The cure research was stolen from the lab after the army and militia were soundly defeated in very short order. All other research was burned or otherwise destroyed by the invading forces. The cure research now lies solely in the hands of one mystery individual. What they choose to do with it is up to them.
The media has been spinning this as the largest terrorist attack in recent years, and humans are not happy to say the least. There has been talk of vampire ID cards, special government organisations, curfews, and even a suggestion by a politician who is calling for Harper Rock to be abandoned and walled off entirely, so that vampires can be left to their own devices without harming humans.
For a full description of the roleplay and story consequences, see the bottom section of this post.
Gameplay Changes
- The relationship between humans and vampires has fallen by 1000 points, bringing things to 'uneasy peace' level.
- 250 squares in the 'world' area of the city have been bumped by 1 security point.
- There are now a larger number of cops in the city.
- Cops are now more likely to shoot on sight, if you are a wanted individual.
- The army has been dispatched to 'keep the peace'. They are even more likely to shoot (and hit) a wanted individual. Soldiers also attack anyone passing by any of their surrounding squares, making them much harder to avoid than cops.
- There are now more hunters in the city. They are also more likely to attack during daylight hours.
- Humans are more on edge, and will attack vampires who try to feed on them more often than before.
- The cost of blood packs has been increased to $500, as they are now more restricted and harder for the black market dealers to come by.
- Further huge consequences are likely to follow once the person who recovered the research makes their move.
Story Update (By Azraeth)
The news broke, and with it, the hearts of millions.
And then came the panic.
Prior to the events of September 2017, which many reputable news sources have described as a terror attack, the relationship between humans and vampires suffered from what can only be described as a honeymoon phase. With the great vampire revelation came many questions, and not a whole lot of answers, which left the community as a sort of mysterious and intriguing force. A new fad. Separated from the realities of daily life with vampires, it was easy for a largely liberal minded population to give the entire vampire community a pass, so to speak, especially with numerous celebrities and news media coming out in favor of the vampires. Essentially, they were treated like a mix between the romanticised version of vampires found in literature, and a newly discovered racial minority. While there were some loud detractors, who called them abominations, those people were largely dismissed as violent political or religious radicals, who were easily ignored.
For that reason, much of the night life in areas with any sort of vampire population exploded with activity, and as long as vampires were drinking donor blood, and staying quiet, nothing but smiles seemed to appear on the television screens during news specials. However, as with all honeymoon periods, the sort of idyllic euphoria wore off during the Longslade siege. As reports began to roll in about terror attacks on Canadian soil, the rose tinted glasses became stained with blood - especially when it became clear that the majority of those involved in the assault were vampires. Of course, numerous politicians involved in Project Revital began to release responses to email leaks, saying that the cure was meant to offer a choice to vampires who were feeling regret after being turned, or who perhaps were not given a choice in the matter. The cure itself was quickly advertised as a tool by which extremely violent vampires could be humanely depowered, and made to answer for any crimes. It was, at its core, publicized as a sort of miracle drug, which had the potential to cure many woes.
Unfortunately, with the attack on Londslade, and the destruction of the research, humanity’s faith in vampires has significantly dwindled. It was the ending of an age of glamor, with the grittiness of reality setting in.
And with the ending of that age began a new one. Since around the middle of September 2017, marches have begun during daylight hours, blocking traffic, and impacting the flow of local transit and businesses. Protests have popped up at various universities as well as around various political offices and in front of the Mayor’s mansion. For a few days, many government services were forced to shut down. People were frightened, and began to act accordingly. Emergency measures were quickly passed to allow people in Harper Rock to carry firearms for the sake of protection, and the number of people who walk around with mirrors to check if a person is a vampire has drastically increased. On the whole, paranoia about some sort of vampire attack has been on the rise. There are many (but not all) human run businesses which either do not stay open at night, or which outright refuse to serve vampires.
Still people do not feel safe. The number of humans who have evacuated Harper Rock seems to spike higher and higher every day, and security measures have radically increased as more and more people feed into the idea that if they can identify vampire criminals, they can do their part to keep the streets safe. It is very clear that most humans do not trust vampires on the whole. Tensions have risen to such a point that peace itself is tenuous, with an atmosphere such that it feels as if fights might break out at any moment. In fact, that’s exactly what has happened in some cases. There are a few (very few) cases where humans have grouped together, to isolate lone vampires, and leave them as nothing but ashes. Unfortunately, these cases have gone largely ignored by the media due to lack of physical evidence. And even when screams are heard or reported, when the victim is identified, their pleas for help are largely ignored, as public opinion has turned and prejudices are allowed to be expressed more openly. While not all of the police force is corrupt, there are a large number who don’t see vampires as human, and therefor void when it comes to the protections normally offered to citizens.
Pressure on lawmakers to do something has increased, and there have been numerous bills brought forward at different levels of the government, At the federal level, there is discussion of putting up walls around Harper Rock, and quarantining the area entirely, cutting it off from the rest of the world. Less extreme measures include ideas about making it so that vampires can’t vote, or that they should be entirely segregated, with locations for only humans and locations for only vampire. On more local levels, there is discussion of a curfew for humans, and a police force made up specifically to handle vampires. While many of these laws still seem extreme to the average citizen, it is clear that they have been in discussion behind closed doors for a long time. The difference is that now they can be talked about in the open. In fact, there are many conservative politicians who have declared that all vampires are terrorists, dangerous, murderers. That they should be abandoned and left to their own devices.
There are still some people who support vampires, however many of them do so less openly, for fear of instigating a mob frenzy of panic and destruction, as happened shortly after the assault on Longslade. On the whole, while critics of the vampire community have gotten much louder, most average people just want to live and let live. To be left alone. To go back to a time before vampires. To not have to deal with the problem. Indifference has become the new acceptance, and there are few vocal champions of vampirism and its place in a world full of living, breathing people.
A very small number of vampire supporters have requested that the ones responsible for the violence at the compound come forward and turn themselves in. Perhaps, they say,
if people see vampires as willing to accept punishment for their heinous actions, it might sway the hearts of a few people. Besides. It's the right thing to do isn't it?
Regardless of the choice made, what has been done has been done, and now there is a magnifying glass on the vampire community. The real question is: Are the vampires like ants, who will burn under the heat and intensity of that glass. Or will they prove themselves to be better than their worst moments?