It’s Jonathan here again with another Rules Ramble! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic that will be important in an upcoming game, explain some new mechanic or system for DR:TX, or discuss a particular rule from the DR Corebook. In each ramble, I’ll focus on explaining that topic in more detail than the book alone can provide and help provide one place to reference all the various errata or rulings that might be relevant. Sometimes I’ll even drop a few Story Teasers or provide a summary of the last game in a Game Recap.
As we get ready for our next event, THE EMERALD GALA, I'm going to be covering a bit about the Inventor’s Ball, R&D, and the unique inventions that have been designed to combat the terrible threat of the Archons - THE EMERALD ARSENAL. This blog post will cover some specifics about the various weapons that will become a new national Blueprint!
TICKETS ARE ON SALE FOR THE EMERALD GALA UNTIL FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2ND! DON’T MISS OUT ON THE NEXT DR:TX PREMIERE EVENT!
We also had some BIG announcements last week about the re-opening of DR New Mexico, and some upcoming staff changes here in DR:TX, so check it out!
Photo credits in this post are from Lainey Weiss and Francine Ilac.
Is that THE famous Felicity Redfield I see over there?
In today’s post, we are going to cover a few big concepts during the next event and how you can change the course of the metaplot and story in the San Saba with your actions at this event.
I wrote a lot about the impending Archon Threat last week, so this week is going to talk a bit about how the San Saba has been preparing. This region has seen more activity from the abyssal entities known as Archons than many other settlements in the wastes, so that has given the scientists and factions of the Lonestar more data to prepare than most, and a reason to develop tools and weapons for the next INCURSION.
The Inventor’s Ball
One of the major in-game events of the EMERALD GALA will be the Inventor’s Ball. Part science fair, part prom, part job interview, this is the event of the season for the genius inventors of the Railroad Conglomerate. While the RRC is the preeminent faction in the San Saba thanks to their control of the Oxline railways and the capital of Waking Prime (which is totally not falling), one of their key subfactions is Research & Development, or R&D.
R&D is the home of most of the ex-Conglomerate scientists (a former political faction from Season 1) and the great Digitarian families of the Lone Star. Each of these families can trace their origins back nearly to the Fall, and they have a long tradition of academic excellence and technological expertise. They are stewards of artifacts of the oldcestors, kept running by prayers, hope, and a little mad science, and they are the heart and soul of the flying sky-city that is the capital.
There are six major branches of the Digitarian and Pure Blood elite in the city of Waking Prime:
Dellison: This family specializes in medical science, particularly research into imprints, grave sciences, and good old fashioned anatomy and physiology. Their founder is known for pioneering successful organ transplants for the Candlepin company, and is considered one of the best doctors in the region. The San Saba Board and the RRC have excellent medical benefits thanks to the Dellisons.
Hackard: One of the most important families in the RRC by wealth and privilege, the Hackards were the genius inventors behind the formulations of Oxblood, a biodiesel fuel used by most of the locomotive engines that run along the Oxlines, and assisted Dr. Sung with the creation of the Ox itself.
Kwolk: This family may be considered eccentric by most, but their mastery of clockwork gear systems, steam, and the various mechanical engines used throughout Waking Prime make them invaluable to the RRC. They are watchmakers and fine craftsmen of gizmos, small contraptions, and most of the radio technology used by the floating city.
Tinstrument: The most politically powerful family, thanks to the efforts of Mayor Tinstrument, this was the founding family of the Conglomerate. Their speciality in solar power and alternative fuels led to the creation of the Capacity Engine, the mighty oldcestor creation that keeps the city of Waking afloat.
Buzzbee: Easily identified by their maroon colors and Tainted scientists, the Buzzbee family is one of the oldest institutions in Waking. They created the lightning rod system that brings power to the city’s lesser systems, and the storm alert system that detects weather changes and navigation. Masters of electricity, they collect oldcestor technology in hopes of recreating the marvels of the time before the fall.
Skyline: One of the newer families of Waking, their genius lies in the creation of lenses and glassworks, used throughout the city to repair telescopes, windows, streetlights, glassware, and more. The delicate and intricate glass and copper constructions of the Skylines are highly desired by most of the scientists in the collective. While their devices may seem simple at first, they are masters of subtlety and have excelled in the cutthroat politics of Waking’s elite.
One such tradition they have cultivated over the years is the concept of the INVENTION EXCHANGE. Once an internal cultural practice with the Conglomerate, the “Invention Exchange” has become a part of the formal etiquette of R&D. It is a grand and endless competition of innovative one-upmanship… so much so that the average RD member will think it rude if you do not have SOMETHING to share with them, even if it’s only a rough sketch on the back of a cocktail napkin.
We’ve introduced something of these mechanics with the REDFIELD INVENTION EXCHANGE this season at the General Store, and you can use this Zone of Mechanics to acquire new blueprints in game.
Now that I’ve given you a bit of a background on the brains behind the plan, let’s talk about the Emerald Arsenal itself.
Of course, my rocket launcher has a V8 engine… doesn’t yours?
The Emerald Arsenal
Ever since the first Archon encounter during the Fountainhead Incident, the leaders of the San Saba have been brainstorming how to better prepare for the next incursion by these abyssal entities. Thanks to the early warning from the Grave Council, the San Saba Board has been quietly funding research projects over the last year to prepare. The Inventor’s Ball will see the premiere of these fantastical inventions and display the prototypes for defending against the terrible threat of the Archons.
During this next event, THE EMERALD GALA, your characters will have the chance to pick which of the weapons you’d like to employ against the Archon threat.
This choice will result in one of these creations being offered in some form as a BLUEPRINT that will be shared with the network. This item will be the next tool in the fight against the Archons, and will be revealed once our event is over. For those that invest in the success of the Emerald Arsenal, you’ll have an opportunity to get the first copies of this new Blueprint.
The RRC has presented SEVEN different entries for the Inventor’s Ball, and each has the backing of one of the powerful factions of the San Saba. The entry that wins the support of the Board will have the funding to mass produce their invention and spread that knowledge to the wastes.
However, each device requires a bit of attunement and final adjustments to demonstrate, and there won’t be enough time to get every option ready in time. You’ll need to pick one (or two) of the weapons below to use during the final fight on Saturday night. And that’s assuming some criminal element doesn’t decide to take matters in their own hands to sabotage the Arsenal (they wouldn’t do that, would they?)…
Stewart’s Abyssal Xenoclave
Patron Benefactor: Railroad Conglomerate, Felicity Redfield
Description: “Dr. Janus Stewart’s Xenoclave is a monstrous yet marvelous feat of mechanical engineering. The general shape of the device is easy enough to understand but to examine its details with any level of certainty is a Herculean feat. The many gears and plates that make up its construction seem to warp and rearrange in response to perception, and a lack of seams, screws, bolts, or welds make it an impossibility to imagine the abyssal workings that tik away within its iron carapace. This machine is designed as an opening play, a way to drag the Archons into our world on our time, and without the properties that normally render them invulnerable. Using a combination of radiation, sonic frequencies, and something that Dr. Stewart has dubbed “Pataphysical Pressure” the Xenoclave would open a sterile and stable Rift that draws forth the Archons and binds them to physical form.”
Buzzbee Stormbound Cage
Patron Benefactor: Law Dog Union
Description: “A complex and electrified Faraday cage made of precious metals and tightly wound netting. Installed around the doors and windows of The Depot and flooded with electric current, this device would diffuse the electricity across a wider area to interfere with their ability to discorporate. In theory this would prevent an Archon from easily entering or exiting the Emerald Gala event by an Abyssal Rift, or by traveling through electrical systems. Strains passing through should feel a slight buzz but are none the worse for wear. The Cage will not keep an Archon bound for long within, but it will trap them for a short duration.”
Dellison Biogenetic Imprint Tether
Patron Benefactor: Grave Council
Description: “The Biogenetic Imprint Tether an ominous medical device shaped like a spider attached to a still living brainstem bound in a serum-filled canister. There are mechanical components resembling audio signal amplifiers connected to the canister. This device radiates unsettling whispers that bury into your mind while in range of the amplifier, and prevents modification to your Imprint by creating a localized biogenetic field around anyone within range. In the event that you are on the verge of death, this device would allow you to resist the attempt of an Archon to sever your Imprint.”
Tinstrument Solar Flare Matrix
Patron Benefactor: San Saba Republic, Mayor Tinstrument
Description: “The Solar Flare Matrix is a series of mirrors and lights focused through Amaranthine lenses into a powerful radioactive weapon. The device can concentrate ambient light into a searing blast of energy, converting the light into various wavelengths across the visible spectrum. While Archons are thought not to use traditional vision, the combination of electromagnetic energy and solar radiation should be enough to scramble their senses. Though it would take time to charge each burst, if they are truly multi-dimensional entities they should be overwhelmed and stunned by the sudden exposure to multiple forms of radiation across all visible wavelengths.”
Kwolk Acoustic Pulse Scuttler
Patron Benefactor: Junkerpunks
Description: “A series of clockwork acoustic devices organized into a convoluted system of tubes that remind you of a barrel organ. The amplification of sounds made through gear-driven pneumatic pressurization is made possible by a complex modulating frequency device that enables the wavelengths to be amplified or suppressed. The Kwolk device was originally made to mimic Leviathan mating calls, but these have been tuned to match and neutralize the Abyssal Pulses hidden in the Archon’s deadly auras. The combination of these competing frequencies should be able to counteract these pulses by creating contradicting and opposed subaudible wavelengths.”
Skyline Darken'd Veil
Patron Benefactor: The Widows of the Lone Star, Lovelace Family
Description: “A series of ornate tapestries inlaid with precious stones and delicate wiring woven within the strange metallic threads. The stone-laded tapestry creates a dampening effect that interferes with the visible light spectrum and makes your head hurt if you stare at them for too long. The material used to create these is beyond mundane ability to recreate and must be some form of oldcestor form that enables the weaving at such fine detail. The Darken’d Veil also consumes a fabulous amount of energy and the most cumbersome application of this invention is simply finding enough energy to power the device. Only by connecting the Veils to something of great power, like the engine of THE OX, would be sufficient to shield the Emerald Gala and that will require all escape from Bravado Station by rail to be limited. When at full power, the Darken’d Veil should be able to obscure the use of psionics from Archons and prevent them from healing off of its use.”
Hackard Abyssal Siphoning Anchors
Patron Benefactor: Prudence Penitentiary
Description: “The Hackard’s mastery of Oxblooded forging has enabled the creation of strange blackened chains that hang from the walls and end in an asymmetrical psionic crystal. Each of the chains are inlaid with filigree and runic markings reminiscent of the language of old Barogue. Made with the same care the master smiths used to construct the Ox, the Anchors are not just decorative but parts of them are anchored into the world beyond thanks to the Amaranthite alloys used in the construction. They are designed to drain the energy of the Archons and prevent them from benefiting from the slaughter of strains. The chains are bound into complex runes carved into the very earth, channeling the energy away from the Archons and preventing them from establishing a connection back to the Abyss they could use to escape.
I mainly picked this one for the Green. It is the EMERALD GALA after all.
Unintended Consequences
One aspect of the Emerald Arsenal we will not be entirely spoiling is the unintended consequences of using the devices in their prototype states. These devices are untested, experimental, and pushing the bounds of pseudo-science in the wastelands but they follow a natural bit of logic and evolution in their concepts. We still don’t know if they will work against the Archons, and it’s like hitting a bit of a moving target with a hammer (sometimes literally!).
But there’s a catch.
You see, a hammer can be used to build a house, repair a ride, or fix something that’s stuck. It can also be used to cave in the skull of an enemy, and it can hammer out a new deadly weapon from the forge. It all depends on WHO is using the item, HOW they are using it, and their intent. Each of these devices is a hammer of sorts, and that is going to have an impact on the future of the San Saba.
Each of the items in the Emerald Arsenal will have some ADVANTAGES, DRAWBACKS and UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
Advantages are pretty straightforward. Each device will have a unique mechanical effect that directly counters some aspect of what the Archon can do in game. Each of these items is built around DEFENDING against the Archons and will provide useful tools to evade some of the toolkit in their abyssal arsenal. This can be a very valuable asset in the final fight on Saturday night, and could swing the tide in your favor.
The Drawbacks will be a constraint or mechanical effect that accompanies the beneficial effect of the Arsenal item. It’s something that can probably be worked out over the next few months with the proper funding and testing, but for now the Emerald Arsenal are prototypes only, with all the quirks that entails. For instance, the Dellison Biogenetic Imprint Tether is excellent at stopping the Archons from severing the imprints of their victims, but it also interferes with Biogenetics in the area. These quirks will be displayed for you to see in game, so you’ll be able to make an educated guess on which of the Emerald Arsenal you want to see made into reality.
The Unintended Consequences will require a bit of RESEARCH, particularly for those with the right LORES and PFAs. Each of these will outline the potential for abuse and the inevitable escalation that will occur once the Pandora’s Box of technology is advanced in the San Saba. It may not happen exactly as you predict, but humanity has a way of taking something benign and helpful and trying to make it into something that can be controlled or exploited. For instance, the Abyssal Xenoclave might be useful to purposefully pull an Archon across the veil of reality, but opening a rift into the Abyss could allow OTHER things to come through. And worse yet, imagine a world where someone has the ability to purposefully open an Abyssal rift in the home of their enemy, for instance.
As you can see, it’s not entirely a choice without consequences, but you’ll have plenty of time to make a decision before the grand finale of the EMERALD GALA. The Emerald Arsenal will provide some opportunities for debate and roleplay around their use, and we hope you will have fun with the conflict ahead.
Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast. To soften rocks, or bend the knotted oak. - William Congreve
wrap up
That’s it for today Vados! Next week is the last week before game, so we will be covering some Rules You Should Know, the ARCHON edition. I’ll cover some of the deadly attacks you should be prepared for, and a few bits of mechanics that might become relevant during the event.
Remember, advanced tickets are still on sale until FRIDAY, December 2nd, so make sure to lock in your ticket to our Premiere event. You can get more XP than normal, and a chance to participate in some fun National plotlines, while advancing the story of the San Saba.
See you soon Vados!