Being an anti-establishment figure is probably a lot easier when you have an establishment to rail against. Here on Hopeless, we have long prided ourselves in our absolute refusal to have a town council, put anyone in charge or accept anyone’s authority. Obviously if you want to accept someone’s authority you are totally at liberty to do so.  Reverend Davies and Durosimi O’Stoat have reliably offered themselves as people willing to tell other people what to do.

It is true that life on Hopeless is grim, and our lack or organisation probably contributes to that. And so it is that the strife between rugged individualism and community-mindedness will likely continue forever, or at least until we are all eaten by monstrous beings.

When Martin first landed here, he was quickly found in the pub talking about the need to unite against our oppressors. Fine, and rousing speeches were made, and we all enjoyed the novelty of that. Organising against our actual oppressors remains difficult – the hard and uncaring land on which we dwell, the cruel weather, the relentless sea, and the ravenous eldritch horrors.

What Martin has taught us is that we don’t really want to organise at all. Fighting the horrors is futile. What we want to do is go down the pub now and then to sing rousing songs about overcoming oppression, uniting as workers and demanding better conditions. It’s all rather jolly, so long as no one imagines actually doing anything.

Captain Swing cosplay by Martin Nitro Wyatt