Reading Past Adventures

"Every Story Has a History"

Why Read the Archives?

Colonel Brennan's Troubleshooters is an ongoing campaign. Characters develop relationships, mysteries unfold over multiple missions, and past events shape current situations. Reading previous Stories helps you understand:

Who's who: Meet the current posse members and recurring NPCs
What's happened: Major events, victories, losses, and unresolved mysteries
Ongoing plots: Threads that continue across multiple Issues
Setting details: Locations, organizations, and threats the posse has encountered
Character dynamics: Relationships, tensions, and alliances within the group
The bigger picture: Who or what is targeting Brennan's operations?

You don't need to read everything before joining, but having context will help you jump in more smoothly.

Where to Find Past Adventures

All completed Stories are archived on the campaign website in The Dodge City Times:

The Dodge City Times Archive

The archive is organized by our newspaper structure:

The Newspaper Structure

Issues are major story arcs or campaign chapters
Stories are individual missions within an Issue
Articles are individual posts within a Story
Editorials are personal character reflections

How to Navigate the Archive

Start with the Most Recent Issue

If you're joining an ongoing campaign, start by reading the most recent completed Issue and the current active Issue. This gives you immediate context for what's happening now without requiring you to read years of backstory.

Read Issue Summaries

Many Issues have summaries or "Previously On..." sections. These give you the highlights without requiring you to read every Article. Look for these first.

Focus on Your Character's Connections

Once you know who your character is, focus on Stories that involve:

Characters your troubleshooter would know or work with
Locations relevant to your character's background
Plot threads connected to your character's goals or skills

Look for Editorials

Editorials are personal character reflections. They're usually shorter than full Stories and give you great insight into how characters think and feel. If you want to understand a posse member quickly, read their Editorials.

What to Look For While Reading

As you read through past adventures, keep notes on:

Characters: Who are the posse members? What are their skills, personalities, and goals? Who can your character trust?

NPCs: Who are the recurring allies and enemies? Marshal Deger, Miss Temperance Page, rival rail agents, supernatural threats—who matters?

Mysteries: What questions remain unanswered? Who's targeting Brennan's operations? What supernatural forces are at work? What secrets do characters keep?

Locations: Where has the posse been? What do they know about different boomtowns, the Great Maze, or other territories?

Consequences: What are the lasting effects of past missions? Who's wounded? Who's been lost? What enemies did the posse make?

Don't Worry About Knowing Everything

You're not expected to memorize every detail. Get a general sense of what's happened, who the major players are, and what the current situation is. You'll pick up the rest through play.

Tips for Efficient Reading

Skim First, Deep-Dive Later: Read Article titles and opening paragraphs to get the gist, then go back and read full Articles that seem important.

Ask Questions: If something confuses you or you want clarification on past events, ask in Telegraph. The Marshal and veteran players can fill you in.

Start Playing Before You Finish Reading: Don't feel like you need to read everything before your first post. Jump in with what you know and learn as you go. Your character wouldn't know everything either.

Use Editorials for Quick Character Study: Want to understand a character fast? Read their Editorials. They're personal, revealing, and usually shorter than full Stories.

For New Campaigns

If you're joining at or near the start of a campaign, congratulations! You don't have much to catch up on. Read the introductory materials, meet the other characters, and dive in. The story is just beginning.

A Living Archive

The Dodge City Times archive is constantly growing. As new Stories are completed and published, they're added to the archive. Check back periodically to see what you've missed if you take a break, or to refresh your memory on past events.

Every Article you write becomes part of this history. Future players will read your Stories to understand what came before. Write something worth reading.

The past informs the present. The present shapes the future.

Ready to dive deeper? Visit The Dodge City Times Archive to start reading, or continue to the FAQ for answers to common questions. The Ford County Library has everything you need.