Good morning! It’s Jonathan here with a STORY RECAP for the recent event, QUEENSGRACE. 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 NOW!! You can buy tickets for our next event, COLLECTION DAY today!!
You can also find our other game recaps from this season online here:
So once you’ve been caught up, let’s talk about what happened next…
QUeensgrace: The Premise
The Thirteen Houses of the Tribes Disparate have long jockeyed for position under the unifying banner of Holy Mother Queen Jasper, First of the Antlers; Bearer of the Antler’d Crown. At the Zenith of the Hiway War, nearly a decade before now, Queen Jasper’s homeland was firebombed to slag while her father and king, one in the same, was gutslewn and bled out in his own tent. She would go on to avenge him by assisting the Braves that won that war as fearless, sometimes reckless, scouts and frontline bloodletters.
But after, spurred by the plight of her own tribe and the desolation that defined the years following the Bombing at Old Bravo, Jasper first became tribal warmonger, then military leader, then peacetime royalty in the span of about three years. Her tribe, which began with only the starving warriors of her own bloodline, swelled to annex twelve additional bodies into its larger structure and before she had reached forty years of age, Jasper had become leader to an infantile nation with no land to call its own. The Tribes Disparate was born in the fear and isolation that characterized those nuclear years when the dirt was too hot to walk on, and the water burned your throat to drink it.
Through opportunistic power plays, hard-earned political acumen and the lives of many, many of her soldiers - Jasper would eke out a permanent home for The Tribes Disparate in Essex, in the wake of the Fountainhead Incident. Every moment of Jasper’s life and the lives of her House Heads, since the end of the Hiway War, had built up to the crucial acquisition of their own land.
And now, two years later, the Holy Mother is dying.
Her Tribes, bound together by their devotion to Jasper herself- and only recently the acquisition of the city they are supposed to govern, vie for power over one another even as their Queen takes her stately, staggering steps towards eternity.
Jasper, determined to live long enough to appoint an heir, has called The Summit and chosen New Bravado as the neutral territory upon which the decision of her successor will be made. Once, before the War, a Baywalker barkeep promised Jasper that, when the time came, his bar would be a gathering place for her warriors to debate and share in scholarship. The Anchor, even.
Now, she calls upon all of Bravado to honor that barkeep’s oath - and to aid in the future, if there is one at all, for the Tribes Disparate and Legacy of their Queen.
The regents, and a focus on roleplay
This event saw the introduction of several Face NPCs that represent the Regents of the 13 Tribes Disparate. Each event, our team at DR:TX strives to refine our process and introduce new styles of play as we continuously work towards a game that is enjoyable for all types of players. This event was an experiment in providing some deeper roleplay opportunities, with a bit less focus on crunchy mechanics or new monsters. There were still plenty of raiders, zombies, and danger, but no massive Leviathan props, deadly diseases, or giant Monoliths.
The main interest of QUEENSGRACE this weekend was the FOURTEEN different NPCs that were in play for most of the weekend. While of a few of these characters had seen live play during our first season, some of them during our online second season, many of these characters were seen in person for the first time ever.
THE INCUMBENT
Prince Shale, Regent of the Antler Tribe - Josh Jones
THE UNIONISTS
Mama Rabbit, Regent of the The Rabbit Family - Vincent Livingston
Sky Captain Bliss, Regent of the The Cloudskippers - Harlow Ulmer
“Boss” Lucy Frances Debs, Regent of The Local 727 - Barbara Jermyn
Colonel “Sabbath” Jacinto, Regent of The Jacintos Militia - Anastasia Mars
THE INDEPENDENTS
Captain Marina La’sander, Regent of The Longberths - Sadie Hawkins
Brother Janus, Regent of The Hermits of Helios - Harold Wilson
High Architect Lavender, Regent of The Curators - Kenzie Unger
Matriarch Fawn Cervaxi, Regent of The Cervaxi Tribe - Riva Amyett (LC)
THE DISPARATE
The Lightbearer, Regent of The Torchlights - Zachary Ryan
Sedan Fourd’or, Regent of The Sweetwater Clan - Clint Jaskier
Malorous Mab, Regent of The Cali*Co Caravan - Merp Tastic
King Hogon Clarkson, Regent of the SCAdians - Joshua Zimm (LC)
THE PRODIGAL SON, THE EXILE
Lord Hush, Exiled Regent of The Oxkillers - Sam Mars
Each of these characters was a full-fledged Face NPC with a dossier (38 pages! whew!) of their background, history, objectives, secrets, and more. Many of them were in the play space for most of the game, and were coached on ways to involve players into their politics and plots. Unlike many NPCs, these characters were given a lot of agency to decide the fate of the Tribes by talking to their constituents, building political alliances, surviving assassination attempts, and gathering allies from the town.
King Hogon, Regent of the SCAdians
The Regents also had the ability to gather allies in the form of TRIBAL CHAMPIONS:
the champions of the Disparate
While our new mechanics were limited this weekend, one particular exception allowed the Regents to choose CHAMPIONS that could represent them as bodyguards and allies. Each Regent could pick up to three Champions, but if they ever lost the Token of Fealty they were given, they lost the powers as well. The Champions gained the abilities to use Interfere, even if they didn’t have the skill, use an aura buff effect similar to Master Combat Tactics, and be Fearless, immune to the Fear and Terror abilities. These mechanics proved instrumental in allowing characters to be directly involved in the politics of the Summit.
You can read a bit more about where we started with the many faces of the Tribes Disparate at the start of our event in a blog post that Shan wrote on the political sub factions and the potential results of the Summit.
Our Regents for the opening of the Summit on Friday night. On the back row, from left to right: Sedan Four’dor, Prince Shale, Boss Debs, Sky Captain Bliss, Malorous Mab, Brother Janus, Lord Hush, the Lightbearer. On the front row, from left to right: High Architect Lavender, our proxy for the Rabbit Clan, Captain La’sander, Holy Mother Queen Jasper, Colonel Jacinto, Matriarch Fawn Cervaxi, and our proxy for the SCAdian clan. Not pictured are Mama Rabbit, and King Hogon.
The Shot Heard ‘Cross Bravado
Once night fell on Friday, the SUMMIT began in earnest. Each of the Regents of the Tribes Disparate (or a proxy in the case of a few folks not arriving till Saturday) gathered around the sickly Holy Mother for a final walk into the town of Bravado. The lights of their House symbols glowing ominously in the night as they made their way to the Depot for an opening statement from the Queen. After taking their places under the banners of their House, the Queen addressed the assembled Vados at the Terminal Station
Holy Mother Queen Jasper (Shan Lind)
Holy Mother Queen Jasper spoke of the legacy she hoped to leave behind, of the reasons she was stepping down, and the stakes of the decision to be made. Jasper’s words echoed in the room of the Depot, the fire of her spirit undiminished even though her frame was frail. She spoke of the traditions of the Tribes, and how they collective might and individual strengths of the 13 tribes were important to their success. She spoke of their new home in Essex, and her hope for a brighter future for the San Saba.
The speech was interrupted as the outcast leader of the Oxkillers, Lord Hush arrived in force at the Depot, flanked by a large contingent of his personal guards. The rebel leader loudly called the Queen a liar and fraud, and called her on her hypocrisy in front of all of her Regents. He spoke of the crimes of the Board, particularly the floating city of Waking and the compromises the Queen had made to stay in power despite her sickness. Lord Hush called upon an ancient rite of the Antlers to choose a leader by a trial-by-combat, to determine the true leader of the Tribes Disparate. Much to the dismay of her Regents, Jasper accepted the challenge, and the floor of the Depot was cleared for their duel.
The Duel between Jasper and Hush started with the terms of the challenge being to the death. Given that Jasper was on her last Infection, it was to be a final combat for the fate of the Tribes. Jasper showed a surprisingly amount of skill and strength despite her fragility, and drove Hush back time and time again. However, the stamina she was able to muster was not enough and the duel began to swing back towards Lord Hush. With an unexpected maneuver from his Paradigm Enhancer, Lord Hush stunned the Queen (as well as any aberrants nearby), and raised his sword for a final blow.
<BANG!>
Suddenly, a shot rang out across the Depot (or two, depending on who you talked to..), a vicious shot from the dreaded Royal Flush. In the chaos of the fight, Lord Hush was robbed of his final victory by the cowardly actions of an ASSASSIN. Fleeing the scene of the crime, the familiar grey coat and bowler hat of the villainous Grandfather Nichols was seen by onlookers but the assassin managed to evade pursuit as he vanished into the darkness.
Lord Hush promised swift vengeance against the town, who he blamed for violating the neutrality of the Summit. Hush promised that he would defeat Queen Jasper, even if he had to wait until she came back as a zombie to finish the duel. A fight erupted in the Depot as the various Regents tried to escape the anger of the Oxkillers, but they were soon repelled with the help of the town. However, the assassin’s bullet added a new sense of urgency to the Summit, and the Regent’s decision for a leader to replace the fallen Queen.
Boss Debs, of the Local 727 (right, played by Barbara Jermyn)
A new rusted cage
The immediate concern of the Regents of the Tribes Disparate was the imminent threat of Lord Hush simply finding Queen Jasper when she emerged after her death and “finishing” the duel they had started. The old traditions were clear that only a person that defeated Jasper in combat could truly claim the Antlered Crown, but it was agreed that a killing blow on her zombie would suffice for some of the more rebellious Regents ready to put their votes behind Hush if he was successful.
The Summit was traditionally a time of peace, so outside of a few honor guards the Regents martial forces were vastly outnumbered by Lord Hush and the Oxkillers. They would need some time to summon help from their military forces in Essex to contest the large force of Oxkillers threatening Bravado. What the Regents needed most was TIME, and the Mortis Amaranthine was not going to be cooperative with releasing Queen Jasper’s zed in a timely manner.
Or was it?
Colonel “Sabbath” Jacinto (played by Anastasia Mars)
In a desperate plan to delay Lord Hush’s victory, a few of the Regents including Colonel Jacinto, Sky Captain Bliss, and High Architect Lavender, sought help from the criminal element of Bravado to help them come up with an alternative that would stop the zed of Queen Jasper from escaping the morgue - a new RUSTED CAGE. While the Regents were reluctant to pursue such a heretical idea, they saw no other choice. This archaic Imix ritual was used to stop the Gutmother during the SECOND FOUNDING, but it could be adapted in the short term to work against a different target.
Despite the protest of Commander Rampart of the Grave Council, the Regents gathered a group of local psions to help them build a temporary trap for Queen Jasper, locking her imprint in the Gravemind until they could decide who would be the next Queen or King. The Grave Council refused to help with the ritual, as it would mean locking Jasper in the Gravemind, completely aware of her body being broken into tiny bits again and again as she was unable to reform into a zombie. A fate worse than death, and only the first of several unethical decisions during the weekend to be sure. It would be a maddening process, and it was sure to make whatever came out much, much WORSE.
Because they lacked the same conditions that made the first RUSTED CAGE possible, it would be necessary to build the new prison where Jasper died — in the middle of the Depot. While the new RUSTED CAGE was being set, the town had to fend off wave after wave of zombie attacks trying to stop them from completing the foul ritual, a reaction of the Mortis Amaranthine against the perversion that was being completed. As the dust settled once the ritual was complete, the Regents settled in for a lengthy debate on who could be trusted to challenge Lord Hush and be the one to complete the Killing Blow on Jasper when she came back out.
Boss Debs (Barbara Jermyn), Sky Captain Bliss (Harlow Ulmer), Sedan Four’dor (Clint Jaskier), and Sabbath Jacinto (Anastasia Mars) enjoying a drink at the Soiree.
An assassin brought to Justice?
A small group of Regents and Law Dogs led by Jasper Cline set themselves to trying to find the assassin, as Grandfather Nichols had been spotted in town once more, this time with his sights set on eliminating the other Regents. Nichols tried several times to kill some of the Regents, with two major attempts on Colonel Jacinto of the Jacinto Militia, an attack on King Hogon of the SCAdians that ended in the death of Remis Whoreson, a sniper shot fired at Matriarch Fawn Cervaxi, and several attempts at poisoning the Regents as they sat down for meals. Whatever other goals he had or some other true purpose, the assassin was set on killing as many of the Regents as he could.
The Law Dogs tracked Nichols down at the parachute bar in Delvedown, in an aggressive brunch that revealed that Nichols was quite happy to talk with his pursuers, so long as they asked the right questions. Any specific questions of his employer, or the nature of his remaining contract were met with a grin and the same reminder that he “could not violate the terms of his contract”. The crazed Nemesis was very specific that he was playing the role of an assassin, and played a game of cat and mouse with the individuals tracking him down. Nichols killed several in his rampage in town, but let those that weren’t directly defending a Regent escape with their lives.
The Lightbearer (Zachary Ryan) takes down Grandfather Nichols (Jonathan Loyd)
After being confronted and interrogated by the Law Dogs at the Depot, Dr. Nichols was finally captured, but not before murdering Jasper Cline, the very Law Dog sent to claim his bounty in the name of Boss Wyatt. The remaining Law Dogs dragged him away, to face justice in the Gauntlet but were intercepted by the Regents, led by the Longberth captain, Marina La’Sander, Fawn Cervaxi, Lavender, and the Lightbearer. Determined to have justice for their slain Queen, Marina refused to let Nichols be taken away for a later punishment, choosing to complete the execution on the spot herself.
As Grandfather Nichol’s corpse laid on the ground, curiously not being claimed by the Gravemind, the Telling Visionary cultist enacted one final “Nemesis Gottcha!”. Like the movie villains of oldcestor horror films, Nichols sprang up from the ground despite being “killed” and fired a final shot, killing the Regent of the Cervaxi with his violent surprise.
Justice was served, but not before Nichols completed his last contract. The Nemesis killer is still at large as he escaped from the Morgue following his death, but the Law Dogs have a renewed fervor to track him down and capture him for the Gauntlet in April.
difficult decisions
The Regents spent the next day trying to decide amongst themselves who would be fit to rule the Tribes in the absence of Jasper. The initial alliances of the Tribes had broken them into three competing interests in the future of the Tribes: the Unionists, the Independents, and the Disparate. Each had different opinions on who should lead, or even IF the Tribes should remain a source of power in the wastes.
Mama Rabbit (played by Vincent Livingston)
The Unionists, led prominently by Mama Rabbit, Colonel “Sabbath” Jacinto, and Boss Deb, wanted a world where the Tribes retained their influence in the San Saba Board, and continued to reap the rewards of their investment in Essex and the Lone Star. However, they could not agree on one specific person to lead, as they had fierce arguments over how to select a new leader, particularly as they found the rite of trial by combat distasteful. A key sticking point seemed to be an Oxblood facility used by the RRC to generate the fuel for their railroads, and arguments over how they should deal with the Board itself. The fate of Drywater was prominent, with several of the Regents expressing their support for the new Junkerpunk settlement and wanting to see Jasper’s legacy preserved in the new alliances she made before her death. When Mama Rabbit backed Boss Debs as a candidate, it swayed a majority of the Unionists to her side, including Brother Janus of the Hermits of Helios.
The Independents were also unified in their support of the Junkerpunks, particularly after their gains in Drywater. A possible solution for the decision of Regent was voiced by the like of the Cervaxi and the Longberths, favoring a Triumvirate of leaders rather than a single voice like they had in Queen Jasper. The Bloodied Wolves of the Sequoia Wastes brought the multi-leader suggestion forward based on a dying wish from the former Queen, and it was quickly adopted by the many of the Regents as a compromise. However, Marina’s brash decision to bypass the laws of the San Saba in her execution of Dr. Nichols and her idea that the Junkerpunks should be given a permanent seat on the Board created a stir between the Regents. The Independents ideas won over more than their individual regents, as Boss Debs and other Unionists adopted the idea of a Triumvirate into their platforms, based on suggestions from High Architect Lavender and King Hogon. The citizens of Bravado also approved of the popular Triumvirate plan, further solidifying the idea into the new structure of the Tribes regardless of whoever claimed the crown.
Sedan Four’dor (played by Clint Jaskier)
Finally, the Disparate were torn over the how their military might would be respected in the new order of the Tribes Disparate, but mostly they were dissatisfied with the status quo. The Torchlights and the SCAdians stood firm on their demand of a trial by combat still being allowed to choose a leader, though their disagreed if a fight must be to the death. Malorous Mab found kinship with the local Final Knights, and joined several members of the Independents in calling for a consideration of gaining new seats on the Board as part of their demands. The Disparate were the strongest voice for the ability to leave the Tribes, as they took offense to the way that Jasper forced the various groups into submission. They wanted a leader, but also wanted the ability to choose their own paths. The young leader of the Sweetwater Clan, Sedan Four’dor, even went so far as to focus his efforts on settling a trade agreement with the Junkerpunks, “just in case” things went in that direction.
For his part, Lord Hush and the Oxkillers were convinced to stand down by residents of Bravado once they were able to clarify that the assassination of Jasper was not a plot by their residents. Lord Hush was a strong voice in favor of dissolving the Tribes altogether, and it was hard to ignore the truths he mentioned. He continually spoke of the devastation left behind in the wake of the floating city of Waking Prime that pollutes the land wherever it flies. Hush whispered in the ears of those Regents that he thought would be sympathetic to his cause, and he spoke in greater detail of the hypocrisy and compromises Jasper made, working with the RRC to unnaturally prolong her life because she refused to relinquish the reigns of power. He called the former Queen on the tyranny she used to keep the Tribes in check, ruling with martial might and forcing others to submit at the tip of a sword. While everyone could agree that the Oxkillers were wrong in their attacks on the town, no one could argue that there wasn’t a little uncomfortable truth to their zealotry.
High Architect Lavender (right), played by Kenzie Unger
After hours of politics, no ONE leader emerged and it was decided that several Regents would still be willing to put themselves on the line to stand as the next King or Queen. High Architect Lavender argued that they should just make a temporary decision to keep the Tribes and the citizens safe until a more permanent decision could be made. Boss Debs of the Local 727 stood as a favorite for a temporary leader, especially as she espoused the idea of a Triumvirate leading the tribes eventually.
Several of the Regents engineered a final vote in the Depot before Jasper returned, but declined to make sure that each Regent was notified. They even made sure that the Lightbearer was removed from the vote, and called upon a favor to make him abstain so he could save face from his tribe that would only respect a martial challenge to the throne. Because of these politics, the Sweetwaters, the Oxkillers, and the Cali*Co were excluded from the final vote, though the Sweetwaters voted by proxy when the Underboss to Sedan Four’dor arrived late. Marina La’Sander voted on behalf of Malorous Mab, claiming an alliance with the Accensorite Final Knight in her absence.
Despite the arguments for a single leader and a strong showing from the Jacintos and the SCAdians, the collected Regents settled on choosing Boss Debs as their leader for a month, and that they would sign a contract that they would decide on three different leaders to represent the Tribes Disparate. This compromise seemed to mollify most of the Regents, save for the Antler Tribe and the Oxkillers.
Other events of note during the summit
While the Summit was the primary focus of the Regents and folks that were engaged in the fate of the Tribes Disparate, several other key events occurred during the weekend:
Malorous Mab (Merp Tastic) negotiates with the Jacinto’s leader, Sabbath (Anastasia Mars).
Murder Inc. offered their first contracts in Bravado, but it is unclear exactly who was the target of the shadowy organization. It is rumored that they chose a new Blade of the Shepherd to guide their hunts. While it is likely they had something to do with the Summit, no one has claimed credit for any particular kills during the weekend.
The Rusted Cage created a number of problems for folks in the Depot, as the searing rage of Queen Jasper caused a number of earthquakes centered on her prison in the Mortis Amaranthine. Periodically, the agony she was feeling below the ground was broadcast in a deafening scream from the Rusted Cage, and the Depot had to endure number attacks by zombies bent on freeing the Queen from her prison.
The Longberths led a group of sailors in harvesting the remains of the Leviathans killed while BEYOND THE HORIZON. Various other trade opportunities emerged with the Regents in town, as many sought to establish new trade connections with the Tribes Disparate while they had direct access to their leaders.
Criminals found their supply of Crystal Candy had become tainted, and any Crystal Candy purchased from the Post Office with Criminal Influence was difficult to stomach and not quite as effective as it should have been. Some folks even took to harvesting “fresh” Crystal Candy from hapless psions or willing victims that could be harvested with a deadly procedure.
the queen Returned
With a Queen chosen, the Tribes gathered their might at the Depot, the site of the Rusted Cage that was containing the zed of Queen Jasper. The foul ritual was straining to contain her anger, and the earthquakes shuddering the building were increasing in severity quickly. The Regents would try to deal with whatever emerged from the Cage, and make sure that the corpse was destroyed by the killing blow of Boss Debs, thus securing her right to the Antlered Crown. Lord Hush refused to support the Queen-elect, and instead used an Abyssal Stitch procedure to bodily enter the Mortis Amaranthine, where he attempted to kill Jasper within the Grave Mind itself.
Lord Hush’s last gambit had an effect. There was an eerie moment of silence as the ritual containing Jasper ended. The lights flickered out, and the screams of the undead stopped. It was like the calm before a storm, for as the lights came back to life, in the center of the room was the desiccated corpse of Queen Jasper, surrounded by a mass of Tanks, Shamblers, and Abominations. The Cage had done as the Grave Council feared and magnified Jasper’s power, as she raised the terrible greatsword she took with her into the grave.
The Returned Queen, by Avery Clarke
Jasper held the defeated form of Lord Hush up in her cancerous limbs, and with a great unnatural howl flung the Oxkiller across the room into the Regents and their Champions. Lord Hush had failed to stop the Queen, and her vengeance on the Regents was now made manifest. Her terrible call was answered from outside as well, as a vast horde of zombies arrived to the summons of the deceased Antlered Queen. The fight erupted into chaos, as zed assaulted the defenders in the Depot.
Each time Jasper pressed the attack, the citizens of Bravado stood firm. Her piercing strikes and screams of agony echoed in the Depot, but the shield wall of the Regents and their Champions stood firm. Each time Jasper was beaten down by the Vados, she cried in anger and rose once more, tenacious and unstoppable. As her anger magnified, the cries of her betrayal took a sinister note. The veneration that the Regents had shown her in life was abused by the zombie Jasper, as her mental domination swayed several of her Regents and their Champions to fight for her instead.
The shield wall broke, but the mind controlled fighters were taken down before they could press the attack further and reach the medics sheltering behind the line. Once those impacted by her Veneration were taken into Bleed Out, the effect ended and they could return to the fight with their wits intact. However, as the fight progressed, each of the 13 Tribes was impacted by her calls for loyalty beyond death, and when those that had chosen powerful Champions were turned, it was a challenge to deal with both the undead Queen Jasper, the many Tanks sieging the Depot, and those controlled by the psionic influence. In the chaos, after being taken down by Queen Jasper, Sky Captain Bliss was drug out into the night and devoured by a pack of Gorehounds.
Thirteen times the corpse of Queen Jasper rose from the dead, and thirteen times the new Queen, Boss Debs struck her down, even despite the tears in her eyes. With the final blow, it was as if a sigh of relief was felt by the Gravemind in a moment of quiet. The lights flickered once more, but when the tranquility of that final blow passed, all that remained was the zed that should have emerged after Jasper’s death - a lowly shambler. Gone was her maddened cries, gone was the psionic mind control, and the greatsword she had nearly killed so many with hung limply in her hands.
Through the tears, Queen Deb accepted the mantle of the Antlered Crown as she showed one final mercy to the former Queen, striking the head off of her zombie in a killing blow one last time. The Regents of the Tribes Disparate knelt before their new Queen, as the town breathed a collective sigh of relief. But that brief moment of peace was not long lasting, as the infighting between the Regents continued after the death of Jasper.
A tumultuous future for the tribes
Boss Debs had made an effort to settle the rivalry with Lord Hush over the weekend, even seeking to return the lost Oxkiller Tribe to the fold. Prince Shale of the Antler Tribes, favoring wits over brawn, made his own move by seeking an alliance with the Oxkillers for himself, and not the Tribes as a whole. Lord Hush swore fealty to the Prince of the Antlers instead of the new Antlered Queen, in direct opposition to the new Queen. Hush appealed to the Prince’s famed jealousy of his sister, and declared his fealty by saying “let me swear to you and become your strength, and let us together build the Tribe your sister would have wanted.”
Prince Shale, portrayed by Josh Jones
For the insult, Boss Deb’s demand was that Lord Hush submit to a death at the hands of the new Queen, before she could forgive his trespasses or accept his fealty. Prince Shale refused to order his vassal to kneel, and declined to acknowledge the new Queen.
Prince Shale and Lord Hush left Bravado in disgust, turning their backs on the new Queen and began the exodus, taking the vast military might of their Tribes with them. Without those forces, the Tribes Disparate would be hard pressed to defend the capital of Essex from outside enemies.
This shocking threat of violence from the Queen was also considered a hypocrisy by Colonel Jacinto — it echoed of the fierce unfairness of Queen Jasper’s rule by force. Screaming in anger at the new Queen, the betrayal was too much for the Fallow Hope commander to accept and she left the Depot in anger, ordering her soldiers to follow after the Antlers and Oxkillers.
The 13 Tribes of the Disparate were no more, broken to the remaining 10. However, the exodus of three Tribes from the fold of the faction leaves many unanswered questions and a challenge to the new Queen. The elite soldiers of the Torchlights curiously remained in support of Queen Debs for now, but because the agreement was for only one month there is still a chance that other Tribes might make the decision to leave the Tribes for good.
A fragile peace has been brokered for a moment, but it remains to be seen how the Tribes weather this new challenge, and if they can accept a new leader after the fall of Queen Jasper. For now, with a large portion of their military might gone and their hold on Essex in question, the Tribes will need to spend some time regrouping and renegotiating contracts before their story is done. The faction will ultimately survive in some form thanks to the efforts of their new Queen, her Regents, and the support of the town of Bravado, even if they are a bit wounded by the turmoil.
Wrap up
The story of QUEENSGRACE was a story we waited two years to tell, and I hope you got a chance to attend this event. We decided the future of the Tribes Disparate, but it was surprising how far the resolution went from where we expected.
Let’s look at some of the major plot points that were decided during the Summit:
Matriarch Fawn Cervaxi (played by Riva Amyett)
The Tribes Disparate will remain a Faction in the San Saba.
The Tribes Disparate will not be a Financial Institution for April. This is a temporary effect unless the financial security of the faction is not settled by the Regents.
“Boss” Lucy Frances Debs of the Local 727 was elected as the new Antlered Queen, under a contract for one month.
The Tribes will choose a Triumvirate next month to lead their Faction, a compromise to keep the many factions in check and to honor their support.
Three Tribes left the Disparate, the Antlers, the Oxkillers, and the Jacintos. Their combined military might is now a significant threat to the San Saba and loss to the Tribes, but whether they remain enemies or potential allies is yet to be decided.
The Tribes lack of a military force could mean their control of Essex could be threatened and the Fountainheart tree that was declared holy by Queen Jasper could fall into other hands.
Tribes Regents can choose to leave the Disparate and forge their own paths. While only 3 Tribes have left so far, others could choose this path in the future unless something is done to ensure their loyalty or consolidate the remaining Tribes.
The Tribes retain a seat on the San Saba Board, but will not have the strength to negotiate additional seats with the Chair. The lack of a single leader or significant military makes it challenging for them to demand additional representation.
The Tribes have chosen an alliance with the Junkerpunks and the neighboring settlement of Drywater. They will be a strong ally for the Junkerpunks in the future.
That’s it for today! Tickets are on sale for our next event, COLLECTION DAY, so make sure you get a chance to see the resolution of this event as the Tribes decide who exactly will lead their Faction and they resolve the fragile one-month peace they negotiated during the Summit.
