In July 1887, the South Island of New Zealand was the scene of a small
outbreak at a farmhouse near Omarama. Although the initial stages of
the attack are unknown, reports state that by dusk, a group of fourteen
armed men dispatched three zombies in the surrounding countryside,
then converged on the house for what was to be an easy mop-up. One
man was sent to reconnoiter the house. He entered; screams, moans,
and shots were heard; then nothing. Another man was sent in. At first
all was quiet. He was seen leaning out of an upstairs window, shouting
that he bad found a half-eaten body but nothing else. Suddenly a
decomposing arm appeared behind him, grabbed his hair, and pulled
him inside. The others raced in to help him. No sooner had they
entered the house when five zombies attacked from all directions.
Long hand weapons such as axes and scythes were useless in tight
quarters. The same was true of long-barreled rifles. Wild pistol shots
accidentally killed three men outright and wounded another two. At the
height of the melee, one of the survivors panicked, raced from the
house, grabbed a lantern, and threw it through a window. A subsequent
search found only charred skeletons.
This chapter is designed to help plan a civilian search-and-destroy mission.
As has been stated before, various government agencies will have
their own equipment and doctrine (hopefully) for dealing with such
unconventional warfare. If they show up, great. Sit hack, relax, and
watch your tax dollars hard at work. But as has also been stated before,
what if those we pay and expect to protect us are nowhere to be found?
In this case, responsibility for eradicating the undead menace is up to
you and those you can convince to join you. Every rule, every tactic,
every tool and weapon in this section have been carefully tailored for
just such a contingency. All have been taken from actual combat. All
have been tested and proven battle-ready for that moment when retreat
has ended and the time has come to hunt the hunters.
