Fear the Boot, Actual Play

The technology park turns into liminal horror.

A technology park invites you to see the wonders within! Never mind that it's been missing for centuries.

A battered exploratory vessel finds its way home. Does its survivor deserve a second chance at life?

Wrapping up the case with an explosive ending.

The party begins to assemble the narrative and motivations for the crime, even as it becomes less clear who's instigating it all.

The investigation is interrupted by a visit to a doctor of sophontology.

For this game, we developed a planet that will play an important role in the main story, using The Quiet Year. The images below track the colony ship's progress over time.

Digging through the lives of a family trapped in a gilded cage.

Selecting the next job and heading to the capital world of the Corraster League.

With the body and facts secure, it's time to decide the first client's fate.

Next stop: medical facilities in a system that should be quite a bit safer. Not that life always works out that way.

The first contract: retrieve a body from a mining station and find out just how much a corpse can be worth.

Today, we ditch some stress and get back into gaming by taking a pitstop. Ever wondered about the world of cooking mysteries in the 42nd century? Me neither, but here it is! NOTE: This was a comedy improv game, so it doesn't conform to the PG-13 boundaries we put on our main show.

Grace Gunn, Tommy "Bam Bam" Prue and Irving Holt didn't expect to find themselves sneaking around the Three Spires Country Club this evening in their effort to rescue Trixie from whomever it was that took here – yet, that's exactly where they find themselves. But even though this wasn't in their plans, when you put a private Jane, an ex-con-turned-boxer-on-the-mend and a back alley camera jockey together… you're probably going to get a few sneaky moves. Let's hope these three can find the dame their looking for, and fast. Because something tells me, with everything they've been through in the last few hours, Trixie's clock is likely ticking down. Music from this episode Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Alice" Steven O'Brien - "nocturne" Somewhere off Jazz Street - "Descend" Somewhere off Jazz Street - "Ominous" Somewhere off Jazz Street - "Here Comes The Hammer" Zimbabwe3000 - "Hello Midnight" Bebopovsky And the Orkestry Podyezdov - "Homicide Victim" Bebopovsky And the Orkestry Podyezdov - "Russian Criminal Jazz" Bebopovsky And the Orkestry Podyezdov - Unnatural Blues NEONNOONE - "For A Film" Follow Chris Hussey on Twitter. Follow Brent Ritch on Twitter. Follow Brad Smith on Twitter. Follow Dot on Twitter Follow Michael Waldschlager II on Twitter Check out Tale of the Manticore podcast Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!  

A brief stop in the Atnia Cluster before heading to the team's first deployment. Concept art for the species mentioned... Asta Freyep   Reisian Sirini

Used to be a time when you could get by on your word and a handshake. While that might still be true for some things, here in Chicago, you get a whole truckload of palooks who want to justify their existence with all kinds of paperwork. Sign this document. Fill out this form and Boom! You exist. Or you get to own that thing you just bought. Of course, on the flip side of this, you get plenty of people who take those papers and turn them to their advantage. Duplicate this form, change a few lines and Boom! You're someone else or you now own that thing you just stole. And while Grace Gunn, Tommy 'Bam Bam' Prue and Irving Holt don't need those kind of services, they do want to know who owns a slick set of wheels that just sped off with Trixie. And as usual, Grace knows a guy. But where that information takes them, might be a place they didn't expect. Music from this episode Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Alice" Zimbabwe3000 - "Fire That Becomes Free" Trigg & Gusset - "Kraku" Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Tripping the lowlight fantastic" Zimbabwe3000 - "Echoes Of The Untold" Bebopovsky And the Orkestry Podyezdov - "Red Planet Blues" Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - ""Farewell dark city limits" Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Wintercourse" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Riverboat Shuffle" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Maelstrom" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Buck Fever" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Cotton Tail" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Sophia" Follow Chris Hussey on Twitter. Follow Brent Ritch on Twitter. Follow Brad Smith on Twitter. Follow Dot on Twitter Follow Michael Waldschlager II on Twitter Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

Final game prep, group creation, and character creation. In case you're curious, this is what a Sirini looks like.

Doing a bit of pre-game prep to set some parameters for the game, to make session zero go more smoothly.

Right place, wrong time. Wrong place, right time. Doesn't matter how you slice it, there's some places you don't ever want to be, regardless of the time. And in 1933 Chicago, that place is a speakeasy when the coppers are on the hop. And right now, that's where Grace Gunn, Tommy 'Bam Bam' Prue and Irving Holt find themselves. While trying to find Trixie, some cultists and… well something else decided to crash their party. And now the party's over. Let's hope this isn't their last call. You ask 10 people what you should do if you get into a tussle, you're bound to get 11 answers. Regardless of what you're told, you ultimately gotta know what you want to get out of the fight. And right now, Grace Gun, Tommy 'Bam Bam' Prue and Irving Holt just want to get out of the speakeasy they're in, with their precious cargo of Trixie in tow. Of course, that also means that Stanley needs to follow. And this palook Fredrich that was trading some evening pleasantries with Grace? Well he probably wants to scram too. It's time to settle in and see what happens. Music from this episode Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Alice" Zimbabwe3000 - "Jupiter Ride" Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Sharpen Your Knives On My Mistakes" Kevin MacLeod - "Tango de Manzana" Shirt Tail Stompers - "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" Zimbabwe3000 - "What's Going On, Rafael?" Hot Sugar Band - "Louise" Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Relief through walking the streets at night alone" Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Tripping the lowlight fantastic" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Riverboat Shuffle" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Maelstrom" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Buck Fever" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Cotton Tail" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Sophia" Follow Chris Hussey on Twitter. Follow Brent Ritch on Twitter. Follow Brad Smith on Twitter. Follow SavingThrowShow on Twitch Follow Michael Waldschlager II on Twitter Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

  You ask 10 people what you should do if you get into a tussle, you're bound to get 11 answers. Regardless of what you're told, you ultimately gotta know what you want to get out of the fight. And right now, Grace Gun, Tommy 'Bam Bam' Prue and Irving Holt just want to get out of the speakeasy they're in, with their precious cargo of Trixie in tow. Of course, that also means that Stanley needs to follow. And this palook Fredrich that was trading some evening pleasantries with Grace? Well he probably wants to scram too. It's time to settle in and see what happens.

Cleaning up a whole lot of dirty laundry.

A search for toilet wine turns into a prison break.

The crew goes to war with the Crows, and there's an uncomfortable amount of syphilis involved.

Affairs of the heart are a wonderful thing. Of course, that is if you want to call all the unreturned affection from the one you love, because they love someone else wonderful. At that point, Affairs of the Heart become more like, 'Affairs of the Hurt.' And our trio of Grace Gun, Tommy 'Bam Bam' Prue and Irving Holt are about to find that the woman they've been seeking – Trixie, or if you want to use the name her mother calls her – Beatrice, may have more men seeking her affection than Clara Bow at a red carpet gala. Let's hope that they're all ready for the attention and spotlights… Here's hopin'... Music from this episode Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Alice" Bebopovsky And The Orkestry Podyezdov - "Call Me Kingpin" Bebopovsky And The Orkestry Podyezdov - "Moon Vampires" Zimbabwe3000 - "We're Laughing So Hard, No One's Laughing At All" Shadowed Silhouette - "stranger with a shaded face" Zimbabwe3000 - "It's A Flash, A Hypnagogic Vision" Bebopovsky And The Orkestry Podyezdov - "The Flesh Of Fallen Angels" Follow Chris Hussey on Twitter. Follow Brent Ritch on Twitter. Follow Brad Smith on Twitter. Follow Jon from Tale of the Manticore on Twitter Follow Gaurav Gulati on Twitter Follow Michael Waldschlager II on Twitter Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

The second candy war begins.

Some stories of our own for the mannequin man.

Just because a law says you can't do something, doesn't mean everyone is gonna obey. A quick glace at all the underground speakeasys here in Chicago will show that real quick. People want to get together with a little social lubrication, or truth serum, or if you want to use the technical term – alcohol and unwind. Of course, then they drink to much, get wound up and do things which makes laws like prohibition come around. Sun goes up, sun goes down. And right now, the sun is down and our trio is headed to a Speakeasy known as the Bellyache. Apparently the dearly departed Leo Helzberg and his side gal, Trixie went there a lot. Speaking of Trixie, the gang is trying to find her before she ends up like Leo. Here's hopin'... Music from this episode Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Alice" Hot Sugar Band - "Till Tom Special" Shadowed Silhouette - "Perfume Trail" Zimbabwe3000 - "3000 tez" Zimbabwe3000 - "Before Darkness Falls" Shirt Tail Stompers - "The Blues Don't Care" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Rose Room" Hot Sugar Band - "Zooming At The Zombie" Shadowed Silhouette - "smoke pt. 6" Hot Sugar Band - "At The Jimmy's Bar" Hot Sugar Band - "Bouncin' Around" The Underscore Orkestra - "Jelly Roll" The Underscore Orkestra - "Swing Gitane" Plate Mail Games - "Speakeasy" Follow Chris Hussey on Twitter. Follow Brent Ritch on Twitter. Follow Brad Smith on Twitter. Follow Jon from Tale of the Manticore on Twitter Follow Scott R Nelson on Twitter Follow Michael Waldschlager II on Twitter Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

Learning the ropes of Tycheros.

Telephones are funny things. It's the only device where you get all the benefits of your personal voice, without having to look the other palook in the eye. If facy, you could be miles away. Especially when it comes to bad news. And both Grace Gunn and Irving Holt are gonna have to deliver some tough news over the phone, now that they've left the bloody and frightening scene at the Blackstone. They've found Leo Helzberg, or what's left of him – and now it's time to make the call. At least they won't have to look anyone in the face. And what about Tommy 'Bam Bam' Prue? Well, sometimes it pays to have more brawn than brains between your ears. Music from this episode Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Alice" Lowering - "Nighthawks" Trigg & Gusset - "Unpaved Roads" Bebopovsky And The Orkestry Podyezdov - "She Has Dyed Her Hair Red" Bebopovsky And The Orkestry Podyezdov - "Mirrors Are More Fun Than Television" Zimbabwe3000 - "Before Darkness Falls" Zimbabwe3000 - "Jupiter Ride" Hot Sugar Band - "Oh, Lady Be Good" Plate Mail Games - "Speakeasy" Follow Chris Hussey on Twitter. Follow Brent Ritch on Twitter. Follow Brad Smith on Twitter. Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

Rolling into Midpoint Station.

The Great Depression is hitting most folks harder than right hook from Louis, and more often than not, leaving them three times as dizzy. It's not an easy thing when your a hard working man or woman to set your pride aside and ask the nearest Joe or Jane for a helping hand. So when you can get a few dollars you want to keep them. And when you get a hot meal you want to keep it square in your gut. And with what Grace Gunn, Tommy "Bam Bam" Prue and Irving Holt are about to find in this hotel room, they might be taking a second look at their breakfast. Music from this episode Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Alice" Zimbabwe3000 - "Just Not Today" Manet - "Past the Aphelion" Bebopovsky And The Orkestry Podyezdov - "Люди вкуснее овощей" Manet - "Movember pain" Manet - "Shrouded Hill" Manet - "Obscured Visions" 青Tux - "Midnight W a l k 真夜中の散歩" 青Tux - "Contemplating 熟考" 青Tux - "Weight O f The W o r l d 世界の重み" Hot Sugar Band - "Louise" Follow Chris Hussey on Twitter. Follow Brent Ritch on Twitter. Follow Brad Smith on Twitter. Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

Like a dog sniffing around the butcher's for some scraps, Grace Gunn, Tommy "Bam Bam" Prue are Irving Holt know damn well they're getting closer to finding out what happened to Leo Helzberg, and possibly even the woman he was seeing on the side. It all comes down to knowing where to go, and fortunately for our trio – they know. They just need to get there to see what scraps might have been left behind. And just like you might suspect, the place they're headed – just like Leo's marriage – used to shine like one of the diamond necklaces in his shop. But now, there's a tarnish to that silver and that diamond may have lost its lustre. Music from this episode Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Alice" Bebopovsky And The Orkestry Podyezdov - "John Mirra Had Made Me A Killer" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Billet Doux" Bebopovsky And The Orkestry Podyezdov - "Mirrors Are More Fun Than Television" Somewhere off Jazz Street - "Last Resort" Shirt Tail Stompers - "Rose Room" Bebopovsky And The Orkestry Podyezdov - "Malkavian Mozart" Bebopovsky And The Orkestry Podyezdov - "Russian Criminal Jazz" Shirt Tail Stompers - "The Panic Is On" Follow Chris Hussey on Twitter. Follow Brent Ritch on Twitter. Follow Brad Smith on Twitter. Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

Of railroads, demons, and deck guns.

The Jawbreakers depart Doskvol.

Affairs are messy. They can leave a trail of sin and regret that the strongest bleach or bucket full of lye used a cleaning woman with arms as thick as your legs and a brush more abrasive than a tone deaf nightclub singer will never get out. And Grace Gunn, Tommy "Bam Bam" Prue and Irving Holt are learning more and more about the affair Helzberg's been having – and with who – and where. The question is, how much mess did these two make, and who's going to clean it up? Music from this episode Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Alice" Shadowed Silhouette - "invisible pursuer" Somewhere off Jazz Street - "Refuge" Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Green grass" Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Floating on air through grief and..." Giorgio Di Campo for @FreeSound Music - "Midnight in Harlem" Marcus Eads - "Rum River Ramble" Follow Chris Hussey on Twitter. Follow Brent Ritch on Twitter. Follow Brad Smith on Twitter. Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

Preparing to take the train out of Doskvol.

A leech takes on the gang with a winning strategy...but the wrong turf.

In this issue… Porter and Joshua, separated by some supernatural force, find themselves in the fight of their lives. Porter is facing down a vengeful Ananbelle, a creature bent on feeding him a poisoned meal. And Joshua is battling the two-faced woman, who is trying to cripple him with horrible memories from his past. . They've been giving as good as they've been getting' but I have a feeling, something is about to break, so we'd best see where they're at... Well, I guess we know where's he's at, so we best get there with him… Music from this issue Half Deaf Clatch - "Something Sinister" Beelzebub Jones - "The End Is Beginning" Ferdinado Santoro - "Prima del tre" Danheim - "Vanheimr" Eagle Stone Collective - "Snakes In My Veins" Danheim - "Holmgang" Ferdinado Santoro - "Tramonto di un vecchio sole" Ferdinado Santoro - "Siate caldi" Eagle Stone Collective - "KN1" Ferdinado Santoro - "Roccaforte" Ferdinado Santoro - "Sacred cry" Danheim - "Vali" Eagle Stone Collective - "Bigtooth Ridge" Half Deaf Clatch - "💀💀" Bamf Sound FX Follow your Intrepid Marshal on Twitter Follow Porter Holt on Twitter. Follow Joshua Young on Twitter Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

A scene change from the crew to the mooks that just might be running the show.

In this issue… Porter and Joshua, just hoping for a night's entertainment at a magic lantern show to ease their minds, now find themselves face to face, and alone against their nemeses. Porter is once again facing Annabelle, while Joshua is finally having it out with the two-faced woman. It's not the entertainment they expected, but it's what they're getting. The show is about to start, so we'd best see where they're at... Well, I guess we know where's he's at, so we best get there with him… Music from this issue Half Deaf Clatch - "Something Sinister" Eagle Stone Collective - "Eyes To The Past" Half Deaf Clatch - "Once Upon A Time" Danheim - "Ivar's Wrath" Danheim - "Ímar" Eagle Stone Collective - "First Age" Danheim - "Folkvangr" Eagle Stone Collective - "Buffalo Ghost" Danheim - "Fensalir" Eagle Stone Collective - "Massive Claw" Danheim - "Vali" Eagle Stone Collective - "Remnants" Danheim - "War of the North" Plate Mail Games - "Fancy Ball" Follow your Intrepid Marshal on Twitter Follow Porter Holt on Twitter. Follow Joshua Young on Twitter Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

In this issue… Porter and Joshua to discuss Porter's current state of being – that being out of touch with his special abilities. But Joshua's got a few other things on his mind, particularly the looming showdown with the two-faced woman. Perhaps a night with some mild, and I'm sure, harmless entertainment will set both their minds at ease. The sun is beginning to set, so we'd best see where they're at... Well, I guess we know where's he's at, so we best get there with him… Music from this issue Half Deaf Clatch - "Something Sinister" Half Deaf Clatch - "☠️" Half Deaf Clatch - "El Calor Abrasador Del Día" Half Deaf Clatch - "💀💀💀💀💀" Half Deaf Clatch - "💀💀💀💀" Marcus Eads - "Boundary Layers" Half Deaf Clatch - "Roll Up! Roll Up!" Half Deaf Clatch - "The Nefarious Show" Danheim - "Ivar's Wrath" Danheim - "Vali" Beelzebub Jones - "The Blood Red River" Plate Mail Games - "Market Day" Follow your Intrepid Marshal on Twitter Follow Porter Holt on Twitter. Follow Joshua Young on Twitter Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

Safe in the sewers.

In this issue… Porter Holt is off to visit Jasmine Whately, a friend, of sorts, who promised to show Porter some deeper magical secrets. But considering recent events regarding Reddington, Porter may be in for an unexpected surprise. Well, I guess we know where's he's at, so we best get there with him… Music from this issue Half Deaf Clatch - "Something Sinister" Half Deaf Clatch - "💀💀💀💀💀" Benedict Edwards - "*distance #1" Benedict Edwards - "*distance #2" Eagle Stone Collective - "Thanatos Theme (The Loss)" Eagle Stone Collective - "The Drifter" Eagle Stone Collective - "Ancient Conifers Reign" Eagle Stone Collective - "Phoebe Ann Moses" Eagle Stone Collective - "Untitled Desert" Eagle Stone Collective - "Sad Clouds On The Fields" Ross Bugden - "Reverie" Follow your Intrepid Marshal on Twitter Follow Porter Holt on Twitter. Follow Joshua Young on Twitter Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

In this issue… with the matter of Samuel Reddington settled for now, Young & Holt return to Denver to take care of a few odds and ends before moving on to the next, and possibly last item on their list in the Mile High City – a showdown with the Two Faced Woman. Oh yeah, and Porter has to go have a face to face with Jasmine. Well, there's plenty of work to be done, so let's see where their at… Music from this issue Half Deaf Clatch - "Something Sinister" Marcus Eads - "Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Stayed on Jesus" Marcus Eads - "Sugarbush Blues" Marcus Eads - "Elk River Blues" Marcus Eads - "Cut Bank Blues" Eagle Stone Collective - "Les Rives Du Néant" Eagle Stone Collective - "#B Side (Uncle Jim)" Follow your Intrepid Marshal on Twitter Follow Porter Holt on Twitter. Follow Joshua Young on Twitter Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

We all love going to parties. But nobody likes cleaning up afterward. Grace Gunn, Tommy "Bam Bam" Prue, Irving Holt and a cabbie who more than earned his fare just got done having a block party with some uninvited guests who were looking to make our heroes the snack tray. And now the question is, are they gonna clean up this party, or beat feet and leave it to the boys in blue. With a case to solve and no answers to questions they don't want asked, my guess is the latter. Music from this episode Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Alice" Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Floating on air through grief and green grass" Giorgio Di Campo for @FreeSound Music - "Midnight in Harlem" Bebopovsky and the Orkestry Podyezdov - "Bone Wagon Ride" Bebopovsky and the Orkestry Podyezdov - "The Night Shift" Bebopovsky and the Orkestry Podyezdov - "Homicide Victim" Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Fear and dread in neon" Lowering - "We're Dancing" Manet - "Delerious and Devoured - Devour" Marcus Eads - "Above Snakes" Follow Chris Hussey on Twitter. Follow Brent Ritch on Twitter. Follow Brad Smith on Twitter. Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

Sometimes a cat is just a cat.

In this issue… the end is nigh for the confrontation between Young & Holt and Samuel Reddington. Porter has just made desperate attempt to stop Reddington's machine, designed to raise from the dead a tribe of ancient giants. But it didn't go well. But who it didn't go well for remains to be seen. I don't want to spoil anything for you good folks, but this may not end exactly how you thought it might. Oh, and a final note, you may want to stick around at the end of the credits for a few extra words. Well, we left Porter in a precarious position, so time to find out where he's at… Music from this issue Half Deaf Clatch - "Something Sinister" Eagle Stone Collective - "Ride The Night" Eagle Stone Collective - "Buffalo" Eagle Stone Collective - "Praia do Malhão" Marcus Eads - "Rum River Ramble" Follow your Intrepid Marshal on Twitter Follow Porter Holt on Twitter. Follow Joshua Young on Twitter Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

Everybody loves having a good time, but one person's good time can be another's nightmare. Take our trio of Grace Gunn, Tommy "Bam Bam" Prue and Irving Holt. Right now, they're not having a real whoopie time. But to the strange things from the shadows that they're fighting? I'm betting they think this is a real stompin' rub. But I'm gonna guess those table might turn before the night is out. Music from this episode Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill - "Alice" Zimbabwe3000 - "Something We All Know" Zimbabwe3000 - "Ghost Ride" Somewhere off Jazz Street - "One Crazy Night" Bebopovsky and the Orkestry Podyezdov - "Call Me Kingpin" Bebopovsky and the Orkestry Podyezdov - "Предок" Zimbabwe3000 - "Yes, It Signals From The Other Side" Hot Sugar Band - "Mabel" Follow Chris Hussey on Twitter. Follow Brent Ritch on Twitter. Follow Brad Smith on Twitter. Be a part of the Unofficial Deadlands Discord!

Designing our crew and setting up the crew template.