At the dawn of the 22nd century, Humanity was prospering. There were over 10 billion people in the world. Then a scientist by the name Heinz Keionic made a discovery that would change the fate of the world. He discovered a way to bring back the dead. Many people were against at first, but opposition gradually faded away. Earths population climbed to 15 billion. Then it happened. Something went wrong with the process of bringing back the dead and a horrible evil was released into the world. A virus caused all people who had died to begin to decay. They're body fell apart and couldn't be brought back. Some say that religious zealots did it. But it didn't matter. Soon normal people began to get infected with it. Their bodies fell apart and their brain reverted back to its primal form. By that time it was determined that the virus was airborne. However, you could also get if you were bitten by one of the infected. Governments fell and the world became a mess.

Fast forward 400 years and humanity is starting gather itself together. The virus is all but gone, but infected remain. Humans haven't seen an infected for a couple hundred years, but avoid the large cites for fear of an ancient evil they can't remember. Towns have sprung up and humanity has started to the long road towards recovery. There are about a hundred thousands humans left.

This story takes place in the United States of America, specifically in California, or whats left of it. No one goes near the ancient cities for fear of getting lost forever. Three main groups have formed and fight for control of the area.

The Hand: They are the smallest group, but perhaps the most deadly of the three They use guerrilla warfare and are said to have no fear and no weakness. Their leader is Darcuz Keionic, a direct descendant of Heinz Keionic. He is a quiet leader but can silence a room by simply walking through the door. He knows what lurks in the cities, but will not say.

The Forgiven: They are bigger than The Hand, but are still considered small. They are religious and a few of them are crazy. Some people blame them for releasing the virus, but no proof has been found. Their leader is Strese Candor, a large and intimidating figure. He has a voice that can be heard a mile away and will kill any one who says there is no God.

The Watchers: They watch anything and everything. They take no sides, and they don't fight unless they have to. Their mission is to know everything, and while that might never happen, they certainly know quite a lot. Their leader is Alexy Koon, a fierce woman who hates not knowing. She has an amazing memory and holds grudges quite easily.

There are several smaller groups that should be noted:

Bandits: They roam the land looking for travelers to prey on. Sometimes they will let you go if you pay a fee. Rumor has it that their base is somewhere in the foothills.

Crazies: They are easy to spot as they adorn themselves with many colors and piercings. They jump into battle without a regard for their own safety.

Ghosts: If you can find them, congratulations. They are next to impossible to find, but if you do, you can hire a group of men and women that can swiftly and silently eliminate anyone, for a price of course.

Healers: This group has the knowledge to heal almost any injury. They help those who need it and take no side during a conflict. They are treated with respect and no one is stupid enough to hurt or even threaten them, as they will cut off all medical attention to their group.

Trader: They travel from town to town, trading everything from clothes and food to weapons and medicine. They sometimes hire people to protect them from robbers and such.

Some things you should note.

Guns are hard to find and very valuable, therefore most weapons are melee. Money is not the currency any more, goods, services and favors are. When the virus first broke out, it was discovered that infected didn't like sunlight very much, so most people fled west.

Character Sheet:

Name: (Name here)
Age: (Age Here)
Sex: (Male or Female)
Description: (Words or Picture)
Group: (You don't have to be in, also message me if you want to make a group)
Equipment: (What s/he carries around with her/him)
Personality: (What does s/he act like?)
History: (What is his/her life story so far?)