Pax Corax

The Duchy of Diemed used to be a prosperous area, rich on overland trade between Western Eria and the Skythian Empire. The many villages and farms that lay liberally strewn throughout the fertile, shallow river-valleys were by many seen as the rural ideal, and the cities and towns were wealthy and peaceful. The mines in the southern mountains, though not rich enough to attract the envy of the greater princes, still provided a healthy financial bedrock for the House of Diem. The silversmiths of Zalburg and Woll-am-Möwe were also widely renowned for the quality, if not beauty, of their work. Likewise, the University of Zalburg was acknowledged for it's achievements in the fields of natural philosophy and the liberal arts, and it had a Chair in the Cabal of Pure Thought for more than three hundred years.

Then, during the summer of YE 1022, the Red Death swept away all semblance of civilization, and tore asunder the Hegemony of Man over these lands. Mekelrad, the Lord of the Red Death, the terrible demon that brought the plague to Eria, was lured to Zalburg by the Thulist plague-herders. Here the Outsiders trapped the demon inside a blasphemous machine, using it's struggles to fuel a heinous experiment designed to burn a hole in Creation. While the demon was slain, and the Thulists driven out, the damage wrought on reality was so great that now a different law rules the region.

The deluge-like onslaught of the zombie plague was halted when Mekelrad was destroyed, but within what has become known as the Redlands, the restless dead still prowl hungrily. The Northern Alliance have built fortifications around the borders, and cavalry and cabals of magicians patrol them. Some of villages and towns that were deserted have been reclaimed, but in these walled communities, the living live in fear of the dead. Marauding packs of zombies roam across the once peaceful countryside, and many who have tried to return to their homes have vanished.

There are also other tales beginning to be told about the Redlands. Trolls, hobgoblins and other creatures from the dark depths of myth are said to have returned to the mortal world. The ravens are everywhere, and rumour has it that a great and ancient raven-king holds court somewhere in the deserted region. Where mortal nobles and rational thought once ruled, wizards, dark beasts, ghosts, zombies, and entities from the other side now do as they please. The Hegemony of Man does not extend to these lands.


Rumours:

1. The Raven King has a mighty magician as his servant.
2. Gypsies are seen travelling into the Redlands.
3. There are vast treasures hidden in the ruins inside the Redlands.
4. The zombies are controlled by a nigromancer.
5. If a corpse is lain outside for a hour after dawn, it's eyes will be eaten by ravens, and it's soul will not haunt the living.
6. A great troll has been seen in the hills.
7. A child born with a red birth-mark has been tainted by evil.
8. A terrible darkness lies buried in the ruins of Zalburg.

Chapter summary: Into the Breach

This time I'll go for a slightly different approach, as 1) it's been a week and a half since we played, and 2) we did about 22 hours of gaming in two days. What follows is a not necessarily chronological, or even entirely accurate, account of the events.


Cast: The entire Pius Cabal, including the long lost Dr. Drake, a.k.a. Arkrash Mnarkl, a.k.a. Percival O'Conner.


The following takes place between 29 Novium and 7 Decanum, YE 1022.


After lengthy preparations, the cabal mounts an attack on the heart of the zombie plague; they face the OUT in personal, if highly magical, combat, they make new alliances, acquire new resources, are faced with problems of far reaching proportions, and Bansl wrecks a bakery.

OUT Corpse Soldiers

The Ordo Ultima Thule has had an interest in the Red Death almost since it arrived on the Erian shores, and the order's scientists have been working on ways to weaponize zombies for just as long. Dr. Hildebrun Möttelgrab, one of the leading inventors in the field of goethic medicine, was appointed as scientific commander of Operation Auferstehung's Tactical Developments Section, and her reports have so far been very uplifting. Despite several failed experiments, at least two types of Sonderkampfleiche (SdKpfLce), lit. Special Combat Corpse, have been developed to a state of combat deployment readiness. What follows are excerpts from Dr. Möttelgrab's reports to Deep Command.

SdKpfLce I-c (Leichensoldat)
"By injecting the subjects with Abytombtredyxaltid (ATT), a serum refined from extracts from the spinal fluids of the more potent of the natural specimens ("prowlers"), and infusing them with Ketholabyssalditraxid (KAD) throughout the incubation period, while exposing them to continuous enforced impressional therapy, the result is a vicious soldier who will attack without regard for personal safety. The advantageous secondary and tertiary effects are, respectively, short term collapse of enemy morale, and possible long term undermining of the enemy's civilization. They will not target friendly personnel."


Stat-block:
Intelligence 1, Wits 3, Resolve 1
Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 1
Presence 1, Manipulation 0, Composure 3


Brawl 2 (bite dice-pool 5)
Firearms 2 (rifle dice-pool 8)


Health 6
Size 5
Initiative 5
Defence 2
Speed 9

SdKpfLce III-b (Sturmleiche)
"Type III is constructed using the same serum as with Type I (ATT), but instead of thaumaceutical treatment, a psychoscoptic device (Obermas's neuro-syncophant Type 23) has been implanted in the subject's cranium, and wired to the cortex. Further enhancements include an optical implant connected to the weapon (machine-gun/grenade-launcher/flame-thrower) a short range vox-caster connected to the OT-23, as well as constant exposure to XT-107 (delivered through a standard V-XIV gas-mask). The subject is mounted on a modified Waldmeier 47 bipod. The result is a semi-autonomous weapon system -- an officer can issue simple orders (fire, cease fire, advance, retreat, right, left, etc.) via the vox-caster."


Stat-block:

Intelligence 1, Wits 2, Resolve 1

Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3

Presence 1, Manipulation 0, Composure 3

Firearms 3 (dice-pools MG 12 + auto; GT 8 + dmg 8/8; FT 10 + burn)

Health 8

Size 5

Initiative 5

Defence 2

Armour 4

Speed 19 (+10 equipment factor)

[Picture source: 1 Dead Snow; 2 Keith Thompson]

Plague Demons

Mekelrad

In the dawn of time, Mekelrad was a Bane Lord, a powerful spirit of the nether regions of the Umbra. After the Sundering, his realm was swallowed by the Abyss, and Mekelrad was drowned. Since then, he has appeared in legends a few times as the Lord of the Red Death.

Rank: 5
Attributes: Power 15, Finesse 12, Resistance 15
Willpower: 30
Essence: 36 (max 50)
Initiative: 27
Defence: 15
Speed: 37 (species factor 10)
Size:  12
Corpus: 27


Influence: Red Death 5
Numina: Blast (dice-pool 27 + Essence points, range 150 yds - Lethal); Consume the Tainted Soul (dice-pool 27, each success gives one Essence - destroys one zombie); Create Nerguldamoth (dice-pool 27, cost 5 Essence); Underworld Gate (dice-pool 27, opens portal to the Underworld for one scene, can be kept open by Essence).
Ban: Cannot actively harm a true believer.

Nerguldamoths
These spirits are conjured from the mass-graves of those who die nameless deaths during a plague. They appear as large humanoids composed of countless decaying corpses covered in lye, and will normally attack any living on sight. The attacks of a Nerguldamoth carries the infection of the plague that killed its corpses.

Rank: 3

Attributes: Power 8, Finesse 7, Resistance 9

Willpower: 17

Essence: 20 (max 20)

Initiative: 16

Defence: 8

Speed: 17 (species factor 2)

Size:  9

Corpus: 18

Influence: Plague 2

Numina: Abhorrent Stench (dice-pool 15, -Resolve, scene, target takes penalties on all actions); Puterfy (dice-pool 15 vs. hardness - all organic matter rots).

Ban: May not pass the Gauntlet unless through a portal.

[Picture source: 1 unknown; 2 LordNetsua]

Zombies!

The Red Death plagues Eria, spreading like wildfire across the western parts of the Enlightened Skythian Empire. It is a disease that attacks both the body and soul of its victims; the body will die, but the sick soul will not be able to leave the decaying corpse. The result is a walking corpse, all resemblance of its former self eaten away by the terrible plague. The victims are driven by a mad hunger for human flesh, and each bite carries the infection to another host. Those who succumb to the Red Death are called zombies. No known cure exists.


The Enlightened Alliance has kept an eye on the plague, and has so far managed to stop it from spreading into their lands. Most of the Syndicate's forecasters predict that unless the Red Death can somehow be stopped, it is only a matter of time before it gets out of control. In this case, they believe the Erian civilization will end within a year.


What follows are the two types of zombies identified and recorded by the Enlightened Alliance's doctors.


Shamblers
The majority of the infected become shamblers. These walking dead are devoid of all semblance of intelligence. They behave almost like a swarm of netherfish, converging in great numbers where there is food (i.e. living humans). It is not believed that they are capable of communication in any understandable fashion, rather that their infected souls have some way of sensing when another zombie has found a prey.


Stat-block
Intelligence 0, Wits 1, Resolve 1
Strength 2, Dexterity 1, Stamina 1
Presence 1, Manipulation 0, Composure 1


Brawl 1
Health 6
Size 5
Defence 1
Initiative 2


Prowlers
A few of the diseased turn into prowlers. As with their lesser kin, these undead have lost their personalities, but somehow (it is believed that these were particularly resourceful humans in life) they are more cunning than the lesser zombies. They seem to share the same connection as the shamblers, but they have been known to use more sophisticated techniques to get to their prey, e.g. chasing them into a dead-end or opening doors. One report also describes a particular prowler who seemed to lead a pack of shamblers from farm to farm.


Stat-block
Intelligence 1, Wits 2, Resolve 1
Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 1
Presence 1, Manipulation 0, Composure 2

Brawl 2

Health 6

Size 5
Defence 2

Initiative 4

The Red Death

Infection: Bite

Resistance: Damage - Stamina

If the target fails the resistance-roll, it will lose 1 Willpower point each (hour x Willpower). Once the Willpower is reduced to zero, the target dies, and becomes a zombie.

The following three posts also discuss the topic:

The Red Death
The Redlands

Historical References: Plague

[Picture source: Troll in the Corner]

The Redlands

Zalburg

The Redlands is the name people use when referring to the areas where the Red Death has taken hold. It covers all of the Duchy of Diemed in the Enlightened Skythian Empire, as well as some bordering fiefdoms. Many of the cities inside are burnt down, as the authorities have tried to contain or destroy the infected areas. Farms and villages lay empty, and only a few places can small enclaves of living be found. Packs of zombies roam the streets and countrysides, falling mercilessly upon any humans they find. Many believe that the plague was sent by the Old Gods to punish man for turning away from them.

The bridges across the rivers leading into the Redlands have been pulled down, and both the Enlightened Alliance and the Empire has troops watching roads and fords, killing anyone who tries to leave the quarantined area. Better to slay an innocent, than risk the whole of civilization -- perhaps the one thing the two warring factions agree on.

At the heart of the infected lands lie the city of Zalburg. Before the plague it was the seat of the Duke of Diemed, and its beer and steel fetched a high price all across the White Ocean. It had a recorded population of 27,000, housed 47 temples, and three monasteries. The Red Death came to the city on 1 Septium, YE 1022, and despite the efforts of duke and Temple, the epidemic soon got out of control. On 7 Septium, the city was declared lost by the emperor, and the following day its gates were bricked shut from the outside by Imperial troops. It was then fire-bombed, and a detachment of troops was set to make sure none could leave. Four days later, a dispatch from the commander of the force arrived at General Graf von Stahlbein's camp with a sombre message, "The city is lost, we are all lost, pray for our souls." Scouts were sent in, but they found no living, only packs of zombies.

Recent reports tell of zombies converging on Zalburg, but perhaps even more disturbing are the rumours circulating amongst the living. Several refugees encountered by scouts have said that they are heading to Sanctum, a location believed to be in this very city. This is supposed to be a safe haven, where one can be safe from the Red Death. Some of these people also mention a "Yellow King". Who or what this king is is so far unknown.

There are also several reports about Thulist activity in the Redlands. Several scouts and informants have seen sinister, outlandish flying vessels in the skies above the region.

Other rumours about Zalburg include:

There are doctors there.

The plague has no grip on the city.

One (or several) of the Old Gods are protecting the city.

There lives a great magician who keeps the zombies at bay.

The zombies are gathering to consume the city.

The city is ruled by a great zombie lord, and the zombies are coming to serve him.

See also Pax Corax

[Picture source: 1 unknown; 2 own]

The Red Death

"No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal --the redness and the horror of blood." ...

E. A. Poe, The Masque of the Red Death

In the beginning of YE 1022, the Red Death came to Eria. It is not known from whence it came, but the first outbreak was in Rederhafen. Despite the rapid containment of all infected, and the subsequent purge of the quarantined  area, the plague spread. Throughout the spring and summer more and more cases has been reported, and even if local authorities have reacted quickly and decisively, the Red Death has penetrated deeper and deeper - at the end of summer, there were dozens of quarantined towns and parishes in the western Empire.


When the War of Enlightenment broke out, the plague got a new wind in its sails, for such is the way of things; Plague thrives in the wake his sister Famine, and Famine stalks her brother War like a spectre. While the Host of Man and the Army of Enlightenment have wizards and warlocks to protect their soldiers from the Red Death, the countryside of Raden, Armüden, and Volgraw-Ersteigen are now ravaged by hunger and pestilence.

Emperor Constaninius Ada of the Enlightened Skythian Empire has ordered all those infected to be put to death and burned together with their possessions, and in some cases this has led to whole towns being sealed off and set afire. Additionally, trade with areas touched by the Red Death has stopped completely, and many places bridges have been torn down to keep anyone from crossing the rivers, city gates are closed, and barricades erected in the streets. Such is the paralysing grip of the fear of the plague that even in the eastern duchies people are refusing travellers entrance to towns and houses.


Still, despite these precautions, with the rapid spreading of the plague, and with the chaos and strain on manpower caused by the war, whole regions are now controlled by the infected.

The Red Death spreads from person to person, usually via bite. Its name stems from the first stage of the disease, because victims will display painful red lesions. These start in the area around the infected wound, and spreads within a day to cover all of the victim's body. The next stage is marked by profuse bleeding from all orifices. Normally this stage also brings with it a sense of elation and happiness. Within hours the disease enters its third, and, it is believed, terminal stage. What sets the Red Death apart from the Common Plague is that once the victims die, their bodies will not only keep moving, but actively seek to bite non-infected humans.


Doctors believe that the infection is caused by a thaumatological contamination of the phlegm that carries over to the blood. This will in turn cause the heart to decompose. Once the incubation period is over, the body will purge itself of the putrid blood, making the only fluid left corrupted phlegm. The victim's soul will by now be so weakened by the thaumatological infection that it cannot free itself from the dying corpus, and so it becomes trapped in the flesh as the body dies.

Once the victims have reached the state of undeath, all semblance of their former intellect or personality is forever lost. All that is left is a ravenous hunger for living flesh. While there doesn't seem to be any form of communication or organization amongst these hungry dead, they frequently form  roaming packs that will enter a frenzy if they should come across the living. This is also the most common way for the plague to spread from place to place.


Some scholars hold that these famished corpses seem to display a hatred towards those who are alive, whereas others deny that they have any emotional capacity whatsoever. There are also those who claim that while the walking dead themselves have no consciousness, they are guided by what has been called Plague-herds - mortal men serving some demonic entity. Evidence supporting this theory was indeed put before the Enlightened Congress following the early outbreaks. 

The best way of destroying these undead is by fire, but decapitation will also cause the trapped soul to escape, thus rendering the corpses inanimate. The danger here is that any fluids from such cadavers appears to have the power to carry the infection, so great care should be taken, lest it comes in contact with an open wound. Luckily they are not immune to all laws of nature, thus the flesh will putrefy and rot away at normal speed, and eventually their bodies will fall apart.




See also:
Historicl References: Plague
The last chapters  - where the plague first comes to Eria.


Storyteller's note: It is about time I do a write-up on the zombie-plague. After all, it's been marinating in the setting for a good long while now. If a herring is left untended for too long, it'll go off ;) I owe thanks to Matt over at Carpallymotivated for inspiring me to finally write this one, with his post The Plague. Not only did his artwork set my brain to work, but I can only agree 100% with his sentiments on the topic.


Speaking of art, as usual you can click on all the pictures to biggify them. I think you should. 


Also, you may have noticed that I've been hammering out a few more posts than usually lately. That has all to do with my bitch of a back. Since Friday I've more or less been tied to the bed, but thanks to a cocktail of marvellous drugs, I'm rapidly improving, and should be ready for play on Thursday. I probably wont make it to work until next week though. Oh, well. Such is life.




[Picture source: 1 & 5 Keith Thompson; 2 Carpallymotivated; 3 Lauren K. Cannon; 4 Playing Spoons]