Good morning! It’s Jonathan here with a STORY RECAP for the recent event, BEYOND THE HORIZON. The goal of these Story Recap posts is to help fill in the blanks for those that might have missed an important mod, been at NPC camp, sleeping, or simply were not able to attend the game. These are major points of continuity that might be important as our season continues, and I hope this will help with the FOMO feels.
Tickets for our next event are on sale TODAY!!! You can buy tickets for our next event, QUEENSGRACE starting right now!
You can also find our other game recaps from this season online here:
Season 3, Episode 1: THE SECOND FOUNDING (brand new today!)
So once you’ve been caught up, let’s talk about what happened next…
Beyond the Horizon - the premise
The ambitious merchant culture espoused by the Junkerpunk population, a ragtag group of smugglers, tradesfolk and privateers, has always been a dynamic beat in the overture of the Greater Lonestar. But now, armed with their temporary position on the San Saba Board and the backing of Holy Mother Queen Jasper of the Tribes Disparate, this grinning group of sellswords and sword sellers have decided to strike out and do what New Bravado proved could be done; build a town for themselves.
The infant settlement of Drywater, just a few hours walk to the west of New Bravado’s extended territory, has begun to erect its first permanent structures and acquire its first permanent citizens. Queen Jasper, the sickly but politically powerful matriarch of the Antler clan, has come to New Bravado to oversee the perilous and brave process of sculpting a homeland from irradiated dirt. With the help of the Longberths, a faction of the Tribes Disparate who have historically butted heads with the smaller merchant faction, the scrap of land will become a dry port of call only rivaled by Waking Prime.
With glory on the horizon for the honest folk of the Muddy Water Accord, all seems well in the wet thaw after the Long Night. But the waves of Lake Bravo stir uneasily as something shifts beneath its surface, and the sound of distant foghorns echo balefully from the direction of The Clutch. Only time will tell what lurks in the deep waters of that ancient wound.
the future of drywater
NOTE: We talked a bit about the main mechanic of the weekend in my blog post last week. Unlike previous games that have followed a tried and true (if somewhat linear) formula of a thing occurring and the town working to deal with it, the primary story of this event was designed as a SCAVENGER HUNT, requiring the LCs to complete various Zone of Mechanics around the play space to complete the plot. This was a bit of a change of pace from the regular way we organize our events, so let us know in feedback if you enjoyed it!
The culmination of the Junkerpunks’ dreams come true, the new settlement near our town of Bravado is really honoring the choice the players made during our online event, The Certainty of Tides. During the party in the Clutch, the faction known as the Muddy Water Accord rose to prominence in the Junkerpunks and decided to compete with the RRC on equal terms. Their continued success led to being chosen as a victor of the San Saba Cup Murderball prize to earn a seat on the Board for 3 months. Following a significant victory in the boardroom after the backing of Queen Jasper, the Junkepunks and Admiral Sinker Swim earned to right to fund the Drywater Settlement Package.
Survivors competed to complete tasks across the town, from offering Thoughts & Prayers, building fashion furniture, performing feats of mental gymnastics, breaking up ice around the lake, picking up trash and protecting the local wildlife, or even simple manual labor. For every four tasks completed, you could submit a vote towards which of three possible Drywater Upgrades would be established in the town. The Upgrade that won popular support would bring new resources to the town of Bravado, based on which faction was backed as a secondary support for Drywater.
The three options were:
THE CALI*CO-OPERATIVE ARSENAL
Owned and Operated by the dependable Cali*Co Caravan, the *Co-Operative Arsenal will employ the local Junkerpunk population for the purpose of munitions development and production. Located on the scenic ridge that overlooks Drywater, the Arsenal will develop and produce munitions for the defense of the Greater San Saba and her citizens from the threat of zed, raider, or invading body. Espoused by the Holy Mother Queen Jasper of the Tribes Disparate, the Arsenal is her final attempt at preserving the San Saba as the homeland of her people and their allies.
THE REDFIELD BOATEL AND SPA
This sumptuous lounge and resort will be just one stop down the Oxline from New Bravado and attract personages of affluence from across the Greater Wastes. Local Junkerpunks will make up the staff of the Boatel and Spa and be provided with a living wage, ongoing benefits, and housing. Located on the river, the Boatel and Spa will technically be a mobile living environment permanently docked at Drywater. The kitchens at the Redfield will produce highbrow brews and confections beyond anything the San Saba has seen so far, and are personally endorsed by Felicity Redfield, CEO of the Railroad Conglomerate.
THE IMIX INSTITUTE
The closest GraveTech research facility is located in the Dead Marches, many miles to the distant south, beyond even the Blastlands. To be placed in the middle of town as a multi-story cathedralex, the Imix Institute would employ and educate the local Junkerpunk population as researchers and volunteers in the ongoing effort to understand and benefit from the Mortis Amaranthine and the Grave Minds that lurk within it. This project is endorsed by the leaders of the Grave Council, Takheeta Firstborn and Commander Rampart. Research from this facility would likely produce compelling advances in Grave and Psi- technologies.
The tasks to support Drywater were quickly picked up by those in the RRC, particuarly as Felicity Redfield was in town to promote the new Redfield Boatel & Spa option. Felicity was a bit ruffled after being literally shipped to town in a box from Requiem, but offered compelling reasons of fairness and equality for the Junkerpunk workers in the new town. In addition, she offered a number of job opportunities exploring the depths of Lake Bravado in a new submersible device called The Blackfish.
Other faces came in town as well, to explain in more detail what their Drywater Upgrade would offer to the town. Commander Rampart of the Grave Council offered a disturbing potential future, with the time being right for another Archon incursion in only 10 more months, exactly one year to the date of the emergence of the Monolith. Since the device that allowed the town to oppose the Archons was destroyed in the fight, the Imix Institute would offer potential new weapons to fight back against an imminent threat from beyond death, including perhaps an answer to the threat of the Gravetouched in town.
Finally, the venerable Queen Jasper, Holy Mother, asked the question of what role the town of Drywater would really play into the future with an offer to reshape her legacy with the weapons and research of the Cali*Co Arsenal. Dubbed the “generational trauma gun” by her opponents, the Arsenal would offer military support to keep the Junkerpunk settlement unthreatened by opponents and allow them true neutrality in a dangerous San Saba political network. The Queen also met with her loyal subjects, including the Cervaxi Tribe, the SCAdians while in town to speak about an upcoming event for the Tribes. Visitors from the north in the shape of the Bloodied Wolves from Verdigrift signed a contract and offered protection to the Queen while she was in town, and listened to her call to arms. Her message was dire, even if she was at peace with the choice…
The city of Drywater clearly needed political support and something to set it apart from the other settlements and to help shape its narrative in the Greater San Saba. So what niche will the new settlement fill?
the winner of the Drywater upgrade is…
In a perhaps too on-the-nose commentary on real world politics, the final winner of the contest was…
The Redfield Boatel & Spa!
Greetings from Slim & the RRC!
The final tally of votes was:
Redfield Boatel & Spa - 18 votes
The Cali*Co Arsenal - 13 votes
Imix Institute - 8 votes
While more total people submitted votes for the Arsenal and the Institute, the financial might of the RRC would not be diminished. Led by prominent RRC figures like Slim Straightedge, the individual Work Orders of the RRC aligned folks counted for far more, with the most number of fully-filled Work Orders submitted in the contest. Those that completed a challenge with the Master Financial Influence skill were even able to offer additional votes, but most of these folks hailed from the RRC. Hopefully, Rampart’s ominous warning of the future won’t come true, but for now Drywater stands to be the next destination spot in the San Saba!
Unfortunately, in our unintended commentary on modern politics only about 20% of the population of Bravado in attendance even cast their support into the challenge! The future of the San Saba was determined by a group of powerful, financially motivated and well-organized individuals instead of a more popular and populous, but apathetic voter base… Seems familiar, for some reason…
With the success of the RRC’s bid to create a new Boatel & Spa in Drywater, the town of Bravado could soon see new items like Brews, Meals, Culinary devices, or even Gizmos being traded with our fair town in the future… and the future is bright indeed thanks to the efforts of the town in dealing with an unfortunate pollution issue…
the sound of drums and The leviathan
A major side complication in the support for Drywater emerged in the terrifying raiders known as Drowned Ones, and a continuing threat to the ecosystem of Bravado.
In addition to the political intrigue of the Drywater Settlement Package and the supporting factions, the Junkerpunks needed more mundane help establishing their new inland settlement of Drywater. Clearing out wildlife, threats and foliage to bring in the bones of their new city, these tasks fall to the Vados willing to work. This work included one particularly LARGE concern..
Following the Long Night, which was horribly cold and unusually long, a significant strain was placed on the local ecosystem. The local Leviathan population, whose life cycle includes the Long Night as part of its gestation process, skyrocketed following an unusually cold winter season. Even the other Bravado critter populations are declining, and new invasive species are moving in.
The town quickly had to deal with Baby Leviathans, who, while adorable, were still predatory animals despite the amount of Crystal Candy they were fed in an attempt to make them pets. They also encountered larger Juvenile Leviathans, at first confused for adults, until the final appearance of the largest Leviathan anyone has ever seen (we literally had to bring it to site in a truck…), the momma Sea Leviathan, or Chompy for short. The pollution in Lake Bravado had even mutated other species past the Leviathans, like Murder Goat Deer, and even raiders!
This larger population attracted their only real predator - the raider clan called Drowned Ones. A large raiding part of the particularly moist raiders arrived in Bravado intent on hunting two kinds of prey - the new Leviathan spawn AND the survivors of Bravado! These raiders posed a serious threat throughout the weekend, with the terrifying Wavemasters scattering concentrated pockets of defense with the Terror skill, to the Drowned One Fishers using Nail or Fear on opponents before surrounding them.
The town had a choice to deal with the exploding population of Leviathans emerging from Lake Bravado, while dealing with a constant assault of raiders:
The adored creations of Harlow Ulmer from a work-in-progress photo — Baby Leviathans! Also, their cat!
They could simply KILL the Leviathan, and exterminate its spawn by destroying any Leviathan eggs they found on the way. This would be a permanent solution to the problem, but would involve destroying a massive mutated beasty with giant guns provided by Professor Heavywater and the Junkerpunks. However, the town would probably have to prepare for the consequences of killing a large animal like a Leviathan for an already strained Morgue system, as well as a potential ZOMBIE LEVIATHAN.
They could also try to SAVE the Leviathan, and preserve any Leviathan eggs that were found for a future, more controlled release into the waters of Lake Bravado. While this would be a more challenging task, using giant Tranquilizer Pills shoved physically into the maw of the giant beast, it would have less impact to the ecosystem overall. Unfortunately, as any vet tech can tell you, trying to medicate a dangerous animal is easier said than done..
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the town chose to try to SAVE the Leviathan population of Lake Bravado. Spending most of the day on Saturday developing a Tranquilizer for the Leviathan, Pogo and the Darwins of Bravado led the charge to develop a cure. In a final fight on Saturday night, the town faced off against the raiding parties of the Drowned Ones in an attempt to deliver a medicated payload to the momma Leviathan. With the Wavemasters dragging the fallen towards the waiting Dark Water and the Leviathan, it became quite deadly to fall to the blows of the massive tentacled arms of the Leviathan or the waiting spears of the Drowned Ones.
After a prolonged fight against the Drowned One Raiders, people literally being spit out of the giant maw of the Leviathan after a bit of “tummy time”, and the unstoppable tentacles wearing down the defenses of the townsfolk, the Leviathan finally fell into a tranquilizer-induced sleep. With the ability to treat the wounds of the beast, deal with the mutating effects of pollution by applying poultices to the wounds, the Leviathan eggs were able to be safely extracted from the stomach of the creature and placed into the care of Professor Heavywater and the Junkerpunks. While a few of the eggs ended up in unscrupulous hands of the black market, the Junkerpunks are now in control of a way to limit the damage to the ecosystem by the town of Drywater.
other threads “On the horizon”
There were several other minor events of note:
Takheeta Firstborn, leader of the Grave Council, was on hand to oversee the penance for the deaths of the Lovelace family during the BLOOD FEAST event. Saturday night, she and several of the grave heads of Bravado were crucial in developing a new Morgue for Drywater. The addition of a new Mortis across the lake really brings some questions to mind: what does it mean to make something new in a dead world? To forge new imprints and new systems when nothing has been “new” for millennia? Is it brave and hopeful? Or is it shortsighted, and stupid? With the antagonism increasing between Takheeta and Commander Rampart, this will surely be another spark in the fire.
Don Chevlin, explorer extraordinare, and agent of the Ark Society, was in town to offer Delves and strange new technologies in exchange for your Arks. While a threat of a watery grave was possible, several intrepid adventurers braved the depths of the lake and the tunnels beneath Bravado in search of fortune and glory…
An explosive (sic) birthday party occurred in Kiva, with a bomb-filled cake being delivered to Turbo Six, the Mountain That Rides on his birthday… (Look, I’m writing this so it’s important to me!) It was an attempt at death by chocolate! What fiend could have tried to take down the leader of the Road Royals?
During a Masquerade ball hosted by the always stylish Candy Hearts, there were more than a few masked individuals prowling about. It was virtually impossible to tell who was really in attendance during the ball, and the General Store was filled with music, dancing, and masks. In fact, it seemed like the entire second floor was reserved for a VIP event for those with the proper headgear…
Wrap up and Teasers
It was an eventful weekend, with the introduction of some new props sure to return by popular demand, new Raiders, a number of interesting ZOMs to complete across the camp, as well as a change of pace for the main theme of the event changing from our usual cadence. We had a blast telling this story for you, so let us know what you thought with our Feedback Form!
As a last teaser, I’ll leave you with this final event that happened during the game:
On Sunday morning, a group of OX KILLERS attacked the Depot, but they were stopped before they could burn it down. This outcast tribe of technophobic barbarians was ejected from the Tribes Disparate during our online event called The Shining City. What does their reappearance mean for the upcoming SUMMIT OF THE TRIBES DISPARATE being called during our next event? With the health of Queen Jasper quickly declining, a new leader of the Tribes Disparate must be chosen to replace the dying Queen, but their enemies and rivals are circling…
Tickets are on sale NOW for our next event, QUEENSGRACE! We’ll have more about the impending struggles of the SUMMIT and what it means for the TRIBES DISPARATE in the future! See you soon, Vados!