Steel Horse Crossing Constitution

Section 1: The protectorates exist as a fundamental reminder of the inherent rights of all Citizens of Steel Horse Cross are entitled to. As well, they serve as guidelines to future law crafters, so they serve the common needs of the people without trampling those things we hold supreme.

1. SELF-DEFENSE. The ability to protect oneself from the dangers of the Wasteland are necessary and shall not be infringed.

2. RELIGIOUS AUTONOMY. Individual expression and practice of any and all faiths shall not be impeded. These practices, however, shall not be exempt from lawful ordinance.

3. BODILY AUTONOMY. We are the ones ultimately in control of ourselves and our destinies. No law, or nation, may impede, or be imposed, as an attempt to force someone into action.

Certain elements of these protectorates can be waived in the case of dangerous criminals, up to and including loss of the protectorate of SELF-DEFENSE, RELIGIOUS AUTONOMY, and freedom of movement. However, BODILY AUTONOMY shall not be impeded.

Section 2: Officials in the Government Bodies that comprise the overall Government of Steel Horse Crossing shall follow these guidelines.

1. Resident and Citizen of Steel Horse Crossing

2. Holding no other position in a foreign government

3. Be endorsed by 3 non-affiliated individuals

4. All officials shall hold office for a term of 5 months

5. An official may not hold consecutive terms

6. An official may not hold more than one position per term

Voting shall be conducted on the 7th and 12th trade month of the year.

Every Citizen shall be entitled to two votes in each of the Government Bodies Elections. Votes may not be spent both on one candidate.

Voting shall be conducted in the following fashion:

1. Provide proof of citizenship

2. Receive a ballot to be filled out privately

   a. For those unable to read or write, a Depot Official shall be provided.

3. Ballot shall be registered and counted via double-blind, through both the Depot and the Elder Council

For those unable to attend trade during election month a proxy may be selected and empowered by sending them along with the proxied citizenship paperwork.

Section 3: Three Bodies of Government shall be what compose the Greater Government.

Town Council (5 Positions)

1. The Body shall be empowered to create and repeal laws.

2. The Body shall be empowered to create administrative bodies and appoint individuals to oversee them.

3. A majority vote is required to pass a law or measure.

Law Enforcement - Sheriff (2 Positions)

1. This Body shall be empowered to investigate any reported crime.

2. This body shall see to enforcement of Judicial Punishment.

3. May appoint Citizens as Deputies to assist in Duties.

Judicial Authority - Judges (2 Positions)

1. Empowered to sit in judgement over criminal cases, render verdicts, and decide on fair punishments excluding death (requires an additional vote by the Town Council)

2. Empowered to interpret law and the fair application of its uses and needs

3. Judicial Review shall view past cases for the precedence of proper judgment and punishment

Section 4: In cases of need, such as when found guilty of a crime, Officials may be removed from office.

1. Judges and Sheriffs may be removed by a unanimous Town Council Vote of No Confidence

2. Town Councilors may be removed by a unanimous vote of no confidence from Judges, Sheriffs, and other Town Councilors.

In the event of an Official being removed from office, a vote shall be held at the earliest convenience.

Section 5: All administrative functions and offices shall be properly staffed by appointment through majority votes of the Town Council.

By default, the Town Council must appoint a Mayor:

1. Empowered to communicate the Town Council's actions to the Town.

2. Responsible for seeing that all new laws and measures are communicated to the Town.

3. May declare a State of Emergency in moments of immediate strife to assume limited executive power.

   a. A Town Council Meeting must be called within 1 Trade Meet to address the purpose of the State of Emergency.

4. No action taken by the Mayor during a State of Emergency may be permanent in duration.

Section 6: Laws are a requirement of any civilized society.

The following are stated to be crimes:

1. Murder

2. Theft

3. Property Damage

4. Slavery

5. Bribery of Officials

   a. The act of bribing an Official is an attempt to subvert the will of the People. To accept a bribe is to betray the trust of the People placed in an Official to represent the whole rather than the individual.

The Elder Council shall, in all circumstances, ratify laws passed within the boundaries of their home and land to ensure the interests of all citizens of each zone are upheld. Any zone of the larger whole of Steel Horse Crossing and surrounding lands found to operate outside of the Elder Council’s purview in this matter, on land granted to these zones, shall have said zone returned to the whole under care of the Elder Council and forego further rights as granted by said body.

Section 7: Citizenship of Steel Horse Crossing shall be defined by the Public Works of SHC and matters of citizenship shall be handled by Public Works. Any citizenship issued by Public Works before the ratification of this Constitution shall be considered valid. Proof of citizenship shall be issued by Public Works and no other entity.

Steel Horse Crossing Time Jump, Year 1

The resilience of the people of Steel Horse Crossing had been tempered with years of living within the Ironworks. When the Ironworks fell, the townspeople proved themselves capable of taking on the enormous tasks of rebuilding the structure of their town, Public Works, and own governance. Even with the enormous horde of undead that came from the war against the ‘Works and the epidemic plague of radioactive fungal infections that sickened its people, the town somehow managed to evolve and survive.

The radiation and fungal infections eventually waned significantly, and the people were painstakingly cured. There were still significant patches of irradiated fungal infections around the town, but they were clearly marked so as to prevent further outbreaks and contamination of the populous. Bloom Industries made an offer to the Elder Council to establish a small outpost nearby in order to better study the impact of the Great Tree and the surrounding areas, having sensed a missed opportunity.

The constitution created by the citizens of Steel Horse Crossing was approved, delivered, and enacted. Different factions within the scope of this constitution each moved comfortably into their new roles. The RPM shifted the majority of their efforts into the general border protection of all zones around Steel Horse. The Ridge Tribes began to drift into the town-proper more often, learning a lesson from the fall of the Kishwaukee, and make a more concerted effort to keep an eye on their own people. The Hamilton-Tarens Clan worked diligently to open up land-based trade routes to a much wider audience than previously, allowing commerce to flourish in areas of town where it was fostered. The Steel Bloods, having been invited to live in and participate with town politics, were granted citizenship by the Public Works, integrated with the town by building a large camp, and gained a seat on the council with the first formal election. The Children of the Starless Sky, as well as a few other clans of Lascarians, were seen in town more often, discussing the tunnels and their previous home, as well as telling stories about being chased away from town many years ago by worrisome monsters and vicious lies & rumors. Even a few Unstable began to trickle in from the outskirts of the area, prompted by the one scout that fought alongside others from Steel Horse Crossing against the Ironworks, coming in small numbers during trade-meets.

The people in this formerly Ironworks territory continued the legacy of being technologically advanced and proactive towards the advancement of their civilization. The small radio tower built in Steel Horse Crossing broadcasted the radiowaves needed to eliminate the slave collars every week for months, eliminating all remaining signals in the area. Seemingly overnight, people started carrying small, handheld devices that emitted the same tones that quickly became commonplace among those who wanted to ensure the collars could never be used again.

Privateering and outright piracy became rampant on the waterways with the sudden fall of the Ironworks and the Iron Navy’s protection. Captain Maggie, at the behest of the townspeople and those who formerly worked for the Iron Navy, worked on an arrangement with the RPM for use of the naval yard and its ships. Citizens who had formerly worked for the Navy worked diligently to assemble, train, and support those who were previously enslaved to build their careers into what was quickly becoming a civilian water-faring militia they called the SHC Navy. These people worked closely with the developing town and its government to increase security for its citizens from a significant amount of waterborne threats.

Financial Institutions of Steel Horse Crossing

Each of the following organizations have direct ties to the community of Steel Horse Crossing, and those in the financial know will have opportunities to act for, and with, each of these groups.  Choose carefully how each of these companies are supported and tended to, as each will have a direct impact on the prosperity of Steel Horse Crossing and everyone within the area.

The Elder Council

Perhaps one of the most easily recognizable organizations by name alone, the Elder Council has been the foundation of Steel Horse Crossing from the beginning.  The three main clans, or families, that make up the Elder Council include The RPM, The Hamilton-Taren Clan, and the Ridge Tribes.  The RPM, as the first settlers, control waterway access and are responsible for overall town protection from outside forces.  The Hamilton-Taren Clan focuses on commerce and general upkeep of the Steel Horse community, ensuring goods and services are available.  The Ridge Tribes scout, hunt and scrounge to maintain food stores and trade goods.  All three work in concert to ensure the prosperity of Steel Horse Crossing.

The Helldiver’s Association

One of the older institutions in the overall region, the Helldiver’s Association is best known for their society membership that jump into adverse conditions to ensure safe living for those near the hellscape that randomly appears over the summers in different locations.  They also serve a very different purpose as an institution however, as they are also the premiere company to hire when one needs information about local areas, dig sites, mining, ancient artifacts, and other relics from days past.  Their knowledge of the general world is unparalleled.  The Helldiver’s Society is a small group of dedicated people that help others and are often supported by The Helldiver’s Association via resources and information.

Bloom Industries

Bloom Industries has been a staple in the scientific community for some time and has a long history of achievements in research and development of local and foreign flora.  In short, if you want to know anything about plants top to bottom, Bloom Industries has already done some extensive research in the area.  They formerly worked for the Ironworks almost exclusively in the local area but were otherwise fully funded and self-directed.  With the Ironworks fallen, they have chosen to stay rooted in the local area and continue their outreach across the Wastes in order to learn more about the wonders of natural (and perhaps unnatural) plant life.

The Labour Union

Formerly headed by the Ironworks Brewing Collective, the Labour Union has consistently been a source of community work and development in the production sectors.  With the Ironworks pushed back, the IBC has stepped down as de facto leadership and cemented their relationship with other production sources.  The Rooftop Farmers association, the Mining Guild, the Livestock Ranching Federation, and several other groups that are familiar faces in the area have all agreed to a loose partnership for the betterment of the overall production of the region.

The Great Lake Trading Company

Born out of a combination of former Ironworks naval sailors, lake trading across the waters, and the very legal (and likely some illegal) privateering sanctioned on the waters, The Great Lake Trading Company was formed to take advantage of a void of productivity following the fall of the Ironworks.  The GLTC provides a great number of services including open trade, protection, escort, and salvage operations.  Some even rumor that they have kept up the tradition of privateering under the black flag, though the ties between the rumors and the institution never seem to have a solid enough foundation for a true accusation.

Sterling Controls & Mechanics

Science and Technology was never in short supply in this region, and Sterling was at the heart of many of the developments coming from the Ironworks for many decades.They have a dual purpose according to their mission statement: to develop new and advancing technology, and to manufacture that technology in an efficient, cost-effect fashion.While their morals have been called into question here and there, they have maintained that they work independently for the highest bidder, according to their mission statement, and do not take part in the debate on whether science and technology must follow a moral code.Instead, they view their purpose as a purer concept, and allow those that consume their work to debate the moral quandaries that may come from it.

A Letter for Captain Maggie

A young woman, barely into her twenties, stepped into the stonework and wood structure on the tail end of the outlying space between Steel Horse Crossing proper and the old naval yard.  It was clear she wasn’t familiar with the area, nor it’s people, and seemed baffled that she had a drink in one hand and something resembling food that smelled delicious in the other.

“Letter for Captain Maggie?” she asked more than said, her mouth working on the last morsel she had popped in before entering the building.

The metal veil swaying slightly as she stood, a woman well beyond twice the girl’s age beckoned towards her.  “Whaddya got hon?”

---

The dark green coat was spoiled, and some of the embroidery was lifting.  With a small curse, the Pure lit the candle in his quarters and immediately fretted over the stray threads.  With a deeper than usual sigh, he quietly exclaimed to the metal walls around him, “It’ll have to wait.  Damn shame.”

Extracting a pristine leather folio from a supply bag, he dutifully set up the makeshift writing table with his normal wares.  Fine paper, an immaculate bottle of ink, and a well-tended feather tipped in a precious silvery metal.  The ink well sat at the tip of the page with a small porous square of material to catch any errant drips, while the pen was deposited just enough to cover a portion of the metal tip.  He ran a single hand over the surface, feeling the small ripple of the sheet.  It was a ritual he had completed many times, and each time it calmed him considerably.  Reaching inside the coat, he withdrew a small package he set to the left before reaching for the quill.

“My captains, my comrades,” he began writing, not sure where this all would lead.

“I write this as perhaps the last time you might hear from me.  There is an impending fight that comes to our borders, and I have left each of you in charge of a small grouping of ships in order to protect each of our precious shore cities.  I am not so lucky, and I have been called with my fleet to engage in a variety of maneuvers.  I do not expect this to find each of you in time, but if it happens to make it to your hands, please know that I need you were I positioned you.  Where I am headed is important to those in power, not those who need protection the most.

The rumors we have heard are slowly being confirmed.  The Ironworks, always making progress, has gone well beyond their support of the abominable treatment of other people and have been experimenting for their own gain at manipulating the very core of our own bodies.  I know, as I am marked for ‘retrieval’ should I fall in battle.  I’m not even sure what that means aside from becoming a mindless servant of an empire built on the backs of its people.  I want none of that, and I assuredly do not wish my sailors to suffer the same fate.

To that end, I commit to writing that as the Admiral of The Great Lake western squadron, I will not be standing idly by working for the same people that would commit atrocities for their own self-serving needs.  And while I will not issue any orders to make you work against the same people, committing yourself to treason, I know you all well enough to understand you will do what is best when the time requires it.  I therefore release you to whatever service you must find to carry out the last of my orders: Protect those that you serve, especially from tyranny.

I go now to meet on the waters and, when the time is right, do what must be done to ensure whatever remains of my conscience is clear.

Fair winds, my friends.

Michael Passavoy

Rear Admiral, Iron Navy”

Thinking for a moment as he read through the letter once more, he nodded slowly and shifted the first sheet upward on the desk and began the next, copying the original text.

After some time, he pulled a small wooden handled seal and a bar of blue-green sealing wax, sealing and addressing each letter in turn within a different size and shape of envelope.  He would need to find a moment before the battle to send these off in different towns along the way.  At least one would need to make it through.

---

Maggie extended her hand for the envelope as the young woman dropped it into her hand.  A hidden frown was accompanied by a visible raised eyebrow.  As she turned the envelope over, her eyes fixed on the seal immediately.  Without her standard composure, she hastily slid a finger in between the envelope and seal, ignoring the slight coating of grime on the surface of the entire thing.

Pulling the letter from its sheath, she scanned it top to bottom in moments.  Her eyes narrowed, the emotional confusion washing over the visible parts of her face.  Drawing in a slow breath, she exhaled at length and turned slightly.  Over her shoulder Wrigley was watching from her station at the desk, as Maggie stated simply and slowly, “Go find me someone from the RPM.  Please.”

3.0 Updates

Good morning folks!

Some updates for you now that I have had a moment to sit and breathe. You are going to want to read this. ^_^

1. Please wait to update your characters in the 3.0 database as we won't be porting over the 2.0 changes to XP totals until the 14th. Please wait until the 15th to update your characters. If you have already begun creating characters in the 3.0 database you will need to recreate them on the 15th as everything will be wiped with the update. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE 3.0 DATABASE EMAIL ME ASAP SO I CAN GET YOU ACCESS. All the emails have been sent so if you don't have one yet, you aren't going to get one, just email me and I'll get you set up. ^_^ Customerservice@dystopiarisingwi.com

2. I am expecting a flood of emails from folks who didn't know what they wanted to spend their transfer points on. You have until the 20th, end of day, to get me those emails or you will walk into October's game with starting gear only. (Yes, I will be reminding you regularly!) If you need to adjust something for your spreadsheet (add cards you found, add AP you forgot) please let me know asap and I'll get you sorted so you are ready to go on the 21st. Customerservice@dystopiarisingwi.com

3. Many of you have already submitted, but if you have feedback from the last game you can submit it here.

4. Please, Please, Please use the customerservice@dystopiarisingwi.com email to ask questions about the conversion. I am trying to make sure I don't miss anyone's question, but having questions sent to 4 different locations means someone is going to get missed and I don't want to do that. Thank you!

5. Pre-registration for October's game will wait to open until the final 3.0 database port after the 14th. Please bear with us as we learn the new database and get the webpage set up to handle the new way of doing things. This month will not be a normal month as we figure out how 3.0 is going to work on the back end of things. If you have questions or concerns, email and I can get you sorted.

6. We have time skip stories coming soon! Real life stuffs have thrown off our timing. Rest assured we are working to catch up as fast as we can. Thank you all for your patience and I can't wait to see where your stories go from here!

Heather - Logistics Coordinator

Hey, Did You Hear? - September's Rumors

“That Junior Black fella is General of some kind of fascist regime that’s trying to take over the area. Have you seen the thugs he’s got in his group?”

“My sister told me that our local graverobber was trying ta get some folks more infection so’s they don’t die soon but ended up killing a buncha folks in the process. Don’t seem like a good trade-off, does it?”

“The Steel Bloods sure have been doing a lot to help the town. They’s been coming into the area in droves and helping folks make traps and zed attractant to help with the oncoming horde. I guess our folks invited em to live here now and join the town government?”

“Town hasn’t done any elections yet, but they’ve done some judging and laws-makin’ and such. Prolly a good idea since town’s been getting so big these last few years.”

“Didja see the Norske fightin’ some guy last trade? He had their scarf, but they was fightin’ him, so who knows if they’re family or foe? Those Norske are confusing.”

“Folks sure have been researching that sickness going around, but I ain’t seen it getting anything but worse. They’s didn’t even have a library last trade, so they’re just talking to each other to figure out what to do. I’m tired of moving around and feeling sick, so’s them smart folk better hurry!”

“Holy Moly! A meat cult came to the Church of Bacon and they ended up sacrificing one of their own outside the kitchen and then when a fight broke out, the leader died and took Bells with him! Don’t worry though, one of the graverobbers spent a fortune of stuff and saved her. Now there’s group of people who’s gonna go hunting the cult down!”

Consecrated to Cataclysm: The Story of Steel Horse Crossing’s Great Tree

To read part 1 & 2 click here.

Part 3

The animals and undead became exponentially more hostile and toxic the longer that they were exposed to the sickness over time. The disease spread a little more every day, affecting the water table and every living thing that needs water to exist. A few people took samples of the soil and plants to research what was happening with the environment, but the lack of prior examples in the limited libraries available to them kept their knowledge too limited to find any kind of permanent solution.

At the same time, the raider threat started to increase significantly. The sheer volume of raiders that attacked Steel Horse Crossing was immense, causing its people to close off parts of town so that the denizens could stay better protected. At first, it was just large numbers of the Cheesehead raiders. Then, Bada’s forces moved in with the assistance of several clans of Pitstops, leaving the local citizens caught in the middle. Eventually, the situation became bad enough that the Iron Works intervened and the resulting shelling of sizeable and irradiated explosives between the raiders and the Iron Works was substantial. The Raider War eventually ended with the citizens of Steel Horse Crossing mostly surviving, but the damage to the land itself was irreparable. (S3, 2018)

Part 4

The irradiated, diseased zone became more virulent and widespread than ever before with its exposure to the immense amounts of radioactive shelling done during the Raider War. Locals from the outskirts of Steel Horse Crossing had started coming into town with a new, more-intensified version of the sickness the land itself had, manifesting itself as growths of irradiated fungus on the face and body. The people of Steel Horse Crossing continued having to move around to different parts of the town to keep from growing sick from radiation and disease. At this point, a few townspeople took samples of the glowing mushrooms, the fungus from the diseased settlers’ faces, the soil, and other items to more vigilantly research what was causing this catastrophic environmental disaster. They finally are starting to discover that this sickness in the land is so incredibly widespread, so vast, that it is impossible to cure except through diligent, expensive means over a very long period of time.

During this time, the townspeople haven’t noticed the subtle, silent mutations that have been taking place within their cells, their DNA, while being exposed to this diseased, irradiated land for such an extensive amount of time. Some of their knowledge is starting to fade from their mind and be replaced with different intuitions and skills. Key aspects of their strain are starting to fall away and be replaced by different attributes and mutations. The changes are so subtle, so gradual, that people probably have just started to notice that the way they’ve existed for their entire lives is now beginning to be slightly different… (S4, 2019, 2.0 Finale) 

Consecrated to Cataclysm: The Story of Steel Horse Crossing’s Great Tree

Part 1

Several years ago, when Steel Horse Crossing was just starting to grow into a town again, a Natural One tribe called the Kishwaukee came to the townspeople to ask for their help. They had a history of working with the local townspeople for several generations, even before the incident with the local Lascarians. They had come into town to meet this new group of settlers to gain some help in ending the sickness that was plaguing their tribe.

Members of the Kishwaukee had disappeared. Those of the tribe that were still left were now starving. And most importantly, their sacred tree was not well. At first, they noticed it wasn’t producing as many leaves during the Spring and Summer. Then, the leaves started to rot instead of changing colors and drying in the Autumn. Over the Winter, the tree started to drop its rotten leaves and the rot started to take hold onto the bark of the tree. Then they noticed a colorful ooze coming from small cracks in its bark and that the rot had started to happen to the surrounding trees in the grove. The surrounding plant life died, leaving nothing but an ever-increasing circle of strange, colorful mold covering the ground.

Their high priest Achak, who spoke with the Voice of the Great Tree, became unwell in the mind. The sicker the tree became, the less sense Achak made. Only during short moments of clarity did Achak articulate that there was something horribly wrong with the Tree. The priest kept saying that “something that doesn’t belong here” has “taken home inside”. They would mumble about “rotting from the inside,” “sweetness of decay,” and “the outside taking over”. Achak was powerful and highly respected amongst all the local tribes as the Speaker for the Great Tree and the Keeper of the Seasons, and so their warnings were considered quite dire. Achak died while several people from Steel Horse Crossing looked on. That Winter, the people of Steel Horse Crossing nearly died from starvation. (S1, 2016)

Part 2

The sickness continued to spread, affecting the surrounding natural areas, local plants, and wildlife. A type of ant that lived within the infected area started to mutate due to prolonged exposure to the sickness, causing them to start producing a secretion that they spread upon the local fauna. This goopy secretion kept once-living things from sinking into the earth or decomposing at their natural rate. Pieces of once-living creatures were found all over the area and when the people of Steel Horse Crossing investigated these intact pieces of bodies, they contracted an unusual disease that manifested much like tuberculosis and left them severely violent and anxious. The townspeople cured those who contracted the onset of this unusual disease but did not discover its source. At this point, the entire Kishwaukee clan, except for a scarce few, contracted the sickness and died. The few that survived joined another clan and the Kishwaukee were no more.

The Kishwaukee were not the only victims to the infection of the land. The animals of the area started to mutate more quickly and aggressively than ever before. Several of the undead started attacking with toxic and irradiated blows. The ground itself split due to the old, fiery mines below the town, opening huge pressurized fissures that spewed enormous plumes of disorienting steam and intense blacklung-causing smoke. Several people became incredibly sick during that Helldive season, trying to save the area from the imminent disaster and destruction that had come annually to the area for decades. (S2, 2017)

Stay tuned for more hype in the next installment of Consecrated to Cataclysm: The Story of Steel Horse Crossing’s Great Tree!

The Elder Council and You

As we start gearing up for a time jump, and what that means for the game, there’s been a lingering question from folks that seems easy to address:  What is “The Elder Council”?

When we put together the Wisconsin game years back, we looked across all the games in the network to see how their models worked (or didn’t work) for the game we wanted our players to experience.  One of the things that we took away from that research was the need to have an NPC setup in which the game runners had control over issues that directly impacted the play, well-being and fairness for all players across the game.  The concept of the Elder Council was specifically placed into use for that purpose – when we saw the potential for abuse, or instances where players could inadvertently change the experience for players in a way they hadn’t considered, we had the option of stepping in and having the more nebulous NPC group use certain plot and drivers as course corrections. The aspect was built into history that the original families (and specifically their strains) would keep control over their land with enough input to ensure the Ironworks was appeased, and that the core interests of those groups were a general undertone.

Fast forward a while, and we’ve not only leveraged the original purpose, but also have used the NPC group to advance plot, offer unique opportunities that weren’t easy to build in otherwise, and course correct when things went beyond the bounds of the game we had been running.  We’ve always been open to player agency, but at the same time, we’ve been particularly up front that certain aspects of the world around your characters have their own life and will impact the game just as much as the characters in those cases.  So what does that have to do with today?

If you’ve been to game recently, you’ll know that the town has been given a lot more freedom with the Ironworks mostly out of the picture. (Maybe? For now?  Forever?)  The aspect of building a small portion of the larger ‘city’ area that is Steel Horse has fallen to individual zones, and this game exists in one particular zone, while NPC factions (see 3.0 for more detail there) will exist alongside them in various capacities.  The chance to govern the specific area in question – the place where characters live, gather, and otherwise experience game – means everyone gets a chance to help guide that part of the world.  That also opens the door to options that the game runners will need to keep an eye on.  Are our new players being treated just as fairly as our veterans?  Is there a way that a single person or small group is taking advantage of that system in order to make the game experience worse for others?  Is a core principle of our game’s background disappearing without NPC input?  All those items and more will still require an eye on the general ideals we want to ensure remain true in our play space.

What this doesn’t mean is that the game runners want to run your game and part of town top down.  We aren’t interested in the micromanagement of how the players and their PCs want to play the game aside from providing a fun environment.  We are definitely not going to look at every law a council of PCs would pass and say “Nah, don’t wanna” when it doesn’t impede, or cause problems for, other players.  These NPCs aren’t going to show up for no reason and take over the game.  They are there solely for the constructive well-being and longevity of all players, and when otherwise specifically engaged, to enhance the roleplay of characters.  You can have any number of interactions with them, but they should not be expected to be regular visitors or iron-fisted rulers.  Within some small boundaries, they are there for story and gentle nudging.  Think of them as a kind of NPC landlord: as long as things are going reasonably well, you won’t see them.  As with any NPC, they will also have a life of their own, and respond to PCs accordingly if they are so engaged.

Localizing 3.0 and Downfall 2019

Long ago, just after the Fall, there were only a few Dystopia Rising games.  Those few games grew into a small network, where things worked for the collective groups involved.  During that time, those large national events we’ve seen over the years worked really well.  As the network grew, those events were harder to work into every branch’s schedules, and it was harder to get everyone into one place to have fun together.  

Today, we have so many branches running every weekend that the concept of a single national event conflicts with the goals of having so many local games available.  Players must decide where to spend their time, money and weekends already – a national event just added to that strain.  Each branch voted on whether to change that format up in order to better serve our community, and we unanimously decided to implement a new format for the network.  Today, we’re announcing a change to how things work with PREMIER EVENTS!

Premiere events are special games held once a year by each game.  Those games are now split into regions, so that each region can have these special games available to them.  Each premiere event is a blend of a larger game with nation-wide plot arcs and local flavor.  Regions look like this today:

Region One
Current Games: Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut

Region Two
Current Games: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Florida, Georgia
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina

Region Three
Current Games: Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio
Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, West Virginia, Virginia, Minnesota

Region Four
Current Games: Washington, Oregon
Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota,

Region Five
Current Games: Northern California, Southern California, Colorado, New Mexico
Nevada, Utah, Arizona

These events will replace the national event format we’ve see in the past, and opens up the door for us to dig into our plot arcs locally and share our flavor with visitors.  At the same time, we’ll still have plot running through the network that we’ll also have access to in these events so we can continue to tie all the chapters together.

Additional information about these events includes:

• Premiere events can be three OR four day events.  A fourth day would add $25 to the overall cost of the event.

• Premiere events offer an optional five (5) additional build, similar to other event games.  That build would $50 to the overall cost of the event.

• Premiere events start in 2019, scheduled with every effort to not overlap other event games.  In the case of DR: Wisconsin, our Premiere event for 2019 is the November game at Camp Evelyn.

• In 2020, all branches may run 1 Premiere even per year as long as they keep up with all the obligations in their contracts.  We will announce the date for a 2020 Premiere game as soon as all branches schedules are submitted, and we have that date!

• Premiere events help tie regions together with plot, opening the door to having players work across multiple games to invest in story and activities even beyond the premiere events.

Overall, this opens to the door to a lot more opportunity, both in focusing on our local communities and our interactions between each branch, which will hopefully bring all our players closer together as well!  We won’t be ignoring branches and regions beyond our own – we can absolutely work with them too – but we want to ensure our focus is on our local communities and the quality we can provide you each game.

This shift also opens the door many future options to focus locally and allows our players to directly support their local branches!  A few more changes that you’ll see as we make this shift include:

• Advanced Memberships will be sold locally, starting around the mid-September time-frame.

• All branch merchandise will shift to the branches directly, and will be sold locally and online, with expanding options for customization.

• Other changes may occur, and we’ll keep you up to date as any new information rolls out!

With the above changes shifting our current practices, it was also decided to cancel the 2019 Downfall event.  More information can be found in the link below, which will also include instructions for anyone that pre-registered for the event.  The goal of every branch, and INC as the company presenting this event, is to ensure you have outstanding customer service through this process.  Please read the link and follow any steps that apply, and know that we will ensure you do not suffer due to this change.  If you have any questions or concerns, we will help you navigate whatever comes up – please do reach out to us for assistance at any point.

http://www.imaginenationcollective.com/downfall2019

We hope you see the benefit and potential for these new changes, and join us for new ways to tell stories with you and your friends as our continued focus.

Heather and Mike Surma