Cry Power

At times, I often feel that humanity is on the verge of a tremendous philosophical awakening. It warms my heart to see people learning all over the world the power that they have. Hope Punk is about the defiance of monumental opposition. To not give over to despair or the forlorn malaise that seemingly has covered this planet. To adjust one's back, stand straight, and spit in the eye of those attempting to reign tyrannically. To throw off any yolk of expectations of others and to follow what you believe is right, even if it’s hard, even if it seems impossible, and even if it seems hopeless. Belief is a powerful emotion, and I hope this finds you believing in yourself. It takes work to be free. I trust you commit to this discipline as it does nothing but better one's existence.

This week was big, we began announcing our amazing artists and writers and showing off to the world the lightning in a bottle we caught to bring Sunset to the world. Sydney Spears is bringing the print block, old world aesthetic with new concepts we are exploring through gameplay. We got Kris Strader and Sebastian Yūe, both building up the setting of Sunset, The Loom, and all the layers within. Finally, we have Kari Jo Freudigmann who will be building out our Patterns, or groupings of philosophy for our Threads, and Erin Fordham who will be building the very active Deities who oversee our universe (the Pantheon). We have one more announcement next week and then the whole team will be out in the open.

The time of Hope Punk is now. Sunset fully endorses your rebellion against what you find to be keeping you down. Freedom isn’t free and it takes work and effort to keep it. To keep this tiny flame of free will alive it takes a lot but know that you are not alone. Out there in the wide world there are people like you who want to be heard, seen, and be your allies. We are the heroes we have been waiting for. I hope you find your Weave, team, and allies, keep it real, and don’t be afraid to check in on your homies.

What happened this week

Mike, Adam, and Thomas continued hammering out the final rough draft, finding places that needed to be expanded upon or clarified.

Adam wrote and added much of the story to the Pantheon section.

Mike wrote a bunch of stuff. You know, like he does. 

Mike ran a character creation session for Sydney Spears, Kari Jo Freudigmann, and our third setting designer & writer, who will be announced on Monday, February 24, 2025. They will be running a playtest with them later this month. 

Mike met with Kris Strader and Sebastian Yūe to discuss horror and setting locations. The three members of the setting team are responsible for setting the tone of modern horror, surreal locations, and the terrors in The Loom. They are also responsible for some pretty heavy storyline portions. I’m very excited to see what they do.

Thomas experienced another loss, and this family member will live on in the world of Sunset and provide guidance to those who seek it.

The team is getting ready to run demos at Dice Tower West to give everyone firsthand experience with Sunset. Will we see you there?

THE WORD OF THE WEEK

Qualia

Noun: Philosophy

qua·li·a
/ˈkwälēə/

Noun: Philosophy
plural noun: qualia; noun: quale

the internal and subjective component of sense perceptions, arising from stimulation of the senses by phenomena

THE SONG OF THE WEEK

Solidarity (Gogol Bordello’s “Unity” Mix), by Gogol Bordello ft. Bernard Sumner, on the SUNSET Soundtrack. Slava Ukraine.

SUNSET FACT OF THE WEEK

Locations in Sunset are made up of qualia, or the collective memories of a place. This also includes historical locations understood and known in the land of the living. When a Weave is exploring its demise, they can also examine historical and cultural touchstones within the Loom. When forgotten these locations will go through the process of sudden massive existence failure, or SMEF for short.

What’s the plan?

Tell your friends, play the quickstart, and follow the Kickstarter page.