Howdy Vados!

It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our September live event BENEATH THE CORPSE OF WAKING! 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 OXKILLER ALLIANCE, a new type of Threat you’ll face this season.

EArly tICKET sales FOR OUR SEASON OPENER ARE closed on friday, 9/8! You can still get tickets at the door, but get your early ticket to have you sheet ready at the door!
IT’S GONNA BE HOT IN SEPTEMBER. CHECK OUT OUR NEW GUIDE OF LARPING IN HOT WEATHER SO YOU CAN BE PREPARED FOR THE HEAT!

We will have new limited-time Stickers available as a pre-registration reward for September! Buy your ticket early and earn some cool swag! Last chance for this bonus ends on Friday!

Let’s get started!

Who is the Oxkiller alliance?

In addition to the telegram above, here’s the information we’ve shared so far:

Far to the north, on the edges of the San Saba Territories that border the lands of the Sequoia Wastes, lies the new home to the displaced peoples of the OXKILLER ALLIANCE. While the two settlements of Star City and Fort Worthless are prominent parts of the territory, they have not been relevant to the success of the San Saba since before the Hiway War. Now, what resources remain go to fuel the war engines of the Oxkillers as they pursue a war against the San Saba Board and the peoples of the Lone Star.
However, no matter the tactical value of the provinces, the primary offense to the San Saba Board has been the blockade of the mighty Oxline running north into the Verdigrift Gardens and the Overgrowth of the Undying. Trade has slowed to a halt through the new Oxkiller Territory, as roving bands of tribesmen claim tribute and tax from any travel through their region. The affront to the power of the San Saba Board has not gone unnoticed, and a war is brewing in the Lone Star.
The Oxkiller Alliance is comprised of the former Antler Tribe and Oxkiller Tribe, two martial Natural One and Tainted clans that followed the former Tribes Disparate two years ago. With the death of Queen Jasper, and the formation of the new San Saba Republic, the Oxkillers abandoned their former allies in disgust at the changes they saw as weak.
Rumors suggest the former leaders of the Oxkiller Alliance, Prince Shale and Lord Hush, died in a power struggle last year. Now, a new figure has emerged from the warring tribes to unite them with a singular purpose and passion — the Breaker of Crowns. Under her guidance, the Oxkiller Alliance has become a new and present danger to any that live in the Lone Star.
The War of Antlers is coming to the San Saba…

The war with the Oxkiller Alliance has been brewing for quite some time, so let’s take a bit of look back at who and what they are, and how we reached this point.

the History of the Alliance

While this is a NEW faction for our story in Season 5, the core of the group has been in play since the start of 3.0.

Back at the beginning, the San Saba Republic was known as the Tribes Disparate. Thirteen houses made up the Tribes and the two mightiest of their number were the Oxkillers and the Antler Tribe. Before her final death during our QUEENSGRACE event, the leader of the Tribes Disparate was Holy Mother Queen Jaspar, of the Antler Tribe.

The Antler Tribe was one of the largest tribes, survivors of the Hiway War thanks to the intervention of the players during the final days of 2.0. Led by Queen Jaspar, the bearer of the Antlered Crown, the Antler Tribe consisted mostly of Natural Ones, Tainted, and a few Landsmen, but overwhelming followed the faith of the Tribes of Seasons. They were fiercely loyal, deadly fighters, and powerful allies against the undead and raider threats of the wastes. However, the Queen’s brother, Prince Shale, was jealous of his sister’s rule and had sought to undermine her power for years since the Hiway War began.

While the Antler Tribe was the family of Queen Jaspar herself, the Oxkiller Tribe had been set up as an antagonistic faction from the very beginning. Led by the mysterious “Path of Rust”, who later became known as “Lord Hush", the Oxkillers were a thorn in the side of the queen. This Natural One chieftain rarely spoke at all in the war councils composed mostly of loud Devoted, Tainted, and Landsmen fighters, but nonetheless he was understood to be ruthless throatslitter in battle and his whispers were what guided the House's bloodthirst.

While their military might was impressive and nearly the equal of the Antlers, their fundamental disdain for technology was a problem for the newly connected San Saba. The Oxkillers were zealots and technophobes, trusting in nature and their belief in the old ways to protect their tribe versus repeating the mistakes of the oldcesters by relying on technology.

Chief among the sins of the San Saba, in the eyes of the Oxkillers, was the creation of the OXLINE. The massive locomotive was responsible for spreading clouds of oily smoke in its wake, disrupting the natural terrain with railroad tracks, and scaring off the wildlife with the titanic sound of its passage. They had tried to stop the formation of the rail at first, but after a failed attack on Dr. Sung, the creator of the Ox, they decided their new goal was to the end the threat of the OX once and for all.

This created an issue for the Queen, with a number of her own people rebelling against the law and order within the wastes. When we first started the story of the San Saba at the beginning of 3.0, the Oxkillers were already a problem for the Tribes Disparate. A number of mods were run with the Oxkillers attacking the Ox, in defiance of the Queen’s order, and they were generally an antagonist for the first few seasons.

FUN FACT — the very FIRST Gauntlet we ever held in Bravado included a member of the Oxkiller Tribe that was accused of “vulgar property damage”.

This antagonism continued, and the Oxkillers were to be a big part of our March 2019 event before the pandemic shut everything down. Instead, the Oxkillers committed their next bit of treason during our online season, during the event THE SHINING CITY.

This event was set on Waking Prime, the new capital of the San Saba, during the Wastes Faire. Players dealt with exploring this space for the first time, and had to deal with an encroaching stormfront. This event was pivotal for a number of factions, including the Junkerpunks and the RRC, but the event culminated in an attack on Waking by the dangerous raider clan known as STORMCHASERS.

However, before the city could defend against the Raider threat, the Oxkillers appeared in the skies around Waking, led by Lord Hush, and they crippled one of the airships at the head of the defense of the airship city. Lord Hush’s plan was revealed, as he was the one to lure the deadly sky Raiders to the city itself. In the chaos that followed, Lord Hush led a small strike team of Oxkillers into Eureka Tower to attempt to kill the Chair and the entire San Saba Board. The Oxkiller champion successfully killed the leaders of the Hackard family during his raid, but was stopped short of assassinating the Chair and was repelled by the efforts of the players during the final act of the event.

For this ultimate act of betrayal to the Tribes and the new government of the San Saba, the Oxkillers were banished from the faction and declared enemies of the Lone Star.

Queensgrace - the Fall of the Queen

In Season 3, we returned to Bravado and explored the next crisis to the Tribes Disparate. In March that year, we hosted the tradition known as Queensgrace within our humble town. You can find a full write-up of the event HERE.

During this event, the thirteen Tribes were called to Bravado to choose a new leader, as the ailing Queen Jaspar was near her end and sought a successor. As a surprise guest of the Queen, the Oxkillers returned. According to the tribal tradition, they still had a vote to cast for the new ruler, and Lord Hush came to attempt to claim the Antlered Crown for himself. Lord Hush wanted a strong ruler for the Tribes, and reminded the players of the history of bloodshed and war that had led the faction to victory during the Hiway War.

On the first night of the ritual, he challenged the Queen to hand-to-hand combat. It was an unfair match up against the sickly ruler, but the Queen accepted the challenge. Before Lord Hush could strike her down, an assassin’s bullet interrupted the ritual combat, denying him the crown at the last moment. After the brutal murder her zed was sealed within the Gravemind to prevent the Oxkiller leader from claiming the crown, and it set into motion politics that would determine the fate of the faction.

At the end of Queensgrace, a new trio of leaders was chosen for the faction rather than a single ruler, led by Queen Debs of the Local 727. In disgust at the choice he saw as weak, Lord Hush left the assembly in anger, taking with him the might of the Antler Tribe, led by Jaspar’s brother Prince Shale, and the Fallow Hope soldiers of House JaCintos. Though the Jacintos were later convinced to return, the Antler Tribe and the Oxkillers fled to the north, creating a formidable army of rebels that would need to be dealt with in the future.

a new leader for the alliance

While there were rumors in the background during Season 4, it wasn’t until the Fall of Waking that the conflict with the Oxkillers became something the San Saba needed to worry about. Last season, during our May event, we even held a vote on forming a new San Saba Militia, sponsored by Queen Debs as an answer to the imminent threat of Lord Hush and the Oxkillers.

During most of Season 4, the Oxkillers and Antlers were caught in a power struggle and too busy with their own messes to do much else. Prince Shale, a weakling that had survived with the help of spies, cunning, and poison, was unwilling to share the leadership of the new army with his rival, Lord Hush. Prince Shale had previously attempted to poison his sister, but the Natural One was unable to find easy access to the leader of the Oxkillers. Valuing only raw might and combat prowess, Lord Hush was at work building a new army of killers to pursue his revenge against Queen Debs and the San Saba.

In a move borne of desparation, Shale challenged Lord Hush to single combat. Despite his frail stature, the Natural One Antler chieftain was a talented chemist, and carried a deadly poison with him into the challenge. Lord Hush was only nicked by the blade, but it was enough to weaken the Oxkiller. Before he could succumb to the deadly poison, he cleaved Prince Shale into two with a final stroke of his weapon. Both died during the challenge, and the Alliance was left without a leader.

Sometime over the summer, a new figure emerged at the head of the newfound Oxkiller Alliance — the BREAKER OF CROWNS. Little is known about the new warlord of the faction, but she is known to be intelligent, deadly, and bound to the same goal as her predecessor — the death of Queen Debs and the destruction of the San Saba. She was known as one of the right hand killers of Lord Hush, equally deadly and full of the same righteousness and disdain for technology.

In a lightning-quick assault during the Burning Season, she formed the new Oxkiller Territories, claiming the cities of Fort Worthless and Star City in the north to her cause. In an overt challenge to the Board after the fall of their mighty capital, this new Oxkiller Alliance will not be easily stopped. Now they threaten passage to the north by Oxline, have the resources to supply and feed their armies, and the zeal to pursue a new war in the San Saba - the War of Antlers.

The Breaker of Crowns aims to break the Antlered Crown of the San Saba Republic, to deal with the sins of the Oxline, and to stop the relentless expansion of the San Saba Board’s mission to unite the wastes with technology. Will you be ready when she sets her gaze on Bravado?

The Oxkiller Alliance, today

So, what does this all mean for your characters during our September event?

The war is just starting to heat up, but the Oxkillers are clearly a threat that needs to be addressed. With the corpse of Waking Prime in your backyard, Bravado is suddenly ground zero for their attacks on the San Saba Board.

New Laws

First, the Oxkiller Alliance has been declared enemies of the San Saba, and that means the laws no longer apply to their members. You can freely attack, kill, devour, or steal from any Oxkillers you run across, and the Law Dogs won’t track you down for violating the laws. There will be some open bounties on Oxkiller members, and it’s generally a bad idea to get caught aiding them. After all, if you aid the Oxkillers, you become the next person guilty of treason!

New Threats & Threat Skills

The Oxkiller Alliance will be represented in game by a new series of Threats in DR:TX. The most dangerous thing about these foes is their intelligence. They are survivors, much like your characters, and they can use tactics, set an ambush, open doors, and generally react to your actions to stop them better than a common zombie or raider. The Oxkillers are true believers and merciless killers, and will stop at nothing until they achieve their goal.

There will be four classes of Oxkillers you’ll face during our Season 5 events:

Oxkiller Thugs - These dangerous foes will be deadly warriors of the Landsmen tribes, but they rely more on their numbers to be a danger. These Thugs will be the most common enemy you’ll face during the war.
Oxkiller Assassins - The ruthlessness of the Breaker of Crowns and the Oxkillers includes the ability to disrupt their foe with tactical, murderous attacks from within your ranks. Assassins will be stealthy and dangerous foes, capable of flanking and dispatching lone targets with ease.
Oxkiller Zealots - The faith of the Tribe of Seasons runs deep in the Alliance, particularly that of the Crow Eaters. Capable of healing their allies and using the power of Faith as a weapon, the Zealots will be an insidious force multiplier in a fight with the Oxkiller Alliance.
Oxkiller Commanders - The pinnacle of the Oxkiller threat will be the deadly Commanders. Capable of buffing their allies, bolstering the line, and just being a deadly, capable fighter overall, the Commanders will be the brains of the Oxkiller attacks on Bravado.

As if Radioactive Zombies weren’t a big enough risk in September, now you’ll have to deal with rogue soldiers of the Oxkiller Alliance. Better make sure you have an injectable on hand!

A new defense for bravado

The San Saba Militia has been formed over the summer, funded by a new addition to the Charter in May, but it remains leaderless. Thanks to some clever actions by some of our players, folks amended the law that was to be passed to require the leader be elected by a popular vote. Over this season, you’ll get to help the Militia develop new tools, new defenses, and recruit new allies to aid during the War, but first you’ll need to decide who will lead the defense.

In September, you’ll be able to cast your vote for a new leader to lead the Militia against the Oxkiller Alliance, provided you have Society Membership with a local faction. Here’s the current favorites, but you’ll be able to learn more in game, as well as how your own characters could be elected:

Tabitha St. Mercy - The former Warden of Killhouse is a powerful figure in her own right, with the fortress-prison of Killhouse being a valuable training ground for new soldiers, alongside her Fallow Hope allies.
Reckoner-General Rampart - A veteran of the Hiway War, the leader of the Grave Council is a natural fit for leading other soldiers into battle. A powerful psion, adding the powerful wealth of the Grave Tax would be vital assistance during the war.
Queen Lucy “Boss” Debs - The leader of the San Saba Republic was behind the creation of the Militia, and many of her people make up the ranks of the new force. She has the power of the people behind her, but some question her resolve in facing off against former allies.

This is the first step of the new war against the Oxkiller Alliance. As the conflict heats up, rest assured that these enemies of Bravado will have a role left to play in the story of Season 5.

Wrap Up

That’s it for today, Vados! Next week, we will cover our Rules You Should Know before the event, covering a bit more about our LIQUIDATION RUNS. Can you survive the radioactive dangers of Waking to save Bravado? We will see during our journey BENEATH THE CORPSE OF WAKING!!!

Tickets are on sale online till Friday, but you can still buy them at the door!

See you soon Vados!

EArly tICKET sales FOR OUR SEASON OPENER ARE closed on friday, 9/8! You can still get tickets at the door, but get your early ticket to have you sheet ready at the door!

IT’S GONNA BE HOT IN SEPTEMBER. CHECK OUT OUR NEW GUIDE OF LARPING IN HOT WEATHER SO YOU CAN BE PREPARED FOR THE HEAT!

We will have new limited-time Stickers available as a pre-registration reward for September! Buy your ticket early and earn some cool swag! Last chance for this bonus ends on Friday!