Encased Kickstarter Update 2 - The Factions: who owns the Dome after the catastrophe?
“Something happened. You all know what, dear listeners. But I won’t talk about it aloud. Let it lose its power and turn its gaze away from us, like a demon that weakens until called by its true name… So, we now walk in the canopy of… this. No, wrong! We are in the eye of the storm! From the vortex of sand faces look upon us, faces of people you will hear of not just once or twice in the years to come. But today it will be me to tell you about them!”
–
Mike Warden Jr., Make Yourself Comfortable, live on 20th of January, 1977
https://www.dropbox.com/s/z99tk16pohb5asj/NPC.zip?dl=0
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The New Committee
“Everybody is scared, panic is everywhere! Where’s food? Where are antibiotics? Where are the cigarettes? The last helicopter left a week ago. What if it was, truly, THE LAST?.. And then Kimiko Nakamura entered the stage and she was all like “Hey, it will be ok, guys! We just need to tighten up the laws. And make me the one in charge.”— Max
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But the price was high: the Committee paid for this with the dramatic change of political climate, harsh laws and total militarization. Some see this as the corporation’s last days, but Kimiko Nakamura, the president of the Committee, knows: a relic was found in one of the Forefathers’ facilities, which can change everything.
There’s no place under the Dome where the New Committee wouldn’t have their tentacles. But this huge monster is vulnerable, and you will have many possibilities to take it down. Or, on the contrary, make it even stronger.
Carmine Heights
“Cool guys. I see the Committee as kind of white-collar luddites, and Reisners are like Barton family protecting their factory. The difference being it’s not a factory they are building, but something much more important. I say: give them time. Just a little time, that’s all.” — Max
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Carmine Heights Republic is an independent city with adjacent territories, established by Johan and Olivia Reisner, two former Blue Wing employees. Dissatisfied with the New Committee policies, the Reisners led their followers to the eastern border of the Dome, where one of the mothballed facilities became their home. Carmine Heights is technicians, scientists, some army men, and former prisoners. They don’t like the Silvers here as much as they don’t believe in autocratic rule. An electronic voting system is applied in the territory, and they try to involve the whole commune in making decisions.
But behind the facade of the prosperous commonwealth, a threat is festering. While Johan is busy developing the settlement and carrying out some research projects, Olivia becomes more and more skeptical of the path she chose and tries to find a way to leave the Dome. You arrive in Carmine Heights just at the time when the split is more obvious than ever.
Kshatriya
“Mister Singh, let me address you! You may even be listening to me at the moment. If so, listen up carefully. Do you consider yourself a good person? How much blood are you willing to spill protecting your good name? Is the Committee, even in its current state, worth struggling for? “ — Max
Serving the noble cause — this is the real honor. This is what justifies tyranny, sacrifices and dirty game behind the scenes. At least Sabal Singh, the commander of the Kshatriya squad, firmly believes in it. The core of this small organization consists of the former special forces operatives, officers and private soldiers of the Black Wing. Among them, there are a lot of those who were the part of the very first expeditionary unit sent under the newly discovered Dome. As well as those, who had several years to become disillusioned with C.R.O.N.U.S. policies, as the corporation was quickly turning into an immense monster sucking juices from the Dome exploration activities.
Sabal is too smart to openly confront C.R.O.N.U.S., which became the New Committee. But he’s got a plan. And he’s got the men. And he’s got you — although, it’s up to you to decide if you want to help him or not.
Popinjays
“You know, I was once a reckless kid. When all this happened, I mean when the cap was blown away to kingdom come from this Petri dish, and the Maelstrom, which was inside, broke free, I was ready to grab my pals and just study the hell out of it… I don’t want anymore. Since I‘ve learned what became of Victoria. Vicky… She wasn’t like that before, you know. ” — Max
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Flamethrowers made of water pipes, body armor made of tires, hand grenades made of rubber hedgehogs. Insane masks. Insane souls. Popinjay gangs rove the desert riding garbage trucks. Their destination is a surrealistic mirage painted by inflammatory mind the Maelstrom radiation scorched for good. Traveling in a spiral, they get closer and closer to the center of the Dome to fight… anything, really. For the glory of their Queen Victoria Legrand, former Silver Wing employee. We've made a lot of research to make them not just generic Raiders... are we done yet? (Click to download hi-res)
Yes, Max is right: the Maelstrom distorted Victoria’s personality but didn’t burn it out completely. The story of a journalist turned queen leads you to her subconscious, to her past. And to the only way to stop Popinjays.
Phalanx
“Talk about irony! It’s not the spiffed out madmen the threat comes from. In fact, it comes from the most intelligent of us. When Zemeckis starts talking, I feel a noose around my neck. It’s really nice and shiny, made from the finest silk. I’m sure I won’t even feel it tightening. ” — Max
Several squads of Blacks, Oranges, and sympathizers, united under a single banner. But their strength comes not from their guns and servoshells. Phalanx is a plenty of strings, thin and sometimes invisible. Spies, informants, saboteurs. And all these strings weave together in a ball held by the hands of Hieronymus Zemeckis himself — a funny little man with kind fatherly eyes.
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Hieronymus seems to be the only man with a vivid vision of the future of the world under the Dome. But to carry out such a large-scale project he will need your help...
The Church Of The Maelstrom
“...potato pancakes they give everyone at the night shelter on Street Twelve. And then, when I’m done with my pancakes and ginger tea, which is also free, by the way, I raise my gaze and see this huge temple they built. There’s something wrong with them, can you feel it too?” — Max
They heal wounds. They help the poor and the desperate. They promise miracles you want to believe in the most when you’re trapped under the Dome. But behind the outer layer of kindness and humane speeches, some plan lies within the walls of free night shelters. When you see a diverse mob of believers who fill the streets of towns under the Dome nowadays, you realize: something’s happening. And if you’re smart, you just might link the rise of the Church to the strange events in the West of the Dome.
The story of the Church is not a story about conspiracy. It is more likely a story about a different path for the human race, and it is within your power to complete it (whatever it means).
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That's all for today!
Tell us which faction you'd join after the Apocalypse? Become a renegade colonel, lonely wanderer or gray cardinal?
A little project update: we now have
18% of funding goal - thanks to our awesome
555 bakers! Please, let us know what do you think about this update and which topics you'd like us to cover in next updates.
And last 10 month particularly.