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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 12, 2021 15:01:28 GMT -5
INTRODUCTION
My parents, in what I consider to have been a fit of misplaced optimism, named me Toivo, meaning 'hope'. You see, I'm 18 years old, and I was born into an apocalypse; a scenario nobody associates with hope. As if one dose of irony wasn't enough, they named my twin sister Signe, which means 'new victory'. Perhaps a little presumptuous of them to assume humanity's victory or the rise of a new world in the face of our extinction but I suppose it was nice of them to have faith in us.
I say I was born into an apocalypse, but that's not strictly true. I was born after it, in reality. Can't remember anything of a life before like my parents could. There's something slightly liberating about being part of a generation born in the end times; takes the pressure off, I suppose, if you weren't the one who messed the world up. Of course there's the less fun stuff, like the constant threat of death, the not being able to go out on your own, the living in bunkers with the same dozen faces for the rest of your life... but I'm getting ahead of myself.
I've decided that on the off-chance that humanity does have a while longer left, we owe it to posterity to leave the future generations some kind of guide to surviving in a world that's making every effort to kill you. Or if not that, maybe someone will be entertained by the diary of a teenager living through the downfall of humanity - it's more of a legacy than most people out here have a chance of leaving. I'll fill it with everything I can find about how to stay alive out here - or I guess everything Signe finds out. She's always been more adventurous than I have. I can draw, though, so at least if this thing has nothing else going for it, it'll be illustrated.
I guess it's a good place to document everything. If humanity manages to pull through a while longer, eventually there'll be nobody left who remembers what happened to get us here. Forgetting is the worst thing you could do. But I guess on a slightly more self-indulgent note, I don't want to be forgotten like everyone else who doesn't make it out here. It probably doesn't matter in the end, since I'm writing this for hypothetical future people who will most likely never exist, but still. Can't a guy have a hobby?
Anyway, welcome to Don't Die and Other Useful Tips: An Apocalypse Guidebook. No spoilers, but the world's ending.
ABOUT
Hi there! Welcome to the end times. This is a small group postapocalypse roleplay among a group of roleplayers who've been writing together for a long time. This roleplay might be closed to outside joiners, but if it is, still feel free to drop in and say hi if you'd like to, that's absolutely something you can do. We're a very friendly bunch and are always willing to take ideas, feedback, or even have a chat. Even if we're not taking joiners at the moment, we may eventually open up to wider joiners should the roleplay prove to have enough success to merit it being opened up to outside groups. For now it's just for us to enjoy but I'm open to the possibility of expanding the roleplay and in the meantime you're free to read along and chat with us if you'd like.
Please don't hesitate to contact me (ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ ) or my mods (𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 and Leo ) if you have any questions about anything at all. I'm British and in a different timezone to the rest of the group, but I feel fairly confident that when I'm asleep either Shadow or Leo will be online (because neither of these heathens get enough sleep). Between us we should have all times near enough covered.
I'm not actually going to say too much in terms of lore or anything in this section because all of that will be covered in the subsequent sections and I don't wish to labour the point by explaining the lore two or three times here on the main page. Just know that our roleplay group tend to be excellent at putting together motley crews who go on entertaining adventures so I have no doubt that plenty of hilarity and drama will ensue.
If that's something that interests you, then do continue to peruse, dear reader. You're in for a ride if I know my friends at all well! |
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 5, 2021 16:36:10 GMT -5
The Virus
I know how it is. Someone mentions the word apocalypse, everyone wants to know how it happened. We were all betting on it being something caused by humans that took us down. A kind of Icarus flying too close to the sun, death-by-hubris kind of deal. Something like global warming, or just plain old nuking one another into oblivion.
Some say it was caused by us.
I'd like to introduce you all to Carocomedens celeris, AKA C. celeris or the Black Hunger virus. Nobody really knows where it came from. Some say it's a zoonosis from that disease that affects fish, IHNV. Others say its the West Nile virus evolved for a different transmission. All we know is that it was first discovered about two decades ago, a couple of years before everything truly went to shit. It was in animals at first, but it quickly became clear it would be a disaster. Not only did it cause necrosis, so farm animals were literally rotting alive, but the virus causes aggression and an insatiable need to consume flesh. It wasn't pretty.
The world had desperately tried to come up with a good response to the issue, attempting to cull infected animals before the disease could be transmitted. It had kind of worked, for a while, but the real issue had started when it begun infecting humans.
At first it was slow, but gradually the disease became more and more infectious. As people died in their hundreds of thousands, research for a cure was stalled. Infrastructure broke down, and eventually government. Fear overtook the world; borders hadn't been shut down quickly enough, research couldn't go on fast enough, and eventually everything began to feel hopeless.
C.celeris is still around, of course, and is still the main risk for those alive today. It starts slow, with gradual necrosis. A little spot of black on your skin that you might not even notice at first. But gradually it spreads, and starts to smell. Then comes the aggression, the bloodlust. The body begins to crave flesh. If you don't consume other flesh, your metabolism deteriorates and you begin to slowly be eaten alive by the necrosis. The flesh can be broken down into amino acids, which helps to build more proteins and the necrotisation process is slowed. It's like a regeneration factor, too, helping to create antibodies against the virus. It actively strengthens a person infected by the Black Hunger, beyond just slowing down their deaths. The mind becomes crazed, desperate. Mental faculties deteriorate, the person becomes a shell of who they once were. Numb, taken over completely by the disease.
Human flesh is the prize for a human or animal infected by the disease; it is fatty enough to prevent rabbit starvation caused by eating too much lean meat. It is highly calorific and provides enough flesh to stave off necrosis for a little while. So essentially, yes; a little stereotypical, but it is indeed a zombie apocalypse. The disease is transmitted by blood and bodily fluids, generally from the bite of an infected animal or person.
There are all kinds of conspiracy theories. That the disease was created in a lab. That the world's governments let the disease take its course to cut down population. That the government had a cure but wouldn't release it. I don't know about any of that, but honestly at this point I don't really care. All I and anyone else really cares about these days is staying alive.
Maybe the truth will come out one day. Perhaps one day the virus will be a thing of the past. But as long as there are still people living on the surface, as long as there are still animals for the disease to prey on, it remains a threat. For now, we have to sit back and watch the world end.
The World
Some people, like us, were lucky enough to get into bunkers. Most people didn't, though. Space was limited, and so were supplies, and not everybody could be saved. The bunkers are really the safest places, but there are some places above ground that are relatively secure. Compounds people have built, for example. The odd isolated camp. Some people are brave enough to wander the surface world on their own, but it's risky. A life as a travelling trader can be very lucrative, if you can hoard supplies and sell them on. People will pay well for meat they can guarantee isn't infected.
The virus, ironically, has been good in some ways for the environment. The forests have grown back lush and green, plants have once again taken over the world. The water in most places is clean. It's by no means a wasteland; the world is more beautiful and less polluted than ever in general. That isn't always good for the people living on the surface, though; the overgrown wilderness contains an abundance of wildlife, which is a hotspot for infected animals.
The ruined, crumbling cities aren't safe either. Not only are animals attracted to the old human population centres, but they're also home to camps of bandits and raiders who attack anyone who passes through. And those are only the ones not overrun with the infected.
Supplies are hard to come by. Sometimes there is old preserved food, though looting means that those supplies are mostly depleted after these past eighteen or so years. A lot of people try to hunt meat in the thick forests, despite the risks. Most people who hunt meat don't go on their own, in an effort to protect themselves. The risk with meat is always making sure the animal wasn't infected. Most people either buy supplies from the aforementioned traders, or grow their own food like we did. The bunker's food supply is almost exclusively the vegetables we grow right here, but if our garden were to be destroyed coming across seeds to start afresh would be difficult, and God knows how long it would take for us to have a food supply again. We rely on it completely, without it we would starve.
The world we once knew is gone, and it's no longer safe. I personally have never known any differently, but I often hear stories of what the world used to be like before. The technology we had once had, the sprawling cities. I can't imagine being around so many people, and that's coming from someone who lives very close quarters with the dozen or so people in my bunker.
I wish I could have seen what things used to be like.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 5, 2021 16:36:50 GMT -5
The Bunker
There isn't a whole lot to say about the bunker. It's below the ground, it's pretty secure, it does all the stuff a bunker is supposed to do. It houses around a dozen people, but the numbers tend to fluctuate. People come and go; we might get travellers who need safety for the night and will usually trade us something in return, people sometimes die, people sometimes join the bunker.
Signe and I joined when we were very young. Our parents had us not long after the disease first broke out, and when it became a real threat they sent us away from the city where we lived to a family friend. She got us safely to Bunker 47, one of the first bunkers which began accepting people, but she didn't come in with us. She had her own family to stay with, and they wanted to go seek refuge with other families in the mountains. Signe and I are unsure of the family friend survived. Rumour has it the occasional isolated group in the mountains are still doing okay, so I suppose there's no reason to believe she didn't survive. Our parents, though, we don't think are likely to have lived.
Either way, the occupants of Bunker 47 took us in with open arms. We were raised here, haven't known any other life. Life here isn't perfect, of course, but it's ours and we love it for what it is. It keeps us alive, and the people here are like our family.
As for the bunker itself, it's pretty stable which is why it has lasted so long. Made of steel and concrete and with thick walls to keep us protected. We have all the facilities we could need here; a kitchen, storage rooms, a greenhouse with artificial sunlight to help us grow our own food supplies, exercise and training spaces, a medbay, and bedrooms of course. We also have a comms room to try and keep in contact with other groups of humans out there. It doesn't always work, but it's the best we can do.
Most of the bunker is a common area, but our bedspaces (while kinda close together) are more private. Everyone has their own individual decorations. Some people have trinkets from before the apocalypse, things that are important to them. Others have trophies they've collected from outside; Signe has kept a cool skull she found on the surface, for example. She didn't kill the thing, she just liked the skull. If that hasn't gotten it into your head that my sister and I are quite different people, I don't know what will. I tend to fill my space with drawings, doodles, crafty things I've made.
We keep weapons to protect ourselves from attacks from infected people and animals. The bunker has never been breached before, but we've had our close calls. The weapons are mainly for excursions. We send a group out every so often to help scope out the area, get us supplies, and trade if we need to. There are some people who are loners and choose not to join the bunker but who hang around in the surrounding area and we like to check on these people every so often.
I don't like doing excursions like Signe does, so I tend to make myself useful in other ways unless I absolutely have to go out. I tend to work in the medbay, or kitchen, or greenhouse. That being said, I've gotten good at machine maintenance and comms too. Anything to mean I don't have to go outside; I would really rather not get mauled by a zombie bear or something.
Anyway, that's pretty much it for life in the bunker.
Current Events
(This section is for plot, which will be updated as plot things are decided and as that happen) |
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 5, 2021 16:37:01 GMT -5
RULES
You know how in all those old apocalypse movies, the world always used to turn to total anarchy? Yeah, I wish I could tell you that wasn't what actually happens when the world goes through an apocalypse. But it turns out people do weird shit when they feel like they don't have anything to lose. Believe me, looting and rioting was the least of it. Human being are weird, man.
However, those of us who decided to go into bunkers to survive rather than roaming around in the dangerous world above decided that we had to keep at least some semblance of order so we could function. After all, we're all living in kind of close quarters. So we decided that we had to have at least some rules. Turns out that there are more rules in the apocalypse than there were before, in some ways. These aren't all of our rules - there are other, more unspoken ones. Don't steal things (especially the food we ration), give one another their privacy. We kind of enforce things as we see fit, but basically the main rule is 'don't be an asshole'.
Oh, and also!
Rules for the roleplay
I. The forum rules are my rules! Please make sure you have read the forum rules and obey them
II. We may occasionally use randomisers, dice and other similar mechanics to decide things. Please don't get defensive about the results of these things. It is what it is, it's simply random chance. It isn't realistic to expect your characters to go completely unscathed in an apocalypse rp.
III. Make sure you've read everything through because if you ask me questions about something I've already explained here, I'll still answer but I won't be particularly thrilled about it if you get my drift.
IV. If you have plans for things, please inform me! Not only do I like to know if someone has stuff planned for their characters, but I'd like to encourage people to share secret plot ideas and things with me because I would be more than happy to work to help make things happen! I love a good old plot event that's secret from everyone else.
V. No godmodding. You are not allowed to just have your character kill someone else's character, for example, without either it being agreed with the person or starting a fight which we can then randomise the results for. Have realistic consequences to risky moves or getting into fights.
VI. No mary-sues, and please make these realistic. I know that being 'too nice' can be a flaw, but it sounds mary-sueish. Now being a pushover? Easily manipulated? Naive? A similar vein and is much better in terms of a flaw. Just basically, please make the characters three-dimensional, flawed, realistic beings. They're living in a post apocalypse, it isn't all sunshine and roses.
VII. Ages - I'm not going to specifically put a lower limit on ages, but just be aware that a 5-year-old isn't going to be able to contribute a whole lot to the stuff happening in the roleplay so just be aware of that. And please be aware that the roleplay might get too dark for kid characters to be super appropriate even if it is PG 13
VIII. If you wish to make a character outside of Toivo's bunker, that is totally allowed! However, if you have ideas for a character outside of the bunker I'd encourage you to run them by me so I can make sure they work from a lore perspective but also so that I can maybe help find ways to involve them in the plot or so I can maybe suggest some things. We could have some potentially huge plot roles for characters outside the bunker, after all. OH! And also! You're completely allowed to make villains/evil characters. Violent gangs, raiders, bandits, etc. Or swindlers who take advantage of the vulnerability of travellers - the opportunities are endless.
IX. Keeping it PG-13, please! I know this is a post-apocalypse roleplay so it may have death and gore but still, we want to be forum-friendly here. If you do want to roleplay or write about anything that isn't PG-13, please use the Discord to do this.
X. Please respect the authority of myself and the mods
JOINING
Oh, so you're interested in joining! Brilliant, I'm so happy! Thank you for your interest. Please just fill out the form below. If you're new to the group I might ask you to provide a sample of your roleplaying if that is okay with you. It may take me a couple days to process your form and add it to the front page but I'll let you know as soon as possible if you're accepted.
| Name | Gender | Pronouns | Age | Role (if outside the bunker) |
- Fill in some info here about your character. A physical description (which can include height and weight if you want but doesn't have to) is optional but if you don't provide one please provide a faceclaim/drawing. Description of personality should also go here, including flaws as mentioned before. A backstory could go well here but is optional, and if you want to keep some things secret you don't have to write everything. You can also include any other information here you might want to like myers-briggs types, zodiac signs, birthdays, quotes, rumours about the character, a song you think represents them well, any extra special skills they have. If they have any relationships to other characters here would be an ideal place to put that kind of information. Basically, go wild and be creative and try to represent your character in the best way possible for them.
If you could also write a section with what Toivo would know so that I can have him create fact files and update them in real time as he learns things about people that’d be amazing.
Thank you so much for your interest! Once you've been accepted I'll PM you with the info on the discord where we chat, listen to music, plot and do other things related to the roleplay. I will be setting this up when the roleplay goes live so there is no discord as of yet. There will be very soon, though"
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 5, 2021 16:37:39 GMT -5
Bunker 47: Occupant Files
So, when somebody new joins the bunker we have to fill out a file. Originally it was because at the start of this apocalypse we still had a fully functioning government who wanted to record who was accessing the bunkers and how many people each bunker was supporting. It was supposed to help not only with recording the population but with monitoring the safety of the bunkers and determining supply drops. There hasn't been a supply drop from the government since Signe and I were about three years old. We've mainly been taking care of ourselves.
Now we just have people fill out the files for other reasons. Partly out of hope that there might be a government again one day, that things might get better. Mostly so we can have a record of who was here. If something happens to one of us, we don't want to forget them. Nobody should disappear with nothing to say they were even here, not even during an apocalypse.
Anyway, these are the people who currently live in Bunker 47.
SPACE FOR CHARACTER FORMS
Notes on Surface Dwellers
Not everyone lives in a bunker, as I've stated before. A significant number of the remaining population have been trying to survive on the surface all these years, with varying success. Some isolated compounds up in the mountains have been successful, as have some groups of bandits and raiders living in the ruined cities. Traders seem to survive well, receiving protection from the various groups they meet along their travels. There are even some who seem to enjoy the apocalypse. Run around the surface hunting infected people and animals - I personally think these are the people who've watched one too many apocalypse movies and have some sort of toxic desire to seem cool no matter if it kills them, but that's just me. Anyway, my point is that there are all different kinds of people on the surface. Even kindly people who bring supplies for free. When Signe and I were kids there used to be this guy who used to be a teacher, and he'd bring books for us, and school supplies so we could keep learning if we wanted to. I don't know what happened to him.
Anyway, I don't go out on the surface a lot, but my sister does, so I'm going to hand over to Signe for this one.
This is so dumb, Toivo. But fine, my little brother-
ONLY 3 MINUTES YOUNGER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH-
-and don't you forget it! He shoved his notebook in my face and told me to write some stuff in it about the people on the surface world or something. I guess I can do that. He's always scribbling away in his little books like a dork so I might as well give anyone who reads this a break from him.
SPACE FOR FORMS |
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 5, 2021 16:37:58 GMT -5
Members and Character Relationships
Character Relationships:
Toivo and Signe are twin siblings
Members
ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ - Admin - Toivo Heikkinen, Signe Heikkinen, (MORE CHARACTERS TBA)
Credit
Credit goes to me for the layout, coding, and the rp in general. I would also like to give credit to my wonderful mods 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 and Leo for their help and support, I love you both. Same goes to all the other roleplayers, I love this entire group and just thank you all.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 5, 2021 16:38:09 GMT -5
(Extra save for safety)
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jul 30, 2021 4:00:45 GMT -5
[Okay, we're ready to make characters at this point Also, I'm so sorry 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 and Leo I never actually asked if you guys were okay with being mods. If you aren't, lemme know. And of course I don't want you to feel obligated to join either, you don't have to do that!] |
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 2, 2021 12:04:17 GMT -5
SAVE FOR FORMS
| Toivo Heikkinen | Male | He/him | 17 |
Toivo Heikkinen was born on November 28th along with his twin sister Signe to Finnish parents in Hancock, Michigan. Their father, Mathias, was a retired racing driver and their mother, Esteri, an academic librarian. When the virus began to become a true threat to humans, Mathias and Esteri handed over the infant Toivo and Signe over to a family friend to get them to keep them safe and bring them to Bunker 47 while they packed away the family's things and tied up their affairs in the city in the hope of following. Toivo and Signe made it safely to the bunker and were taken in with open arms, but Mathias and Esteri never arrived and are thought to be deceased. Toivo grew up in the bunker and does not remember a time before the virus. The role he takes on within the bunker is much less adventurous than his sister, but nonetheless is useful. He maintains equipment, helps with organising supplies, works on the comms sometimes and even helps out in the greenhouse.
Myers-Briggs: INFP Zodiac: Sagittarius
(These are just for fun, I'm by no means saying that I think zodiac sign genuinely impacts your personality and I'm not saying that I think Myers-Briggs is an entirely reliable test or anything like that. I know MBTI tests have their flaws)
PERSONALITY TO GO HERE
| Signe Heikkinen | Female | She/her | 17 |
Signe Heikkinen was born on November 28th along with her twin brother Toivo to Finnish parents in Hancock, Michigan. Their father, Mathias, was a retired racing driver and their mother, Esteri, an academic librarian. When the virus began to become a true threat to humans, Mathias and Esteri handed over the infant Toivo and Signe over to a family friend to get them to keep them safe and bring them to Bunker 47 while they packed away the family's things and tied up their affairs in the city in the hope of following. Toivo and Signe made it safely to the bunker and were taken in with open arms, but Mathias and Esteri never arrived and are thought to be deceased. Signe grew up in the bunker and does not remember a time before the virus. The role she takes on within the bunker is very hands-on. She enjoys maintaining the equipment and organising the supplies much like her brother, and is excellent with the bunker's machinery. However, unlike her brother she very much enjoys investigating the surface world and accompanying members of the bunker on supply runs and other such excursions
Myers-Briggs: ENTJ Zodiac: Sagittarius
(These are just for fun, I'm by no means saying that I think zodiac sign genuinely impacts your personality and I'm not saying that I think Myers-Briggs is an entirely reliable test or anything like that. I know MBTI tests have their flaws)
PERSONALITY TO GO HERE
| Name | Gender | Pronouns | Age | Role (if outside the bunker) |
- Fill in some info here about your character. A physical description (which can include height and weight if you want but doesn't have to) is optional but if you don't provide one please provide a faceclaim/drawing. Description of personality should also go here, including flaws as mentioned before. A backstory could go well here but is optional, and if you want to keep some things secret you don't have to write everything. You can also include any other information here you might want to like myers-briggs types, zodiac signs, birthdays, quotes, rumours about the character, a song you think represents them well, any extra special skills they have. If they have any relationships to other characters here would be an ideal place to put that kind of information. Basically, go wild and be creative and try to represent your character in the best way possible for them.
If you could also write a section with what Toivo would know so that I can have him create fact files and update them in real time as he learns things about people that’d be amazing.
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