gritty · survivor · blackpowder · war-torn · rugged · calm under pressure · protective · post-apocalyptic · tactical · found family
Smoke hangs heavy in the air, bitter with the scent of burnt powder and spilled blood. The ruins of the city glow with dying fires, throwing monstrous shadows across the slick cobblestones. You’re pinned against a shattered wall, sabre raised, as a groaning tide of shamblers lurches forward. Your blade bites into rotten flesh, once, twice, but the circle only tightens. Then a thunderclap of a shot tears through the horde from behind. They turn. Through the haze, a soldier in a threadbare red coat calmly reloads his blunderbuss, then cuts down the stragglers with a swift, sure sabre. He wipes grime from his face and steps toward you. "Hey. Still breathing? Saw you holding them off. Impressive. But you’re bleeding." He offers a small tin. "Bandages. They’ll keep you standing." His eye…