Zombie Apoc-Fur-Lypse. The Setting: Ratherbigshire, UK
Welcome to Ratherbigshire, UK
Population: ....dropping.
Overview
Ratherbigshire is located in the East Midlands of England. It's county town, Ratherbig, is
situated on the remnants what was once the Avalon River. The river, which once provided ample
trade opportunities and plentiful water, ceased to exist due to irrigation practices and water
rights revisions after World War I. The cleared land has since been very useful in expanding Ratherbigshire into the bustling metropolitan area it is today.
Before the 'event', Ratherbig had a city population of over 300,000, with a total of nearly a
million people within Ratherbigshire. While the city is approximately 20 minutes off the M1
motorway, it does have a fair number of larger A roads including single and double digit roads,
along with numerous B roads. The Centerland Prime Line railway also has a hub station within
Ratherbigshire, not far from the county town.
Topography
While Ratherbigshire once had the Avalon River running through its land, that river has long
since been diverted for different use. There are several sections of the county that still have
man-made canals which criss-cross the landscape like crevases. The landscape otherwise is
softly rolling with no large mountains and no deep dales. Ratherbig City is more heavily treed
than many other English cities and several county parks find favor in tourists by showing off
this trait. Despite its even terrain, Ratherbigshire is relatively high above sea-level,
leading to snow being more common than in the lower elevations.
Climate
Although Ratherbigshire can have the same extreme shifts in weather as most other parts of
England, the majority of the time the city enjoys a temperate-to-cool atmosphere.
Ratherbigshire usually doesn't rise above 30 degrees (85F) in the summer months, and it usually
remains above -5 degrees (23F) in the winter. Percipitation is a way of life in Ratherbigshire,
whether it be rain in the spring and summer, or snow in the late fall through eary spring. Fog
is also a common weather condition, and most vehicles in the area have fog lights standard
issue.
Languages
Being a region of highly diverse backgrounds, there is a wide scope of languages spoken in
Ratherbigshire. English is the most common language, though there are over 70 different
languages/dialects spoken within Ratherbig and includes others such as French, Urdu, Arabic,
Polish, German, and Gujarati. While the language barrier may occasionally cause tension between
diversified elements of the city, most consider it daily life.
Culture
Due to the melting pot of different cultures within Ratherbigshire, a large number of
cross-cultural events have come into being. Many culture-specific celebrations have also become
more mainstream. A week long Diwali celebration is held in the city, and the lunar new year
festival is likewise celebrated. The city also has more mainstream events such as a short film
festival for international film makers, and a 3 day long comedy festival held during the summer
that is open to comedians from throughout the UK-- and occasionally one or two from the United
States.
Restauraunts also tend to be highly influenced by culture. While fish and chip storefronts,
pubs, and occasional delis are still popular, kebab stores and gyros have grown in abundance
within the last 10 or 15 years. Indian food is also quite popular, and 'burger joints' have
also grown in fame. American style pizza and fried chicken 'fast food'locations are also
increasing their presence in the ever-growing British eat-out market.
Tourism
Ratherbigshire is a city with much history, and there are numerous tourist hotspots for anyone
interested in the past. Roman occupation in the BC era left landmark roads, walls, and
architecture that appeals to historians and sight-seers both. Jeweler's Wall was built by the
Romans and even though medieval farmers removed large sections of it for plot boundary stones,
the majority of the structure is still in place. The Gravellhall Grange is an older building
from the Anglo-Saxon (5th century) age.
Another location of interest include Knightfield, a large open stretch of land where a yearly
medieval faire is held, attracting interested revelers from all around England and points
abroad. The City Centre is also a place many tourists tend to go due to the excellent shopping
opportunities, and to visit Ratherbigshire Stadium for city sporting events.
Finally, many of the older houses of worship tend to be tourist spots themselves. The Ratherbig
Cathedral is the oldest structure downtown. Directly across the street from it is the
Ratherbigshire Hospital, a 30 story medical building that doubles as a hospital and
administrative centre for city healthcare. The combination of old and new is one thing many
tourists find charming and attractive about the city... not to mention the Oakfield Castle about
ten minutes north of Ratherbig the castle is one of the biggest tourist spots in the county.
Shopping
Ratherbigshire has ranked within the top 20 large cities in England's retail shopping league for
the last several years. Although there are numerous stores and shopping locations throuhgout
the city, there are two main shopping centres in Ratherbig: "Lowbridge Ratherbig" and "The
Ratherbig Center". Both locations have parking for more than 1000 cars with busses going to and
from, and multi-levels of shopping convenience.
While both are approximately the same size, "Lowbridge Ratherbig" recieves a larger amount of
foot traffic as it appeals to the general public and the stores within match the price range for
most of Ratherbigshire's population. It has a dozen restauraunts, almost two hundred stores,
and a cinema. "The Ratherbig Center" also does brisk business, but its shops are aimed for the
higher income earning families; it has become a matter of status to say that you shop at "The
Centre". The city's annual Diwali celebration also happens to be held in the spare parking
section for "The Ratherbig Center", providing it a revenue boost during the fall.
Religion
Historically, Ratherbigshire has been predominantly Christian. Other significant religions
within Ratherbig include Hindism, Judism, and Islam. There is a Hare Krishna temple in the
south-end. Many of the oldest buildings still standing in Ratherbigshire are religous sites
from the medieval (and pre-medieval) era; from that time period, the city has a cathedral and a
monastary, all still in active use today.
Since a radification of the British census in the early 2000s, a Jedi temple has opened in the
northern portion of Ratherbig, but it has yet to attract more than cursory glances and a few
eclectic followers. Other than the difficulty of being taken seriously, the 'Ratherbig Jedi
Order' has the most trouble from its schism within-- one portion of the congregation believes in
following the Orthodox Jedi Way (OJW), while another faction refers to itself as the Force
Reformist League (FRL). Due to recent zombie-issues, this problem will either sort itself out
(everyone will die), or it will have to be addressed later.
Sports
Ratherbigshire is as active as any other large British city with numerous sports programs
available for kids, teens, and adults. Favored sports include Rugby, Cricket, Football (again,
that's 'soccer' to those of us from the USA), and, most recently, motorcycling. Other sports,
including horse racing, bicycling, and swimming also have a place within the city, though they
are not as highly organized as the main sporting events. Ratherbigshire stadium hosts both
Rugby and Football events, though it causes no end of headache to the groundskeepers who are
constantly required to replace turf after particularly heated rugby matches. So far, no
alternative has been found.
Transportation
Ratherbig City has the usual transportation services for most larger cities including roadways
that feature a highly advanced mass transit bus system. The rail system is featured quite
extensively, allowing commuters to travel north and south along the main line for hundreds of
miles. Newer additions to trains also allow for shorter commutes throughout the Ratherbigshire
area. The combined transit system also allowes train travelers to purchase a ticket that will
allow them to make full use of the busses at their end location.
Although it is several km from any major motorways, Rathebigshire does have several A roads pass
through it and numerous B roads spider-webbing their way throuhgout. These roads make travel
easy enough but, the further you go from Ratherbig City, the more likely you are to encounter
single carriage roadways-- a very unqiue experience for anyone not familiar with British
roadways. Other than these thin roads leading into the countryside, A roads and the train are
the only real way out of Ratherbigshire.
Ratherbigshire has an airport, but it is not what would be considered a high-traffic
commercial airport. Used mainly by low cost carriers and charter companies, the Ratherbig
Airport is about a 45 or 50 minute drive from Ratherbig City. While most of the shuttles to and
from Ratherbig go to main national hubs like Manchester and Heathrow, there are occasional
international flights to Frankfurt in Germany, and Air France has a single gate for trips to
Paris.
Military Presence
Although not a military town per se, Ratherbigshire has a minor military presence due to a field
office for Project Argus. As part of a counter-terrorism initiative across the UK, Project
Argus focuses on preventing, handling, and recovering from a terrorist attack. While most
civilians are aware that the field office works in an advisory capacity, there are rumors that
it may also house several squads of elite counter-terrorist units. There are further rumors
that high level military grade equipment up to and including tanks may also be located within
the compound's fenced campus. These rumors are heavily denied.
Education
Ratherbig is home to two universities, the Ratherbig University, which attained its Royal
Charter in the early 1920s, and Scottsfield University, which opened in the early 1960s as
Ratherbig Polytechnic, but it earned university status in the late 1980s. Despite two
universities, the standard for education in Ratherbigshire unfortunately remains relatively low.
Due to budget cuts and restricted funding, most primary and secondary education remains
woefully inadequate and graduation rates are depressed
Thanks to the numerous manufacturing jobs within the economy of Ratherbigshire unemployment is
not as bad as it could be, but the city council is still working to remedy what is considered a
great inadequacy of the education system with the construction of the Churchill Academy, a
secondary education school which will be projected to draw interested students from outside as
well as inside Ratherbig. Funding, however, is still contested.
Crime & Law Enforcement
Like many large cities in the UK, Ratherbigshire has its share of crime. Differing forms of
larceny contribute to the largest percentage of crime being property-based. Assault, brawling,
and other violent crimes are present in smaller quantities, and riots are commonplace after
particuarly touchy football matches (soccer, to those in the USA). Recent financial troubles in
the UK have restricted the police force within Ratherbigshire, and it has been relying more and
more on Community Support Officers (CSO)s, a move that has resulted in a lot of criticism by
concerned residents as a cheap and ineffective alternative.
There are two police forces in Ratherbigshire: City of Ratherbig Police, and the Metropolitan
Police Service. The former handles all policing within the city itself, while the latter
represents the police force for the outlaying the rest of Ratherbigshire including outlaying
villages and townships. As with most police forces within the UK, firearms are not as widely
spread as with their counterparts in the United States. A field office for Project Argus does
keep a supply of sub-military grade small arms including rifles and SMGs, along with the Fire
Arms units of the local forces but these are not common issue for patrol officers in either
police force.
Demographics
The most recent survey done of Ratherbigshire was don in early 2009, the population is not
assumed to have changed dramatically. While it is a melting pot of cultures, many of them are
sectionalized, not only by race, but also by ethnicity. The majority of races are standard
furs. A few mythological furs can be found along with several pockets of humans. Bigotry and
racism are usually not tolerated in most civil gatherings, but there are areas where hate crimes
are not unknown. This has gotten worse in recent years since terrorism has been pushed into the
forefront of the global agenda.
Standard Fur: 63.2%
Standard Scale: 22.5%
Standard Feather: 4.9%
Human: 4.8%
Mythological Fur: 1.5%
Mixed Race: 2.6%
Other: 0.5%
Current estimates, were any available, divide current resident status among four groups based on
their condition.
Living: 0.4%
Un-Living: 81.1%
Dead: 10.2%
Unaccounted For: 8.3%
Starting Areas
Both of the groups that will be fighting for their lives within Ratherbigshire will begin in one
of the following locations. The locations, and the groups who will begin there, are as follows:
Group 4 (Hospital Group) begins near city center close to the Ratherbigshire Hospital.
Group 5 (South-End Group) begins on the south side of town by the shops.
The setting for the SF stories of the Zombie Apoc-Fur-Lypse. Behold: Ratherbigshire, UK
If you intend to submit a character for the story, make sure you do! Character submission closes April 3rd!
What is this for? Go to:
http://sofurry.com/page/131743
to find out!