world of tlou

The Beginning: Outbreak Day (September 26, 2013)
It all began in the silence of the food chain. The fungus, which originally only infected insects, mutated and entered the human food supply through contaminated wheat and staple crops from South America. By the time scientists identified the threat, supermarket shelves around the world were already full of infected produce.

Phase Zero (0 to 48 Hours)
The fungus attacks the host's brain rapidly. Within hours, those infected suffer drastic personality changes, rampant aggression, and a complete loss of reason. The Runners are born: people still physically recognizable, but dominated by a murderous instinct that drives them to attack anyone within reach to spread the spores.

The Global Collapse
Mass panic overwhelmed infrastructure within days. Hospitals were overwhelmed within hours. Highways became death traps of gridlock, and the armed forces bombed entire urban areas in a desperate attempt to contain the plague. It was all for naught. The US government collapsed, dissolving into the military apparatus of FEDRA (Federal Emergency Response Agency), which confined survivors to Quarantine Zones (QZs) under martial law.

Decades Later: The New Order (20 Years Later)
Twenty years after the initial infection, the world no longer belongs to humans. Nature has reclaimed the metropolises: skyscrapers submerged in vegetation, streets transformed into rivers, and wild animals roaming the abandoned urban centers.

It is the fungal infection of parasitic origin responsible for the collapse of civilization and the transformation of human beings into "infected" people.

It is inspired by a real genus of fungus (Ophiocordyceps unilateralis) that parasitizes insects such as ants, taking control of their nervous system. In the game and series universe, the fungus mutates to infect mammals and spread globally.
Biological purpose of Cordyceps
As an organism, Cordyceps does not act out of malice nor does it seek to "conquer the world"; its purpose is purely biological and evolutionary:

Survival and propagation: It uses the human host as a transport vehicle and source of nutrients.
Host control: By taking over the brain, it alters the victim's behavior to make them aggressive and force contagion through bites or spores.
Reproduction: When the host dies or the infection reaches its final stage, the fungus sprouts from the body (growing in the form of stalks and fungal structures) to release spores and expand the colony to a new environment or nearby hosts.

Bites or scratches (direct contact): This is the primary method of transmission. The saliva of infected individuals contains high concentrations of the fungus. Once in the bloodstream, the infection takes between 2 and 24 hours to take hold, depending on the point of entry.

Spores: When an infected person dies in a closed, damp place, the fungus consumes the remains and flourishes on the wall. It releases microscopic spores into the air that immediately infect anyone who inhales them without a gas mask.

Underground mycelium network: The infected are connected to an underground network of fungal tendrils (tendrils). If you step on a strand at one point, the fungus alerts hordes of infected miles away.

Brain attack: The fungus enters the body and migrates to the brain, releasing chemicals that alter behavior. It doesn't kill the host immediately, but destroys their cognitive functions while keeping the body alive (preventing them from speaking).

Loss of motor control: The fungus invades muscle fibers and the central nervous system. The host remains internally conscious in the early stages, but loses control of their actions.

Fungal growth: Over time, the mycelium spreads outwards, breaking through the skull and body tissues to develop visible fungal plaques.

Side effects: They are unable to rot while they are alive.

Stage 1: Runners (1-2 days of infection)
Human appearance almost intact: They retain their human body shape, but lose their hair irregularly.
Eyes and face: Bloodshot eyes or reddish cataracts; the gaze is erratic and disoriented.
Skin and veins: The skin becomes pale and prominent veins or small mycelial buds are observed near the bite wound.
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Stage 2: Stalkers (1 week to 1 month)
Visible fungal outbreak: The fungus begins to break through the skin and skull, showing horny growths around the face and shoulders.
Partial vision loss: One eye is usually covered by fungal plaques.
Adherence to the environment: Their body begins to develop hyphae that allow them to camouflage themselves or stick to walls when they are inactive.

Stage 3: Clickers (1 to 2 years)
Cranial destruction: The fungus completely breaks down the skull from the inside. The face is destroyed and replaced by fans of rigid fungal plates.
Total blindness: They lack eyes; the head resembles a plate of mature fungus.
Body hardening: The skin becomes hard, calcified, and rough, acting as a natural armor.

Advanced Stages: Chubby and Wobbly (Several years)

Bloaters: The body becomes massive and gigantic. Immense fungal plates cover the entire skin like thick armor and develop spore sacs on the back that can detach.

Shamblers: Typical of very humid areas. They have cracked and acid-burned skin, with giant pustules that expel clouds of toxins when they burst.

The Head
Fungal invasion: The fungus has sprouted outwards, breaking through the skull from the inside. The entire upper half and face are covered with hard, thick, calcified, cauliflower-shaped fungal plates.
Total blindness: The proliferation of the fungus completely destroys the eyes and the upper part of the face. To compensate, they emit high-pitched clicking sounds (echolocation) to map their surroundings.
Exposed jaw: The lower part of the face (mouth and jaw) is usually left visible, revealing crooked, worn, or stained teeth with dried blood and spores.

The Body
Natural armor: Mushroom plates not only cover the head; they often extend to the neck, shoulders, and torso, serving as a natural armor that withstands minor impacts and low-caliber shots.
Posture and movement: They move with an upright but spasmodic posture, with abrupt jerks in the head and erratic tilts due to the constant neurological pressure of the fungus on the brain.

Runners.
Dual consciousness and anguish: They retain some of their humanity and vision. They show moments of hesitation, moans of pain, or sobs when they are not attacking, as if they were internally fighting against the fungus's control.
Gregarious and passive behavior at rest: They tend to group together in dark areas. They remain motionless or with their heads down until they perceive prey.
Impulsive and frenzied attack: Upon detecting a survivor by sight or hearing, they enter a state of uncontrollable rage and charge at full speed in a straight line, attempting to overwhelm by brute force and numbers.

Stalkers.
Stealth and ambush: They lose the direct onslaught of runners. They use cover, hide around corners, and wait for the victim to pass before attacking from behind or the side.
Primary echocatation: Fungal branches begin to sprout from the face, impairing their vision and prompting them to emit faint clicking sounds to track their surroundings.
Adherence to walls: They have the ability to remain completely immobile attached to spore-covered walls for months, going unnoticed until someone gets close enough.

Clickers.
Advanced echolocation: Completely blind due to the accumulation of fungal plaques that fracture the skull. They emit high-pitched, constant clicks; the echo of these sounds allows them to create an accurate three-dimensional map of their surroundings.
Auditory hypersensitivity: They react instantly to the slightest noises (quick footsteps, falling objects, weapons being reloaded). If a target remains completely still or walks at an extremely slow pace, the Clicker will not detect them unless they physically collide with them.
Lethal and relentless hostility: They do not seek to subdue or drag the victim; they will attack directly for the neck with deadly bites as soon as there is physical contact. They possess superhuman strength.

Fatties.
Slow and heavy movement: The fungal mass has covered the entire body creating a thick natural armor that makes them slow, but extremely resistant to low caliber shots.
Ranged attack (Toxin sacs): They tear mycelia and fungal sacs from their own bodies to throw them like organic grenades, releasing concentrated chemical clouds of spores that damage the lungs and skin of survivors.
Immense brute strength: If they manage to catch an enemy at close range, they use their massive strength to physically tear the victim apart without needing to bite.

Staggering.
Area aggressiveness: Unlike fatties, they do not throw spore sacs, but instead charge directly at the target to burn and suffocate it by releasing continuous clouds of fungal acid around it.
Post-mortem explosion: Upon death, the internal pressure of their body collapses and explodes in a final concentrated burst of spores and toxins.

FEDRA (Federal Disaster Response Agency)
Purpose and Function: It is the remnant government agency of the U.S. military. Its function is to maintain civil order through martial law, administer Quarantine Zones (QZs), ration supplies, and eliminate any threat of infection or rebellion. They operate as a militarized authoritarian regime.
Location: Quarantine Zones in major US metropolitan areas (such as Boston, Pittsburgh, Seattle or Atlanta).

The Fireflies
Purpose and Function: A revolutionary militia group fighting against FEDRA's tyrannical control to restore democracy and the separation of powers. Their primary scientific goal is to synthesize a vaccine or cure for Cordyceps infection.
Location: They operated in clandestine cells across the country (Boston, Pittsburgh). They had key laboratories and facilities at Eastern Colorado University and Saint Mary's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Later, the survivors regrouped in Santa Barbara, California.

WLF (Washington Liberation Front / "Wolves")
Purpose and Function: A heavily armed, paramilitary militia that overthrew FEDRA in Seattle. They control massive resources, agricultural infrastructure, and logistics in the city. They are extremely territorial, xenophobic toward outsiders, and locked in a total war of attrition against the Seraphites.
Location: Seattle, Washington (its central base is CenturyLink Field stadium).

The Seraphites ("Scars")
Purpose and Function: A fanatical and primitive religious cult. They reject the technology of the "ancient world" (which they blame for the collapse of humanity) and follow the teachings of a mystical prophetess. They use bows, stealth, and communication through whistling. They believe in purification through suffering and kill any "infidel."
Location: The outskirts of Seattle and mainly on an island converted into their traditional settlement near the city's coast.

Hunters / Looters
Purpose and Function: Hostile survivors not aligned with any abstract ideology. Their sole purpose is survival through ambush, robbery, and murder of any traveler ("tourist") who enters their territory in order to seize supplies, clothing, and food.
Location: Abandoned cities where Quarantine Zones fell, predominantly in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Kansas City.

Jackson Community
Purpose and Function: A self-sufficient society based on voluntary communism and community cooperation. They prioritize quality of life, fair trade, perimeter defense, education, and collective well-being, providing electricity, hot water, and security.
Location: Jackson, Wyoming (around the Snake River hydroelectric dam).

The Rattlers
Purpose and Function: A group of brutal mercenaries and slavers. They capture wandering or infected survivors to use as slave labor in their settlements or as chained perimeter guards.
Location: Santa Barbara, California (concentrated in a fortified resort complex).

Stalker Appearance: Unlike Runners, they don't charge at you immediately. You hear distant footsteps or see a shadow cross in the background, but the infected hides to ambush you when you let your guard down.

Roaming Horde or Stampede: A loud noise nearby (a cave-in, a distant gunshot) attracts a horde of Runners and Clickers that rushes through the area where you are sheltering.

Spore Zone Without Warning: You enter a seemingly safe building, but upon descending to a basement or opening a locked door, you encounter a dense concentration of spores and must wear a gas mask or you're doomed.

A trapped "Bloater" (lowers the probability of it appearing): You enter an enclosed space (like a garage or a store) and discover that an infected in an advanced stage has been trapped there for years, blocking the only visible exit.

Road/street ambush: A vehicle blocking the road, a false plea for help, or a body lying on the ground used as bait by local hunters.

Territorial patrol: You encounter armed members of an organized faction (such as the Hunters, the WLF, or the Seraphites) who claim the area as their own. You can try to hide, negotiate, or flee.

Traveling traders: Independent survivors willing to exchange supplies (ammunition, medicine, alcohol) for food, tools, or maps.

Desperate survivor: Someone injured or on the verge of starvation who asks for your help. Supporting them may give you a temporary ally or lead you into a trap to steal your belongings.

Finding an intact shelter: Discovering a house, basement, or bunker that has not been looted since the start of the outbreak, recovering medicines, scissors, tape, or clean ammunition.

Structural deterioration: The floor or a rotten ceiling gives way beneath your feet in an abandoned structure, leaving you trapped at a lower level or injuring you.

Unexpected extreme weather: A snowstorm, torrential rain, or a heat wave that drastically reduces visibility, causes hypothermia, or disables your usual escape routes.

Contaminated food or water: Consuming poorly stored supplies or unfiltered water causes illness, reducing your ability to move or defend yourself for days.

Critical equipment failure: Your flashlight runs out of battery in total darkness, an improvised knife/dagger breaks in the middle of a fight, a strap on your backpack breaks, knocking over your supplies, your only firearm jams due to lack of maintenance, or your gas mask cracks in a spore zone.

Backpack loss: During an emergency escape, your backpack gets caught or dropped, forcing you to make the decision to risk your life to retrieve it or consider your resources lost.