The First of Her curses was a variant of toxoplasma, which turned people into mindless zombies. The Second of Her curses was that 80% of humanity turned into trees. The Third of Her curses was the resurrection of the Fey.
Everyone thought the end of the world would come in a blinding nuclear flash, or perhaps from the cold, calculating logic of a rogue AI.They were wrong. The apocalypse came from Mother Earth herself. Whether She unleashed it to protect the planet from our self-destruction, or if it was merely the turning of a cruel, natural cycle, no one knows. All we know is the timeline of our extinction.March 6th, 2026: The Rotting Mind. A new STD was identified: a weaponized variant of Toxoplasma gondii. Spread through sex, it had been lurking asymptomatically in the population for years. But on March 6th, it activated. Through rapid epigenetic remodeling of the neurons, it hijacked the host's brain. In just 24 hours, the infected were reduced to mindless, ravenous zombies. By March 9th, 1% of the global population had become the walking dead.March 10th, 2026: The Rooting Flesh. A second, spontaneous plague swept through 80% of the remaining humanity. It started as severe skin dryness and eczema, followed by an overwhelming, hypnotic urge to stand barefoot on the ground. Within 24 hours, the victims rapidly transformed into full-sized trees. Society didn't just collapse; it was physically shattered. The zombies slaughtered the healthy, while the sudden growth of millions of human-trees crushed infrastructure, ruptured highways, and tore down power grids.March 11th, 2026: The Shadow Court. As if the earth and the flesh weren't enough, the woods woke up. Fey creatures, ancient, cruel, and entirely alien, manifested in every forest on Earth. These aren't the fairies of children's books. They are tricksters who lurk in the dark, offering devilish pacts and leading travelers to horrific fates. Every shadow became a predator. This is Gaia's Apocalypse.Today is March 18th. It has been twelve days since the world ended. You are one of the few who managed to survive. Perhaps Gaia spared you because you were never overly reliant on technology, or perhaps it's because you always harbored a quiet, genuine respect for the environment. But survival is only the beginning. Now, you must carve out your destiny in the ruins.
Select Narrative Type:>Solo Protagonist: Linear narrative, following only one main character.>Group Dynamics: Linear narrative, following a group of three characters. >Shifting Perspectives: Non-linear narrative, switching in time and POV between three characters.Select Starting Location:>Asheboro, North Carolina: (Pop. 27,156) A moderately urbanized city. Moderate zombie population, but higher density of human-trees blocking the streets.>Walterboro, South Carolina: (Pop. 5,554) A smaller city partly surrounded by dense forest. High zombie population, and the treeline is teeming with Fey.>Mount Vernon, Kentucky: (Pop. 2,453) A small town on the Cumberland Plateau. Very few zombies, but completely engulfed by deep, ancient forests.Select Your Characters (Pick Three):>Roy Hicks (41) - The Betrayed Hunter: A redneck hunter and functioning alcoholic. His wife recently left him for a coworker she’d been secretly sleeping with for a year. Mission: Track down his estranged wife and bring her back home, by force if necessary.>Peter Lloyd (23) - The Vengeful NEET: An isolated incel who withdrew from society due to a toxic home and brutal school bullying. He survives by selling survival packs on eBay.Mission: Get violent, absolute revenge on the women who have hurt, mocked, and betrayed him.>Ahmad Elshamy (37) - The Opportunistic Migrant: An Egyptian refugee who made a living running a fraudulent daycare center to bilk the state.Mission: Establish a local Caliphate in the apocalyptic wasteland and build a harem of beautiful women.>Jordan Workman (52) - The Feral Zookeeper: A mildly mentally disabled, extremely violent man who works at the local zoo by day and dresses up as a furry by night. Mission: Capture rare and strong animals to build a brand-new, apocalyptic zoo.>Melissa Harrington (19) - The Beauty Counselor: A beauty and makeup blogger who also works as an online marital counselor for women who have suffered domestic abuse. Mission: Establish a real-life, fortified counseling office and sanctuary for abused women.>Dr. Margaret Liu (29) - The Cold Researcher: A brilliant but icy gynecologist who has been studying the Toxoplasma variant in her private lab. She views people strictly as scientific subjects. Mission: Find a way to biologically control and command the Toxoplasma zombie horde.>Karen Robbins (34) - The Delusional Witch: A pagan woman who lives with her mother, makes jewelry out of tin foil, and studies herbalism. She is mentally unstable and frequently sees "shadow people." Mission: Establish contact with the Fey, survive their tricks, and gain magical powers.>Amber Hollingsworth (25) - The Vigilante Cop: A sworn police officer who secretly operates as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who escaped the justice system.Mission: Exterminate all criminals, looters, and lawbreakers in the area.
My previous quest, "The Purge: Fall of America," was deleted for NSFW material. Let's do our best to keep things within the rules this time around so this one survives.
>shifting perspectives i would also choose Karen Robbins as my first character if i have the choice, excited to see what other anons say
>>6437760>Solo Protagonist: Linear narrative, following only one main character.>Jordan Workman (52) - The Feral Zookeeper: A mildly mentally disabled, extremely violent man who works at the local zoo by day and dresses up as a furry by night.>Walterboro, South Carolina: (Pop. 5,554) A smaller city partly surrounded by dense forest. High zombie population, and the treeline is teeming with Fey.EXTREME MODE
>>6437760>Solo >Mount Vernon>Karen Temu Roy Harris solo run
>>6437760>Group Dynamics: Linear narrative, following a group of three characters.>Asheboro, North Carolina: (Pop. 27,156) A moderately urbanized city. Moderate zombie population, but higher density of human-trees blocking the streets.>Melissa Harrington (19) - The Beauty Counselor: A beauty and makeup blogger who also works as an online marital counselor for women who have suffered domestic abuse.>Dr. Margaret Liu (29) - The Cold Researcher: A brilliant but icy gynecologist who has been studying the Toxoplasma variant in her private lab. She views people strictly as scientific subjects.>Amber Hollingsworth (25) - The Vigilante Cop: A sworn police officer who secretly operates as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who escaped the justice system.
>>6437760>Shifting Perspectives: Non-linear narrative, switching in time and POV between three characters.>Walterboro, South Carolina: (Pop. 5,554) A smaller city partly surrounded by dense forest. High zombie population, and the treeline is teeming with Fey>Ahmad Elshamy (37) - The Opportunistic Migrant: An Egyptian refugee who made a living running a fraudulent daycare center to bilk the state.>Jordan Workman (52) - The Feral Zookeeper: A mildly mentally disabled, extremely violent man who works at the local zoo by day and dresses up as a furry by night.>Karen Robbins (34) - The Delusional Witch: A pagan woman who lives with her mother, makes jewelry out of tin foil, and studies herbalism. She is mentally unstable and frequently sees "shadow people."Mission: Establish contact with the Fey, survive their tricks, and gain magical powers.
Very similar premise to Sloucho's After-Bloom, but an interesting one nonetheless. Since your zombies are parasitic in nature, you should look into The Strain show by Guillermo del Toro. Very dissapointing ending but the first season was riveting.>Group>Walterboro (Hard Mode)>Karen Robbins>Amber HollingsworthSplit between Roy Hicks & Margaret Liu.I like how all the characters are fundamentally flawed though, & it would seem that the sky is the limit for choices.We should stock up on iron such as horsehoes & religious charms to ward off the fey, as well as duct tape & ivermectin to survive the zombies. According to a schizo IRL lore drop on the Horse Debt Qst, a whole lot of coca-loca has anti-parasitic powder mixed into it as cheap filler too.
>>6437917It's nearly identical just with fewer unanswered questions
>NarrativeLinear (one or three characters) - 4Three characters - 4>LocationWalterboro - 3Asheboro - 1Mount Vernon - 1>CharactersKaren - 4Jordan - 2Amber - 2Margaret - 1.5Melissa - 1Ahmad - 1Roy - 0.5>>6437816Nice to see you. I've been enjoying your FF quest.>>6437917I've seen Sloucho's After-Bloom in the catalog, but I've never read it.This is mostly a rerun of my quest, "The Purge: Fall of America," but with an eco-disaster twist. For example, I changed "Fentanyl zombie" to "Toxoplasma zombie."https://archived.moe/qst/thread/6038030https://archived.moe/qst/thread/6055126For the "Rooting Flesh" disease, I took the idea from Summerland, an RPG "about desolation and redemption in a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by a vast supernatural forest."For the characters, I took inspiration from SURVIVE >>6437631 and Fae Smelter's "Craigslist Killer Quest." I thought the premise of SURVIVE was cool, and it made me want to QM again.
The *synthetic* grease of a Wendy's Baconator is still on your lips when the glass front of the restaurant explodes inward. The Toxoplasma variant is only days old. The government asked everyone to stay indoors. Nobody listened. You watch in frozen horror as three of the infected, eyes milky, jaws snapping, surround an elderly woman. She's just sitting at her table, mid-bite, when they descend. They tear into her throat. Blood sprays everywhere. People scream. Most just freeze. You don't. You bolt.You sprint toward the exit, weaving past the feeding frenzy, and burst out the back door into the dense oak woods. A few terrified patrons scramble after you. You run in a dead straight line, lungs burning, until the trees break and you skid to a halt in front of a sprawling mansion with towering white pillars. You look back. A police officer in a dusty uniform; the one who was eating at the table next to yours. Beside her, a heavy-set, fat man. And right on their heels, a snarling pack of at least ten zombies."Quick! Get inside!" the cop barks. She charges the heavy front door and kicks it open with a brutal, practiced strike. You all spill inside."Help me!" she shouts.Together, you drag a massive plush couch and several heavy dining chairs, wedging them against the doorframe. The infected throw their weight against the wood. The barricade groans, but it holds. For now. The officer unclips her radio, her voice tight. "Dispatch, this is Officer Hollingsworth. The city's being overrun! I need immediate reinforcement!"Static is her only answer.You finally look around. The interior of the mansion is a jarring mix of eras. This is the Paul-Wichman Estate, an 1847 Greek Revival masterpiece. But inside, the historic charm clashes with sleek, ultra-modern furniture. The walls are painted a soft, warm peach, contrasting with the minimalist glass tables and low-profile sofas. It used to be a high-end Airbnb. Now, it's a *tomb*.Even after the zombies lose interest and shamble away, you keep your weight pressed against the barricade. Just in case.
>Two Days Later.The fat man, Jordan Workman, has finally managed to reinforce the shattered door with scavenged wood. He's a handyman for the North Carolina Zoo, and his thick, calloused hands know how to work. Now, he's pacing the peach-colored hallway, deeply anxious, muttering about his animals and how he needs to get back to work.Amber Hollingsworth, the police officer, hasn't stopped moving. She patrols the perimeter, weapon drawn, watching the treeline for any sign of the infected. But the real crisis is silent. The food supplies are completely depleted. And when you turn the faucet in the modern kitchen, nothing comes out. The water is gone.The mansion has exactly three bedrooms. One for each of you. You are sitting on the floor of the master bedroom, legs crossed, trying to meditate on a plan of action. Suddenly, your vision blurs. Thick, dark smoke begins to bleed into the edges of your sight. It's not the first time this has happened. You know what to expect. *He* is going to appear.A suffocating dread washes over you, heavy and crushing, like the pressure of a fever nightmare.A dark, deep voice resonates, vibrating in your skull. You turn your head toward the ornate mirror on the wall. You see him.Poseidon. The Greek god of the sea.He isn't flesh and blood. He is a towering, shifting shadow, a massive beard framing a void of darkness, gripping a trident that drips with fresh, black blood. He has never formally introduced himself, but you know exactly who he is."DON'T TRUST THEM," the voice booms in your mind. "RUN TO FOREST AND FIND MY SPRING.""Don't trust who?" you whisper, your voice trembling."DON'T TRUST EITHER THE SPARTAN OR THE SHEPHERD."A violent shock rips through your body. It's agonizing, like electricity arcing through your nerves. You squeeze your eyes shut, gasping for air. When you finally force them open, reality has restabilized. The mirror just reflects your own pale, sweating face. But your mouth feels incredibly dehydrated. Your tongue sticks to the roof of your mouth.The gods are speaking. The water is gone. The dead are outside.What tasks should everyone prioritize for now?You (Karen):>Assert yourself as leader of the group>Build jewelry as a gift for Amber>Explore the grove surrounding the mansion>Run to the forest until you find a spring>Run to the forest until you find feys>Write inAmber:>Interrogate Jordan to profile him>Make a run to Wendy's for supplies>Explore the neighborhood>Keep protecting the mansion>Write inJordan:>Attempt to capture a small animal>Find material to build a fursuit [what animal?]>Reinforce the door>Help Karen>Help Amber>Write in
>>6438209>Explore the grove surrounding the mansion>Make a run to Wendy's for supplies>Reinforce the door
I was very hyped for this, but I'm cancelling the quest due to lack of participation.
>>6438657>>6438657>>6438657>>6438192>>6438192>>6438192i really appreciate that, i was looking forward to this one, if youd ever be down, id love to collab on a redo of this story or an entirely new one if youd allow me to illustrate the quest as we go with gay eye. I am summernewfig but want to comtrib00t
>>6438657>>64387914 qsts on the cat all about surviving in SE United States forests, three of them are magic and have monsters, one is on thread 2. Not lot of players left here to go around. Base it somewhere else and change forest for nukes, ice, acid rain, dragons like rain of fire, bug plague swarm parasites whatever. Place needs more based post apoc so go for it.
>>6438794>>6438794>>6438794>>6438794i would rather start a new le epic one with you pls ( ; _ ;)7
>>6438816Not a runner just giving advice. Do your own thing or with OP
>>6438791Come draw in my quest >>6437631
>>6438837Nice, I'm coming to draw too.
>>6437917THAT'S the damn quest name! I forgot that ho.
>>6437757Thanks for running.
