Great Leap Downwards

GopnikPizzafox · Oct 9, 2022

--- Section One ---

*Steam Name: Gopnik Pizzafox
*Steam ID: 76561198068429261
*Discord Name & ID: AlextheFox212 #9626

--- Section Two ---

*Character Name: Wan Guofeng
*Character Role: Political Commissar of the Red Guards, commander of the paramilitary branch, member of the Politburo
*Brief summary of the character: A former Nominal of the 51st Division of the MAA, Wan Guofeng was one of many who deserted from the Arteria when order broke down in City 51. As his squad was wiped out on one fateful day following an ambush by a well-armed street gang, Wan was forced to spend some time hiding in the city’s underground, hoping to blend in with the civilian population and underclass to lay low for some time as the situation continued to deteriorate in the city. While laying low in the city during the troubles, he had met Madam Li, who gave him a newfound sense of purpose, and soon entrusted him with a position in the Politburo as a political commissar and leader of the paramilitary branch of the Red Guards, where he would soon earn his reputation as The Generalissimo of the New Communist Party of China. Now, as disorder in City 51 reaches an all-time high, Wan hopes that the Politburo will soon take advantage of the chaos and give him an opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of his paramilitary branch firsthand and end the group’s reliance on common street thugs to achieve their goals.
*Why do you want to play this character?: I usually play as a CP character and a “loyalist” citizen in the OSF who sometimes interacts with the underclass in the slums, so using the opportunity of this event to play a dedicated rebel/anti-citizen character sounded all too enticing to me, especially given the circumstances that City 51 finds itself in within the story of the event. Sniper came up with the concept of the Red Guards, and given my propensity for playing characters with a military background, I figured a character like this would be a good fit for his faction.
Full Backstory: WIP

--- Section Three (Optional) ---

Tell us about yourself: I’ve played on Willard since the i17 event, and have found this server to be very enjoyable, my first dedicated stay in a hl2rp community. I play mainly Combine-aligned characters on the main server (mainly Civil Protection and OSF for the time being), so I’m glad to have events like these to try playing from alternate perspectives.
Are you new to Willard Networks?: Not really, I’ve been here since the i17 event.
Are you familiar with anyone around Willard Networks?: I’ve made some friends in the community, yes.
What's your favorite thing about Half Life?: The Combine are one of the most interesting antagonists in fiction to me, since we understand so little about them, and they feel like a truly alien group that humans can’t properly comprehend. I also enjoy dystopian stories that tackle the subject of imperialism from a far more advanced invader and other such themes.

Cengiz · Oct 10, 2022

--- Section One ---

*Steam Name:
Cengo
*Steam ID:
STEAM_0:1:113942347
*Discord Name & ID:
Cengiz#4268

--- Section Two ---

*Character Name:
Wan Kang Ni ( Brother of Wan Guofeng )
*Character Role:
Red Guard
*Brief summary of the character:
A former Nominal of the 51st Division of the MAA, Wan Kang Ni was one of many who deserted from the Arteria alongside his older brother Wan Guofeng, when order broke down in City 51. As his squad was wiped out on one fateful day following an ambush by a well-armed street gang, Wan was forced to spend some time hiding in the city’s underground, hoping to blend in with the civilian population and underclass to lay low for some time as the situation continued to deteriorate in the city. While laying low in the city during the troubles, his older brother got a chance from a mystery woman in a High Position as a Leader of a paramilitary branch Officer. He begged his older brother for a position in the paramilitary and gained the of a Red Guard Soldier
*Why do you want to play this character?:
I wanna RP as a Hard Paramilitary Communist Soldier

Anthrax_PL · Oct 10, 2022

CIVIL PROTECTION AUDIT #2.054325

PERSONNEL AUDIT OF intention_three UNIT

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCESS LOG?

y/n

y

ACCESS GRANTED

BEGIN LOG...

...
...

A constant buzzing seems to eminate throughout the recording. A man and a female can be heard. The female seems to have an English accent, the person in charge of the city wide audit. The man appears to have a gruff Chinese accent. Probably just a cop incharge of a district.

"BEGIN RECORDING... MR.█████, I DO REALIZE THIS IS A TEDIOUS PROCESS. I ALSO DON'T WANT TO AUDIT AN ENTIRE CITY EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS BUT I HAVE T-

"LET'S JUST GET THROUGH IT. YOU ARE NEARLY DONE WITH MY GARRISON ANYWAY."

"OKAY. LET'S SEE.. JOCHI KHUBILAI..? IS THAT HOW YOU SAY THAT NAME?"

"SURE. EVERYONE JUST CALLS HIM THE MONGOL ANYWAY. HE'S OUR QUARTERMASTER FOR THE DISTRICT."

"WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HIM? I SEE HE'S GOT A FEW NINETY-NINES ON HIS FILE.."

"HE HAS A MIND OF HIS OWN. THE ARMORY IS HIS TERRITORY AND HE DOESN'T LIKE MANY PEOPLE GOING THERE. HE CAN BE VERY QUIET, DOESN'T HAVE A BOND WITH MANY PEOPLE INSIDE THE FORCE. PEOPLE RESPECT HIM THOUGH, HE HAS BEEN HERE FOR QUITE A LONG TIME. THE MAN DOES NOT HAVE A MASSIVE EGO HE NEEDS TO INFLATE"

"I SEE. WHAT ABOUT ANY CIVILIAN INTERACTIONS? DOES HE TALK TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE?"

"I'VE HEARD RUMOURS THAT HE HAS CONTACTS WITH SEVERAL OF THE TRIADS AND ORGANIZATIONS DISTRICT WIDE, HOWEVER I CAN NOT VALIDATE THOSE. HE RARELY LEAVES THE GARRISON ANYWAY, JOCHI IS USUALLY SORTING OUT HIS DUTIES AT THE ARMORY. "

"WOULD YOU CONSIDER HIM LOYAL TO THE UNION? DOES HE HARBOUR ANY ANTI-CITIZEN TENDENCI-"

"WOW WOW, ANTI CITIZEN TENDENCIES? HE'S A COP, OF COURSE THE MAN IS LOYAL. YES, THE MAN HAS A UNIQUE MIND AN-

"WOULD YOU SAY HE SERVES HIMSELF AND NOT THE UNION?"

"...."

"LET'S TAKE A BREAK AND FINISH THE REST OF THE AUDITS. WE'LL HAVE A PRIVATE TALK ABOUT THIS ONE LATER."

"END RECORDING ."

...

...

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCESS CONCLUSION ON PERSONNEL AUDIT?

y/n

y

NO ADDITIONAL ACTION TO BE TAKEN. NO MMR TO BE AUTHORISED. LOCAL GARRISON ADVISED TO KEEP TABS ON SUBJECT.

*Steam Name: Anthrax
*Steam ID: STEAM_0:0:232198921
*Discord Name & ID: Anthrax_PL#0599

--- Section Two ---

*Character Name: Jochi "The Mongol" Khubilali
*Character Role: Quartermaster of the Civil Protection garrison
*Brief summary of the character:
Jochi is an ethnic Mongol in the CP force of City 51 with the rank of intention 3. Growing up in a traditional household, but had to change in order to fit in to this new world order he is apart of. His main job is to maintain the armory and its contents, and log the weapons that is given to every single civil protection functionary within the district, aswell as any authorized VIPs or POIs, (Persons of Interest). He will mainly be passiverp and inside where the CP's will be, at the armory if there is one.
*Why do you want to play this character?: I wanted to go for something unique. This idea popped into my head first, and I am going along with it. I decided to go as a quartermaster as I wanted to change up my playstyle, as usually I am a beatcop in other servers.
Full Backstory: See above. I can add a backstory if needed though

--- Section Three (Optional) ---

Tell us about yourself: I've been around the HL2RP seen for a very longtime. I'm mostly a union-main, especially in cityrp, but in short stories I can dabble in the rebellion side of things.
Are you new to Willard Networks?: Yes. I started playing actively around a month ago. I tried to be a CMU main as a TerraNova refugee but I fell inactive due to IRL complications.
Are you familiar with anyone around Willard Networks?: Some people from other communities that moved here.
What's your favorite thing about Half Life?: How diverse and unique factions within the Union there could be. I've always liked the 'official' part of things.

Divine · Oct 11, 2022

--- Section One ---

*Steam Name: Moses
*Steam ID: STEAM_0:0:63629212
*Discord Name & ID: Divine#7207

--- Section Two ---

*Character Name: Zhang Xilin, C51:RL.ROLLER-0
*Character Role: Civil Protection; Command; Rank-Leader
*Brief summary of the character: A middle-aged figure of tyranny. A zealous man in nature, serving under the rule of the Combine. He holds his family as his highest priority, even locked behind the memory replacements he has received he would treat them as priority number one. He's arrogant, and selfish, though respectful to those who are honorable in their service. He does not enjoy the idea of mistreating all of his former countrymen, but doesn't hesitate in it either. . . He wasn't always like this.
*Why do you want to play this character?: I wish to conquer my previous failures, and play a character that is more then just acting on 'What I would do'. This character will be a test of my own abilities in roleplay, and what I may commit to in the future.
Full Backstory:

C51:i3.UNION-1

<:: C:\USERS\CMBUNI\C51\MCP\UNIT_DATABASE\GROUND_UNIT\UNION_1<:: ACCESSING FILE......... ...<:: LOCATION IS NOT AVAILABLE<:: C:\USERS\CMBUNI\C51\MCP\UNIT_DATABASE\GROUND_UNIT\UNION_1.pdf IS NOT ACCESSIBLE<:: ACCESS IS DENIED... ... ... <:: WRN:// MALIGNANT VIRAL INTERFACE BYPASS DETECTED....

docs.google.com

--- Section Three (Optional) ---

Tell us about yourself: I am an introverted person, overall. There's not many interesting things about me.
Are you new to Willard Networks?: No. I have been here since July of 2021.
Are you familiar with anyone around Willard Networks?: My familiarity varies, but I am acquainted with some players.
What's your favorite thing about Half Life?: The utter defenselessness of humanity (Before HL2, Gordon Freeman). The way it is assumed that the Combine control the cities, and constantly transfer them to prevent communication so no organization of rebel groups could occur easily.

Merlinsclaw · Oct 12, 2022

An Empire born through betrayal.
A post gained through deceit.
A regime solidified by blood.

_________________

"It is my will to join the Communist Party of China, uphold the Party's program, observe the..." Li's father shuffled out of the room as his son took the admission oath to the party before the flag. Zing Li, who had just turned eighteen, was becoming a full fledged member of the party. His devoted service to the Youth League and his father's former position as Wei Guoqing's deputy had scored Li a full party membership rather than the one-year probationary status. Zing Li had been born sometime in August of 1958 to the influential Zing family. The Zing family, based in Guangxi, had narrowly avoided several disasters. Li's father was targeted during the Guangxi massacre and the family was able to circumvent the purges of the Cultural Revolution and Xiaoping's Retributions due to their connection to Guoqing - The Chairman of the Region.

Two years after Zing Li's induction into the Party he found himself on the Fifth National People's Congress after several strings were pulled in the local and regional governments. Li would live in Beijing for the duration Fifth NPC, attending the occasional assembly but he primarily spent the period in the capital city building connections in the government. After a five year period in the Congress, Li returned to Guangxi upon the initation of the Sixth Congress and the conclusion of the Twelfth National Congress to serve as the Deputy Secretary of the Guangxi Autonomous Regional Committee.

Zing Li devoutly served as Deputy Secretary and a member of the Central Committee for another five years in Nanning, eventually meeting and marrying Haung Qiaoqiao in the city. The two would have a son in 1987. In 1988, as the Deputy Secretary of the Party in Guangxi, Li had been selected to fill in the position of Secretary of the region, after the former secretary, and his boss, Chen Huiguang had retired.

Upon filling the role of Secretary of the Guangxi Committee, Zing Li fully fledged out the goals he had set out as Deputy Secretary. Li had planned to industrialize Guangxi to catch up to the neighboring Guangdong Province, who would be benefiting from the upcoming transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong. Under Li's leadership, the southern areas of Chongzuo and Fangchenggang fully recovered from the fighting of the Sino-Vietnamese war and saw unprecedented growth in Nanning and other major commercial centers.
During the assembly of the 14th Politburo of the Communist Party of China in 1992, Zing Li was selected to serve on it due to the now prominence of the Guangxi Province. Zing Li served as one of the most influential men in the People's Republic for exactly nine years, when he was booted off the Politburo due to the waning power of the Eight Elders and the election of Hu Jintao as General Secretary of the Communist Party. Zing Li was placed as the Vice-Minister of the newly formed Ministry of Commerce. Li would continue his work with great pride for several years, slowly building his reputation and position back up under Hu Jintao. During his time in the Ministry of Commerce, China would see an extended period of economic growth into a world power.

In early 2002, with the cancellation of the 16th National Congress and the formation of the Ministry of Emergency Management due to the Portal Storm Crisis, Zing Li was chosen to serve in the Ministry and the response team. His diligent work in regards to the mass panics, riots, migrations, and fight against the encroaching Xenian Threat had led Li to be the defacto leader of the Ministry, his work continued until the Seven Hour War. In May of 2004 following the Seven Hour War, and the creation of Sol. 3 by Global Administrator Wallace Breen, Zing Li was chosen to serve on Sector Fourteen's Administration.

Zing Li, along with the rest of Sector Fourteen's Administration, gathered in Beijing following Unification Day. Li, an established member of the Chinese Government, served faithfully under Sector Administrator █. █████████ while also amassing power for himself. Following The Culling, Li himself was appointed to the position of City Administrator of City Fifty-One, having barely managed to escape the purge.

_________________

Zing as a Character:
Zing Li is an authoritarian by heart. His belief revolves around his leadership capabilities throughout his career, opting for a central and decisive power of one or a few men when it comes to executive decisions instead of a indecisive and ineffective democratic bureaucracy. However, his beliefs are still drawn towards 'Deng Xiaoping Theory' and Maoism in the sense that, as quoted from the PRC's Constitution, the State should still be a 'People's Democratic Dictatorship.' He still believes this to be true in relation to the Universal Union and the Board. Zing Li developed these beliefs partly due to his own work as Secretary of the Guangxi Province and his position as Vice-Ministry of Commerce and the effective system seem in the Politburo in which he served.

While also stating that he is an authoritarian, Li places himself towards a Socialist Status with Chinese characteristics on the economic scale. Li believes that the economy must be centrally controlled, unlike the semi-autonomous 'Worker's Union,' in order to better the state. His belief, in the modern day, is that an expansion on trade could better the Sector and city - An ideal clearly drawn from his time at the Ministry.

In the modern day, Zing is a pragmatic but corrupt City Administrator.

_______

ETERNAL PREMIER ZING LI

Merlinsclaw · Oct 12, 2022

"When the Sun card shows for you, it's a sign that soon you are likely to find yourself feeling more free than you have in a while - maybe years. This is a great time to take a vacation and to experience different things. The Sun is about vitality, freedom, joy, and self-expression."

______________________

[ 駒とめて ]
There is no shelter
[ 袖うちはらふ ]
where I can rest my weary horse,
[ かげもなし ]
and brush my laden sleeves...
[ 佐野のわたりの ]
the Sano Ford and its fields
[ 雪の夕暮 ]
spread over with twilight in the snow.

The Tokyo Street Tigers-- A vicious and traditional gang originating from the streets of Tokyo. Now, with the Oyabun's relocation to Beijing, a small sect has formed in City Fifty-One.

Led by Arata Akiko, a hardened street gangster and Beijing Street Officer, he found himself attempting to form a local sect Tokyo Street Tigers, despite his extremely young age. In order to garner support, the Tokyo Street Tigers accepted nearly any and all, if they could prove their worth.

What would they do?
Beatdowns.
Drug Peddling.
Extortion.
Street Fights.
And the like.

!THE TOKYO STREET TIGERS!

OOC Information:

What is this?
An application for a Civil Protection member & leadership of a gang.

Nezoose · Oct 12, 2022

--- Section One ---

*Steam Name: Apollo7771FO3
*Steam ID: STEAM_0:1:40787669
*Discord Name & ID: Nezoose#5231

--- Section Two ---

*Character Name: HERO-200
*Character Role: Civil Protection - Captain
*Brief summary of the character:

VX8Mc1R75c1RwkMDbWydJs1w3ODkDkAZnV8AuTGldewaUDXcFA9zlcpUNcXkul3K5L5ZavVuNCbIeQoNsjZ1gl6ZSkByyCCD-Dpuy8x51sgy8EhvD_di8aFmLt9qYy325MHYauIFDOIP4rOJ4NcWDkMzPMVO7ShPOMYWvJXCIkB-UcivMNtfUExZXw

The Freak

The Proselyte

The Dickhead

The “Hero”

gi1ETYMnTcQj_LCWmMM6XPOJxfTApV2YXhMVxnrWEj9mSMBBhJ720jRR3iUHQdFfOAuYKJPYU2Qupc2gLSRVok5GbHNS2_i14Q7iC1AwbeSjllQs9Q_PA5RtGhY0ei2BupKZ4NbiO1AxI3eBddnV2Njl-WKv2SFvqlwinq0KIY3dc-RsxsH-ar5QfA

kGtTelVLAYLeC9_ama8x-kpqTk2yS1CUhz_TdFtfDf9n7HNQX8QPfG-GWQw1mOOnI2bHBPsB0ojEj4O8LJl1cqBdTsS3kkGTQgCKg8aUe4jkGkA4T1plRqktZMuw73ZTVCvqz5a51bThFSieQwzW2WipuPbqSzfadVgQH1X1WFnEBbGMwuIjXPS4qw

*Why do you want to play this character?: Fun.
Full Backstory:

IJmMisuLGPAsM0vXtoFQSoBH_Lw8te6gqR3PB1VIpXn0QeSn7fyqM8cWQcUzcrAvl0P5a9w2Cpy-dlP8cpKQWkwWYKl72PDR6LPeRpGg3oG8pexBWndmzzdWzlcJu3S0dQ3bCFrpBET3XNrAWXGDHPBvWAfnXAL7-Po8VeGaNLUe8c27R6m8Ue5jOQ

“加纳！对三项谋杀罪的罪犯进行审判”

Twas what he yelled. I knew my downfall was imminent. My felon mind couldn't have dreamed one's execution would be so fused with romantic rage. I’ remember the roar of the rats, reliven by my presence. Officers of the police had found of my deeds, and yet I was a free man. Twas vagilantes whom found me, sulking back to my residence, then in what was the blink of an eye. My execution was planned, and my sentence was to be delivered in an hour. Couriers were dispatched to spread information of the villainous felon, who had been captured.

Spreammers fell upon the street stone, from the apartments above as my name was harkened, and cursed by the mob. My blood ran ice, ice cold upon the realization there was no exit. My end was nigh, what was I to do? What was I to say? My mind ran blank. It felt as if the world slowed, twas this my time to escape? Twas this my time to continue living? No, utterly verboten. A sack slid over my face, the world turned black as pitch, and my senses dissimulated and the cries of the proles vaded. I was dead.

Instantaneously, a spike of pain tore through my scalp. I slowly dragged my eyes open, twas a miraclel! There I layed, in the bed of a military base. My mind raced, as my cognitive abilities settled. It dawned upon me that I had experienced a nightmare..... “哦谢天谢地” I coughed aloud, and flopped back below the covers of sleeping warmth.. Common as it was, the alien ,asses continued pouring from heaven. Sleep was but a dream of the past.

mrseUsVLVSMm-zaGDWcqGxfrOdhhsGaRJw08YjsU8Tu8NTm2UgVoobgpiJiuhZSsny2BR0whT9FxBpsZtC1eOEk5qiEQihVEKKzOJ9tpm6OqPYcNnlJUCoDAIAkzZbz9yfEHRxSmH228aPidlWzcvRJ_QGlWO6yEtO-quvdicO2zdeD8lyYg9-o8dw

谋杀！谋杀！谋杀！

Twas shrieked through the block, blowing beyond the weak walls of the apartments, waking my tenant mates, including me. A level of annoyance irked us, and the dim lights from the roads below clicked on, breaking the blackness thick as pitch.. I bore witness to a collection of ‘Overwatch’ soldiers dash into an alleyway, and the night fell into silence once more. This sight was not original, crime was rampant in my district. Transhumans were unable, mayhaps, unwilling to secure the stability of the district.

In the night, black as pitch I harkened. A whisper, a rumor, a discussion hadn’t missed my hearing. So acute and powerful I could hear the slightest shuffle of clothing in the other room. Twas unsurprising the news reached me, of a ‘民事保护” made for policing.

I stirred in my sleep, the power, the unbridled power of this Protection Force filled my cognitive functions of romantic thoughts. All I needed, twas to wait for the call, the call for unquestioning authority to any whom simply signed away his soul.

h7Brc8kUIgPHRrimCmEgAoXHuDcSDmIUoiA8JOG5GUwoINlZPXMwX_14yJQw6-DeptuY5N7ZcEzUvjqgiZ3ml5rrY7hSmm_ladp0IMohi2St39wMnnBDALLsEuchK7_2QbIT3YU3iMKZ17POVb6Ms7IbxwI3ddvhNa0OzdiVAIaMXOcp9FXWgEFtJQ

<:: 请注意。二九三区的功能区。您所在地区缺乏指挥权。继续进行稳定-管辖-九，并准备命令处理。::>

The call came, and ended. The power was within my gloved fingers. Twas I lived in opulence, unquestioned and empowered. Life was more than acceptable, the thought dawned on me that it could be better. My targets could expand, my reach could extend. Oooh, the thought was more than great, it was glamorous, stupendous, mammothly beautiful! I had to take the position, twas my destiny.

Therefore this I wanted; this I want, I did; and I do the position was MINE. There was no applause, nay joy… I remain aware of my less than famous reputation, those around me, believed me a creep, a crazed madman in it for the killing. No! Twas not I could stand any longer, my power was greater, therefore I controlled their very lives! No, this show, this example of disrespect wouldn’t go on longer!

I acted. Praised, I was, and remain for rooting out the evil operations in our precinct. There remained one individual above me, one last step remained before total control. He needed to die.

J7bBw0L4DFoNhUnhtjYlT7Hpn6bFM6Wu845KMuX2U01RWDEqeppi8J3hdHeeatZIX-1rlx9RnjCAH5w1wYNJEM7TI-zkZfzgqa8DHCz3L9qot4vLLzwKbCa0-ruW2918l2UeyiOE0XQtIClYV86m_YkqNHNrkzUhYyOk6IqRXfGV_CxN0BM_4VkHwA

“注意力。英雄二。晋升要求得到满足，身份发生变化。英雄二零零”

There stood and here I stand, the complete and unbridled power of this district. Any action I could commit, criminal or not, was unstopped by the masses, unstopped by the, rare, transhuman arm. My word was god; and final. There were no debts, nor discussion, my ears, more acute than ever. I prayed upon every sound, every word, every action was seen by me; this I did, and this I do. Twas then the day came, I whisper escaped from my ears rage, then another, then another, then another, then another, then another- THEN ANOTHER! The proles had found escape, and abused it.

I acted, I tried, my efforts failed, every action in vain.. Souls were rare, as my district turned into that of a ghostly town.. Days, weeks, months,, not a word, neither a sound to speak of. Twas my district that lay, ruined, desecrated and broken… Then, the terror came, the murders, the rapists and the bombers.. Resistance claimed my district, my cries and pleads for backup never came. I was abandoned.

I ran, twas nothing left, twas nothing to gain. My few assets remained, and I, ran. A god smiled as a neighboring district had found us, and rescue was secured.

xWU57Hm_v_SHYREQ1i28ruj1pNWoLnDemf0DCQ_FPbBE8G8_LcXVMn9HvNqgu0FjUaJUxcUDbqQS27BKz2i5MwlbtFmCWG6E0L1VzdCUbtYBv53ahic13U0gNp19XU6wcXpQnXvUdrhGLj1_wrRoe9IGa5OwJl4O3wAO4T3uqmbUqQEabP33njGNtw

“外星人”

My command remained, so therefore my power remained. Twas there I stood; and here I stand as a prosetyle, vargarent Captain in a district not of my own. A district already ruled, a district, which will soon be mine.

Conundrum · Oct 12, 2022

--- Section One ---

*Steam Name: Conundrum
*Steam ID: STEAM_0:0:63361109
*Discord Name & ID: Clouded Vista#8101

--- Section Two ---

*Character Name: Chen Delan
*Character Role: Administration Secretary + Tier 6 Loyalist
*Brief summary of the character: He is a twenty-one year old secretary in service to the city Administrator. That's his entire personality.
*Why do you want to play this character?: The setting suggests the Administrators position is tenuous and liable to change. Having a front row seat to watch that side of events unfold would be a memorable experience.
Full Backstory: When the hour is late and the build-up of incident reports become too much, Chen is there with the saving grace of a hot cup of coffee. Ready to help take the pressure off his employers shoulders, the man is fiercely loyal. This goes beyond the existential fear of the combine keeping him in line; It is a matter of pride and honour that his Administrator is respected and well cared for. For heavy is the head that wears the crown, especially in this city.
Come rain, sleet, or gang warfare, Chen will be slightly adjacent to his employers side, ever holding a pot of green tea, or something stronger if the occasion calls for it. Need a fresh suit for a meeting with a gang lord threatening to storm the administration building? Chen will have one ordered in! Need a midnight snack, or medication for acid reflux from the sheer unending growth of stress and dread from the constantly degrading hold over the city? Chen can find both in the panic bunkers supplies! Need someone to take the ungodly amount of messages pouring in from concerned citizens and enraged gangs? He'll leave them on hold for you.

Need someone to talk you down from committing suicide rather than going on with the horrible state of this world any longer? Well, Chen can try his best!

Truly, with a ~~butler~~ secretary like Chen, the resources available to the Administrator are the limit!

Taliazure · Oct 13, 2022

Character Name: 读昆- LI Quin
Character Role: Civil Protection

| C51:i1.SUN-9 |

BACKSTORY

LI Quin was born in 24/03/1975

Hangzhou
杭州

Daughter of:

Bai Ailun 白艾伦 [father] and Mei-Hui 美惠 [mother]

Her education was stereotypical, tiger parents who pressured her to study and try her hardest at life constantly pushing her to be the best at everything and always shutting down her accomplishments finding them to not be good enough. All this caused her to have a hard time making friends, always being seen as a nerd or simply rude for focusing on her studies too much. it was hard to meet up to her parents expectancy wich made way to a unhappy childhood backed with hatred and sorrow.

Upon the arrival of the Combine and the domination over earth of their ruling, she expected her worries to die down, now with most of the old war hobbies, jobs and sports being shutdown by the Combine there wasn't much for their parents to pressure her on... She tought
Only for their parents to become fully radical loyalists of the Combine supporting their oppressiveness and semi-fascist semi-communist views over the population, they pressured her to become one as well forcing her into being "something" worth to the union and becoming an officer or someone of high status.

But due to her disinterest for politics she had no choice but to go for civil protection, but who knew she would fit right in? All that build up hatred and stress from her childhood would make her a perfect oppressor for the union exactly what they where looking for...
Now she resides in city51 where she has taken the role of a civil protection unit keeping her city civil as best as they can in such a crowded and chaotic place.

OOC:
Steam Name: Taliazure
Steam ID: STEAM_0:1:67985352
Discord Name & ID: Taliazure#7480

Why do you want to play this character?: I have a great love for civil protection faction, it is the faction I most love playing. I also wished to play a more aggressive and less friendly character within the cp faction.

Tell us about yourself:
Are you new to Willard Networks?: no I have been here for quite a long time now.
Are you familiar with anyone around Willard Networks?:
I'm very familiar with the playerbase along with the staff team from both short stories and the main server
What's your favorite thing about Half Life?:
How it allows you to create any story, charather or event within its vast lore. It sometimes feels like a movie when creating and playing a charather

Lord Beckett · Oct 13, 2022

--- Section One ---

*Steam Name:

Lord Cutler Beckett

*Steam ID:

STEAM_0:1:65545159

*Discord Name & ID:

Lord Beckett#7219

--- Section Two ---

所有的親戚都必須遵循佛教的方式。

知識—安寧—合作

"Knowledge, Tranquility, Cooperation"

Character Name: Chaa Lu'Seng 綠僧 "The Green Monk"
Character Role: Free Vortigaunt
Character Summary/Backstory:

A large figure emerges over the hill and into view. An immense alien creature, it stands on top of the hill outlined against the rising sun. The alien is cloaked in a bright, orange, threadbare robe of a Buddhist monk that contrasts its dark green skin. The cloak has been outfitted to support a hunting belt full of headcrabs as well as several different makeshift bags and satchels. The creature carries with it a walking stick of about seven feet in height, little more than a bamboo tree cut to length with the assistance of some razor sharp claws. After gazing across the landscape for a few minutes, the creature lifts its bamboo walking stick into the air. Suddenly, a green energy pulses through the bamboo and manifests into a sphere at the top of the stick. Once formed, the creature brings the stick back onto the ground, but the green sphere of energy remains in the air suspended above the alien. Within a few moments, additional figures emerge from houses and apartment buildings in the valley beneath the alien. They begin converging onto the hill, and before long a congregation has formed at the base of the hill. Without a word, the creature turns around and begins walking down the other side of the hill, followed by the thronging mass of humans and vortigaunts. In a short while, the group reaches an ancient Buddhist temple. The mass of humanoids amble toward the temple, entering quickly and taking a seat on the bare ground. The robed alien stands at the forefront of the gathering and proclaims in a guttural and booming voice,

"Close your eyes, and enter a state of right-mindfulness. Meditate and reflect! The Vortessence holds all wisdom and knowledge..."

After the onset of the Resonance Cascade and the subsequent liberation of the vortigaunts, thousands of members of the species were scattered across Asia through portal storms, with many finding their way to the People's Republic of China. The communist government in charge was overwhelmed by the storms, as most governments were, and were hostile to all forms of alien life that came were teleported to Earth, including the humanoid and sapient vortigaunts. As a result, most vortigaunts fled to the rugged terrain outside of the cities, sticking to uncivilized portions of the Chinese countryside. During their hiding, they made contact with several small human villages, who were more or less receptive to the vortigaunts, mostly due to their proficiency in fending off the Xenian creatures that plagued the planet. Those humans who didn't flee to a fortified urban center attempted to make their own way in their ancestral villages, and the lucky ones had at least one vortigaunt to guide their defense efforts. In their dealings with the humans, the vortigaunts were exposed to Mahayana Buddhism, a religion/philosophy that holds various similarities with the spirituality that is associated with the Vortessence. Many vortigaunts decided to combine Buddhism and the Vortessence into a mesh between vortigaunt and human wisdom. And so, Vortal Buddhism was born.

During the occupation of the planet by the Combine, many followers of Vortal Buddhism, including both vortigaunts and humans, secluded themselves away from the watchful eye of Overwatch forces and constructed secret communes, which made up a small sect of the larger underground Resistance movement. Preaching asceticism, cooperation, and the restrained use of violence, most communes were dedicated toward humanitarian efforts of assisting refugees and providing assistance to the underground railroad, which funneled escapees from the newly constructed urban centers to various different Resistance hideouts and bases. In their free time, followers of Vortal Buddhism isolate themselves and meditate, attempting to access the immense knowledge of the Vortessence. With the assistance of the vortigaunt members, even humans have been able to experience a slight connection to the Vortessence. This melding of human and vortigaunt practices has resulted in a much more inclusive and egalitarian outlook toward human-vortigaunt relations, with some vortigaunts dedicating much of their time to teaching humans the ways of the Vortessence—admittedly with somewhat limited success.

With time, ideas from the Vortal Buddhist communes were disseminated to the various urban centers, creating a small following that practices their belief in secret, as all non-UU sanctioned religions/philosophies have been outlawed by this point. Followers within urban centers focus their efforts on providing assistance to the lowest members of society, as well as advocating for the peaceful cooperation between rival human gangs. In the midst of the massive amounts of corruption and violence that has plagued urbans centers such as Beijing, these followers have shone as a beacon of humanity in a dying world. Of course, many of the more violence-oriented gangs and organizations at work in the cities are apathetic toward the pacifist movement, and followers are often targets of harassment and extortion. However, while several non-violent tendencies from Buddhist teachings have indeed been retained in Vortal Buddhism, several ideas from the warrior-like species of the vortigaunts also have their place. As a result, preachers of Vortal Buddhism advocate against unnecessary violence, especially violence against the innocent. Violence in service of self-defense or against Combine forces is still completely acceptable.

Several leaders of the Vortal Buddhism movement have emerged across Asia. Most of them are humans, while a sizeable portion are vortigaunts. These leaders direct communes in the countryside as well as movements within the urban centers themselves. One such leader, Chaa Lu'Seng (a combination of the Vortigese word for "knowledge" as well as the Chinese words for "green monk"), has been active in the Beijing area, recruiting members and spreading the message of the movement to anyone who cares to listen. With the troubles that are manifesting in the coming days, The Green Monk faces a difficult road ahead. Will he and the movement be able to provide a viable alternative to the corruption and crime that has become endemic to the area, or will he and the movement be rendered extinct, exterminated by either the Combine or some rival gangs? The question remains unanswered for the moment.

Why do you want to play this character?:

Frankly, I think Vortigaunt RP has a wide variety of potential stories, many of which would not be possible without a concept such as the Vortessence. I always thought vortigaunts were an ineffably mysterious character within the Half Life universe, and such esoteric beings are vastly more intriguing than some Combine-hating rebel (or some UU-loving loyalist for that matter). During the course of this event, I'd like to be able to add something totally new to the lore of HL2 (to my knowledge such a blending of human and vortigaunt philosophies has never been given much thought and development lore-wise). Additionally, during the last event in Industrial 17 there was an overbearing amount of thoughtless corruption and greed. I'd like to make it so this event isn't more of the same, but rather carries some moralistic nuance. Will this movement be snuffed out in the first few days of the event or perhaps blossom into something unique and rewarding for all those who interact with it? I truly hope for the latter.

Sidenote: If anyone wants to join this movement from the outset of the event, feel free to contact me on Discord.
P.S. Thanks to @Appetite Ruining Kebab for this idea.

MelonHeadzzz · Oct 13, 2022

--- Section One ---
Steam Name:
MelonHeadzzz

Steam ID:
STEAM_0:1:128800129

Discord Name & ID:
MelonHeadzzz#8446

--- Section Two ---
Character Name:
Ga-Tahh’Chackt

Character Age:
1784

Character Role:
Free Vortigaunt

Brief summary of the character:
Ga-Tahh’Chackt, the Artisan, is not like the El’Tuk who once occupied the Duvan’Merde. Ga-Tahh’Chackt was so named by the Ralsheck’Va who spawned him, the trio believing that he would become a great warrior-smith, breaker of chitin, and shaper of metals. He would be sung through the Vortessence for centuries, nay, millennia.

Through every world he has resided in, from the Sanctuary to the Border World, Ga-Tahh’Chackt has been a maker of death, a weaver of metals, weapons, and armor. Once a learner, he is now the master, old enough to rank among society's Elders.

Perhaps he will even side with the humans.

Why do you want to play this character?:
I feel that I have the experience as a vortigaunt to offer a sense of direction and leadership as an Elder, especially because of how few free vortigaunts are being applied to Great Leap Downwards.
As this is also an event with a strong emphasis on action and rebellion, I believe that Ga-Tahh’Chackt will be an interesting broker of materials and weaponry to groups, in exchange for strange, natural materials - perhaps, materials relevant to the overarching vortigaunt questline, while also involving humans.
If the story differs, or the Elder's feelings about humanity shift to the side of the Dragon of the East, then this artisanal vortigaunt will no doubt prove to be a key asset in outfitting these warriors with apt equipment. He could even be a target for other rebel groups seeking to cripple the vortigaunt side.

Full Backstory:
We heard the burbles of the Vortal Energies as we shaped our first chitin. We watched it twist under our claws, taking the shape that we envisioned in our mind. We could sense the fabrics of the Vortessence shifting with it, as we held influence over it. It was at this moment that we knew this was our calling. This was our purpose.

We felt the grass beneath our feet as we bound through the fields of Ralsheck’Va, following our spawners as they instructed us in the ways of the noble hunt, as we bound through the grass, watching the remnants of the Nal’Damer slink through those bright green fields. As we leaped, spearing it with our vortal lightning, we knew that we were Sha’Gani. These were our people.

We saw the spears and armors crafted by our vortal energies, shaped by our claws and tempered at the molecular level to their fullest potential, the strength that made them invincible.

We smelt the blood of the Nal’Damer, as their hordes poured over the fields and swarmed into the forests of the Ooz’Merian and the Greater Tribe within it. We tore through their wings, ripped their legs free, feasted upon their flesh, and made armor from their shells. Our lives were delightful, and an unstoppable force in the Sanctuary World.

Then, came the Grand Enslavers, and all was for naught. Their machinations swarmed from the skies, their explosions thundering across the fields of the Sanctuary World. Their machinations annihilated our temples, monuments, homes, and structures. We, Ga-Tahh’Chackt, fought valiantly, our kinsmen being slaughtered by the billions. We survived, stalwart and stoic in the face of invasion. Even we, miniscule in vortal submersion, could sense the waverings in the Vortessence as the Captor approached through the darkness of the void. We watched, as our companions were rent asunder, ground to dust against the dimensional grindstone of the Captor and the Grand Enslaver… and when the time came for us to surrender, the Captor took us in his clutches, and as dimensional fabric twisted and tore, we found the Border World.

—-—

We were held captive by our Nihilanth suzerain, but our artisanal skill was still utilized in the most tedious of ways. Our vortal energies shifted the armor and weaponry of the Hulkabin, armoring the creatures that kept us enslaved. For 7 centuries, we toiled, until the Nihilanth emerged from the dimensional fabric, tearing through it to a dimension unknown.

We toiled in the factories, an artisan of war, but not a warrior. We burned with frustration, and as the war machines faltered, groaning under the weight that came from such a stressful invasion, it was this one who gained to tear away the binds of industrial slavery. Others joined our banner, emboldened by the tale of the Savior, and seeking the freedom that we once held tight in our grasp on the Sanctuary World. We would emerge as a terrible storm of vortal energies erupted from the Captor’s Palace – when the storm cleared and we were looking over the rushing river, we knew the truth. The Captor’s influence was no longer tethered over this one – our kin was free and would be for eternity.

This one remained secluded, apart from the sapiens, only seeking counsel among their kind, and creating armor for their kin with what resources they could uncover. Using resources scavenged from the sapiens, like steel and cloth, the armor was forged from the antlions as they had been before, shaped by his vortal energies. Then, the Grand Enslavers came, and things changed forever. No longer did their vortal brethren exist, free – they were torn between agents of all sorts. The Combine sought to bring about their subservience, the humans sought revolt on their own terms, and the Dragon sought the destruction of all.

As an Elder, we were supposed to guide, but even we knew not which of the factions to support. But, this one did know which ones not to support. With the Vortessence to guide us, we wish to free and arm our kin in bondage above all else, and to find our path alone. The One True Vortigaunt may have guided us before, but these beliefs bore fruit long ago. Perhaps now, it is time for a change.

--- Section Three ---
Tell us about yourself:
I have been roleplaying since 2012, and have expanded my roleplaying skill as the years have gone on.
I am a world builder and a writer by trade, with a strong interest in the Vortigaunts in particular, and hope at every turn to be able to contribute to the vortigaunt faction in some way, shape, or form.

Are you new to Willard Networks?:
No, I have been here since December of last year.

Are you familiar with anyone around Willard Networks?:
I'm familiar with many people - I was friends with Kaffee when he was still a player and just starting in Willard, I know Madpro187, and I'm friends with Travis.

What's your favorite thing about Half-Life?:
My favorite part about Half-Life is just how much horror exists beneath the surface. You don't realize that it's there, as far as you know on the surface, Half-Life is just a pulp fiction action game. But, if you stop to look around, stop to listen, and watch just what's going on in the Half-Life universe, you realize just how horrifying everything truly is. Forced genetic modifications, a species turned against itself, entities with reaching influence over multiple dimensions - these are all unbeatable odds, and yet they are odds that you somehow can beat.

Dej · Oct 13, 2022

--- Section One ---
*Steam Name: Dej
*Steam ID: STEAM_0:1:68827315
*Discord Name & ID: ShockyC#0978

--- Section Two ---
*Character Name: C51:RL.JURY-1
*Character Role: CP Rank Leader
*Brief summary of the character: A Chinese CP Rank Leader, part of what's left of the City 51 Civil Protection Garrison, maintaining official loyalty to the Administration while dabbling in some new opportunities.
*Why do you want to play this character?: Had a blast the last time a super event this size happened, which was Rising Sun. I'll help fill out the slots for the 'Administration' Faction along with helping others provide plenty of fun RP, as I've been a Rank Leader before.

Full Backstory:

BEGINNINGS
Li Zuolin was born 1972 in the Liaoning Province of the People's Republic of China, a province that borders the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, better known as North Korea. His father, being an official of the PRC's Ministry of Commerce, often made trips to North Korea, bringing his family along with him for the most part, resulting in Zuolin learning Korean along the way, and having to be home schooled for his younger years by both his mother and father, though the parental-child relationship was strict, they never had many arguments.

His teenage years were a rather tumultuous time for Li, a placement at a prestigious school in the area due to his father's "Contributions" to the Party had left him a head start, more so than most. Said head start allowed him to make an eventual trip to Zhejiang's Police College in Hangzhou, pursuing an eventual career in Law Enforcement. His academic record was at best slightly above average, though his disciplinary record was poor due to Li consistently getting into heated debates with the teachers over certain "rules", often than not requiring his father to bail him out from suspension or expulsion.

TRACTION
His academic years ended with Zuolin eventually being placed within the People's Armed Police Force of China, a rather heavy-handed unit of the Police Force, meant to deal with Riots, Unrest, and sometimes employed at the hands of the Ministry of State Security. Though his service record remained largely adequate, and at the same time, de-sensitized him to tasks that would normally at least make someone feel a little bit shameful. It was an open secret that the Chinese Police oppress their own citizens as much as visiting outsiders. He dabbled here and there with corruption, as did most Chinese Officials at the time.

CLIMAX
2001, the sky turns unusually blue, and a huge vortex was present in the middle of the landscape, and Li woke to sirens blaring across the Armed Police barracks in Tianjin. Officers and Enlisted alike were running around, all in a panic. The evident sound of gunfire, artillery, aircraft, roared all across the City. Evacuations were placed almost immediately, the 'Important' individuals went first, clambering onto trucks to be sent off to secure locations. And Li, who was lucky enough to persuade his superior to place him as a guard on one of these trucks, was soon driven away from a burning skyline.

The next three years would see him evacuated to the Tianjin. A brief phone call revealed that his parents had been evacuated to Shenyang, and went he dismounted from the transport truck, he was met with the sight of angry rioters, demanding to be evacuated, to be included in "Priority Treatment", to be saved. Beijing had turned into a hub, the CCP had doubled down on the city and turned it into a last bastion. Where the countryside was devastated by Portal Storms, the Cities became the refuge of millions. And people were all clamoring for a ticket to Beijing.

TRIAL BY FIRE
The riots started almost immediately. The civilians acted exactly how the Evacuation Officials feared, they began rioting, each civilian attempting to place themselves before others in the race to get to safety. The lower rungs of the Army had started to become dissatisfied as well, as Command Officials frequently left them in the dark. This eventually left nothing but violence, as Loyalist Government Forces clashed with Rioters on a near daily basis. Hundreds being cut down by gunfire or makeshift weapons day by day, as Li was forced to join the fray and hold the horde back.

Tianjin had effectively descended into Civil War, gangs started to pop up, rioters, looters, insurgents, all ran rampant as war raged across. Two years passed, and bit by bit, Government Forces were eventually overwhelmed by the horde, outnumbering them by literal millions. Another evacuation started, and Li was shoved onto a train to Beijing, along with many of the remaining Government Troops, as they left Tianjin to its own fate.

DELIVERANCE
Li had arrived in Beijing and was immediately hauled off to become one of the many guards of the now Martial Law enforced City. Beijing was little better than Tianjin, but the influx of both forces and civilians alike from all sides had managed to keep the City in equilibrium.

The Combine however, cared not for equilibrium. New portals appeared on 2004, ones that spewed out objects instead of storms, ones that shot at them, killed them. The perimeters were overwhelmed and overrun almost immediately. Tanks that had been used as roadblocks and traffic directors quickly became burning husks. Aircraft that were in the air turned into scrap metal before they even touched the ground.

The Party had almost immediately surrendered, out of fear of their own safety rather than the safety of the City. This led to a systematic collapse of the People's Liberation Army, Ministry of State Security, Police Forces, and Militia. Surrenders occurred in droves, just as much as last stands did by Security Forces, along with desertions or disappearances of other forces as they ventured into the countryside.

OCCUPATION
Li was almost immediately thrown into an Internment Camp, prisoners being processed with brutal efficiency of the Combine, either being sent to the factories, sent to the unknown, or simply being killed on the spot. Li was lucky enough to be chosen for Labour Work, and later the Civil Protection program thanks to his service in the People's Armed Police, if anything because they told him that both his mother and father were alive and being "Supervised" at an unspecified location, the extra rations were a nice touch too. Li Zuolin's life ended there, and began the life of JURY-1.

PRESENT
Beijing has been abandoned by the Combine, eerily similar to how Government Forces had pulled out of Tianjin. The infamous triads are making a comeback and openly waging violence on the streets, claiming swathes of land for their own criminal enterprises, while the rebels and insurgents plot their next move, and the Administration scrambles for control. Time only tells what happens now.

FungletheBungle · Oct 13, 2022

All applications accepted with Travis getting the position of CA (sorry Merlin)

DM a member of the SS team to get set up (I can only handle so many myself)

Sync · Oct 13, 2022

--- Section One ---

*Steam Name: synccreeps
*Steam ID: STEAM_0:0:120420347
*Discord Name & ID: Sync#4000

--- Section Two ---

<:: ACCESSING C51/CCA ::>
<:: AUTHORIZATION:GRANTED ::>
<:: ACCESSING DATAFILE:******::>
<:: GRANTED ::>
<:: ACCESS:LOGGED::>

<::Loading picture::>

*Character Name:
Park Dong-ha
*Character Role:
Civil Protection Officer
*Brief summary of the character:
Park Dong-ha is a ex South Korean police officer that has been chosen for the union's early civil protection officer program because of his previous occupation in the criminal investigation bureau in Busan.
*Why do you want to play this character?:
I have recently became an AUX unit on the main server, which gave me the chance to play as an officer in the slums, dealing with gangs and common thieves for a few days. It's a lot of fun and I would like to continue playing as a civil protection officer, as usually I only play citizens and anti-citizens.
Full Backstory:
Park Dong-Ha is the son of Mother Hye-jin Hangul and Father Chun-ho Dong-Ha, also has a sibling sister Ari Dong-Ha, who has been living in Gamcheon-dong a village near Busan. His father is an ordinary breadwinner of his family who is going through financial difficulties which leads him to move to Boson to accept a job as a math teacher, where they to who's suprise experience the same difficulties, making the family live in very poor conditions.

At the age of 18 Park Dong-Ha signs up for the police academy and makes it through the selection to work as a police officer. He managed to be assigned to the criminal investigation bureau, where he started to investigate major crimes like rape, drug traffic, fraud and also search for missing people.
During the portal storm, Park had lost his sister who had been working in a hair saloon that had collapsed due to the portals. He had moved into the city as advised by the previous government with his family to stay safe. In the seven-hour war event, he had decided to protect his family and stay back in an old bunker and wait it out. In the aftermath of the conflict, he and his family had been split by the combine into different cities. Park had ended up in City 51.

The union had decided early to involve citizens in the ranks of the combine, which had started the early civil protection officer program, where he had fit right in as his previous occupation was an officer in the criminal investigation bureau.
He has issues fitting in because of the protocols and his morals, but knows that if he doesn't do what the combine wants, it only becomes worse for him and his family.
<:: END:OF:FILE::>

<::LOGGING OUT::>

--- Section Three (Optional) ---

Tell us about yourself:
I have been a pretty active member of the community since the pre-beta release and have played in various factions already in my time here. My favorite is the bird faction as I can poop on people. I am known for playing the character Russell Makarov who is an old bastard that does anything to benefit himself by benefiting the union. My rather unknown characters are my Rebel char "Finn Fuchs", my alcoholic char "Bowie" and my domesticated bird named "Territorial Beast".
Are you new to Willard Networks?:
No, I have been here since Pre-beta
Are you familiar with anyone around Willard Networks?:
Yes, I am.
What's your favorite thing about Half Life?:
If we are just talking about the game, it's the gameplay, fun physics and atmosphere that made me replay the game multiple times in my childhood. It manages to tell a story without forcing us into long cutscenes and teaches us mechanics without the need of tutorials. Lore-wise, I enjoy it a lot too, as it is never fully known who we are fighting and who even gman is, which forces us to make up stories to fill the gaps, but in the end we don't know.. Basically, the mystery is awesome.

The_Grass_Man · Oct 13, 2022

*Steam Name: The_Grass_Man
*Steam ID: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561199055175240
*Discord Name & ID: The_Grass_Man#6549
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*Brief summary of the character:
A former constituent of the 51st who, like many of his surviving fellow soldiers, deserted his battalion after the city's fall. He usually got by using shameful techniques such as muggings and thefts, But after he came across some of his ex-militiamen he decided to join up the Red Guard's Paramilitary branch and fight with his brothers another time. He isn't really sure what he's fighting for, but all that matters to him is that he now has a purpose and he's back with his family.
- *Why do you want to play this character?:
A couple of my OSF homies are joining up this event and are applying for this specific position, so here I am.
- Full Backstory:
Before the combine's reign, Enzo was born in 1983 in Italy. His father, an African-Italian immigrant, moved to Beijing to work as an actor for a famous company. But was ultimately scammed and got his bank account drained. He started drinking and going down a spiral of drugs and alcohol, he ultimately died of suicide. But one of the hundreds of prostitutes he went with got pregnant with his child, and the mother decided to use the father's name for his child, that being Enzo.
Enzo grew up with an extremely strict but loving mother who always wanted the best for her son, she made sure he could get a proper education so that he could end up with a stable job and maybe be someone when he grows up. Enzo was a model student, the best of the best. But sadly, his student career got cut short once the ''Benefactors'' invaded earth...

He was drafted into one of the many militias that formed in china after the initial attacks, but sadly, they didn't know the horrors the combine had, so they instantly got shredded by the alien forces... Fortunately enough, Enzo was captured by the enemy forces. After Breen came to terms with the combine, they decided to let him go and send him to City-51, where he would join the battalion later on.

Enzo was finally happy after a thunderstorm of shit times, the man finally had friends, respect, and the job also paid really well... But sadly, all the good things gotta come to an end, so when the city started goin' south he was forced to desert his battalion and turn into a life of crime. But thankfully, a light in the dark showed up when his old comrades found him sleeping in a dumpster and enlisted him inside of the Red Guard's Paramilitary branch.

Otizem · Oct 13, 2022

--- Section One ---
*Steam name: Otizem
*Steam ID: 76561198064271328
*Discord Name & ID Otizem#6957
--- Section Two ---

*Character Name: Rajesh Kumar
*Character Role: Cp turned gang member
*Brief summary of the character: Rajesh is a former cp who never shows his face and is not afraid of hurting people to get what he wants.
*Why do you want to play this character?: Haven't tried playing a ''horrible'' character yet and wanted to give it ago while doing the event.
Full Backstory:

Rajesh Kumar was born in Ladakh to a rather poor sheep herder family with a older brother named Arjuna. Rajesh didn't have much of a childhood as he had to grow up pretty fast due to his dad suffering from ptsd and being unable to herd the sheep they owned. So much of Rajesh early life was spent working at home and tending to the sheep and therefore he did not get to go to school and learn basic stuff such as reading and writing.

Later in his life he would move across the border to China for better work and pay, leaving his older brother to take care of their parents. He would end up working in a factory in Bejing being treated rather badly by his boss and managers but the pay was better than back home so he endured it but then the Resonance Cascade happened. He Fled to the inner parts of Bejing to be safer and lived on the streets rarely eating anything due to lack of food he could find.
But when the Combine arrived and took control of China Rajesh was happy to finally be able to eat and drink food again, even if it was just slop. When the Civil Protection was established, Rajesh joined up in a heartbeat for better food and living conditions. He didn't much care that he had to beat people up to get his food, because he had a deep hatred for the Chinese due to the war his dad was in and how they had been treating him all those years, he in fact, actually kinda enjoyed it a little. It felt like revenge for everything that had happened.

When the crime became to high Rajesh lost more and more faith in what he was fighting for and decide that there was a better way to retake control. So he went awol, left the Civil Protection with his gear and went out searching for a way to make his plan come true.

Appetite Ruining Kebab · Oct 13, 2022

--- Section One ---

*Steam Name: Appetite Ruining Kebab
*Steam ID: STEAM_0:1:30132309
*Discord Name & ID: MightyKebab#9067

--- Section Two ---

- Hán Fēng Jié
- Officer, smuggler, security goon for the Banking Clan.
*Brief summary of the character: Ruthless ex-mercenary turned cop for the alien regime. Religiously corrupt; yuan rules his life. Loyal to a clandestine group of bankers who are willing to invest in every side of the conflict; and by extension, so is he.
*Why do you want to play this character?: You get the odd corrupt CP character once in a while, but rarely do you get someone who is wholly dedicated to the lifestyle. Currency is everything to Hán, and he's open to business from every party, be it Combine or resistance. This makes a wide variety of transactions possible; dealings and conspiracies that can extend as far as the imagination of the players willing to make use of him.
Full Backstory:
Born at the tail end of the Cultural Revolution, he was roped into Maoism by a childhood friend and loved one.

Devoutly communist, right up until the People's Liberation Army chewed him up and spat him out with a dishonorable discharge.

As Deng Xiaoping was modernizing the country out of its socialist fantasies, he saw his beliefs for what they were; a free pass to exploit his body and mind - send him to a meatgrinder at the lowest cost to the state. He vowed never to sell his services for free.

So he went and sold them for a price instead; enlisted as a soldier of fortune to Africa, and would come to protect the earliest construction work of the Belt and Road Initiative from local warbands.

He liked the cash-flow. It was like candy. He'd grown up shunning the very idea of private ownership; the forbidden fruit was all the more delicious for it now. The work frightened him; an alien land with a hostile people, but the fear was overtaken by his newfound practical addiction to capital accumulation.

The more his hands got dirty, the more they were filled with Yuan at the end of the year. With each passing year, they got dirtier; he shook hands with criminal cartels, took on private contracts from HSBC to shut down local competitors via less-than-legal means.

By the time the Combine rolled around, he was far too well-connected to be disposed of. A dual-contract was signed; Six months of every year, he'd perform mandatory service in Civil Protection. The other six months, he was beholden to the interests of the Banking Clan.

What was once a venture of profit had now bound him in slavery. All his money repossessed; most of his earnings being funneled the Clan's way - all the while they demanded he make more per quarterly.

The memory replacement procedures have begun to dull his already shifty grasp on humanity.

He watches a part of himself evaporate. He looks to the future and sees his superiors investing in all outcomes. There is time for him to question his loyalties, but not for long. In a few more months, there'll be nothing left of what he was.

Perhaps a drastic increase in his earnings would change the situation. Money got him in this - money would get him out.

Anything was on the table, as long as the price was right.

You can buy anything in China. Even a retirement from Civil Protection.

Deleted member 4316 · Oct 13, 2022

--- Section One ---

*Steam Name: Bisnatch
*Steam ID: STEAM_0:0:78147122
*Discord Name & ID: Landsknecht#0155
*Timezone: GMT +2

--- Section Two ---

*Character Name: Frank Norton
*Character Role: Civil Protection Officer - i5
*Brief summary of the character: Officer Norton used to be a cop before the collapse, working for the Athens Police Department in Tennessee. Looking at him as an outsider, he seems like a well-mannered and calm man, though once you get to know him, you'd see he has a pretty short temper and tends to lash out when shit hits the fan. While you might think as a veteran officer he'd be able to keep his cool, he's got a bit of a skittish nature that's yet to reveal itself. So far in his career as a unit, he hasn't been in a spot tough enough for his inner demon to show, yet it's constantly knocking, waiting for something to pop out and make him lock up.
*Why do you want to play this character?: Think It's a good way to see firsthand how the faction has changed for the better, I used to be skeptical in regards to the changes made, but recently I looked into it and it seems to be thriving. I pretty much want to have a little taste of Civil Protection and develop a character who has a darker mask, concealed behind the one covering their face. It's a fun experiment for me, though I've been a unit in the past both here and on Nebulous, so I believe I know the basics in a sense. In general, It'd be very interesting how the character will hold up in the grand scheme of things, and if I'll be able to check all the goals I've set for Frank Norton while writing this application.
Full Backstory:

ALMOST HEAVEN

Born and raised in Athens, a small town in the state of Tennessee. Frank's father Malcolm was a worker for the local dairy farm, a hard-working man, and a devout Christian, while his mother was a clerk at the Peoples Bank of East Tennessee. One of three children, young Frank was the smallest, one you would call the underdog. A victim of constant teasing by his peers, he shut himself in, allowing no one to peek into the chaos that brewed within his heart. He turned to Christ the Lord, attending the local church and leaning heavily into his beliefs. His family and brothers were kept away from his suffering, for his father had taught him to be a man, not to show weakness. With time, all this suffering and running from the issues that had built up at both school and in his private life made him more of an outsider, spending his early-to-late teenage years in isolation.

As he matured and got into his twenties, Norton felt at ease, as if he had regained his inner strength. Perhaps trusting in the Lord's gospel had allowed him to fight off his demons for the time being. As a man who had suffered under abusers and bullies in his early days, he knew they had to be kept off the street. Of course, the sensible thing was to become an officer of the law, he simply knew that vigilantes were no good for society, regardless of what comics portrayed them as. Now at the age of twenty-three, he built up the courage to join his local police department. Going through basic at the Police Academy in Memphis, TN, the young man was now officially one of the big guys, at least he felt like one. Keep the abusers off the street, and make it so no one had to suffer the way he did. That was all a fantasy though, his short temper and tendencies to lash out made the Athens PD temporarily assign him a desk job. That's how the first two and only years as an officer went by, a desk jockey that had tarnished his reputation among colleagues.

HELL LET LOOSE

The Xen Infestation, and the Seven-Hour War, all felt like a blur to Frank. With the snap of a finger, everything was gone before his eyes. His job, family, and whatever friends he had, all disappeared from his life. He knew not if they passed during the incident, or at the very least didn't really care as much. With how hectic it all was, he knew the only way to survive was to get out. The first storm was unleashed over Memphis, the news agencies making sure to report on it as it happened. On the TV at his local PD, Norton watched in horror as footage of what was happening was broadcasted live. With his colleagues scrambling to get out of the station, he eventually realized he had to follow suit. Without a second thought, he bolted outside and hopped into one of the abandoned patrol cars, putting the keys into the ignition and getting on the highway. After several hours of restless driving, he was left with a car that had no fuel and two deflated tires. At that point, he had no idea where he was headed, only that he was going south, and south of Tennessee was Georgia. At the time he arrived at the state border, most of Tennessee had already been ravaged by storms and the aliens that came with them. Armed with his sidearm and patrol rifle, he walked around ten miles on foot until he came upon a small van, ditched in the middle of the highway, green resin splattered across the windshield. At the front was a dead dog-like creature, three-legged and with hundreds of eyes. Almost crapping himself at the sight of such a horrid beast, he ran down the road to distance himself from it.

After several days of walking on foot, he finally got to the town of Dalton, Georgia. Luckily enough, a small refugee camp had been set up at the town center. The members of the National Guard stationed there kept the peace, for the time being, giving out canned food and water to the nearly thirty civilians that had managed to survive the slaughter in some of the surrounding cities. After two weeks of successfully holding the camp, eventually, small scuffles began to break out between the refugees. With resources running low and no response from HQ, the soldiers planned an evacuation to Atlanta where they came from initially, hoping someone would be waiting for them.

YEARS LATER

Atlanta was gone, was all for nothing. The United States of America and the Global Powers had all suffered a blow they could never realistically recover from. An Empire of alien origin defeated humanity in seven hours, or at least that's what the only surviving news outlets reported over the radio. People had to submit or be executed, there was nothing else to do about it. And well, Frank put down his arms and embraced the Union with open arms, just as humanity did. At first, life was hell, yet as things settled in and order was established, things got much better for him. Society felt a lot more secure than it was before, giant walls were being built, and alien technology began to crawl its way into people's daily lives.
How he got to live under the Combine is a different story though, for Frank's first contact wasn't near Atlanta, but Washington, designated as City Thirty. He lived in the sector capital for the next five years, up until 2008. After going up the loyalist ranks in DC by attending rallies and showing general support for the new movement, he was allowed to join Civil Protection. His clean record, surviving family in City Eight and City Two, and past employment opened a door for him, so he went down that path. Once his training was completed, he was shipped through Terminal Nine to City 51, previously Beijing. It was an overpopulated shithole that needed more boots on the ground, so It was a no-brainer for the Combine to send him overseas.

--- Section Three (Optional) ---

Tell us about yourself: I've been here since one of the first short-story events. I sort of helped set some up as back then I used to be a Game Master, which was before we separated staff from event managers. I'm currently a whitelisted vortigaunt, a free one at that, so I believe I can contribute to this event by actively roleplaying with the attendees and immersing them into the setting.
Are you new to Willard Networks?: No.
Are you familiar with anyone around Willard Networks?: I know most of the people here, and with some, I go way back. There are people I've played with on both Nebulous and Lemonpunch, even one who I used to play with on TNB.
What's your favorite thing about Half-Life?: Both the Vortigaunts and Civil Protection. They have a mystery to them, especially with how HL2 introduced both groups initially.

Cengiz · Oct 14, 2022

Sync said:
--- Section One ---

*Steam Name: synccreeps

*Steam ID: STEAM_0:0:120420347

*Discord Name & ID: Sync#4000

--- Section Two ---

<:: ACCESSING C51/CCA ::>
<:: AUTHORIZATION:GRANTED ::>
<:: ACCESSING DATAFILE:******::>
<:: GRANTED ::>
<:: ACCESS:LOGGED::>

<::Loading picture::>

*Character Name:

Park Dong-ha

*Character Role:

Civil Protection Officer

*Brief summary of the character:
Park Dong-ha is a ex South Korean police officer that has been chosen for the union's early civil protection officer program because of his previous occupation in the criminal investigation bureau in Busan.

*Why do you want to play this character?:

I have recently became an AUX unit on the main server, which gave me the chance to play as an officer in the slums, dealing with gangs and common thieves for a few days. It's a lot of fun and I would like to continue playing as a civil protection officer, as usually I only play citizens and anti-citizens.

Full Backstory:
Park Dong-Ha is the son of Mother Hye-jin Hangul and Father Chun-ho Dong-Ha, also has a sibling sister Ari Dong-Ha, who has been living in Gamcheon-dong a village near Busan. His father is an ordinary breadwinner of his family who is going through financial difficulties which leads him to move to Boson to accept a job as a math teacher, where they to who's suprise experience the same difficulties, making the family live in very poor conditions.

At the age of 18 Park Dong-Ha signs up for the police academy and makes it through the selection to work as a police officer. He managed to be assigned to the criminal investigation bureau, where he started to investigate major crimes like rape, drug traffic, fraud and also search for missing people.

During the portal storm, Park had lost his sister who had been working in a hair saloon that had collapsed due to the portals. He had moved into the city as advised by the previous government with his family to stay safe. In the seven-hour war event, he had decided to protect his family and stay back in an old bunker and wait it out. In the aftermath of the conflict, he and his family had been split by the combine into different cities. Park had ended up in City 51.

The union had decided early to involve citizens in the ranks of the combine, which had started the early civil protection officer program, where he had fit right in as his previous occupation was an officer in the criminal investigation bureau.
He has issues fitting in because of the protocols and his morals, but knows that if he doesn't do what the combine wants, it only becomes worse for him and his family.

<:: END:OF:FILE::>

<::LOGGING OUT::>

--- Section Three (Optional) ---

Tell us about yourself:

I have been a pretty active member of the community since the pre-beta release and have played in various factions already in my time here. My favorite is the bird faction as I can poop on people. I am known for playing the character Russell Makarov who is an old bastard that does anything to benefit himself by benefiting the union. My rather unknown characters are my Rebel char "Finn Fuchs", my alcoholic char "Bowie" and my domesticated bird named "Territorial Beast".

Are you new to Willard Networks?:

No, I have been here since Pre-beta

Are you familiar with anyone around Willard Networks?:

Yes, I am.

What's your favorite thing about Half Life?:

If we are just talking about the game, it's the gameplay, fun physics and atmosphere that made me replay the game multiple times in my childhood. It manages to tell a story without forcing us into long cutscenes and teaches us mechanics without the need of tutorials. Lore-wise, I enjoy it a lot too, as it is never fully known who we are fighting and who even gman is, which forces us to make up stories to fill the gaps, but in the end we don't know.. Basically, the mystery is awesome.

Accepted Rank i1

The_Grass_Man said:
*Steam Name: The_Grass_Man

*Steam ID: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561199055175240

*Discord Name & ID: The_Grass_Man#6549

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

View attachment 15294

View attachment 15288
View attachment 15291

View attachment 15295

*Brief summary of the character:

A former constituent of the 51st who, like many of his surviving fellow soldiers, deserted his battalion after the city's fall. He usually got by using shameful techniques such as muggings and thefts, But after he came across some of his ex-militiamen he decided to join up the Red Guard's Paramilitary branch and fight with his brothers another time. He isn't really sure what he's fighting for, but all that matters to him is that he now has a purpose and he's back with his family.

*Why do you want to play this character?:

A couple of my OSF homies are joining up this event and are applying for this specific position, so here I am.

Full Backstory:

View attachment 15298

Before the combine's reign, Enzo was born in 1983 in Italy. His father, an African-Italian immigrant, moved to Beijing to work as an actor for a famous company. But was ultimately scammed and got his bank account drained. He started drinking and going down a spiral of drugs and alcohol, he ultimately died of suicide. But one of the hundreds of prostitutes he went with got pregnant with his child, and the mother decided to use the father's name for his child, that being Enzo.

Enzo grew up with an extremely strict but loving mother who always wanted the best for her son, she made sure he could get a proper education so that he could end up with a stable job and maybe be someone when he grows up. Enzo was a model student, the best of the best. But sadly, his student career got cut short once the ''Benefactors'' invaded earth...

View attachment 15299

He was drafted into one of the many militias that formed in china after the initial attacks, but sadly, they didn't know the horrors the combine had, so they instantly got shredded by the alien forces... Fortunately enough, Enzo was captured by the enemy forces. After Breen came to terms with the combine, they decided to let him go and send him to City-51, where he would join the battalion later on.

Enzo was finally happy after a thunderstorm of shit times, the man finally had friends, respect, and the job also paid really well... But sadly, all the good things gotta come to an end, so when the city started goin' south he was forced to desert his battalion and turn into a life of crime. But thankfully, a light in the dark showed up when his old comrades found him sleeping in a dumpster and enlisted him inside of the Red Guard's Paramilitary branch.

Accepted welcome Comrade Rank : Soldier

Otizem said:
--- Section One ---
*Steam name: Otizem
*Steam ID: 76561198064271328
*Discord Name & ID Otizem#6957
--- Section Two ---

*Character Name: Rajesh Kumar
*Character Role: Cp turned gang member
*Brief summary of the character: Rajesh is a former cp who never shows his face and is not afraid of hurting people to get what he wants.
*Why do you want to play this character?: Haven't tried playing a ''horrible'' character yet and wanted to give it ago while doing the event.
Full Backstory:
View attachment 15301

Rajesh Kumar was born in Ladakh to a rather poor sheep herder family with a older brother named Arjuna. Rajesh didn't have much of a childhood as he had to grow up pretty fast due to his dad suffering from ptsd and being unable to herd the sheep they owned. So much of Rajesh early life was spent working at home and tending to the sheep and therefore he did not get to go to school and learn basic stuff such as reading and writing.

Later in his life he would move across the border to China for better work and pay, leaving his older brother to take care of their parents. He would end up working in a factory in Bejing being treated rather badly by his boss and managers but the pay was better than back home so he endured it but then the Resonance Cascade happened. He Fled to the inner parts of Bejing to be safer and lived on the streets rarely eating anything due to lack of food he could find.
But when the Combine arrived and took control of China Rajesh was happy to finally be able to eat and drink food again, even if it was just slop. When the Civil Protection was established, Rajesh joined up in a heartbeat for better food and living conditions. He didn't much care that he had to beat people up to get his food, because he had a deep hatred for the Chinese due to the war his dad was in and how they had been treating him all those years, he in fact, actually kinda enjoyed it a little. It felt like revenge for everything that had happened.

When the crime became to high Rajesh lost more and more faith in what he was fighting for and decide that there was a better way to retake control. So he went awol, left the Civil Protection with his gear and went out searching for a way to make his plan come true.

Accepted ( You can be a Corrupt CP Member) rank i5

Appetite Ruining Kebab said:
--- Section One ---

*Steam Name: Appetite Ruining Kebab

*Steam ID: STEAM_0:1:30132309

*Discord Name & ID: MightyKebab#9067

--- Section Two ---

Hán Fēng Jié

Officer, smuggler, security goon for the Banking Clan.

*Brief summary of the character: Ruthless ex-mercenary turned cop for the alien regime. Religiously corrupt; yuan rules his life. Loyal to a clandestine group of bankers who are willing to invest in every side of the conflict; and by extension, so is he.

*Why do you want to play this character?: You get the odd corrupt CP character once in a while, but rarely do you get someone who is wholly dedicated to the lifestyle. Currency is everything to Hán, and he's open to business from every party, be it Combine or resistance. This makes a wide variety of transactions possible; dealings and conspiracies that can extend as far as the imagination of the players willing to make use of him.

Full Backstory:

Born at the tail end of the Cultural Revolution, he was roped into Maoism by a childhood friend and loved one.

Devoutly communist, right up until the People's Liberation Army chewed him up and spat him out with a dishonorable discharge.

As Deng Xiaoping was modernizing the country out of its socialist fantasies, he saw his beliefs for what they were; a free pass to exploit his body and mind - send him to a meatgrinder at the lowest cost to the state. He vowed never to sell his services for free.

So he went and sold them for a price instead; enlisted as a soldier of fortune to Africa, and would come to protect the earliest construction work of the Belt and Road Initiative from local warbands.

He liked the cash-flow. It was like candy. He'd grown up shunning the very idea of private ownership; the forbidden fruit was all the more delicious for it now. The work frightened him; an alien land with a hostile people, but the fear was overtaken by his newfound practical addiction to capital accumulation.

The more his hands got dirty, the more they were filled with Yuan at the end of the year. With each passing year, they got dirtier; he shook hands with criminal cartels, took on private contracts from HSBC to shut down local competitors via less-than-legal means.

By the time the Combine rolled around, he was far too well-connected to be disposed of. A dual-contract was signed; Six months of every year, he'd perform mandatory service in Civil Protection. The other six months, he was beholden to the interests of the Banking Clan.

What was once a venture of profit had now bound him in slavery. All his money repossessed; most of his earnings being funneled the Clan's way - all the while they demanded he make more per quarterly.

The memory replacement procedures have begun to dull his already shifty grasp on humanity.

He watches a part of himself evaporate. He looks to the future and sees his superiors investing in all outcomes. There is time for him to question his loyalties, but not for long. In a few more months, there'll be nothing left of what he was.

Perhaps a drastic increase in his earnings would change the situation. Money got him in this - money would get him out.

Anything was on the table, as long as the price was right.

You can buy anything in China. Even a retirement from Civil Protection.

Accepted ( You can be a corrupt CP member) rank i5

Landsknecht said:
--- Section One ---

*Steam Name: Bisnatch

*Steam ID: STEAM_0:0:78147122

*Discord Name & ID: Landsknecht#0155

*Timezone: GMT +2

--- Section Two ---

*Character Name: Frank Norton

*Character Role: Civil Protection Officer - i5

*Brief summary of the character: Officer Norton used to be a cop before the collapse, working for the Athens Police Department in Tennessee. Looking at him as an outsider, he seems like a well-mannered and calm man, though once you get to know him, you'd see he has a pretty short temper and tends to lash out when shit hits the fan. While you might think as a veteran officer he'd be able to keep his cool, he's got a bit of a skittish nature that's yet to reveal itself. So far in his career as a unit, he hasn't been in a spot tough enough for his inner demon to show, yet it's constantly knocking, waiting for something to pop out and make him lock up.

*Why do you want to play this character?: Think It's a good way to see firsthand how the faction has changed for the better, I used to be skeptical in regards to the changes made, but recently I looked into it and it seems to be thriving. I pretty much want to have a little taste of Civil Protection and develop a character who has a darker mask, concealed behind the one covering their face. It's a fun experiment for me, though I've been a unit in the past both here and on Nebulous, so I believe I know the basics in a sense. In general, It'd be very interesting how the character will hold up in the grand scheme of things, and if I'll be able to check all the goals I've set for Frank Norton while writing this application.

Full Backstory:

ALMOST HEAVEN

Born and raised in Athens, a small town in the state of Tennessee. Frank's father Malcolm was a worker for the local dairy farm, a hard-working man, and a devout Christian, while his mother was a clerk at the Peoples Bank of East Tennessee. One of three children, young Frank was the smallest, one you would call the underdog. A victim of constant teasing by his peers, he shut himself in, allowing no one to peek into the chaos that brewed within his heart. He turned to Christ the Lord, attending the local church and leaning heavily into his beliefs. His family and brothers were kept away from his suffering, for his father had taught him to be a man, not to show weakness. With time, all this suffering and running from the issues that had built up at both school and in his private life made him more of an outsider, spending his early-to-late teenage years in isolation.

As he matured and got into his twenties, Norton felt at ease, as if he had regained his inner strength. Perhaps trusting in the Lord's gospel had allowed him to fight off his demons for the time being. As a man who had suffered under abusers and bullies in his early days, he knew they had to be kept off the street. Of course, the sensible thing was to become an officer of the law, he simply knew that vigilantes were no good for society, regardless of what comics portrayed them as. Now at the age of twenty-three, he built up the courage to join his local police department. Going through basic at the Police Academy in Memphis, TN, the young man was now officially one of the big guys, at least he felt like one. Keep the abusers off the street, and make it so no one had to suffer the way he did. That was all a fantasy though, his short temper and tendencies to lash out made the Athens PD temporarily assign him a desk job. That's how the first two and only years as an officer went by, a desk jockey that had tarnished his reputation among colleagues.

HELL LET LOOSE

The Xen Infestation, and the Seven-Hour War, all felt like a blur to Frank. With the snap of a finger, everything was gone before his eyes. His job, family, and whatever friends he had, all disappeared from his life. He knew not if they passed during the incident, or at the very least didn't really care as much. With how hectic it all was, he knew the only way to survive was to get out. The first storm was unleashed over Memphis, the news agencies making sure to report on it as it happened. On the TV at his local PD, Norton watched in horror as footage of what was happening was broadcasted live. With his colleagues scrambling to get out of the station, he eventually realized he had to follow suit. Without a second thought, he bolted outside and hopped into one of the abandoned patrol cars, putting the keys into the ignition and getting on the highway. After several hours of restless driving, he was left with a car that had no fuel and two deflated tires. At that point, he had no idea where he was headed, only that he was going south, and south of Tennessee was Georgia. At the time he arrived at the state border, most of Tennessee had already been ravaged by storms and the aliens that came with them. Armed with his sidearm and patrol rifle, he walked around ten miles on foot until he came upon a small van, ditched in the middle of the highway, green resin splattered across the windshield. At the front was a dead dog-like creature, three-legged and with hundreds of eyes. Almost crapping himself at the sight of such a horrid beast, he ran down the road to distance himself from it.

After several days of walking on foot, he finally got to the town of Dalton, Georgia. Luckily enough, a small refugee camp had been set up at the town center. The members of the National Guard stationed there kept the peace, for the time being, giving out canned food and water to the nearly thirty civilians that had managed to survive the slaughter in some of the surrounding cities. After two weeks of successfully holding the camp, eventually, small scuffles began to break out between the refugees. With resources running low and no response from HQ, the soldiers planned an evacuation to Atlanta where they came from initially, hoping someone would be waiting for them.

YEARS LATER

Atlanta was gone, was all for nothing. The United States of America and the Global Powers had all suffered a blow they could never realistically recover from. An Empire of alien origin defeated humanity in seven hours, or at least that's what the only surviving news outlets reported over the radio. People had to submit or be executed, there was nothing else to do about it. And well, Frank put down his arms and embraced the Union with open arms, just as humanity did. At first, life was hell, yet as things settled in and order was established, things got much better for him. Society felt a lot more secure than it was before, giant walls were being built, and alien technology began to crawl its way into people's daily lives.
How he got to live under the Combine is a different story though, for Frank's first contact wasn't near Atlanta, but Washington, designated as City Thirty. He lived in the sector capital for the next five years, up until 2008. After going up the loyalist ranks in DC by attending rallies and showing general support for the new movement, he was allowed to join Civil Protection. His clean record, surviving family in City Eight and City Two, and past employment opened a door for him, so he went down that path. Once his training was completed, he was shipped through Terminal Nine to City 51, previously Beijing. It was an overpopulated shithole that needed more boots on the ground, so It was a no-brainer for the Combine to send him overseas.

--- Section Three (Optional) ---

Tell us about yourself: I've been here since one of the first short-story events. I sort of helped set some up as back then I used to be a Game Master, which was before we separated staff from event managers. I'm currently a whitelisted vortigaunt, a free one at that, so I believe I can contribute to this event by actively roleplaying with the attendees and immersing them into the setting.

Are you new to Willard Networks?: No.

Are you familiar with anyone around Willard Networks?: I know most of the people here, and with some, I go way back. There are people I've played with on both Nebulous and Lemonpunch, even one who I used to play with on TNB.

What's your favorite thing about Half-Life?: Both the Vortigaunts and Civil Protection. They have a mystery to them, especially with how HL2 introduced both groups initially.

Accepted Rank i5

Cengiz · Oct 14, 2022

Niklas said:
--- Section One ---

*Steam Name: 0xNiklas

*Steam ID: STEAM_0:1:424935776

*Discord Name & ID: 0xNiklas#5967

--- Section Two ---

View attachment 14943
*Character Name: Nikolaus Volpis
*Character Role: Combine Civil Administration
*Brief summary of the character: Italo-Russian Male, who got after many transfers around the world an opportunity in Asia, City 51. Not a Pleasant one, but one that might help his chances. He is Politically attached to his own Ideology "Volpism" which has many marks of Stalinism and Collective ideological, but other than that. He is Lawful Evil.

*Why do you want to play this character?: He is one of my new Loyalist products, after Sven Aalto Death and Andrej Iljin side change. He is likely the new loyalist in place, but besides. I honestly want to play someone in the Management position, who organize and leads. Perfect for the Character I am planning and to make him go into a more fitting setting, that he would be in the Combine Civil Administration Faction. Despite the Event being set in 2008. Nikolaus might turn up in C24, If he survives the Chinese hell.

Besides, I want to try out playing the CCA despite the High-PK risk it brings with it.
View attachment 14941

Full Backstory:

His Youth
The story of an Italian-Russian who calls himself "Nikolaus Volpis". Born in Kursk , who nevertheless received Italian citizenship through his Italian father and traveled back to Pisa directly after his birth and grew up there. His mother, who was Russian, called him Nikolaus, mixed with "Volpis" which was his father's surname. His father was a reservist and electronics technician, while his mother was an accountant. He had no siblings. He had been interested in history, philosophy and politics a little earlier. Politics in the sense of what makes Italy the way it is. At 15 he also started to join parties. What he joined was the Christian Democracy Youth Movement, which he became quite involved with. Despite his innovations and ideas, he had a good career somewhere if he continued to get involved there.

Adulthood
But left the party in 1980 when he turned 20. He then committed himself to the military and made his career as a non-commissioned officer there and went into the reserve. There is not much that can be explained about his school days. He did his thing there and came out. But now forward to the real thing. One day he read the Communist Manifesto and admired it somewhere, as it suits his philosophical nature and curiosity. At the same time, he also despised them because it resembled Stalinism, which was also interesting. Since his mother's family suffered from hunger and oppression under Stalin in the 1920's, his family was very Orthodox. However, he puzzled himself 1 + 1 and began to puzzle his own ideology "Volpism" which, like the namesake, represents itself. But it should be a collective idea and Conservative ideas. He left this somewhere in his notes.

The Combine
But after a long philosophizing there came a cruel thunder and a bright light during the day, which seemed impossible. He left the home with his wife and son and looked up. The portal storm happened, but no one knew what it was. Before you could find out what, however, it was too late. Earth has been invaded by an alien empire. He took his family and fled to a private bunker because he had himself made out of fear during the Cold War and was locked in it for the 7 hours. But when the surrender was declared, he left. He couldn't believe it, neither could his family, but it was just what it was. More recently, he was shipped on a work program to assist in rebuilding for the Combines Overlord. With that he sold himself. He didn't see his family again and it went through the years that he was transferred from City to City until he came to City 08.

The Events leading up
Someone spoke to him, that was around 2006. "You there!" The Asian man said to him, "Yes?" returned also looked back as a man spoke. This one began, "I've been on a search with the Combine Civil Administration for City 51 to help the Chinese there manage their shit. I've taken the liberty of taking up their cause and have found nothing but good things in their files. Hence the offer , before we continue. I'm Matsumoto Tojo" Matsumoto said. Not in big reflection and in hope of higher authority and desire for his family he accepted it and was recently later taken to City 51 to help the population there and that's gone until today.. 2008.

Present
Nikolaus wakes up, knowing City 51 is one of the most crowded City with Gang rising and falling and corruption spreading everywhere, even within the Administration. He gets notified by fellow Administrations Member, that the City is being cut off. "Cannot be" he said, before stumbling out of bed and preparing for the worst.
View attachment 14945

Please explain your Role in the Combine Civil Administration...

Welcome to Willard Networks!

Great Leap Downwards

Active member

Admin

Active member

Democracy Officer

Merlinsclaw

Guest

Merlinsclaw

Guest

Radio Bob Approved

Conundrum

Guest

Radio Bob Approved

Attachments

Radio Bob Approved

Radio Bob Approved

Radio Bob Approved

Catholic

Radio Bob Approved

Attachments

The_Grass_Man

Guest

Member

Radio Bob Approved

Deleted member 4316

Guest

Attachments

Admin

Admin