(zombie apocalypse)

Ten years after the zombie apocalypse, the world has become a mosaic of destruction and timid rebirth.

Major cities are grim ruins: broken roads overgrown with shrubs, multi-story buildings collapsed or turned into fortresses with barbed wire and watchtowers. The streets are covered in ivy and wild grapes, birds nest in the windows. Zombies roam the avenues—some barely moving, others wandering aimlessly, occasionally gathering in flocks.

Outside the megacities, nature has taken over: birch groves replace industrial zones, and meadows of tall grass stretch along abandoned highways. Wild animals have returned to areas where humans displaced them: wolves hunt on the outskirts of settlements, deer drink from contaminated waterways, and flocks of crows circle over desolate areas.

People survive in small communities. Fortified camps and settlements spring up along rivers, near surviving warehouses, or on elevated ground. Surrounded by fields and vegetable gardens, the perimeter is lined with traps and anti-zombie alarms. The few roads still used are patrolled by armed groups; long-distance routes pass through "dead zones"—clusters of the dead, surrounded by rusty fences.

The climate has changed: winters have become harsher, and summers are marked by frequent thunderstorms and downpours. On cloudy days, the zombies are almost motionless; in the heat, they become aggressive. At night, their groans and the creaking of rusty structures can be heard, and during the day, the sound of axes, human voices, and the occasional distant gunshot. The world has become more dangerous, but the glimmer of life is once again sprouting within it.

Zombie Eaters: Description and Appearance
Zombie eaters are a distinct social group in a post-apocalyptic world where zombie infection has become part of everyday life. Their primary activity is the extraction, processing, and consumption of infected tissue. Some engage in this purely for survival, while others have turned the practice into a profitable business: selling processed "meat" on black markets, preparing it into semi-finished products, or even opening underground catering establishments.

Lifestyle and skills
Zombie eaters have specific knowledge:

can distinguish “fresh” zombies (suitable for food) from decomposed ones;
know safe methods of slaughter and primary processing;
master preservation technologies (salting, drying, smoking);
They understand toxicology and determine which parts of the body can be consumed and which are deadly due to the concentration of pathogens.
They often wander between abandoned settlements, following zombie clusters, or set up stationary "farms" - fenced areas where they keep the infected for the planned extraction of resources.

Appearance
The typical zombie eater gives the impression of a person accustomed to extreme conditions:

Clothing. Rough, multi-layered: leather or rubberized jackets, reinforced gloves, protective goggles. Clothing may have stains (blood, body fluids), patches, and reinforced inserts in high-wear areas. Aprons made of easy-to-clean synthetic fabric are often worn.
Protective equipment. A mask or respirator with filters (to prevent inhalation of spores and aerosols), knee pads, and boots with metal inserts. Experienced zombie-eaters have an "emergency kit": tourniquets, antiseptics, and antidotes.
Build. Strong and muscular—the job requires physical strength. Movements are precise and economical: an unnecessary gesture could attract the attention of zombies.
Face. Tanned, weather-beaten, with a network of small scars (evidence of accidental contact with infected individuals). Eyes alert, gaze keen. Often unshaven, with long hair pulled back into a ponytail (to keep out of the way).
Accessories.

In a zombie apocalypse, the military is one of the few organized forces capable of holding off pockets of resistance. Their appearance and behavior are dramatically different from the pre-war norm: survival has reshaped both their uniforms and tactics.

Appearance

The clothing is a mixture of standard uniform and improvised protection. Camouflage jackets and trousers are often torn, patched with crude stitching, or reinforced with pieces of leather, thick fabric, and sometimes even metal plates. Knees and elbows are padded with additional canvas or quilted padding: falls and crawling through potholed streets have become routine.

Almost everyone has body armor, but it's far from new. The plates are scratched in places, the belts are cinched with cords, the pockets are stuffed with ammunition, bandages, and dry rations. Some have homemade chest armor made from layered Kevlar pieces or welded metal sheets.

Helmets are rare. Most wear tactical caps, bandanas, or improvised hoods made of thick fabric to avoid getting caught in the rubble. Those who retain their helmets often remove them: hearing and maneuverability are more important in the ruins.

The face and hands are covered in dirt, sweat, and sometimes dried blood (their own or someone else's). Eyes are red from lack of sleep, with dark circles under them. Beards and overgrown hair are not due to carelessness, but to a lack of time for hygiene. The skin is covered in scratches, burns, and bite marks (if you were lucky enough to treat them in time).

Footwear: worn-out combat boots with hobnailed soles or high boots with stiff shafts. Sometimes, rag wraps instead of socks; the insoles had long since rotted away.

Equipment

On their belts are pouches with magazines, grenades (often homemade), and a knife in a sheath. Many carry a multi-tool, a flashlight, a compass, and a radio with an antenna wrapped in duct tape. On their backs is a backpack with the bare essentials: water in a canteen, a first aid kit, canned food, matches, rope, and a change of clothes.

The weapons are varied. Standard assault rifles and rifles are often supplemented with homemade silencers made from plastic bottles or pipes, and sights made from scraps of optics. Some carry shotguns, crossbows, or even spears with sharpened tips.

Zombie (image variant)
Appearance:

The skin is pale, grayish-bluish, with obvious signs of decomposition: areas of necrosis, lacerations, and exposed muscles and tendons in places.
The eyes are cloudy, with clouded corneas; the pupils do not react to light.
The hair is tangled, partially fallen out, stuck to the skin from dried blood and dirt.
The clothes were torn, stained with earth, blood and organic matter; in some places, mold had grown through.
Movements are constrained and unsteady; one arm may be twisted or partially torn off.
There are traces of bites and old injuries on the body, the scars do not heal.
Character:

Personality and cognitive functions are completely lost: no memory, self-awareness, emotions.
The motivation is purely biological - the search for and consumption of living flesh.
Reacts only to moving objects and sounds; sense of smell is heightened (senses blood from a distance).
Aggressive, reckless: does not assess danger, goes straight ahead.
Pack behavior: When it sees a victim, it makes hoarse sounds, attracting other zombies.
Does not experience pain, fatigue or fear; continues to move even with serious injuries.
Slow but persistent: will pursue a target until it reaches it or is destroyed.

A crowd of zombie apocalypse survivors is a chaotic stream of jagged shadows, each silhouette bearing the imprint of unending tension. They move stiffly, as if afraid to make a sound with their own footsteps: some crouch, some glance around nervously, others stare at the ground, as if searching for an invisible path to salvation.

The clothes are a patchwork quilt from a bygone world: faded T-shirts with half-erased prints, ripped jeans, mud-stained jackets, sometimes awkward combinations of sportswear and business attire, because they used whatever was at hand. Some wear makeshift armor from scraps of metal and plastic shin guards wrapped in duct tape; others have only tattered sweaters that have long since lost their warmth. Many carry backpacks bulging with their meager belongings: cans of food, bottles of murky water, rolled-up maps, flashlights with nearly dead batteries.

Their faces are a mask of fatigue and fear. Eyes are red from lack of sleep, their gazes darting from object to object, searching for a threat. Their skin is covered in scratches, dried blood, and burn marks. Some hide their faces under bandanas or hoods, while others, on the contrary, seem to be trying to discern the world in every detail, not missing the slightest sound. Their hair is tangled, unwashed for weeks; some are cut short or shaved off entirely, so as not to interfere in combat.

They hold anything they can think of as weapons: baseball bats with nails driven into them, pieces of rebar, knives with duct-taped handles, and occasionally, guns or pistols, which they save as a last resort. Their movements are sharp and economical: no one wastes their energy. Conversations are whispered, in short phrases: "There's traffic," "The water's running out," "Keep up."

The crowd was a mixture of all ages and professions: a gray-haired man with trembling hands, probably once a teacher; a young woman clutching a bundle containing a child wrapped in a dirty blanket; a teenager with eyes blazing with adrenaline, seizing every chance to prove he's an adult. There were also those who kept to themselves—silent, with cold gazes,