World 2052: Pestilence Undeterred

[Endac Korinth]

This is a thread to work on world building for a post apocalyptic roleplay set in the year 2052 in the United States. The following posts in this thread will be related to different aspects of the world, and will be denoted as work in progress at the bottom of each section.

 

[Endac Korinth]

WORLD

The year is 2052, In the early 2020s the world was ravaged by the Covid-19 virus, and despite common sense and health activists all putting out meaningful research as to how to avoid contracting the disease, people were fucking idiots (we all know this). So when the pandemic was seeming not to let up by the middle of 2022, the UN began funding science to create an anti-covid strain, a virus that would go in and cancel out the strain of Covid inside of it's host. By the end of 2023, the project showed success with some minor side effects. By the middle of 2024, after a quarter of the world's population from 2019 had been killed by the virus, and societal choices having not been able to refill those deaths with births, the Covid-19 strain finally began to wane away into oblivion.

Then the crisis of 2025 occurred.

It started in Detroit, some crazy stories about people who had been cured of Covid-19 using the Anti-Covid virus, now known as the ANCO were showing signs of deterioration in cells, and erratic behavior. The news began pumping out stories of this effect being close to zombification as in popular media. Then in June, all hell broke loose as one of these people mauled a man in the middle of a shopping mall parking lot, ripping his throat out and going on a rampage, killing several other people. Police were called in to subdue the man. By 10:00 that night, the people the man had killed were up and about with the same erratic and violent behavior. Within a month the city of Detroit was walled off, quarantined from the rest of the country as the United Nations faced the real possibility that they had created the end of the world.

People who had accepted the ANCO treatment were rounded up from all over the world, and sent to Quarantine zones. In the United states, the president found large swaths of land in the countryside of the mid-west to corral the populace who were showing signs of deterioration. Within a year, the major populace of ANCO recipients were quarantined, and left out of sight and out of mind, other than by the national guard, or other military functioning bodies used to keep an eye on these people.

Life was supposed to go on as normal, but now the world was at half it's available populace.
Then came the threats of war. Russia, North Korea, and terrorist groups such as ISIS saw this chance at a new bio weapon as a new form of leverage against their enemies. The United Nations conference rooms became standoffs, wagering zombified patients as new weapons of war to try and strong arm deals between nations.

That was when the terrorists struck the first nuke.

History goes a bit dark at this point, as modern society stood on the edge of a knife. Only three weapons were fired, the first hitting just along the border of Canada and the US, effectively cutting off the United State's own nuclear supply. The second and third being from the US before they were hit, landing square in the middle of Russia, and Saudi Arabia.

The explosion of the missile that hit the US killed hundreds of thousands, and also destroyed the agricultural center of the United States...
And it was on that day that the survivors in that area realized that the ANCO treatment resisted Radiation.
And the walls of the Quarantine Zones did not sustain the blast.

Most of the carnage had taken place during the nuclear winter in the intervening years as society completely collapsed beneath the weight of it's own failures.

Factions have come and gone, built on the bits of technology that survived from the old age. Myths of other continents with people on them beyond the oceans of the New World are wide-spread, people talking about how wonderful such a place might be.

Due to this setting, RPs would commonly be set within one country, as the continents are disconnected from each other, or so is believed. Namely the United States would be the primary setting for the following information. Any factions from other continents or countries will be noted and assigned to it's country of origin (and will likely be made by alternate roleplays)

NORTH AMERICA​

The Continent of North America, as it was in the 21st century, has been designated into different pieces than the three countries that had previously existed. The current make up of the continent is as follows:

• The Glades:
• Red Rocks
• The Blight
• Cartel Valley
• Western Shores
• The Far North

The Glades​

The most habitable area of the continent, consisting of old age Eastern United States and Eastern Canada, stretching from as far south as the old age Louisianan shores on the Gulf of Mexico, now the Sea of Mexico after swallowing the Central American countries, to as far north as what used to be called Hudson Bay in Canada. It's borders extend from what used to be the border of Texas and Louisiana all the way up, bisecting Manitoba just along the edges of the Blight, to as far east as the Atlantic ocean shores.

This section of the continent is named for it's overgrown forestation having consumed the remnants of cement and metal structures that were once old age cities. The heavy growth of forestation post the nuclear winter created a tropical climate within this section of the country, causing as before unseen plants to become bountiful. The jungles allow a level of camouflage for the surviving members of the human race to be able to hide from the ANCO that prowl the forest floors below. Those who have settled in less urban areas have created sprawling villages in the trees. Others have taken to the remnants of the old cities and found safety in the broken sky scrapers which still reach for the heavens.

Due to their ways of life, far above the ground, people are afforded a sense of normalcy and society has begun to be rebuilt in a new form, subsisting off of trading venues and bartering techniques for supplies left over from the old world, while new agricultural techniques are cultivated to create above ground mango and banana farms, as well as trying to grow from old seeds found from before the winter.

Red Rocks
​

While The Glades technically spread a bit further west than modern maps might assume, beyond the reach of it's extent is a nearly barren wasteland of rock and sand, what used to be the deserts and red valleys of mid west America and northern Mexico. Any beauty that might have been found in the hills and deserts has been bled out by nuclear radiation, which mutated all sorts of wild life. Many who were not born beyond the trees of The Glades propagate horror stories to turn any minds away from ever possibly going into the Red Rocks

Mostly a desolate wasteland, very few ever travel across the Red Rocks, and even fewer think to settle there. Those that do would likely find themselves within the believed mythical city of "Paradiso", built on the lifestyle ideals and within the ruins of Las Vegas, Nevada. A bastion of worldly wonders even three decades after it's end, it is likely the only possible place to find shelter along the route that leads from The Glades out to Western Shores. As such, the small population that remains there year round, enduring the elements and horrific monstrosities, are not only a bit more technologically advanced, but also rely on the sustenance brought to them by traders from either end of the country to keep themselves alive.

Very few make their way down south into the Red Rocks area of Northern Mexico, as there are rumors of a giant beast which guards the border and obliterates anyone who dares come close to it. Due to this, many different myths are also propagated about Cartel Valley.

The Blight
​

The Blight is the most heavily irradiated portion of North America. It encompasses the entirety of Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, most of Nebraska, most of Idaho and Utah, the northern half of Colorado, and the southern halves of Saskatchewan, and Alberta. This area of the country is barren and void, even more so than the Red Rocks. The Red Rocks are more akin to a desert wasteland, while The Blight is a twisted version of what it used to be, empty and desolate, where even the air is trying to kill you with every breath. No one is believed to be remaining in this area other than the hordes of ANCOs who have yet to wander past it's irradiated center mass.

Cartel Valley
​

Most of the knowledge about this area of the continent, that of Southern Mexico almost reaching Guatemala, is made up from rumors. The only reason why anyone is certain of it's name are due to those who have come as traders to Liberty City (New York) from the "valley". While language barriers made things difficult at first, an understanding was struck and conversations began to take place. The foreigners spoke of the factions that controlled the jungle valley of southern Mexico, all having "Cartel" as the first word in their name.

Based on these initial conversations with those from Cartel Valley, cartographers suppose that the area this province holds would be from the southern tip of Mexico to about Mexico city, with the topography and agricultural values being similar to that of The Glades. Due to this, farmers were able to achieve a steady supply of beans, rice, corn, and other such grains to help stabilize the diets of the local population, as well as trading and bartering for livestock that was brought from the Valley, despite it's minor mutations.

Western Shores
​

Quite literally the western shores of the continent, stretching from the western most parts of southern British Columbia, down the length of the Pacific short to the southern end of what was California. This narrow swath of coast line shelters hundreds of thousands of survivors of the Red Rock trek, seeking a home in the old cities of decades past. Life is still hard dealing with the more unpredictable storms which crash into the coast, but they subsist heavily on fishing and a shocking gold trade in the foot hills of northern California.

The Far North
​

Due to not having much of any contact with this area of the country, very few in the Glades know how to mark it off as little more than a tundra left over from Nuclear Winter. This section is a large swath of land covering the northern halves of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the north western quadrant of Manitoba, as well as the entireties of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, and the state of Alaska. Expeditions have been taken out in that direction with not a word, or a man, returning from it's frozen landscape.

​

 

[Endac Korinth]

FACTIONS

The following is a listing of the more well known factions within the remnant provinces of North America

The Contingency
When nuclear missiles began being launched, Military personnel, fearing the worst, were ordered to seal up the barracks, and bases that they were stationed in. Outsiders were denied access, and many of the nation's troops were recalled to certain bases around the country for debriefing and new orders to handle the collapse of society as it was known. Some bases were cut off from the chain of command, and others simply ignored the orders handed down from Generals who were no where to be seen, taking shelter in some far off bunker safe and sound with the politicians.

Three decades later, and these Military personnel and soldiers descendants take on a new form. Those who remained in the bases began to build new lives. As those who had seen the world before Nuclear winter passed away, new people came to power in the ranks and began to form what has become The Contingency. The Contingency is a radically militaristic group with a hierarchal system based on pre-nuclear military ranks, ranks that were carried down from generation to generation in a medieval style of bloodline. Different ranks owned certain amounts of land around the bases, and lower ranked members (Privates, and the like) were treated as serfs, the common citizen.

What makes The Contingency a threat is their near inquisition level of snuffing out those who disagree with their ways of life or mock them, and their higher caliber of weaponry. Any weapons and equipment that were left on these military bases became sole authority of The Contingency, and firearms are revered as their divine right. Those who come across members of The Contingency while carrying firearms were often either beaten nearly to death and robbed of their equipment, or simple shot down for breaking their laws of ownership. Only those with a rank were allowed such divine weaponry. All others were not gifted with the capabilities to utilize them. Such was their creed.

The Sons of Liberty
In the wake of the recolonization of the eastern coast of the United States, many people flocked to old New York City, upon finding that The Glades had not yet consumed it's jungle of cement and steel. The city scape remained relatively as it was, despite many buildings having been destroyed in the resulting collapse several decades before. Amidst the creation of the new "Liberty City" in the shadow of the still standing "Lady Liberty" a cult like sect of survivors began to spread their religion: That the statue known as "Lady Liberty" was in fact an effigy to a divine matronly goddess who had protected it's children in ages past. Books spoke of the "sons of liberty" in cities such as Massachusetts and New York, landmarks that made little sense to these younger generations who had spent most of their lives wandering the wilderness of The Glades.

The Sons of Liberty was this "cult". A Religious faction who can often be found in the form of missionaries sent out to different rural tree cities, sharing of the great pilgrimages to the feet of Lady Liberty who has stewarded Humanity's safety in these lands for eons, and protects the eastern seas from threats of the monstrous creatures beyond the fog. Their scripture tells of the old days when their forefathers fought of red coated monstrosities, and call these words as portents against the usually red coated ANCOs, drenched in the blood of their victims.

Mahaktu's Chosen
Not much more than stories of these people exist within the further reaches of The Glades, but the closer you reach to The Red Rocks, or The Blight, the more you find these stories are closer to fact than fiction. In the wake of the return of humanity to the surface, there were plenty of stories about surface dwellers who had survived through the nuclear winter, led by a creature that came from ground zero, blessed by the radiation of the nuke that struck North America. This creature went by the name "Mahaktu" and the people who were alive and following it were referred to as "Mahaktu's Chosen". Those chosen by Mahaktu were able to survive the radioactive winter, and are best signified by the sickly green or pale skin of their bodies. Their eyes glow in the dark, and their heads might be bald, but otherwise most look very similar to normal humans. It is rumored they have the power to release the radiation stored within them but have learned to control it like their Mahaktu can. Very few of their kind are seen within The Glades, as they rarely venture beyond the cloudy skies of The Blight.

The Bleak Rovers
The Bleak Rovers are less of an actual faction and more of a form of occupation. An accumulation of those souls who take it upon themselves to be the vanguard against the dangers of the forest floor. The job of a courier in this age is both an integral one, and a dangerous one. Because of this, the Bleak Rovers have become a fanaticism of their own, usually nihilistic in idealism, and the most ruthless of the remnants of humanity left. They stand toe to toe with the undead hordes on a daily basis, known to be one of the few groups to freely roam the wild forest floors. They are also the only group that are willing to cross the Red Rock, or the Blight, taking missives to those in Western Shores, or just as far as Paradiso.

It is said that if one wears the coat of a Bleak Rover, signified by the cloaks the wear, even The Contingency won't bother you.
There are rumors that The Bleak Rovers are more than they appear, their dark demeanor and attitude being born from some dark power within them. Myths have spread about Bleak Rovers controlling undead like pets, and sic'ing them on random passers-by, or conjuring horrors from other worlds with dark arts most foul.

WIP

 

[Endac Korinth]

COLONIES

United States Colonies
Liberty City


Gulf Coast


Twilit Grove


Paradiso


Eden


Canadian Colonies
Montreal


Ottowa

WIP

 

[Endac Korinth]

THREATS

The Primary Threat of this new world are the ANCOs

ANCOs, or Anti-Covid recipients, are those who were injected with the viral anti-covid strain to try and overcome harsh variants of the Covid-19 virus. In their attempt to overcome the virus with another virus, it strengthened the latter and created a degenerative virus within the person's immune system. Within weeks of the virus activating, it could fully control the host, deteriorating their skin and causing them to revert to bestial instinctual nature.

ANCOs who have progressed to the final stages of this zombification have heightened reflexes, moving faster than humanly possible. Their hunger causes them to hunt without relent, chasing their prey for as long as they have it's scent.

There are several variants of ANCOs that have mutated over the decades to be different than one another in some form or another. Some of these mutations are based around their environments, and some can be found in every environ.

ANCO Variants​

It is important to note that all variants of ANCOs save for the frozen have a similar level of reflexibility. All are highly dangerous and best practice is to avoid them altogether. Currently Bleak Rovers are the only ones who have the knowledge and skills to be able to out maneuver or take down any form of ANCO.

• Hunters​

Hunters are the most common and basic form an ANCO can take. Resembling classic zombies of pop culture in the 20th century, with rotting grey skin and open sores, as well as sunken eyes an gaping maws, these creatures are fast, and voracious. When they catch the scent of a creature it could consume, they will track that creature until they have found it. Their single track mind allows them speed beyond that of a normal human, with a top speed presumed to be around 15 miles an hour on foot. They are more likely to be out in the open, shambling around in groups on the forest floors or city streets. While their appetite is voracious, if they cannot smell or see you, you are practically invisible to them, leading some to believe they are dimwitted. While there are some who have reported female Hunters, most are Male in gender.

• Stalkers​

Similar to Hunters in physique, this ANCO variant is almost entirely made up of females. Nine out of ten females mutated into ANCOs take on the aspects of a Stalker. The primary difference between these two is that the Stalker is more likely to lie in wait for their prey. Rather than chasing them down in open terrain with their incredible speed, stalkers sneak through the underbrush, follow their scent, and wait until the best moment to strike, jumping and ambushing their next meal. Because of this, their legs have mutated to be digitigrade, allowing them to more easily crawl about on four limbs, though they have been seen to walk on two legs as well. If facing a stalker, it is more likely you will not live to tell the tale, and won't see the end coming.

• Brutes​

As the name suggests, these ANCOs have mutated into hulking creatures, much slower than either of the previous types due to their mass. Brutes usually end up being leaders of packs of ANCOs, with the faster lower creatures bringing kills to the bigger brute, who in turn protects them from other packs. Due to this animalistic nature of the undead, the few scholars on the subject also like to refer to them as the Alphas. Brutes come in both genders of ANCOs, and their mutation seems to have something to do with the original hosts' muscle percentage in their body. The virus seemed to read the level of musculature in someone's body and caused an exponential increase in the breaking down and rebuilding of muscle, creating large hulking monsters in place of the original hosts slightly moreso than average muscular builds. While being slower than other variants, they obviously make up for this with their great strength, and general aptitude for throwing large objects at prey. As with all other variants, it is best to keep as wide a berth as possible, if not more so for this type.

• Screechers​

Every army needs a horn carrier: someone to sound the alarm and gather the troops in an event of being under attack. This is the job of the screecher. Sharing similar physical builds and traits as Hunters, the screecher can be set apart from it's pack by it's unhinged hanging jaw and sharp extended fingers. It's mouth has extended further down and hangs limply as it prowls about, it's neck bulging and thicker than possible. It bellows out screams that can be heard from miles away when it senses danger, attracting any and all nearby ANCOs to it's position. This is one of the few types of ANCO that does not attack on sight, preferring to keep itself safe in the embrace of it's brethren. It is not, however, unprotected, wielding razor sharp claws on either hands to cut to ribbons any creature that would try to approach it. It's screams when faced head on can deafen someone, and disorient at range.

• Glowing​

Found primarily in The Blight
Glowing ANCOs are irradiated zombies which act more akin to pop culture zombies, shambling around in slow masses at an incredibly slow pace. Their danger comes in the fact that being within shooting range of them can kill you with how much radiation they are giving off. Even more so, their slow movement is made up for with the ability to spit gobs of irradiated phlegm up to 20 meters, which acts as an acid melting flesh and bone.

• Scorpions​

Primarily found in The Red Rocks
Scorpions are mutated Hunters who have taken on animalistic traits. Once again, females are more likely to achieve this form of mutation than males. While originally the name referred to the Red Rocks denizens dealing with Hunters who had grown scorpion tails, the name began to refer to more than just scorpion mutated ANCOs as more and more sub-variants were discovered. Now it refers to any animalistic Hunter, such as Hunters who have grown fur in spots on their skin. Most of these mutations can be picked out as their eyes glow in the dark and have a slit like pupil, more akin to a cat. This variant is the only kind with night vision, and is likely the only kind one will find themselves dealing with at night, as most of the other variants cannot see in the dark and rely more heavily on scent.

• Frozen​

Found primarily in the northern Glades, wandering in from the Far North.
The Frozen are a relatively new variant, with pale white or blue skin having undergone hypothermia. Similarly to Glowing ANCOs, these zombies shamble around slowly and do not have the same speed as the Hunters. Also similarly to the Glowing variant, within as close proximity as 5 meters, there is an aura of chilling cold that can instill hypothermia in any prey. Not much is known beyond that and even the fiercest hunters use caution when coming across such creatures, giving them a wider than average berth.

WIP