Honor's Fall - What You Need To Know

Photo by Allana Marie

For the past twelve months, we’ve talked about Honor’s Fall… it’s the climax of the year for Dystopia Rising New York. However, every year, Honor’s Fall changes a little, and it’s important to understand the “rules of the game.” We want to make sure all players, both in- and out-of-character, know what to expect this August.

In-Character Justification

For players who have attended Honor’s Fall in the past, you know there are always small changes as the staff adjusts to lessons learned. In-character, these changes are due to the authority of the High Lord Executioner, who has a great deal of influence over the process. Last year, we saw Anton Anastasia at the height of his power effectively control all aspects of Honor’s Fall, as he slipped into authoritarianism and was ultimately killed by Jones. This year, with Anton taking a step back, his second-in-command, Essex, has asserted his personality on the event. As a result, one can expect less pageantry and intrigue, as Essex favors the direct approach.

This is just a justification: your staff made changes to promote gameplay. We appreciate your buy-in on this: we’re being as transparent as we can, and would appreciate you steering your character towards acceptance of these changes. 

How Honor’s Fall Works

At sunset, the Treaty of the Fold is suspended, and everyone in town can do as they will. By tradition, the Heads of the Patron Families of Requiem hunt each other to retain their position and choose the High Lord Executioner. While the activity is simple, we have several rules in play that the Families are expected to follow:

• All Families of Requiem, Patron and Ward, standing and perspective, are expected to participate in Honor’s Fall. 

• For the sake of clarity, “participate” means the Family Head has to be “on the field”: visibly participating in Honor’s Fall. They should spend significant time (at least three hours) undisguised and out in the open where people can find them.

• Families fight to collect “trophies,” the severed head of the leader of one of the Patron Families.

• This year, as there are only 9 Patron Family Heads, there are only 9 trophies. To correct for this situation, the six remaining original families (Anastasia, Boon-Helm, Molon, Volkov, Warren, Zodiac) do not need to collect a trophy.

• The three more recent Patron Families (Brokentooth, the Devils, and Lonely Streetz), as well as any prospective Family, must collect a trophy and place it in the Wilted Rose by sunrise to retain or gain Patron Family Status.

• If there are more Prospective Families with trophies than there are available positions, the existing Families vote on who will become a Patron Family.

• Family Heads can’t make deals to trade their trophies. They must be taken by force. After a trophy is in one’s possession (i.e. taken from the corpse of a Family Head), deals can be made.

• Other than that, Families can do whatever they can think of to keep their Family Head safe. If they violate the spirit of the rules, they might find there are severe consequences.

• The last Family Head standing in the Wilted Rose by sunrise will be declared the High Lord Executioner (there’s a catch, however, see below). 

• Once a Family Head is killed, they no longer need to participate in Honor’s Fall, but they still need to show up at the Wilted Rose with a trophy.

The High Lord Executioner

The political purpose of Honor’s Fall is to pick the High Lord Executioner, who will enforce the Treaty of the Fold for the next year. Traditionally, the High Lord Executioner was the “last one standing,” which led to a great deal of wheeling and dealing throughout the night. Contrary to popular belief, the High Lord Executioner doesn’t have to be the only Family Head who survives the night… they have to be the last survivor who is standing in the Wilted Rose at sunrise. Some specific points:

• Only Family Heads can become the High Lord Executioner.

• If a Family Head dies during the night of Honor’s Fall, they can’t become High Lord Executioner.

• Unlike the collection of trophies, deals to determine who becomes High Lord Executioner are very common. If a Family Head hasn’t died, they simply step out of the Wilted Rose before sunrise if they don’t wish to oppose the claimant.

• If there is more than one Family Head in the Wilted Rose who hasn’t died by sunrise, it’s likely to end in a great deal of bloodshed. This hasn’t happened yet, and all the Families will do whatever it takes to avoid this sort of war. 

How To Enjoy Honor’s Fall

You have three options to enjoy the night of Honor’s Fall: political Character versus Character (CvC), political Character versus Enemies (CvE), or survival CvE:

• If you’re heavily involved in Family politics, you can actively hunt (and be hunted by) other players. If you play a high-ranking member of a Family, you’ve opted into this already; other players may choose to get involved in the CvE aspects of Honor’s Fall.

• If you want to get involved in the bloody politics of Honor’s Fall, but prefer less CvC, you can hunt and oppose the NPC Patron Families, who will all be out in force. Remember, they’re often as dangerous as other PCs.

• If you want to stay out of the politics of Requiem, you can just try to survive the carnage, and help others to do so. The battles of Honor’s Fall are known for their collateral damage, so there are lots of challenges for you.

All Night Long

We’ll be running Honor’s Fall plot from sunset to sunrise (7:50 pm to 6:14 am… almost 11½ hours). How do we expect you to manage that? 

First, to set expectations: after it becomes apparent who the High Lord Executioner will be (i.e. all the other Family Heads have died), the violence dies down. We’ll go all night, but realistically, NPC threats will be rolling back around 4 am (like a normal Dystopia Rising New York game). While you’re not “safe,” you can probably find someplace to sleep if you're not affiliated with a Family whose Head is still alive. 

That said, a lot of you will be up at sunrise to see how events pan out at the Wilted Rose.  First light is 5:45 am, and there will be important events that occur at this time. We expect you pace yourself on Saturday, and understand the staff are pacing ourselves as well. This includes a 4-hour siesta on Saturday, where no events will be scheduled. This includes player-driven events: please do not schedule anything during the Saturday siesta… this is time for you to relax and hopefully nap.

Trophy Hunting

Collecting heads is very important to Honor’s Fall, and we have a local item to do so. It’s the Boone-Helm family item, the Blood Covered Artist’s Toolkit:

A kit used to make trophies. Requires 30 seconds of role-play. When combined with any level hooch, allows the taking of a non-mechanical trophy. If used on a recurring named NPC, or local unique high level threat, it will produce a Creature Comfort card. The card produced lasts 3 years.

So to collect a head, you need this item and a bottle of hooch, and take 30 seconds roleplaying collecting a trophy from a dead Family Head. For Honor’s Falls, we have some special things we’re doing to make this easier:

• First, the Boone-Helm are happy to support the artistic endeavors of all this Honor’s Fall. You can buy a Toolkit at the Post Office for 5 wagers or 1 wager signed by Polaris Boone-Helm.

• You have to have some sort of physrep for the kit… it doesn’t need to be elaborate, but it should be something you’re carrying around. Additionally, you should have some sort of physrep for the trophy you collect with it, if at all possible.  

• Family Heads (including PCs) will have a creature comfort card on them representing their “head.” This item card can’t be used, traded or stolen until someone kills the Family Head and uses the Toolkit on them. The Family Head will then hand the person who used the Toolkit the card.

The Contenders

If you pay attention to the politics of Requiem, you’ve probably heard someone mention “the Thirteen Families.” The problem: there aren’t Thirteen Families. The number shifts, and depends on how you count them… so we’ll just talk about Patron Families that exist right now. As of the summer of 2022, we have nine Patron Families - six Families with NPC Heads (Anastasia, Boonhelm, Molon, Volkov, Warren and Zodiac) and three with players leading them (Brokentooth, Devils and Lonely Streetz).  So with only nine Patron Families, what happened to the other four, and where do we go from here?

Why Are There Not 13?

The short answer: there were 13, and then things changed. Families die, vie for power, lose their position and evolve over time. Often, they meet bloody ends (like the Jones Collective at our last event). We also want to make sure there is room for player-created Families, and make sure there are significant stakes at Honor’s Fall. 

When we returned from the Pandemic in August of 2021, we re-evaluated every Family, and ended up with eight: seven NPC-led Families and Brokentooth. Over the last year, we added two player-led families, and saw the demise of Jones, which lands us at our current number. During this Honor’s Fall, we’ll see the number grow to 13 again, as the players help decide which groups will enter the ranks of the Patron Families.

Who Are the Contenders?

During Honor’s Fall, the Families will vie for power in Requiem, and try to ensure their own survival as a Patron Family.  While they do, a number of contenders will jockey for power, hoping to be elevated to the their status. If you’ve played in Requiem this year, you might have met many of these groups, but here’s a refresher:

• The Anderson-Ambrosias - A player-led Ward Family, the Anderson-Ambrosias are led by the Faithful of both the Sainthood of Ashes and the Nuclear Family. After the fall of the Jones Collective, they seek to position themselves as the “tenders of the Faithful” in Requiem.

• The Bloodwraiths - A mercenary company who made it a practice to pursue “big game”; they entered the Fold tracking the undead creations of Zodiac. They believe that the “weak can become strong” and seek to help people defend themselves, but as a mercenary company, they’re also known to be more than a bit greedy.

• The Dioscuri Bloodline - A family of psions who deal in a strange sort of “crystal-tech” that they manufacture with their abherrent powers. While little is known of them, rumor has it that they seek to protect the “Gifted” from the “Unworthy,” although it’s not entirely sure what that means.

• The Doctorium - At their core, a group of well-guarded Doctors, this faction seeks to develop a panacea for all diseases. In Requiem, they offer medical treatment in exchange for compensation. However, beneath such noble goals, there are rumors that they’ll perform less-than-ethical experiments on “volunteers” - individuals who failed to pay their contracts.

• The Knite Council - Newcomers to Requiem, most people of the Fold haven’t had much interaction with this group except with their pig-faced leader (prophet? god?) Argor. Concerned primarily with cleaning the corruption they find blighting the land, Argor’s followers have begun to reach out to the Families, seeking to join them. 

• The Stevensons - A collection of Landsmen… heavily influenced by faith the Nuclear Family… the Stevensons have a long history in the Fold but have avoided entanglements with the politics of Requiem until the Reckoning. Farmers by trade and soldiers by necessity, they want to assert themselves as the voice of the common folk.

• The Tarrarian - This faction believes in self-control and rehabilitation; they dwell in the tunnels beneath Requiem, and are actively attempting to make their living space accessible and hospitable. Of course, a clan of gorgers has some obvious… conflicts of interests cohabitating with those who could also be their food supply.

Other contenders might still emerge, including player-led Families who meet our requirements (if you’re interested in contending for Family status at Honor’s Fall and have the appropriate number of people, make sure you give us at least 30 days notice with an action request).

What Happens Next

With Honor’s Fall coming up, there will be openings for new Patron Families… but not enough room for all the aspiring and current powers-that-be. Player actions will determine which families remain after Honor’s Fall, and who gets to take their place.

Should Preaching Be Allowed In Requiem

Photo by London Belli.

As we approach The Anarchy, there’s a question about one of Requiem's most controversialsdecrees: should the faithful be allowed to preach their religion in Requiem and the Fold? Rather than answer that question, we’re presenting arguments for and against.

First, however, background: the High Lord Executioner outlawed the preaching of religion in Requiem and the Fold. Religion isn’t illegal, but it’s illegal to proselytize and publicly gather. Obviously, this is a problematic edict, and unpopular in-character. However, this debate is going to be out-of-character, with a focus on player experience.  Let’s keep it out-of-character when we discuss the question: should preaching be allowed in Requiem?

No, it shouldn’t

Faith is still an important part of Requiem, what's more, being forced “underground” makes it uniquely Requiem. While certain faith motiffs repeat around the network, perhaps to the point of cliche, in Requiem, it allows players a unique opportunity to interact with their faith.

While a character may join the Sainthood at a meeting in another faith, in Requiem, it’s a one-on-one secret baptism. One’s a large scene, potentially with pomp and ceremony, the other is an intimate conversation. We want to steer the role-play in the direction of the latter. Further, the prohibition allows for a form of role-play not found elsewhere in the network. This is a place where priests and other faithful can be heroic, standing up to an unjust law and representing the struggle.

Yes, it should

Faith is a vital part of Dystopia Rising. The in-game religions bring additional character depth and have always been prominent in the setting. While the edict against preaching doesn’t remove faith from the game, or prevent characters from displaying symbols or using faith powers, it does prevent faith from playing a prominent place in the game. 

This prohibition prevents storylines like Nemesis stalking the night at Ween, Kings Court concerts, or open Fallow Hope armies. It also pushes faith into the background, potentially preventing newer players from finding out about a faith to join. As can be seen from other chapters, these role-play elements add a great deal to the Dystopia Rising game.

What’s your take? We want your perspective as a player, not as your character: we know of several people who play priests who prefer Requiem to continue the edict and disallow preaching, so they can continue to role-play the struggle. What do you think?

REQUIEM 101 - REQUIEM AND THE FAMILIES

Newcomers to Dystopia Rising New York may hear a number of new words - “Family,” “Fold,” “High Lord Executioner.” Requiem features a host of persistent non-player characters and unique customs that let players immerse themselves in the setting. To help you with these features, we’ve put together this primer: Requiem 101.

Sir Isaac surveys Requiem. Photo: Allana Marie. Pictured: Kc Lofold

What Is Requiem?

Requiem is the trade town in the heart of the Fold - a territory that corresponds to what was once upstate New York. The Fold was a place for people to go when they’d been run out of other places, usually for criminal activities. These expats formed small groups that controlled small territories in the Fold; because they were (mostly) a bunch of criminals, they called these groups Families.

To coexist, these Families created the town of Requiem and signed the Treaty of the Fold. This set of laws governs them, and binds them to the will of the High Lord Executioner, who has the final say on matters of life and death. Over the years, Requiem has changed locations, but its purpose remains the same: this is where the Families come to do business and settle scores.

Who Are The Families?

The Treaty of Fold recognizes two kinds of families: Patron and Ward. According to the Treaty of the Fold, there can be up to 13 Patron Families, who control territory in Requiem. In addition, Ward Families - smaller families who don’t yet qualify as Patron Families - can align themselves under the protection of Patron Families. As of October 2021, there are eight Patron Families:

• The Anastasia Dynasty - Led by Anton Anastasia, the High Lord Executioner, this openly criminal family dominates the politics of Requiem.

• The Boon-Helm Collective - A collection of masked maniacs, cannibals, and torture artists led by Polaris, a pure blood with advanced bad brain. 

• The Brokentooth Clan - The Brokentooth Clan generally dwells in Requiem proper, and thrives upon the trade driven by the town. Their family head is Salt (note: this is a PC Patron Family).

• The Jones “Secular” Congregation - The laws of Requiem ban the open practice of religion, hence the “secular” nature of this family, named for their cult leader, Jones.”

• The Molon Collective - Outsiders, loners, and recluses led by Keres Molon, the Collective possesses a psionic connection to the Gravemind and a drive to “protect” it.

• The Volkov - Information brokers (or less charitably, spies), the Volkovs never appear in public unless fully masked, following the example of their founder, Seraphis Volkov.

• The Warren Collective - “Let’s make a deal.” The fixers, brokers and smugglers of Requiem, founded and led by Jack Warren, this Family focuses on profit above all else.

• The Zodiac Order - Named for its founder, Zodiac, this family’s mission is its “research.” Unfortunately, their research focuses on the creation and control of the undead.

What Are the Laws of Requiem?

The Treaty of the Fold gives the High Lord Executioner the powers of a dictator in Requiem, and so the laws are subject to change at any time. You can find a full list of the laws here, however, there’s a few well-known laws you should remember. 

• Preaching is outlawed in Requiem, except for a few exceptions, and then only in private.

• If a citizen of Requiem is murdered, the killer shall be killed. If a Family Member is murdered, the killer and one of their closest associates will be killed.

• Once a year, the laws of Requiem are suspended during a time called Honor’s Fall.

What is Honor’s Fall?

The last thing in our Requiem 101 primer is an introduction to Honor’s Fall. During the last full month of summer, there will be one night when all laws and protections of the Treaty of the Fold will be suspended. This annual bloodbath prevents vendettas and other feuds from destroying the alliance for the rest of the year. During Honor’s Fall, some Families disappear, others rise, and the social order of Requiem resets.

In the coming months, we’ll expand on the Families, Honor’s Fall, and the Treaty of the Fold in this blog. For latest updates, follow us on Facebook at Dystopia Rising New York.