Witness to Ruin

Qucik summary v1

Please note this is a quick summary and some details may be vague or missing entirely. More info is around the site.

In 2010, a virologist named James Carter was assigned to create a virus and vaccine called Neuroinvasive Lyssavirus v3 or NL-3 in response to the rise in rabies cases in the US. During this, a military personnel named Nicholas Grant, also known as "Nick," was assigned to watch over James during his experiments to prevent him from disclosing any secrets to their competitors. The first two variations failed, showing little to no progress in development. However, while testing the third variation, the subjects responded in unexpected ways; Biting, scratching, and clawing at themselves and anything they could reach. The boss at James's lab was furious and quickly sent James back to work while he disposed of this variation. He spared every expense- mindlessly throwing the medical waste and lab equipment in landfills and illegal dumping sites to save a quick buck.

Over the next few weeks, while James worked endlessly in the lab, rats and stray animals found their way into the waste. Some tried to eat the discarded test subjects, while others had been poked by loose needles, accidentally infecting themselves. It didn't take long for the virus to take over their brain and nervous system. The once docile critters slowly became ravenous, bloodthirsty beasts. Their mind and bodies numbed, attacking others around them with no regard for their own safety. Infection quickly spread throughout the nearby wildlife; the smallest ones turned first, and the larger animals soon fell to the same fate. They traveled further out of the forest and into the cities, blending in with the already rabid animals. Animal control tried their best to contain all of them, but became outnumbered and overwhelmed, resulting in the direct order to begin euthanizing any and all animals that showed symptoms.

As these animals traveled through the city, humans started to get infected through attacks, but due to NL-3 being unknown outside the lab, these patients were treated for standard rabies. They received the vaccine and were monitored for a short while before being sent home, where they would later show symptoms months after the initial contact. These now-infected people entered the city and created an outbreak. Hospitals quickly filled with the recently attacked, and the government became involved. James and Nick were forced to watch everything unfold from inside the lab, unable to leave. They stayed in the lab together as the outbreak outside worsened day by day, until an official State of Emergency was declared and mandatory quarantine was imposed. The lab shut down, and the two men went their own ways for the next 6 months before being told to evacuate to designated safe zones throughout the city.

James followed the evacuation and ended up in a repurposed hotel labeled Camp 111. After a few days of settling in and getting used to the routine, he discovered Nick had been stationed in the same camp. They quickly became close again as they knew no one but each other. The government took a drastic measure and declared they would be dropping minor bombs in heavily populated areas post-evacuation in order to kill off infected hotspots. James spent the next few months with Nick as he tracked the rations, ration cards, and guarded the rest. Until one day, he noticed some of the ration cards had gone missing from the case. Nick's boss quickly noticed as well and scheduled a day for him to return to base. At this time, Myra Tzavaras had formed a smuggling group with a few others, stealing rations, ration cards, contraband, and weapons and trading or selling them between the nearby camps. She'd stolen a few of the cards Nick was supposed to be guarding and handed them off to the others to trade and sell. However, the night before Nick was supposed to return to base, one of the children in camp 111 had been infected for a few months without knowing and turned overnight, attacking her family. The screams caused chaos. Most people ran, though some tried to kill her. The rest of the guards quickly tried to control the situation, but it was too late. Nick got to James, and the two managed to escape the camp before either got hurt.

After the two had left Camp 111, they were stuck in the main city for weeks. Hiding under bridges, breaking into abandoned stores, whatever they needed to do in order to survive in the newly destroyed city while evading the military. Heavy armored trucks rolled through the last few intact streets, soldiers walked the paths and alleyways, and the infected were at every turn. They slowly made their way west of Halston to the Terrenwood forest, a large national forest that would offer protection from the military. While James and Nick traveled into the forest, Myra and a few of the others disappeared into the city, finding shelter in a newly abandoned casino. After a week or so of walking and struggling to find much food, James and Nick stumbled across an old cabin hidden within the woods. Inside, they found a young boy and his father. The boy was far too small to survive on his own, barely a toddler. However, the father was already dead, having gotten infected and killed himself in order not to attack his son. James and Nick couldn't leave the boy and decided to take him with them. They didn't know the boy's original name and instead named him Liam.

James and Nick knew they couldn't stay in the forest now that Liam was stuck with them, so they headed back into the city through the south side. They walked for a few days before finding a small neighborhood completely surrounded by metal and wooden walls. They took a risk and asked to join, claiming Liam as Nick's son. An old lady offered them a home if they would help protect them in return. James and Nick agreed, quickly finding their place in Highgate. Where they continue to live 15 years later. Highgate has grown in numbers and size, welcoming new members with open arms. Though the once small group of Myra's has now become a ruthless, drug-filled brothel known as The Amber Angel Casino and has taken over northern Halston.