Codex of the Dead

Codex of the Dead is a comprehensive collection of data from the world I have created, it will also play a large role within the story itself much later setting up events for a second planned novel I have already started working on.

## The World

Among Them is a completely fictional story set in its own world with its own history, characters, governments, events and rules.

While I have tried to keep everything as real as possible at the end of the day this is a completely fictional world.

The locations of AT are completely made up from my countless naps I had during High school and any reference to real world locations are purely coincidental.

Some events, moments or story arcs has drawn inspiration from other zombie genre of even horror in general but where altered to add my own little sick twists and that is what this story is all about.

The beginning chapters will hopefully have you thinking that this a peaceful story and then once the outbreak hits you will be holding your breath as the Warren family tries to make it to safety. At certain points in the story I want readers to stop and ask themselves “what the fuck, did that just happen or what sick person wrote this” I want this story to push beyond the limits and create a world you hopefully want to live in but at the same time don’t.

At other parts I want readers to completely forget they are reading a zombie story only to be surprised when a zombie takes another life.

## The Story

The world we once knew is gone.

A Terrible Virus has left mankind close to extinction with only so many survivors left.

With each day that passes more people die and join the ever growing numbers of the undead.

David and Jason two brothers along with their family are among those that survived the initial days of the outbreak.

The story of Among Them is told primarily through David and his group, how they survive this unforgiving world and how they deal with not just the undead but also with the living.

## The Virus

No one knows what the true origin of The Virus is but the outbreak was caused by experiments being conducted by a secret department of Razor Enterprises. A lone infected was found at an unspecified time and location and was transported to their main research facility in the mountains outside West Lake City. There was an incident in the facility where the infected where being tested on and in the resulting chaos the facility was overwhelmed and the infected broke out.

## Types of Infected

* Infected Roamers: People that has been turned by The Virus, Their personality’s and memories gone they now roam the streets looking to consume any living flesh they can find. One bite or scratch is enough to infect any other living being. Their eyes are a whitish grey colour

* Feral/Berserk Runners: Ferals are infected humans who haven’t fully turned yet and can be killed in any way that a normal human can be killed but if it is not through the brain they will come back as normal infected. Survivors will only turn into a feral via a bite wound and not after death, they are much faster than the normal infected and highly aggressive. Usually last about 24 Hours and in Rare cases up to 3 Days after which they will start to decay into a normal walker. A Feral’s scream attracts the attention of any infected within a massive radius and should be eliminated as soon as possible. Survivors should never attempt to outrun a feral as they do not tire from running. Ferals eyes are bloodshot and purple veins are clearly visible all over their body.

* Sleepers: Infected that have gone days or months without eating and are in some sort of sleep state. When Survivors are near or any noise is made they will awake and behave like normal Infected. What makes them dangerous is that they are easily unnoticeable and can surprise anyone who are not aware of their surroundings.
* Stalkers: Stalkers are any survivors who where unlucky enough to get their throat ripped out by the infected or other means. Stalkers are completely silent, not growling or moaning and can catch any survivor off guard. This is not an infected you want to be with in a dark room with no light and no way out.

* Dwellers (Only in Afterlife): Infected that have been underground or in dark places for years and will be stunned by any light shown on them, The Brighter the Better. Because of their long exposure to darkness the Virus has adapted and they can see much better in the dark than the normal infected and their eyes glow.

* Crawlers: Infected that are missing their legs or are otherwise disabled from the waist down. They are to be considered just as dangerous as the normal walker because while they may not have the mobility of a walking infected they can easily surprise a survivor if they are not paying attention.

* The Blinded: Due to certain experiments being conducted on the infected, The Blinded are infected with no eyes but their sense of smell and hearing are higher than the normal infected. The slightest sound can draw their attention and the smell of blood can drive them berserk. The Blinded continually give off a distinct moan which makes it easy for survivors to tell them apart from other types of infected, this means that you will hear a blinded long before you see it, or it finds you. For some reason the blinded are never encountered out in the open, they are only ever seen inside buildings or dark locations.
* Agitated Infected: Whenever it rains the Infected grow agitated and becomes more aggressive and also starts to attract other infected. If left unchecked these swarms can easily grow into a large horde. Because of this the rain is both a blessing for bringing water but also a curse for making the infected more dangerous. Survivors should never be caught out in the open or alone when it starts raining as even a small number of agitated infected can overwhelm even the strongest human.