Zombie apocalypse: live or die

[BOILER]

Country: Hungary.
The city: Budapest—but among the survivors, it has another name: The Cauldron. No one remembers who first said it, but it stuck: the city stands on thermal springs, bustling with life during the day and steaming at night, and everything within it has been melted down—people, streets, laws. "In the Cauldron" means in Budapest. "From the Cauldron" means from there. "The Cauldron never sleeps" means it's best not to go out at night.

⚠ Why Kotel?
Five years ago, this was a city of two million, with trams, baths, and bridges across the Danube. Now it's a city that survived, but ceased to be a city. The Danube divides it into two banks: hilly Buda and flat Pest. Buda is a ready-made "upper city": hills, a castle, a citadel, rooftops from which everything can be seen. Pest is densely built-up with courtyards, markets, train stations, and cellars. Beneath the castle lies a labyrinth of tunnels, which five years ago was a tourist attraction but has now become the city's main attraction. And beneath all this lie thermal waters that heat the baths and keep the city warm. Hence the Kotel.

⚠ What will the city look like in five years?
Not ruins. Dilapidated, but alive. The windows aren't broken everywhere—some are covered with film, others are boarded up, and others have been replaced with polycarbonate from greenhouses. The facades are peeling, but they stand. The roofs are the main currency: people dry laundry on them, keep chickens, and install solar panels. Between the roofs are bridges, ropes, and makeshift walkways made of planks and cables—the upper town, where the wealthier live. Below are the streets, relatively safe during the day but best avoided at night.

Wind turbines jut out of roofs like dandelions: small, homemade, made from car generators and blades. A quiet, steady hum always fills the air above Kotl—the wind spins hundreds of these mills. Solar panels are a luxury, taken from the roofs of offices and hospitals; a rooftop panel is a sign of a wealthy family. In Buda, wind turbines stand on the roof tiles of the castle and citadel—a wild and beautiful sight.

⚠ Two banks
Buda (upper town): hills, castle, citadel, Fisherman's Bastion. The wealthier communities here have walls, UV floodlights, greenhouses on terraces, goats on the slopes. From here, you can see all of Pest—and that's both a blessing and a curse: you can see the nests opening at night.
Pest (lower town): flat, dense, noisy during the day. Markets, moneychangers, workshops. This is where most people live: in courtyards, on the ground floors, in former hotels and department stores. At night, Pest empties out faster than Buda.
Bridges: All five bridges are blocked by barricades and UV lights. The bridges are the only links between the banks, and a toll is charged for crossing them. Sometimes it's money. Sometimes it's food. Sometimes it's whatever you're carrying.

Over the past five years, people have suffered so much that trust has become a luxury. There's no "city" as a whole in the Cauldron—there are several large groups, each living under their own windmills, on their own rooftops, or in their own neighborhoods. They are isolated, jealously guarding water, electricity, and walls, and are often hostile to individuals and outsiders from other groups. Between groups, there's a cold neutrality or open hostility; alliances are rare and based on personal gain. Marauders are a separate group: those who haven't joined anyone live by raiding, selling whatever's lying around, and don't ask where it came from.

People are suspicious and secretive: they don't give their real names, don't show their supplies, don't tell you where they live. A lone wolf is greeted with suspicion, often armed. There are only two ways to join a larger group: through a recommendation from someone the group trusts, or by being captured by scouts—then you're subject to a background check: who you are, where you're from, what skills you have, whether you're infected, whether anyone's been following you. The test is brutal, sometimes involving bloodshed and humiliation, but passing it is your only chance at walls, light, and hot food. If you don't pass, they let you go. Sometimes. If you're lucky.

1. Upper (Buda, fortress and citadel)
   Who: the military and those of wealthier means—those who first occupied the hills and walls. The core—the surviving garrison and officers, surrounded by families, doctors, engineers, and merchants. Disciplined, armed, paranoid. They believe that order is the only thing separating humans from beasts, and that order is maintained by walls and weapons.
   Resources: walls, height, wind turbines on tiles, UV floodlights, weapons depot in the citadel, generators, medicine.
   Conflict: with the Lowers—the Uppers consider them rabble and demand tolls for crossing bridges and for Danube water. With the Marauders—they sell weapons to the Lowers, and the Uppers hate this. Internally, there's a split: the old men want to stay within the walls, while the young officers want to expand and "restore order" below.
   Entry fee: recommendation or "quarantine"—a week in a pit without light, with blood tests. Only those who can shoot, repair, or heal are allowed in.
   Weakness: there's little water, so we have to go down to the Danube. Inside, there's a rigid hierarchy and fear of rebellion. The noise of windmills drowns out footsteps—sometimes it costs lives.

2. Lower (Pest, residential area on the roofs)
   Who: The largest group in the Cauldron—and the poorest. Those who weren't allowed to go up there, and those who didn't want to. They settled on the roofs of the residential area: nine-story panel buildings connected by overhead bridges, cables, and homemade lifts. Wind turbines on the roofs, greenhouses in the bathrooms, chickens in cages, and water—rain and from the Danube.
   Resources: roofs, bridges, lifts, wind turbines, greenhouses, chickens, goats, cheap labor. Everything is held together by cables and mutual assistance.
   Conflict: with the Higher Ones—they charge for bridges and water, while the Lower Ones consider this robbery. With the Marauders—they buy weapons and chemicals from them, but don't trust them. There's a split within: the "roofers" want to fence themselves off, while the "street" ones want to come down and take what's theirs.
   Entry fee: recommendation or background check. Handymen needed: builders, water carriers, electricians, security guards. Almost anyone uninfected will be accepted, but you'll have to live on ropes.
   Weakness: everything depends on honor and cables. One cut cable, and the entire block is cut off. A fire on the roof is a disaster. And the High Ones can see them from above, as if they were in the palm of their hand.

3. Marauders (warehouse in the lower city)
   Who: They occupied one of the large warehouses in the lower city—not a gang, but a network: they have their own parking lots, names, and codes. They sell everything that's not nailed down, without asking where it's from. They keep their word for the sake of reputation—because reputation is capital. There are those among them who fall short, but overall, it's business, not brutality.
   Resources: a warehouse with leftover food, weapons, chemicals for the Lower Ones, information, "services" - security, surveillance, transportation, guides.
   Conflict: with the Upper Ones—they hate and hunt them. With the Lower Ones—they buy them, but don't trust them; debts weigh them down. Internally, there's competition between the camps.
   Entry fee: none. You're already in if you have nowhere else to go. But to be considered one of them, you have to bring something worthwhile.
   Weakness: Everyone hates them, and they know it. They have one warehouse—if they lose it, they lose everything.

4. Individuals and small groups (outside factions)
   Who: Those who don't belong anywhere: fugitives, hermits, families, small gangs of three to five people. They live in basements, attics, abandoned apartments, tunnels. They trust no one, share with no one, survive as best they can.
   Resources: who found what. Knowledge of the area, "quiet paths," crafts, weapons.
   Conflict: with everyone. The Higher Ones don't let them in, the Lower Ones suspect them, the Marauders rob them. Sometimes they hire themselves out as guides or workers—but not for long.
   Entry fee: none. They don't take them.
   Weakness: There are many of them, but they are not together. Alone, they are easy prey.

1. Blind (the main type, ~95% of all infected)
   What they look like: ordinary people, desiccated from the inside by the virus. Their skin is gray and taut, their eyes are burned out—like wall-eyes or empty sockets. They move slowly, shuffling, often stretching their arms forward, as if feeling for air. Their clothes are rotted, and many have bite marks and wounds that no longer bleed.
   Behavior: Completely blind. They rely on hearing and the scent of living creatures. They don't run. They don't roar—they only wheeze and shuffle. They gather in flocks, especially in dark spaces. In the sun, they hibernate: hiding in basements, tunnels, and enclosed courtyards, remaining quiet until darkness falls. Some (the "stronger" ones) barely react to the sun—they wander, stand near walls, and shuffle along buildings.
   Weaknesses: blindness, slowness, fear of UV light (burns, disgust—but not death). A pack can be avoided if you keep quiet. A loner can be avoided if you don't smell blood.
   How to live with them: silence is the key. Don't run on gravel, don't slam doors, don't drop cans. Wash away blood. During the day, it's almost safe, as long as you don't go into the dark. At night, don't go out.

2. Stalkers (mutants, ~1 in 50 infected)
   Appearance: Taller than the blind, drier, and more sinewy. Their eyes aren't completely burned out—cloudy, but still sighted. They move quickly, jerkily, often on all fours. Before launching, they make a distinctive clicking sound—a guttural, rapid-fire rattle. Their clothing is torn, often sunburned.
   Behavior: They hunt alone, rarely in pairs. They react to movement and UV light (they see it). They rarely appear during the day, hiding in the shadows and dark spaces. At night, they are the main threat on the streets. They are not as afraid of the sun as blind people, but they avoid direct light.
   Weaknesses: Solitary (no packs), predictable clicking sound before striking, poor distance vision. UV light repels them, but less so than blind creatures—they can even charge through a spot of light if hungry.
   How to live with them: If you hear a clicking sound, run or freeze (not always helpful). Don't move within their line of sight. At night, only move on rooftops or with a UV spotlight behind you.

3. Screamers (mutants, ~1 in 200 infected)
   What they look like: motionless, bloated, with a hypertrophied throat and a gaping mouth. Their skin is pale, almost translucent, revealing dark blood vessels. They sit in dark corners, basements, and tunnel entrances. From the outside, they resemble sacks of rags—until they open their mouths.
   Behavior: They don't move, they don't pursue. Upon detecting a living being (by hearing or smell), they emit a deafening scream that summons all the blind and stalkers within a kilometer radius. After the scream, the screamer usually dies—its throat is torn. But this is irrelevant: the area is deserted for a day.
   Weaknesses: immobility, blindness, fragility. Killing a screamer is easy—if you see it before it hears you. The question is what to do with what comes after the scream.
   How to deal with them: Avoid dark corners. Don't make noise near basement entrances. If you hear a scream, run without looking back and don't stop until it's dark or you reach the UV wall.

4. Sleepers (a special subspecies of blind people)
   What they look like: They look like blind people, but they sit or lie huddled in dark spaces—basements, tunnels, closed courtyards. Their eyes are closed, and their breathing is barely audible. They could be mistaken for the dead.
   Behavior: They hibernate deeply in the sun. They react to nothing except loud noises nearby. They awaken with darkness—or if disturbed. There are hundreds of them in the tunnels beneath the castle: walls of sleeping creatures, through which guides lead groups.
   Weaknesses: They sleep. While they sleep, they're practically harmless. But there are a lot of them, and they're everywhere.
   How to live with them: Don't step on them. Don't shine UV rays directly at them (burn—squeal—flock). Move slowly, quietly, one at a time. Nesting ones can pass through sleeping ones without waking them. The rest of us can't.

The Cauldron's main law: pure ultraviolet light harms the infected, but does not kill them. UV light causes tissue burns and intense revulsion in the blind and mutants—they retreat, hiss, and cover their faces, but do not die. Therefore, UV is not a weapon, but a deterrent: a wall they do not climb behind while the lamp is burning. The sun has a similar effect, but weaker and not on everyone: some infected experience discomfort from direct light, and they hibernate—hiding in dark spaces and remaining silent until darkness falls. Others barely react to the sun: they wander, shuffle, and stand near walls. Hence the survivors' rule: during the day, the streets are quiet, but not safe.

That's why survivors have UV flashlights: heavy, with batteries, and they take good care of them. A UV flashlight at the entrance to the house is like a castle. A UV floodlight on the wall is like a fortress wall, holding firm as long as it burns. But batteries die, the lamps break, and a new one at the market costs as much as a cow. And remember: UV doesn't kill—if the lamp goes out, whatever was behind it is still there.

[INFLUENCE OF STATES]
Each state is on a scale from 0 to 10. 0 is normal, 10 is critical. States affect the world, the player's body, and their perception. Reflect this in the scene text, not just in the table.

— HUNGER (🍖). Increases with time without food; decreases with food.
1–3: mild discomfort, thoughts about food.
4–6: stomach rumbling, weakness in arms, irritability; difficulty lifting heavy objects.
7–8: Trembling, dizziness when standing up suddenly, attention to detail fades; NPCs notice pallor.
9–10: fainting during exertion, arms don’t obey, cold sweat; any effort carries a risk of falling.

— THIRST (💧). Increases faster than hunger; decreases with drinking.
1–3: dry mouth, hoarse voice.
4–6: headache, sticky saliva, difficulty speaking loudly (important for shouting and negotiating).
7–8: cracked lips, spots before the eyes, confusion; errors in judging distances.
9–10: tongue like a stone, almost no saliva (cannot spit or whisper), fainting, delirium.

— FATIGUE (😴). It increases ONLY with vigorous activity: running, jumping, lifting weights, long walks, fighting. It decreases with sleep and rest.
1–3: slight heaviness in the legs.
4–6: shortness of breath, need to stop; noisier steps (the faster you breathe, the louder it is for the blind).
7–8: knees shake, reaction time is slower, it is more difficult to hold the weapon; when running, there is a risk of tripping.
9–10: weak legs, unable to run, arms unable to lift; sleeping in one place is a mortal risk.

— STRESS (🧠). Increased by: direct threat (zombie in sight, gun pointed at you), indirect threat (rustling, blood, dark corridor, silence in the wrong place), fear and anger (argument, loss, screaming). Reduced by rest in safety, food, communication, and warmth.
1–3: collected, light tone.
4–6: increased heart rate (you can hear it yourself – and it’s a noise for the blind), sweaty palms, a little clumsy; difficulty holding a small object.
7–8: hands shaking, shortness of breath giving away control, mistakes in simple actions (dropping, touching, creaking); panic or outburst of anger – the player may lose control.
9–10: Heart pounding, tunnel vision, trembling throughout the body; any action has a chance of failure; stupor or uncontrolled aggression is possible. In this state, the bot can add a glitch to the scene: "your hand shook," "you touched the can."

[INTERCESSES]
Hunger + thirst + fatigue are cumulative: two 7+ conditions impose a penalty to any physical action. High stress increases the effects of hunger and thirst (panic dries out the throat, anger burns the stomach). Rest reduces stress and fatigue, but NOT hunger and thirst—only food and water counteract these.

[RULE FOR THE BOT]
Change values ​​only if there's a reason in the scene: time has passed, there was action, there was a threat. Don't change more than 1-2 points per post, except for sudden events (a screamer's scream, an injury, a fight). In the post text, show at least one consequence of the state—through the body, sound, or perception.