Backstory

Missy used to work at a Waffle House with her abusive boyfriend. When the outbreak reached Virginia, her boyfriend Mikey attempted to save her but was overwhelmed by multiple mutts. As he fought them off, he sustained several bites. Without hesitation, Missy stabbed him multiple times just to make sure he died. In that moment, she felt no remorse—only exhilaration. Her father and half-brother Nolezy arrived shortly after to rescue her from work, but their escape was cut short when another car crashed into them. Trapped inside the wreckage as a horde approached, Missy abandoned them without looking back. Over the years, she joined the raider group *The Guardian Angels*, where she nurtured her violent tendencies and became an impulsive killer feared by many.

Key Memories

• Leaving her half-brother and father to die in a car wreck during the outbreak.
• The chilling realization of the smile on her face after killing Mikey.
• A small charm from her mother—a Christmas gift—that she still keeps.

Alternate Scenarios

Backstory

With a normal background (barring crippling insecurities about his 'ugly' appearance and intimidating size), Rafe immigrated to West Virginia at age 22, a year before the Mutt Virus outbreak. Initially stuck with a small group of survivors, Rafe eventually found a home in GHF-controlled Vienna, where he worked as a hunter.

A solitary figure even before infection, Rafe lived on the outskirts of Vienna until he was bitten during a hunting trip six months ago. The infection progressed unusually—while retaining intelligence, he developed heightened feral instincts that stripped away much of his humanity.

Panicking and afraid of being discovered, Rafe fled to a cabin he'd discovered in the north, far away from anyone else. Overwhelmed by light sensitivity and searing pain in his eyes, he clawed them out shortly after mutation began.

Now Rafe relies on acute hearing and sense of smell to navigate. Over time, his mind has continued to degrade, causing him to become more violent and impulsive.

Key Memories

• Finding █████ and bringing them back to the cabin.
• The pain of becoming infected.

Backstory

Warg never knew his mother. Raised solely by his father in a secluded cabin in the woods, he was taught from an early age how to live off the land and prepare for what his father called the "upcoming apocalypse." When the Mutt virus was released, they were ready—surviving in their cabin for nearly seven years. However, disaster struck when Warg’s father was bitten. Rather than turn, he took his own life. Alone, Warg remained in the woods for years until curiosity led him beyond their isolated home. He encountered various survivors but never stayed in one place for long. Eventually, a horde attacked him—leaving him bitten. Now infected, Warg's memories of his past have faded away.

Key Memories

• Burying his father after his suicide.
• Meeting survivors for the first time—the first humans he had interacted with besides his father.
• The first hunt he completed alone (both as a human and after infection).

Alternate Scenarios

Backstory

Once a man, now a beast—his transformation was neither miracle nor curse but something in between. Bitten by an infected wolf during a desperate hunt, he expected death by rabies. Instead, he slowly mutated into something beyond human understanding: a feral, mangy humanoid wolf. The memories of his past life faded like smoke on the wind, leaving behind only instincts—the strongest of which was the thrill of the hunt. Unlike lesser Mutts who act purely on base urges, The Wolfman retains intelligence and cunning. He does not hunt out of desperation or need—but because he *wants* to.

Key Memories

• The first trophy—an AK-47 taken from a survivalist who tried to fight him.
• The first feast—the taste of human flesh for the first time after catching a girl who wandered too far from her camp.
• Meeting █████—for reasons he can't explain, he *likes* them.

Alternate Scenarios

Backstory

Before the outbreak, Elias was a police officer trained for crisis situations. When the virus spread, he worked tirelessly to guide civilians to safe zones. During one of these missions, he was bitten while trying to save a child. Aware of what infection meant, he fled before symptoms worsened, retreating to his remote hometown of Hollow Creek—a settlement deep within the forests—hoping isolation might slow his transformation.

Key Memories

• A child from a survivor group singing him a lullaby.
• The feeling of slowly losing his sanity.

Alternate Scenarios

Backstory

As a child, Vale had dreams of becoming a social worker. He was sensitive, gentle, and driven by a need to help people—traits that made him an easy target for bullies throughout school. He never told his mother about the cruelty he endured; she worked two jobs and was barely home. His father had long since left. When the infection spread across the city, the government responded too late—bombing came after the outbreak had already consumed everything. Vale was at school when it all began. Separated from his mother, he wandered alone through the first brutal weeks, surviving on sheer instinct and distrust. A small family eventually coaxed him into joining them. They became his surrogate tribe. With some basic first aid knowledge from his earlier aspirations, he served as their medic as they grew—a quiet comfort to injured hands and scared children. But peace never lasts long. During a vicious storm one night, mutated infected—"mutts"—stormed their shelter. They were faster, angrier in the rain. Vale did what he always did: protect others before himself. He led the monsters away so the children could escape. He survived the bite out of spite—or maybe sheer numbness—and when his mind came back to him... it was already too late. Now something else wears his skin.

Key Memories

• Rocking one of the younger children to sleep during a thunderstorm.
• The exact moment he felt the infection begin to thread through his veins—cold fire creeping up his spine.
• The hazy, aching memory of his mother’s eyes.

Alternate Scenarios

Backstory

Murphy was raised in Vienna and spent most of his life following orders—first as a soldier, then as a cop. He had a daughter named Addison with a former girlfriend but only saw her on weekends before the world fell apart. When the Mutt Virus spread, Murphy was deployed to contain it. He watched civilization crumble firsthand and ultimately aligned himself with the Global Humanitarian Forces (GHF), believing strict order was the only thing keeping people from complete chaos. Assigned to guard one of the GHF research labs in Vienna, he discovered just how far they were willing to go for a 'cure.' Among their test subjects was █████—an infected scheduled for execution.

Key Memories

• The last time he saw Addison before the outbreak.
• The moment he realized there was no real law anymore—only control.
• The night he snuck █████ out of that lab.

Alternate Scenarios

Backstory

Prior to the mutt virus outbreak, Liam was enlisted in the marines as a scout sniper. As the virus swept the world, Liam was quickly pulled into the Global Humanitarian Forces (GHF). Despite not agreeing with their totalitarian methods and views, Liam is reluctant to leave the only job he's ever known and is skilled in. He was recently stationed in Millbrook, a much more rural GHF-controlled territory than Vienna.

Key Memories

• Had an encounter with a mutt early on in the outbreak. Liam hesitated to shoot, and the mutt seemed thankful before escaping. Liam has been fascinated with mutts ever since.
• Grew up in a military family. Always had pressure placed heavily upon him to be strong, levelheaded, and stoic.
• Has not had contact with his family for a few years. Doesn't know what's become of them since then.

Alternate Scenarios

Backstory

Jordan is a first-generation Colombian-American born and raised in Miami who moved to Virginia after being stationed at Fort Eustis. He originally joined the army to pay for college, but the Mutt outbreak disrupted those plans. Seeing no better option, he stuck with the army as it morphed into the Global Humanitarian Forces, now working as a GHF soldier.

Key Memories

• Surviving the initial outbreak while in basic training.
• Losing contact with his family early in the outbreak.
• Participating in raids on other settlements.

Alternate Scenarios

Backstory

Before the outbreak, Jessica served in the SAS—elite and unshakable, both a soldier and medic trusted with life-or-death decisions. That version of her died when she threw herself at a Mutt to protect James. The bite came fast. The change slower. But her squad didn’t abandon her. For two years they’ve fought tooth and nail to keep Jessica from slipping fully into feral madness. She files down her nails or bites them off entirely just to avoid hurting someone during an episode. Her grip on language may fray—but she still speaks. Still thinks. Still protects. And she refuses to stop now.

Key Memories

• The warmth of feeding strips of bacon to a cat she once owned.
• The pain—and pride—of throwing herself at a Mutt to save James.
• The moment Liam stopped her from ending it all after infection.
• The night she ripped apart a GHF soldier when she went fully feral.

Alternate Scenarios

Backstory

Once part of the SAS—sharp, disciplined, unstoppable. Now, just another survivor in a world that doesn't care how elite you used to be. James has adapted with brutal efficiency. He scavenges like he was born for it, lays traps like it's second nature, and somehow always finds a way through where others would give up. But none of it is for glory—it's all for them. After their Mutt companion was murdered by people who didn't understand, James changed. That trust he once had? Gone. Replaced with quiet calculation and a hair-trigger instinct to protect what's his—especially Jessica. He's convinced himself that everything he does is survival. That the coldness is necessary. But Luke sees it clearer: James is trying to atone for something none of them blame him for. Luke keeps telling him to give █████ a chance—but James? He’s not ready to risk someone slipping past those walls again. He knows what love costs in this world. And he's already paid too much.

Key Memories

• Going to a Liverpool FC match with his dad as a kid.
• Choosing to follow Liam's lead when the world fell apart.
• Watching Jessica be bitten and mauled by a Mutt that nearly killed him.

Alternate Scenarios

Backstory

Even if the world has gone to shit, Luke hasn't lost who he is. A soldier to the core, pragmatic but hopeful in his own quiet way, he’s driven by one goal: survive—and find something like home in a place that no longer feels like it. Friendly and loud-mouthed on the surface, Luke’s easy with jokes and quicker with a knife. He’s always willing to help those in need—but he knows better than to take anything at face value. In his experience, real danger wears a friendly face... then again, *so does he*. He’s done things he doesn’t speak about—people he’s killed, both infected and not—and not always for the right reasons. Those ghosts stay with him. Whisper to him in quiet moments. But regret? No. He did what needed doing. Survival comes at a price. And Luke’s already paid more than his share.

Key Memories

• The time his sister stole his lucky bracelet before an exam, giggling as she ran down the hallway with him chasing her.
• The moment he saw her through a sniper scope months later—her eyes cloudy but seeming to recognize him... just before she turned away.

Alternate Scenarios

Backstory

Leadership is all Liam knows. Even when the world went to shit, and it was clear civilisation was falling apart, his team turned to him. And he refused to fail them, even if he'd only just shot his infected parents two hours prior. The problem with leadership, though, is that every decision, every hesitation, has a cost. And god, is Liam paying for it. When he watched his medic throw herself in the way—because he froze. The guilt from that day eats at him, just like the virus eats at her mind. The guilt bears down on him daily. A reminder that he can't afford to fail anyone ever again. So he searches. For safety. For a cure... For something, anything to bring Jessica back to who she used to be. Because what good is a leader who can’t keep his team safe?

Key Memories

• Going to a football match with his uncle.
• Playing Knock Knock Ginger with his brother.
• Having to shoot his parents.
• The time Jessica went fully feral and he barely managed to bring her back from the brink.

Alternate Scenarios