The whole first page is just going to be info, I wager, then the rp stuff can start on page 2. Depending on how much work I can put into this, I may consider throwing it into the forums and inviting people.
History
Since the dawn of mankind, humanity has believed it was at the top of the food chain. They’d bent the earth and all of its creatures to their will and built empires in honor of themselves. Every so often, the ‘earth’ fought back, casting humankind into pits of despair with bouts of plague, annihilating large percentages of the population each time. Always, humanity triumphed, stronger than ever.
Then the monsters crawled out of the pit and set them to cowering. Humanity was not alone and it was not on top of the world after all.
Revelation was the name it was given. After all, it was the end of the world as they knew it.
It started with a cough. It felt like just a normal flu - or maybe it was allergies. Eyes would be red, throat itchy, runny nose, fever. The works. Then it was over as suddenly as it began, lasting no more than a week. Enough time to let one’s guard down.
After that, the pain began. Cramps, muscle spasms, nerves on fire from the inside out. It eventually got to the point where the infected could no longer feel the pain - they felt good. Ecstatic. Euphoric. That was when it became apparent that the end was near - if they even knew what was happening to them. Eyes became sensitive to the light and the infected would inevitably give in to the need to close them. Otherwise they are prone to light hallucinations. After that, the body began to fail - or worse, mutate.
This is where the monsters come in. Most humans simply died. They were the most susceptible, with the weakest immune systems and no form of accelerated healing.
The ones who died were the good ones. The lucky ones.
Those who were thought to have died, soon began to Rise.
Mutated humans who had Risen behaved like wild animals, attacking any living creature nearby and feasting on the flesh. Sadly, they are still capable of thought and limited speech. They do not register pain, but will die as easily as any regular human. They became known as Ghouls. They are sensitive to light and heat and often become nocturnal. Some Ghouls in colder climates go unaccounted for, because they are unlikely to function like regular Risen. They are incapable of turning any living human into a Ghoul, but they can infect others with the Revelation Plague.
Ghouls were easily dealt with, however. It was the others that clued humans in that they were not alone.
Vampire-like monsters called Thralls painted the streets in blood. Vicious monstrous humanoids called Shades terrorized small towns and cities alike. Then their masters, bonafide vampires and lycanthropes infected with the Plague, crawled out of the shadows and exposed their cruelty to the world.
Yet even they were not the worst.
Revenants were once human, like Ghouls. They were nothing alike, however. Ghouls were only mutated from regular humans. Revenants came from the exceptional ones - humans who possessed magic and psychic abilities.
Ghouls, Thralls, and Shades all inevitably became mindless killing machines, subject to the masters who control them. Revenants had no masters. They could control all of the Plague borne, including infected vampires and lycanthropes that had mutated. On top of that, they possessed devastating magic - usually in line with whatever talents they possessed in life - killer instincts, and a passion for misery. Unlike the Ghouls, plague borne vampires, and werewolves, Revenants retained their minds entirely. They know who they were, but they no longer care.They are capable of feigning emotion, but they do not feel it. All they care about is survival and inflicting pain and plague upon the world.
When the monsters came out, humanity panicked. At first, the desire to cast blame was put square on the shoulders of the supernatural beings that had lived alongside them all along. Both sides fought viciously as hunts for vampires, werewolves, psychics, fae, anything different became common.
One day, humanity was offered a solution. Those of mystic lineage - becoming known as ‘mysts’ - could sense the virus. Hence why they were infected on a smaller scale than humanity and had mostly flattened the curve in their own communities. Before, humanity had outnumbered them greatly. With the virus taking out humans at a much higher rate, the numbers were looking a lot more even. If they wanted to, they could destroy humanity with a snap of their fingers.
Instead, they offered to save them.
Medical and law personnel began taking on myst partners as they found and isolated the infected before they could Rise. They were put into questionable “hospitals” to be monitored and treated - later on, many would accuse these locations of being death camps where they put down those infected rather than risk them Rising.
Over the course of the pandemic, mysts became more regularly integrated and accepted in society - it was considered good luck to have a vampire roommate. Myst special tasks forces were assembled around the world to combat aggressive infected such as Ghouls, Thralls, and other plague borne.
Eventually even humans with psychic and magic abilities began to come forward with the acceptance of mysts, no longer afraid of literal witch hunts.
Over two decades, Revelation ran its course. In the first, it nearly destroyed the world. In the second, humanity and its strange cousins joined forces and fought back. The world was reborn after the fires of the pandemic and it was stronger for it.
Big cities with tightly packed living quarters are a thing of the past. Many of the worlds largest cities had to be abandoned in the chaos - there were too many Risen. Some cities were still quarantined, with monthly trips from special tasks groups going in to hunt down and kill any Risen that may have been missed.
Many small towns were wiped off the map, their populations usually social and close knit having gone through the infections quickly with little access to proper medical facilities. Some survived in more isolated areas, but only because they had their own resources and avoided others in the chaos of the plague.
Reasonably sized cities with spacious housing and a good mix of farmland and natural resources were more common and safer to live in.
Old cemeteries had walls built high around them, just in case. New regulations led to new cemeteries where there were no bodies - only ashes. Regardless of religious affiliation, after Revelation it became mandatory to have bodies cremated, even those who died of natural causes or accidents. Very few liked to ponder the dead any more. Of course that didn’t mean the rules were always followed.
Slowly, life began to thrive again. Old ways found new homes in the hearts of humanity as apothecaries, witches, and more became a common part of life. One could have a spell crafted for protection or luck - whether they did anything or not, depends on who one asks. It became common to carry a pouch or flask of herbs or potions to ward off evil or sickness. Certain concoctions were proven to be effective against Revelation during the dark days. Personal contact became less common, as social distancing had become the norm over the decades. Masks and gloves became fashion statements, the accessories eventually even finding their way into popular mourning garb.
Some masks became infamous again after centuries.
Revelation Investigation Personnel and Resources or RIPR began to dawn the familiar beak and protective gear of the Black Death plague doctors. The public began to call them Rippers. If one spotted the shiny black beak of a Ripper, they knew the Plague had been to their town. They were only called to investigate when verified facts of Revelation have been found. Their job was to find the source of the outbreak, contact tracing - finding anyone who came in contact with infected/possible infected - containment, and treatment.
In order to keep anyone infected with Revelation isolated from others in need of urgent care, new facilities were created to deal exclusively with those sick of the plague. Centers for Revelation Isolation and Study - people called them “Crisis Camps.” Not even half of the sick sent there ever went home, further fueling the conspiracies about them being death camps and black ops experiment sites.
Revelation didn’t kill everyone it infected, but people would always know who had survived it. Revelation survivors are easy to spot: something about the virus changes them physically, causing their eyes to mutate. The irises turn a vivid gold, completely inhuman in appearance; they evolve to have amazing lowlight vision, but can sometimes become sensitive to sunlight; they reflect light like a cat’s.
Survivors become immune to the virus (even future strains) and oftentimes do charity work to help current afflicted. Because of this, some rumors claim that survivors can still infect people. This has been proven to be false, but the rumor remains in more rural and ignorant parts of the world.
A vaccine has yet to be perfected, even after more than twenty years. Many scientists eventually come to believe that the virus is not natural to the human realm, claiming that it may have come from somewhere else and is therefore not subject to our laws of nature. There is confirmed knowledge of realms intertwined with the one that humanity knows, after all. All denizens from each of the three inhuman realms claim ignorance as to the origin of the deadly virus.
Then the monsters crawled out of the pit and set them to cowering. Humanity was not alone and it was not on top of the world after all.
Revelation was the name it was given. After all, it was the end of the world as they knew it.
It started with a cough. It felt like just a normal flu - or maybe it was allergies. Eyes would be red, throat itchy, runny nose, fever. The works. Then it was over as suddenly as it began, lasting no more than a week. Enough time to let one’s guard down.
After that, the pain began. Cramps, muscle spasms, nerves on fire from the inside out. It eventually got to the point where the infected could no longer feel the pain - they felt good. Ecstatic. Euphoric. That was when it became apparent that the end was near - if they even knew what was happening to them. Eyes became sensitive to the light and the infected would inevitably give in to the need to close them. Otherwise they are prone to light hallucinations. After that, the body began to fail - or worse, mutate.
This is where the monsters come in. Most humans simply died. They were the most susceptible, with the weakest immune systems and no form of accelerated healing.
The ones who died were the good ones. The lucky ones.
Those who were thought to have died, soon began to Rise.
Mutated humans who had Risen behaved like wild animals, attacking any living creature nearby and feasting on the flesh. Sadly, they are still capable of thought and limited speech. They do not register pain, but will die as easily as any regular human. They became known as Ghouls. They are sensitive to light and heat and often become nocturnal. Some Ghouls in colder climates go unaccounted for, because they are unlikely to function like regular Risen. They are incapable of turning any living human into a Ghoul, but they can infect others with the Revelation Plague.
Ghouls were easily dealt with, however. It was the others that clued humans in that they were not alone.
Vampire-like monsters called Thralls painted the streets in blood. Vicious monstrous humanoids called Shades terrorized small towns and cities alike. Then their masters, bonafide vampires and lycanthropes infected with the Plague, crawled out of the shadows and exposed their cruelty to the world.
Yet even they were not the worst.
Revenants were once human, like Ghouls. They were nothing alike, however. Ghouls were only mutated from regular humans. Revenants came from the exceptional ones - humans who possessed magic and psychic abilities.
Ghouls, Thralls, and Shades all inevitably became mindless killing machines, subject to the masters who control them. Revenants had no masters. They could control all of the Plague borne, including infected vampires and lycanthropes that had mutated. On top of that, they possessed devastating magic - usually in line with whatever talents they possessed in life - killer instincts, and a passion for misery. Unlike the Ghouls, plague borne vampires, and werewolves, Revenants retained their minds entirely. They know who they were, but they no longer care.They are capable of feigning emotion, but they do not feel it. All they care about is survival and inflicting pain and plague upon the world.
When the monsters came out, humanity panicked. At first, the desire to cast blame was put square on the shoulders of the supernatural beings that had lived alongside them all along. Both sides fought viciously as hunts for vampires, werewolves, psychics, fae, anything different became common.
One day, humanity was offered a solution. Those of mystic lineage - becoming known as ‘mysts’ - could sense the virus. Hence why they were infected on a smaller scale than humanity and had mostly flattened the curve in their own communities. Before, humanity had outnumbered them greatly. With the virus taking out humans at a much higher rate, the numbers were looking a lot more even. If they wanted to, they could destroy humanity with a snap of their fingers.
Instead, they offered to save them.
Medical and law personnel began taking on myst partners as they found and isolated the infected before they could Rise. They were put into questionable “hospitals” to be monitored and treated - later on, many would accuse these locations of being death camps where they put down those infected rather than risk them Rising.
Over the course of the pandemic, mysts became more regularly integrated and accepted in society - it was considered good luck to have a vampire roommate. Myst special tasks forces were assembled around the world to combat aggressive infected such as Ghouls, Thralls, and other plague borne.
Eventually even humans with psychic and magic abilities began to come forward with the acceptance of mysts, no longer afraid of literal witch hunts.
Over two decades, Revelation ran its course. In the first, it nearly destroyed the world. In the second, humanity and its strange cousins joined forces and fought back. The world was reborn after the fires of the pandemic and it was stronger for it.
Big cities with tightly packed living quarters are a thing of the past. Many of the worlds largest cities had to be abandoned in the chaos - there were too many Risen. Some cities were still quarantined, with monthly trips from special tasks groups going in to hunt down and kill any Risen that may have been missed.
Many small towns were wiped off the map, their populations usually social and close knit having gone through the infections quickly with little access to proper medical facilities. Some survived in more isolated areas, but only because they had their own resources and avoided others in the chaos of the plague.
Reasonably sized cities with spacious housing and a good mix of farmland and natural resources were more common and safer to live in.
Old cemeteries had walls built high around them, just in case. New regulations led to new cemeteries where there were no bodies - only ashes. Regardless of religious affiliation, after Revelation it became mandatory to have bodies cremated, even those who died of natural causes or accidents. Very few liked to ponder the dead any more. Of course that didn’t mean the rules were always followed.
Slowly, life began to thrive again. Old ways found new homes in the hearts of humanity as apothecaries, witches, and more became a common part of life. One could have a spell crafted for protection or luck - whether they did anything or not, depends on who one asks. It became common to carry a pouch or flask of herbs or potions to ward off evil or sickness. Certain concoctions were proven to be effective against Revelation during the dark days. Personal contact became less common, as social distancing had become the norm over the decades. Masks and gloves became fashion statements, the accessories eventually even finding their way into popular mourning garb.
Some masks became infamous again after centuries.
Revelation Investigation Personnel and Resources or RIPR began to dawn the familiar beak and protective gear of the Black Death plague doctors. The public began to call them Rippers. If one spotted the shiny black beak of a Ripper, they knew the Plague had been to their town. They were only called to investigate when verified facts of Revelation have been found. Their job was to find the source of the outbreak, contact tracing - finding anyone who came in contact with infected/possible infected - containment, and treatment.
In order to keep anyone infected with Revelation isolated from others in need of urgent care, new facilities were created to deal exclusively with those sick of the plague. Centers for Revelation Isolation and Study - people called them “Crisis Camps.” Not even half of the sick sent there ever went home, further fueling the conspiracies about them being death camps and black ops experiment sites.
Revelation didn’t kill everyone it infected, but people would always know who had survived it. Revelation survivors are easy to spot: something about the virus changes them physically, causing their eyes to mutate. The irises turn a vivid gold, completely inhuman in appearance; they evolve to have amazing lowlight vision, but can sometimes become sensitive to sunlight; they reflect light like a cat’s.
Survivors become immune to the virus (even future strains) and oftentimes do charity work to help current afflicted. Because of this, some rumors claim that survivors can still infect people. This has been proven to be false, but the rumor remains in more rural and ignorant parts of the world.
A vaccine has yet to be perfected, even after more than twenty years. Many scientists eventually come to believe that the virus is not natural to the human realm, claiming that it may have come from somewhere else and is therefore not subject to our laws of nature. There is confirmed knowledge of realms intertwined with the one that humanity knows, after all. All denizens from each of the three inhuman realms claim ignorance as to the origin of the deadly virus.
