Background of ZRP-2

Synopsis

The year is roughly 2015, two years after the initial outbreak. The virus spread across the planet, transmitted by carriers and aided by a group of religious fundamentalists viewing the virus as part of Judgement Day. In time, major cities became graveyards, belonging to the dead. What’s left of the survivors, those that have managed to live in this hell, avoid cities and have grouped into their own factions or simply wander alone. Resources are the new form of currency now, as money has no real value short of toilet paper. Medicine, weapons, ammunition, fuel, and consumables are how survivors trade in secured communities. As of this time in the story, there is no cure, there are no immunities. Once bitten, the virus will kill you and you will come back as a zombie. Die a natural death though, and you stay dead.


Setting

While writers are free to set their own stories anywhere they want in the world, the main story (yes there is a plot) takes place in North America. Not just the States, but Mexico and Canada are also part of the setting. Places known as ‘Lockdown Towns’ are, as the name suggests, towns that have been locked down. Independent of any faction, they are under the control of civilians and their own militia. Lockdown Towns have their own relationships with each faction. They trade with Loners and Travelers, and if they are capable of it, they grow food for the Elites who in return protect them while not controlling them. As for Raiders......they tend to shoot them.

Story

Writers are free to develop their own stories within this world, but the main plot/theme here is the threat of the Shepherds. By the starting point of the story they've begun attacking the other factions, encroaching on their territory. For Loners, this wouldn't at first come off as a big deal, but the more territory that Shepherds take control of, the more at risk a Loner is of encountering Shepherds. As for Travelers, the main roads they would normally use come under the control of Shepherds, who will kill them. For the Elites, the more territory the Shepherds control, the less likely it is that their scouting groups will be able to find supplies, as the Shepherds also take control of any supplies or resources they find. What’s more, Shepherds will also attack Lockdown Towns and the

Surviving Groups:

Travelers:

Also known as the Nomads, the Wanderers, and the Traders, they travel in groups, caravans of RV’s, trailers, even buses. They’ve learned to improvise, and adapt to the world they now live in. They’re skilled at fixing things, salvaging materials, and scavenging through isolated towns. Spread into different caravans, each group functions as a mobile family, all of them tight-knit communities that survive in the belief of unity, and cooperation towards a shared goal. Caravans are normally ten, maybe twelve (if they’re lucky) vehicles, the majority of them large vehicles big enough for housing. The weapons they have on hand are normally scavenged, others old weapons that have been within the owner’s position since the outbreak.Travelers are able to make their own ammo, though they are limited by resources and proper facilities.

Raiders:

Comprised of all the criminals and gangs that survived in the past two years, Raiders (aka Bandits, Marauders, or local Gang names) are in a certain respect, much like the Travelers. They improvise weapons, salvage vehicles, and scavenge for supplies though not many of them are wanderers like the Travelers. Most stick to areas they have managed to take control of, such as their original territories, or prisons that were abandoned. The worst of them are killers, rapists, and worse. However, not all of those within this category are the worst of mankind. Some of them have actually taken to defending their home territory, which is in reality a neighborhood. They even tend to provide for and protect families that live in their territory. However, the means in which they do this is still criminal by the standards of “The Old Society,” though at this point it really matters little to them.

Elites:

Made up of the surviving upper crust of society, Elites (aka Fat Cats, Old Moneybags, Blue Bloods, or The Rich Bastards) have isolated themselves in areas they have managed to take control of, and wall off from the rest of the world. Clinging to the old reality of their money and status actually giving them power, Elites choose to live in a life of luxury. For some, they live in the comfort of their private homes, large mansions. Others took control of their own towns, private exclusive versions of lockdown towns. In any event, these safe havens for them allow them to ignore the world outside their walls, though they’re not stupid enough to forget entirely about it. They know that they still need supplies from beyond the safety and comfort of their towns, so they send out groups of their private army for supply runs. The private army in question, is a collection of bodyguards, mercenaries, and even regular civilians trained and outfitted with top of the line weaponry and protection. While they’re not exactly producing weapons and armor off of an assembly line, the quality of their gear is much better than what others in the world have. As a bonus, these private soldiers have taken possession of tools that allow them to create their own ammo. While nearly all groups have access to such tools, the resources of the Elites allows them to make a wider range of ammo, of higher calibers.

Loners: Loners are, as the name implies, survivors that bear no allegiance to any of the existing factions. Each one has their own reason for traveling alone or in small groups of three or four. Mostly it’s just cynicism about relying on others, or getting attached to other survivors. They are very adept at surviving, and improvising, much like the Travelers. They usually carry their housing with them, in this case tents and small camping materials, along with whatever food, medicine, and weapons that don’t wear them down. Having to live on their own and rely solely on their survival skills, they excel at being independent and living in the wilderness. The only times they would interact with other factions is either by trading with them (Travelers, Elites, Isolated Communities) or fending them off (Raiders, Shepherds of Judgement)

The Enemies

Now, while Raiders are still an occasional enemy to Travelers, Elites, and Loaners, there are still enemies that pose a universal, indiscriminate threat to all other survivors

Zombies:

The reanimated corpses of the dead, are not exactly villains. The virus that killed and reanimated them has reduced them to little more than animals, driven by hunger. In reality, the hunger that drives them is the virus using hosts to spread, and infect others. Zombies tend to rely on sound and smell, though the ‘fresh’ zombies can also use their vision to decent effect. The only way to put a zombie down is direct damage to the brain. Remove or destroy the brain, and the whole body dies for good. However, trauma to other parts of the body will not kill them. Removal of arms or legs won’t stop them. Along isolated roads, highways, and in the wilderness, their numbers tend to be few and it is rare for whole groups to be seen. Near zones where there used to be high population density however, and there are whole herds of them, sometimes hundreds. Old zombies, those that have been dead for maybe months, shamble and shuffle forward at sluggish speeds, while recently turned zombies are able to sprint, though these types are rare as they would have to be at least a day old.

Shepherds of Judgement: A more serious threat to all survivors, no matter the banner they may live under, the Shepherds are a group of religious fanatics who believe that the virus is in fact God’s will and part of Judgement Day, as a way to cleanse the Earth of all heretics and reveal the most faithful. In fact, it was they (or at least their founders) who aided in the spread of the virus, by shipping zombies across seas to other nations and into major population zones. In the two years that followed the fall of the old world, the group has expanded, though not on a grand scale. Survivors who believe the same as the Shepherds search for them, and join them believing that through faith in this group, they will outlast the virus and live in a better world. Those that don’t join them however, are marked as heretics (and other, less kind words) and they will try to kill them and take whatever is on them. Even worse, they keep several zombies caged, for the purpose of infecting ‘heretic towns.’ Territory they have acquired is usually around highways and backroads, since they are usually key areas for hunting survivors. Travelers who know about the general location of Shepherds do what they can to avoid crossing into their territory, while Raiders and Elites tend to attack them to either gain supplies or eliminate the threat they pose. Shepherds are no pushovers though, as they are armed to the teeth in weaponry that has either been scavenged or more often stolen from murdered survivors.