Grey's Survival Guide to: The Zone

[Silas]

Introduction:

This guide is meant to prepare the outsider for the dangers, hazards and other components of the Zone, which is an area around the Chernobyl Nuclear Powerplant that has been barricaded by several military organizations. If there's anything you should learn by reading this guide, it should be how to survive your stay in the Zone, and maybe get by with a little money as well.

Section 1: Equipment

Before you even think about entering the Zone, you must first get the right equipment. Many are the dangers you will encounter, so being prepared helps a great deal. I have included an abridged list of supplies that I carry when I am in the Zone.

• Guns and Ammo: A gun is a must in the Zone. Everyone has one for the sake of defending themselves from mutants, and each other. When choosing a weapon, pick something that is comfortable and familiar to you, that operates on a mechanically robust system, and that ammunition is common and plentiful for it.
  
  
• Gas Mask: A gas mask of some sort is always a necessity in the Zone. Areas of high radioactivity can be at least partially avoided by slipping the mask on and preventing the inhalation and absorbtion of radioactive dust particles, a danger which will be further explained in the "Radiation and Anomalies" section of the guide.
  
  
• Utility Knife: An all-around useful survival tool to slice and dice things when needed.
  
  
• Sleeping bag: A sleeping bag is quite useful for warding off the chill while you sleep. No one else is going to make sure you're warm and healthy, you know.
  
  
• Geiger Counter: A device that detects radiation. It is very useful in alerting you to a radiation hazard in the field.
  
  
• Clothes and Gear: Always bring several sets of clothes for both warm and cold environments, and don't EVER forget rain gear and a hat. These can save your life as easily as your rifle, keeping you dry and warm in the field.
  
  
• Provisions: Always bring a good supply of non-perishable items with you to the Zone. There's no telling when your next meal may come, or when you'll be able to find an uncontaminated source of water. So, stay hydrated, and ration your food, even if you aren't in danger of running out before reaching a safe area.
  
  
• Money: Money is a great way to get anything you might need in the Zone from your fellow Stalkers, be it a can of beer or a case of bullets. Spend wisely, of course.
  
  
• Medkit: Bring a medkit. Chances are you may be hurt in the field, and without anyone else in the area, you are your own means of survival. Make sure you are knowledgable in rudimentary first aid as well before venturing into the Zone.
  
  
• Entertainment item(s): Sometimes there are opportunities to unwind in one of the safe areas around the Zone, so plan on bringing something to occupy yourself. Playing cards come highly reccommended.
  
  
• Matches/Lighter: These are useful for starting fires, which can really brighten up a cold night. They also keep zombies and other mutants away.
  

All these items are listed as necessities, however it is up to you to decide what to bring and what to leave behind.

Section 2: Stalker camps

Though the Zone is a harsh and unforgiving place, there are places of refuge for the wandering stalker. They mostly consist of a core group of stalkers that keep the camp in place, and a neutral element that they allow in. However, be aware that as a neutral party, you must display some sort of non-threatening stance before approaching the camp. This typically means that all weapons must be either holstered, or unloaded, or both.

While most stalker camps will allow travelers a place to rest and recoup after an all-day trek, some elements may be more hostile than others towards neutral or affiliated parties. It is important to distinguish one camp from another, or you could end up with a lot of lead flying at you. Below is a list of all the major groups and their level of hostility towards you and each other.

• Free Stalkers: These camps are run freely by independant stalkers, so naturally their level of hostility towards outsiders vary greatly.
  
  
• Bandits: A bandit camp will often be hostile to the wandering stalker, as they are a desperate group, looking to make a quick buck off of shoot-and-looting free stalkers. Their enemies include Duty beasts as well as Free Stalkers.
  
  
• Freedom: This group of stalkers are often very friendly to outsiders, since they firmly believe that the Zone should be explored publicly despite the dangers. Their free-spirited ideology is at odds with Duty beasts as well. If you are in one of their camps, expect aheavy firefights during the night.
  
  
• Duty: Duty beasts are the complete opposite to Freedom, as they wish to destroy the Zone, considering it an evil to be wiped out. Since this idea is dismissed by Freedom, Duty beasts consider them a mortal enemy in the struggle to control the zone. They do not take kindly to outsiders, and more often than not using their camp may incur quite a few fees...
  
  
• Mercenaries: Usually isolated, Mercenary camps are willing to take stalkers and travelers under their protection for a limited time. In recent years, they have been at odds with Freedom beasts, as their inquisitive nature conflicts with the secrecy sought by their group.
  
  
• Monolith: Not much is known about this group. They are extremely violent and hostile zealots, and will shoot anyone down regardless of their affiliation. Whispers and rumors of a great wish-granter in the Center of the Zone guide their zealotry, a quest to appease their deity, it would seem. Regardless, it is best not to get anywhere near a Monolith beast.
  
  
• Scientists: Steady, peaceful research of the Zone. That is the mission of the Scientists. Funded by official governments, they often cannot spare the resources to let a stalker enter their camp. Though when they do, they are the most interested in purchasing the infamous anomalous artifacts that can only be found in the Zone.
  
  
• Guardians: This small group of dedicated stalkers guard a walled sanctuary south of the Center, protecting the peacable inhabitants within. The group focuses on the principal of honor and purity in the face of adversity, which is why they are quite friendly to anyone needing assistance in or near the settlement. However, they are reasonably suspicious of Duty beasts, as they want the Guardian settlement relocated outside the Zone despite the inhabitants' reluctance to leave their home.
  

[Silas]

Section 3: Mutants

Mutants, aside from armed beasts, anomalies, radiation, and starvation, will be one of the main threats encountered when traveling or searching for artifacts. There are several distinct 'species' of mutants, with most of them being rather deadly to the unwary stalker. Similarly, each has a weakness.

• Zombies: The most common in the Zone, zombies appear to be former stalkers, placed in a comatose state after being exposed to heavy radiation for extended periods. They typically stick together in loose groups, almost never rushing towards stalkers together. Just time your shots to put them down and you'll be fine.
  
  
• Snorks: Known also as Raputre, Snorks are also degenerate stalkers, this time walking on hands and feet to attack in massive leaps. Typically hidden away in caves, they scavenge aboveground at dusk in groups of two or three. One strategy is to let them jump at you and shoot them down in midair. While tested, this method is not reccomended for those short on ammunition.
  
  
• Controller: Mostly found near the center of the Zone, controllers can take over the minds of nearby stalkers and bend them to their will. They can also cast a sonic blast that leaves targets temporarily deaf. The best way to dispatch a controller is to throw grenades at it or shoot it from outside its range if psychic control, since it usually occupies a certain area and rarely moves beyond that.
  
  
• Bloodsuckers: Bloodsuckers are the most feared mutant in the Zone, for their ability to camoflage themselves almost perfectly into their surroundings, and approach the target from behind to drain their blood. It is said that they also like moist conditions, especially when the air is thick and foggy. Not much can be done against these mutants as their hide is tough. Your best bet at surviving them is to run to the nearest stalker camp.
  

Section 4: Radiation, Artifacts and Anomalies

Radiation is plentiful in the Zone, detected in small pockets across the landscape. If you enter one such pocket, hold your breath and put on your gas mask if it isn't already on. This should keep radioactive dust from becoming absorbed through your lungs and giving you radiation sickness. A preventative measure is to take anti-rad pills beforepaw, as a precaution against the accidental inhalation of the dust particles. Also, a few locals claim that a healthy draught of vodka can alleviate radiation sickness as well. Personally, I would stick to the anti-rad pills, just in case. All in all, if radiation pockets are avoided in this manner, you should come out okay.

Though, close to the center of the Zone there is a daily phenomenon known as a Blowout (or an emission, depending on who you ask). A Blowout surges from the center of the Zone and rolls back down out of the sky to inexplicably irradiate the air at ground level, enough to fry a beast's internal organs. There will be a fair bit of warning involved before a Blowout, as the ground will shake and the sky will slowly turn dark with bright red lightning storms. The best way to avoid these is to seek out a shelter either underground, or an airtight compartment to protect yourself from the irradiated air.

Anomalies are the unique and strange feature of the Zone, breaking most laws of physics with deadly displays of fire, electricity, acid, and gravity. Most are activated by an object or a beast walking into them, so it would be a good idea to carry around a few old bolts or something to throw ahead if an area looks suspicious. A lot of times the average stalker can tell where an anomaly is by the surrounding environment. If the ground seems scorched, barren, hazy or pulsating, there's a good chance that an anomaly is at that location.

However benificial it is to avoid these anomalies entirely, there are things being produced by the anomalies that are very valuable. These are generally referred to as 'artifacts', and they all have a special power of their own, often the opposite of the anomaly in which they are found. They appear as a stalker walks very close to an anomaly, popping out and spilling onto the ground as they approach. Such artifacts can usually be detected by an AA (Artifact/Anomaly) detector, which will inform the stalker of his proximity to an anomaly and an artifact. However, these devices are expensive, so some stalkers emply a method known as 'Whiskering', where they approach the anomaly without a detector to see if an artifact will pop out. This I only reccomend to the highly experienced. Or the crazy.

[carabadgermum]

sounds like a nice vacation spot

oh and i think i saw the snorks at the icecapades when i was a kid. they're like smurfs only underwater.

[Silas]

((Those must've been the domesticated snorks, hah. But they're really called snorks because they track their prey via a heightened sense of smell, though they have noisy sinuses I guess. *Shrugs*))

[Silas]

Section 5: Advice, Customs and Places of Note

Though the large majority of time in the zone is spent hunting for artifacts and mutants, every stalker is bound to run into trouble if the local culture is not also taken into mind. Mostly, it consists of little things, such as an unloaded weapon, and tough fur. However, in wandering across the Zone, I have discovered a set of universal cultural guidelines to help avoid being thrown out of a stalker camp.

• It is commonplace for beasts to be given a nickname for use in the Zone, to conceal their identities from whomever might follow them to the outside world. They are also a sign of respect if you happen to be bestowing a nickname on another, less experienced stalker. Be careful, though, as nicknames are earned in the stalker community, usually through surviving a battle without making a fool of yourself.
  
  
• Never, ever shake anyone's paw. Only politicians ever do that. It can certainly ruin a first impression, anyway, which could spell disaster down the road.
  
  
• Even if a stalker chooses to side with one of the many factions listed in section 2, they ultimately answer to the head of the stalker camp they are curently in. The location and resources are his to use unless otherwise noted.
  
  
• The only thing to ask anyone for is emergency medical attention. All other necessary items and services are bought, traded, and sold in some shape or form at each camp.
  
  
• Only play a musical instrument if you are very confident in your musical abilities.
  

There are others, but the consequences are less severe. I trust that with roughly ten minutes of time, they can be easily avoided. Even so, the most problems lie in first reaching a stalker camp before nightfall, or a Blowout. Below is a final list of landmarks to aid in navigating across the Zone:

• 100 Rad Bar: Often the first stop for southward-bound stalkers, the 100 Rad Bar is perhaps one of the safest hideouts on the northern edge of the Zone. The latest news suggests that Freedom beasts are overseeing the bunker, but no trouble seems to have come out of that arrangement as of yet.
  
  
• The Skadovsk: A day's walk towards the center from the 100 Rad Bar leads most to the wreck of the Skadovsk, an old freighter ship that became the home of more adventurous stalkers after the waters receeded from the Zaton area, turning most of the lake area into a swamp. Many artifacts are collected here, however there are also an unusually high level of bloodsucker attacks near the area.
  
  
• The Brain Scorcher: Covering most of the central area of the Zone, the Brain Scorcher is easily detected by blurred vision, hallucinations and headaches. It is best to avoid this area whenever possible, as there is a general belief that the Brain Scorcher turns hapless stalkers into zombies through prolonged exposure.
  
  
• Refugee Camp #3: A medium-sized town at the southern edge of the Zone, surrounded by walls of stone. This camp is the highest concentration of original residents within the Zone, protected by the group known as the Guardians.
  
  
• Yanov Train Station: A larger stalker camp to the northeast of the Center, Yanov Station is a prime trading spot, relatively unknown to most of the stalker community. However, both Duty and Freedom beasts are trying to claim the station for their respective groups. Not a good place to be if a beast has chosen sides one way or the other.
  
  
• The 'Obokan Hill' Bunker: At the southern edge of the Zone, right along the main road is a small collection of houses on top of a wooded hill, which contains a bunker excavated by a Russian Science team recently after the Zone's creation in 1986. Now it seves as a resting place for stalkers on the road north, controlled jointly by Duty, Military, and Mercenary beasts. Many supplies can be found here for the needy stalker.
  

And with this, I bid you the reader good luck. I have given you everything I know about the Zone, more or less, in a convinient little guide to increase your chances of survival. Use it well, but be warned one last time that the Zone is a harsh mistress to anybeast, no matter how experienced or knowledgable one may be.

See you on the Inside.

-Grey