St. Barbara's Church
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St. Barbara's Church VSB, lit. AndyMatthews (talk) 11:23, 5 October 2024 (UTC)
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| St Barbara's Church
Dulston [98,2]
Basic Info:
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Description
St. Barbara's Church was once a small Catholic church in the suburb of Dulston, near the northeastern corner of Malton. It was known to have a strong association with the Malton Fire Department due to St. Barbara's patronage of firefighters. Since the "Malton Incident", however, the church has gone largely unused by its original parishioners and became the locus of strange cultic activity. A small group of survivors seeking to make twisted sense of the zombie epidemic found a semblance of truth in the black-and-white horror classic Night of the Living Dead playing at the nearby Troubridge Cinema. From the film they drew vast analogies between fiction and reality and began to propagate their teachings derived from its plot and characters. Extensively renovating St. Barbara's Church in the name of their beliefs, they have even replaced some of the historic stained glass windows with images of their fictional "Saints". The cultists believe that only by following the teachings from this horror classic can Malton's survivors truly be at peace with their fate.
The church has been re-dedicated to a new Barbara, known as the Silent Lady of Sacrifice and the Patron Saint of Barricaders. During the Night of the Living Dead she spoke infrequently and, although nearly paralyzed by fear, was martyred trying to rescue another survivor while maintaining the barricades. Survivors who offer silent prayer to Saint Barbara in their time of need are those who maintain barricades or hope that a building's barricades will hold out against a zombie siege. In turn, these survivors are asked to be both kind and helpful to their fellow survivors, offering information, advice, or medical attention. They also abstain from unnecessary violence (against the living or dead) and never provoke others needlessly.
Noted NecroTech scientist, Caleb Usher, entered the church only once, and then slowly backed out. When later asked about his experience, he shook his head sadly and commented, "Crazy dropped by that church and decided to stay; that's about all I can say on that."
Some members of the Malton Fire Department as well as soldiers stationed in the city have voiced their concern over the church building's sad fate as a cult shrine. Still faithful to the real Saint Barbara, these firefighters and soldiers struggle to remind Maltonians of the real Saint's life, even as they struggle to maintain some semblance of order in the ruined city. Barbara lived around 300 A.D. and was condemned to death by her own father, the general Dioscorus, who was enraged by her faith. On his way home from the execution, he was struck by lightning and killed. Barbara has been honored ever since as the patroness of all those in danger from fires and explosions. As such she is a natural patron saint for firefighters and the field artillery. There is rumored to be a movement afoot to return the church to its original state at some point yet to be determined, probably after the blight has ended.
The Teachings of Barbara
Many are the teachings of Saint Barbara. Here are but a few of her words, taken from the Night of the Living Dead, that survivors might learn from her and thus become better survivors in her eyes:
- And Barbara did look upon Johnny and said unto him, "I think you complain just to hear yourself talk." (NotLD, 4:04-4:06)
And thus do we learn from Barbara that it is the poor survivor who complains but for the sake of complaining. Better that we hold our tongues and speak when we truly have something important to say. Waste not your action, lest you find yourself tired when the zombies come for you.
- In the graveyard Johnny did taunt Barbara with her fear of the undead, speaking unto her the prophetic words, "They're coming to get you, Barbara!", but Barbara did not raise her hand in anger against him, choosing instead to reply to each of his taunts by refuting them:
- "Stop it now, I mean it!
- Stop it. You're ignorant!
- Stop it. You're acting like a child!" (NotLD, 5:54-6:26)
And from these words we see that even though one might be harried by the words of another, that one must not lash out at them in anger. It is better to deny them or turn a deaf ear to such insults, for they cannot harm you. Worse would it be to inflict harm against another survivor, for it is only when survivor turns against survivor that the zombies hold on Malton grows stronger.
The Survivor Saints
While there were many survivors from the Night of the Living Dead, so far only some of them have been immortalized in stained glass within the arched windows of St. Barbara's Church:
 Saint Johnny, The Fearless & the Forsaken |
 Saint Ben, The Valiant Warrior |
 Saint Harry, The Fallen Saint of Strife |
Saint Johnny - Also called Saint Johnnie, he typifies the survivor who never admits defeat even in the face of overwhelming odds and fights to the death against the zombie horde rather than escape to safety. Therefore he is known as the Patron Saint of Defenders, those survivors who fight until their last breath, although they are known for dying first in a battle as often as last. Survivors who pray to Saint Johnny are commonly considered to have a suicidal streak, which, considering the fact that NecroTech staff can always revive them, makes the action at least a feasible tactic against the horde rather than just a mental disorder. It should be noted that not all who pray to the survivor saints pray to Saint Johnny, as there are some among the church who call him "The Betrayer" or "He Who Slew Barbara", since it was Johnny who, while walking among the dead, contributed to Barbara's demise.
Saint Ben - Known for his brave actions and his calm demeanor in the face of adversity, Saint Ben is considered by many to be the epitome of the heroic survivor. It should therefore come as no surprise that he is considered by many as the Patron Saint of Heroes. Survivors who fight valiantly against the zombie hordes might ask Saint Ben to bless them, so that their aim is true whether the strike with pistol, shotgun, or axe. These survivors believe that only by fighting zombies can one truly gain the experience they need to excel while in Malton.
Saint Harry - Among the survivor saints there is none more tainted than the one known as the "Fallen Saint". To this end, Harry is by far a more controversial "saint" than even Johnny who slew Barbara, for at least in his case Johnny was already one of the walking dead when he acted out against the other survivors. Saint Harry on the other hand was very much alive when he sowed strife among the other survivors. He acted only out of concern for himself and his own safety; willing to sacrifice all those who did not follow him. As such, it is considered by some that his selfish desires mark him as the Patron Saint of Assassins. For it is this breed of survivor that serve only their own goals and kill all those who oppose them.
Barricade Policy
As a church, St. Barbara's Church is an ideal shelter for lower-level survivors seeking to stay off the streets at night and to this end the building should be Very Strongly (VS+2) Barricaded. An unspoken rule is that survivors sheltering inside the church should assist with maintaining the barricades, but at the same time the barricades should not be raised so high as to bar new or inexperienced survivors any chance of entering.
This barricade level has been set forth in the Dulston Optimal Defense Diagram, a strategic barricade policy that is enforced by all member groups of the Dulston Alliance. This building's purpose is to serve as an access point for all survivors and a safehouse for inexperienced survivors who do not possess the Free Running skill. Visitors are requested to never barricade beyond Very Strongly unless the building is currently under siege from 5 or more zombies. Note that any survivors associated with the Dulston Alliance have the right to lower the barricades back to Very Strongly if they discover them raised higher without just cause.
Current Status
You are in your safehouse at St Barbara's Church. The building has been very strongly barricaded. Also here is selieghesidhe (60HP).
A portable generator has been set up here. It is out of fuel.
Somebody has spraypainted Zorro in Arkham onto a wall. --Nextor 04:10, 19 March 2013 (UTC)
Historical Events
April 30th, 2010 - Dead vs Blue did step forward on this day to cleanse the church of the stench of zombiekind. Repaired and re-barricaded, the church was once again a safe haven for the survivors of Dulston. "Let the living return to this place, for it is safe once more."
April 16th, 2010 - Time and again the zombies returned to ruin the church, and such was the case this day. PANTHER lamented the fallen and vowed to restore the church to greatness once again.
March 27th, 2010 - PANTHER did reclaim the building, restoring its barricades and cleansing the zombie plague from its halls. They then looked upon their works and smiled. This was good.
February 18th, 2010 - A year after the church's reclamation PANTHER returned to find it has fallen yet again, ruined from within by zombiekind.
September 9th, 2009 - The church is VSB with only few zombies in the surrounding area. Perfectly safe. --Roadkillcafe 11:55, 9 September 2009 (BST)
February 19th, 2009 - On this day PANTHER did celebrate, for the church was once again safe and barricaded from the undead hordes.
February 18th, 2009 - And on the eighteenth day of the second month the church rebuilt by the hands of PANTHER who looked upon the former works of zombiekind with disdain.
February 3rd, 2009 - And so it came to pass that the church was ruined and a lone zombie stood among these ruins. So sayeth PANTHER recon.
January 3rd, 2009 - Zombies have overrun St. Barbara's Church and ruined it. It is truly a sad day for followers of Saint Barbara.
January 2nd, 2009 - Zombies were assaulting the recently recovered church. What few followers of the Survivor Saints who were present inside the church began a valiant fight to defend this most holy of places from zombie hands. Hands which are notoriously dirty.
December 19th, 2008 - Reports were scattered, but the D.I.T.P.S made mention that there was apparently a survivor in the church, along with a zombie who was munching on him. Not good, not good at all...
December 14th, 2008 - D.I.T.P.S recon reported that the building was empty... no zombies anywhere. Then again, no survivors either. The building was ruined, so that may account for the lack of both.
November 29th, 2008 - FOXHOUND reported that the church was barricaded and back in survivor hands. Let us all give thanks to the Survivor Saints, for they have delivered St. Barbara's Church back to its devoted worshipers. Oh, and I suppose the Dulston Alliance deserves some thanks too...
November 28th, 2008 - Still ruined. --ScouterTX 11:52, 28 November 2008 (UTC)
October 11th, 2008 - SNAKEHOUND recon reported that the church had been Extremely Heavily barricaded. Now survivors seeking to worship the Survivor Saints would once again be able to return to their beloved church.
October 8th, 2008 - FOXHOUND recon reported that St. Barbara's Church has been overrun and ruined. The heathen zombies would be made to pay for this effrontery!
August 23rd, 2008 - Yet again the faith of the faithful has been tested by Saint Barbara, as zombies have overrun the church. This is a lesson, as taught to us in the "Night of the Living Dead". Was it not so that the undead did break into the farm house and feast upon the humans within? So to have the undead broken into our church and feasted upon the faithful. This is a lesson, one we shall learn from in order to become stronger survivors. Do not fear, one day soon we shall reclaim our church from the zombies and teach them a lesson in turn.
August 5th, 2008 - The undead have yet again been vanquished and the church restored to the hands of survivors. No doubt the Dulston Alliance played some part in this glorious victory. Survivors may now return to their study of the sacred texts, err, movie.
July 31st, 2008 - Oh horror of horrors! Oh tragedy of tragedies! The zombies have overrun the church and slain the faithful. Those who did not flee in time were consumed by the hateful undead. This could only have befallen us due to someone's not-exactly-100% belief in the survivor saints! Elsewise no mere group of zombies could have desecrated our church thusly. The unbeliever shall be rooted out and purged. Until then, zombies are in our beloved church.
June 16th, 2008 - The faithful have flocked back to the church so that they might hear the words of Saint Barabara and learn from the film that teaches us about these troubled times. At this time the faithful have barricaded the building (VS+2) and powered it. There are no zombies in sight.
January 22nd, 2008 - As of today, Alliance teams have reclaimed Holy Saint Barbara's, restoring the shattered stained-glass and sweeping the floors. This is a historic day- Barbara's was the last building in Dulston to remain ruined and in zombie control, meaning its recapture marks the suburb's return to complete order. --Boris 02:37, 23 January 2008 (UTC)
January 2nd, 2008 - The church was plagued yet again by the walking dead! Even as word spread to local survivors of the church's plight it was besieged by 29 zombies. Those who worship the survivor saints are called upon to help defend the church!The good news, however was that the remainder of northeast Dulston appeared unscathed.
December 11th, 2007 - The building is occupied by zombies, and the entire northeast corner is not safe for anyone who wishes to live to see another day.
- Update: No doubt this could only have happened due to... terrorism. Yup. How else could the zombies have overrun the beloved Church of Saint Barbara? To even think for a moment that they simply succeeded by breaking down the barricades and killing everyone inside is laughable. Hah! See how I laugh. No, the answer to this question is far more complicated when faith is involved! No, this could only have come about due to terrorism/planetary-misalignment/evil/re-runs of sitcoms. It's a sad day when that happens. The faithful are encouraged to help reclaim the church so that the holy name of Barbara may be spoken in plain English within its walls.
August 16th, 2007 - The church is occupied by survivors and powered. Even so, it's probably not the most advisable place to stay, especially with the repeated attacks on the Trood Building. --Wang HagerELT
- Update: Do not believe the words of an... unbeliever! Saint Barbara will protect all who dwell within the confines of her church's walls. Why, only if an unbeliever were to try and shelter here would we bring down the wrath of Barbara, but who here doesn't believe the word? None! So we are invincible! Do you hear me? Invincible!
June 20th, 2007 - Sacrilege! Over 21 zombies have been reported inside the church and have driven out or killed those survivors who believe in the divine will of the Survivor Saints. Though it is always better to survive than die by the hands of a zombie, it is hoped that survivors will work together to reclaim Barbara's church for the devoted.
April 1st, 2007 - StoreBrandCola, believed to be a member of the Malton Fire Department, visited the church and could only shake his head at the foolishness of survivors who believed in such insanity. He instead reminded survivors at the church that St. Barbara, the real saint, was a true patron to firefighters everywhere and her patronage to their good works should not be so easily forgotten.
February 11th, 2007 - The Shamblin' Crooners have returned to the blessed church of St. Barbara after almost a year, making it the tenth stop in their new SHAMBLIN' CROONERS APOCALYPSE tour. While survivors attempted to keep the zombies from desecrating the Survivor Saints holy sanctuary it was for naught as the Shamblin' Crooners stormed the building. After a short concert the zombies made their way off to their next Dulston venue.
January 27th, 2007 - The church has been claimed by those survivors who seek the blessings of the Survivor Saints. Though these survivors have no known organization or group their belief in the truth found within the Night of the Living Dead is strong. Therefore they have claimed the church in the name of Barbara the Good and asked all survivors who pilgrimage there to both seek out enlightenment at Troubridge Cinema or to take part in the hunt for holy relics believed to be scattered throughout Malton.
November 15th, 2006 - Members of DORIS persist in their claims of controlling all Dulston. Taking a page straight from Conquerors 101 DORIS has instigated a policy whereby local buildings and streets throughout the suburb have been renamed by their group, in this case, the church is now known as the Mosque of Pluto as far as DORIS is concerned.
July 28th, 2006 - Major Gauntlet Chimera from FOXHOUND broadcasted a report that he had been killed by a nondescript survivor who had claimed to be with the DHPD. Later investigation proved though that he was not officially listed among their ranks and the DHPD disavowed all knowledge of his actions. The murderer made false accusations that Major Gauntlet Chimera was a killer, before proceeding to murder him in cold blood inside the church. The DHPD and the Dulston Alliance have issued a joint warrant for his execution.
May 14th, 2006 - One of the Shamblin' Crooners made a grand entrance and entertained everyone inside the church with the "break-in & concert" style of zombie rock for which the group is known. The zombie gave a great solo performance and then departed after a quick snack.
