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The Story of Downfall

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Howdy Vados!

It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to the start of our new sixth Season and the first DR Live National Event! This week, I’ll be introducing the story of our upcoming National Event and give some teasers about what to expect when you get to visit Bastion!

Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by the talented Lauren Guzaldo.

Testing a new system and earning XP is a great reason to attend Downfall, but some folks want to know a bit more about the story and why their characters might make the trip to the San Saba region. Let’s cover the details below.

THE PREMISE

“Every settlement in the wastes has a similar story – a spark of hope amidst the irradiated wasteland, trying to survive in a hostile environment that is the product of too many nukes, too many raiders and undead, and too much conflict.  Now, a new hope for survival has arrived – a way to cure the threat of radiation.

The Wells Society, a group of Sainthood that survived the fall of the Trade Union, have emerged with a solution — a breed of mushroom that feeds on radiation itself.  With the help of the Grave Mind scholars known as the Servants of the Undying, they have developed the “Liberum Radicalis”, or Glow Shroom, and promise that they can “cure” irradiated areas across the wastes.  In a few short months, the Society claims they can return an area back to a state where crops can grow and new settlements can form, free from the plague of the green glow.

Their first test of the strange blue mushrooms on a large scale has happened at a Fallow Hope fortress called the Bastion of New Dawn.  Built atop the wreck of a massive crashed airship, Bastion has been surrounded by lethal radiation and massive ZOMBIE HORDES that continue to emerge from the destroyed generator at its core and has served as an impenetrable fortress during the recent wars in the area.  The soldiers of the Mustang Loyalists, loyal to the one and only GENERAL MUSTANG, have opened the fortress to new settlers and travelers, with a promise that the radioactive threat is no more.  

With the help of the Wells Society, the first proof of concept for their new mushroom is ready for others to visit, collect spores to take home with them, and see for themselves what the Sainthood have brought forward for the greater good.  Invitations have gone out to every major settlement across the wastes, to visit Bastion and see the revelations of the great work that has been completed, and how it can benefit their own communities.

But their opponents with the Temple of Evolution suggest that the radiation is itself a reason for the survival of so many settlements.  Without the mutation of the Infection, none of the Strains would exist.  What will happen to the Infection that runs in your veins when not constantly bombarded with radiation from the wastelands?  What will happen to the Mortis Amaranthine when the source of its creation is gone and it is allowed to expand unchecked?  Even if the Glow Shrooms are safe, who will control these new fertile lands and decide who will benefit from the homes that are created in the absence of radiation? 

Come and witness the birth of a new era of the wasteland, survive the zombie hordes, and gather the promise of salvation to bring home to your settlements, courtesy of the Wells Society and the Bastion of New Dawn.”

Radiation, Mushrooms, and Zombies? Sounds like a great Dystopia Rising event!

Inspiration & Tropes

For the Downfall story, 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 DOWNFALL 2024:

  • Horizon Zero Dawn

  • Westworld

  • Minority Report

  • Gremlins

In Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy is given a choice to restore technology from the ancients, but has to contend with this tech becoming new and terrible weapons in the hands of her enemies. While the glow shrooms could be a powerful way to restore the wasteland, they could lead to dangerous mutations or worse if not properly used.

Similarly, Westworld and Minority Report explore unintended consequences of technology. As a new resource is introduced to the wasteland, so too does the power struggle around new technology. While the glow shrooms can be a powerful tool to help a settlement, new land and new resources means there could be a contest for who gets to claim these new advantages.

The Wells Society can be a valuable ally for your settlement, but the glow shrooms they offer need to be properly cared for, like the movie Gremlins. Just like you wouldn’t feed a strange creature after midnight, it will be important to really research and understand what is being offered. If the players follow the instructions for the glow shrooms it should work well, but we know that they don’t always listen to sound advice.

The Themes of Downfall

Every game in DR:TX has a few themes we want to reinforce in the story. Here’s a few to watch out for during the National Event.

Greater Good vs Individuality

  • While solving a problem of radiation can present a benefit for the greater good across the wastes, as the Mortis is strengthened so does the sense of self fade into nothingness.  The Wasteland is a balance of radiation and death, and picking one or the other could be catastrophic.

Radiation vs the Grave Mind

  • Radiation is a useful tool against raiders and zed alike, offering powerful weapons and a natural enemy to the Grave Mind.  As radiation wanes in danger and the Grave Mind gets stronger, so too does the threat of undead.  If the glow shrooms are truly an answer to radiation, could this even remove the protective elements of the Infection such as quick healing and beneficial mutations?

Faith vs Order

  • The opposing faiths of the Darwin and Fallow Hope are placed in conflict during this story.  Mustang has a solution to help their people with new farmland, new safety, and the ability to help their faction grow.  The radiation leaks from Bastion have been a bane on the nearby settlements, and even the Darwins have precepts against unchecked evolution.  But, the glow shrooms represent the anathema of the Darwin faith, and a way to remove their faith’s holy focus from being a force of survival.

Breaking down the premise

For those that haven’t attended a DR:TX event before, we normally introduce our events with a bit of player-facing content to understand a bit more about what is going on. In the narrative description above, I’ve highlighted a few key points, and I want to make sure you have some context. This premise will introduce a few key concepts, some of the themes of the event, and some of the proper nouns and characters you might need to know for the story.

During this event, we will be running a lot of material inspired by the wonderful DR Live Plot Kit, “Illusions of Civility”. If you want spoilers, you can read ahead on the DR Live website, but our event will still have some surprises in store, even if your own game chooses to run this plot kit.

We’ve put together a longer list of Frequently Asked Questions about Downfall over on our website, but here’s a few of the questions you might have about the story of Downfall.

TL;DR - What’s the story?

A group of Sainthood called the Wells Society wants to share a new resource to help settlements across the Wastes, a mushroom that eats radiation. They’ve invited you to the place called Bastion where they have tested the mushrooms and can show you how they work. If you attend, you can even take some of the glow shroom spores home to share with your home settlement.

When is the game taking place?

DOWNFALL, a four-day event, kicks off on the evening of Thursday, October 10, featuring workshops and social activities. The story begins the morning of Friday, October 11, through the afternoon of Sunday, October 13.

Where is the game being set?

Bastion, a rival settlement near Bravado. While the game will take place on our usual campsite at Bluebonnet Shores, the story is set in a nearby town run by the Fallow Hope soldiers that follow a demagogue leader named GENERAL MUSTANG. Bastion is built on the wreck of a massive airship, and there is plenty of mystery left to explore inside.

Who is General Mustang?

General Mustang was first introduced in the 2.0 book Embers of the Irradiated Wastes (p. 42). They’ve been a powerful NPC in the Lone Star area since the start of DR:TX, and have been tied to a number of machinations over the years. This will be the first time that you can interact with this character in live play!

who is the wells society?

The Wells Society is a new National-level faction that is part of the plotkit Illusions of Civility. They are mostly Sainthood folks that want to help build a better tomorrow for the wasteland through mutual aid and support.

The Wells Society emerged from the vacuum left by the Trade Union’s withdrawal and stands as a testament to the potential for collaboration across diverse factions, each bringing unique perspectives and resources to a shared vision. The Wells Society’s mission goes beyond just survival; it seeks to reclaim and rehabilitate the ravaged earth, fostering conditions where life can flourish anew. You’ve probably heard stories about the Trade Union from 2.0 - this is where the ubiquitous Trade Note comes from after all.

What is at stake?

There’s been a few too many nukes used during our DR events over the years. The Glow Shrooms are a powerful new resource that could help your settlement clean an area of radiation, helping with new farm-able land, clean water, and an area free of irradiated threats. Every town in the wastes could benefit from something like this, provided it works like the Wells Society says it does.

Who else is involved?

There are a few major NPC groups that have a stake in what is happening in Bastion.

  • The Mustang Loyalists are a DR:TX militant faction of the Fallow Hope that follow the leadership of a demagogue named General Mustang. They have claimed the city of Bastion as their own after a recent war, and have deployed a powerful military force into the settlement. They offer safety and security to those willing to swear allegiance to their rule, and have invited settlements across the wastes to their home as part of the Wells Society initiative.

  • The Servants of the Undying are a sect of mostly Natural Ones that worships the Mortis Amaranthine, the Infection, and the role the Mortis plays in the cycle of creation and destruction. In the eyes of the Servants of the Undying, the Mortis is an aspect of existence that should not only be respected and revered, but also propagated and expanded whenever possible. You might have first read about these faction in the 2.0 book, Overgrowth of the Undying (p. 26).

  • The Temple of Evolution sees radiation as the light of truth in a false world created by the Mortis. Under the guidance of Curie Pierre, the Temple of Evolution believes that the Mortis gives the wasteland strength to survive, and it will eventually turn all of creation into a single organism. Free will, individual exceptionalism, and evolution does not thrive in a single organism environment without reason to evolve. You might have first read about these guys in the 2.0 book, Overgrowth of the Undying (p. 96).

what will we be fighting?

It’s a zombie game, so you can expect to face a LOT of zombies. We want to show off as many of the DR Live threats as possible, so you can expect to run into basically any of the undead variants outlined in the Zombie Threat Guide. There will also be the usual array of raiders, cannibals, critters, and your fellow survivors to contend with as well. The primary enemy outside of zombie will probably be other Strain threats, like the Mustang Loyalists.

Why would a player want to attend Downfall?

The easiest answer to this one is that you want to play with the new DR Live rules during a full weekend event. This will be the first National Event to use the new rule set, and one of the first chances you will get to get new blueprints, a special new currency card, and the first chance to build new DR Live gear that you can keep for your characters.

  • Test run your character build. Because the launch of DR Live will also involve a complete character reset, anything you build for this event will be temporary. This is a great time to test out your killer build or try some skills you don’t usually grab. Try out something new like being a psion or try out a new profession before the official launch of the game.

  • You’ll be able to collect a brand new collectable currency - The Wells Society Membership! This unique, foiled currency card will be available at our National Event for the first time ever. If you collect rectangles, you won’t want to miss out!

  • You can buy up to 10 XP for each of your characters. If you have an Advanced Membership, you’ll get the XP boost on all of your characters. This will be a nice way to get a boost of power for your characters before DR Live launches officially.

  • You can keep your gear. Anything you can make, craft, loot, or steal is yours to keep after the event. It’ll be available to use once DR Live launches, but the expiration dates won’t start until then. Get a head start on the new edition and enter armed and prepared for survive the apocalypse!

  • Get a head start on the National Plot Kit. The Illusions of Civility plot kit has been released to every chapter in the network. Your character could be the reason for the glow shrooms to get back to your settlement, or help establish a great connection with the Wells Society in advance.

  • It’s risk free! Even if you lose all your infection, no permanent damage can happen to your character during this event, unless you chose otherwise. If you end up dying your last time or gaining too many fractures, you’ll simply be able to play your character again at the next live event, wounded but whole. If you are worried about losing a favorite PC in the first DR Live game, you’ll be able to test the new system with confidence.

Our storytellers are hard at work crafting fun mods, interesting NPCs, and unique experiences to enjoy while you attend Downfall, but we have three major in-game events that you might want to experience for yourself. We want to share a bit of the uniqueness of the DR:TX experience when you come to visit, and we have some fun events that we think you will enjoy:

The Siege of Bastion

One of our culminating events of the weekend will be a massive fight, in true DR:TX style. Our team loves boffer combat and we really want to test your mettle with the new DR Live rules. You’ll need to survive an intense meat grinder of a fight over several hours, using teamwork, leveraging and rationing your precious Impact Skills to the best of your ability. We want to create a fight that will leave you exhausted and accomplished, and let you make a name for yourself on the battlefield.

morgue collapses & Grave Dives

Do you want to dive into the Mortis to face dangerous undead and help the town avoid a catastrophic morgue collapse? Do you want to try out new Necrology items and procedures for the first time? You can experience the Grave Dives described in the Grave Divers plot kit and A Grave Place books in the live space, and face the terrifying denizens of the Mortis Amaranthine. Grave Heads rejoice, as you can dive in the depths to save the day.

Liquidation Runs

A unique DR:TX experience, you’ll be able to brave the deadly radiation of the Exclusion Zone around Bastion to forage for new scrap and herb, the important glow shrooms, and face challenges as a team against the clock. You’ll face off against several kinetic challenges that can’t be solved by throwing Mind points or Impact skills at the problem. You’ll need to be quick, organized, and efficient to make it out in one piece with your prize, lest the radiation end your run with certain death!

Man, that sounds like a blast!

Why would my character want to attend Downfall?

This is the real important question for quite a few folks. Sure, you can buy a ticket easily enough, but WHY would your character want to travel all this way to see a mushroom? What’s in in for you, after all?

Here’s a few prompts to consider for why your character would attend:

  • A new hope for your settlement. The glow shroom can fix a lot of problems that face most settlements. Simple survival is tough in the wasteland, and being able to clean up important resources like food and water from the threat of radiation would be useful for any settlement. The Wells Society has promised samples of the glow shroom spores for anyone that wants them, and the Sainthood group is a bunch of charitable sorts that don’t even want money.

  • You have an opinion on curing radiation and the Mortis. What the Wells Society has suggested is bound to have some side effects. The Mortis exists in a delicate balance with radiation, and these glow shrooms may stand to create unfortunate consequences that could eventually spread to your settlement. Better see the research for yourself, in a controlled environment, so you can put your unique academic background to the test.

  • It’s all about the rectangles, baby. A new settlement opening their doors means new money to be made for the canny traveler that can make the trip. New blueprints, new gear, new marks.. ahem, new trade partners, and lots of folks to trade currency with. Plus, if a few things go missing from the Fallow Hope’s pockets, who is going to notice?

  • You’ve heard of dangerous new threats in the wastes and want to make sure your town is ready. In the last few months, the Grave Mind has been churning forth more and more dangerous threats. You’ve heard of deadly raider clans acting with more organization than ever before. If the Mustang Loyalists have some useful tools to help combat this threat, your hometown would benefit from the training and the chance to understand more before it reaches your door.

  • The city of Bastion is a trove of old relics and scrap. The airship that was once known as Waking was powered by a massive steam engine, and the wreck might have some useful treasures hidden inside. Maybe you can find some useful scrap in the radioactive husk to upgrade your ride or help with your most recent science project. The Exclusion Zone is covered in bits of discarded crazy future metal, steel, and other important metals for those willing to brave a liquidation run into the dangerous irradiated wasteland.

  • It’s a matter of faith. For the Darwins, a group of Fallow Hope claiming to have a cure for radiation sounds suspicious at best. There’s no better person than you to make sure these folks don’t leave a bad name for your religion. For the Fallow Hope, curing radiation sounds like exactly what the Lord Commander inspired their followers to do. This could be a new weapon in your arsenal against the hated Hellfire. For everyone else, your faith might have an opinion on what the Wells Society has offered. New farmland sounds great for the Sainthood and Tribes, but reducing suffering in the wastes sounds like something a Final Knight needs to have a say on. Maybe you want to make sure the hospitality of a neighbor is respected as a Nuclear Family, or you just want to show those Fallow Hope a good time through song or sin. Regardless of your particular faith, there’s plenty of reason to want to travel to Bastion.

  • You have a score to settle. General Mustang and the Loyalists have been a threat to the Lone Star for quite some time. They have been an enemy of Bravado for years and have only really recently buried the hatchet with their nearby rival. Getting invited behind enemy lines is a great time to get a bit of reconnaissance done, find out more about how the Loyalists function, and get a first set of eyes on what has changed inside Bastion. Or if you don’t have a grudge against the Loyalists, maybe you are more concerned about the connections between the Wells Society and the Trade Union and need to understand more about where they came from.

There’s so many reasons and more to attend DOWNFALL, and we hope you will join us in October for the first chance to experience the story in person!

wrap up

That’s it for today Vados! We have a lot planned for the next few weeks as we lead up to the start of our new season and the first DR Live National Event. Next week, we will cover some changes you can expect to see in our upcoming Season 6, and we will be continuing our Downfall coverage up until the event in October on our Downfall Blog.

You can purchase tickets for our DOWNFALL event today! Will you outrun the dead, or join them?