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(krsshhhrrrzt) -ll channels, I repeat, transmitting on all channels. If anybody can hear me, forget about where I am, just shut up and listen, alright? Especially if this is your first time hearing this broadcast, so, to recap:

Rumor has it this all started on a small island, somewhere in the South Pacific. Nobody knows where they came from, exactly, or at least, nobody that survived long enough to tell anyone else. Regardless, what really matters is that they’re here.

Insects.

Giant Insects.

It was no surprise, what happened. Not Them, of course, They surprised the hell out of everyone, how could they not? No, by the time everyone was on the same page, they’d already multiplied beyond what  many armed forces could deal with, effectively. By the time the swarming started? It was horrific, watching the final attempts of one army or another trying to turn the tide, but not surprising. They were already too many, and our official protectors, too few.

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Those that could escape did what they could to protect other refugees, and find safe shelter.

They say islands are having the easiest time of it, ironically. Surrounded by water, it’s easier to see them coming, Watch the skies, shoot down flyers. Any swimmers don’t care for salt water, most of the time. Crabs got bigger, too, some say, completely overran Christmas Island.

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Last I heard, it’s rumored some havens are cropping up; places where they seem to have managed to master fighting them, killed enough Insects to declare the area secured. Now they’re free to focus on attacks from the outside, and not randomly anywhere around them.

Most of us are on our own, though. In the safe zones, they might drill for Insect attacks like we used to for fires, or tornadoes. The rest of us? We have to be on guard, constantly. If you’re stuck outside the safe zones, or you’re the kind of idiot that decides to travel, you have to learn the rules, if your going to survive.

Thank god, the radios are still working, some of us have been able to occasionally contact each other, and even the safe zones, and now improvised “survival guides” are in circulation. Some are more complete than others, so I can’t guarantee what I’m about to tell you is comprehensive. All I can say is to pay attention, I don’t have enough battery life to repeat myself; write this down, if you don’t already have a guide, or listen carefully and write down anything I say that’s new, to you.


[u]Embrace the Night[/u]

    Some of the worst Insect predators are more active at night, but most of them slow down or go dormant during those hours, so, it’s a bit of a trade off. It’s the best time to rest, and the safest time to travel. Choose wisely.

    Don’t be over dependent on lanterns and flashlights, dormant or not, it’ll attract a lot of them. If you have them, use red lenses, or red cling wrap over your lights; it doesn’t leave you blind when you turn them off, and doesn’t attract Insects as much. Don’t get too attached, either; if you’re under attack at night, pitching and ditching your light can be enough distraction to get away.


[u]Tread Lightly[/u]

    Some of these things have very sensitive hearing, and can track prey through vibrations in the air, so, avoid any heated discussions.

    At least a few Insects live and hunt from underground, as well.

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    It slows travel considerably, but it’s always worth it to have more of your group make it- make frequent stops to check your surroundings. Insects have a funny way of getting the drop on you, and if they do, it takes a miracle or very quick thinking to recover.

    Taking it slow also cuts down on over exertion; these things have a good nose for our pheromones, especially in our sweat. Insects have enough advantages over us- don’t do them any favors.


[u]Be Cautious around Water[/u]

    Some Insects live in and attack from the water.  Others wait until you’re distracted, your attention focused on something else- like the first cool, refreshing drink you’ve had all day.

    Take turns refilling canteens/drinking while the group stands watch, and try to test the waters before you commit to a bath or a swim.


[u]Try not to Smell too Much[/u]

    One positive of a swarmed world, if there are any? No more guys marinated in body sprays and colognes. Same goes for ladies with a heavily perfumed personal atmosphere and excessive make up; these things attract Insects with a fit, especially the stuff with floral scents. Turns out that douche on the bus is willing to just bathe on a regular basis and lay off the spray if it’s literally going to get him killed otherwise. (sorry, I really don’t wish ill on anybody, I guess it’s a hang up that’s stuck with me, even now. That, or maybe I’m going a little crazy)


[u]Know Your Insects, Know Your Strategy[/u]

    There are too many different Insects to list them all, but I’ll do my best.

[b]Lepidoptera[/b]

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    Butterflies are not harmless. Contrary to popular belief, they do not feed exclusively on nectar; oh, sure, it’s their preferred food source, but at the size some species have reached, it’s not a viable option. Butterflies are what I heard a former park ranger phrase as “indiscriminate feeders”. Basically, if nectar isn’t available, they’ll settle for nearly any bodily fluid from other creatures, including tears, urine, sweat and blood.

    Getting swooped down upon by a… flock? I dunno, a bunch of Butterflies or Moths will ruin your god-damned day if you panic.

    Do not scatter when Lepidoptera come after you, it’ll guarantee at least one of you dies horribly, where everyone can see it.

    Fire can ward them off easily enough, especially if you burn one of them real good. Slicing a wing and rendering it flightless can leave them vulnerable, make it back off, maybe even get others to turn on it. Hell, if you have something like a machete, or a sharp sword? Take a swipe at their proboscis, when they’re trying to punch into you like a juice box! Fuck ‘em, let ‘em die thirsty.


[b]Coleoptera[/b]

    Beetles just might be what you see most often- apparently beetles were the most diverse form of life on the planet? There are lots of different kinds of Beetles, including some that are carnivorous, and even predatory. In my experience? Ladybird Beetles (aka Lady Bugs) will come at you the hardest, especially if there aren’t smaller, softer Insects available instead.

    Some Beetles can be manipulated if you know how, but usually your best bet is to kill or injure one, and move quick to escape.


[b]Hymenoptera[/b]

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    Thank god we seem to have been spared ants and social bees, but we’ve still got Wasps for nightmare fuel. Avoid them like the plague, too many of these things will carry you off to eat you later, feed you alive to their larva, or just plant those little fuckers on/inside you.

    Oh, yeah, Wasps are notorious for that last one. “Parasitoids”, they’re called. One of these swoops in to ambush your group? Fight like hell, and do not let them get away with one of your group- a Wasp heavy area will easily whittle a cowardly group down to nothing, but a dead wasp is easy food to distract other Insects, including other Wasps.

    Avoid letting anybody get stung; Wasp venom incapacitates a full grown human pretty quickly, which means they can’t help save themselves. They’re also dead-wait for at least a few hours after, if you manage to get them back safely.

    Some of the more social Wasps can be “reasoned with”, I guess. If you learn their body language, they give you warnings, I’ve heard. The more social ones are still predatory, but only when they have larva to feed, or near the end of summer, but I’m getting off track- they have ways of telling you to back off, and steer clear of their nests. If you respond properly, they just might leave you alone. They have really good facial recognition, too, though, so if you piss them off, they might hold a grudge and pursue out of malice.

   Putting up a fight, as a group, is a strong deterrent, but do make sure to leave quickly, before more show up. Sometimes, if you have some aerosol products, especially cosmetic ones? You can confuse, even stun an attacking Wasp, but, again, be sure to leave quickly- the smell will attract more of them, in a frenzy.


[b]Diptera[/b]

    A lot of flies will fuck up your day, especially mosquitoes, and common houseflies, both of whom will go after your wounded. Thankfully, a lot of these will either come at you one at a time, or are easily deterred. Strong smells like peppermint or cedar can keep them away (works really well on spiders, too).


[b]Odonota[/b]

    Fucking Dragonflies, man. If it’s not their larva ambushing you from the water, it’s the adults swooping down in the middle of the day to chew your head off, literally. Unfortunately, while they make travel impossible in the open (especially at the hottest parts of the day), they also seem to put the fear of god into other Insects.

    Do not engage a Dragonfly unless you’re certain you can take it out, and quickly. If you know they’re in the area, stick to shaded areas, avoid coming out in the open, or call it a day and wait for dusk.


[b]Mantodae[/b]

    Anybody who tells you “Mantis’ don’t live outside of Asia” does not know what they’re talking about (for god’s sake, there are species literally named European, Carolina and California). These things are almost as bad as Dragonflies- if you can figure out where they hang out, give that place a wide berth. If it’s a building? Set that bitch on fire.

    If you find yourself having to face one down, you might be able to get away if you can find a way to confuse it. Whether your plan is attack or escape, a moment of hesitation will make all the difference.


[b]Parasites[/b]

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    No, I’m not repeating myself about the Wasps; some of these Insects have pests of their own, and they got mutated along with the Insects. A number of Parasites alter the host’s behavior or physiology in such a way as to get them eaten- I don’t understand them much beyond acknowledging that Parasites are possibly more fucked up critters than Insects are.

    The only way to avoid these is to avoid contact with Insects, and well, the Insects don’t seem very cooperative in that regard.

    If you’re stuck outside a safe zone, and an ally is infected? Either kill them yourself, or just let them go… There’s nothing else you can do.

    That’s as much as I’ve got time for, battery’s about to give up the ghost- sorry I couldn’t get more info out, I’m sure you’ll notice anything I’ve missed. Keep scanning the radio waves for any other broadcasts, hopefully someone else will pick up my slack.

    Welcome to the jungle. Good Luck, over and out.

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Character Sheet:

[b]Name:
Who You Were Before:[/b] a partial background, focusing on before and (optionally) during The Swarming.
[b]Who You Are Now:[/b] A partial background, covering who you've become in the wake of Giant Insects taking over the world.
[b]Skill Set:[/b] include what you knew before that helped you survive, and what you've learned during/since The Swarming.
[b]Personality:
Items:[/b] this can include personal affects, as well as useful items and survival gear (weapons, medical materials, etc). We're all adults, we know what is reasonable.

[center][color=red]WARNING:[/color]
I have no patience for anyone that thinks they don't have to read the provided material. If you ask questions that could be answered by reading the materials, if you submit a character that makes it clear you haven't read the OP, [i]your application will be disqualified[/i].
No special powers, that is not part of the setting, no cyborgs or clones or anything that is not a plain old human. If you ask, you will be disqualified. I am not here to accommodate power fantasies, or twist the setting to allow something that doesn't belong.
Try to keep pvp reasonable, you're all at a disadvantage for survival in this world, so if you try to be That Guy don't complain if your choices result in a shortened life span; your actions absolutely have consequences in my games.
But above all else, READ. THE. OP. I cannot stress that enough.[/center]