Background

Butch "Uncle" Callender was born around the 1960s, somewhere in Florida. Not much is known about his childhood, other than the fact that he was the eldest of three brothers in the family. Even from a young age, he had a strong attachment to ranch life - something passed down to him by his father, Robert Callender. At first, he wasn’t too keen on keeping the ranch. He had dreams of leaving his home state to pursue a better life, much like his brothers, who had already moved on to chase other opportunities and started having families at a young age. Butch, on the other hand, never found someone he truly connected with - or perhaps he just never found the time for it. He often visited his brothers to check in and see his newborn nephews. Over time, this earned him the nickname “Uncle” as he grew fond of caring for his nephews and being called that by family and friends alike. When Butch was in his mid-twenties, his father passed away, leaving him alone to tend to the ranch. He decided to honor his father's legacy by maintaining the land while also pursuing his own passions. One of those passions was for gunslinging and adventure. Butch had always been interested in firearms and survival guides he read as a kid. Using that knowledge, he started exploring and camping through the swampy parts of Florida - fishing, hiking up into the hills for sightseeing, and eventually turning camping into both a hobby and a way of life. By 1998, he was well-familiar with the land. He continued ranching and camping regularly, growing deeply familiar with Florida’s wilderness and its ecosystem. One day, while fishing near a swamp lake in the county, he began noticing an unusual number of daisies growing in the swamp, far more than usual. He found it strange but shrugged it off, assuming it was normal for certain plants to thrive in Florida’s wetlands. But by 1999, the daisies began growing out of control, spreading unnaturally fast across the county's swamp areas - and even starting to creep into his ranch. Whenever he visited town, he noticed more and more people falling ill. Most dismissed it as seasonal allergies. Butch thought the same at first. Then came the breaking point. News outlets started reporting alarming stories: a rising death toll, widespread illness, and even more disturbing.. fresh corpses reanimating, overtaken by plant roots of unknown origins. Butch watched helplessly as the daisies reached his ranch, infesting livestock and parts of his home. Despite his efforts to clear them, there was nothing he could do. Soon, he started feeling sick, physically and mentally. It became clear that these weren’t ordinary daisies. He packed up and left. With airports and public transport shutting down and the threat rapidly spreading, Butch realized the world was falling to an unknown disease. At that moment, he had only one goal: survive. His years of wilderness living gave him an edge. For months, he recovered from his illness and watched the world change almost overnight. He lived off-grid, mostly alone. Attempts to settle with others didn’t last - unluckily, something always goes wrong. After years of constant isolation, failures and occasional shootouts across the Southern Valley. Out of options, Butch eventually left his home in Florida, heading west in search of his brothers. He traveled through various caravans, braving harsh terrain, zombie-like creatures, and rising numbers of bandits. After months of hardship, he finally found a well-secured caravan bound for Knox County. Now, having made it, Butch spends his days near the wilderness, doing what he knows best: camping, ranch work, and lazing off.