It’s Jonathan here with our next weekly blog post for the upcoming event, VOX POPULI! This is the leadup for our May DR:TX event written by Heather Halstead, Overarc ST for our Season Closer, and Operational Storyteller for Season 5. Today we will talk a bit about the STAKEHOLDER’S MEETING and how you can impact the government of the San Saba. Your Society Membership will earn you VOTES to determine changes to the Law and the Charter of the San Saba Board, so make your voice heard!
We have a lot in store for the finale of Season 4!
Our next event will feature options to use the ZIPLINE and the POOL at Camp Kachina! Make sure to pack those swimsuits!
We will have a real-life WEDDING happening at our event, at 12:30pm at the Depot! We are so excited to see two of our players choose our game for this special event.
Our Feedback Form is still up for our last event! Did something really amazing, exciting, or tragic happen at game? Was there a person who helped make your time better and welcomed you to the community? Perhaps nominate them for a Community Achievement! Tell us what you loved about game so we can make more of the content that you love and enjoy. Conversely, if there is something you did not enjoy, or something which needs to be addressed, we would really like to hear about that too.
We’ve added some new ways to spend your hard-earned CAPS from the last event. Check out the new items you can purchase with your Community Action Points!
TICKETS FOR VOX POPULI ARE ON SALE till friday, may 5th! DON’T MISS OUT ON YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE A BIG DECISION!!!
THIS POST WILL DISCUSS A FEW LIGHT STORY SPOILERS FOR OUR NEXT EVENT, SO WE HOPE YOU ENJOY WHAT WE HAVE IN STORE!
Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team.
politics during VOX Populi
Each year during our season finale in May, DR:TX holds an important vote for all of the characters within the San Saba called THE STAKEHOLDER’S MEETING. This is the one planned time each year where we introduce new LAWS and AMENDMENTS to the region, and let the players vote and politic on the changes to the in-game government of the Lone Star. This is your chance to make you voice heard, VOX POPULI-style! (And you get to crash a giant city-sized airship too, but let’s focus on the actual politics for now…)
We started this tradition with our very first Waking online game, THE SHINING CITY. This tradition mimics the annual shareholder meetings of big corporations in the real world and is one way we reinforce the setting of our game through law and order. During this first online game featuring the capital of the San Saba, Waking Prime, the Powers That Be combined two factions into the mighty Railroad Conglomerate (RRC) and formally recognized the SAN SABA BOARD.
Helmed by the mysterious CHAIR, the San Saba Board is made of several powerful NPCs of Note from the area, with many of the powerful Factions of the San Saba represented:
The Chair
Felicity Redfield (The Railroad Conglomerate)
Dr. Janus Stewart (The Railroad Conglomerate)
Antler-Queen Lucy “Boss” Debs (The San Saba Republic)
Grand Admiral Sinker Swim (The Junkerpunks)
Reckoner-General Rampart (The Grave Council)
Tabitha St. Mercy (Prudence Penitentiary)
We continued this story into the live space for the first-time last season, with our May event, THE CICATRIX. During this event, players voted on several laws, including a harsh new rule against Crystal Candy, awarding the Junkerpunks a seat on the Board, and temporarily removing Tabitha St. Mercy as the Warden of Prudence Penitentiary.
This year’s vote is no less world-defining and there are several ways for your characters to participate.
While we will be introducing new Amendments to the Charter, characters with Master Society Membership can even introduce new player-suggested laws of their own, and player-led crews can gain formal acknowledgment by the San Saba Board.
Let’s talk about how this will work during the May event.
The Stakeholder’s Meeting
Within a faction, those that simply hold a contract and Basic Society Membership are known as Contractors. Those that show particular loyalty to a faction may earn Proficient Society Membership and the Stakeholder title by performing jobs for that faction and proving their loyalty. Those that prove themselves above and beyond the terms of their contracts may eventually gain the perks of the Trustee title and Master Society Membership. The exact names of these ranks within each faction may differ, but the benefits are similar.
So, there are three ranks a player can hold with the San Saba Factions:
CONTRACTOR (Basic Society Membership)
You can earn Basic Membership by completing a Work Order. Any character can earn this rank, even visitors! With this level, you can use the unique SAN SABA SUNDRIES.
STAKEHOLDER (Proficient Society Membership)
You can earn Proficient Membership by paying 100 Brass or performing an Action Request to interact with an NPC member of the faction. This level unlocks powerful SAN SABA SOCIALS.
TRUSTEE (Master Society Membership)
You can Master Membership by paying 500 Brass or performing a favor or task for one of the NPC members of the faction through a Personal Plot Request or in-game actions. This level unlocks awesome new SAN SABA KEYSTONES.
While the San Saba Board is tasked with day-to-day decisions, each year the Stakeholders of the various factions are given a chance to voice their interests in the Stakeholder’s Meeting. During this event, new laws can be considered for addition to the Charter, new factions may seek entry to the Board, and major decisions can be weighed by the populace.
Only those that hold a Contract may participate but remember any character can earn a Basic Membership simply by completing a SAN SABA WORK ORDER!
The San Saba Charter & Laws of the Territories
The laws of the San Saba Territories are outlined in the Charter. While some of them are the obvious social constructs to keep a polite society, several of them enumerate the authority of the various Factions.
THE LAWS
The spilling of Blood and Bone is the prerogative of the Wastes, but to steal the Infection of the Body, or the Work of the Hands is forbidden.
Brass and Contracts are our Sacred Currency. Thems that break a Contract are a Breacher and are subject to the Gauntlet. Anyone not holding a Contract is a Vagrant and has no voice in Company Affairs.
None shall interfere with the Delivery of the Post, Nor the Collection of the Grave Tax.
In matters of Law and Order, the Law Dogs, Hell Hounds and Justices of Sin enact the will of the Board as their Voice and their Vigor, empowered to wield Death and Duty in their name.
The growth, harvesting, trafficking, and consumption of psionic crystals and their byproducts is hereby considered dangerous to San Saba communities and is forbidden.
THE CHARTER
The Law of San Saba will be written, revised, and unwritten by a majority vote of The Board.
Suggestions for new Laws or amendments to the Charter will be presented to the assembled Stakeholders of the San Saba each year during the annual Stakeholder’s Meeting, for a period of consideration no shorter than 3 days.
The Railroad Conglomerate holds two seats on the board, the Grave Council one seat, the Warden one seat, the Junkerpunks one seat, and the San Saba Republic the final place.
The Chair does not vote, but holds the power of veto. This veto may only be overwritten by the unanimous decision of the board.
The Grave Council shall not be barred from any Morgue, nor shall they be impeded in the collection of their Grave Tax.
The Justices of Prudence Penitentiary shall pass judgement on the guilty and offer them a path to Absolution.
The Junkerpunks shall not be impeded in their settlement of Drywater, nor in passage on the coasts, lakes, or river passages of the San Saba Territories.
The Railroad Conglomerate shall not be impeded in expanding their management of the land or the expansion of the Ox Line.
The San Saba Republic shall be granted freedom of travel and residency throughout the San Saba Territories.
The Law Dogs shall enforce The Laws in accordance with their contract with the Board.
Only the Law Dogs may grant the strikers of the Red Ledger permission to operate within the Territories.
changes to the law for season 5
Traditionally, a suggestion of a law or amendment will be debated by the San Saba Board behind closed doors, with each Board Member voting “yay” or “nay” on the change. The Chair retains the power of Veto and can stop the admission of a suggestion at this point. While many minor regulations and authorizations have taken place (such as the Drywater Settlement Package), major changes to Charter are rare.
This year, there are THREE proposed changes, in addition to what players can introduce:
Let’s take a look at the proposed changes to the law this year:
The Formation of a San Saba Militia
NEW ARTICLE OF THE CHARTER: “The San Saba Chair shall finance and appoint leadership of a standing militia to provide support, maintain the peace, quell threats, defend the territory, and repel invasion."
This new law will allow the San Saba Board to prepare for the eventual conflict with the Antler-Oxkiller armies in the north, left behind after the schism of the Tribes Disparate during Season 3. It’s broadly popular, especially after the Red Ledger helped clear out those pesky cultists during our February event, CRISIS OF FAITH.
YAY: If this vote passes, then next season we will deal with a new military force in the region and a potential ally in the upcoming conflicts of Season 5
NAY: If this vote fails, the Board will have to rely on the mercenaries of the Red Ledger and outside help for defense in serious conflicts during Season 5
Reassigning Vacant Seats on the Board
NEW ARTICLE OF THE CHARTER: “The Chair holds vacant board votes in proxy should a member be unable to fulfill their role, through death, absence, or censure. The Chair may call a vote to assign a new Board Member to fill these vacancies.”
Two Board Members have been removed this year and it’s created a bit of havoc for the Board. When Adam Moriarty, the Spider of Killhouse was killed during the riots at Killhouse during our National Event PYROCLASM, the seat normally afforded to Prudence Penitentiary sat vacant for most of the year. This was further aggravated when Dr. Stewart, the Scientist was ripped to pieces by an Archon during the events of THE EMERALD GALA. With a third of the Board missing in action, the Board needs to appoint new members.
Because tradition assumes that an absent member automatically votes “Nay”, the Board has been unable to do much as a result. Fixing this issue is mostly a procedural vote and is heavily favored to pass, but if it passes it will also allow characters to petition to remove certain returning Board members from power…
YAY: If this vote passes, then new Board members can be chosen for the Factions of the San Saba and new Factions can be represented.
NAY: If this vote fails, the inaction of the Board will continue and will benefit the more political members of the Board as they can grow their power unchecked.
Separating the Justices of Sin from Prudence Penitentiary
CURRENT CHARTER: The Justices of Prudence Penitentiary shall pass judgment on the guilty and offer them a path to Absolution.
CHARTER AMENDMENT: “The Justices of Sin shall pass judgment on the guilty and offer them a path to Absolution befitting the faith of the breacher.”
The last vote is a bit of a potential change to an existing faction. Previously, the Charter tied the Justices of Sin to the forces of Prudence Penitentiary and kept them under the purview of Tabitha St. Mercy. This Amendment will free them from the control of Killhouse and make them a faction of their own, free from the influence of the Warden of Prudence Penitenitary.
YAY: If this vote passes, the Justices of Sin will enter new territory for Season 5 as we update our Crime Scenes and Gauntlets for a new sense of justice in the wasteland. The Justices of Sin will embrace new faiths and members as they provide more specific absolution for the guilty based on their faith.
NAY: If this vote fails, Tabitha St. Mercy will retain the power of the courts in her favor and the Light of Hedon will remain the dominant faith of the Justices of Sin.
Characters that took advantage of the plot to use the Killhouse Tax Shelter during Collection Day will NOT be able to vote for this amendment, per the terms of their contracts.
Now that we know what new amendments have been introduced by the Faction leadership, let’s talk about how the Vote will actually proceed…
THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
During the Stakeholder’s Meeting, any character with a SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP in one of the eight San Saba Factions (not counting Red Ledger or Murder Inc.) may vote on the new laws and amendments that have been submitted by the Board.
Those that have committed themselves to the various factions of the San Saba find that their voices have more weight during the annual Stakeholder’s Meeting. During this time, even the common contractor can have their voice heard by the Board.
Each character may vote ONCE (and once only), and their vote counts according to one of their levels of SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP. Extras and SCs may also count their votes towards this election.
Basic Society Membership (1 vote)
Proficient Society Membership (2 votes)
Master Society Membership (5 votes)
You may vote on each amendment with either a YAY or NAY vote. Sufficient votes in favor or against an amendment can sway the opinion of the San Saba Board on the measure.
There are THREE changes to the San Saba Charter suggested during this event, and each will require more or less votes to sway. RESEARCH can be completed to determine how much effort is required for each law to pass or fail, and where each Board Member stands at the start of the event.
Votes will be tallied Sunday morning before the end of the event, and we will announce the results during the closing announcements.
The Rules
Each character with Society Membership in a San Saba Faction can choose to “vote” towards any of the proposed amendments to the Charter.
Pick ONE (and only one) of your Society Memberships with a San Saba faction.
Cast your vote either “yay” or “nay” on the proposition
Get votes equal to your tier (Basic = 1, Proficient = 2, Master = 5)
If you are voting as a Player-Led Faction (like the Shields of the Lonestar), you get 1 vote.
Votes will be tabulated Sunday morning, and will influence the remaining Board votes.
If a single faction gets 50+ Votes, that Board member will consider changing their vote to follow the “will of the people.”
There will be ways to sway the election in your favor, using the votes of NPCs you can sway to your cause, bribes, or other illicit means like forgery…
New Business: Introducing your own new laws
The next way to influence the Stakeholder’s Meeting is through a TRUSTEE PETITION.
Characters can submit a new proposal for law or amendment to the charter by having a Trustee (Master Society Membership) enter a request, along with the signatures (aka Player Numbers) of at least 50 Stakeholders or Contractors. This has to be 50 unique PLAYERS, not characters, and they must enter their proposed text in writing, alongside an application fee.
So if you want to make a big change to the Laws of the San Saba, you’ll need the following:
A character with Master Society Membership
The written text of your Amendment
Application Fee (100 brass)
50 Unique signatures, including Society Membership level, character name, and player number.
The Chair still reserves the right of veto for any suggestion that they deem unworthy, so that the ST Senate and Gamerunners can prevent any suggestions that would cause problems for players as a whole. However, we will strive to include any reasonable suggestion into our upcoming plots for Season 5, so this can be a great way to influence the story.
If you’ve been itching to challenge the status quo and change the laws of the San Saba, this is your chance!
The form will be turned in to the Post Office by 11 am Sunday, using the above Zone of Mechanics, “Power of a Petition”. You can pick up a copy of this ZOM at the Post Office after game starts.
Player Led Faction Bonuses
The final way you can interact with the annual Stakeholder’s Meeting, is by formally recognizing your very own player-led faction. While we have several big NPC factions you can interact with, sometimes the most important group is the one you’ve made with your friends. From developing a shared culture, to logos and costume pieces, or just making sure you are all in the same cabin to defend each other when things go bump in the night, these player-led factions can really add a sense of community to the game. So, we’d like to reward your hard work!
Several factions successfully took advantage of this feature last season, including the following:
Shields of the Lonestar
Ramguard
The Road Royals
While those player-led factions will once again have to re-up their membership, new crews and gangs can join the fun for Season 5. By completing the Zone of Mechanics “An Air of Legitimacy” (featured below), you can petition for formal recognition by the powerful factions of the San Saba.
If you complete the challenge of collecting endorsements from powerful NPC heads of the Factions, you can earn the right to be legitimate in the eyes of the San Saba Board. You can obtain these signatures by roleplay, bribes, threats, or whatever means you can acquire the influence to earn their favor. We leave it up to you to convince them of your value to the Board, but you might have to make a few campaign promises…
These NPCs will be in play starting Saturday morning after 9:00 am, so if you want a chance to earn this title, you will have to work your magic to get this completed before the end of the weekend.
In order to make this happen you’ll need:
At least FIVE (5) active characters in your player-led group
Application Fee (50 brass)
At least FOUR (4) of six signatures from the listed NPCs on the ZOM.
NEW: The three player-led groups that completed this challenge last season will start with a free signature of their choice, making the task much easier to complete!
If you complete this arduous challenge, you will earn the ability to unlock a new faction-specific advantage for Season 5. These will a custom Zone of Mechanics that is flavored to represent your crew’s strengths, with two unique new powers. This ZOM will last the entirety of Season 5 but will require you to spend Brass or Mysterious Ore each game to activate the abilities.
These custom effects will tend to replicate permanent Augment item effects, but we will work with you to make something that feels awesome and thematic. You might have seen a few of these posted at the General Store this season, and if you want a custom ZOM for your player crew this is the way to make it a reality!
The form will be turned in to the Post Office by 11 am Sunday, using the above Zone of Mechanics, “An Air of Legitimacy”. You can pick up a copy of this ZOM at the Post Office after game start.
Wrap Up
That’s it for today Vados! You have a few days left to acquire a ticket for our last event of the season, and we hope you will come out to help make your voice heard during VOX POPULI! Heather and our STs have been working hard to make an epic experience to end the season with, and we want to give you the helm to make some BIG decisions for the future of the setting and how it will impact your characters next season!
Next week, we will cover our last blog post of the season with Rules You Should Know! We have a few strange new Zed threats of note, as well as a reminder of some useful skills to have in an Siege. We will cover some skills and items like calling a Phalanx, using defensive powers, and even a look at some pesky skills like Master Malicious!
Purchase your Ticket before Pre-Reg ends on May 5th! DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE HISTORY!
See you soon Vados!