Guards of New Smoke

Summary

The Guards of New Smoke are an organized group of armed thugs who violently seized control of New Smoke three weeks before Session 9. The takeover involved a violent confrontation at the mayor's house, described as "a great scuffling," after which they imprisoned The Mayor of New Smoke in the Foundry and established themselves as the town's new authority. They are rough, mean-looking individuals who wear scavenged leather armor reinforced with metal pieces and carry a mix of clubs, swords, and rudimentary firearms.

The Guards maintain control through both violence and economic monopoly. Their primary means of control is a stranglehold on the local economy: all scavenging operations must now come through them. They are known for their brutal methods, particularly at the main gate where they conduct aggressive searches of anyone entering the settlement, confiscate technology, and forcibly drag those who resist to jail.

The Guards number somewhere between 30-50 people in a town of approximately 100-120 residents. Many of these members were recruited from New Smoke's own population after the coup, with people joining because they saw it as preferable to "getting kicked around." Greta describes them as having "many people who are willing to do violence" and characterizes them as a "band of cutthroat brigades."

Details

The Guards operate primarily at the main gate of New Smoke, where they perform systematic searches of all incoming visitors. Their equipment reflects the scavenged nature of the post-apocalyptic setting, combining salvaged leather armor with metal reinforcements and a variety of weapons ranging from primitive melee weapons to basic firearms. This mix of equipment suggests both resourcefulness and a willingness to use force to maintain control.

Their enforcement methods are harsh. The Guards do not simply turn away those who fail to comply with their searches or who are caught breaking rules—they physically drag violators to jail. This brutal approach serves as both punishment and deterrent, establishing the Guards as an authority that cannot be easily defied. The threat of being turned over to the Guards carries significant weight, as demonstrated when the Pine Cone Man used this threat against Sucks Benedict during a confrontation.

The Guards' policy of confiscating technology is particularly notable, suggesting that New Smoke either restricts technological items or that the Guards themselves profit from such confiscations. This practice adds another layer of danger for anyone attempting to bring valuable or advanced items into the settlement.

By requiring that all scavenging come through them, the Guards have positioned themselves as gatekeepers to the town's primary means of survival and commerce. According to Erin (playing Safia), their recent formation makes them vulnerable: "if they've just been recruiting over the last three weeks, like, people aren't very loyal to them."

The party has identified several potential weaknesses in the Guards' organization:

Physical vulnerability: They are vulnerable to arrows
The neck button: According to Chat's theory, the Guards have a "button in their necks" that can be exploited
Internal divisions: Some Guards are part of an a cappella group that performs Disney songs, which the party observes "having a good time together." The party considers revealing this fact to sow discord among their ranks
Fragile loyalty: The recent recruitment drive means many members lack strong ties to the organization

History

Session 7

In Session 7, the guards served as an ongoing threat that influenced the party's decision-making. The brutal reputation of the guards was explicitly cited as one of the primary reasons the group chose to infiltrate New Smoke through the underground canal system rather than attempting to enter through the main gate, where they would have been subjected to the guards' violent searches and potential confiscation of their equipment.

Later in the session, during a confrontation in the merchant tent area, the Pine Cone Man caught Sucks Benedict in what appeared to be a theft attempt. The Pine Cone Man threatened to involve the guards, stating "We'll see what the guards have to say about this." This threat demonstrated that even within New Smoke, the guards remain a tool of enforcement that residents and merchants can invoke against those who break the rules. The guards' reputation was severe enough that this threat carried real weight in the confrontation.

Session 9

In Session 9, the Guards are established as the primary obstacle to the party's goals in New Smoke. Greta explains their recent takeover: "They into town three weeks ago. They. There was a great scuffling in the mayor's house." She confirms that "all scavenging had to come through them" and that "they have many people who are willing to do violence," though she qualifies this as being "as much as any other band of cutthroat brigades would be."

The Guards have already had confrontations with the party. Vasso and Safia previously antagonized some Guards at a food stall, with those Guards promising "we'll be back."

The party discusses multiple strategies to undermine and defeat the Guards. Abdul proposes a two-stage approach: "I do like the idea of sewing discontent to kind of try and make their forces weaker. And then that's when we strike at the button for the leader." Brad suggests exploiting the internal divisions: "We could maybe let the other guards know that these guards are in a band and then wait for them to fight among themselves."

Other proposed strategies include:

Mass-producing devices to activate the neck buttons
Using Dust Hats
Shooting them with arrows
Undermining their morale by revealing band membership

The party's planning centers on weakening the Guards' forces through discord before striking at their leadership, recognizing that their fragile loyalty and recent formation make them vulnerable to this approach.