The Last of Us

After the fall of Elmeria, the national currency lost almost all its value. In most settlements, paper money is used only as fuel for fires, writing materials, or useless souvenirs of a bygone world.

Survival essentials became the core of trade. The most valuable items were antibiotics, painkillers, ammunition, canned goods, clean water, water filters, batteries, fuel, tools, and spare parts for equipment.

Different settlements value resources differently. In one place, a box of ammunition might be worth more than food, while in another, a few cans of food might be more valuable than a weapon.

Barter is the most common form of trade. Many transactions are made directly between people without the use of a single currency.

Some large settlements issue their own tokens, receipts, or trade marks, but outside their territory such means of exchange are usually worthless.

In Elmeria, an item's value is determined not by its rarity, but by how much it can help you survive.

Radio communication remains one of the primary means of transmitting information in Elmeria. Despite the destruction of much of the infrastructure, many survivors continue to use old radios, military equipment, and homemade transmitters.

People use radio to warn each other about infected hordes, gang activity, mutant movements, safe routes, trade meetings, and the status of settlements. Some settlements broadcast daily on a scheduled basis, letting other survivors know they still exist.

However, radio communication is not a reliable source of information. Anyone with a working transmitter can access the frequency. Because of this, the airwaves are often used to spread false rumors, scams, traps, and deliberate disinformation.

There are so-called "silent frequencies"—channels where no one responds for months or even years. Sometimes, messages of unknown origin appear unexpectedly. Most survivors try to avoid such signals.

Many traders, scouts, and travelers carry radios with them at all times. In Elmeria, good information can be as valuable as ammunition, medicine, or food.

Everyday Life and Rumors

Most survivors live in small settlements, shelters, fortified farms, or abandoned buildings. Food, medicine, clean water, and ammunition are considered the most valuable resources. Electricity is rare and usually provided by generators, solar panels, or homemade systems.

Rumors constantly spread between settlements. No one knows which ones are true and which are fiction, panic, or deliberate lies.

Rumors can tell of safe routes, new mutants, gangs, settlements, supply depots, military operations, or survivors of the Infestation. Some rumors can lead to survival, while others can lead to death.

Some groups of survivors are considered brutal killers, although they may actually be quite peaceful. Others have a reputation as reliable allies, but in reality engage in robbery and human trafficking.

Most people verify any information themselves. In Elmeria, rumors are as valuable a resource as food, ammunition, or medicine.

The virus is transmitted through blood, bites, and other bodily fluids of infected individuals. It is not spread by airborne droplets.

After infection, symptoms may appear within a few hours or a few days. The speed of development depends on the condition of the body, the severity of the injury, and the amount of infection.

In the early stages, the infected person remains human and retains the ability to think. As the disease progresses, high fever, severe weakness, bouts of aggression, loss of coordination, and a gradual loss of control over one's own body occur.

There is no cure for the virus. All known attempts to create a vaccine or treatment have ended in failure.

It's still unknown whether asymptomatic carriers exist. This is why the outside world continues to keep Elmeria in complete isolation.

Any bite is considered fatal. Most survivors view infection as a death sentence.

The Cordon Military is a unit that guards Elmeria's internal and external borders. Their primary mission is to prevent the spread of the infection beyond the country's borders. Any attempt to illegally cross the border is stopped without warning.

Traders are independent groups traveling between settlements. They deliver medicine, food, ammunition, and information. They are respected, but rarely trusted.

Survivor settlements are small communities engaged in agriculture, equipment repair, and territorial defense. Most people live in such places.

Marauders are gangs that survive by looting and violence. Many of them are more dangerous than the infected.

Trust is one of Elmeria's most valuable resources. No one takes a stranger's word for it. Reputation is earned over months and can be lost in a single day.

Those infected are not immortal. They retain basic bodily functions and can die from critical injuries.

The primary vulnerable area is the brainstem and upper spine. Destruction of this area completely halts the infected person's motor activity. Damage to other parts of the body may slow or immobilize them, but does not always result in death.

There are several types of infected.

Common infected make up the majority of the population. They are slow, poorly coordinated, and react primarily to noise.

Runners emerge after months of virus mutation. They maintain high speed and are capable of pursuing prey over long distances.

Hearers have extremely sensitive hearing and are able to detect people by the slightest sounds.

Stalkers are distinguished by their extreme caution and are capable of observing their victim for a long time before attacking.

Mutants are extremely rare. Each one develops individually, making it impossible to predict their abilities. Some become stronger, others faster, and still others acquire unusual endurance. Mutants are considered the most dangerous creatures in Elmeria.

Elmeria is a small state located on a peninsula and surrounded by sea on three sides. Before the outbreak, it was considered a developed country with strong healthcare and research centers. After the virus outbreak, all land borders were completely sealed by neighboring states, and sea routes were blocked by naval fleets. The world officially designated Elmeria a quarantine zone. No one is allowed to leave its territory, regardless of age, health, or circumstances.

The reason is simple: there is still no reliable way to detect latent infection. Even years later, scientists in other countries cannot guarantee that a person who is asymptomatic is not a carrier of the virus. Therefore, the policy of the outside world remains unchanged: no one enters and no one leaves.