Hey, Did You Hear? - June's Rumors

“We sure are getting a lot of new folks in Steel Horse lately! S’practically almost a city now!”

“I heard that semper who made the town get attacked by a whole lotta zed owes everybody money or cakes or somethin’ for causing trouble for errybuddy”

“Did you see those Nattys walk right into town out of the radzone? They were glowing and talking about worshipping and researching and getting strong from it! All the Darwins were joining their gang and gunna end up glowing like that soon!”

“There’s a new compound out on the Southwest corner of SteelHorse that the Plantstation folks built that’s for all the newly freed Irons looking for a community to live in. They gots workbenches, houses, and all sorts of nice stuff! Its nicer than my house!”

“Did you hear that super-rich Purebloods in town are opening a teahouse and getting married and made a fashion show happen and started a charity foundation and hate anyone who wears the color orange in June!”

 “There’s good Fallows and bad Fallows ‘round here and the bad Fallows make psions into bombs and the good Fallows are trying to stop the bombs and just kill the psions all regular. Its kind of hard to know which is which though or who’s on what side of ‘em.”

Hey, Did You Hear? - May's Rumors

“Everybody’s been whispering that the ‘Works got defeated, but I ain’t seen nuthin’ different ‘round here. What part’s defeated?”

“I heard they killed an Iron in town last trade!”

“Yeh, but he was a notorious troublemaker. I heard he heisted trains for fun so no wonder they killed ‘im!”

“My sister said they’re finally putting a brothel up in Steel Horse.”

“Yeh, well, we’ve heard that ten times before so I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“There sure were a lot of people ‘surveying’ town last trade. Maybe we’re getting some better roads or buildings?”

“There was a whole lot of talk about psions and Fallows last trade. Something’s up...”

Hey, Did You Hear? - April's Rumors

“Half the town is abolitionists, half are loyalists, and the other half don't wanna get involved.”

“Sal, that's three halves.”

“Yeah, well, summa them crossover dependin’ on who they's talking to so it adds up.”

“I heard folks have been reporting their friends to the Works for abolition talk! No wonder we have so many patrols lately! I betcha there's gunna be some hurt feelings and beatdowns real soon.”

“The roads have been clearing some but them trains still aren't running properly. I guess the caravaners will be making some extra cash.”

“All kinds of townie journalists and surveyors have been rolling through Steel Horse lately. How much you wanna bet most of ‘em have ulterior motives?”

“That irradiated zone is still so bad.  Don't that crap fade eventually? What happens if it don't? Are all our animals gunna be like that bear?”

“I heard they caught that man in black and Bama's been snuggling with him since he ain't got no arms or legs.”

“The tinks have been working up a storm lately on weapons & traps. That can't be a good sign.”

Hey, Did You Hear? - March's Rumors

For a giant territory engaged in war with the Trade Union, it's been awful quiet around here.

So, the Trade Union accepts Steel Horse money, the Ironworks accepts Steel Horse money, and no one is going to be upset about the two sides using the town as a point of contention with each other?  I'm pretty sure this is going to go bad somehow.

There's blue glowing out in the forest at night.  It wasn't Farmer Charlie.

I remember a time back when vermin was nibblin on our food.  Didn't everyone get sick for leaving stuff out and not cleaned up?

There was some whackadoo collecting bats just outside of town late last night.

Some doctor just ordered food for a dinner party or something?  Why are we having dinner parties during some kind of war?

Trains are down except for military folk, roads need work, and there are a lot of people walking lately.  What an inconvenience!

So, the RPM - working for the Ironworks or against it?  Every time I turn around, it seems things change.

Welp, you can turn in an old ride an find out, right?

The Works is cracking down on crime a bit more than usual.  Seems like they're looking for folks willing to commit to their own treason.  My cousin saw an Iron Commander tearing out the life of some random guy on the side of the road!

Lotta folks need some help after the raiders and the last year.  The more folks get involved, the more we can set up for the coming troubles.  Welcome to the Wastes.

"The man in black donned his hat and hunted again."  I'm gonna start a book about this guy.  I need an interview!

[Found posted outside the Post Office]

Now our time is done

Your war is seemingly won.

Have another war.

Hey, Did You Hear? - December's Rumors

Things in the mists, clowns, faceless people.  Weren’t we just saying something about the lack of an apparent Nemesis season?  Did they take it as a challenge?

Did you see the bear?  NO!  Not a regular bear, a fuck off kind of radiation bear!

Raiders testing the borders.  Raiders attacking.  Raiders… coming to chat about other raiders?  I can’t make this shit up.

So is Fuckstart bad now, or is it that Twelve by Two DJ that’s offer her rocker?  Are they both raiders?  Either of them?  I just want my farm back, and this isn’t helping.

Sounds like someone was suggesting the Bray Beast was part of Bloom Industries.  Why does their name keep coming up?  Ace who?

So, it seems like planting near the warm waters is working this year like we started hearing from last year.  We may just have enough food for the winter season from now on, if the shore can stay warm enough to keep things thawed.

I caught a glimpse of a list of names while I was in the depot.  DeWalt, Bells, Coleman Corvid, Cass, and some others.  I didn’t want to get caught staring, but what do those folks all have in common anyway?

I’ve been looking for the Hooch Bird for weeks!  I don’t know how, but every time I turn around, I’ve lost another bottle of hooch, and yet I still can’t find the damn thing.  I don’t know how many more weeks I can stay drunk to see this sucker!

People keep going missing when they get too far out of town.  I hear the RPM may have even stopped some of their runs up north to avoid the trouble.  That’s got to be some serious issues.

 I thought spiders went inside for the winter so they could survive?  What do you MEAN frostbite spiders?!  You’re joking, right?

…Right?

Sounds like one of the booming businesses of the Wastes is headed along the shore to pick up new fighters.  Could be a lucrative business if you like fighting and want to make it in the circuit.

With all these raiders piling down on the military and the town, did anyone ever really take stock of what happens to dead people after they truly expire?  I’d hypothesize we are going to see quite the deluge of zed in the near future, and I’m not sure anyone wants to be in town for a horde the size of this battlefield.

[Found pinned to the inside of the mail stop]

No more poems.  Time’s up.

Hey, Did You Hear? - November's Rumors

Attention all Steel Horse Crossing Citizens: The Ironworks is conducting tests on you!  Someone said it, so it must be true.  Please make sure everyone is aware that you are all science experiments.  Also, robots.

That strange mist that was talked about last month is getting closer and more prominent every night!

Raiders have been testing the town borders, looking for weak spots.  It’s clear that there are gaps in the line, even with the military shifting their concentration to try and throw off any plans that may be forming under Badda’s command.

Well, Fuckstart has been reported more often in skirmishes.  Last one that came through was with a group of Pitstops in tow, seemingly in line with the other cheeseheads.  Aren’t they on the opposite sides?

There are things… things in the forest.

Some kind of pirate was in town, looking for a crew.  Sounds like he’s already been turned in to the Ironworks, and folks should be on the lookout for him or others he is communicating with.  Some Ironworks officials were tossing around treason as a punishment!

Well, the Snowfoot are up to hijinks again.  What’s a Bray Beast?

Looks like no one has caught the man in black yet.  Saw the silhouette of that hat and coat up on a hill and couldn’t have beat feet fast enough.  Fuck that witch.

Any reason there’s been a big fuck off raven flying over the Corvid caravan?  No?  Must want bacon.

Ok, so if I take a well crafted Sweet Georgia and use the brewing station to infuse it with a Black Stout, you’re telling me I not only get great alcohol, but I end up drunk enough to free both my mind and someone else’s?  I don’t believe this for a minute.

[Found pinned to the inside of the mail stop]

This is the last time

That we’ll get to see the dawn

Without holding hands.

I’ve tried to tell you,

But your ears are deaf to me.

Badda will fix it.

Everything is not

Open in the light; the night

Hides some of the truth.

Keep your ears open.

Do not believe everything.

But believe enough

Hey, Did You Hear? - October's Rumors

Early assessments say that the road from Hell to Steel Horse is pretty well tamed between the small military patrols and the regular RPM supply lines.  It was nice to feel some small semblance of civilization out there, but it’ll be nice to get home under more or less safe passage.

Sounds like the various military forces that had been occupying the town while most folks vacated are pushing back to make room for us getting home, but they’ve lost a lot of militia to attrition.  Be ready for some heavy fighting in those pockets.

Badda’s raiders seem to have picked up on using more devastating weaponry.  Chemicals?  Radiation?  What the hell is going on there?

… And then there’s Fuckstart.  I’m so damn conflicted.

Here’s the thing about this nemesis stuff – we don’t see much during this supposed ‘season’.  We just see all kinds of random assery all year, so it’s not that much different.

What’s with the string of interviews lately?  One, sometimes two, a month.  When did we get famous?

Come one, come all, and witness magic!  From the forbidden realms of the Dark Carnival, The Painted Ones come!

A few reports came back down the trail that there’s a dark figure lurking on the edges of town.  Long black coat, black hat.  No one has seen him much more than that.

Isn’t feeding season almost over?  Why haven’t we seen a single blood raven yet?  I’m not sure if I should be happy or worried.

Not quite sure what it is – maybe that old, rotten tree, or the new raider weapons?  But farmers have had some very unusual results when farming around the area.  Perfect timing, with everything about to freeze over.

Isn’t a caravan of Rovers making and repairing boots a bit on the nose?

Not if they’re making money doing it.  Speaking of which, wonder if they have anything in my size.

[Found pinned to the inside of the mail stop]

Hiding among you,

They have been watching your life,

Biding their sweet time.

Did you read the note

Left in the depot last month?

I tried to warn you.

And they came for you,

Slowly seeking their targets.

Are you the next one?

Hey, Did You Hear? - August's Rumors

Raiders have been getting particularly vicious.  Some deaths on the outskirts of the ‘dive site, but others are hit and runs with stolen caravan goods.  Do raiders stock up on things?

A small group of folks have been gathering just outside of the main Helldiver’s encampment.  It seems like a bunch of entertainers or something.  I’ve heard they’re some kind of carnival?

“’Fashion consultants’ in the middle of the Northern Ironworks?  It’s got to be a bunch of bored Pureblood bullshit or something.  But, gear that’s cleaner and will hold up better than I got ain’t bad.”
“Sounds like they target folks newer to settlements, and tend to like mid-mornings on High Saturday.  Are they Hedons too?  Free’s the right price in my book.”

Bunch ‘o them farmers walking around with weird, green crap all over ‘em.  Need to find ‘em a shower or so, or they’ll end up turning into them plants they harvest.

Big weird bees, chased around by big green bugs, are makin’ my life a big pain in the ass.

There’s a whole rabble of Remnants complaining about work conditions again.  Didn’t that just happen last year in town?  Why the hell they come out here?

Jona Goodfan is apparently coming to the Helldiving site to write up an article on “frontier etiquette” over the trade!  That’s a fairly big name for such a small space.  The writers coming out this way must be getting great details from us smart folk!

Lot more folks been displaced out here once the Helldive started up for the year.  Locales been hit with raiders and zed alike, and the burners are out in the heat scorching the land.  Sounds like resettlement is the word, but what place needs even more people crowding in?

Badda and his raiders gave been getting more dangerous, and more aggressive, with the antagonism.  Folks been bragging about some blown up pit stop rides, but that’s just been a catalyst to send more hell into town.

[Found pinned to the inside of the mail stop]

Evil lives within

The hearts and minds of many,

Even saintly folk.

An evil presence

Threatening your existence

Fills your heart with dread.

Stained, bloody fingers

Reach for the flesh of your throat

Wanting to feast there.

Hey, Did You Hear? - July's Rumors

“Couple small boomers going on last weekend, eh?”

“Yeah, and the ‘divers have some planned vents coming up towards next weekend for trade.”

“Heard they come some explosives, but not enough yet.  Wonder how that’ll work out.”

“That medical tent setup ain’t a bad idea – keep the troops healthy, maybe even get some of the folks around here some free medicine at a central location.”

“As long as the docs are willing to work it, seems like it’ll stick around a while.”

“Hey Vern, whatcha doin’ with them fish?  Ain’t you got family to feed?”

“Yawp, but them Ironwork folks got some new skinning table come ta town.  More fish come away from the table that just tearin’m up at home, y’know?”

[Posted on a nearby Notice Board]

Ladies Auxiliary Tea to be held Saturday morning.  Refreshment and manners provided.

“I hear Smith ‘n Wesson are bringing their shooting gallery back to town.  Wonder what’s to win this year?”

“Zephyr’s been out a while digging, no?”

“Ayuh, but they always seem to find something.  Wonder what’s up out of the ground this time?”

“Seems some folk are running out in the woods in the tree lines.”

“That wouldn’t be those on fire Lascarians, would it?”

“Could be I spose, but they didn’t look on fire.”

“Either way, there’s a story going around folks are killing them in cold blood.  Surest way to get an invitation sent to the Ironworks when people turn them in.”

“Just when I thought we’d get some quiet, folks up and turn the middle of nowhere upside down and shake it until the ‘works comes out.  Can’t seem to keep out of trouble to save themselves.”

“Snails… why’d it have to be snails…”

Hey, Did You Hear? - June's Rumors

The science of poop studyin’?  Sure, it’s a real thing.  Whaddya mean I’m weird?!

Those adventurin’ types sound like they turned up some bits of stuff that came at a hell of a radiation cost.  But, rumor has it, they’re pointed toward a different site?  Wonder how safe that one will be!

Helldiving, always a good way to put your life on the line.  Seems like things are a bit steadier this year, but those air pockets are still popping up all over the place.

I swore I saw a Lascarian out in the woods, but it looked twisted and deformed.  It choked something at me, like it didn’t have a voice no more, but I didn’t stick around to find out what it tried to say.  Nothing is worth that sight again.

Thought I saw something tracking us on the way into town.  Didn’t seem to be dangerous, at least not with the armed escort and all, but I’m wondering what will be coming out of the woods at some point.  Couldn’t tell if it was a person or an animal, to be honest.

Helldiver’s Society has a signal going for the radio, but it sounds like that area we’re headed to is a dead zone.  We’ll need to set up a receive sooner or later so we can get more information passed along to us.

The Ironworks is sending some interesting things along through the RPM.  Sounds like folks will be able to do a bit more work for extra payout.

The further we get into the weeds, the more crazy shit keeps coming out of them.  Gotta appreciate a town for at least enough activity to keep some of that at bay.

Psions?  Why is it always psions.  If they’re not causing trouble for themselves or someone else, they’re certainly getting us unwanted attention for “hiding” them.  And the more of them that show up, the more zed we get.  What’s the point?  Get rid of ‘em…

Y’hear old Jethro talkin up a storm in hole last night?  I didn’t think he drank enough to start talking about “smart plants” and cows that follow commands.  We need to start drinking what he’s having.

Don’t ask what a Godiva is.  Just hope you never see it.