Cordon Sanitaire: Play-by-Post RP Interest Check/OCC WIP!!!

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Paronomasia12

Master Knight
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Pictures by John Walters and Peter Baustaedter

Europe, 2068

'...And so this Great Pestilence, this pernicious corruption in the air, brought the death of peoples and humbled the Realm of Man.'

Post-apocalyptic Play-by-Post RP


Rules
  • A Character Sheet must be approved before posting in the IC thread.
  • Balanced, fair and also realistic characters and actions are a must.
  • Anything mentioned Out of Character shouldn't be used In Character, unless a good reason is given
  • Don't write a significant world-changing event without first discussing it with, and gaining general approval, from the other players in the OOC
  • Don't take control of another's character without their permission


Setting
It is Europe, 2068, and the Mors virus is once again ravaging the world. The previous 55 years of disease and civil strife is known as 'the Catastrophes'.

'Go quickly, go far, and return slowly.'

Named after the Latin personification of death, Mors is a haemorrhagic fever that was responsible for the deaths of some 2.5 billion people, mainly within the overpopulated Asia. Highly virulent and easily transmitted, it has a mortality rate of 84%, and is dangerous in its high tolerance of environmental conditions, fortnight-long incubation period and its aerosol transmission.
Those that survived were mainly those who had not been exposed, or were those whose immune systems somehow managed to defeat the Mors Plague. The latter numbered around half a billion and although they had survived, many were blinded, suffer from internal bleeding and necrosis, are fetid, and are pariahs in this new world.
Although the numbers that were killed was far less than what could have occurred, the breakdown in society caused many more deaths over the years than died due to the Plague itself. Fortunately, when the doctors and nurses fled the hospitals and the people locked themselves in their homes, human interactions ceased.  And because of that the pandemic burnt itself out.
With so many dead, the remains of mass graves and mass pyres can be found in evidence across the country. Communicable diseases such as cholera and typhoid were of particular concern in those early years.

That was 40 years ago, during the first pandemic. Mors has returned to Europe with a vengeance.

The incubation period is normally two weeks, although 2 days to 2 months are also recorded. Only a blood test can indicate whether a person is infected until symptoms occur.

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The Mors Plague spreads much like the common cold. It can be transmitted by aerosol (e.g. airborne droplets in an infected person's breath), fomites (contaminated objects), and direct contact with infected bodily fluids. With a high tolerance of environmental conditions, it can survive for up to 24 hours outside of a human body, but the virus is much less virulent when transmitted through fomites. It can be killed through burning and bleaching but that is no cure for the victims.

Once symptoms occur, within one week:
  • Bloody vomit and stools
  • Petechiae form
  • Systemic necrosis
  • Bleeding from skin pores, eyes, nose, mouth and gastrointestinal tract
  • Death from exsanguination and/or organ failure

There is no known cure. Only prevention through isolation and containment.

Special Note. Prevention tips

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Colour Index
  • Red - >25% of the population is infected
  • Orange - Between 5% and 25% are infected
  • Green - Less than 5% are infected

2013-2021 West African Ebola Virus Epidemic
The largest Ebola haemorrhagic fever outbreak as yet recorded. Around 38,045 recorded cases with a mortality rate of 39%.

2015-present Zika Virus Outbreak
Although relatively undeadly, the mosquito-spread Zika virus still affects much of the Americas. Currently around 1 million suspected cases. Back in 2016, the safety of the Summer Olympics was affected but no records show the games as having an influence on the number of cases.

2017-2049 The Great African Famine
Due to unforeseeably hot weather and an infection of cereal grains, a disastrous famine occurred across Africa. Unknown how many died as a direct result, but an estimated 37 million starved over its 32 year length.

2019-present SARS Pandemic
Believed to have been eradicated, with no recorded cases since 2004. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome of present has a mortality rate of 19%. It has since been estimated to have infected 168 million.

2021-2046 The Great Warming Period
Climate change resulted in unseasonably hot weather for most of the world. Characterised by a jump in natural disasters such as famines (The Great African Famine being one of the first attestable examples), droughts, increased desertification, rising sea levels, extinction of endangered species, and an increase in extreme weather.

2022-2029 The Great Plague of Mors
The first deadly outbreak of the Mors Plague. The index patients were tourists who had travelled to the Amazon.

2023-2039 The Great Drought
A result of The Great Warming Period. Noticeably prolonged below-average precipitation effecting temperate zones.

2028-present The Great Famine
Crop failures leading to mass malnutrition and starvation worldwide. Continues to this day due to lack of proper irrigation and infrastructure. Unknown how many have died, many millions.

2037-2041 (ongoing flare-ups) Cincinnati Flu Pandemic
Named after the place of patient zero, this subtype of influenza affected mainly the Americas and Europe. Although no more virulent than normal, the devastation wrought by the Mors Plague prevented a cohesive and effective response. There were several waves of the Flu, all told 310 million were infected and like the pandemic of 1918, it disproportionately killed healthy young adults through a cytokine storm. Has a mortality rate of 21%.
Ongoing flare-ups have spread out of Europe into the Middle East and Africa.

2046-2048 Asian Mors Epidemic
Affected mainly the Indian subcontinent around the Ganges. Overpopulation of the Ganges basin had led to overcrowding, poor sanitation, poverty, and an increase in unclean drinking water which are all risk factors of the disease. There were upwards of 190 million people living in the Ganges River Basin at the time, 82 million are known to have been affected and 60 million died.

2052-present Second Great Mors Pandemic
Mors has returned to the world and does not seem to want to go. Highly likely a consequence of the Asian Mors Epidemic four years earlier.

Landscape
There has been half a century of urban decay. Swaths of the country are completely devoid of people. With no one to maintain them roads have become degraded and cracked, and many of the buildings have begun to collapse. Abandoned vehicles lie hollow and corroded. To survivors, these are potent reminders of a world long gone. Nature has begun to encroach on urban areas, retaking ground lost some centuries ago. Wild animals are the dominate inhabitants and can be found roaming the streets, whilst those old domesticated pets have usually starved or become prey. Deer gallop and graze in parks. Packs of feral dogs hunt the vulnerable. Vegetation can be found growing everywhere, through everything.

Weather
The winters are so much colder and longer than before. Hypothermia and frostbite are of particular concern. And on the flip side, the summers are much hotter. Dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke are a common for the unprepared.
The extremes of weather - heat waves, droughts, snow storms and lightning storms - are much more severe and occur more often. The buildings of today must provide sufficient shelter.
If the season's storms destroy crops or kill the cattle, sheep or pigs, then the population will end up starving. There simply isn't the infrastructure in place to effectively transport masses of goods between places with a surplus and ones with a shortage.

Estimates tend to vary widely about the number of people in Europe. The population of England is said to be 5 million, for Germany, it is 8 million. What can be said for certain is that there are far fewer people now than there were at the beginning of the century. Although it appears that a tenth of what was at the start of the century is a good rule of thumb.

What is the life expectancy? It varies from place to place but it is great deal of luck that will get you to fifty.

On the whole, the average height for a man is 5'7” (171-2 cm) and 5'2” (158-9 cm) for a woman.

Most people tend to be religious in some form or another.

Disease is rife in the population. Cholera, Smallpox, Malaria, Influenza and Typhoid can all be experienced by a European, whether suffered by themselves or by someone close to them.  It would be unlucky for you to meet someone who currently suffers from the Mors Plague, but those who have survived it can still be found. They are pariahs and are not allowed in the 'Green Zones'.

There are many foreign refugees travelling through or to Europe as people try to escape the Mors Plague. Unfortunately, it is likely that this helped its spread out of Asia.

Society
The social hierarchy has similarities with the estates of the realm. Initially there was the Division of Labour by conscription, where each task was carried out by a specialised groups of workers. In this way, each group contributes to the welfare of the society as a whole. However, over the years, the system was exploited by nepotism.

Most live under a feudalism in all but name.

Society has become much more conservative. There are some 'liberal' places but these tend to be in the periphery settlements or driven underground. Racism, sexism and homophobia can all be expected.

It was Eve that persuaded Adam to take a bite from the forbidden fruit, resulting in their expulsion from Paradise. The more zealous segments of society hold this against women. Although there are Ecclesiastical courts that follow their own laws, in almost all cases the discrimination that a woman will experience is personal, not legal. The same can be said of homophobia, it is not written in law but dependent on individuals' personal beliefs.

Settlements
Most of the countryside has been abandoned to nature or to marauders, with the remaining population living in the heavily fortified walled-off towns and cities, independent villages, shanty towns, or in nomadic groups. Every available plot of land in and around these population centres is farmed to such an extent that the settlement should be self-sufficient and form their own little islands.

Unfortunately, the power of the central government is normally negligible, and whilst the various lords, mayors, cities, and towns of the country owe allegiance to their national governments, they also possess an extent of privileges that give them de facto independence within their sphere of influence. The most centralised states are either small like Benelux, or with dictatorial governments like Spain or England.

There are a number of designated Zones for a broad region of country that you will need to be aware of:
  • 'Green Zones' are regions free of the Mors Plague and are considered the last refuge and hope of the civilized world.
  • 'Orange Zones' are vulnerable or are in a post-infection stage. They contain most of the world's remaining population. Outside of Europe and North America, decades of disease and civil unrest has brought these regions close to a stage of social collapse.
  • 'Red Zones' are infected areas. These Zones are surrounded by a cordon sanitaire aiming to prevent all entry and exit. Best case for those uninfected and trapped in these Zones is to isolate themselves until the Zone declared clear.

Economy
The nature of economic activity has changed. There has been an increased need for labour skills and blue-collar work. Food production is of special importance, with such skills as farming and animal husbandry being propagated widely. Other work includes manufacturing, mining, sanitation and construction, with the typical pre-Catastrophe blue-collar work being inadequate for the present crisis.

Money has undergone a rapid hyperinflation with paper currency becoming useless, and the economy has reverted to bartering and gold standard.

This does not mean international trade does not occur. The US trades foodstuffs, oil and military material with Europe, as does the nations in Oceania. The choke points of trade routes, for example, the Suez and Panama Canals, and the Straits of Hormuz and Malacca are strategic locations with the local states becoming strong powerbrokers.

Transport
Motorways and carriageways between major settlements are relatively well travelled and patrolled. However, the smaller countryside roads and lanes have been left unmaintained, with some falling into such a state of disrepair that they have become impassable.

There are vehicles such as motorbikes, cars, and improvised fighting vehicles (like technicals) available. They normally have a rough-and-ready appearance, sometimes with body panels missing, and with salvaged and recycled parts. Petroleum fuels are hard to come by, but trade with the US and a recent 'expedition' to the Middle East has secured a steady supply of oil.

Animals have become a useful form of transport.

Railway tracks lack electrification and are relatively difficult to maintain so have been generally abandoned. There are some steam-locomotives and human-powered trains but they are rare.

Aeronautical forms of transport are limited to blimps and hot air balloons, aeroplanes being too dependent on already scarce materials and fuels.

Ships are the only form of large-scale transport that is still in civil and military use. When international trade does occur, it will be done through the use of ships.

An international effort was attempted at maintaining satellites important for any future rebuilding or unified response. These had included communication, weather and reconnaissance satellites. There are often meteorite falls observed which are a result of other unused satellites re-entering the atmosphere.

Technology
Coal mining and steam powered 19th century mechanisation has been resumed and, alongside renewable energies (such as wind farms or tidal), can be found in most populated areas keeping up the provision of electricity.

New technology equates to pre-1970s electromechanical systems. Technology circa-2020 is contemporary.

Law and Order
Over the years, there has become no clear difference between the Police and the military. With these concerned with cities and towns, a paramilitary militia can be found protecting the other settlements and patrolling their local area. However, they can be criminal in their own right, corruptly exploiting their position of authority.

There isn't the 'Pulling together' that people when met by impending disaster. Organised criminal gangs rove the countryside, waylaying travellers and even sacking some settlements. And what if a family starve? Then members would likely turn to crime to support themselves.

Most countries are unable to fully control their borders with the collapse in government and the mass refugee crisis. Most have suspended habeas corpus and become authoritarian police states that persecute undesirables. Suspected lawbreakers and subversives are imprisoned with no remission, deported, tortured, executed, or even enslaved. With a lack of gaols, capital and corporal punishments are the main forms of punishment. Everywhere are the reminders of the frequently harsh application of the law. Along roads are gallows: the naked corpses of murderers swinging heavily on creaking ropes. Stocks with petty thieves stand in the central squares.

Ecclesiastical courts are seperate from proper judicial practices and deal with matters of Faith. Punishment can be given for apostasy, heresy, fornication, infidelity, sodomy and other religious crimes.

Faith
Religion is once again an important part of people's lives, with Christianity becoming the state religion in some countries. There has been a rise in paramilitary religious organisations, so called Knightly Orders, with some in Eastern Europe having power over entire countries. Persecution of 'infidels', 'heretics' and 'apostates' is a regrettable result. Neo-Paganism can be found in independent communities. Wicca, 'alternative' medicine, and organic medicine have become common. There are also destructuralists, Luddites, and anarchists who seek to dismantle all reliance on technology and civic authority to return to a primitive lifestyle.

There is a common belief that the Catastrophes are God's punishment for Man's disobedience and sinfulness, and that only repentance can appease the Almighty's rightful displeasure.

Most nations are the same as before. (RP note: I am not going to write a history for all 206 states. Feel free to indulge to a certain degree.)

Europe:
Europe has left its imprint on every corner of the world since the 16th century. After centuries of rivalry and war, the two devastating world wars started on its soil ended Europe's world dominance. However, even after the first Great Plague of Mors, western European nations from the Straights of Gibraltar to the Barents Sea were among the first to stabilize governments. These governments range in form from the militarist, authoritarian England to the relatively democratic states of Ireland and the Benelux. The capture and buying of surplus American equipment has helped these European states rearm.

A common pride is of Europa and its place in the new Christendom.

Europe is experiencing a Pax Europaea, but the large number of refugees has led to ethnic tensions and some forms of violence towards them. Alongside its dense population, the refugees make it vulnerable to the Plague.

Africa:
Birthplace of humanity and of the great early civilisations, the continent has since thwarted human efforts to exploit many of its resources. Famine, disease, political instability, and internecine wars have added to Africa's woes. Yet, vast untapped riches lie buried under the continent’s myriad problems and much of its mineral potential has yet to be mined.

The centre of Africa is in anarchy. Constant warfare between the hundreds of tribes, ethnic groups and religions has left it in perpetual lawlessness and borders are constantly changing.

The Mors Plague thrives in the central African tropics.

The Middle East:
The Middle East has been a major centre of world affairs and the historical origin of major religions including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Alongside the large quantities of crude oil still accessible and the Fertile Crescent, it remains a strategically, economically, culturally and religiously sensitive region.

Muslims, Jews and Christians all vie for control of the all important 'Black Gold' and Holy Land.

The desert climate of the Middle East is hostile to the Mors Plague so transmission is difficult.

North America
Located between the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans, North America is almost an island unto itself. Canada, almost unscathed by the Mors Plague, is the most original of all surviving nations. The United States is much more federated but still remains whole. Through industrialisation, agrarianism, and the export of military material and oil, the US has become relatively wealthy. A civil war between Preppers and local settlements is said to be occurring in the US but due to its low-intensity, some of the largest battles can be mistaken as gang shoot-outs.

Many trade ships still travel between North America and Europe. These a vulnerable to infection by the Mors Plague. And much like Europe, North America is one of the main destinations for refugees.

Central America
Most of central America quickly fell into anarchy as the drug cartels and government forces fought open warfare in spite of the virus. Also suffers from the same problems as South America.

South America
Natural riches dominate the South American economies, in the form of the deforestation of the Amazon and minerals. The collapse of military regimes and emergence of democracies in the early millennium have largely been reversed. Wealth and power have coalesced in family oligarchies, slavery and in the Roman Catholic Church, building a system that is reminisant of the colonial era.

The Mors Plague originated from the Amazon. The tropical environment is perfect for the virus.

South Asia
Even though it suffered immense population decline during the Asian Mors Epidemic, South Asia is still the most populous and most densely populated geographical region in the world.

Overpopulation, poor medical care and poor sanitation make it easy for the Mors Plague to be transmitted.

South East Asia
A region at the intersection of geological plates and of great diversity and history. However, it still suffers from religious, ethnic and territorial tensions.

As mentioned above concerning the tropical climate.

Central Asia
Age-old habits of rivalry, corruption, and cronyism have since become overwhelming features of life in Central Asia, and there have been numerous conflicts between the states even exempting the small rebellions.

East Asia
Massively depopulated by the Mors Plague, there has been a rise in local warlords and an expanded influence of the Triads.

Oceania
Oceania was fortunate in its ability to prevent access by infected victims so has been unscathed by the resent pandemics.

Weapons
Weapons are of pre-2020 vintage. There has been a lack of any real development due to the Catastrophes.
'Informal' arms and ammunition factories can be found in many places and are relatively low-tech home-made affairs. 'Formal' is state sanctioned, with the largest European 'formal' armament manufacturers to be found in south-western Germany and Russia. Pre-Catastrophe weapons and ammunition are generally of better quality (although some have reached the end of their shelf life), when the standard post-Catastrophe ammunition is smaller and mixed with 'fillers' that lower their power and reliability. The most common 'informal' cartridges are .22LR, 5.56 NATO and 9mmP, with other standardised cartridges that come under STANAG or GRAU to be found 'formally'.

Crossbows and bows are perfectively acceptable for general use. Melee weapons also.

The lack of any real policing of weapons outside of settlements, the looting of some abandoned bases, corruption, the underlying blackmarket, and the many 'informal' armourers has resulted in civilian ownership of firearms becoming typical. Apart from 'formal' sectors of arms production and imports from the US, the majority of equipment has been salvaged and recycled since the start of the Catastrophes.

Most settlements also have their own armouries to protect themselves against organised criminal gangs. And for an individual to be armed is considered a reasonable protection against feral animals or as a deterrent to marauders.

Worn and Miscellaneous
Clothing hasn't changed much these past 50 years. Present clothing tends to be more utilitarian and patchwork, though.

Any military surplus clothing, personal armour, or backpacks can be beneficial.

It is also recommended that a person has access to a gas mask with plenty of spare filters.

(RP note: Don't be too exuberant and give your character all the best equipment. Non-player ownership of Category 1 & 2 will be limited to Police, Military, Militia and organised criminal gangs. Civilians and looters will have limited access to the others and military handguns.)



Name: (An apt name for your character)

Gender: (No restrictions on gender, but be wary of societal opinions, see Society section for more information)

Age: (Unless you have some very good reasons I would prefer all characters were eighteen years of age or older)

Nationality: (See The Nations section for information)

Experience: (Choose from one of three experience levels: green, veteran, or elite, to indicate the general competence of your character. This choice should make sense given the background of your character and other factors like their age)

Appearance: (Describe what your character looks like, their stature and any other physical attributes that you feel are important. A couple of solid sentences are usually needed to fully describe a character's appearance. Check The People section for some generalisations)

Personality: (A couple of solid sentences are usually needed to fully describe a character's personality)

Talents: (A couple of sentences mentioning any specific talents or skills your character brings to the party, i.e. mention if your character is a trained soldier, pickpocket, hunter, gunsmith, medic, etc.)

Biography: (A biography of your character in whatever form you find best, be it a dialogue, letter format or simply the standard biographical format. Please do not neglect this portion of the CS as it will be one of the primary means of judging your character and making sure they fit the setting. Given that this setting is a fictional one, feel free to PM any questions you have. 250+ words is normal, but quality is always preferred over quantity. If there are some things about your character you would rather not publicly reveal you may PM me these portions of your character's background. With that being said I will not accept blanket statements of "I'll reveal his/her background during the RP" unless you can provide me with some amazing reasoning why this is fair to the other players.)

Equipment: (Check the Equipment section)

Worn (includes civilian clothing and any personal armour):

Weapons:

Miscellaneous (anything else worthy of note):



To help Character Sheets: The RP will start in Couilly-Pont-aux-Dames, Île-de-France and will head east along the A4.​



This RP draws inspiration from STALKER, Fallout, Metro 2033, Children of Men, DayZ, and history. It aims to bring the Black Death and feudalism into the modern world.
 
This is an interest check. The above is a work-in-progress. PM me or post here if you have any questions (or advice).
 
Hmmm, I assume from the name and the pics in the OP we'll most likely start off in Paris. Any restrictions you want on nationality of characters? I'd rather not play a Frenchman. :razz:
 
There are no restrictions on nationalities :grin: Although, don't expect Arabic, Asian or African characters to be particularly well received by some segments of society.

OP updated
 
I have questions.

Is there any source info /or what kinda of feel are we looking at?

For character origins, what kind of interactions do we have going cross the pond/pac? 50 years of no upkeep means we could lose most of the sat network, but we could just as easily retain most of it. Ofc, we could easily write everything more complicated then a 60's computer off.

Is the Mors plague actively ravaging most of the world or just the local sector? Does the virus survive long enough on surfaces to be transmitted by contact?

Do you need players? Or are we looking for a smaller starting group?

France is ok. Those FFL dudes are really tough.
 
A_Mustang said:
France is ok. Those FFL dudes are really tough.

They also have standards now, so less recruits with extensive criminal records and more trained soldiers from other countries (poaching your special forces, yo!!!) or qualified people.
 
Sounds interesting, but I'd like to know a bit more about what society and the general setting context looks like before making any kind of commitment. Is it feudal now? 
 
Because GisforGamma and I literally can't write anything new, we'll be going for a knight/squire combo from one of the fancy religious orders.

Rping religious fanatics is like our second hobby.
 
A_Mustang said:
I have questions.

Is there any source info /or what kinda of feel are we looking at?

For character origins, what kind of interactions do we have going cross the pond/pac? 50 years of no upkeep means we could lose most of the sat network, but we could just as easily retain most of it. Ofc, we could easily write everything more complicated then a 60's computer off.

Is the Mors plague actively ravaging most of the world or just the local sector? Does the virus survive long enough on surfaces to be transmitted by contact?

Do you need players? Or are we looking for a smaller starting group?

My inspiration was STALKER, Fallout, Metro 2033, Children of Men, and history but without their more fantastical elements like mutants. It is an attempt to bring Black Plague and feudalism together with firearms and combustion engines.

We're looking for between four and eight players.

Added some changes that may answer your other questions.

Almalexia said:
Sounds interesting, but I'd like to know a bit more about what society and the general setting context looks like before making any kind of commitment. Is it feudal now? 
I was trying to write something to explain how it became to be feudal, but yes. Feudal in all but name.

OP Changed. PM me anymore queries
 
I think I'm going to go with an antagonist for this RP. I think I'll be able to help drive the story along by presenting a player opposition.
Name: Walter Holden Junger

Gender: Male

Age: Born 2017

Nationality: American

Experience
: Elite
Appearance: Large, leathered hands. 6'3"/190cm tall. Sunken, pale blue eyes. Fair, rough, sunbeaten skin. Tight cropped graying brown-blonde hair, trimmed beard extending across jawline and covering mouth on all sides. Prominent extended brow, just behind his chin, then his tall nose.

Personality: Extremely calm and collected. Studious and technical. Positive, approachable, eloquent, and charismatic. Horrifically brutal, aggressive, and merciless towards his enemies.

Talents: Former army officer, expertly trained with small arms, and heavily studied in weapons technology.

Equipment:

Worn (includes civilian clothing and any personal armour):

Weapons:

Miscellaneous:

Biography: Disordered Scribbles in an old Journal. Quotations from various authors.
"Alik, maybe while it's not too late, tell your guys to retreat. Don't do this, don't do this. In any case, Alik, you and I will die. What's the point of all this? Who will win this? You and I will not win this, understand? If we or I see you in the action, I won't show you mercy, just like you won't, understand? It's better if you come to me as a guest. Retreat your guys. Have pity for their mothers, have pity for your guys, retreat them. Give the order."
"I'm not that big of a boss to give such an order."
"Alik, from my heart, I wish that you survive this, but you better leave."
"I don't have this choice. I have orders and I will obey them in any case."

"We were a family. How'd it break up and come apart, so that now we're turned against each other? Each standing in the other's light. How'd we lose that good that was given us? Let it slip away. Scattered it, careless. What's keepin' us from reaching out, touching the glory?"
"You will die someday too."

"Mankind is not realizing their gasping ignorance. They are drugged into a stupor by propaganda from infancy. No state, no religion, no ideology can justify murder in its name. Mankind must lose the tentacles of propaganda for all time, or it shall begin sleep eternal. We must become civilized."

"To put it metaphorically, in political philosophy war is compared to a game of strategy (like chess); in eschatological philosophy, to a mission or the dénouement of a drama; in cataclysmic philosophy, to a fire or an epidemic.

These do not, of course, exhaust the views of war prevailing at different times and at different places. For example, war has at times been viewed as a pastime or an adventure, as the only proper occupation for a nobleman, as an affair of honor (for example, the days of chivalry), as a ceremony (e.g. among the Aztecs), as an outlet of aggressive instincts or a manifestation of a "death wish", as nature's way of ensuring the survival of the fittest, as an absurdity (e.g. among Eskimos), as a tenacious custom, destined to die out like slavery, and as a crime. (On War, Rapoport's introduction, 17)"

"None of the above do I espouse. War is violence and counter-violence. Aggression and defense. Its reasoning and justification are found in the specifics of the conflict. There is no single nature of War except its removal of peace, the removal of men. Peace is man's great food. What do we fast for? What are we fighting for? The only thing certain in fighting a war is not that you will die, but that some of your friends definitely will."

I will take their heroes and soldiers, judges and prophets, fortunetellers and statesmen, army officers and high officials, advisers, skilled craftsmen, and astrologers. I will make boys their leaders. Children will govern them.
....
You will be pierced with sharp arrows and burned with glowing coals.
...
We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.

"The good book says that he that lives by the sword shall perish by the sword, said the black.

The judge smiled. What right man would have it any other way? he said.

The good book does indeed count war an evil, said Irving. Yet there's many a bloody tale of war inside it.

It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner. That is the way it was and will be. That way and not some other way.
.....
Men are born for games. Nothing else. Every child knows that play is nobler than work. He knows too that the worth or merit of a game is not inherent in the game itself but rather in the value of that which is put at hazard. Games of chance require a wager to have meaning at all. Games of sport involve the skill and strength of the opponents and the humiliation of defeat and the pride of victory are in themselves sufficient stake because they inhere in the worth of the principals and define them. But trial of chance or trial of worth, all games aspire to the condition of war, for here that which is wagered swallows up game, player, all.

Suppose two men at cards with nothing to wager save their lives. Who has not heard such a tale? A turn of the card. The whole universe for such a player has labored clanking to this moment, which will tell if he is to die at that man's hand or that man at his. What more certain validation of a man's worth could there be? This enhancement of the game to its ultimate state admits no argument concerning the notion of fate. The selection of one man over another is a preference absolute and irrevocable, and it is a dull man indeed who could reckon so profound a decision without agency or significance either one. In such games as have for their stake the annihilation of the defeated, the decisions are quite clear. This man, holding this particular arrangement of cards in his hand, is thereby removed from existence. This is the nature of war, whose stake is at once the game, the authority, and the justification. Seen so, war is the truest form of divination. It is the testing of one's will and the will of another within that larger will, which because it binds them is therefore forced to select. War is the ultimate game because war is at last a forcing of the unity of existence. War is god. "
 
Nope :razz: Ammunition may be limited if it is quaint or you aren't able to provide it for yourself.

Highlights of the recent OP 'patch':
Angelsachsen said:
To help Character Sheets: The RP will start in Couilly-Pont-aux-Dames, Île-de-France and will head east along the A4.
The Mors Plague said:
UhUJ9OS.jpg
Colour Index
  • Red - >25% of the population is infected
  • Orange - Between 5% and 25% are infected
  • Green - Less than 5% are infected
Life - Society said:
It was Eve that persuaded Adam to take a bite from the forbidden fruit, resulting in their expulsion from Paradise. The more zealous segments of society hold this against women. Although there are Ecclesiastical courts that follow their own laws, in almost all cases the discrimination that a woman will experience is personal, not legal. The same can be said of homophobia, it is not written in law but dependent on individuals' personal beliefs.
Life - Economy said:
Money has undergone a rapid hyperinflation with paper currency becoming useless, and the economy has reverted to bartering and gold standard.
Life - Transport said:
There are vehicles such as motorbikes, cars, and improvised fighting vehicles (like technicals) available. They normally have a rough-and-ready appearance, sometimes with body panels missing, and with salvaged and recycled parts. Petroleum fuels are hard to come by, but trade with the US and a recent 'expedition' to the Middle East has secured a steady supply of oil.

Animals have become a useful form of transport.
Life - Law and Order said:
Over the years, there has become no clear difference between the Police and the military. With these concerned with cities and towns, a paramilitary militia can be found protecting the other settlements and patrolling their local area. However, they can be criminal in their own right, corruptly exploiting their position of authority.

There isn't the 'Pulling together' that people when met by impending disaster. Organised criminal gangs rove the countryside, waylaying travellers and even sacking some settlements. And what if a family starve? Then members would likely turn to crime to support themselves.
Life - Law and Order said:
Ecclesiastical courts are seperate from proper judicial practices and deal with matters of Faith. Punishment can be given for apostasy, heresy, fornication, infidelity, sodomy and other religious crimes.
The Nations said:
(RP note: I am not going to write a history for all 206 states. Feel free to indulge to a certain degree.)
Equipment said:
The lack of any real policing of weapons outside of settlements, the looting of some abandoned bases, corruption, the underlying blackmarket, and the many 'informal' armourers has resulted in civilian ownership of firearms becoming typical. Apart from 'formal' sectors of arms production and imports from the US, the majority of equipment has been salvaged and recycled since the start of the Catastrophes.

Most settlements also have their own armouries to protect themselves against organised criminal gangs. And for an individual to be armed is considered a reasonable protection against feral animals or as a deterrent to marauders.
Equipment said:
(RP note: Don't be too exuberant and give your character all the best equipment. Non-player ownership of Category 1 & 2 will be limited to Police, Military, Militia and organised criminal gangs. Civilians and looters will have limited access to the others and military handguns.)

I am writing a post for the future IC thread. You are free to post Character Sheets.

Edit: Someone mentioned that I had wrote central America, rather than Central America.
 
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