Fiction: Harvest
over 5 years ago – Sun, Sep 02, 2018 at 06:47:32 AM

Dystopia Rising: Evolution Fiction

Harvest

Red vaulted the cement barricade and landed hard in cover, any remaining breath driven out in a coughing gust by the impact, the howling of the raiders so loud on her tail she was amazed she hadn’t caught a spear in the back already. As if on cue, a long, wicked looking metal spear flew overhead and thudded into the ground behind her. Poker and Rennie gaped at it and then down at her from where they crouched down on either side of her, their eyes wide and white in the near dark. “Fucksake, light ‘em up!” she wheezed, reaching for her own shooter.

It wasn’t powerful, but her voice seemed to break their trance and the two men rose to firing positions, guns braced on the barricade, and opened up on the raiders charging their position. A second later, Red heard more reports nearby as the rest of the ambush party came to life around them, nearly a dozen shooters blazing and turning the broken terrain of the old caravan lot into a killing floor.

Rennie gave an ugly wet grunt and went over backward as Red found her feet, a spear right through his scrap vest. He convulsed and grabbed at the shaft, but even at a glance Red could see he was done. All she could spare was a tight, sorry smile and then it was her turn at the barricade, hand cannon up and hunting. A half-dozen raiders were down already, others limping and injured from wounds. A few had managed to close the distance with their attackers despite the trap, and Red could see a furious hand to hand battle over in the trees on the right.

And of course, one raider charging right for her. She was powerfully built, like most of her clan, her face painted in alternating lines of white chalk and some sort of blue powder, her armor scavenged from several kills by the look of it. Though Red could see at least two bullet wounds in her already, the raider didn’t appear to notice, and was closing fast. She had a jagged metal axe in one hand and a length of spiked chain in the other, and a smile full of bloody teeth.

“Jammed!” Poker called out next to her, his voice high and panicked. 

“Fuck!” Red yelled, somewhere between surprise, a curse, and a war cry. She didn’t have time to aim, just pointed her hand cannon at the charging raider and pulled the trigger. She managed to get her axe away in an overhand throw that caught Poker in the shoulder and dropped him, swearing. Red’s first shot went wide but she got the second and third under control, taking a big chunk out of the raider’s left shoulder and punching another bloody hole in her stomach. The chain fell from nerveless fingers as her left arm went useless, but she kept coming, shrieking as she took the fourth and fifth shots to the body as well, and then she was at the barricade.

“Die die die die—” Red half-chanted, half-shouted, readying a headshot, but the raider was faster than anyone with that many bullet holes should be, and shouldered into Red with a feral leap, taking them both down in a tangle of sweat and metal and pinning the hand cannon between them. They came up with the raider on top — Red shot her free hand out and caught the raider by the throat as she ducked in, filed teeth snapping. She tried to squeeze but the raider’s neck felt like rebar, so she shifted tactics and snapped up with a vicious headbutt. Stars exploded behind her eyes but she felt the raider’s strength ebb, so she ignored the pain and did it again, twice, three times, until the raider’s eyes were unfocused and blood drooled from her mouth.

“Done,” Red hissed, working her hand cannon into one of the raider’s bullet holes and angling it upward. She squeezed the trigger, closing her eyes against the gore as the cannon tore a fresh tunnel through the raider’s chest and blew out the top of her head. Red grunted and shoved the dead weight off of her, backhanding blood and bits of bone from her eyes. Rennie had stopped twitching, but Poker had staggered to his feet, face pale and screwed up against the pain. “You gonna live?” Red asked.

“Think so,” Poker managed through gritted teeth. “Hurts like fuck, though.”

Red looked around. The ambush was over, minus a few stray whimpers and gurgles from those they’d need to coax back from the edge (or send over it). “Bonny Mike! Front and center, Poker’s hurt! Everyone else, sound off.” As the little medic scrambled to tend to Poker, Red took in the call out. Other than Rennie, everyone else was still functional, which would make taking out the actual raider nest easier. She’d drawn most of them out with the bait run; those that hadn’t followed would have heard the ambush, but she wasn’t out of tricks yet. Not with a prize so great.

“Some harvest for you, Deacon.” Red turned and saw Rocket holding out a bloody lump, still pumping weakly in his hands. Sure enough, it was shot through with faintly glowing blue psi crystals, tiny but unmistakably present.

“Looks like the rumors were right,” Red said, sharing a grin with Rocket. She loaded her hand cannon, then raised it over head as she called out to her faithful. “Knights! The prize is close! Let’s bring in the harvest!” They cheered back, roaring their prayers, and in that moment, she knew they could not lose.

***

Later, they said you could see the raider nest fire burning for miles, and eerie blue smoke that brought on bad coughing and worse dreams. By then, of course, Deacon Red and her Knights were long gone, along with the crystals they’d bled so hard to obtain… and the locals’ problems were only just beginning.

#DystopiaRisingEvolution

Memento Mori Reward Tier & Stretch Goal Achieved!
over 5 years ago – Sat, Sep 01, 2018 at 07:04:51 AM

Hello Survivors & Friendly Zombies!

MEMENTO MORI REWARD TIER

The Memento Mori reward tier for the Dystopia Rising: Evolution campaign is one of the most unique and interesting reward tiers I've seen. It's a premium reward tier, so not cheap, but offers a unique real-life historical piece from the earliest days of the Dystopia Rising tabletop RPG and LARP.

In addition to the DR:E core rules and usual rewards, the Memento Mori tier offers a special unique reward:  "You will be sent a prop, proof, or some other unique physical object related to Dystopia Rising. The Dystopia Rising LARP team will retrieve strange and unusual objects from the history of the property that have been stored in their vaults just for you! You won't know what you'll be sent, but it'll be something no one else owns. The object will be shipped separately from the rest of your rewards."

Ashley Zdeb from Eschaton Media & Dystopia Rising was kind enough to send me an example of what would be offered up as a historical artifact. 

These are the original printer proofs of the first 3 currencies made for Dystopia Rising, signed and dated from 2009 and 2012. I've heard that members of the various DR LARP communities around the country (and world!) have been trading and collecting the different branch currencies for nearly a decade, and this is where it all started!

Ashley also hinted that, deep within the DR vault, is a poster for the original tabletop rpg cover which was used to introduce the book during promotion at Dystopia Rising's first ever convention appearance. And, it's signed by all of the original writers!

So, if you've got the funds and are interested in owning a piece from the history of this game, this is a reward tier that presents a unique opportunity to acquire a real-life artifact.

STRETCH GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Late last night, we passed $30,000 in funding. That means we've officially hit 150% of our funding target - and unlocked another Stretch Goal!

UNLOCKED! - DIGITAL WALLPAPER – An evocative digital wallpaper for your computer desktop featuring the art of Dystopia Rising: Evolution. This digital file will be added to the rewards list for all backers receiving the Dystopia Rising: Evolution PDF.

That's THREE Stretch Goals achieved so far, just a third of the way through the campaign. Let's see how many more we can add by the end - don't forget to share your excitement and invite others to join in! The more backers we get, the more rewarding it will be for everyone!

Our next two Stretch Goals are about adding more content and expanding the game line. Our next target doubles the size of the Threat Guide PDF, adding another section to this first-person account of the dangers of the world after the Fall (and, sneakily, includes stats for your game!)

At $31,000 in funding - THREAT GUIDE BETA - A second section will be added to the Dystopia Rising: Evolution THREAT GUIDE, a first-person guide to the threats of the world (including game mechanics).

And, after that, we open up the game and invite even greater participation from the community we're building! If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic adventure, an amateur game designer, or have a creative streak looking for an outlet, this could be a very interesting opportunity! 

At $33,000 in funding - COMMUNITY CONTENT PORTAL – A Community Content Portal will be built for DrivethruRPG.com, allowing fans and designers to develop and sell material for use with the Dystopia Rising: Evolution tabletop roleplaying game.

Remember, over the course of this campaign, you will have access to the complete playtest manuscript. That means that, by the time the game is released, you'll have had time to digest the rules as they developed. And, if you thought that there were areas that could use a little more exploration or elaboration, those could be opportunities for you to jump in and contribute and perhaps sell some DR:E supplements! Or see the creativity of others in the community as they release their own projects. This kickstarter campaign could be the beginning of something entirely new...

And more to come! We're only one-third of the way through this campaign, let's keep it rolling and see how big we can make it!

#DystopiaRisingEvolution

Dystopia Rising: Evolution - Strains Part 2
over 5 years ago – Fri, Aug 31, 2018 at 05:49:38 AM

Elitists, and Gorgers, and Stretch Goals. Oh My!

Dystopia Rising: Evolution Strains 2  

In DR:E, characters are one of eight Lineages. These are a kind of "meta-Strain" that allows us to organize all the possibilities, and build new ones in future products. The core book offers three Strains for each Lineage, and each of those Strains comprised a Strain Path, which is a big component of character creation. Below is a sample of one of the Lineages (the Elitists), and a Strain related to it (the Digitarians).
---

Elitists  

“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m your new employer, and I will pay you far more than anyone else you’ll meet. Now, how about you take that knife of yours and kill whoever decided it was a good idea to send you.” — Gabriel King, Pureblood

People think of us sitting in ivory towers while never deigning to get our hands dirty. They think of us as delicate flowers that are always protected by our militarized forces. They couldn’t be further from the truth.

We are the elite. We saw in advance what was coming when the Infection first took hold. Instead of waiting, we were intelligent enough to shelter in bunkers that had been prepared for us. Some of us worked to find a cure for the Infection, while others waited for the new world ahead. Our ancestors were rich enough and had enough connections that we survived.

This may be a new world, but people still act the same as they always have. We take advantage of that, growing empires and our own wealth through industry and hard labor. We are innovators and creators. We are passionate in our ideas and our vision for the future. Most of all, though, we are leaders in our fields.

Because of our past, we have a leg up over other Lineages. However, we don’t allow that to blind us to the truth. If we don’t work hard, we won’t stay on top. It’s by our inventiveness and drive alone that we remain where we are today.

Why We’re the Best: We have resources, knowledge, and are born leaders. We’re meant to guide others and lead them through hard times. Our oldcestors accumulated wealth, and we’ve put it to good use in terms of building infrastructure, roads, and technology. Not only that, but we have drive. It’s what allows us to create our vision for the future.

Why Others Don’t Like Us: We’re well-funded, well-equipped, and well-provided for, which is exactly why other Strains hate us so much. Jealousy is an ugly thing, and other Strains show just how violent it can become. It’s not our fault that our families were smart enough to give us an advantage, but many other Lineages blame us anyway. Some other Lineages may consider us “bossy,” but what we suggest is usually the most logical and financially-sound course of action.

How We Survive: We simply out-buy, out-compete, and out-maneuver anyone who stands against us. We have armies of individuals we provide for. They, in turn, are loyal to us. If you try and stand against us, you stand against those who know will pay them at the end of the day. Not only that, but we see the value in both technology and information. Both allow us to remain where we are.

Digitarians  

Nicknames: Techies, Cloud Brains, Lore Keepers 

Only a few know how the world fell, but we pass the story through our people. It’s said that when the Infection first took hold, our ancestors were the ones that tried to craft a cure. We stayed in bunkers funded by private corporations as we worked tirelessly. Even after the bombs fell, we still worked. Our ancestors were the last humans, and the last people to finally succumb to the Infection.

Now, our people work to re-build the technology we once knew. We’re smarter than other Strains, and more well-equipped with our knowledge. We wear tokens from the world before as jewelry. Green rectangles laced with gold and black tracings are prominent as necklaces and earrings. Old wires are incorporated into our outfits, reinforced with metal.

We feel guilt for what happened to the world, for in some respects it was our fault. Now, we can only push forward.

NEW ART - HOT OFF THE PRESSES!

 

This illustration of a Gorger just came in, and Mirthful Mike Chaney was kind enough to share it with us! Awesome!

THREAT GUIDE

As mentioned yesterday, we were closing in on a Stretch Goal which would see the creation of new content in the Threat Guide, a first-person account of the dangers of the world of Dystopia Rising: Evolution (with game stats snuck in). Well, you did it!

 
UNLOCKED - The Threat Guide for Dystopia Rising: Evolution will be automatically added as a PDF reward to the rewards list for all backers receiving the Dystopia Rising: Evolution PDF. That means more content and more rewards just added on to what you're already receiving.

While we're on a roll, we've got two more Stretch Goals within striking distance:

 
At $30,000 in funding - DIGITAL WALLPAPER – An evocative digital wallpaper for your computer desktop featuring the art of Dystopia Rising: Evolution. This digital file will be added to the rewards list for all backers receiving the Dystopia Rising: Evolution PDF.

 
At $31,000 in funding - THREAT GUIDE BETA - A second section will be added to the Dystopia Rising: Evolution THREAT GUIDE, a first-person guide to the threats of the world (including game mechanics).

That's right - we could double the size of the Threat Guide by adding a second section! After these goals, we can start to explore some new opportunities to grow the DR:E game line and explore more of the world after the Fall.

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's use this weekend to gain some ground, recruit some new backers, and hit 150% of our funding target... and beyond!

#DystopiaRisingEvolution

STRETCH GOALS - the road ahead
over 5 years ago – Thu, Aug 30, 2018 at 04:18:16 AM

Hello Survivors!

 
Yesterday, we hit 500 Backers! I love that we're mirroring the in-game challenge of building a community! I also love that we're working together to grow this project and build a new game line. And, one of the most exciting things is when we add MORE CONTENT and MORE REWARDS as thanks for your support!

Fingers crossed we're going to hit our second stretch goal today or tomorrow. It begins the creation of the THREAT GUIDE, a first-person account of the dangers and hazards of the world after the Fall. Of course, as good as the fiction and story will be, it also includes game mechanics and all the information you need to add new threats to your game.

STRETCH GOALS

 
At $29,000 in funding - THREAT GUIDE ALPHA – A section will be added to the Dystopia Rising: Evolution THREAT GUIDE, a first-person guide to the threats of the world (including game mechanics). A PDF version of the THREAT GUIDE will automatically be added to the rewards list of every backer receiving the Dystopia Rising: Evolution core rules PDF.

 
At $30,000 in funding - DIGITAL WALLPAPER – An evocative digital wallpaper for your computer desktop featuring the art of Dystopia Rising: Evolution. This digital file will be added to the rewards list for all backers receiving the Dystopia Rising: Evolution PDF.

 
At $31,000 in funding - THREAT GUIDE BETA - A second section will be added to the Dystopia Rising: Evolution THREAT GUIDE, a first-person guide to the threats of the world (including game mechanics).

That's our map for the road ahead - we'll launch the next supplement for Dystopia Rising: Evolution with the THREAT GUIDE. Then we'll get a cool digital wallpaper to keep our computers inspiring us about our game.

And then we'll DOUBLE the size of the THREAT GUIDE by adding a second section, with more challenges, obstacles, and danger for your characters to face (and overcome!)

And all of this will be added automatically to reward tiers that are already receiving the Dystopia Rising: Evolution PDF - you don't need to change anything about your pledge or reward tier, they just get added on top like some kind of reward gravy.

So, continue to spread the word and share the news and invite others to join our growing community! We're more than 500 strong now... let's keep it going and growing!

#DystopiaRisingEvolution

Backers Only Manuscript Preview # 2
over 5 years ago – Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 05:36:21 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.