Hunt: Showdown 1896 News

Round 1 ends. The Pale Judge reigns!

Team Judge has emerged victorious, claiming 367,428 kills over Team Fool’s 182,769.

Your reward? A piece of The Pale Judge’s story now lies unveiled…but the shadows whisper more.

For the next week, enjoy an 85% discount on Creeping Night (Centennial Shorty Silencer), which is available to the whole community!

Round 2 approaches. Stay sharp.

***

CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT OF MOBY WINNEFORD 
PARISH OF ORLEANS 
STATE OF LOUISIANA 
 
STATE OF LOUISIANA  
VERSUS 
DOC REDMARTIN 
 
APPEARANCES: 
REPRESENTING THE STATE OF LOUISIANA:  
Gregory Templeton, Esq. 
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY FOR JUDGE MOBY WINNEFORD 
 
REPRESENTING THE DEFENDANT: 
Juniper Hawkins, Esq. 
ORLEANS PUBLIC DEFENDER 
 
REPORTED BY: 
Devan Anne Jacobson, CCR, RPR 
OFFICIAL COURT REPORTER  
 
LEIGH SWENSON, Citizen of DeSalle, after having been first duly sworn in, did testify as follows: 

Templeton: Miss Swenson, how did your family die?  

Swenson: It was Redmartin’s All-Cure. Mama didn't want us to take it. She said it made the neighbor sick as a dog. 

Hawkins: Objection. Speculation and perjury. The coroner’s inquest records causes of death as smoke inhalation and respiratory damage.

Templeton: I think you will find the details of Miss Swenson’s story highly relevant to the question of Mr. Redmartin’s guilt.

Judge Winneford: The Court will permit it.

Templeton: Now. If your Mama believed Redmartin’s All-Cure made people sick, why still take it?

Swenson: On account of Daddy. He was angry at her for doubting. He said Redmartin’s reputation was pristine. She disagreed. But Daddy was sure it would keep us all safe. Started yelling and doubled down. Gave everyone three times as much as what it said on the back of the bottle.  

Templeton: Can you describe exactly what happened? 

Swenson: They took theirs first, then gave it to the little ones. But before she could prepare mine, Mama’s eyes went funny and she started sweating really bad, just like when she gave birth to Remy. She was smiling bigger than I ever seen. But then she dropped the bottle and it smashed and made a big mess. She got upset and started moaning, trying to clean up the glass with her hands. She cut herself pretty badly and Daddy started howling like an animal at the sight of the blood. It scared the little ones and made them cry, but they were smiling too, smiling big just like Mama. (Long pause)

Templeton: There’s a kerchief there. Take your time. 

Swenson: Thank you. (Long pause) I’m sorry. Well. That’s when Daddy took the carving knife. He said it was time to take off our masks, but nobody was wearing a mask. He started on Polly and he cut up her face. I could see what he meant about the masks then. Then he did it to the others. They didn’t even try to fight him off. And then Mama rang the dinner bell and she... (Long pause)

Templeton: What did your Mama do, Miss Swenson?

Swenson: Mama walked over to Remy, and she knelt down and she... She...fed. I don’t know if they were dead or alive after that. When she looked up at me, she had blood all over her face. I think I started screaming then. I don’t know. All I remember thinking was that it had to stop. I had to stop them. Then I remember smashing the lantern and flames licking the floor. Then running while the house burned to the ground behind me.

Check out how our teams came up with the character designs

Hunters,

We hope you are enjoying Judgement of the Fool so far! Our new Hunters for this event are the formidable Pale Judge and his lawless counterpart, The Fool. It’s clear from community feedback that players are enjoying these new characters in the Hunt mythos, and so we wanted to share a little more about their creation and inspiration.

In this new ‘Behind the Scenes’ blog, we have talked with our design teams to bring you a slice of what goes on behind the curtain when we bring new Hunters into our world.

Judgement of the Fool – where did the idea come from?

The inspiration for the whole event concept is linked with its place as part of our Tarot series. We wanted Judgement of the Fool to feature Hunters inspired by two important Tarot cards – The Pale Judge and The Fool.

Early on, we knew we were interested in exploring the conflict between chaos and order. For chaos, we created a character on the run – looking to escape not only the law, but from the repercussions of their actions.

This concept grabbed us immediately. So, we began building a Hunter rooted in chaos, in a state of conflict with not only the law but the natural order of consequence itself. Acting without regard towards himself or others, and on a more sinister level, feeling entitled to be entirely free of repercussions. This became the Fool. We perceived him as a character exhibiting all the traits of a God Complex; but crucially, rather than being attracted to control, he was instead drawn to anarchy and discordance.

As for the Pale Judge, we wanted to introduce a character who was challenging the fundamentals of what it meant to be lawful. Amongst our roster of law enforcers we've got Sheriff Hardin, Marshall Brewer, and The Statesman, but none of which have gone beyond the point of return. There was an opportunity there to introduce a character who had.

This descent into chaos would make The Fools journey and The Judge’s hunger for justice the perfect antithesis of each other. A story that would almost write itself...


The Fool

The Fool was a great opportunity to pick up a story we’d started a long time ago. We previously established Doc Redmartin, a snake-oil salesman (or sawbones), and wanted to explore not only his downfall but the contribution he made towards the treacherous state of the bayou. Some eagle-eyed fans may have caught Doc Redmartin in a previous trailer in fact! Originally we were going to introduce him earlier, but it made sense for him to be a part of the return of mighty DeSalle.

Once we made the Fool a doctor and wrapped that into his identity, it was clear where we had to go with it.

We had another excellent opportunity to explore the Fool's journey by illustrating two distinct stages in his life, highlighting the pivotal moment that transformed him. These contrasting stages vividly exemplify a crucial turning point during a fateful encounter with The Pale Judge. Prior to this interaction, the Fool is depicted as a character on the brink of insanity; however, afterward, he is redirected towards a newfound purpose.

In a traditional Tarot deck, The Fool is the first Major Arcana card, symbolizing innocence, foolishness, spontaneity and new beginnings. In its reverse state, these traits flip to become recklessness, disarray, negligence. We know we had to include this iconic card in our lore, and we also wanted The Fool to have his opposition in the character or theme of “Judgement”, an equally powerful Major Arcana in the world of Tarot. This sat perfectly with us from a narrative point of view – which brought us to the creation of the formidable Pale Judge…



The Pale Judge

The team have always wanted to do a Judge type character in-game, actually. The inspiration came loosely from the character in Blood Meridian, the iconic Judge Holden. A polymath of forceful intelligence, an enormous man that according to those that knew him, never appeared to sleep or age. Additionally, the narrative team has a passion for referencing classic westerns in Hunt lore, making the inclusion of our judge character a natural fit for the storyline.

The color palette of The Pale Judge also stems from two influences. One inspiration comes from a scene featuring Baron Harkonnen in the Dune films, where he is seen bathing in mud. The striking contrast between his pale skin and the dark mud served as a key element for the color scheme. Additionally, we introduced Silver Spur, whose striking combination of silver, black, and red further contributed to the visual identity of The Pale Judge.

Originally, The Pale Judge was conceived of as the selfsame Judge that Silver Spur worked with. Cut from the same cloth, but also completely different in so many ways. We have retained this association throughout, and The Silver Spur and The Pale Judge still work closely together with interwoven narrative elements.

Finally, when it came to characterizing The Pale Judge, we wanted him to be different from our other law-abiding characters. We came to the idea of someone who strictly follows their own code, but that is inscrutable to the outside world. In keeping with the Tarot theme, we concluded that he read his judgements from the cards.

Does he really believe in their power, or does he merely use them as a medium to enact his own will? Introducing that dynamic to the character presented us with another question to answer: what was it that made him ultimately turn his back on the institution of the law? And thus, there was an invitation for the Fool to complete the circle, and the legacy of Redmartin’s “Cure-All” to close the loop, with the victor of this fight to still be decided in our community Kill Contest...

As of last week, you can get involved with the lore of Judgement of the Fool by taking part in our community Kill Contest: pick a side – Team Judge or Team Fool and play with selected Hunters throughout each round, working together to accumulate the most total kills. The winning team for each round will be able to influence the story of Judgement of the Fool as well as unlock some discounts and other in-game prizes. (More info & changes coming soon in Round 2). Make sure to watch our Hunt Partners too as they’ll be giving away some cool rewards too!

Finally, please check out some never seen before concept art of The Pale Judge below from our art team too!



We hope this has been an interesting peek behind the scenes, as always leave us feedback via our socials and we hope you continue to enjoy Judgement of the Fool.

Your Hunt: Showdown 1896 team

They’ve walked different paths shaped by pain and choices made in blood. What brought them back wasn’t fate, but something far more dangerous.

Now, they move through the bayou together, familiar faces carrying stories the swamp hasn’t forgotten.

The hunt begins again.

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Head over to Steam to see what we’ve been cooking up for you.

Watch now: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/Games-Forged-in-Germany

Round 1 of the Judgement of the Fool Community Contest starts now!

Goal: Kill enemy Hunters.
Join Team Fool by getting kills as Llorona's Heir, Monroe, or Corvid: Bile.
Support Team Judge by getting kills as Angel of Death, The Conspirator, or Hawkshaw Jack.

The round ends on Sunday, 27 July. All community kills will be counted together in the end to determine the winning side.

The winning team will decide the outcome of this round of the clash between The Pale Judge and the Fool, as well as unlock a community-wide discount on these weapons:

• Team Fool: Mocking Bird (Bornheim Match)
  
• Team Judge: Creeping Night (Centennial Shorty Silencer)
  

Good luck!

***

The streets of DeSalle, once eerily quiet save for the slow-building rumble of thunder in the distance, are in the dawn of a new age. Hunters have returned to stalk through the town’s shadows and discover old secrets made new once more, giving The Pale Judge the perfect opportunity to bring his own strain of justice down upon The Fool, once known as Doc Redmartin.  

But the wisdom of men is fickle and foolhardy, and their judgement is often short-sighted. After losing his daughter to a criminal he set free, The Pale Judge placed his trust in the judgement of the tarot cards, no longer able to trust himself. But the wisdom of the cards is not always comprehensible to the human mind. When they insisted he release The Fool, he did. But the killing spree that followed filled The Pale Judge with rage and regret—and the urge to draw a new card.  
Criminals must face consequences. The Fool must die. “To all of those who value justice and order,” The Pale Judge instructed in his call for followers, “assemble at Lewis’ Saloon for further instruction.”   

The first round of Hunters to lend their firearms to The Pale Judge’s cause believe that the reckless Fool has brought this upon himself. Will Hawkshaw Jack, Angel of Death, and The Conspirator be the ones to deliver the finishing blow of The Pale Judge’s gavel, emerging victorious? If so, he has a special surprise in store for them.   

But not so fast, for The Fool has a posse of his own: Monroe, Llorona’s Heir, and Corvid: Bile. Together they will fight The Pale Judge’s fire with their own, living up to The Fool’s example of how to not just survive, but thrive amongst Corruption: Do what you want, when you want. Because if you die laughing, then at least you know you’ve really lived. The Fool plans to reward those who show that they understand such truths.  

So make your choice, Hunter. Whose approval will you seek as you delve into the relentless exchange of gunfire in the newly awakened DeSalle?