Against the Dying of the Light: Volunteers
setting
The Year is 2032
Seven years ago, civilisation ended as the world was overcome with a terrible virus that turned most of humanity into shambling, mindless husks.
You thought you were one of the lucky ones. You and your family made it to the military evacuation transports that got you out of the overrun cities into fortified camps. You were safe from the zombie menace, ready to be part of the fight back and rebuild the world.
That was then.
You’ve spent the last seven years crammed into overcrowded huts and tents, fighting bureaucracy as the rations dwindled and the soldiers withdrew into their comfortable citadel at the centre of the camp. You’ve seen less apocalyptic but still deadly epidemics sweep the camp, medical supplies dwindle, and no sign anything is being done to rebuild civilisation.
And now the Army are looking for volunteers. Volunteers to bolster the ranks of the soldiers, Volunteers to go out and scavenge for supplies, Volunteers to treat wounded soldiers and (if the rumours are true) to administer experimental treatments against the zombie virus.
It’s not what you hoped for. But it is a way to do something that isn’t just waiting out an extended end of the world. As rations and medical supplies dwindle, getting involved might be the only way you and those you love will get to eat.
For more general information on the game world setting, see the HISTORY page.
Evacuation camp set-up
Aberdeen Evacuation Camp was set up by the 51st Highland Volunteers- a Battalion in the British Army Reserve. This is the 7th Battalion in the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and so is also known as '7 Scots'.
Lieutenant Colonel Larson has maintained command of the Evac Camp, at first in an official capacity thanks to emergency powers granted by the UK government, and more recently by his own sheer bloody-mindedness.
SEPTEMBER 2025
The camp was intended to be one of 100 built to protect the Scottish population. In reality Aberdeen Evac Camp is one of only 25 that were completed and provisioned to a habitable standard. Evacuation of Scottish civilians begins in September 2025, and within a week Aberdeen has closed its gates to newcomers- Lieutenant Colonel Larson having decided that no more than 2000 civilians can be accommodated. Many families are separated. Rioting breaks out and soldiers are forced to kill several groups of survivors who attempt to breach the walls.
OCTOBER 2025
For a few months following the closure of the gates, an unofficial camp of tents and vehicles surrounds the walls of the Evacuation Camp. It is filled with those survivors who have not been allowed within the safe walls. Families call to each other over the fences and there is the occasional flurry of rations smuggled out by sympathetic guards, or thrown over the walls at night. Civilians band together to protect their camp from zombies.
NOVEMBER 2025
The inevitable happens, and the meagre defences of the ramshackle perimeter camp fails. A large horde of undead overwhelm the perimeter camp. Zombie infection spreads quickly. Soldiers defending the wall of the Evac Camp are forced to clear the perimeter camp in its entirety. There are no survivors.
Word reaches the civilians in Aberdeen Evac Camp that the UK government has fallen, and that the Army have now taken control of the population for the foreseeable future. Winter bites hard, with respiratory infections and hypothermia ravaging the inhabitants of the camp.
seven years later
When it closed its gates in September 2025, Aberdeen Evac Camp held 1500 soldiers and 2000 civilians.
Many have died in the intervening seven years. Some to FLAVID-25 infection, but most to infectious diseases exacerbated by hypotheria and malnutrition. There have also been incidents of capital punishment and expulsions from the Camp. Occasional sorties by the Army have had varied results; sometimes they return triumphant with a lorry full of supplies, other excursions have never returned at all.
life in the evacuation camp
The population currently stands at approximately 1200 soldiers and 1000 civilians.
The soldiers occupy the fortified centre of the camp, protecting the generators and the precious ever-dwindling supplies of food and medicine. Fenced elevated walkways radiate out to the perimeter wall, effectively cutting the civilian camp into wedge-shaped sections. The civilian camp is referred to as 'The Moat'.
Life in the Moat has always been very much like that in a POW camp; insufficient space or protection from the elements, inconsistent food rations, numerous petty rules enforced by violence or withholding of food, and a complex hierarchy that controls who gets access to resources.
There is a significant black market economy. Alcohol from illegal still and battered entertainment materials are in high demand. Boredom and powerlessness rule.
As well as the soldier overseeing civilian life, there are the Volunteer Safety Officers: civilians who have been given extra privileges in exchange for policing their own people. Some have signed up out of a genuine desire to improve condition in the Moat, but most of the other civilians view them as collaborators who are quick to report transgressions to the soldiers who deal out swift punishments.
the volunteer programme
All of our characters are about to begin the Volunteer Programme at the Evacuation Camp. This is a new venture designed to address shortages amongst Army personnel. We're sure nothing could possibly go wrong!
Some characters may have been forced to volunteer, some may be seeking the benefits that come from higher status within the camp. Some may be hoping to make a difference to their friends and family. Others might be seeking escape from debts or memories in The Moat. Some few might even be plotting to escape the camp entirely and take their chances in the zombie infested world outside of the Camp!
Characters will be placed into groups of 6 (Scavs and Recruits) or 4 (Medics). They will share a bunk room, and attend activities together.
As part of our character allocation we will calibrate with participants around the level of in-game competition they want to experience, and whether they want in-game activity centred on their bedrooms. We will then group participants together according to opt-in elements such as midnight inspections or alarms.
There will be a schedule!
Volunteer activity involves carrying out duties as instructed during training time. There will also be rest & relaxation time, as well as meal times during which characters can mingle and roleplay to their hearts content. There will also be schedules 'Latrine Duty' during which participants are invited to join the NPC crew in providing zombies for other characters to face. This is not compulsory; if a participants does not want to join the crew during their 'Latrine Duty' slot they may relax off-game instead.