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General Information

• Renaissance is a heavily themed Super Group based on a fictional post-apocalyptic zombie-infested world.
• This supergroup is also heavy RP. All OOC banter is generally limited to a private channel.
• If you are interested in applying to this supergroup, please leave an application via the website.
• Website activity is important when applying to Renaissance. We use the forums to schedule events and to kickstart roleplay. They are just as important as the in-game element, as we have players from North America, Korea, and the UK. Sometimes playtimes don't match up, so the boards provide us with the best means of communication
• Players are expected to stay in Supergroup mode, as the base is still being heavily renovated. (pictures to come) Every drop of prestige is helpful.
• Not everyone who applies will be accepted. You will probably need to roll a new character to join up, as it is a VERY heavily themed group, but we're always willing to help you go up in levels and include you on supergroup teams.

Flora

Flora is an alternate dimension of Earth. Most of the history is the same, at least, up until 1986. (More below) Flora was once very similar to our world, but has, in recent history, been destroyed by nuclear fallout and degenerative disease. The once lush and thriving forests are dead. Cities have been overgrown by wild brush and overrun by savage, feral beasts.

The deserts have blown over the cities and many of the forests; man-made buildings have been destroyed by feuding scroungers and the savage creatures that roam the surface. Dust storms are a daily occurrence across most of the planet. The area we know as “North America” was hit harder than the majority of the planet. It is considered the most dangerous place in the world to be. Many people speculate as to why this is: Europe was easily the most densely populated area, so logically, they should have been hit the hardest by the disease and it should by all means be the most dangerous place. Still, the fact remains that North America is a horrible wasteland.

The majority of the population lives in subterranean cities all over the planet. The entrances to these cities are heavily guarded, and the only trips to the surface are made by military soldiers and by waste management companies.

Other than the frequent dust storms, the climate on the surface of the planet is hotter. Dense greenhouse gases fill the atmosphere and as a result, the air is much thicker. The gravity on Flora is also slightly stronger than the gravity on our Earth. Many people who live on the surface of Flora have a gas mask to assist with respiration. Flora has, in essence, been transformed into a far less severe Venus.

The Pyrrhic Plague

On Paragon-Universe Earth, on April 26th, 1986, the Chernobyl disaster rocked the north of the Ukraine. In the Flora Universe, something far more dubious happened.

It was on this day that the Pyrrhic Plague, AKA the Chernobyl Strand, appeared on the planet.

The origin of the Pyrrhic Plague is a mystery to the public. It is a degenerative disease which is transmitted through contact of fluids. You can be infected if someone spits on you, bleeds on you, scratches you, bites you, or has sex with you.

Early stages of the disease resemble symptoms of strep throat. The victim cannot sleep due to the rawness at the back of the throat and mucus in the membrane. Not only is there mucus, but there is an unusually high amount of blood in the nasal cavity. Many victims suffer serious nosebleeds, and all victims experience heightened rage. The initial stages of the disease can last between one day and one month, depending on age, health, sex, amount of exposure given to the strand, and how evolved the particular strand of virus is.

The disease then moves from the throat into the upper respiratory tract, and after exactly three days in the larynx, moves to infect the lower respiratory tract. Victims who reach this stage begin to notice sluggish cognition but increased strength.

Once the disease infects the victim's lungs, it spreads to the nervous system and begins to slowly but surely nullify the nerve endings in the victim's body. It acts very similarly to leprosy, in that the nerve endings go numb and the flesh of the victim begins to deform and mutate.

Once the victim reaches this stage, he or she no longer has any sense of self. Their strength is matched to that of ten men, but their brain activity and mental capacity is reduced only to instinct. People who have reached the apex of Stage One are commonly known to Scroungers as “Bruisers”

This is the stage reached by 70% of Pyrrhic Plague victims. The only remaining stage for these men and women is death. The body shuts down, too mutated to function, and they perish.

28% of the victims of the Pyrrhic Plague mutate again. They regain a small amount of mental capacity and their muscles normalise enough to allow them faster movement and agility. A side effect of these leaning muscles is a loss of strength, but these people still remain stronger than at least three men. In addition to the transformation of the body, the limbs become longer, almost catlike, and these victims develop razor sharp talons. They are predatory creatures, and are often referred to by Scroungers as “Hunters”

2% of the victims of the disease do not mutate as the rest. They grow tall and strong. They are highly intelligent, and although they do not look look their feral counterparts, are just as strong as a Bruiser and as fast as a Hunter. Average height for a “Stage Three” is between 6'6” and 7 feet tall. Stage Threes are commonly referred to as “Evolved” or to Scroungers, as “Reapers”

After Renaissance Day, 20% of these people who died recently from the disease would awaken again. Radiation, which should kill all living tissue, has the opposite effect on the virus. Rather, it wakes up dead cells and the recently dead live again. Any creature to come back after natural death is remarkably more resilient to attack. The only sure way to stop a reanimated victim is to completely remove or destroy the head, or damage the body so heavily it cannot advance.

The final note on the Pyrrhic Plague is that it is not limited to human life. It infects any and all warm or cold-blooded animals. Animals infected by the virus react more like Hunters, but larger animals such as bears gain traits closer to those of Bruisers. Essentially, the virus enhances the natural core instinct of the animals it infects, and they react simply more feral and vicious than nature originally intended.

Renaissance Day

In late 1999, Victus Laboratories declared nationwide that they had developed a cure for the Pyrrhic Plague. The response nationwide was staggering. The European Union demanded it be administered right away, but Victus insisted a planned airborne release of the antigen directly into Flora's atmosphere would be the fastest and most effective way to eliminate the virus.

After weeks of negotiation, the United Nations agreed that the cure would be dispersed January 1st, 2000.

Further public records of January 1st, 2000, were destroyed in a devastating nuclear disaster that followed, but many speculate as to the reasoning behind moving thirty percent of the population into underground cities before Victus released the cure. Details are, at best, sketchy.

What is known is that the people residing on the surface of the planet either died or mutated. The Pyrrhic Plague was not destroyed; it mutated again. Many of the people who died from the radiation reanimated whether or not they were infected by the original disease.

The disease not only became easier to contract, it also became more difficult to fight. Infection to final stages took a drastically shorter amount of time. People who would reach final stages did so in a matter of days, rather than weeks.

The first five years on Flora, after Renaissance Day, the people on the surface were at constant odds. Seemingly random groups of people banded into small troupes, or “hordes”, and learned to live off the barren land. They learned quickly that not only did they have to survive scavengers from rival hordes, but they also had to deal with the harsh atmosphere and feral monsters that ravaged the lands.

The colonised cities below the surface united under a single government, and martial law was declared. The people below the prison are kept safe by the military, but are essentially prisoners in their own towns.

Factions

Victus Laboratories

Known to surface dwellers as “The Corporation”, Victus is the reputable firm which has been working with the government to develop a cure for the plague once it was discovered shortly after the Chernobyl incident.

Although they have many subterranean offices, Victus also resides on the surface of Flora in order to collect samples, specimens, and capture monsters for study and disease development.

The public image of Victus, despite the botched cure, is one of relief to the people living underground. They portray the image of hope to not only cure the disease, but to also restore Flora to it's former state.

Of all industries and companies, Victus is the one that has remained steadfast and will continue to drive the world's economy. The majority of civil skilled survivors work for Victus.

Government and Military

After Renaissance Day, the Government merged into a Hegemony. The subterranean cities are heavily guarded by government troops and the people are under strict control. The military has enforced a strict curfew: 1800 hours if you are under sixteen years of age, 2100 hours if you are older than sixteen.

Police departments have been abolished. Any crimes are brought before a military tribunal, and people who are found guilty for their crimes are sent to the surface. When the cities moved below the ground, the room for expansion became seriously limited, therefore, prisons were eliminated.

The military is always recruiting people to guard rare assets, city entrances, Victus buildings, and other points of interest. A typical soldier is trained vigourously and undergoes heavy mental conditioning. They are taught that those outside the cities who do not work for Victus are evil, and that everything on the surface is infected. These men and women are taught to shoot first and ask questions later.

Scroungers

Scroungers are what is commonly referred to as “Surface Dweller”. They are nomadic, and therefore extremely adaptable. They move from area to area, living off the land as best they can, and often feud with other Scroungers for supplies, food, alcohol, cigarettes, weapons, and salvage.

Scroungers move in groups referred to as “hordes”. To become a member of a horde, you must prove your worth by bringing something of value to the whole. Due to the feuding nature of Scroungers, trust does not come easily. It often takes months of dedication and loyalty to be finally accepted into a horde.

The more reputable the horde, the harder it is to get in.

Some of the most famous hordes include Raven, Phoenix, Tumbleweed, Dusty Plains, and Scythe.

Types of Scroungers

Scroungers come from all walks of life. There are, therefore, many different types of Scroungers. Many are multi-talented, but some specialise in many areas.

Technophiles

Commonly referred to as “Steins”, which is short for “Frankensteins”. Steins are amazing with any piece of technology, salvage, metal, or scrap. They build weapons, armours, cars, machines, turrets, and shelters. To survive, a horde needs a Stein. They are highly intelligent, but often lack the tactical skill to lead a raid.

Forragers

Commonly referred to as “Scavs”, short for “Scavengers”. These men and women know how to scavenge anything from anywhere. They learn early on to move quickly and to keep their sticky fingers close to their persons, lest they lose their limbs.

Marketeers

Commonly referred to as “Shoppies”. These men and women are silver tongued tradesman, and often travel in packs of just Marketeers. A very fortunate horde will have at least one Marketeer with very valuable items.

Fighters

There are several types of fighters. Living on the surface of Flora teaches a person to fight to save his own skin very quickly. Between other Scroungers, the monsters on the surface, and the military hunting them as outlaws, they teach themselves the way of survival. Some of these fighters focus on one skill, and are extremely valuable in guerrilla raids and defense of a horde.

Brawlers are usually large men and women, quick to act but slow to think. Swordsmen and women are very common. People with guns and crossbows are also common, but not as common as those who wield a blade. Ammunition and working parts for guns are few and far between. Only the most skilled gunmen and archers continue using these weapons because every shot must count.

It is common for any Scrounger to be carrying some sort of concealed weapon, whether it's a gun, or more likely a blade.

Spies

Commonly referred to as “Listeners”. Listeners infiltrate cities, other hordes, and sometimes even the military to learn valuable intel. They are the most easily captured of Scroungers, and often executed when discovered. When a spy joins a horde, it generally takes far longer for the group to accept him or her.

Doctors

Commonly referred to as “Doc” or “Bones”. In the horrifying conditions they live in, a doctor must often remove a limb or use unconventional ways to patch up a person. Many Scroungers are skilled in field dressing, but few can perform a surgery to stop a serious bleed or remove a bullet. Of all Scroungers, these men and women fight the least, but are the most protected.

Leaders

The leader of a horde is brave, wily, resourceful, and multi-talented. The people within his or her horde are unwaveringly loyal and would kill to protect them. The leader's main focus is to protect his or her family, or brothers. The leader names, shelters, and embraces his or her horde. Without the leader, the horde splits. A good leader always has several subordinates to take over in case he or she should fail, but not all hordes have leadership this trusting or resourceful.

Church of Evolution

When Flora was destroyed by radiation and disease, many people fell into despair and questioned their religion. The majority of the world is agnostic or atheist. There is, however, a small number of the population who have essentially deified and worship the stage three infected.

The “Evolved”, as they call them, intelligently lead and order a small rumoured number of deluded inhabitants to do their bidding. Gather supplies, bring a constant food supply, or even impregnate to reproduce with this “stable” strand of the Pyrrhic Plague.

There are rumours and stories about pregnant women whose fully developed babies eat their way out of their bellies. These women gladly sacrifice their lives to birth these human-Evolved hybrids.

People from all walks of life seek the Church of Evolution, believing wholeheartedly that humanity is simply on its way to a heightened state. They see the mindless beasts and deformed humans as “Children of the Evolution” and welcome the opportunity to become infected. Those who perish are mourned for “losing their faith”. People often leave cities, and sometimes even hordes to seek these cultists. Not only do you have those who seek faith, but also those who sympathise with people who have been ravaged by disease and believe they are simply “misunderstood”. Such sympathisers are often used as cattle for the Evolved.

There are small gatherings of cultists all over the world. They exhibit many of the same traits as Scroungers, only with fanatical obsession with the infected.