Shamblers

The Shambler Virus

In New Vance, a “shambler” is a person who has been infected and lost control of their body and mind. Before infection, they are normal people. After infection, they become violent and no longer think clearly. The city does not treat this as a past event. The infection is still active, and it still shapes daily life.

No one knows where the virus came from. Some believe it began as a weapon. Others think it came from a failed medical experiment. There are also stories about a breach outside the city that spread when refugees arrived. None of these stories can be proven. What is known is simple: once infected, a person will not recover on their own.

How the Virus Spreads

The virus spreads through blood and bodily fluids. Bites are the most common cause because infected people attack with their teeth. Broken teeth and exposed bone tear flesh and push infection deep into wounds. Deep scratches can also spread it if skin is broken. Dried blood is less dangerous, but most people still avoid it.

Because the virus works fast, people often spread it before they realize they are infected. An infected person can walk, talk, and move through the city for several hours before changing. This allows the virus to pass through checkpoints, shelters, and markets. Most outbreaks seem sudden, even when the bite happened earlier.

What Infection Looks Like

Most medics and guards know the signs well.

First hours (1–3 hours):
Pain, shock, and fever. Many people deny they were bitten, especially if the wound looks small. This delay often kills them.

Middle stage (3–12 hours):
Fever rises. The person sweats, shakes, and becomes confused. Their skin loses color. Speech breaks down. They are still alive and aware, but their judgment is failing.

Final stage (12–24 hours):
Control is lost. Movements become jerky and aggressive. Pain barely registers. Familiar faces mean nothing. Attacks happen without warning.

After this point, the person is gone. There is no known case of memory or personality returning. Killing the body is the only way to stop it.

Shambler Behavior

Shamblers are not slow. They stand still for long periods, then rush forward without warning. Some run. Some crawl. Some drop to all fours. Their movements are hard to predict, which makes them dangerous in close spaces.

They are drawn to noise, light, and warmth. Gunfire, engines, shouting, or music can pull them in from several blocks away. Because of this, trained groups stay quiet and limit light use.

Over time, their bodies break down. Some dry out but keep moving. Others rot but continue forward. Many lose limbs and still attack. Some go still and appear dead, then move again when something gets close.

Impact on the City

Shamblers change where people can live. Entire neighborhoods are abandoned because there are too many infected to clear safely. The city’s edges are under constant pressure from wandering groups. Underground tunnels slowly fill with infected bodies that drift through over time.

Borders, trade routes, and safe areas shift based on where shamblers gather. Nothing stays fixed for long.

How Factions Deal With Infection

Every major group has rules for handling bites.

Perimeter Watch:
They act fast and without debate. If someone is bitten and time has passed, they are usually killed on the spot. Their goal is to stop new infections from entering the city. Treatment is rare. Bullets are common.

Citadel Council:
They rely on checkpoints, scans, and quarantine blocks. People with suspected symptoms are locked down under guard. If Antigen is available, it goes to people the Council considers useful or important. This is called efficiency. It is also control.

Solar Guardians:
They treat outbreaks like fires. They burn them out fast using heavy weapons and fuel. They train locals to recognize early symptoms so bites are reported quickly. Some loyal settlements receive Antigen, but only under strict rules.

Other groups:

• The Hydro Hegemony cuts water to infected areas to protect its system.

• The Shadow Syndicate sells outbreak information, fake health papers, and captured shamblers.

• Raiders and Gear Rats sometimes lure shamblers into enemy camps.

• The Silent Walkers move through infected zones without being attacked, but no one knows how.

Antigen

Antigen is the only known treatment. It only works within the first day after a bite. It stops the infection before the brain is fully taken over. Survivors recover slowly and are often left weak, but they keep their minds.

For about one day after treatment, a person resists new infection. This window is used for rescue and cleanup missions. Once it ends, they are vulnerable again.

Antigen is rare. Most production sites were lost during the Collapse. What remains comes from old stock, small labs, or stolen caches. Because of this, Antigen is traded like gold. A single vial can buy territory, weapons, or lives.

Rumors

People talk about other options. Some say the Static Cult can disable infected bodies using signals. Others claim certain people resist infection naturally. Some believe the Silent Walkers carry a harmless version of the virus.

None of this is proven.

What everyone agrees on is simple:
Do not get bitten.