Derek Schrek from 'Eerie'

Somehow through it all I thought I was immune…I would never succumb to the rampant plague of insanity…but I did…

First and foremost, a big thanks to Nightmask @ Classic Marvel Forever for providing the link to the online comic resource which allowed me to re-read several back issues of Eerie

that I’m missing and/or lost. This was invaluable for the Halloween write-ups and one of the reasons I’m dragging my heels as normal. Although only four stories appear in Eerie The broken apocalyptic world of Derek Schreck was one that had more to do with the idea of mankind’s psyche being tied to the moon than the zombie-like plague of madness that seemed to drive the survivors of Schreck’s world. Conceptually there is a lot in common with such things as 28 Days Later, The Omega Man, and even subtle nods to the Yul Brynner film The Ultimate Warrior. It’s a short-connected set of stories that may or may not also have connection to Warren Publication’s other characters Rook and Hunter (There is an aged character in Hunter named Schreck, who like Derek has one hand). The concept of limited nuclear war on the moon and the fallout of that war and how it affected mankind was different, as was the ‘moon madness’ that it spawned. Like a lot of the Warren stories, it was something that was done quickly but had a lot of potential, and very much a product of the 1970s. I plan on three Warren write-ups this Halloween, Schreck being the first.

Why Derek Schreck

From an early age, I read Eerie

and Creepy, and always enjoyed the characters and stories. I liked the concept of Derek, and although it wasn’t they weren’t the best written stories at the time, the did have elements and a memorable character I thought had some cool ideas. The right hand multi-tool was a neat idea, as was the fact that many of those who were lunatics were beginning cult worship (which plays in the ‘Hunter’ stories).

Derek Schrek

F:  Ex (20)

A: Ex (20)

S:  Gd (10)

E:  Rm (30)

R: Typ (06)

I:  Ex (20)

P: Ex (20)

Health: 80

Karma: 46

Resources: Gd (10) resources prior to the War, Pr (04) to Typ (06) after

Popularity: 10 before the war, 0 after

Talents:

Derek has many skills, including:

Firearms

Marksmanship

Athletics

Journalism

First Aid

Brawling

Knowledge: Current World Events

Knowledge: Current region/area

Powers:

Immunity to the Lunatic Plague

:  Derek is immune to the Lunatic Plague after succumbing and being treated for it. As such, Derek is considered immune to the effect. Whether this extends to other subsequent effects remains to be seen.

Equipment:

Replacement Right Hand

: Derek’s right hand was severed early on by his wife who had succumbed to the plague. After being found near death by a group of doctors and scientists, a prosthetic hand was developed and surgically attached. The hand is actually a multi-attachment cup that allows Schreck to switch out parts and attachments. The cup and attachments seem to be made of Rm (30) material strength, with attachments including:

• Eating utensils such as spoon, fork, and knife
• Flashlight providing 1-area illumination
• Standard tools such as ratchets, screwdrivers, and such.
• A standard pen
• An axe which does 10 points of edged damage (rather than the standard 5), halving body armor.
• A dagger-like blade which does 5 points of edged damage can be used to parry melee attacks with a successful Agility FEAT.
• A multi-jointed simulated metallic hand that can be manually fastened around objects for limited use. It has Pr (4) intensity magnets which allow greater control of metal objects.

Contacts:

Derek has few contacts in the post-lunatic world, and most of those contacts end up dead or worse. Invariably, Derek’s contacts either succumb to the lunatic plague or are killed by the lunatics themselves.

Limitations:

Unlucky

: Although Derek seems to recover from his adventures, he does have a problem of falling into worse situations. During any conflict, The GM will secretly reverse the result of a dice roll, unless it is an Endurance FEAT or save vs. Death.

One-handed

: Although equipped with a state of the art prosthetic, Derek is still missing his right hand and has been caught without it at least once.

The lunacy Plague

Caused by the fallout from limited nuclear exchange on the moon’s surface, the Lunacy Plague spread quickly throughout the population of Schreck’s Earth. It is suggested the 92% of Earth’s population is affected by it. In essence the plague forces to FEAT checks vs. Rm (30) intensity, an Endurance FEAT and a Psyche FEAT with yellow results vs. Rm (30) intensity. If both FEATS are failed, the subject succumbs quickly, within a day. If one FEAT is made, the process is slower, taking upwards of a week to a month. Those affected go mad, often being reduced to savage instinct. Those who make one of the FEATs maintain their intellect, but are possessed with a mania which transcends normal madness. The Lunacy Plague brings the worst qualities of a person forward, while at the same time driving them mad.

Those suffering from the Lunacy Plague are identified by two major characteristics:

• Maniacal attitude and behavior: Those suffering from the plague will engage in self-destructive and violent behavior and will attack anyone who is not affected with whatever means available. As some of the lunatics have a level of clarity, they can use weapons, control the others, and speak without major issue. The Lunatics seem to be able to tell who is infected and who is not, and engage in an almost inhuman need for carnage and blood.
• Milky-white eyes: The lunatics are further identified by white eyes, which are alternative described as both almost glowing and milky white. The transition of the eyes are the first sign of succumbing to the Lunacy Plague, and are the main means of identifying the infected.

Cure for the plague : A cure for the plague is available, but its secrets and composition died with the creator and furthermore its effectiveness is only 50% successful – The other 50% die from the chemical concoction. The serum is 100% effective if the person can be cured, and return a person to a normal state of sanity and health within six to twenty-four hours. Mechanically, should a character become infected and succumb, they must make a Yellow Endurance FEAT vs. Ex (20) intensity. If successful, the victim recovers with no ill-effects. If not, the victim immediately begins the dying process losing 1 rank of Endurance per round until dead.