Realistic or Modern The World, Decayed - Lore Page

[calamity_]

• The Beginning
• The World
• Where We Begin
• The Infection

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  April, 2050 - -
  31 years ago, synthetic Cordyceps became the new superfood, with many supposed healthy effects. As studies into the fungi's benefits continued, a mutant strain of it made it into circulation. Infection spread quickly, and in under a year society had all but collapsed. 60% of the population was dead or infected in the first year. The United States government vanished, with what remnant were left reorganizing and naming themselves the Coalition of Functional Order (CFO), or simply the Coalition. Haven cities were formed by CFO, walling themselves off from the rest of the world to maintain some semblance of civilization. Haven cities tend to have the largest hoards of resources, and the most security of anywhere left in the country. Meanwhile, those who weren't lucky enough to reach a Haven before they closed have been struggling in the dilapidated world. Some of these people have built small communities; others have organized into bloodthirsty groups of marauders. Overall, civilization is nonexistent, and most survivors will go weeks before seeing another if they don't live or travel near to Havens.
  
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  HAVEN CITIES
  Haven cites were set up by the U.S. government in major cities a few months into the outbreak. They were originally simple areas of quarantine, but as more and more towns and cities fell, they became more insulated. Walls were built and resources were hoarded. The government transformed into the CFO and these quarantine zones earned the name "Havens." Some sense of normalcy continues in these cities, as they tend to have a higher concentration of specialized workers than other areas. Haven cities only occupy sectioned-off areas of the city in which they began, but the city outside of Havens are often relatively populous. Because Haven cities occasionally cull infected in the surrounding area, it is deemed safer.
  

  Central

  Centered around the CDC headquarters, in the center of Atlanta, this Haven City has the heaviest military control and is largely dedicated to finding a cure. They allow batches of new survivors to enter once a year. Central, as it has been labelled (center of disease, center of the city, center of hope), has a number of legends surrounding it. The infrequency of people leaving the city has led some to say that anyone who enters Central is killed so that there are fewer people to become infected. Some say that Central has already found a cure, and within the walls is a vision of life before the CBI. Others yet say that Central is full of cannibals, and new residents are used as food. Central is arguably the most locked-down of the Haven cities.

  Angelport

  Located in the Newport Beach area of Los Angeles, California, this Haven City serves as the base of the CFO. It also the largest Haven City, and occasionally allows survivors to enter still. Because of the ever increasing number of residents, the city is always growing in size and has a shaky infrastructure for normal life.

  Dallas

  Content to Come

  Toronto

  Content to Come

  
  
  
  
  
  SETTLERS
  Some survivors have banded together outside of Haven cities, and managed to form small villages. However rare they are, these villages can be nice places. They also might house cannibals. Who knows!
  

  The Shop

  Located in the farmlands outside of Dallas, TX, The Shop is sizeable settlement full of marauders, engineers, electricians, architects, and mad scientists, in general. They hoard resources and freely give them away to people who can bring them items useful to their work. A person can recieve robotic enhancements from The Shop, but their functionality is suspect at best. The Shop seems to have no morals, and is only interested in surviving and "creating," even if it causes harm to others.

  
  
  
  
  
  ROAMERS
  Survivors who have no permanent home. This constitutes the vast majority of people. You never know what sort of person you'll face as a Roamer. Is it worth the danger to be free of CFO control?
  
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  BUFFALO, NEW YORK
  Just far enough from Manhattan that it's not entirely overrun, and wasn't entirely wrecked in the initial chaos. Buffalo was once quarantined, with a noticeable wall and barricades scattered around the city. However, it fell when CFO restricted access to the Erie canal-- fresh water and a quick and easy escape route out of the city. The residents overthrew the military power and Buffalo lost any sense of order that it had, becoming another ruined city among the rest. Once CFO lost control, many of the Infected from Manhattan and surrounding cities were able to enter Buffalo. Residents migrated to the tops of the numerous high rises, forming small communities and factions. Others went on their own, protecting singular buildings with their lives. Even more took boats onto the canal and fled in hopes of reaching a Haven city. As it stands now, Buffalo remains the grounds for various small factions vying for power to "restart" what CFO started utilizing the infrastructure they had set up.
  
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  A genetically engineered version of the Cordyceps fungus caused the collapse of society, also known as the Cordyceps Brain Infection (CBI). The fungus grows while the host is still alive, with hosts undergoing four stages of infection. Stage one begins within two days since infection, wherein the host loses their higher brain function (and with it, their humanity), rendering them hyper-aggressive and incapable of reason or rational thought. Within two weeks, the host enters stage two of the infection, wherein the fungus begins altering their sight as a result of progressing fungal growth over the head and corruption of their visual cortex. After a year of infection, the infection enters stage three later; the infection scarring their face and blinds them, resulting in them developing a primitive form of echolocation to compensate. In very rare cases, if the host survives for over a decade, they reach stage four. They develop hardened fungal plates over most of their body. When the fungus kills the host, the host's body grows stalk-like fungal projections which release infectious spores. The infection can also be spread through bites from living hosts. Hosts can only be infected while alive, as the fungus is unable to infect dead bodies due to its parasitic nature, though dead Infected can release spores regardless of stage.
  
  To protect themselves from airborne spores, survivors wear gas masks. The infection seems unable to spread in open air areas, such as the countryside, although some of these areas possess a high population of Infected. The infection mostly thrives in underground or enclosed areas commonly avoided by people, especially sewers, subway tunnels, and some buildings.
  
  There is no cure. There is some indication that amputation of bitten areas can prevent infection. However, few dare to risk the attempt.
  
  
  
  INFECTED
  
  

  
  RUNNER
  Runners are the first and weakest stage of the Infected who have just recently entered their transformation. People who have been infected will enter this stage within 1-2 days with increased irritability and hostility towards others being a key symptom. Since the eyes are first targeted by the fungus, Runners have poor eyesight, but maintain some human characteristics. For example, their moans are still human, just like their overall appearance. A way to tell them apart from normal survivors is their glowing orange eyes. They also stay in a hunched position when motionless or when moving around passively, unlike normal survivors. Their body language is sluggish while they are passive, suggesting they are resisting the fungus's influence, albeit usually in vain. Sometimes they do not attack at all, even when non-infected individuals are right in front of them. These non-aggressive Runners will only attack if attacked first or when an object is thrown at or near them, thus losing control. They will also become aggressive if a non-infected individual is extremely close in front of them. Much like sneezing, the urge to attack after such interactions happens involuntarily and unwillingly by the host. Runners are confirmed to be able to attack in packs, flailing their arms in attempts to trample the survivor. Like survivors, they can be strangled when grabbed from behind.
  
  
  
  STALKER
  Stalkers are the second stage of the infection. They have the vision and speed of Runners, with the ferocity of Clickers. The most notable physical traits that define the Stalkers are the distinct croaking noises they make, the beginning of fungal growths on the head and face with only one eye left, the development of pseudo-echolocation, and their discretion upon spotting a victim at a distance. They will strafe and take cover, eventually closing in on the victim, hence the name "Stalker". Up close, Stalkers are very aggressive and will charge directly at the victim. Stage 2 may take place anywhere between a week to a month after the start of the infection (Stage 1) and last up to a year (Stage 3).Their strength is equal to a fit human being.
  
  
  
  CLICKER
  Clickers are the third stage of the Infected and take roughly a year to reach this stage of infection. They have had prolonged exposure to the fungus, and now possess strength that significantly surpasses the average human. This makes them deadlier, but at the price of being completely blind due to fungal infection taking over their face. However, Clickers are able to maneuver through areas by utilizing echolocation, which produces noticeable clicking/screeching noises to locate sources of sound, hence their name. Like Runners, Clickers can sometimes be found in a passive state.
  
  Clickers appear less human than Runners and Stalkers, with faces that are completely skewed and scarred by fungus developed from their infected brains. The fungal plates have apparently adapted to keep the host/pathogen alive and able to spread, as a direct shot to the face with a powerful weapon such as a revolver will more often than not just break off a chunk of the mold, leaving the Clicker's brain unharmed but exposing the victim's face and rendering them able to see once again (until the fungus regrows). Clickers are dangerous and much more aggressive than Runners, and like Stalkers, they no longer resist the fungus because their humanity has been completely eliminated. They have enhanced strength. Clickers also possess what seems like very high intelligence, never leaving an area when they have heard prey run by them, and will constantly check every available nook and cranny to locate the source of the sound with little regard to give up on the task at hand.
  
  When provoked, a Clicker will immediately enter into a "berserk mode," aggressively flailing its arms and 'roaring'. At this point, if a survivor has been "spotted" by a Clicker, the Clicker will attack head-on and will not flinch when shot, unless the survivor is using high-powered rounds.
  
  
  
  BLOATER
  Bloaters are the fourth, rarest, and most dangerous stage of infection as they take the longest to develop, taking years to reach this stage. They are covered in thick fungus that effectively acts as armor. Because of this protective covering, they can withstand multiple hits from weapons such as a Shotgun, and even hatchets and machetes, making them extremely tough to eliminate. Bloaters are extremely aggressive, but are rather slow-moving, making them more predictable than other infected. Like Clickers, Bloaters 'see' using echolocation to locate and trap a survivor. Because the fungus has completely deformed their face and blinded them, their echolocation is a lot less refined than the Clickers. If a Bloater grabs a survivor, it will violently rip their jaw apart through brute strength, or grab the survivor's head and smash it, killing them instantly. Bloaters throw sacks of mycotoxin, which explode on impact, spraying the target with the toxin. The mycotoxin will hurt the target over time, so it is recommended to avoid these deadly clouds.
  
  Bloaters, like all Infected, are vulnerable to fire. When set ablaze, a Bloater will wildly thrash around, trying to put out the flames. After being immolated, they will be charred, black, and smoking. Their armor will also be charred and brittle, making them vulnerable to low-powered weapons.
  
  
  Variant Infected
  
  

  
  SHAMBLER
  A mutated version of the Bloater, little is known about this form of the Infected as they have only recently begun to show up. They are similar to Bloaters in nearly all ways, except instead of throwing mycotoxin, they produce a gaseous cloud of acid that burns materials in the radius, and blocks the view when within.
  
  
  
  RAGER
  Born out of attempts to create a cure, Ragers are humans who get all the benefits of an infection with none of the downsides-- at least for a small period of time. They have an "immunity" to the infection, are more durable, stronger, and faster than the average human. They have no noticeable signs of infection, save for the following: a bite showing little fungal growth (assuming they were bitten), bloodshot eyes, and a vibrant orange irises that glow in the dark. However, they are prone to bouts of bloodthirst, with each "rage" increasing their chances of permanently transforming, turning into a Runner and beginning their cycle of infection.
  
  Ragers cannot transfer the Cordyceps unless they are in a rage, after which their specially mutated infection goes dormant. However, Rager's continue to carry their strand of Cordyceps as they evolve through the stages of infection, allowing others to receive the brief "gift" of the Rager. A Rager can maintain control for up to 1 1/2 years. They are incredibly rare.