THE LORE
SEASON 1 RECAP
The infection began in the small, oceanside village of Portstown, Louisianna. We watch the events of the beginning of the Zombie Apocalypse unfold through the eyes of Derek Walker, a young man whose family history is full of secrets that surround a virus and the antidote that could mean life or a zombified death for the world.
On January 26, 2022, the infection was loosed on the town due to a horde of zombified apes that were being stored at the local Yacht Club. The apes were meant to be part of the town’s yearly Open House celebrations, but something went wrong.
Over the next 14 days, townspeople fought to survive, having to decide daily where to go, what to search for, and how best to defend themselves against a growing zombie horde. In that time, factions were formed, vendettas were realized, romances developed, and the rich world of a small town’s social politics was aired for all to see.
The town was destroyed by what we are presently assuming was a branch of the US Military, and Derek Walker, along with 216 survivors, were loaded onto a transport ship and floated away as their home burnt to the ground.
While a great deal was discovered in Season 1 concerning the origin of the zombie virus and a handful of the heroes and villains in the metaverse, there are larger and more mysterious questions that have yet to be discovered.
With art from Stephen Slesinski, illustration and Layouts Director for the Emmy-winning animated comedy Archer on FXX/FX and HULU, a growing team of developers, and a ridiculously active community, Season 2 of ETH Walkers promises to be an adventure for the ages. Join Derek Walker as the adventure continues and help our community stave off the end of the world.
MAJOR PLOT POINTS
Derek Walker (our Protagonist), who recently lost his Grandfather, starts to uncover his family history. His Opa (German for grandfather) had been hiding information about a Zombie virus.
Through Derek’s personal journal we discover a handful of coded messages that, once cracked, reveal that there are a few different groups of people who are after the virus, looking to use it for either monetary gain or another nefarious purpose. We also learned of an antidote to the virus and of an underground group, that Opa belonged to, which had dedicated their lives to keeping the world safe.
Along the journey, we meet some of the colorful characters who make up Portstown, Louisiana.
– Willy Rudolph (“Rudy”): caretaker of the local Buckner Family Estate and a coconspirator with Opa
– Candace Carson: Pawnshop employee who is full of information and is deeply connected to the secrets kept in Portstown.
– Kerry-Ann Hicks: Derek Walker’s love interest and a key leader of The Hills community
And Others . . .
A few days into the spread of the Zombie infection, the townspeople of Portstown split up into Factions to assist in their survival efforts. Factions provided an extra layer of protection but also introduced some compelling drama that inform the overall story of Portstown and affected the spread of the virus.
Most notably, the Conway family. Joseph Conway, a biotech startup millionaire, and his estranged wife Betsy Conway led two of the most disruptive Factions: The Conway Faction (Joseph) and Vendetta Faction (Betsy). In an attempt to destroy his wife, Joseph releases a hazardous chemical in The Hills that creates a sort of Super Zombie effect on all the undead that remained in this location.
There were, of course, other disruptors and disasters that claimed lives. An explosion at the Abandoned Coal mine was triggered by players frantically searching for weapons (Diamond Hands to be precise). And, there was the experiment (a dog) that was loosed in a secret facility that floated just off the coast… but we don’t talk about that.
A little more than a week into the spread of the Zombie virus a secret military base was uncovered as troops flooded the streets, promising protection for the people of Portstown. Very little is known about this group and what affiliation, if any, they have with the US Military.
Near the end of the second week, when all appeared hopeless, Opa’s final puzzle revealed 6 vials of the antidote hidden in a vault. The antidote was found but the recipe for the antidote, in order to make more, remains lost. With things quickly getting out of control and the zombie horde continuing to grow, the “Military” ordered Portstown to be cleansed with fire. Survivors were ushered out of town and placed on a ship headed to an unknown destination.
The story continues as we now head into Season 2 of ETH Walkers . . .
If you’d like to look deeper at what happened in s1 and to get a feel for the quality of the storyline and puzzles, check out our Season 1 Media.