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.
