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[PollComics]

A people struggle to define themselves in a land faced with an apocalyptic decline. Who are the Fall Court? What choices will the people make when faced against an unavoidable doom? These are the stories from a world faced with its own mortality. Your votes shape the final days of humanity.

The pilot episode for the project (which ran from 10/30/2015 to 2/10/2016) is here, but knowledge of it isn't a prerequisite.  All poll answers are written to be potentially interesting. Answers to the bonus questions are amalgamated, so even if something is suggested that doesn't fit in the larger world, there's a good chance the underlying themes or details might still work their way in.

This story is set ten years prior to the pilot episode. The gender of the red-haired character is intentionally ambiguous. While most of the setting hasn't been defined yet, medieval gendered norms are canonically thrown out the window. Stories may contain violence and some mature themes.

Update Schedule

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

We're going to aim for a new installment every other week, with the occasional world development poll between installments. This might change as the story progresses.

Legal side and Public domain characters

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Characters and Setting
Most of the characters and setting details will be released into the public domain after the story is finished. They're amalgamations of reader input; it might be a bit idealistic, but it'd feel selfish to try to keep 'em to myself. From the public imagination they came, and to the public imagination they return. Characters from the first Fall Court story that've been released are listed here. Characters and settings from this story that are released will be posted at the same place. If the list isn't there, contact me for a copy.

Visuals
I retain rights for the visual designs and page layouts, but release them under a non-commercial, attribution creative commons license.

Participation
This project is posted across several venues- forums, e-mail, etc. Answers to the bonus question will be reposted so readers on other venues can see the ideas that helped shaped the characters and setting. You'll be credited with the screen name used to submit the answer.

About Me

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I've been experimenting with reader-driven stories since around 2012. My longest poll-based project was a 150 page long sci fi/comedy called Dark River. Right now I survive by doing freelance illustration.

VOTE: What regional conflict does this scene introduce?
A// A mysterious and deadly illness
B// Raiders from the Deep North
C// Restlessness of Nature Spirits
D// Emergence of an Apocalyptic Cult

Bonus: Danger looms and the captain of the knights looks concerned. What person or ideal does he think is worth dying for? Describe them/it.


And we're off! Here's to makin' something cool that none of us could've made separately. Thanks for joining!

[GiglameshDespair]

A

He considers only his children truly worth dying for. He has two - a daughter, aged four, and a son, aged three. His wife passed of a repository illness not long after the birth of his son. His daughter takes after him, with the same dark hair, but his son has the blond hair of his wife. They're currently under the care of his brother-in-law and his wife.

[SaberToothTiger]

B/D, basically saying that the raiders from the north are an apocalyptic cult.

The captain, whilst not exceptionally bright or skilled, is a staunch supporter of his faith. He is a pious follower of *insert religious head here*, and believes in everything included in the church doctrine. He is more than willing to spread his beliefs to other people, against their will or not.

[PollComics]

I've tabulated the results and will be starting to write/draw the next installment! I was hoping to have some sketches finished by now, but I'm from a state that had caucuses this weekend, so that ate up a fair amount of time. The next installment should be up on the 14th!

New votes are still welcome- they won't change the broad strokes of the next installment, but they can influence the details (esp. the results of the bonus question). The biggest internal conflict for the Captain, based on results so far, is whether his understanding of the Order's faith calls for him to fight against the apocalypse, or accept it as a part of a divine plan.

(Also, may I ask where experience points are to be spent?)

Right now, the EXP are being used as a way to loosely calculate pacing. I gave our character 5 exp for every vote in the first story. In DnD, that'd put us at about 3rd level- so I'm using that as a rough estimate for the kinds of challenges the characters can face. Ha... that said, using exp to buy in-story perks might be an even better use for them, but I haven't developed a system for it yet.

[ATHATH]

The link for the pilot doesn't work.

Is this a separate story from the pilot, or is it a continuation?

A

He considers only his children truly worth dying for. He has two - a daughter, aged four, and a son, aged three. His wife passed of a repository illness not long after the birth of his son. His daughter takes after him, with the same dark hair, but his son has the blond hair of his wife. They're currently under the care of his brother-in-law and his wife.

+1, but B/D instead of A.

[PollComics]

The link for the pilot doesn't work.

Is this a separate story from the pilot, or is it a continuation?

A

He considers only his children truly worth dying for. He has two - a daughter, aged four, and a son, aged three. His wife passed of a repository illness not long after the birth of his son. His daughter takes after him, with the same dark hair, but his son has the blond hair of his wife. They're currently under the care of his brother-in-law and his wife.

+1, but B/D instead of A.

The link is fixed! It was a weird formatting thing. Thanks for the heads up.

The story is largely separate. There's about 10 years of character development between this story and the pilot, so even the characters that appear in both have an amount of creative freedom in how they act. For example, the red haired character is intensely loyal to the knights in the pilot episode- but that could be the result of the intervening 10 years. In the pilot, the local Inquisitor has been revealed to be corrupt, but that might not have happened yet (and since the Inquisitor was off-screen, it might even be a different person). The pilot gives a couple narrative milestones and world detail anchors.

[PollComics]

Poll Results

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

What regional conflict does this scene introduce?
A// A mysterious and deadly illness. 6 votes.
B// Raiders from the Deep North. 6 votes.
C// Restlessness of Nature Spirits. 11 votes.
D// Emergence of an Apocalyptic Cult. 12 votes.

Bonus Question

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Bonus: Danger looms and the captain of the knights looks concerned. What person or ideal does he think is worth dying for? Describe them/it.
Having witnessed violence inflicted by raiders from the Deep North and the dangers of angry Nature Spirits, the Captain has grown into a devoted advocate of his faith. While not the boldest or strongest, he is a competent defender of the territory.

His conservative approach to his faith has a strong influence on his relationship with his children. He loves them deeply, but knows that his duties often interfere with being a father. Following the death of the Captain's wife, his children stay with the Captain's step-brother.

The Captain's conservative tendencies often put him in conflict with Governess Melanie, who is known for providing protection for local heresies- possibly including worship of the Nature Spirits. As he grows older, the Captain increasingly finds this conflict of duties more difficult to bear. Loyalty to the territory's leadership is a tenet of his faith- but the more he learns about the heresies, the closer he comes to a point of personal crisis.

Reader Comments

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

E-mail

vaslittl-

"Corpses everywhere. Those who aren't dead are clearly blighted. His fellow knights."

aaro-

"His family."

golia-

"Queen Melanie, a fiery redhead who refuses to travel in her finery or in a carriage.  She would rather travel with her men on horseback as that is far more interesting."

Forums

Jam--

"I vote D."

SaberToothTiger-

"B/D, basically saying that the raiders from the north are an apocalyptic cult. The captain, whilst not exceptionally bright or skilled, is a staunch supporter of his faith. He is a pious follower of *insert religious head here*, and believes in everything included in the church doctrine. He is more than willing to spread his beliefs to other people, against their will or not."

GiglameshDespair-

"A. He considers only his children truly worth dying for. He has two - a daughter, aged four, and a son, aged three. His wife passed of a repository illness not long after the birth of his son. His daughter takes after him, with the same dark hair, but his son has the blond hair of his wife. They're currently under the care of his brother-in-law and his wife."

BreadProduct-

"C Bonus: His reputation. He holds a lot of clout. And appearance is everything."

Wessolf27-

"I agree with C. Bonus: He values the precepts of his Order first and foremost, which details proper conduct and virtue when dealing with any being. (Also, may I ask where experience points are to be spent?)"

Andorxor-   

"D. Bonus: He would die to bring the apocalypse"

Nickzil -

"PpPfpPPPFPFFT C is such a terrible plot-direction. D all the way!"

LeCacty-

"D"

Brain Ghost-

"C because D (there are nature spirits getting corrupted by the cult's spreading darkness, and the uncorrupted ones become distrustful of and maybe hostile to humans - like in princess mononoke, legend of korra, and other stuff i don't remember offhand) If that's not a possible option, just flip a coin to see if I vote C or D. They both could be cool on their own

Bonus: Humanity. He fights for humankind, and passionately hates non humans. Had some friends or comrades who died to monster attack"

Tojara-

"B) Raiders from the Deep North. The northerners are venturing farther than their common territory of action. The order is investigating this strange case.

Bonus: Civilization. The captain thinks that without law and organized hierarchies there is no way that civilization can survive and he fears that the raiders are going to destroy the world as he knows it."

Black Jim-

"C// The nature spirit's awareness of the approaching tribulation precedes that of the humans and most of the Order.

BONUS: Very little is worthy of his complete and selfless sacrifice but he holds a few things to such ultimate personal value: 1) His children. There is little that a father, as devoted to family as he, would not do to protect and safeguard their lives. He would sacrifice his oaths, his honor and even his life for them. 2) His King. There was never a more loyal knight. He is incorruptible in service to the sovereign excepting only his children. Should he ever be made to choose between the two, he would be in crisis. 3) Finally, Bacon. It's the food of the gods and the Captain is known to love the porcine delicacy. It is a joke (never told to his face) that he would trade his soul for a perfect rasher of crispy, dripping, sap-cured, sweet-wood smoked, thick cut, sizzling hot deliciousness."

[FallacyofUrist]

"do... not... trust... Da-grrrk"
~~~

And let's go with C. Bonus points if it is a vampire.

[SaberToothTiger]

"do... not... trust... Da-grrrk"
~~~

And let's go with C. Bonus points if it is a vampire.

+1

[PollComics]

Retcon: I accidentally attached the wrong version of a page. Page 2 of the last installment was supposed to have text- mostly character development and a few setting details. The correct page is here:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Poll Results

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

What plot twist happens next...
A// The conflict between Red and the Captain escalates to physical violence. 1 VOTE.
B// Red notices something about the victim that means things aren't what they seem. 14 VOTES.
C// The knights aren't alone. An inhuman threat is stalking the group. 10 VOTES.

Author Comments

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

There was a clear majority vote for this installment- but something interesting happened between the lines. A sizable number of people voted for both B & C instead of one or the other- so we're going to run with it. Whoever tortured him is still watching the scene...

Two other threads that emerged is that the victim might not be innocent. Whether they volunteered, or the change was forced on them, they're no longer quite human. Vampirism and necromancy were mentioned in a few comments as well, so we're heading in that general direction.

I've delayed the warning from the victim until we have a better sense of what side they're on...

Reader Comments

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

E-mail Subscriber Comments
aaro---

"The madness is in their eyes."

j134---

"They are still here. The cult, and the shadow with them. Run, before..."

sirga---

"His killer- the aforementioned inhuman threat- is still there."

   
quietdi---

"It Is, in fact, a lone lunatic, and they're looking for something specific unrelated to the cult.  This appeals to me, at least. Run"

Kohika---

"This is a trap!"

abibilib---

"The animosity of the team and anger that each is showing the other is what the inhuman threat is using to stalk and hunt the group. It may also be what is causing it to increase in potency (so that what people think inwardly may be overwhelming to spill outwards causing the resentment and anger)."

Camer---

"Mad screaming about how everyone is doomed"

p.marti---

"Red finds symbols of necromancy on the victim that she learned from his father. This adds to the conflict between the Captain and Red. As they keep on arguing, the victim starts shaking and says:
"Run away... The Redentore have used me to invoke..."
The victim is not capable of finishing the sentence, as his body starts transforming into a beast."

Wessolf27-

"C. Bonus: The victim is delusional and repeated speaks the name of something between a demon and a nature spirit."

BreadProduct-

"B Bonus: He speaks of the Captain's children, by name."

forbiddanceDefier-

"B would make the most sense. The fact that the victim is trying to warn them about something means things aren't quite as they appear. From the tattoo on his chest, I assumed he was part of the cult, so why would he warn them about it?

Bonus: The victim appears to be trying to speak, so the captain takes the muffler out of his mouth. After a few rasping breaths, he states ""The king- *cough* They want... the..."" His voice drifts away as his eyes stiffen, and relax."

Andorxor-

"B. He says burn me"

FallacyofUrist-

""do... not... trust... Da-grrrk"" ~~~ And let's go with C. Bonus points if it is a vampire."

SaberToothTiger-

"+1 for Fallacy of Urist"

AztecLizard-

"FUck heading to the source to se what they choosed. Damn this is the source. Well thats amazing and vote for B."

The Victim isn't as innocent as we previously thought- they are involved with a rival cult. What is the Victim's immediate fate?
A// Escape. The Captain dismisses Red's claim. He has the knights administer last rites and bury the freshly undead body.
B// Capture. The Captain isn't entirely convinced, but agrees to bring the corpse along. If it does rejuvenate, they can interrogate it.
C// Coup de Grace. The Captain takes Red's assertion at face value, but decides a more direct solution is appropriate.

Bonus: The person who tortured and killed the victim is watching from the shadows. At best, they're an unhinged vigilante. At worst, they're from one of the cults. Who are they?

[PollComics]

I'm calculating the results, but'll keep it open for an extra day if anyone here wants to jump in!

[FallacyofUrist]

I say A.

Bonus: the (evil) traveling hypnotist known as [] watches in happiness as his hypnotic suggestion to the captain works...

[Detoxicated]

C
Bonus: A vigilante is watching from the shadows, he himself is hunting the cult

[PollComics]

As an aside: Scheduling has made me switch to a simpler art style. I think it works fairly well for the story, though, so we might run with it for awhile. I want to give a special thanks for voting on the last installment. One of my bigger mirrors seems to be down for the count- the forum has been offline for two weeks and counting- so the votes on the other mirrors have that much more weight.

Poll Results

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Victim isn't as innocent as we previously thought- they are involved with a rival cult. What is the Victim's immediate fate?
A// Escape. The Captain dismisses Red's claim. He has the knights administer last rites and bury the freshly undead body. 6 VOTES.

B// Capture. The Captain isn't entirely convinced, but agrees to bring the corpse along. If it does rejuvenate, they can interrogate it. 7 VOTES.

C// Coup de Grace. The Captain takes Red's assertion at face value, but decides a more direct solution is appropriate. 4 VOTES.

Author Comments

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Author Comments
The perpetrator of the crime is the victim's own brother. His exact motivations are unclear. What we know so far is that the perpetrator is incredibly intelligent- possibly genius level.

We also know that the cults are not one big, happy family. Even aside from the fact that he tortured his own brother, there is evidence that the perpetrator see himself as a hunter and views the other cults as prey. He views himself as righteous, but the details of his ideology are completely unknown. Is he trying to save the world, to recreate the world in his own image, or just maliciously burn it down?

Finally, we know that the abilities of the perpetrator include hynoptism. He is able to manipulate the senses, memories, and possibly even the identities of his victims. With an ability that powerful, it's very likely that even the best intended uses will spiral into corruption. After all, if you make it a habit to change people's opinions, there's a real risk of not having allies to challenge your actions.

Reader Comments

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

E-mail Reader Comments

vaslittlec---

"The person who bring the victim back from the dead at the most inopportune moment possible, with the most devastating results available. MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

j134---

"A splinter sect within the cults."

aaron.van---

"The "dead" man's brother. I have no opinion on vigilante or cultist, but having that family connection could be interesting."

   
quietdig---

"I'm liking the notion of a crazed genius thinking he or she is bringing about something new and wonderful at the negligible expense of a little bit of life!"

   
p.martin---

"The people in the shadows might be from one of the cults, and one of them is related to Red. They used the victim as bait for a raid, but Red's family member is starting to have second thoughts."

Forum Reader Comments

AztecLizard-

"C - bonus one from the cults."

Layk-

"A) ""Legends have no place in the real world"" The person watching is the victims brother, who being a member of the same cult thought his brother's faith was waning and put it to the test."

BreadProduct-

"Bonus: A self named "Paladin" who seeks justice for crimes committed long ago."

FallacyofUrist-

"I say A. Bonus: the (evil) traveling hypnotist known as [] watches in happiness as his hypnotic suggestion to the captain works..."

Detoxicated-

"C. Bonus: A vigilante is watching from the shadows, he himself is hunting the cult"

The brother of the victim is watching the unfolding scene. What were his last words to the victim?

• A// "This world is ending and I'll be the one dancing in its ashes. This is your last chance to join me, brother."
• B// "There is a battle coming and we have to prepare. There is no time for weakness, brother."
• C// "This is what we wanted, brother. I know it hurts, but it'll get so much better. The pain goes away. All of it."

Bonus: Describe something about the brother hiding in the shadows that is visually distinctive.

[Parsely]

C

Awesome art work. I'm a bit confused about Red's gender. Is that intentional?