Characters & Factions of Note
There are several new factions being introduced during our DOWNFALL event, so let’s cover some of the basics you should know about these in-character groups. While the main setting of Downfall is within a rival settlement to our home town of Bravado, you can still expect to see some familiar faces from our local game setting.
National Factions of Note
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.
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.
The Servants of the Undying are a sect 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.
Local DR:TX Factions of note
Within the walls of the city, the Fallow Hope generally maintain most of the day-to-day affairs and needs of the settlement. While more and more residents are seeking shelter in the safety that the city offers, most of the population of the town are the soldiers loyal to General Mustang.
The Mustang Loyalists are a 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, 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 Grave Council is a group of taxmen, accountants, and graverobbers that maintain the Morgues in the San Saba area around Bravado. You can read more about them here.
The Railroad Conglomerate
Characters of Note
There are several important Face NPCs of note that will be present during the Downfall event. They can be interacted with and can offer pieces of story, valuable resources, or even favors and currency to those so inclined.
Dr. Ezekiel Abbott (Remnant, Sainthood)
One of the members of the Wells Society on loan to the settlement of Bastion, Abbott is a dreamer and true believer in the cause of the glow shroom project known as the Wells Society Initiative. He wears glasses, more to distract from his unusually large eyes, and tries to keep a friendly and approachable demeanor at all times. A bit of a salesman, Abbott is always happy to talk about the potential of his projects, discuss the scientific potential of radical liberalis, and enjoys the full support of General Mustang for their research. Under his watchful gaze, the project has seen promising results from the first experiments, and he is excited to show off the rewards of their hard work. Abbott frequently braves the Exclusion Zone to check on his projects that grow within, and is the sponsor of many of the Liquidation Runs planned for the visit.
General Mustang
General Mustang has been a leader of legend in the Lone Star. Responsible for the success of Star City as a settlement in the region, leader of the faithful from the Sky Temple, and general tactical genius, they have been involved in the affairs of Bravado for over a decade. General Mustang had a big part to play in the years before the Hiway War, their forces of Law Men standing as an extension of Star City’s power. However, much of this fame and infamy is bound more to a name than a single person.
General Mustang is an attractive Merican with light hair that favors a weathered cowboy hat as the mantle of office. They take pride in the uniform of the Fallow Hope, and carries themselves with a calm authority that is hard to resist. While no slouch in combat, they are more at home planning the battles from the command HQ, or managing a supply chain for water, scrap, and necessary resources for a town. Mustang can seem cool or distant to those not within their command, but when they can apply brilliant tactics and common-sense logic to the problems at hand it can quickly soften the hardened soldier aura they maintain.
Minister-General Marcus Remington (Merican, FAllow HOpe)
Marcus Remington is the Minister-General of the Fallow Hope of Bastion. As the supreme authority on faith and war, he only answers directly to General Mustang. Remington is a powerful leader and incredibly confident in his faith, his people, and the role he plays for the settlement of Star City. Remington has been part of the Fallow Hope leadership since the Hiway War, and was one of the previous General Mustang’s closest confidants and allies.
Remington is an unassuming Merican with dark hair and a beard, but his demeanor speaks to his role as a soldier. He takes pride in his uniform, and carries himself with refinement befitting his post. While he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty in a fight, he is used to having more attendants and soldiers with him to take care of his affairs as a leader of the Loyalists. Remington has a fierce and unwavering gaze, and can be intimidating to those that are unprepared. His faith is unshakeable and it carries in everything he does.
The Minister-General views himself as a servant of the Lord Commander, through his corporeal leader made flesh, General Mustang. He is devout and deeply faithful, but it is confidence in his faith that radiates from him in everything he does. He honors the Lord Commander in his every action, and strives to keep his team disciplined and focused on their goals at hand.
Cmdr. Jane Ralston (Yorker, Fallow Hope)
One of the ranking officers of the Loyalists, Ralston is a hardened soldier that fought in the Hiway War and was one of the few survivors of the Washbourne massacre. They are a talented and capable commander, charged with the defense of the walls of Bastion and the organization of patrol schedules and defenses. They have a no-nonsense demeanor that sometimes earns a few grumbles when they aren’t around, but their attention to discipline has kept many soldiers alive in battles that would have crushed lesser forces. Ralston is a bit of a tech and tinker, and enjoys finding new tools and machines to help protect the city. She was responsible for getting the scrap cannons operational for the defense of Bastion.
Lt. Mors Hawke (Unstable, Fallow Hope)
A former Sanctioned Graverobber for the Grave Council, Hawke is a bit standoffish and at times, creepy. One of the first generation of the Unstable, he has a keen interest in the Grave Mind, psions, and the impact of aberrants on the health of the morgues. He is tasked with cleaning up the mess that the Board left behind after the crash of the sky-city, and is key to organizing the defense at the undead that swarm up from the bilge and below. Mors Hawke is a talented sniper and marksman, and possesses an uncanny skill at stealthy maneuvers and quiet approaches. A bit superstitious, he’s one of the few vocal opponents of allowing more psions into Bastion, fearing it might lead to an unstable collapse of the already wounded morgue.
Sgt. Markus Kane (Baywalker, Fallow Hope)
The leader of the Spindrift Navy, Kane is a bold and brash leader for the airborne forces that first took the city of Waking from the Board. He always has a laugh and joke ready, and his men would follow him to the brink of hell and back if he asked. Always leading from the front, they are a bit of an adrenaline junkie that enjoys the thrill of danger and the scrap of a battle. They are the first to deploy from a zipline into the fray, and the first to charge in a battle in the name of General Mustang. Kane is a skilled pilot and has shaped up the airship brigades of the Loyalists into a deadly and mobile fighting force.