Howdy Vados!
It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our February live event THE BREAKER OF CROWNS! This is our next Premiere Event game, led by Heather Halstead and Jonathan Loyd. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering the premise of our event, some content warnings, and some teasers about our upcoming event!
TICKETS FOR OUR FEBRUARY EVENT ARE ON SALE NOW! GET READY for DEADLY POLITICS AND EVEN MORE ZOMBIES!
If you had a great experience at our last event THE RED DEATH or had some suggestions for how we can improve, we’d love to hear from you! Did you survive the Nightmares of the Prince Undying? Did you translate the strange monolith in the crossroads? Did you meet a lost loved one when the dead returned? What did you like best? What memories did you make? How was your NPC shift? Did another player impress you?
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Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team, by Max Pohlmeier, Lauren Guzaldo, Jason Dumas, Sid Betzina, and Maddeax Khole.
The Premise
Here’s the story of our next event:
A lull in the fighting of the War of Antlers has allowed both sides to take a measure of their losses, the toll of the bloody conflict stretching across the San Saba. With the mounting death tolls, Queen Lucy “Boss” Debs has had enough with the killing of kin and bloodshed, and has called upon the ancient traditions of her Tribe to demand an unauthorized parlay with the BREAKER OF CROWNS. Despite the threat of treason, Queen Debs has decided to call once more the ancient Summit of the Tribes, in hopes of fostering a peace with the Oxkilller Alliance.
For the Breaker of Crowns, the war has grown larger and her allies more numerous, but so too has the number of concessions she’s made to grow her forces. Promises to the MUSTANG LOYALISTS, the ancient enemies of Bravado from Star City, her kin in the Antler Tribe and Oxkillers, and the newfound allegiances within the traitorous youth of the Lovelace Family make the prospect of a temporary ceasefire seem like a moment of respite, despite the risk of entering enemy territory.
But in the shadows, shrouded from the hope of peace, lurks a hidden threat.
After the terrifying return of the Prince Undying and a strangely quiet Long Night, the forests around Bravado stir once more with the dead. Hordes of shamblers, boneheads, lost boys, tanks, and worse throw themselves into the fray, as if pursuing some hidden agenda, a strange malevolent intelligence behind their ceaseless attacks. Some have even spoken of strange hordes of the dead with a driving, unknowable purpose.
Can a lasting peace be achieved even while the dead are at the gates, an eerie reminder of the Stampedes of the Hiway War? Can two disparate and war-torn factions come to peace despite the violence that has been committed in the name of winning? Will the Board even be willing to stop the fighting as the tide has now turned in their favor? Will the dead intervene in peace talks, and renew the call to war once more?
Sounds like tension that can be cut with a knife!
The Breaker of Crowns, portrayed by Ace
Inspiration & Tropes
This season in Bravado we have focused on bringing some new elements of Survival Horror to the forefront of the story. In our tradition of Radical Trust, we want to share some of the inspirational bits of media and movie magic that we feel help capture the themes and feelings of our upcoming event. If you are looking for a movie to inspire your role play for this event, here’s a list of our favorites to get ready for THE BREAKER OF CROWNS:
The Outpost
Blood Creek
10 Cloverfield Lane
Frankenstein’s Army
Dead Snow
The themes that inspired this event is the age-old adage of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. Despite the real consequences of the ongoing war between the San Saba and the Oxkiller Alliance, there is a new and returned threat that could threaten to overwhelm both sides. In such stressful times, it’s easy to find an unlikely ally in a former enemy, as you both struggle to survive.
Bringing two deadly enemies into the same place at the same time is sure to spark emotions and conflict. Even though it might be in the best interest of both sides to cooperate, even in the times of crisis can find folks taking actions that are strictly selfish and personal. With such big personalities involved in the deadly politics of trying to settle a conflict between two warring factions, it will be no surprise to some if the conflict turns violent.
Let’s talk a bit more about what to expect in February…
Ready for “negotiations”…
CONTENT WARNINGS
The themes of Dystopia Rising often touch close to our real world in ways we cannot always avoid. The DR:TX team believes that we can still tell these stories about challenging topics, but we also believe we need to be transparent about our intentions and set proper expectations for our content. In our tradition of radical trust, we want to also trust in each player that attends our game to know their own limits and be able to choose to avoid topics and situations that make them uncomfortable.
It’s important to watch for descriptions, situations, or events that you might want to avoid. You may find new limits that are unknown to you because the matter never came up. We encourage you to take the necessary steps for your own emotional safety. We want you to be comfortable with the types of horror in our events so you can enjoy the thrill of the zombie apocalypse and the nightmare creatures we introduce into the game space.
It’s one reason we take our OK Check-In system so seriously! We understand that these may not be stories you want to participate in, and that’s okay! Remember, you can always use the OK Check-In System to choose to leave a scene, even CVC!
You can always find a list of our Content Warnings on our website, but let’s talk about some of the specific things you might want to be prepared for during this February event.
War and War-time stories, particularly involving conflict against enemy forces.
The backdrop of the February event is a tense negotiation between two warring factions, the San Saba Republic, and the Oxkiller Alliance. The War of Antlers has stretched over the past season and the fighting has really just begun. While much of this has happened “off-camera” during our Sunday war table mechanics, this represents one of the first times the war has entered play into our actual game besides skirmishes.
There will be discussions of crimes committed during the war, including bombardment, capture of prisoners, attacks on civilians, and the various attacks that have occurred in the world perpetuated by figures on both sides of the war. While each side has a reason to seek out a potential end to the war, they also have legitimate grievances that must be settled lest conflict erupt in the future.
The Oxkiller Alliance is a dangerous enemy for the San Saba, and the figures involved in the Summit will be deadly and powerful members of the enemy forces, including the Breaker of Crowns and her loyal champions. These are the same enemies that killed LCs during the September event, and have been responsible for a number of violent attacks on Bravado. During this event, you’ll have an opportunity to hear their side of the conflict and it could lend to some uncomfortable truths and realizations of the impact of your character’s actions.
Institutional corruption and abuses of power, incarceration.
The ever-tightening grip of the San Saba Board continues to inform the decisions to pursue war. For the Board, they see the threat of the Oxkillers as a challenge to their power, and something that must be met with the threat of violence. They cannot easily stand down from the armed conflict without being convinced of the need for peace.
Certain events will challenge player’s opinion of those in power, and particularly those that enforce the laws of Bravado. The Law Dog Union and the Justices of Sin continue to struggle to apply an uneven sense of justice in the zombie apocalypse, especially with the punishment of those beloved by the town and certain crews.
Intense emotional situations, where characters may be pushed to their emotional limits.
The conflict between the Oxkillers and the San Saba will likely include arguments, yelling, and heated roleplay as the various NPCs and LCs alike will be involved in the fray. This could include CVC conflict, and will likely involve insults, yelling, accusations, and other strong forms of verbal conflict. If you attend the Summit (which will happen during the Saturday Siesta), you should expect some intense emotional situations and arguments. You will be able to avoid this in-game event if you like, and we will have plenty of zombies and raiders to deal with later.
Let’s cover some of the specific major ingredients of the next event and what to expect in game!
DYNAMIC PLOT & LASTING CONSEQUENCES
We have a few things to prepare for as the Summit of the Tribes is set to start. This game, you’ll see a focus on the basic themes of Dystopia Rising — zombies, and the threat of other survivors. While zed are the cause of a number of deaths across the wasteland, far greater crimes are committed by those that share the wastelands with you.
One of the key themes of the February event will be the concept of DYNAMIC PLOT.
The outcome of THE BREAKER OF CROWNS will not be decided by a vote, or by choosing a new leader of the Tribes, or even killing a certain big bad. Instead, YOUR actions will matter over the course of the event. Several CHOICE POINTS will be presented to the town throughout the event, and how you react to these in-game situations will determine how the resolution of this game will end.
Your actions as a player will determine if the Oxkillers decide to pursue a peace treaty, or if the War is doomed to continue into the months ahead. Heather and I have prepared multiple endings based on how these flash points resolve, and you will get to have a direct impact on if the War of Antlers continues or heads towards peace. Pay close attention to the story of the Summit, and you will have multiple opportunities to sway the opinions of either the San Saba forces or the Oxkillers.
We will telegraph when one of these events occur by using a clear OOC sign that reads CHOICE POINT. It should be clear to those involved that a choice is being made. Whether your choice will push the various personalities towards peace or war will depend on the choice you make!
Not every CHOICE POINT will be decided by roleplay behaviors alone. There will be a few ways for you to mechanically interact with the plot if heavy roleplay isn’t your style, particularly for those with Society Memberships in the various San Saba factions.
Your decisions will determine the final Battles in the War of Antlers plot that occur on Sunday at the war table, so be prepared for the shifting battlegrounds based on your actions during the event itself!
You can expect zombies and the usual Dystopia Rising experience during our next event, but the ultimate ending of the weekend is up to you!
DEADLY ZOMBIES
After a long Winter break, it’s nice to return to the familiar and the expected. Our February event will focus on low-complexity overarc stories that are more about the characters involved than some special mechanic. As such, most of the enemies for this event will be the run-of-the-mill Shamblers, Tanks, Bursters, and more. After all, Dystopia Rising is set in a ZOMBIE apocalypse. What story would it be without zombies?
Our goal for February is to keep the nights dark and full of terror, and allow our various STs to feature elements of their own plots and underarcs during the day. While the Summit called by Queen Debs will be happening during the afternoon, you can expect to see a few other stories emerging, and maybe even a few sneak peeks of conflicts to come as the season continues, all set to the threat of being eaten and devoured alive by the zombies hordes that besiege our tiny town.
The threat of being devoured and ripped to pieces by Zombies will be even more prevalent during this. During certain [REDACTED] events and calls, you’ll find even the common Shambler suddenly a vicious killer. While we normally reserve “killing blow active” threats for specific situations, during the February event even the lowly Shambler can suddenly become killing blow active, capable of ending your character’s life with a Killing Blow call instead of the usual Cannibalize call. Yikes!
That means if you get caught alone by the zombie horde, you might not be able to rely on your friends arriving in time to save you from the devouring maws of the undead, or hearing that slow count of “Cannibalize 1, Cannibalize 2…”! Make sure you have an injectable handy, or get ready to run in the face of the deadly zombies during THE BREAKER OF CROWNS!
Solomon isn’t really a zombie, but you get the point.
DEADLY POLITICS
During THE BREAKER OF CROWNS, you will get to meet several different new characters over the weekend. While some of these faces may be familiar to you, like Boss Debs or the Breaker of Crowns, others will be new to this weekend. You’ll have a chance to roleplay with these characters, make promises, alliances, and uncover secrets by using your skill or simply engage them with good old fashioned murder and blades in the dark.
Each of the key NPCs from the weekend will have a character sheet, Body, Mind, and other items they can use. They can be interacted with, attacked, robbed, and will be able to react with their own mechanics. They have Infection scores just like a player, and will be able to come back from death, so make sure you are confident in your abilities to not be remembered should you try for a quick and dirty crime.
But most importantly, you can talk with them, hear their side of events, and watch for cues on how to influence their behaviors. These characters will have goals and agendas (and even a few secrets) for the Summit, but they can be convinced of your cause provided you appeal to their own motivations. As part of the dynamic plot, the NPCs will be available in play for long periods, so if you’d like to be involved simply join in the conversation! Listen to the things they like, dislike, and what their goals are for the Summit, and you will be able to make the decisions that matter during the CHOICE POINTS.
Your ability to influence these key figures will be important to helping the San Saba pursue a future of either PEACE or WAR!
WRAP UP
Tickets are on sale as of Monday, January 15th for our next event, and we are so excited to tell a story of zombies and politics, and to progress the metaplot of the season forward. We hope that you will join us at Camp Bluebonnet Shores, and make the most of the weekend to survive the zombie apocalypse.
Will you pick a side in the conflict? Are you tired of the San Saba Board and think maybe the Breaker of Crowns has started to make a lot of sense? Are you worried about the threat of the Prince Undying and need to make a deal with a sworn enemy for the greater good? Are you simply out for revenge against that Oxkiller that killed your family? Will you be devoured by a horde of zombies before your friends can save you?
Let’s find out together, when the BREAKER OF CROWNS arrives in Bravado!