I haven’t played in DR:TX since 2.0, and I have no clue what’s happened!

As a veteran DR:TX player, there are a few things you should know.

The Hiway War happened

At the end of the 2.0 season, we covered the events of the “Hiway War”. During this event, a villain known as Hiway Rob brought huge hordes of zed up from the Gravemind into massive stampedes that wiped entire settlements off the map. Most of the characters and factions you might remember didn’t survive the war.

His menace was only stopped by a heroic last stand in old Bravo, by the sacrifice of a few known as the Sunsetters. They lured Rob in just in time to detonate a terrible bomb meant to erase the memory of Bravo forever and kill the Full Dead bandit and former Ranger for good.

After the end of the season, when the game passed to Shan and Aesa, we did a “time skip” into the world of 3.0. Three years passed after the Hiway War, and the area changed in some dramatic ways.

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A few of the old factions you might remember survived the Hiway War, though many have changed a bit

At the end of the 2.0 season, we gave players an opportunity to ‘save’ various factions of Bravo that would be brought forward past the time skip to join the world of 3.0. Thanks to the hard work of some dedicated players, the following factions survived in some way:

The Antler Tribe - The followers of Queen Jasper became the mighty Tribes Disparate, and have a significant place in the new setting. The Antler Tribe remains one of the most potent military forces in the San Saba and protects the holy city of Essex and the Oxline.

The Cervaxi Tribe - The Remnant tribe founded by Fawn Cervaxi survived and helped save Queen Jasper in their flight from Bravo, and brought their Faith of the Four Mothers to the Tribes Disparate.

The SCAdians - The Natural One clan lost their homeland and king during the war, but reformed under the leadership of the son of their former leader, King Hogon. They have added their might to the Tribes Disparate.

The Road Royals - The riotous DJ clan survived and has added more than just DJs to their ranks. You can still recognize them by the checkered flags they wear, and they prowl the Dune Sea to the west of Bravado.

The Spiderhouse Red Star - The secretive Red Star of Bravo were always survivors, but have risen to prominence in the Junkerpunks, whose Covemaster hails from their memory. They are the currently “elected” leader of a faction of rebels and pirates, as much as anyone can claim to be.

The Imix Tribe of Unborn - The green-skinned mystics of the Imix were instrumental in saving the wastes from the complications of the bomb after it damaged the Mortis Amaranthine. Based on their help, they were formed into the powerful new faction known as the Grave Council.

The Bucc’s - The followers of the beaver Sun God, a sect of a Sainthood that watch after weary travelers were saved by the kindness of others and still prosper across the roads of the San Saba Territories.

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Old Bravo is gone and in its place is a new settlement known as Bravado

As part of creating a new world, we’ve flipped the IG campsite around a bit, and there are some new areas of note:

• The Cafeteria building, formerly used as The Last Chance Saloon is now “The Depot”, and serves as an in-character market and place to trade with other players. This is an air-conditioned in-character space that has locations nearby for crafting and gathering using the Artisan, Culinary, and Agricultural skills.

• The Kiva cabin, formerly used as the BFG HQ is now “The General Store”, and serves as the new Post Office and as a social space. This is where you go to get cards generated by your skills or crafting. This is where you will come for Check-in and the New Player Orientation. We will meet outside of Kiva for our opening announcements.

• The Wikiup Cabin, formerly known as the Lucky 7 Cabin is now “The Dusthouse”, and often serves as a sleeping space for new players and travelers.

• The Wigwam cabin, formerly known as Chantilly Place, is now “The Dog’s Run”, and has plenty of open sleeping bunks.

• Tent City is now “Delvedown Camp”, and serves as a major crafting area for things using the new Artisan skill. Several popular player-run bars and social spaces have also sprouted up in the area. This is an area within the Wasteland, a CvC area of the game.

• The open air cabins of Hope's Edge are now “The Dive”, and serves as a major brewing and cooking area for things using the new Culinary skill. This is an area within the Wasteland, a CvC area of the game.

• The fields in front of the former Hope’s Edge, across from Kiva are now “the Meadows”. This space is used for farming and the use of the new Agricultural skill. This is an area within the Wasteland, a CvC area of the game.

• The treehouse we used as the Radio Tower is now “The Maw” and serves as an entrance into the mysterious tunnels below the city that were opened after the war. This is an area within the Wasteland, a CvC area of the game, and is used for our NPC land mods. You may not camp in this area, but you can enter it freely unless a sign says otherwise.

• The trails along the lake path that once housed Boot Hill are now known as “Widow’s Walk”, and offer a place for shady meetings. This is an area within the Wasteland, a CvC area of the game, and is used for our NPC land mods. You may not camp in this area, but you can enter it freely unless a sign says otherwise.

• The open air cabins of Zuni is now “The Breach” and is a newly opened camping space that has open-air cabins. This is an area within the Wasteland, a CvC area of the game. The area behind the Breach, leading towards the old horse corral is considered NPC land. You may not camp in this back area, but you can enter it freely unless a sign says otherwise.

• The Hopi lodge, where we used to have Ops/NPC camp remains used for this purpose. The area is out of character and is considered part of our new Morgue and is known as “the Hallows” in game. This is still where you will report for your NPC shift.

• The current in-character Morgue will be in the pavilion area in the Zuni camp, behind the Hopi Lodge, and is known as “the Hallows” in game.

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The bomb that ended the Hiway War caused serious damage to the Mortis Amaranthine

The Imix Tribe was instrumental in restoring them to function.  A terrible disease known as the “Plague of the Unfinished” ravaged the wastes for years, and can cause a person to emerge incomplete until they melt away and die a second time.  The Unborn mystics formed a powerful new faction called the Grave Council, and offered their services to stabilize the morgues.   If someone isn’t brought out by a Groundskeeper, they could risk contracting the terrible wasting sickness.  The Groundskeepers are on-call STs that will perform our black-box Gravemind Scenes for characters that meet an untimely end.

There are several new prominent factions in Bravado

Several large factions rose into prominence after the war and established themselves in virtually every aspect of life.  Players can join these factions by signing Contracts, and earn in-game benefits and items in exchange.

These are the major factions everyone should know about

The Railroad Conglomerate, or RRC, is responsible for the formation of the transcontinental Oxline, a jet-powered locomotive capable of crossing the Wastes unscathed by zed or raider. The connection of the Oxline has brought the Lone Star closer than ever before.  This is the most powerful and successful faction, and they have advanced the technology of the Lone Star into a new industrial era. The RRC recently joined with their rivals in the Conglomerate to form the heart of the new San Saba Board. The current representatives of the RRC are Felicity Redfield and “The Scientist” Doctor Stewart.

The Grave Council, a faction of mystics and tax collectors, focus on keeping the balance of biomass in the Gravemind and have enforced a heavy fine on unnecessary death in the wastes. The Sanctioned Graverobbers of the Grave Council roam as Groundskeepers and problem solvers, but the heart of their power is in the hallowed halls of the Grave Bureau, in the city of Essex to the south. The Grave Council experienced a bit of turmoil during a crisis in Essex known as the Fountainhead Incident, when a new morgue appeared in the city and formed a schism in their ranks. The current leader of the Grave Council is an unborn named Takheeta Firstborn.

The Tribes Disparate, is a motley group of smaller factions joined together under the leadership of the Antler Queen, Holy Mother Jasper. While each of the lesser factions of the Tribes are unique in their own right, the Tribes have claimed the city of Essex as their new home and work to protect a massive tree that grew in the heart of the city known as the Fountainheart. However, the Queen is known to be deathly ill and the faction is in turmoil as they wonder who the Queen will select as her successor. The leader of the Tribes is the Holy Mother Queen Jasper.

The prison known as Prudence Penitentiary has been constructed on the former site of Temple Station, where the most dangerous foes of the Lone Star are kept secure. The Warden of the Prison known unofficially as “Killhouse” is a follower of the Light of Hedon and employs the Justices of Sin that travel around the region passing judgement of those that break the laws. Each year, the Warden releases the Penitent and Lifers of Killhouse for 24 hours in a holy ritual known as The Indulgence, before they are rounded up and returned to their cells. The Warden of Killhouse is Tabitha St. Mercy.

The rebellious Junkerpunks have set themselves as the primary alternative to the leadership of the San Saba Board and the second-most powerful commercial interest in the areas. A loose confederation of pirates, highwaymen, privateers, caravan drivers, merchants, couriers, and sailors from the Lonestar’s waterways and roadways, the Junkerpunks were denied entrance into the San Saba Board by The Chair, in a rare exercise of their Veto power. In response, the Junkerpunks have chosen to forge their own path alone and prove that they can be successful despite being outcast. The Junkerpunks have no true leadership, but Grand Admiral Sinker Swim is well known throughout Bravado.

The Widows of the Lonestar are a powerful political faction arising from within the Lovelace Quiet Folk community. Their origin is tied to the end of the Hiway War and from the struggle among the agricultural community to rebuild following that calamity. Their public identity is the Lonestar Widows and Children’s Fund, a charity that is well known for its good works across the San Saba Territories. They collect donations for the Pauper’s Fund, money that is used to pay the Grave Tax of the less fortunate, maintain an Orphanage in Essex, and a medical clinic in Bravado, as well as other charitable works. Above all, the Widows work to maintain the cultural identity and way of life of those people who live in Widows Peak and the outskirts of Bravado, and to prevent the calamity that destroyed Old Bravo from ever happening again.

The last faction of note is actually a combination of several factions collectively known as the San Saba Board. Comprised of the RRC, the Grave Council, the Tribes Disparate, Prudence Penitentiary, and the Law Dogs, the Board represents the combined effort, contracts, and investments of the various factions. By combining their goals into one shared vision, the Board is both able to enforce a system of laws throughout the San Saba, and provide security for the system of Contracts they swear by. The Board follows its own Charter that determines the right of each faction to control an aspect of life in the Lonestar.

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There are new settlements that have emerged in the LoneStar

There are several new major locations of note throughout the newly formed San Saba Territories. While we won’t really visit these locations in the live space, they can and will have an impact on what happens in our story.

To the south of Bravado is one of the largest cities in the Lone Star, the City of Light and Sound, known as Essex. This hub of commerce grew up on the outskirts of New Austen, and is home to two of the powerful factions of the region, the Tribes Disparate and the Grave Council. A recent calamity known as the Fountainhead Incident has covered the city in new and strange flora, all centered around a massive tree known as the Fountainheart.

North of Bravado is the marvelous flying city of Waking Prime, the seat of the San Saba Board and capital of the territories. Normally found just south of Star City and Fort Worthless, this massive airship-city is the home of the Railroad Conglomerate and the Board itself. The vessel spews toxins and irradiated waste in its wake and is harassed by technology-averse raiders known as Stormchasers.

Far to the southeast, lies the port haven of The Clutch. Home of the Junkerpunks, the seaport is one of the busiest trading areas in the San Saba. The mercantile fleets of the Junkerpunks traverse the riverways and oily seas of the Spoiled Coast, offering a rival financial power to the RRC.  The RRC is racing to expand the Oxline east towards Gatorland, but is contested by the mighty Flotilla of the Clutch.

Recently discovered in the deserts of the Dune Sea to the west, the roving city of Barogue lies dormant. A massive construction of the Oldcestors, this ancient city was covered by sand but represents a new resource for the San Saba. The engineers of the RRC are hard at work excavating the city from its slumber and constructing an expansion of the Oxline they intend to stretch all the way to El Dorado and the Broken Coast.

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There is a new law and order to the wastes

Four years after the Hiway War ended, the emergent factions of the Lone Star region have been unified into the San Saba Territories.  Central to this new organization is the San Saba Board, a council of leaders made up of representatives from the most powerful groups within the wastes of the Lone Star, led by The Chair.  

The Board believes that only by working together, the people can prevent another calamity like the Hiway War and help the greater good by bringing structure, law, and order to the untamed wilds of the irradiated west. Each member of the Board has agreed to place the collective weight of their contracts, resources, and wealth towards this goal and has been rewarded for their support.

The San Saba Board claims the RRC, the Tribes Disparate, the Grave Council, the Law Dogs, and the Warden of Prudence Penitentiary among their members. The wealthy Quiet Folk family, the Lovelaces, stays neutral in the affairs of the San Saba, but the Junkerpunks of the Clutch operate in opposition to the Board.

There are new Laws that are enforced in the territories, and you can read more here

Who are some of the recurring NPCs of Bravado?

Each of the major factions of Bravado is represented by at least one recurring NPC.  Here are several you should expect to encounter in our live game

The Railroad Conglomerate

Felicity Redfield Pure Blood, C.E.O., Foreman of Bravo, Voting Member on the Board

Doctor Stewart, aka “The Scientist” Semper Mort, C.O.O., Voting Member on the Board

Johnny Atom Merican, musician-radio shock jock of the Essex airwaves

The Chair Unknown, Leader of the San Saba Board, based in Waking Prime

Lady Primrose Blackwater Digitarian, Envoy of the RRC in Essex

Junkerpunks

Grand Admiral Sinker Swim Saltwise pirate, de facto leader of the Junkerpunks

Medusa Glory Saltwise, leader of the Diamondbacks

The Covemaster Red Star, leader of The Clutch

Carina Astora “The Saltwise Sweetheart” Saltwise, Rebel of the Clearwaters, pirate explorer

Prudence Penitentiary

Tabitha St. Mercy Retrograde, Warden of Prudence Penitentiary, Light of Hedon, Voting Member of the Board

Eyeless Jack Unstable Lifer, Nemesis and Mind Killer, currently at large

Governor Augustine Amberdraught Pure Blood, Former leader of Essex, Imprisoned

Grave Council

Takheeta Firstborn Unborn, Voting Member of the Board, High Mystagogue of the Imix Tribe

Commander Rampart Baywalker, Outcast leader of the Reckoners

Mother Mayhem Accensorite, Leader of the Auditors

Deadeyes Chiipi Retrograde, Accountant for the Grave Council

The Lovelace Family

Immacula Lovelace Quiet Folk, Lovelace Matriach and Spiritual leader of the Nuclear Family in Widows Peak

Josiah Lovelace Quiet Folk, Lovelace Patriarch

Grandfather Nichols Quiet Folk Outcast, Father of Eyeless Jack

The Widows (Miss Clauthia, Mx. Lackey, Mrs. Atrophy) Quiet Folk, Leaders of the Lonestar Widows & Children’s Fund

Captain Amelia Lovelace Quiet Folk, Leader of the Essex Protectorate

Tribes Disparate

Holy Mother Queen Jasper Natural One, Queen of the Tribes Disparate

Prince Shale Natural One, Son of Queen Jasper, heir apparent

Mother Rabbit Remnant, Leader of House Rabbit

Lord Hush Natural One, Leader of the House Oxkillers

The Law Dogs

Boss Wyatt Merican, Leader of the Law Dogs, Voting Member of the Board

The Red Ledger

Gustav Glasseyes Reclaimer, Leader of the Red Ledger

Here is our premise for Season 3

Found here in the Geography and Settlements page:

After the Hiway War rendered the former settlement of Bravo to black ash, a caldera of mud and radiation slowly filling with toxic sludge, a new refuge emerged north of the former oil fields as the exodus of survivors sought a new home. After the war, a new force of order emerged in the Wastes, a testament to the hard work and brutal determination of the people, newly formed into the San Saba Territories. In the middle of it all, a small settlement  grew despite the ravages of raiders, zed, and strange creatures from the ruins below the town.

Our settlement is situated north of the City of Light and Sound, the metropolis known as Essex, and south of the capital of the Territories in the flying city of Waking. The tiny town, known as Bravado, is a forgotten stop on the Oxline, the iron-wrought train system of the Railroad Conglomerate.  The Railroad Conglomerate (or RRC), is a sprawling faction of commerce and industry that seeks to continue their domination of the San Saba wastes by expanding their rail network. For them, Bravado is but one more dot on a map, outlining the path of glory stretching across the San Saba Territories like veins in the beating heart of the Lone Star, connecting every settlement in the area together once more whether they like it or not.

The township itself is hardly more than a few buildings, a Post Office, workhouses, and some permanent tent installations, hastily built and poorly maintained. A General Store, owned and maintained by the Railroad Conglomerate, sits ramshackle at its center, across from the Oxline Depot.  The town was ignored in the recent expansion of the Oxline, but still offers a promise of food and bed for those willing to work in the ruins under the city. Those that risk the undead in the tunnels below help scavenge scrap and valuable material to send up the line to Essex and Waking. But now, with the discovery of a lost city in the Dune Sea to the west and an western expansion of the Oxline towards the Broken Coast of El Dorado, the tiny town of Bravado has become relevant again. 

With the passion of someone that knows a valuable secret, Felicity Redfield, a disgraced but resourceful member of the RRC, has maneuvered their way into the title of the new Foreman of Bravado, laying exclusive claim to the exploration into the ruins under the town and the treasures within. Following the last words of the inhabitants of Barogue, Felicity believes a cryptic message to seek out the “dwelling of the last cradle, the last bastion of bravery, forgotten and ignored” can only refer to the sleepy town of Bravado.  A veritable wave of prospectors, Jones, and treasure hunters has flocked to the town following a sense of adventure and a desire for fortune and glory.

Amongst the tarnished and venerated past mingles a bright and terrifying future. Here in the bustling boomtown of Bravado, Dusters step from the shrieking cars of the Oxline, and set their hopeful, dejected, or assessing eyes on this piece of territory for which so many souls have lived, fought, loved, and died. Our settlement lies on the precipice of significance, and only you can tell the story of what happens next.