close proximity: coughing, sneezing, even breathing on someone, as well as the passing of bodily fluids. It was not air borne as most has suspected. But scientists, locked away in Switzerland and Wales and Egypt, found that the disease itself was not active. It was transported to the host and then waited for the stimulant. The men and women in Egypt found the answer the difficult way: vitamin D. Higher concentrations of vitamin D in the body activated the virus quicker and more aggressively, therefore making the Sun the biggest enemy in tackling the ADV, leading to the nickname of Sunburn being given to the virus, and the Burning and Burnt to those who were going through the infection and those who had been taken. It was too later, however, as cities and nations were razed, pollution from nuclear and ground warfare destroying the environment and allowing more of the suns rays through, speeding up the virus. A vicious cycle that only ended when enough of humanity was eviscerated that they scattered to the wind. As mankind rebuilt, the virus returned and tore it back down. As these repeated onslaughts of an invisible enemy continues, social mutation occurred slowly, ending in a surreal, abstract world where perversion and horror were beauty and art, and a cure meant there would be no more fun and games. Except for a few, who still believed that reasonable life was possible. These are the people on which we are focusing.

Your Role

Where you, the writers, come into this story is simple: you are the group of men and women charged with carrying the immune person to Riola City, a secure underground metro which has a medical unit trying to figure out a cure to the virus. If the person survives the journey, the scientists may be able to create a cure. If they die, who knows how humanity will end?

The selected group has been chosen by someone who firmly believes mankind can return to what it was before, and the group consists of people whose skills cover a huge array of possible situations. They may have 30 years of experience or lots of potential, but the selected all too believe the world would be better without the virus. It's a small group, but one that is dedicated and with lots of expertise. Do what you must to protect the package.

The world is very Mad Max-esque, but the actual story is a lot more similar to The Last of Us. This will be a character-driven story focused on getting from Point A to Point B alive, but that does not mean that you can't die. The world is dangerous, as are the things in it. My hope is that, much like TLoU, the group starts off as only being together for the job but many strong bonds are created throughout the perilous journey, driving home the need to protect the others. This is only partially my story though.

The World

Ignoring the names on the map, just imagine these are the locations of some of the settlements. The rough area and formations are to be followed though. There is a small but peaceful settlement, River Place, on the northern shores of the Lake Kretchiner in the little inverted bay, on the western border of the country. Lake Tukuyu and Lake Tutub are connected and are essentially one lake. Bagala is where Riola City is located. All name will be replaced when necessary, and locations will be added to the map (whether actually or just in text is undecided).

The journey from River Place to Riola City is approximately 3,200 miles, and you can travel that any way you can. You will set out on foot, but you can drive, hitch-hike, ride on animals, swim or boat when possible.

The world itself is very dangerous, with spinners - huge tornadoes of razor-fine sand - a deadly occurrence, fire storms, and many other things, not including the wildlife too.

The gangs that you will meet on your way are extremely dangerous, only less so than the Burnt who travel throughout the day and are more aggressive when in contact with the sun, and will be detailed as appropriate in the IC. All relevant info regarding updates in the world and tidbits of news will come from Jimmy Talk, while information regarding the tribes will come from my character, all in an effort to improve the immersion in the story.

The Rules

• Firstly, the typical bull you normally see in every Rules list: no god-modding, no harassing other players, no being a dick- I won't insult your intelligence by continuing on with this.
• This is a weird one, but it's something I've only just realised; a healthy RP needs shit-posting. I don't care if you're posting awful meme's or just chatting with the other writers in the group, an active OOC means people become friends, and people becoming friends means there's a much higher chance of the story staying alive than if the OOC were purely for business. The OOC is the backbone of any IC, so please don't be afraid to keep it active.
• Collaborations are some of the best posts a story can have, so I encourage you to pursue them. Not only do they help build a rapport between the writers, it also helps to smooth out some of the natural incontinuities that come with writing in a post-by-post format. Collaborating with other writers means not only is there a larger output, but a smoother one too. This is a greatt site for this use: https://titanpad.com/.
• This is really aimed for High Casual upwards, but seeing as Advanced standards are two well-written paragraphs, I can settle for that: two well-written paragraphs. I understand if it's tricky and you simply can't get a longer post out, all I'm asking is that it won't become a habit.
• Expect strong language, strong violence, and strong gore. Romance is possible if you wish, but it won't be a main plot point and I won't do anything to help you with it.
• Looking for between 4 and 6 writers to join. If we get 6, I'll open up the immune person as a character, otherwise they'll be a NPC controlled mainly by me.

Character Sheets

I absolutely despise character sheets, which you may know if you've been in one of my stories before. I cannot see the point in them. Your characters background, personality etc can be effectively written into the IC if you're skilled enough, and it's therefore redundant. So I like to keep my sheets to the minimum.

Character Sheet

Name:
Appearance (Picture and/or Description):
Age:
Gender:
Skills (why were you picked for this group?):
Other:

If there's anything you want to add/suggest/ask, post here or PM me.

[High Cas - Adv] Aphelion

<Snipped quote by The Scotsman>

Aha! It's amazing man, It's so surreal. I feel totally immersed at times. I watched Star Wars VII on it last night and it just felt spectacular.

Also I'm going to watch Civil War tomorrow so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a post up but I definitely should this weekend.

@Kalas

I retract that question, I don't want to hear any more. My disposable income is not disposable enough and you're making me need it.

Everyone keeps talking about that film, but I haven't really enjoyed any of the Marvel films, bar the Iron Man ones. I'll see though, I'm off on Monday.

How's everyone doing? Posts coming along?

[High Cas - Adv] Aphelion

Sean Dowall

Mate av just seen you on youtube Pinky said in the group chat. Sean glanced at his phone as the Irish national anthem went off briefly. "Mr Dowall, if you please," Dmitry Karkevsky growled, the thick accent providing more threat to the statement.
"Aye mate, no worries, sorry about that," Sean said, tucking the phone back into his pocket. It rang again and Sean's face went white. He stood up and exited, glad to be behind cover from the venomous glare of the Russian Premier. He opened up his contacts and found Pinky who he phoned, the other man enthusiastically picking up immediately. "I'm in a meeting with the Karkevsky, Olsen, Scott, Jeprain, a whole shit-tonne of others, and you keep blowing my phone up, what's wrong?" Sean asked irately.
"Bud, you're on YouTube, and you've got nearly 5 billion views. I'm not even shitting you. Who's Scott, by the way?" Pinky asked.
"Are you joking? The British Prime Minister? George Scott? You nonce," said Sean as he opened up YouTube. There it was at the very top, Most Viewed, Hottest, Most Popular. Sean Dowall, 28-year-old joiner, was a YouTube celebrity.
"My mate who works on the Venus rigs says they're all chatting about it over there. Crumbs has got a brother on a Jupiter asteroid right now and they're rooting for you too. Mate, you're a legend nowadays. You can't even go down Belfast town for a bevy now that you're President of the World, can you?"
"Have some tinnies in the house, mate, the sesh never dies. I've gotta head, the Russian bloke is heavy pissed at me and he's got soldiers hanging out his pockets," Sean said. Pinky said goodbye and Sean returned to the meeting and muted his phone, but could feel it now erupting like Vesuvius in his pocket: the other boys had caught wind of the message.
"I think it's agreed that we have to act united here. As some of the, frankly, most powerful nations on Earth, we have to show we're together on this, otherwise the radicals are going to simply out-campaign us. If that happens, we'd have to strip back stellar activity and we'd all be thrown out of office," George Scott said, sitting back in his chair, his thumb and forefinger clamped on the end of his moustache.
"I think it is dangerous situation we have gotten ourselves into, and we cannot sit here and say we are going to act defiant for long time when we have own people to care for. If my people begin to radicalise, I must radicalise too. However, I can guarantee that no dangerous action will happen if you gentleman accept this. If you cannot and I then radicalise then we will have problem on hands that stretches beyond border disputes. I will have to bend to people's way so that the next Premier elected will not be war happy. My radicalisation is much safer than anyone else's radicalistion, and you men must also accept that this is simply best way to ensure safety for others," Karkevsy said. He shrugged softly, uncaringly, then clasped his hands and crossed his legs.
"That is simply preposterous. There is no way I am going to go back on this deal. Thv'ar came to me, we forged this deal, and we're in it for the long run. Control your country or I'll control it for you," Olsen said, leaning over the table. On it were mugs full of cold coffee, crumbs from toast eaten many, many hours ago. Karkevsky looked disgusted at the memory of watching the alien visitor exiting the White House.
"You do not understand way of Russian, Olsen. When Russian is upset, we cancel what is upsetting us. When Russian is cheated, we right what has been cheated from us. When Russian is threatened, Russia will follow through. Any more of weak American threats and Russia will follow through," Karkevsky spat.
"Gentlemen, sit. I think I have heard enough. It is clear that the issue is not whether we can keep this deal, I think the issue is whether or not our people can keep this deal. And let me speak honestly, they cannot. There are too many radicals, bigots, supremacists to allow the planet to exist this way. What we, as the leaders, must do is make sure that no-one has any predilections towards causing any... murmurs. We are all content with the terms of the agreement, yes?" Most everyone in the room nodded. "What we must be prepared to do is to limit what the people may be willing to do. I think we may be forced to return to the bad times, but hopefully this is for the greater good," Jepain said. Her French accent could entice many listeners, and persuade them, if he wanted to, but the German Chancellor, Gittering, was on his toes.
"There is absolutely no way that I will let me country return to that barbaric behaviour, and I would have expected you to know better. There are ways to do this without becoming murderers."
Sean cleared his throat. "If I may?"
"No you many not, you fool," Karkevsky said. "You are here honorary, not for any important reason. We are discussing here."
"Shut up, Dmitry," Gittering said followed by some muttered insults from Scott.
"He has more right to speak than you do, you malevolent toilet bowl," said the Australian Prime Minister, Baker. "Carry on, son."
Sean stood up and walked to the white board and grabbed a pen. "Firstly, this is entirely possible in a non-violent manner. Secondly, we do it by giving out memberships."
"Wait, what?" Olsen asked, stopping halfway from putting the Oreo in his mouth.
"We allow people to become members of the CIR, otherwise many of their privileges at home will be cut short, discounts, fuel prices, tech prices etcetera. Meanwhile, President Olsen can talk with Thv'ar about our situation, try to convince him to pass a law that says anyone with an affiliation with the CIR who breaks their laws can be jailed at their whim, and then I assume they'll do what they're told. SOace jail is scarier than Earth jail," Sean said.
"I think that just sounds fucking stupid and incoherent, but I'm not sure," Scott said.
"He won't do it," Olsen said.
"Sit down you moron," Karkevsky said.
"I don't think you are grasping what I'm telling you here," Sean said. He pointed at the illustrations on the board, visually aiding his talk. "What I'm saying is we make them buy into this ordeal, and if they don't, they're going against the CIR. If they think they can get away with buying in and fucking around, they're gonna get a rude awakening. It's foolproof," Sean finished. The men and women around the table considered it for a moment. France's woman looked around.
"Well, shall we consider this option number 1?" she asked.


Not an hour later, Sean was on a jet to Port Canaveral, notes in front of him. A pretty stylist was fixing his hair and another was putting some make-up on, while the male stylist was picking out clothes for him.
"Jenna, what do you think about pink? A friendly, informal colour," Augusto asked. Augusto was the kind of man you wanted being your stylist, as another man. Augusto was tall, handsome, full of muscles, and an absolute ladykiller. His deep Italian accent and bronze skin grabbed the attention of many, his soft yet thick dark hair only helped to accent his sharp facial features, and his natural affinity with words was marvellous. The issue with the 'ladykiller' part is that he was gay, and the women would fall and he would spy a man of equal beauty walking past, and before the end of the night they would have a tub of Ben & Jerry's, weeping about how their love and been lost in the wind. Augusto was that gorgeous. Sean was very, very glad that this was the man dressing him.
"Sean is not exactly the kind of man who would wear pink," Jenna replied in her New York accent. She was preppy and blonde, full of pep, and by all standards stunning.
"Midnight blue, Italian, maroon tie," Anastasia said, her Russian accent sounding far more exotic than it actually was. Anastasia had raven black hair, dark eyes, and pasty white skin, her cold and sultry look making her by far the most intriguing, and therefore the most attractive to Sean. He couldn't help but staring every now and again. Augusto could see the sense in what Anastasia said, as he leapt to the job.
"We will be landing in 20 minutes, buckle your seatbelts," the Captain said. Anastasia put her stuff in the toolbox and put it in the cabin above, then sat down in the seat she occupied to Sean's left, and Augusto to his right. Suddenly Sean felt like he went from a 7 to a 3 in his looks.

As the gusty atmosphere entered the cabin, Sean looked outside at the rolling sea of rising and falling cameras. Anastasia stood behind him and whispered in his ear, "You are not a celebrity, you are a politician, do not wave," she said.
Augusto was a little further behind when he said, "You are dressed in some of the best clothes in the world, fitted perfectly. When we say you look handsome, you are. Act like it." He exited the plane and walked straight towards the stage, looking and smiling at the occasional camera. The stage loomed closer and he took each step, one at a time. There was no rush, he was enjoying the breeze on a typical walk through the park, enjoying the views. He breathed slowly and deeply. He smiled like he knew what he was doing. From his inside pocket, the notes were taken out and put on the stand. Sean looked around once again, taking in the vastness of his audience.
"Ladies and gentleman. I don't think I have to remind you, but this is the first day of a brand new revelation to us. This is the first day of things you have never witnessed before. And behind me, those are the beasts that will take us farther than anything you've imagined. They'll take each and every one of you to opportunities you'll never expect, and people you'll never want to leave. I do not need to remind you that the entire race is on display, but I do implore you to show them the one-of-a-kind personalities that make us human. We are humans and we've done so much. We've risen, fallen, and risen again, and now we've been placed on a platform that elevates us beyond anything you've pictured. Our humanity will drive us further than anyone will expect. Do us proud. I'll see you somewhere out there, in the infinite," Sean said. He waved shortly, and turned to his left to meet his team of publicists, bodyguards, stylists, and mates, who he couldn't leave behind on Earth. Anastasia shook her head as she watched the wave, and together they all sauntered to the largest of the three ships, destined for Vrou'k.

[High Cas - Adv] Aphelion

So I'm just going to post Sean's post right now, and from now on I think I'll be posting Sean and Jim's portions seperately as it would just take way too much time for a post to come out. Hopefully I'll also be working on random short vignette posts about aliens throughout the universe finding out about humans joining, or their interactions with humans. We'll see about that last bit though.

[High Cas - Adv] Aphelion

Yup, still here! I just got a new car and the Samsung Gear VR, so I've been a little pre-occupied.

@Kalas

Well shit, I can't argue with that. How's the VR set?

[High Cas - Adv] Aphelion

Me too, I'm just busy, sorry about that. How are you? How is everyone else?

[High Cas+] Primetime Wartime

It wasn't specifically for you two, just whoever was up for it, but at least I know what you guys are thinking now.

[High Cas+] Primetime Wartime

Great, @flightless-angel-castiel and @Carlsberg!

I'm gonna be super busy for the next while, so I have a few options for you guys if you're up for it. Either a) one of you becomes DM and starts this thing, and when I can come back in a more active manner I'll just join as a writer, or b) we put this thing on ice until I can write this thing up properly and I'll let you guys know when it's up.

It's up to all of you either way, just let me know.

[High Cas - Adv] Aphelion

Also, I never even mentioned this, great post @LadyMagnanimous!

[High Cas - Adv] Aphelion

Extremely sorry about being absent, I've been working and I've recently found out my graded unit deadline is a lot sooner than I had thought. It does look like this is the pace, so I'm thinking (obviously this can be rejected by you guys) we bring our characters together to make sure something is happening with all of us. Not necessarily all of our characters, I'm running two so I'd be happy to leave one to wander and the other to mess around with the group, but for some reason no-one wants to join, which means we're going to have a smaller writer group than hoped. It's up to you guys though.

Also, that OneNote thing. I'll be happy to set it up in a couple weeks if you are all content to use the IC and OP as the reference guide until then, but I don't have the time right now. I will be trying to get a post up soon if @Double Capybara is having time constraints.

At the moment though, I am pretty busy and will be absent for a few days of the week, at the least (I imagine, anyway, but who knows), so I was considering choosing a DM to keep things on track if I can't get online. If none of you would like to be a DM, I just ask that you all keep this thing floating together until I get back and ruin your tranquillity :