Spero Tempus; Or How To Survive A Zombie Apocolypse (Now Open!)

Zombies. A fictional creation made by celebrated horror masters. This term has come to mean and represent many things over the years, but it has always been one thing: fictional. A thing not of our reality. An idea and event that would never happen in the Real World. However....sometimes we learn that some boogie men in the dark do exist. Such is the case with zombies.

It struck without warning. The Dead began to rise from their graves, ravenous for the flesh of any human and animal on Earth. And as the Dead marched on the streets, Civilization as we knew it collapsed around us. The powers of the World did their best to combat this new terror, but many governments crumbled beneath this new and seemingly unstoppable enemy. Other governments, such as the United States, the UK, Japan, Russia, and others, retreated into “Safety Zones” that were cleared ahead of time of the Dead and set up a line of defense to protect the remnants of their government and humanity that were in the Safety Zone.

But in the few cases where a government did this, many people were not lucky to get into a Zone before it was sealed off. The survivors were thus forced to strike out on there own, and seek shelter and safety elsewhere. Many died as a result from either governmental collapse or retreat, swelling the ranks of the Undead by millions world-wide.

But others....those with the will and the intelligence to survive, they had different fates. Many of these such survivors banded together, and formed communities and settlements in towns or cities they thought to be somewhat safe or provided advantages against the Undead. One such settlement was founded within the metropolitan jungle that is Chicago.

Three months after the initial Outbreak, a brave and mighty pastor led his congregation and their families to Chicago, hoping it would provide some safety amongst the Roaming Dead. And while Chicago was heavily infested with zombies, the pastor and those he helped arm managed to clear out a small area within the city of the Demons, and erected barriers to keep any more of the Dead out. With the guidance and help of one Pastor Samuel of the state of Florida, he and his congregation managed to survive in a city infested with the Undead. And over time, Pastor Samuel's Community expanded, as more survivors came seeking shelter.

It has been two years since then. Only a third of the human race now remains uninfected by the Disease passed by the Undead. Some governments have survived this crisis, but right now they are powerless to stop the menace of the Dead. And thus those not in Safety Zones, or the many more in states where the government collapsed, are still forced to fend for their own in this dark and dangerous new world.

In these past two years, the Community within Chicago, under the leadership of Pastor Samuel, has grown and strengthened over all this time. Life is not as easy or “fun” as it was in the Old World, but it is there nonetheless. Many are thankful to be alive at all, though a majority do miss the old ways, in a few ways, at least. However, within this semi-thriving and seemingly strong Community, not all is well.

Supplies are running low. Nearly the entire city has been scavenged for food or clothes or whatever necessities were of importance. While there are some areas that have not yet been checked for supplies, they are hot beds of Undead activity, and Pastor Samuel and his leadership is unwilling to send even volunteers into such dangerous areas. Though they may not have a choice much longer, if things become desperate enough.

But, then again, this is the way and the life of the New World. The world created by the ravaging of the Dead. There are few, if any luxuries, left. The people within the Community go to bed, afraid, each night. Wondering if perhaps tomorrow they shall breath their last. And while there is some stability within the Community, some of the more pessimistic do not think it will last much longer.

The future Humankind looks bleak; perhaps these coming years will end up being the fall of Earth's dominant species. But many still have hope, even these dark times. Pastor Samuel has set up a theocracy within the Community, and while others may have blamed Mankind itself, or have gone insane with power, Samuel has done none of that. If anything, this Apocalypse seems to have strengthened his resolve in God. He has led many people searching for a new hope to the Power of Christ. He is a beloved figure within the Community, and has brought new Light and Hope to many people searching for answers and a new reason to live.

Though this Community is hardly picture perfect. Some disagree with Pastor Samuel; whether it be his religion, his way of governing, a mixture of the two, or something else entirely. And while they would not speak out against him, publicly, many would like to see him and his fledgling Theocratic Community not become the possible power to rebuild America. It is these tensions, and more, that have led to some discontent within the Community. Because while Samuel has the best of intentions, he cannot please everybody.

Perhaps, in this New World, there is something else to be feared. Feared far more than even the Undead. Perhaps one of the greatest Enemies of Humanity in this New World is mankind itself, and desperate measures they will take to ensure survival....or to secure dominance.

1) No Power Playing or God-Modding. If you feel like it would make your posts seem less clunky during fights or whatnot, PM and ask the other RP'er if they are alright with you getting a hit on them or whatever. But then again ...
2) Don't expect much in terms of fighting, this RP is more about a damaged society trying to make do then it is about directly fighting zombies.
3) No Mary-Sues, Your characters should be realistic and have a few flaws, along with a personality.
4) Avoid one sentence replies. Your character must be thinking something, feeling something, or at least have something interesting around them if you think about it, so a one sentence reply is just lazy to do.
5) This RP is rated M.
6) Still, that doesn't mean you need to unnecessarily describe graphic violence, or graphic sexual scenes, unless there really is something so important about either of them that you find it necessary to do so.
7) The story takes place in Chicago, which means diversity in ethnicity, class, gender, gender expression, religion, political views, fighting experiences, and etc. would not be uncommon. Still, if you want someone extremely important to the community, PM me before writing them up.
8: If your character was twelve or ninety when the zombie apocalypse was in full swing, be prepared to explain in your bio how they could have realistically survived said apocalypse.
9) Do not start fights or one on one conversations in the topic, those can be done in PM.
10) Please pay attention to your spelling and grammar before you post.
11) I reserve the right to change or add any rules.
12) Make sure to have fun!
13) Say, “I did what I had to to survive” to show you've read the rules.
14) You may have as many characters as you want, within reason.

CHARACTER SHEET

Username:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Appearance:
Personality:
History:
Additional Information:

ACCEPTED CHARACTERS:

(Reserve me a spot.)

Reserve noted.

Username: Duello
Name: Wulfgang "hound" Ciffer
Age: 25
Gender:M
Appearance: in the 2 years since the collapse, Wulfgang's Black hair has grown wild, hanging down past his shoulders. He ties it back with a piece of leather. it gets washed whenever there's enough water and soap for him to bathe, but survival comes first, often he simply gets by with brushing it out and tying it back. he wears a pair of army fatigue pants and a simple leather belt, as well as an old and beaten advantage cammo tea shirt and a cammo flak jacket he'd bought before the collapse. he has a few tactical belts and pouches sequestered around his body, but nothing that would inhibit movement. his boots were once hunting boots, with a relatively thin sole for better running. he's resoled them twice now, both times using rubber from old tires, glue, and staples. he has a moderate beard, which he shaves off when keeping it clean and lice free becomes too much work.

Personality: those who know him fall into two categories, those who appreciate his work, and those who don't. those who appreciate him, often call him "Wolf" or "Wulfgang" while those who don't appreciate his work will often call him "Hound." Regardless, he's a risk taker. He's the sort of man who will do whatever it takes to accomplish his goal, regardless of personal risk. As far as he's concerned, he's living on borrowed time anyway. Fancying himself the nearest thing to a shaman that the world has left, he holds a reverence for trees, forests, really anything that grows and has proven immune to the zombie virus. He keeps his religious views mostly to himself, choosing to mouth along with the Christians around him. better to fit in and have a home than create an enemy where there's no need for one. that said, he rarely sees eye to eye with Pastor Samuel, but he tries to keep his discontent mostly to himself, unless he knows he's in similarly minded company.

History: Growing up in the Rural United States, Wolfgang was a victim of the single greatest threat to the lives of American teens: boredom. It wasn't that he was unhappy, or overly sheltered, quite the contrary in fact, but there were few organized, sanctioned activities for a young man in his area, so he instead turned to the one thing his home had plenty of: forests. He spent his spare time running through the trees, learning to track and hunt, he learned to shoot, quickly and accurately, he learned to hide, to move quietly over uneven ground. when these skills became too simple, he learned how to craft bows and arrows, and gained proficiency with archery. he learned to fix cars, and build simple machines.
He learned to fight, not fancy martial arts or anything like that, but simple, down to earth brawling. He learned, not terribly well, he lost his share of fights, but well enough that he could hold his own. in his early 20's he moved out, getting his own appartment in town and working a dead end job at Gander Mountain, the large hunting supply chain in his area. When the dead started walking, he didn't hesitate, he packed some survival gear and headed for the woods on the outskirts of town, keeping to the forests as much as he could while heading for what was being termed the safe zones. He wasn't proud of what he did during those first few days, but if asked about them his response is the same as most people "I did what I had to to survive" when he arrived at the safe zone it was already sealed. the military turned him away, even when he offered to serve as a scout or soldier. they said the risk of infection was too great.
he spent months wandering, avoiding the dead when he could, putting them back to rest when he couldn't, always moving. he learned how to contact other groups of survivors, a series of signs that could be recognized by survivors but would be ignored by the undead. these methods of approach began to be standard as more and more surviving groups used them. one night he heard a rumor about a settlement in Chicago, survivors banding together to keep themselves alive. He started walking, for the first time in months his path had a definite direction. When he arrived in Chicago, he presented himself to the survivors there, brought gifts of food and clothes to prove that he could pull his own weight. After he'd proved that he wasn't infected, he joined their community, always volunteering for the more dangerous missions, running recon. and scouting new sites where supplies could be found, but with supplies now running low across the city, he's beginning to wonder if it might not be time for the pack of survivors to move on, find better scavenging grounds, or else find a way to grow their own food. he has some ideas, but is hesitant to bring them up, lest someone think he's overstepping his place in society.

Additional Information: carries a clip-loaded pistol, a small crossbow and bolts, and a pocket knife almost continually, in his camp he also has a riffle and a few tactical blades, as well as a small pouch he calls his "bug-out bag" containing survival gear for longer scouting runs, as well as maintenance equipment for his weapons.


(OOC: can we get further information about the zombies in question? Specifically are they inteligent or stupid, fast moving or slow, travel in swarms or individually, can they be killed in the traditional destroy the brain kind of way, or does this just inconvenience them, and finally, how does the disease spread (ie. through bite, through contact, through scratching, through bodily fluid exchange, only through death, etc. can it be cured if caught early enough, as through anti-biotics or anti-septics))

Wulfgang cannot be immune to the zombie virus. No one is. Otherwise he looks fine.

These zombies are traditional ones, crossed over with those of the Walking Dead comic book series and High School of the Dead anime/manga series. They are slow. They have no higher intelligence other than basic instinct. Infection is spread through bites. These zombies cannot see, thus they rely on hearing to find their targets. They travel in both swarms, small groups, or just alone. It all depends. Some zombies don't leave cities or towns at all. And zombieism cannot be cured.

Oh, one last thing. I saw no mention of Wulfgang's family. Did he abandon them or what?

Wulfgang isn't immune, but I assumed that plants would be, therefore he has a certain respect for plant-life, understanding that it will probably outlive humans. as for the back story, Sorry, I made a bit of a jump in the story line of his history, I went back and edited to explain that he wasn't living with family at the time of the outbreak.

Now he's fine and accepted. And sorry, I must have misread that.

I did what I had to to survive...

Username: Warboss_Spriggs
Name: Rebecca Walsh
Age: 29
Gender: Female

Appearance: Rebecca Walsh

Personality: Rebecca is often sarcastic and snarky, favoring large groups, just in case danger should strike.

History: She doesn't speak of what she's done to survive, or of her life before hell on Earth. She used to be a reporter for a local NYC newspaper, who got the raw deal of reporting on the occurrences that had been popping up. Shit really hit the fan when a group of infected citizens began attacking people, at ground zero of the outbreak in New York. She and some other survivors barricaded themselves inside of a radio broadcast station across the street as the muffled screams and shouts seeped through the doors as panicked people tried to break through the doors.

Nearly a week went by before the heard a response over the radio frequencies, checking for survivors, soon being rescued by Army Recon personnel. As they were being evacuated from the building, they hit by a large group of zombies. In a fit a panic, Rebecca stole a rifle and keys from a soldier that was being eaten and she hijacked one of the vehicles, fleeing and abandoning the remaining Army personnel and survivors to die. Barely escaping the plague infested streets of New York, she has been on the move for a year and a half; ignoring those in need of help, too afraid to trust anyone and only stopping long enough to fuel her armored mobile safe-zone.

Her travels, oddly enough, brought her to the streets of Chicago, where a lone radio message offered, food, shelter, and safety...so far she has been in the Chicago Community for six months, staying to the sidelines while trying to find her place, which with a religious nut-job in charge, is becoming a questionable charge. She'd listened to his ramblings, and witnessed his blind delusions of a higher calling...and concluded that he'd be the end of the community.

Additional Information: Carries an AR-15 assault rifle, Browning 9x19 mm Hi-Power pistol, and a combat knife the she claimed from a fallen soldier. She has had little combat training, even for her time in Chicago and Rebecca is an Atheist.

(I'd like to personally credit Magus1108 for the history.)


Username: Warboss_Spriggs
Name: Kelly Martinez
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Appearance: Kelly Martinez

Personality: Kelly is a realistic, well grounded person, trained in military combat and standard Marine rifles and side arms. She takes shit from no one and is one of the key members in keeping the peace; her personal disagreements with some of Pastor Samuel's decrees do not prevent her from enforcing them for the good of the community.

History: Raised by a Marine father and a strict Catholic mother, growing up to have a balanced perspective, respecting her mother's opinion and belief, as well as that of others; of course, she naturally followed her father's footsteps, becoming a Marine.

Many years later, while serving in the Virginia navel outpost, all hell broke loose, leaving the entire base struggling for survival, as she and a select group of highly trained soldiers fought their way out, rescuing as many survivors as they could.

Pastor Samuel would call it the will of God, she called it dumb fucking luck, as they escaped in one of the base's heavy transport vehicles, they chanced upon the Pastor with his budding group of survivors. She didn't put much stock in the man, but his word kept the people calm, and that's what she needed. In a way, it was a partnership in the making as she provided what he needed: security.

Kelly's skills, as well as that of this small group, helped Samuel not only found the Chicago community, but keep it safe and working in peace, and she serves as his Commander.

Additional Information: She is lesbian herself, so she has voiced this disagreement to Samuel personally, while also outlining her understanding of why he has set such rules in place.

She looks fine, but unless you give me a vaild reason, you will have to include her past in her history. Others may not know it, but I don't see why we shouldn't. Though if you have a good reason or an idea involving her unknown past, please tell me.

Now she is accepted, Warboss. And hehe....when I actually make the profile for Pastor Samuel, you may want to change your character's opinion of him. I do not intend to make him a sterotypical religious nutjob often seen in post-apocolyptic settings. Far from it. Being a true Christian myself, I know exactly what I'll make Samuel.

Not that I want you to change your character's opinion of him, of course. I'm just saying.

Well, we'll have to see, now won't we? :3

Username: almostinsane99
Name: Scott Pelosi
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Appearance: http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs5/i/2005/124/c/6/_Smile_for_me_____by_meru_chan.png
Personality: Scott is rather introspective, preferring to think things through before voicing his thoughts and suggestions. Mostly, he just likes to fish and has provided his fair share of food to the community from fishing in Lake Michigan.
History: Scott isn't a native of Chicago, though that seems to be trend among the community as of late. Instead, he is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana and he rather enjoyed his life, thank you very much. Except for the Hurricane that almost destroyed the entire city, Scott enjoyed New Orleans immensely. It was rich in culture and languages and, most importantly to him, it was a wonderful place to fish. When he turned 18, Scott moved out of his parents' house and began to work on a fishing boat, saving little by little to buy his very own. He had almost had enough when, two years ago, he decided to visit Chicago to see his cousin. Then the zombie plague broke out and he was stranged in an unknown city, fighting to survive. He doesn't know what happened to his cousin, a fact that haunts him to this day. All he knows is that if he hadn't joined up with Father Samuel's community, he'd have died. He is fiercely loyal to Father Samuel and the community, but, privately, he thinks that they'd all be better off if they traveled to the sea and set sail on a boat. Fish weren't infected and zombies couldn't swim. Nonetheless, he stays with the community out of loyalty to Father Samuel.
Additional Information: Carries a fishing rod and kits around with him at all times along with two pistols and five packets of ammo.

"I did what I had to to survive."

(Will finish later).

Unless you have anything else to add to Scott, then he is accepted, AI!

Thanks Magus.

I did what I had to survive

Username: TokoToTheEnd
Name: Nicole 'Nic' Talbot
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Appearance: https://media.photobucket.com/image/persona%203%20yuko/TESL4T4NK/Persona%203/YukoNishiwaki01.jpg?o=4
Personality: Nic is an aggressive, hardheaded girl. She hates being considered weak because of her age and height and will not hesitate to chew people out who do so. Nic is an extreme tomboy as well.
History: Nic was born to a small family. From an early age, Nic had rejected the idea that she is a girl, claiming that "God put me in the wrong body. I am a boy." She was picked on because of this, which gave Nic an attitude towards people, especially girls, who thought that she was a weirdo. Nic doesn't recall much of what happened during the Zombie Apocolypse. She tells anyone who asks they it is a mix of being scared, death, running and other unpleasant things, which she blocks out. Nic said that either her parents died or abandoned her and she survived only due to Russell, who found her and brought her with him to Chicago. Nic admires Russell immensely and claims to what to be just like him when she gets older.
Additional Information: Nic is straight, though she says that she is gay because of her gender identity. Nic knows no fighting, but like anyone, she can shoot a gun if she needs to

Username: TokoToTheEnd
Name: Russell Hicks
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Appearance: https://media.photobucket.com/image/anime%20cop/lemonfreak92/Happy%20Tree%20Friends/290149.jpg?o=29
Personality: Russell is a reversed guy. He doesn't talk much and if he does, it only what needs to be said. Most people see him as a loner and he tends to be avoided. Russell is a nice guy, but he just doesn't like dealing with people due to things that happened in his past. Still he has a soft spot for Nic and any other kids.
History: Russell grew up in a poor neighbor and as a child, his family struggled to get by. He had three siblings, who he loved dearly. Russell always hated violence and when he was younger, he wanted to join the Peace Core. He met a girl who also wanted to do the same and they dated. She ended up cheating on him and a few years later it happened again. Russell swore off dating and focused on his school life. Instead of joining the Peace Core when he graduated, he decided to become a police officer. He was close to becoming a detective, when the Undead attacked. Russell was worried about his family, but when he went to find them all he found was the body of one of his sisters. For a while, Russell was alone, but then he ran into a pair of guys. All three banded together and did well, until they tried to betray him when attacked. Russell doesn't say what happened to them, only that he was alone again. Russell found Nic not too long after that and took 'him' under his wing. Together they went to Chicago.
Additional Information: He is the deputy

Interesting and great characters, Toko. They ist accepted.

That reminds me, AI. Is your character related to the politician, or does he just happen to share the same last name with Nancy Pelosi?

Wait, he does? Frack! That was just last name that came to mind!

Hehehe. It's no trouble. You can change the last name, if you want. Though some fun could be had with him being related to that terrible former politician.

Yeah. It could be. Maybe she seized power post-apocalypse?

She's still a politician you guys, she wasn't voted out of office, she just isn't the speaker of the house anymore. She's still the minority leader of the house, and a representative though.

^XP is all I say to you and your political knowledge

Doesn't mean she's a terrible politician, though, in my opinion.

And no, AI. Even in fiction, I would never want to bring about the horribleness that would be her Presidency.

Who says it has to be Presidency? For all we know, the remnants of the United States government is a dictatorship! Plus, it'd give us an opportunity to slam her in this rolepaly.

Eh, I wouldn't want to be that cruel to the people in the Safe Zones. Besides, we can slam her just as easily without her becoming a dictator.