Forums » General Roleplay » Rotting World: Prologue

It's been over a year since the Biological Weapon was detonated in New York City. 11.5% of the worlds population was dead, 88.3% had mutated into flesh rotting zombies, leaving 0.2% being the last of humanity. And more then half of the people left being bandits and murder gangs.

Snow had just finished melting, it was somewhere between March and April and the undead were fully gathered around the fallen Sears tower, it had cut the city in half and undead were EVERYWHERE! But a small group held out inside the museum, they knew each other faintly but with more and more zombies flooding into the city the group had to flee Chicago.

Darik was the acting leader of this small group and he hard been for the last eleven weeks. Checking outside he sighed turning back to the group. He was armed with a pistol, Bow and arrows, along with i dinosaur bone short sword he called Sue Slayer.

"Attention," he said, "we have probably a day or two before they break through the second set of glass doors... and we've been out of food for almost a week. The museum is a washed up hiding place, I say we move... just before dawn."

Darik had a few ideas drawn up, make it to the Navy Pier and hook up a boat across Lake Michigan, or head south to Indiana, maybe try the Shedd Aquarium?

Asher was half dozed off leaning against the wall beside one of the nearby windows he was meant to be keeping a look out. He leaned with his arms crossed with his 1911 pistol tucked in the back of his jeans, his poorly sharpened hunting knife in the holster around his left leg and for once had his hood up in addition to his dark blue beanie on his head.

He caught half of what Darik said waking up rubbing his eyes and shook his head to help wake him up then quickly looked around out his window just in case.

"Asher!" Darik yelled, "pay attention!" He repeated what he said for the group in case anyone didn't hear.

"Shit..." Asher muttered while turning to face Darik and the others, he placed both hands over his eyes rubbing them and huffed as he let go "Sorry, carry on I'm listening"

Evalyn Ryes sat up again the wall closest to Asher, her head lowered as she stared fondingly at her sleeping son in her lap. A silent release of breath excaped her before tilting her head back as a small celebration. It had took her nearly two hours to get Ryder asleep, no matter if she sang to him or not. Careful not to disturb him, the young mother moved her son out of her lap and onto a make shift crib made from her blanket for him to rest in. After making sure he was covered up and his stuffed rabbit was next to him, she turned her attention to the rest of the group, momentarily Darik when he spoke to them all. When reminded if the food shortage, Eva licked her lips anxiously for a moment before speaking quietly. "We are almost out of medicine, as well. If we are lucky, we have a week's worth in total but..." Her dark eyes moved to her child for a moment before back. "I am out of inhalers and steroids for Ryder. We need to get more soon or risk having a coughing episode or worse later on. If we do plan on leaving soon, an episode will attract unwanted attention."

She leaned her head against the hilt of her katana, her eyes fighting to stay open for a moment as they turned to Asher when it was declared that he too was tired. "You can't blame him, we are all exhausted and hungry. Where do you suggest we go, great leader of ours?" She said jokingly, trying to ease the awful tension in the room. The back of her right hand rubbed against one of her eyes to wipe away the tiredness she was feeling before shaking her head for a moment. "How are we on ammo? I think my magnum is out." She asked as she ran a hand through her hair, her eyes moving downward to stare at the tanto at her belt.

"I've got twelve rounds and three arrows... without food and with hardly and medicine left, I say we have two options. The city is divided, by the fallen tower, if we go north there are more hospitals..." he pulled out a tattered, half destroyed map, "but south of us and to the west a bit is Engle, most crime in the US back before the dead rose. I'd bet there is enough guns and ammo in the hood of Engle to supply a small army."

Folding the map back up he pulled out a bag of jerky. It was empty but just smelling the inside was enough to keep him awake. "The issue is once we head out of here it will be impossible to get through again, we have to choose between guns or meds... food is possible in either direction but do we want more guns and limitless ammo, or a huge supply of medicine and bandages???"

He may be the leader of the group but this was a democracy, he was insistent on the group holding on to their humanity and keeping a loose set of rules. Before the fall of the living he was a film director, maybe not the most heroic of sorts but he knew how to lead, how to solve problems, and having a background in hunting with his brother and father for years and years he knew his way around a gun and a bow.

In his bag there was the following, 3 arrows, two bottles of water, pack of zip ties, screw driver, Flask of Whiskey, iPod headphones, Cannon camera with two batteries, and a book. "So guys," he said dropping the empty jerky bag to the ground. "North or South West?"

A few members of the group mention the idea of splitting up PC's go one way, NPC's go the other. Either send the NPC's to get the guns or the meds. Either way you heard your baracades shifting under the weight of the undead pressing against them. You don't have much time, maybe an hour at most before they break inward...

Asher nodded at Evalyn with a small smile as a little "thanks for sticking up for me" when the subject of ammo or meds came up he sighed and scratched the back of his head "I got about six more bullets left but that's about it" as he double checked the clip he had in his 1911 his face went a bit more blank "...two... one in the chamber by the looks of it..."

He tucked his gun back in his jeans and looked over towards Ryder and looked back at Darik "I reckon maybe we need meds more than ammo, while we can try more to avoid situations where we need to use our guns, if one of us gets sick it wouldn't take much for the rest of us to cop it not to mention you cant exactly see a disease"

"We could split up. Some go for guns, others go for meds. I know my way in the hospital, I used to work there." She said before sitting up straighter when she heard the barricades move. "We need to decide. Now." She said urgently, moving slightly to put on a baby carrier across her chest before picking up her son. Waken by the movement, the baby whimpered before crying softly as he was slipped into the harness. Eva whispered to him gently, urging him to calm down as she shouldered on her katana then her backpack. She moved a cover over his head, shielding him away from view or possible blood. "Look, I know how to take care of a child with any problems. But it would be easier on us all if we get this medicine. But the ammo and guns would be safer, the hospital could be overruned for all we know." She mused impatiently, unsheathing her blade.

The young mother paced against the wall, the grip on the hilt tightening as every second passed. Ryder, feeling the tension, pulled on his mother's jacket and whined even more, despite the calming movement of his mother's walking. "We don't have time to argue or discuss. We move now or they-" She said as she pointed at the doors with her sword. "-make a grand meal out of us." She warned, biting the pad of her left thumb as she wandered back to the group. "It is now or never, boys. Let's do this." She urged, narrowing her eyes at the door as her free hand rested on top of the infant's head.

Darik watched the mother wave her sword around and sighed, "I don't like the idea of us splitting up, but I also don't like the idea of us having to choose between one or the other." He looked at Asher, "I'll go with E to the hospital... Ash I want you watching my back." He looked over to one of the other capable people in the group of NPC, "you keep the rest of them safe ok, get us those weapons."

Harvey, a Canadian Buisnessman and also shotgun weirder nodded. "The half dozen others will be safe." Harvey leads the seven others out the south exit, your group has gone from 12 to just you four. Darik, Asher, Evalyn, and Evalyn's baby Ryder, the only problem now is the north exit is the one with all the zombies about to break through the glass. Darik and Evalyn know this to be the main entrance. And the south entrance is actually the parking garage which is safer to leave through. However, if you take that way you will put Harvey and the rest of your group in danger. How do you guys plan to escape the Museum....

Oh and just for fun, THE GLASS BREAKS! Zombies begin to flood in roughly five to ten minutes after Harvey left. If you wish to fight them I'll roll for combat, if you wish to run, tell be where you are gonna go.... Time is running out, tick tick tick.

((The numbers only represent if any of you get bit, but ONLY on a 1 you get bit... anyone can get bit by me just posting that a zombie bit you. But I will only have god moders get bit, however it's no fun if there isn't a random bite possibility every so often.))

((COMBAT: You describe how you try to kill the zombies and if I think your combat sounds boring I roll a 1D2 and you kill that many, if you write a cool fight seen you get a 1D4, if you write something super epic but not too OP I roll a 1D6 for you.... Sound fair? Good!))

Asher completely wakes up to the sound of the smashing glass and pulls his gun out into his right hand and knife into his left, unsure what to do he looks at Darik then back at the zombies "Darik?" he asked wondering what to do.

"Don't shoot we'll attract more," he said in a quiet yell, "there is a door to the roof in the Mongolian exhibit..." He pointed upstairs and began heading for the stairs, "come on, up up up!" Leading the Asher and Evalyn to the door upstairs that lead towards the roof he ushered them inside quickly! "Go, go, go!" He said quietly yet above the moan of the fast approaching walkers! Once outside he looked over the gargantuan horde, locking the door behind the group, "that was close..."

Cursing softly to herself, Eva moved back quietly to the safety of the group. Still keeping her sword ready, she followed after thier leader, eager to get away from the living dead but a little unhappy about having to retreat the only place she thought was safe. But, in the back of her mind, she always knew it would be a matter of time before that would change. The child on her chest gripped onto his mother's jacket, small cooes of confusion leaving him under the thin cloth over him from the movement his mother was doing.

Running past Darik to the roof, the woman looked around them frantically for thier way off. "No time to relax. They could still be after us. We need to keep moving."

A few scratches at the door to the roof, but this door is a lot thicker then the glass you should be safe for now, but it is Autumn. Not exactly warm, and your on a roof with no food and barely any water, no rope. How do you guys get down, if it's safe enough I won't roll for you guys to possibly break a foot or a leg. If it's not safe I'll have to roll for it, however a great number of the zombies now fill the museum and less so surround the building, probably two dozen outside now opposed to a few hundred.

Darik began looking around for a way down, and she that's when he saw two people in the distance. He didn't know who they were but if they hand any ammo they could clear the Waterfront side of the museum and the sound of the waves should mask the gunfire!

But even if they didn't have ammo maybe they could still help lead the undead away... silently Darik waved his arms around from the museum roof, it was a long shot that they would actually help but there was still a chance!!

"Look," he said to the other two adults on the roof, "if we can get them to take out the Rotters waterfront side of the building we can get down safer using the cloth tarp banners."

((Our friend DontBeTrippin is about to join, I've already cleared it with the DM... hopefully they can help us!))

Asher looks toward the people in the distance and began rummaging through his backpack for a moment and then came out with a flashlight "shit I hope this works" he said before he pointed the light in their direction and started flashing, the light wasn't strong enough to emit much light but it should have been enough to be seen at a distance.

((more hooman! ))

Conner rubbed the arms of his jumper. This afternoon was chilly, heavy grey clouds blanketed the dark blue sky spelling rain for those below.

A lit cigarette rested lazily between his lips, each puff disappeared into the air. His feet up on the ledge of the roof as he lounged on a sun chair. He looked over at Skylar, he'd be insane on his own, this world does something to the mind if it's left on it's own to marinate in the vile images of flesh, guts and blood stored inside.

Him and Skylar have been on the road for a while ever since Haven. They parted ways from the group half a year after they joined because of an internal issue.

Nevertheless, they're walking into something that'll change their lives for as long as they have theirs.

Conner's mouth opened up into a yawn, a faint cloud of C.O2 poured out as he exhaled. Mid yawn, the light from the distance caught his eye. At first he thought he was just tired and his eyes were playing tricks. He rubbed them both for a few seconds again then looked again, squinting this time.

"Sky, we got something! It's an sos" he grabbed his compound bow that rested soundly against the right arm rest of the chair and aimed directly through the marksmen sight just to get a clear view of the group "there's a few of 'em, we should help them..." he didn't sound very convincing. As evil as this sounded, in this dog-eat-dog world, anything they can get their hands on is valuable... sometimes you've got to crack some eggs. This is why he has Skylar, she's like his human conscious.

Connor and Skylar can see that the front is swarming with undead, all throughout the parking lot as well as the road. However the boats are more or less clear and the back park area of the museum only has about two dozen. As your not stealthing, four or five of them turn and begin walking at you with outstreatched arms. ((Reminder as they approach you can attack or run the Bite Check is just a random thing, Over Powered play will get you bit either way... Since your new to you the story I really hope you don't get bit but here goes the roll!))

Edit: Sorry Skylar, that character can choose to hide the fact she got bit or tell people, she has roughly 24 hours too live! HOWEVER, since Connor got a Natural 20 I will allow him to chop off Skylar's arm in time... ONLY because of the 20!!