The Scourge/NewsReports

October 2016, BUCKLEY MALL

26 October

A radio suddenly comes to life and blares a report:

"BREAKING NEWS: The siege of Buckley Mall continues as nefarious zombie group 'The Scourge' continues their relentless attacks. Despite the smaller numbers involved, survivors are being kept more than busy with daily breaches and regular attacks leading to wounded and dead survivors. We go to you live from our reporter on location."

"[*static*] I'm here in the southwest corner of the Buckland Mall, hiding behind whatever I can. What you hear in the background are the horrific growls [Graaagh!] and bashing of the Scourge Zombies [crash!] against the barricades. What was once an extremely heavily barricaded position, bereft of zombies is now almost breached as the barricades fall away. The survivors in this position have not awakened as yet, so they cannot renew the barricades on the fly as they have on previous occasions!

[crash!] [RAAAAR!] Oh mercy! They've broken through and have let loose the infamous feeding groan we've heard so much about, attracting feral zombies to this macabre feast! [that was baraga] The survivors in this corner are sitting ducks! Sitting ducks, I tell you!

One of the zombies [Harman Bargar] just grabbed the helpless Afterbirth and began crushing and mauling him. He's severely injured - that is going to leave a mark! This reporter is terrified watching the helpless survivors torn apart!

Wait a minute .. is that?! Yes! Looks like the survivors have snapped into action! Sonofmule3 and some others killed and dumped the zombies then rebuilt barricades somewhat. This position is now quite strongly barricaded. There is work yet for these stalwart defenders of Buckley Mall, and it seems we got lucky that only three zombies [Rita, baraga, HB] attacked in concert this time. The mall remains under siege and it is unknown whether future attacks will be as strong or worse. All in all another terrifying day in the annals of Malton."

31 October

Halloween got on to a smashing start for the survivors huddled within Buckley Mall. They had gathered and resupplied, having sustained a relentless series of attacks over the previous week. They were beginning to discuss future plans, when suddenly a feral herd of zombies crashed through their defenses and wreaked havoc. What's worse, they let loose a horrible groan which was sure to attract zombies from all over. Some were even nearby!

After a heroic tussle they were able to evict the uninvited guests to their Halloween party. Whilst dumping the remains of the wicked spawn, Bucky Lazac spied a group he must have recognized as members of The Scourge. In a panic, he blasted Rita with his shotgun, taking her down. His mates hollered at him to retreat from the growing horde and get back to helping them rebuild the barricades. They worked tirelessly until the mall was heavily barricaded.

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After all that, one would think they could take a well-earned rest. Indeed, it was decided they would have a bit of a Halloween party. They festooned the mall with decorations and passed out drinks. There was music, and dancing. For awhile they forgot the hellscape which lay outside and the relentless hordes of undead monsters. Slowly, they began to pass out from drink and exhaustion. Several of them lay quite near the barricades. Those who were still awake were oblivious to this, having other things in mind at the time.

Afterbirth lay back against a pile of bottles and old mall displays. He was looking at one of those life-sized stand-up cardboard promotional displays - the kind that often featured bikini clad girls smiling and meant to be next to stacks of cases of cheap beer. This one wasn't for beer, though. It was from one of those shows that used to be on TV, back when TV was still broadcast. On it, as though they stood before him, were a group which included a harried man gripping a Colt Python revolver, a greasy haired redneck in a leather vest with crossbow at the ready, and a boy wearing a sheriff's hat. Nearby, someone had moved one of those photo booths people used to take their girlfriends into to snap series of cheesy pictures up against the barricade. Hopefully, that would help keep things stable.

Meanwhile, the familiar sounds of Radio Malton played in the background. A bulwark in time of trouble, the good people of Radio Malton provided succor to survivors. Not only to inform, but also to let them know they were not alone. There were still people in the world and they were doing things to make them better. As a service to their listeners, Radio Malton was playing a series of Halloween themed songs, recalling a time when zombies were just a fun thing to dress up the kids for on Halloween.

Eyes heavy, Afterbirth began to slip into sleep. It had been almost 10 hours since the last zombies had been evicted and power restored. Maybe it would be okay now, for awhile. If only it could be so easy as that ...

Crackling and crumbling sounds presaged another breach in the defenses the survivors had so carefully prepared. As they did so, a familiar tune came over the radio - "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. As the zombies crashed through the barricades, they trampled the cardboard zombie hunters and smashed through the photo booth. The photo machine went crazy and started taking pictures, flash strobing through the low light, blinding and startling those survivors whose eyes happened to be open. Cognition brought the realization there was serious trouble here, for these were no mere ferals - they were from the infamous pack known as The Scourge!

"Oh, Bob!" cried a slacker crouched in the corner, "It's BOB!!" And it was. There before them were the familiar faces of Bob, HB, and Rita (who had apparently risen from her shotgun incident). Baraga was not among them this time, but just when the survivors might have breathed a sigh of relief for that, they beheld a sight which made their hearts despair and their blood run cold. An all-to-familar visage, ripped from their nightmares, leered as the infamous, the terrible, the frightening TED CRUZ stumbled through and eagerly scuttled toward the helpless victims dulled by the breath of Bacchus. All the while the song continued as the flash from the photo booth provided strobe light for their dance.

   wrote:
   They did the mash, they did the monster mash
   The monster mash, it was a graveyard smash
   They did the mash, it caught on in a flash
   They did the mash, they did the monster mash 

Sugar Grits was the first to go. Afterbirth, still unsure he was not dreaming, gazed in stunned horror as three of the zombies set upon her like piranhas in a feeding frenzy. Bob and HB held on as Ted Cruz tore through flesh like crepe paper. The only mercy was that HB finished her off before she could even scream. Meanwhile Rita had shambled right past the whole group of survivors and groaned in the northwest corner of the mall. She returned, however, and joined in the slaughter.

   wrote:
   The zombies were having fun
   The party had just begun 

Before he even knew it, Afterbirth found himself a strange chaperone in the eerie dance of HB and Rita. They gripped him hard and rent his flesh, biting with infected teeth. In no time he was torn apart and falling to the ground. Rita, who had nonchalantly delivered the final smack, had already jumped on Georang. Man, was she quick! By the time Afterbirth lost his struggle with life, Georang was horribly mauled and Rita had released a victorious feeding groan.

It was another banner day in the annals of The Scourge, and one the stalwart defenders of Buckley Mall were surely not soon to forget!

Meanwhile, a spate of blood-spattered photos, emitted from the mangled photo booth in the fray, swirled in the cold wind which swept from outside.

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16 April 2017, PITNEYBANK

With Fort Creedy completely ruined from relentless attacks by zombies, and high levels of attacks in the general area, zombies seemingly led (if you can call it that) by elements of The Scourge struck the Farmer Building which had been very heavily barricaded. Those in the know had long understood this building to be one of the many Necrotech facilities stationed around Malton, one the two in Pitneybank. Although the latest danger reports had shown the building as safe since 1 March 2017, research indicates there was actually an attack in the interim, over the course of 13-14 April by members of The Scourge and Elaine Summers of Hel's Daughters.

This attack occurred as occupants were asleep, some of them having been sedated as they had come to the clinic for medical attention. With the Fort Creedy infirmary utterly destroyed, the fort having been overrun by zombie hordes, and constant attacks on nearby hospitals, the Necrotech building had become their only hope. This reporter was there to investigate the situation, and previous interviews had revealed the patients had become completely exhausted in their attempts to escape the clutched of the shuffling hordes of the damned.

One of the victims was a severe diabetic named Captain Legshakes who had become fully dependent on a dialysis machine. In this day and age, as readers are no doubt aware, kidney transplants are impossible in Malton. We lack the infrastructure to maintain a donor list and anti-rejection drugs are nonexistent. Having severely limited mobility, he had trained as a Necrotech employee in order to pay forward on the help he was receiving. All five victims of this attack were Necrotech employees. In addition to the aforementioned captain, they were Spider and ChainReaction01 of the Creedy Defense Force, Spencer J of King County Sheriff's Department, and Ullis Temeter of no affiliation. We shall certainly remember the fallen in our hearts, who even now must roam the earth as zombies.

I was awakened by a horrible crash as the last of the barricades came down, and caught sight of the infamous Rotting Rita. As she sniffed the air like an animal in search of prey, she was swiftly followed in by Jan "Wark" Breydel, Harman Bargar, and a recently added member zombologists have come to call EasyDinner. Scourge members seemed to be allowing EasyDinner the killing stroke and first bites of food, as though he were in training. The idea zombies can learn, much less teach other zombies, is too horrifying to contemplate, but similar behaviour has been reported in the past. This attack seems to be confirmation of the theory, at least to my eyes. Being a simple reporter and thus unarmed, I could do little but cower behind the equipment and record the carnage. Though this and survival to tell the tale are my duties, I can tell you such things haunt my dreams. Who can help but be wracked with guilt in fitful sleep at night after having stood by as helpless people are mauled to death by monsters?

Rita groaned with the force of a lion, calling other zombies to the feast. Zombie activity has been high around 11:00 AM GMT these days, so it is no wonder at all a fallen angel of Minions of the Apocalypse and a feral zombie, GRlMM REAPER, came shuffling through the gap, salivating like hungry wolves at the sound of the Pavlov's bell that was Rita's notorious groan! With that, the hapless survivors were immediately set upon.

Wark lost no time attacking Captain Legshakes, who was killed by GRlMM REAPER. Even though Rita had groaned, the group seemed surprised to see their prey fall to other hands and became even more swift and fierce in their attacks. Meanwhile, GRlMM REAPER seemed to gesture toward ChainReaction01. Was this my imagination? It is true that others have seen this, and in fact this resemblance to the mythical personification of death - in effect pointing towards the doomed - is said to be the inspiration of his name. Harman Bargar had attacked Spider, and EasyDinner, not to be denied again, made swift work of him. Wark continued to press the attack with renewed viciousness, setting upon ChainReaction01, who was then killed by EasyDinner. Rita attacked Ullis Temeter then EasyDinner mauled him to critical condition, leavinging "a fallen angel" to bite him to death.

The death toll mounting, "a fallen angel" gestured toward Spencer J and began shambling towards him. In the fray, I could have sworn I heard Harman Bargar cry "Zambahz! Ga!n arh Zambah Gang!!!" The sounds HB (as we have tended to call him) tends to make have seemed more and more intelligible. Is this yet another symptom of a condition in which zombies redevelop brain functions over time, despite continuing to behave as ravenously as before? The sound was no help for Spencer J, who was bitten to death by "a fallen angel" before he could awake. Zombie bites are known to cause further infection, such that even once revived by Necrotech technology the victim begins to slowly die again. What a horrible fate!

The zombies seemed occupied with their feast, and this was as good a time as any to flee so as to make my report. Just as I was doing so, Elaine Summers of Hel's Daughters rushed in to ransack and ruin the building. Survivors would be well advised to steer clear of this former Necrotech facility as it will take some time before it is operational again thanks to her attack. For now, it belongs to the zombies just as I am slave to my nightmares borne of this day. Certainly one of the worst attacks I have witnessed, it is a slaughter to remember!