April's Rumors!

·         “I heard a rover got dragged out into the night by a monster and eaten alive. Heard he ain’t come back yet neither. Some folks been sayin’ that everybody could hear him screaming but his friends were too afraid to go out and save ‘im. It’s a damned shame.”

·         “It’s such a shame! Did you hear that the Wyleson Family plots got decimated? The Wylseon are hysterical! Poor Addie has been crying for days.”

·         “Story goes people have been asking for slave traders to come in through Steel Horse. I don’t know how they been saving up all that money, but I suppose folks do need some help rebuilding around here. I wonder if the abolitionists are gunna come out the woodwork now?”

·         “Healed up some folk the other night, I did.  Said they was from Pine Grove, came lookin for the Dereck brothers.  Barely paid ‘em no mind when they got in, though, so says they.  Had to give ‘em some food and such to get ‘em back to their home.”

·         “That rancid smell coming from Steel Horse Crossing is the corpses of all those orphans what went missing several years ago.  They just bury them under that inn whenever they kill another.”

·         “Lots of religious folk been coming into Steel Horse to get followers. TVs, Final Knights, always some kind of Sainthood looking to do some good. Maybe the town’s starting to wear on ‘em and they need some prayin’ to get ‘em through the hard times?”

·         “Ain’t no mistaking, that fella Zell-Ann was asking on about a while back was in town again.  Old fella in his lab coat, all bundled up right for cold.  Hear that he got his hands on some new fancy Doc, tore his eyes straight out.  Wonder if Zell’s heard?  Seems he’s a nutter now.”

·         “Can almost smell the sulfur in the air.  It’s burning season coming to be sure.  You see a hole in the ground, you best step away so you don’t get burned by the fire spouts.”

·         “That town committee thing has been waiting on approval from the Elder Council, but I hear rumors that the Natural Ones don’t feel the town helped where they were requested.  No Pitstops gone, no committee?  That’s an even split as best I can tell.  Who breaks those ties?”

·         “Did you hear that music the other night?  If you could even call it that.  Sounded like some court were getting rowdier than usual.”

·         “Some kid came into town looking for their Da, Lorra I think their name was. Poor kid couldn’t get anyone to help her find her Pa and instead the townsfolk just sent a little food home ‘cause they too spooked to leave their buildings. Everybody lookin’ out for themselves, I guess.”

·         “Rumor has it Pitstops is coming out of Steel Horse proper, like they is in cahoots or something.  I don’t believe it, but could you imagine?”

·         “People been sayin’ they got ate by a snowbank, a giant monster with horns, and that some folks didn’t even die proper-like when they were dead. I’m guessing the madness sunk in real deep this Winter. Thank goodness it’s Spring and they all can get their heads straight!”

Hey Did Ya Hear?

“I heard one of them Pures went and made a coat out of some raider skins.  I sure hope that fashion trend don’t start catchin’ on.“

“If you don’t get eaten by a giant beast while looking for food, you’ll starve to death, or die from some nasty disease.  It’s never been this bad before!”

“Sounds like that new disease has been killing people off in other towns already.  Wonder why our folk seem so resilient?”

“Words got ‘round that someone wrote the Chancellor a letter.  Said she should come visit!  Either that’s the worst idea ever, or someone wants us all dead.”

“There’s gonna be a rocket launch in two months!”

“Sounds to me more like there’s gonna be another giant crater in two months…”

“Another?!”  

“Kinsford, Pine Grove, Litzon and then Penn Angle.  Four towns, three local morgues gone, and all within walking distance of Steel Horse.  So, where are we going to put our next morgue?”

“Some scientist went and gotten himself eaten alive in the middle of town by zed.  Why didn’t he just go inside and let the town kill them?”

“Where’s the Navy been this Winter? They sit back and watch us starve while they play with their guns and eat fancy sammiches and cider.”

“Well, they cleaned up Kingsford after it got run through.  Sounds like they’re getting pulled all over keeping all the raiders and zed in check.  I could use some of that food though.”

“I heard the Lemonade Stand folks pissed off all the rovers and ended up having to pay for three rover weddings and give them a year’s supply of hooch!”

“Didn’t that piggy girl say she lost all her blueprints?  Wonder if that means I’ll get to eat again.”

“If the raiders are all on the same team now, are they going to outnumber the regular people?”

“All remnants have this secret code that they gotta all support each other against normal people. They all are different except they all are born with the secret language to use without anyone knowing.”

“Some folks last trade were asking around, trying to pick up some resources from out in the Wastes.  Never heard of Blood Leaves or Firebush Berry, have you?”

“Nope.  More important, who’s got the money to import random things right now?”

 “I saw a real live Postman leaving town last trade!  Maybe this means we’ll get some more trade and money flowing through town—you know, if they ever fix the train tracks.“

“Did you hear, there was some kind of glowing raider thing that blew up when it died!”

“What, with fire and explosions?”

“No, with some kind of weird radiation.  Melted the damn workbench and some other things in Zell-Ann’s place!  Just a puddle of slag when they were done.”

A Letter from Dick Berken

The OOG aspects from this post:
If your character wants to pitch in anything, please send mail to our usual email address (wisconsin.dystopiarising@gmail.com) to detail the following three categories:

1) What cards or currency are you submitting before game on?
2) How much body, mind and/or infection are you committing to these efforts?
3) If you offer physical labor beyond mind/body/infection pre-game, please indicate that you are willing to take an extra 2 hour NPC shift at the start of game.

Player input from last game, pre-game for March, and at March's game will continue to contribute to ongoing overarc plot. The items submitted above will not enable any downtime action, but will be collected at the beginning of the game (for items/cards), potentially adjust your character sheet per your indicated expenditures entering the March game (to be announced), or be realized at game (per extra NPC shift).

Plot and Player Agency – What’s the Impact?

I wanted to take a few minutes to talk to everyone about story given current discussions.  We’ve had a number of people write in on two parallel, but very different topics.  The first is “How do I get involved in plot?” – you see plot and story, but you’re not sure how to insert yourselves into the mix.  Since that is one of the primary aspects of a LARP, we want to offer you some ideas on what some of the easy avenues are to jump right in.  The second is “I don’t like this plot, it should go away!” – on this tangent, I’m going to briefly discuss this mentality and why it’s self-destructive, as well as how to address that concern.

Engaging Plot:
So, you have seen something that calls to you, and you want to jump in.  Perhaps you’ve never LARPed before, or this LARP is very different from others that you’ve participated in, and you’re not sure how to do that.  There are a few ways you can readily join the fray, and be as engaged as you feel you want to be.

1. NPCs and the world around you: DR is a living world, which in short means that whatever you see or experience is possibly an avenue into plot or something entirely new.  Since NPCs are sent out regularly, and the world exists continuously, this is a simple way to jump in when you’re ready to see what exists.  Have you asked an NPC about a problem you’ve been looking at for the last hour?  Perhaps they know of someone or something that leads to another step?
    
2. Research: As a high technology area, with a focus on things your character may not know much about straight out of the gate, using research can be a huge boon to helping to get that edge on something you’re working on.  Research can be done by anyone that is Educated at a library.  Don’t have the Educated skill?  Team up with someone that does!  You can work with others to ensure proper research is done, even if you don’t have the skills yourself.
    
3. Working with other PCs: Sometimes, certain plot hits smaller groups than the whole game.  If you want to see what else is out there that could use your character’s input, check around.  As a social game, DR thrives on player interaction.  Just because a plot didn’t start in your hands doesn’t mean you can’t get your hands on it.
    
4. Staff: As a last resort, you can always talk to the storytelling staff if you have story questions or need particular answers.  We highly recommend using the first 3 avenues if you haven’t tried them already, and you may be asked to use those options (particularly research) if you haven’t tried that already.  Sometimes, though, story needs input more directly.  That’s what we’re here for.

Whatever your method, engaging in plot is open-ended.  If you think you can’t impact a plot, or that what you can or can’t do is pre-established, you are likely in for a surprise.  Every plot that we’ve approved has player agency written in, no matter how big or how small that plot is.  Thinking you can’t impact a plot based on a pre-conceived notion may keep you from trying, and that is a guaranteed way to not achieve any impact!

Disengaging from Plot:
On the other side of the spectrum, sometimes you find plot that isn’t to your tastes.  There are two things to keep in mind here.  First, you don’t have to actively participate in any plot that exists in the world.  You have the choice to avoid or pass on plot that has engaged you, and telling the staff that it is not something you want in your game is viable.  You should not use this as an escape from negative repercussions, but if this story isn’t healthy for you, no one wants to ensure you have a bad time.  Second, lack of direct participation in plot doesn’t mean you’re not going to experience plot that hits the game as a whole.  Across the network, plots anywhere from nationally to locally happen that impact players both positively and negatively.  You should expect that will be no different from game to game, with the exception of how it is implemented.

Now, let’s look at this a different way.  If you think something is hard, or makes the game more difficult, you have the above ways to engage the plot and more.  If you’ve ever said “I didn’t like that particular thing”, did you try and fix it with any of the methods above, or even others of your own making?  Bad things happen in the DR world, and if you’re not interested in trying to help resolve those things, bad things tend to linger when unattended.  Downfall mechanics have played a huge part in a lot of chapters over the last few months, and a variety of negative impacts were explicitly and publicly called out.  These impacts and more are up to players to resolve (or not), which means by disengaging, you are effectively forcing others to solve problems for you without any input.

This is a game based around plot and story.  It’s also a game that values “playing to lose”, or valuing that plot, story, and the larger community above a single person or character.  This is not to say your character sheet is unimportant, but the ink should be only a small part of the experience.  If you approach plot with the attitude “I don’t like this”, and decide it is not important or shouldn’t exist because of that, you are effectively suggesting that all the other characters in the game mean less than your character, and their experience is less important than your own.

In short, if you’re feeling like story or plot is hopeless, and you haven’t looked into any of it or taken any action yourself, the best you’re likely to be able to offer the problem is hope that it gets better while others are trying to fix it.

If you have further questions, or this didn’t answer something you’ve asked, please feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to have further discussion.

Mike

Midwinter Hype Post #4

Groups of travelers had clustered together, deciding which way each would travel to find supplies for the winter. The gathering was the same every year.  This year, however, there was a population spike the likes of which most had never seen.  Steel Horse Crossing had little to spare on good days.  This winter would be harsh if this month of gathering came up short.

~*~

Travel was slow at times, if for nothing else than the uneven land and hills.  The snow on this terrain never helped.  Heading west of Mill City, a group of townsfolk had met up with other travelers to trudge the roads to Madtown.  The cold was bearable at most times, but the wind kicked up here and there just to remind the group how badly the environment wanted them to freeze.  It had been days, and there was very little found on the roads.  Things had been looking bleak, and there was discussion on whether some of the group should turn back and search off the roads for some hope of a hidden treasure of food or scrap.

Finally, late into an evening on the road, the camp had been set.  Fires were tended but burned low as to not give off too much light.  Quiet conversations murmured around the small camp deciding how to proceed.  Coleman and Svana hung loosely around the Corvid’s jet black caravan, having some manner of deep discussion while lending a hand sporadically as the kitchen came to life.  Levi tended a stove while meals were prepared by Valrvn, who ensured that each item was properly distributed for cooking.  Pol pitched in where possible, ensuring she pulled her weight.  Bartok stood watch, carefully scanning the distance of the tree line.

It was Matt and Del who were pondering next moves, seemingly in agreement that splitting the larger group into two would be wise.  One would head back toward Mill City, scavenging what could be found by heading alternatively north and south of the road back the way they had come.  Knowing the way back was likely clear based on recent travel, it wasn’t a surprise to hear Septima chime in that she would be happy to return now rather than push on.

Fitz, taking a deep draw of his dwindling alcohol supplies, shook his head slowly while mumbling, “Damn land legs.”  He suspected no one could hear the disdain in his voice over the mild chaos that was starting in camp.  Shore leave had never been so disappointing.

It happened quickly, and Coleman’s voice was easily heard across the small expanse of camp.  Raiders.  The small band turned as the first few bodies spilled out of the trees across the road in the distance.  Preparing weapons, and hoisting shields, this would be yet another day defending camp.  Except this time, the bodies didn’t stop pouring from the trees.  In fact, the width of the emergence grew, and from less than a hundred yards, the sparkling snow became a spray of dust and shadows.  Bodies blacked out the horizon.

“Move,” came a voice from within the camp.  It sounded vaguely like Stabby. “Move now!”

As the dawn of realization struck, the camp burst out in a frenzy of activity.  People grabbed gear, tried to stow things, or even outright ran.  Small, subdivided groups fled in multiple directions.  Whether this was planned or a factor of chaos wasn’t important, as it likely saved many lives; the onslaught of raiders pouring in began to splinter in different directions to pursue each smaller group.  Even with the diminished ranks, the main contingent of raiders smashed into the camp like a wave, pushing everything they encountered back.  Only a few made it into the Corvid caravan, which was spared most of the initial attack.  Without an option, those left furiously battled their way into a clearing, where the raiders seemed to stop abruptly.  Up on a small hill was a house, quiet and dark, and the raiders were slowly spreading to encircle it.

Midwinter Hype Post #3

They had followed all the protocol.  Appropriately scavenging what clothing they needed, using the local money in the proper locations to secure food and passage, and even arming themselves just enough to look more dangerous than stupid.  It had served them well, and the plan had been well conceived as far as they were concerned.  Each step carefully plotted in case of emergency.  Each move planned beforehand so as to move freely and without being questioned.  They were on the last leg of the northern trail, and had taken the turn east to Mill City two days back.  The trails were covered with snow enough to cause a bit of slow travel, but by and large they hadn’t disappeared.  Everyone had been able to keep pace and, as best as anyone could tell, they were on track and still making good time.

It was a night like most any other for the last few, and it wasn’t any more pleasant.  They had left the last town – with a warm bed, a fire, and a hot meal – at least six days back, but there was a quiet debate that it may had been seven.  Everything else had been cold, salted meals and water.  No fires, no luxury.  The only thing to look forward to was the next day in front of the last, when they all hoped they would be closer to their final destination.

“Where the hell is this place, anyway?” Chilt had asked on the road, the sun still hanging high in the sky.

“No idea yet,” Raynor had responded, his curt attitude extending well past the confines of the rooms they all had shared for years.  “We’ll get our next drop in Mill City, and then we’ll have a clue where we end up.”

The thought that most everyone had on their minds was simple.  Emergency protocols were a pain in the ass.  Everything had taken a turn for the immediate shitter, and this little band of misfits were the only ones left to carry out their final orders.  They weren’t thrilled about any of the circumstances, but they knew what was at stake all the same.

Everyone had started to hunker down, getting as close to each other as they could.  There would be no fire, and there was no tent to cover them.  Only the gear that kept them warm, and a hope that no one had underestimated the weather.  They had made it so far.

“What the fuck Droz, kill that light!”  The voice was disembodied at that point, but the unmistakable glow of a light shone on the man’s bearded face for a moment and disappeared.

“It’s only a smoke.  Piss off,” Droz said in reply, grumbling a few more words under his breath.

Raynor prepared to have them all cut the shit, knowing full well everyone was getting a bit testy after being on the road this long.  He didn’t have time, as the thud in the snow accentuated the need for quiet all too well.  The small party scuttled around the fallen man.  Droz, with his precious cigarette, lay on his side as a small pool of red formed from the shaft of a pole lodged firmly into his chest.  A fine, high pitched whistle preceded another thud, this one more metallic than the last.  Another projectile had landed not far from their sleeping circle.

“Go, now!” Raynor hissed, shoving people onto their feet as he took off at a sprint northeast, angling slightly to keep the sense of the road as best he could.  He pointed off in the distance at a house tucked away, flickering between the trees as he ran.  “There!”

He turned, leading the group, and hoping that the glint of light he saw wasn’t too many windows.  They’d likely need to barricade the place quickly.

Midwinter Hype Post #2

It was a crisp evening, the snow laying over the surrounding land like a fine blanket untouched by foot traffic.  A small family, dressed in old and patched clothes, sat around a glowing hearth drinking warm drinks and sharing stories.  A middle-aged gentleman, decked in finery, looked well out of sorts sharing the room with the family, but he seemed to be engaged all the same, tastefully regaling the room of age old stories with a dramatic flair between his long silences spent with his tea.  Dinner was being prepared by the Irons in the kitchen, and the house smelled of both delicious meat and wafts of burning pine.

The ruckus from outside immediately drew the attention, and as uncharacteristic as it was, the finely dressed fellow was out of his seat before the rest of the room had clamored to the window.  A sharp blade hung loosely at his side as his hand slid into his overcoat allowing the tips of his fingers to caress the old, oiled wood handle of his pistol.  Between the great room’s large windows, at a run, and the thinner windows around the front door, he could make out a great many shadowy figures in the darkness.  The noise, albeit loud, was still a ways in the distance as a handful of bodies cleared the perimeter of the house and into the lights.  With a flip of the switch, the light poured into the darkness, likely half blinding those now standing in the front lawn.  He opened the door, inspecting the few quickly and with a precision that was well-trained.

“Why’re you on my land then?” he asked in a hurried and hushed voice, now looking beyond the few that seemed to be no real threat.  “I’ve half a mind to cut you down and go back to my tea if you don’t make it snappy.”

Before any of them could respond, a crack in the distance and the splintering of wood next to the man’s head had him raise a single eyebrow.  He scanned the darkness with a slight squint, seeing what no one would ever hope to laid out before him.  “Raiders,” a breathless voice coughed out in the cold, “hundreds.  Pouring in.  Everywhere.”

“Get in, ya gits.  Can’t stay out here with them marching up.”  The response was designed to sound strong, yet a bit of the fear laced his throat as he spoke them.  The report he was just given matched what he saw moving toward the house.

“Cookie!  Get what’s prepared and get everyone into the dining hall!” he called, turning his back on the few outside.  He heard their footsteps following him, and even the door closing.  Smart enough lads for the moment.  He looked to the hearth and saw he didn’t need to repeat himself, as the entire family had abandoned their drinks and leapt into motion to follow.

Down the front hall and through a large archway, people flooded into the room set for a nice meal.  An Iron hurriedly moved people along as they balanced and bobbled dishes, plates and pots with a variety of foods.  With very little thought to it, everything was piled haphazardly onto the table, as the rest of the house was ushered in from the front hall door.  The finely dressed gentleman did a very brief scan before moving about the room in a practiced fashion.  Moments later, solid steel walls fell into place one at a time, creating a barrier between them and the outside world.

“Might be a bit loud, but why don’t we get settled for supper?  You can tell us about the trouble outside once your bellies can be quieter than your mouths.”

Midwinter Hype Post #1

Aside from the buildings, most of the town was packing up for the gathering season and things were starting to look a bit sparse.  The Corvid caravan had folded in on itself, packing things away in its bowels before they spurred it into motion.  The Bastards, Norske and Roadhouse were all in different states of packing and storage, each with their own flair for the best way to stow certain items and walk with the rest.  Tents were being struck, the town hall was being boarded up, and the hostel was quickly becoming cold and more sterile by the moment.  Both of the main buildings, along with the naval depot, had been secured for storage should people want to leave more cumbersome items behind, and both The RPM and the Iron Navy would be on regular patrol, as it always was.  Everyone else was being moved out of town, or into temporary accommodations offered by the navy.

In less than a day, the town would be deserted including the infirm or elderly, who would be in the warmth and care of the Ironworks.  It would be expected that those taking the annual sojourn would bring supplies enough back to last through the worst of the winter, and with the town’s massive expansion in such a short time, it was worrisome to think what might happen if everyone didn’t band together.

~~*~~

Just this time, he wanted to stay home for the gathering season. He saved all the food he could, and bought rations just in case.  He even managed to afford some medicine and hooch if things went poorly. He figured it was enough to get him through until people returned in full, if not longer.

As he watched the last of the caravans roll out of Steel Horse Crossing, and the lines of people that took to walking, he mused on his position.  He wasn't going to steal, and even his snooping would be kept to a bare minimum. The remainder of the crowd trickled out of the hostel while Matt and Gary had steady conversation during the lockup. They were the last to leave, slipping into the crowd in front of the group of Norske who would take up the rear until the caravans parted ways.

He’d never stayed this late. He wasn’t sure if that was the “final sweep”.  He heard the stories, but didn't know what that actually meant. He stayed low in the brush. He had to know.

Was it two days?  Perhaps three?  Suddenly, a loud engine was heard rolling up the road. A huge monstrosity of a vehicle billowing smoke and fumes stopped at the edge of town. Soldiers poured out with guns ready, and a man and woman stepped out behind them. They formed long lines and started walking the town, inch by inch. He kept perfectly still, barely breathing, so that he avoided any notice. He didn't know the penalty for staying, but he knew he didn't want to find out.

An eternity passed, and they seemingly swept the entirety of town and its outlying trails. The soldiers were finishing up, heading back towards the enormous vehicle, when a woman in a black suit snapped her head in his direction. She pointed towards his cover and said, “There.” He should have run. He should have started moving as soon as her intense green eyes locked on his hiding place, but he froze in terror. She looked right at him, as if she didn't have a doubt where he was the entire time. The men with guns grabbed his arms and dragged him out into the gravel road in front of the woman.

Somehow he was frozen, unable to move, while he was scolded by that terrifying woman’s gaze. A simple nod from this woman was all it took for them to shut him off. No strike, no pain, just black and quiet.  He was unceremoniously dumped into the back of the vehicle as it roared to life.

Boots hit the floor around him, and the doors slammed shut with a loud clang that echoed through the empty streets of Steel Horse Crossing. The town was clear for The Gathering Time.

December's Rumors!

• Been a lot more threats on the roads lately. Even the tougher folks have had a hard time of it. Guess we better be sure to pay them guards and travel in big groups again.
• It’s been really nice for this time of year. The old ones say it’s almost past time to get the food and medicine stocked up. It’s gonna be a long winter, they say.  The closer it gets to freezing, the more desperate people seem to be to get supplies.  
• What's with the sudden influx of Final Knights and Graveheads in Steel Horse?
• People are always afraid of those goddamn final knights… maybe they’re just a smoke screen… you know, one of them damn straw men to hide the evil some of them other religions do
• Take care of one group of thugs and a new one takes their place, seems like even the Fallow Hopes are getting in on the thug routine now.  
• Somebody spread glitter all over town. IT’S GETTING ALL OVER EVERYTHING! I'm guessing some Pure got fussy 'bout sumthin.
• Did you hear there’s a group of Darwins going around collecting glow?  Apparently they’re trying to shoot themselves into the sky.  That must be what all those explosions have been lately.  
• Sounds like the Action Committee ain't got approval from the Elder Council yet. What they gonna do to help get the Natural Ones on their side? Ain't they all disappearing anyway?
• I heard the Little Red Schoolhouse beats their kids. What kind of Nuke Family value is that?
• Apparently someone’s been taking all those creepy Morgue dolls and propping them up around town.  This can’t be good.  I wonder if some of the more unusual things are stemming from this ridiculous idea.
• I heard the town’s kitchens are going to be famous—there was a bunch of travel writers in town last trade everyone was bending over backwards to please!  I just hope they didn’t see all those rats that were running around.  
• Heard the last person to do some research work on the “strange things” in town went missing.  Wonder if this whole run of weird stuff is a curse?  Hit it with a stick, I say.
• The tribe’s all up in arms about their winter champion missing, they say if they don’t find him by Saturday evening, the Yuletide ritual may not happen.
• They say it’s the season to give… I just wish I didn’t always get my brother’s hand me down socks….
• I heard a bunch of BFG came up to Steel Horse to talk about how to move forward with their new settlement and trading ties. I heard all of em from down South were raiders but they seemed perfectly decent folk to me.
• That crazy 'Merican put that dead raccoon in a jar and is still carrying it around. They really got some special folks there in town.
• Looks like that visiting Iron got caught up with the Ironworks.  There’s a big surprise, a “free Iron” running amok and getting nabbed for not having papers.  Guess the lesson is don’t assume you’re safe, huh?
• Have you ever heard of Giftmas?  It happens at the end of every year and all the raiders start thinking clearly for just an hour, long enough to leave gifts strewn about the wastes.  Gotta make sure you leave out some raw meat for ‘em though so they won’t raid your house that year!

November's Rumors!

Raiders keep sacking all the outlying areas around Steel Horse. It’s starting to get really bad with more people going through the morgue every day.

Heard the Sons finally got theirs! Thank fucking goodness! Ain’t none been caught for months until now!

“Heard the townsfolk killed some big spiders. Heard they dint have eggs in em cause they was in raider-kinda people. Yeh, I said IN THEM.”

“Spider and snakes.  What’s next?  Bats?  Crap, it’s gonna be bats…”

Travel is getting horrible out there on the roads.  Seems like there aren’t enough folks to keep them safe.  Glad the train still runs on time.

“Did you hear that Del fella got elected to the council in Steel Horse?  Must be in the pocket of the Rovers to make it on the council…”

“I know we gots a lotta rovers and such, but a town council with almost all rovers? That ain't right. Soon we’ll all haveta be eating and making babies instead of working cause’a stupid new laws.”

“Rovers are some of the best slavers out there.  They are always moving stock around and keeping the best for themselves.  Might at least see a few more Irons on hand.”

“If you aren’t Hedon or Sainthood, Steel Horse ain’t really welcoming to you.  Final Knights, Darwinists, Fallow Hope and Telling Visionists are treated like second class citizens.  Not what the Works advertises.  Hope they clean that up sooner than later, my wife believes in the glow!”

Looks like the gravemind’s gotta taste for ‘Mericans. Maybe it just wanted to get a bit tipsy.

The local scientists are using semper morte technology to create immortal raccoons.  

“Heard the Blood Ravens came out for mating season.  Told folks they shoulda stuck inside.”
“We lost one or two, but it sounds like another one or two got free?”

“Lucky bastards!  Bein’ outside like that is even more dangerous late in the harvest.”

“Did you hear that the fires under Steel Horse are starting to go out? Gonna be a cold winter if that’s the case.”

“Everything’s gone pear-shaped ‘round here lately. The living are trying to kill ya and summa the dead are trying to protect ya’. Steel Horse don't know which way is up anymore.”

“Let’s just talk about raiders killing each other for a moment, shall we?”

“Between that, and the odds and ends like that sniffer thing killing what supposedly weren’t Del, I’m not sure which way is up.  Someone smarter than me should sort this right quick.”

“What the ever living shit is wrong with the morgue? Did you see the doll actually in front of town hall?

Junior thinks its funny to take those dolls from the morgue. Sumthin ain't right in that guy’s head.”

“Saw a big ole scarecrow walking around with folk in town. They was treating it like a person. I swear everyone’s gone insane.”

Those Bloom Industry folk keep coming around.  I heard one of them talking about having the Navy shell the town if they couldn’t get “it”.  What the high holy is that for?  I didn’t do nothin!  I don’t even know what “it” is!