UNFINISHED (This document is a working draft. Everything is subject to change and is not final canon.)
(PUBLICVERSION1.1.0)
(AUTHOR NOTES: Story is completely unfinished, extras has been improved, i’ll probably use this as a mini changelog of sorts)
This story assumes you know what G&B, or Guts & Blackpowder is, and at the very least, some lore of it. Not everything, but if you need a refresher, I would recommend watching a youtube video on the story of G&B is, or reading through the Official Lore.
I would recommend reading this in a markdown editor, or something that formats this correctly. Prepare for a long story! (if read on ao3, you need not worry of formatting)
(NOTE: Ctrl+F to check for all notes, and read them over or delete them)
It all starts with this letter, sent to Horse Guards…
To: The Office of the Commander-in-Chief, Horse Guards, Westminster
From: Lt. Col. Edward Hawthorne, Acting Liaison Officer to the Midland Militias
Date: 2nd July 1815
Subject: Birmingham Loss of Contact & Request for Reconnaissance and Reinforcement
Sir,
I write with urgency concerning the situation at Birmingham. During the past week, communication with the Warwickshire and Staffordshire militia detachments has become unreliable and in several cases has ceased entirely. Multiple mounted couriers dispatched from neighbouring posts have failed to return. One survivor reached us only after considerable delay bearing incomplete intelligence. He reported dense smoke and fog along the approaches, contact occurring at uncomfortably close ranges, and militia elements falling back without clear lines of command. His testimony ended abruptly as he was separated from his party during an engagement on the outskirts.
Birmingham is no open field. Its foundries, narrow streets, and manufactories render it hostile ground unsuited to rigid formations and ill served by cavalry beyond reconnaissance and screening. Control of such terrain demands skirmishers, reliable command elements, and troops capable of operating independently without losing cohesion.
I therefore request authority to dispatch the following forces in ordered succession.
First, a cavalry reconnaissance troop tasked with probing the principal roads and approaches, recovering or confirming the fate of missing messengers, and determining whether organised resistance or withdrawal remains possible. Speed is essential, as continued delay risks the complete loss of situational awareness.
Second, a company of light infantry or jägers whose training in dispersed action, skirmishing, and close terrain makes them best suited for operations within the city and its immediate outskirts. Their role is to secure key approaches, screen heavier forces, and operate where line formations cannot.
Third, one battalion of the 44th Regiment of Foot to provide the necessary strength, discipline, and authority for sustained operations. A line battalion is essential to hold ground, organise relief or evacuation efforts, and ensure that any action undertaken remains conducted in accordance with military law.
Finally, a small attached detachment under Herman █████ and his men to be employed in close cooperation with the jägers. Though limited in number, these men are accustomed to irregular conditions and can operate effectively as scouts, runners, and forward elements in broken ground. Of particular value is their linguistic capability. Herman and several of his lads are fluent in both English and German, allowing them to serve as translators and intermediaries between British regulars, allied German troops, and local militia formations. In an environment where confusion, partial orders, and mixed forces are expected, this capability may prove decisive in maintaining cohesion and preventing fatal misunderstandings.
I recognise the strain placed upon our available forces and the necessity of retaining experienced regiments at the primary front. However, the continued uncertainty surrounding Birmingham, a city of strategic and industrial importance, presents an unacceptable risk if allowed to deteriorate without clarification. The force proposed is deliberately balanced and intended to restore contact, establish control, and determine the true scale of the crisis without unnecessary waste of manpower.
Should authority be granted, I will submit further particulars regarding command appointments, march timings, and rules of engagement upon receipt of updated intelligence.
I remain, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
Lt. Col. Edward Hawthorne
Acting Liaison Officer to the Midland Militias
The call was answered. The cavalry were sent first, to scout ahead and warn the main force of any danger, or signs of the blight. Of these men, were Captain Thomas Ashcombe, Lieutenant William Price, Sergeant-Major Robert Hale, and Corporal James Fletcher.
Thomas led, halting at finding a source of light, that being a lit candle on the ground, besides a clear road that led deeper into the town. “Hold. Right then, this road leads further in. Remember, retreat if you see anything, and for goodness sake; tell us too.” Says Thomas, as he feels his hand against a large post in the ground marking this place. James responds first, saying “Sir, if I may add… this fog. It feels… wrong. Unnatural. Am I not just fearful?” Thomas responds, saying “Aye, I feel it too, but we can’t prove anything anyways. We should just ignore it, maybe we are all just letting our fear speak.” Robert pipes in, “No, sir, I am almost certain there is something wrong here. Not even the sound of birds. Things feel… too quiet.” There is a brief silence, as it all dawns on them, only broken by the wind and their horses. “Well… lets continue on.” Thomas says, as he leads them into the road.
They go deeper, and find buildings, then the smell hits. Death, and decay. They see sparse corpses strewn across the street, and no signs of life. The corpses don’t seem to be infected. James covers his nose, and speaks first: “Bloody hell… What killed all these men? They don’t seem to be… risen.” The other men look at James, and then back again to the bodies. William responds with “Well, its good that they’re not biting chunks out of us at least.” “Well, then, if theyre not afflicted with the blight, then… what did this? Could be something worse.” Thomas says uneasily. They halt, and scan their surroundings. They find a fork in the road that seems to lead to a field, although what is beyond that is obscured by the fog, and a wide alleyway to the left that seems to lead to another road. “Right. Reconnoitre both ways. Back here in five, no, ten minutes. If we find that you aren’t here by then, we’re leaving. Lieutenant, you’re with me.”
Thomas and William detach and go down the alley, while Robert and James head down the fork in the road.
This mostly contains extra texts outside of the lore, or fun things about this OC. May contain facts, or extra content.
YouTube music playlist, containing ALL of the canon/uncanon songclaims for his character. Don’t go to any other one than here, the spotify one is outdated. I will also provide a text version of the playlist with links and names, as an ordered list, and also provide notes on their meanings. I would recommend listening to the song first, and reading into the lyrics, before you look at the meaning.
Official Herman Songclaims/Music Playlist
If you’re short on time, and wanna just listen to what I would say are the “Classics” (even though very little people know this lmao) then heres this group thing of the main songs for Herman!
Yes, I’ve had Herman as an OC for probably years. Hes gone through quite an evolution, originally being really cringe in my opinion. Birmingham has always been a concept, and I’ve had to work around it.
It all started when I first played G&B, I forget how many year(s) ago, and just made a cool looking character in the customizer, and picked the Brunswick Leib-Battalion as my favorite regiment. The idea for his musical… motif??-- being Godsmack came from when I was on the car ride home from some kind of state testing, and me and my dad were listening to cultured metal with his phone connected to the car via bluetooth. He introduced me to Godsmack then, and played Voodoo, which I mistook for Metallica at first listen. Mostly because of the lyrics. I was still fixated on G&B then, and as soon as I heard that song, it came to me. G&B’s beautiful animation, and Herman got me into animating with Moon Animator 2, and helped me brainstorm more of Herman. I would likely be a different person if I had never played G&B that day with a friend, and came up with the character, which is a little stupid and embarrassing to say.
From then on, I improved at animating and posing, and checked out more Godsmack, which in-turn inspired me more on Herman’s story. I improved the story, the animation rig appearance, and met more people who had G&B ocs. Although I hate alot of the old stuff I made of Herman, and his old lore, I can still appreciate it for what it is, and what it led to. That being said… I still feel ALOT of cringe when I see my old work.
Herman is an officer, and thus has the officer kit. He has a flintlock pistol and a sabre. This cannot be changed, however the utility can be changed. There is a rare chance for the utility to be replaced by his grandfather’s blunderbuss upon spawning as him.
Herman interacts with his weapons differently than normal soldiers. He reloads his flintlock pistol far faster than normal, taking 5.05 seconds rather than 6.65. When buffed with a fife, it takes only 4.04 seconds. The animations are also different, showing Herman reloading without looking. Its clear hes done this too many times.
He has slightly buffed sabre handling as well, doing 38.5 damage instead of 30. Here are the stats:
Side: 0.5s
Jab: 0.39s
Up: 0.55s
SideStartup: 0.32s
JabStartup: 0.19s
UpStartup: 0.36s
Damage: 38.5/hit
Penetration: 4
Headshot Multiplier: 2.4x
As for his special blunderbuss, it has the same stats as the Old Blunderbuss, just a different look. (9s reload time)
Herman possesses a small passive resistance to all types of damage from the infected EXCEPT for sappers and cuirassiers. This resistance also stops him from being inflicted with Clawed. However, he can still be afflicted with Rabid Clawed. It is called “Scarred Veteran”.
He has another passive, called "Reflex". He has a 1/3.65 chance of stunning a grab from either a shambler or a runner. If successful, it stuns the shambler back. However, if its a runner, the runner is curbstomped into the ground and killed on the spot.
Herman reacts differently to grabs. If its a shambler grab, he has the ability to break out with 4≥ shamblers on him. If Herman is tackled by a runner however, he will stun it off him in the time it takes for a normal soldier to die. If there are two, he will grip their necks and smash their heads into eachother to stun them.
This also applies to Cuirassier charges ^. If Herman is charged by a cuirassier successfully, instead of being impaled, Herman will stomp his boot on the heavy cavalry sabre being aimed at him, digging it into the ground. It rips up the earth as the cuirassier comes to a halt, and Herman shoves it back. This whole animation and process takes some time, and leaves him and the cuirassier quite vulnerable.
Herman has FAR more health than normal soldiers, possessing 325 health. Can depend, or be changed. He walks VERY slightly faster than other soldiers, having 16.75 walkspeed.
If Herman is afflicted with Burning (not Afterburn), and is not put out by teammates, he will rip the B.L.J canteen off his uniform and pour it out on himself, extinguishing himself enough to put the rest of the fire out himself. He must get to 7% hp for this to trigger. This cannot be used again. Instead of screaming in pain, Herman cries out “BLOODY HELL! PUT ME OUT! PUT ME OUT!” “PUT ME OUT!! FOR THE LOVE OF- PUT ME OUT!!!” “LADS?! LADS! WHERE ARE YOU?!” while burning instead of screaming incoherently. After putting himself out, he violently scolds his team for not helping him. (if theyre still alive)
If Herman’s infection reaches max, instead of succumbing, Herman will clutch his scarred eye, gritting his teeth. The eye glows, and the sound of something like fire being extinguished can be heard from the eye as his infection goes down to 0, draining a minor amount of health in the process. If Herman hits 0.001 health while it is draining, he will fall to the ground and die. He will not turn upon death.
Valor is a meter that replaces charge. While having the sabre equipped, using the reload key switches his focus to either Charge or Old Blood.
« Charge
Simply a buffed charge, and is the default option. Soldiers have vastly increased damage, swing speed, movement speed, and firearm equip speed. Bayonet, Lance, Heavy Sabre, and Spontoon all get Instakill damage while charging. Soldiers cannot be grabbed by shamblers nor runners while in this state. This requires the whole meter to be filled, and it uses all of it.
« Old Blood
Herman takes a second, and opens his scarred eye, granting him 25% more resistance (overwrites Scarred Veteran's resistance, however resists ALL incoming dmg), near instakill damage to all infected, moderately increased swing speed, VERY fast reload. He can be grabbed by shamblers, however he has a 100% chance to hit them back after some time, even with 4< on him. This lasts twice as long as a normal charge, and only affects him. Reflex chance is increased, but guaranteed for runners. If grabbed by a shambler, and dogpiled, Herman is capable of stunning the infected around him back while crying out in rage. After this ends, valor gain is locked for twice as long as charge locks charge gain.
ALL of Herman’s animations change in this state, and his scarred eye glows fiery red. You can hear faint voices coming from the eye. Barely noticeable, but easily noticed if used in a environment with music off, and no chaotic other sounds happening.
The animations show Herman’s body convulsing and shaking with rage. Visibly held back hatred from all of his dead friends.
« Resolve
Holding the charge key makes Herman thrust his sword upwards, almost in a victory pose, for some startup. After this is finished, he heals 25% of his health. If he is interrupted, he only heals 15% of his health. This uses a third of the meter, and only requires a third. Progressively takes more and more meter the more you rely on this, however the rampup does decay if you dont overrely on this.
Now you may be thinking; “Zodiac! This is overpowered as fuck!”, and to that, I would agree. However, this is meant for a map concept I had, possibly in Birmingham, possibly not. The map would have a random player chosen as Herman, and Herman would assist the survivors in escaping the map. The map would be incredibly difficult, impossible if Herman were not there, as the numbers of zombies and concentration of special infected would be FAR larger than normal objective maps. Herman would serve as effectively a raid boss, but on the survivor’s side, leading them through the map and to victory. If he dies, youre fucked, the finale would be impossible without him. Technically possible, but you would need to either have godlike teamplay (which if you did herman wouldnt die) or exploits (scripting OR vip server cmds) in order to win. Herman would NOT be playable outside of this map concept, except for VIP servers, where you’d be able to spawn yourself as him in ANY map with a command.
I feel like he’d be pretty fun to play, and you would probably feel like a fucking BEAST playing as him. But hey, thats just my opinion, I aint the boss here.
Herman has a special interaction with chaplains attempting to bless him.
BlessingAskCallout
“I… will try, God willing.”
“Come now… just… what are you?”
“I can hear them… I-I must perform a blessing.”
“Come now, I hear echoes. That is not normal.”
BlessingFail
“T-That scar is not empty…”
“Pray with me. Please.”
“I will not condemn you…”
BlessingSuccess
“Its… quieted.”
“God hears you, even if I don’t.”
“I-It worked… somehow.”
BlessingRareSuccess
“They’re… T-They’re soldiers, fallen…”
This is because chaplains canonically hear the same voices Herman does, at least when looking at his scar. They would be uneasy and put-off near him.
He also has a special interaction with the Duke of Wellington, or Arthur Wellesley. This is only possible via VIP server commands, and spawning yourself as Herman. These voicelines will ONLY play if you are ALONE as Herman. If you have people helping you, the normal ones will play.
Wellesley is A, and Herman is H.
A: “S- Wait… You’re alone? You’re that specialist that was sent for Birmingham, aren’t you?”
H: “Aye, thats me. Sir… aren’t you Wellington?”
A: “Arthur Wellesley. I don’t suppose you are taking the nightwatch?”
H: “This area past the river of thames is doomed, I am heading for the Westminster bridge.”
A: “If you’re heading across the Thames, know they’ll blow the bridge at midnight.”
While he talks, he pulls out a pocketwatch. He almost puts it on the desk for Herman to take, but he sees Herman take out his own pocketwatch, this time being silver, with a bird engraving on the back.
A: “I see… Luckily for you, theres a few men of the Royal Waggon Train downstairs. With luck, you’ll make it.”
Wellington gets the King’s Colours.
A: “The King’s Colours. Save them, will you?”
Herman takes them.
H: “Aren’t you going as well?”
A: “…They couldn’t forgive me for Belgium. They won’t forgive me for London! Go on, save yourself.”
H: “My condolences…”
If you use the Canteen of Courage as Herman, a special animation will play, where Herman inspects it and says “Pff… Now what do I need THIS for?” before tossing it away. The buff is still given.