Difference between revisions of "Deadlands"

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[[Jonah Benton]] A huckster from back east.  Or at least he dresses like it.
 
[[Jonah Benton]] A huckster from back east.  Or at least he dresses like it.
  
−
[[Miranda Valentine]] A two-gun gal from parts unknown.  She doesnt say much, she lets her six guns do the talkin'.
+
[[Miranda Valentine]] A two-gun gal from parts unknown.  She doesnt say much, she lets her six-guns do the talkin'.
  
 
==Other Available Characters==
 
==Other Available Characters==
 +
Most likely, any new character would be an Agency operative.  But just in case, or for one off purposes, I will keep these guys here.  Who knows when you might need a priest?
 +
 
[[Wandering Bear]] A Shaman of the Peiute tribe.  His entire tribal group was wiped out just a few months ago, leaving him their sole survivor.  Even though he is only 13, he is determined to complete his visionquest and reunite his tribe and return them to their former glory.
 
[[Wandering Bear]] A Shaman of the Peiute tribe.  His entire tribal group was wiped out just a few months ago, leaving him their sole survivor.  Even though he is only 13, he is determined to complete his visionquest and reunite his tribe and return them to their former glory.
  
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=The Setting=
 
=The Setting=
−
It is the world of 1873.  Things are pretty much as you might see in a history book, with a few exceptions.  The Civil War rages on, seemingly endlessly.  Every time one side or the other seems poised to make a telling strike, something happens to prevent the conclusion from occurrin'.  People are a little on edge; things are a little unnerving everywhere.  Nobody knows why, but somehow they all know.  The superstitious whisper about devils, or monsters, or things that cant be described.  But nobody has any proof, nobody of any respectability has seen them, and no serious intellectual considers it anythin' more than wives tales.
+
It is the world of 1873 (its 1874 now, the game began December 1873).  Things are pretty much as you might see in a history book, with a few exceptions.  The Civil War rages on, seemingly endlessly.  Every time one side or the other seems poised to make a telling strike, something happens to prevent the conclusion from occurrin'.  People are a little on edge; things are a little unnerving everywhere.  Nobody knows why, but somehow they all know.  The superstitious whisper about devils, or monsters, or things that cant be described.  But nobody has any proof, nobody of any respectability has seen them, and no serious intellectual considers it anythin' more than wives tales.
  
 
=Current Recap=
 
=Current Recap=
−
Its been a few months, and the dead of winter is behind 'em, but the weather is still cold and the posse is itchin' to get back to Denver.  Lucky for them Wells Fargo is payin' for tickets on a train to get 'em there.
+
After acceptin' the Agency's offer, the posse begins trainin' back in Denver.
−
 
+
−
==The Elephant in the Room==
+
−
Everybody saw it.  A burst of white light shot from Jonah, and that white light was the tellin' blow for old Cap'n Linkous.  Even after several requests Jonah aint sayin' a word.  Miranda remains her stoic self, while Reuben seems content with his belief that its workin' for them, not against.  But its still there, starin' the posse in the face.  Someday maybe it will be somethin' else.  For now its just a huge question mark.
+
−
 
+
−
==All Aboard!==
+
−
Its a two day trip by rail, but this train is far from fancy.  Sure, its nice enough for their purposes, but thats about it.  The train is about half full of passengers, about equal distribution o' cowpokes and saloon gals, if ya get my drift.  A few of them begin a poker game, and reluctantly our posse joins as well.  Things are playin' about even when one of the men mentions his health is failin' him, and that leads him to be interested in sellin' a little something.
+
−
 
+
−
==The Dutchman Cometh==
+
−
Seems a few years back an old gentleman saved the life of an Indian chief, and as a reward he was given a map to a location of some gold in the Superstition Mountains, down in Arizona.  At some point a tragedy befell the man (imagine that), and he died.  But not before he became relatively famous in the area for the quantity of gold he had been bringin' to the local assayers.  After he died the chief wanted his map back, because, well, that was his tribes gold, and he only let this guy in on it because of the good deed he had done.  Nobody else had earned the right to have the thing.
+
−
 
+
−
So he sent down a detachment o' his best braves to bring it back.  They found the Dutchmans stuff alright, and even managed to locate the map.  Problem is, when they left they happened upon some ornery cusses who happened to also have an idear that they wanted his treasure map.  A little fightin' ensued, and next thing you know, those braves aint walkin' no more, if you know what I mean.
+
  
−
As fate would have it, only one of those murderous hombres made it out, and he took the map and immediately went back to Kansas City to gear himself up and prepare for his expedition.  Thats where the wheels fell off this cart.  Life got in the way, things intervened, and years past.  He just wasnt able to get his trek on the road.  Frustrated, one day he up and lost the map in a card game to this gentleman right here.
+
==The Mission==
 +
Its a warm afternoon when Agent [[Andrew Sykes]] invites the posse into his office.  He is pleased with their progress, and is ready to offer them a job to do.  Seems one of their field agents has been out of contact for over 6 weeks.  They need to find out why.  His last known whereabouts was somewhere in eastern Arizona, and he was investigatin' some religious outfit.
  
−
Maybe there is some kind of bad omen or somethin' attached to it, because by golly he wasnt able to get his journey started for a few years either, and now he finds himself with a failin' ticker. O' course, he would be happy to sell it to the posse for the paltry sum of $1000.
+
Wait, Arizona? Aint that Confederate territory?
  
−
==Whoa Pardner==
+
Damn right pardner, damn right.  This is gonna take a good cover story and some undercover work.  But be careful, if'n the Confederates get wind o' what yer doin', its espionage, and that is punishable by hangin'.
−
Thats a lot o' scratch.  Reuben informs him that while he is an experienced miner, he isnt interested in goin' underground anymore.  Of course, if his companions are game, well, he will help them all he can.  Jonah and Miranda both share the wide eyed shock at the price.  Its a good story, but not $1000 worth in their book.  They'll pass.
+
  
−
==Ascent Into Mayhem==
+
Now that we have that out of the way...
−
After the card game breaks up the posse goes back to their seats and pretty much avoids all contact with the rest of the train. They aint rude, they dont shun anyone, but they make no effort to otherwise interact with the other passengers.
+
  
−
Eventually, dusk begins to settle and they round a bend and head up a steep grade deep in the Rockies.  The train lurches a mite and heads up, slowly but surely.  Just as they near the crest the trains whistle sounds.
+
==The Trip==
 +
After some conversin', the posse decides that religious folk is the best cover story.  They can be on some sort of pilgrimage, and it makes sense to visit other religious establishments along the way.  Yep, that works all well and proper.
  
−
HOOOOOOOOT!
+
So the posse hits the trail, and for the next three days makes their way to the missing agents last known whereabouts. 
  
−
Holy Jesus thats loud!  The train is skiddin' to a halt.  Someones a layin' on the brakes!  
+
==Pueblo Viejo==
 +
Its nothin' but a tiny, one-horse town of maybe 50 folks.  They make their way to the local roomin' house and saloon and secure themselves some lodgin's.  After checkin' in, they proceed to gently probe the barkeep about the missin' agent.  
  
−
KABLAM!
+
It seems that no one has seen him or anyone from the mission in weeks.  Thats a mite strange too, considerin' they used to make it to town every two weeks or so for supplies and such.  Its almost a two day ride out there, but the posse decides they had better hit the mission pronto.
  
−
Before anyone can do a damn thing the engine and coal cars tumble over the mountainside, into the smoke ahead.  What the hell happened to the bridge?
+
==Finally, They Arrive==
 +
Its an uneventful day and a half ride to the site of the mission.  When they arrive, around one, the scene is still and serene.  Deadly serene.   
  
−
==Come Out With Yer Hands Up==
+
Cautiously they approach, guns drawn, alert on high.  The compound is surrounded by an adobe, 8 foot wall, with a thick, log gate in the front.  Lucky for them, its wide open. Did I say lucky?
−
Even as the whole train is filled with thick, disgusting coal smoke, Miranda jumps into action and races to the back of the car and into the next one.  When she opens the rear door its clear that whatever cars were behind that are gone.
+
  
−
Thats right, gone.  Plummeted down the hill it seems, and it must've been a few minutes ago, because she cant even see 'em anywhere.  Somehow that ornery old gimp Reuben comes up right behind her and sees the same thing.  Jonah is a bit dazed, but finds a way to get out the back door of the passenger cabin and stagger to the side of the train.
+
Scattered around the inside of the compound are bodies and plenty of them.  Old and picked, with some arrows stickin' in 'em all nice like.  The compound itself consists of 5 buildin's, one of 'em a church.  The others, well, we will see soon now wont we?
  
−
"Throw out your valuables and put up your hands.  We'll shoot ya if we gotta!"
+
==Mission, Proper==
 +
Once inside the posse splits up and investigates the buildin's.  They quickly determine that they consist of a mens and womens dormitory, a rectory, a church and a dining hall.  Each of them seems to be also full of bodies, and the dormitories have a selection of beds; some slept in, some not.   
  
−
Even though he hears it, his head aint clear enough to draw a bead on exactly who said it.  He knows it came from the valley below, but he cant make out any targets.
+
Jonah finds hisself in the church, lookin' through every nook and cranny all by his lonesome.  He inspects the pews, enters the prayer room, and even hits the bell tower for a spell. But by far the most interesting discovery is somethin' found in the confessional. 
  
−
By this time Reuben has made his way around the other side of the cabin, and he can see a head pokin' out maybe 100 yards distant in the valley.  Just his luck he didnt have a shotgun with him in the passenger cabin.  He did, however, have the presence o' mind to grab a fallen brake handle in that old car, and now he is brandishin' it all clublike.
+
On the floor he spies a gold double eagle, wedged between a chair and the wall, and partially under the wall itself.  Behind the priests chair a concealed panel hides the entrance to a tiny room.  After opening it, he finds what was likely a treasury of some sort.  Now, however, its only home to $120 and a torn bag.
  
−
Miranda, on the other hand, has scampered back into the passenger car and located the man with the map.  He is out cold, so she grabs the map and stores it somewhere nobody proper will be lookin'.  She then makes her way to the side of the car where Jonah has just drawn his pistol.
+
Reuben is in the mens dormitory, futtsin' around with this and that.  He counts bodies and beds, and finds that the members of this sect had little for personal effects.  He also notices a collection of scratches near the base of a pot bellied stove and that gives him an idear or two. He gives it a fine shove and it moves revealin' a passageway. 
  
−
==30 Seconds==
+
==The Star of the Desert==
−
A man wieldin' a rifle and pistol comes stormin' up the side of the mountain, just into Jonahs view.  With some kind o' precision nobody knew he had he buries a slug right in that poor gentleman's (and Im usin' the term loosely here) temple.  Reuben hears that and crouches down a bit.  Another guy pokes his head up in front of him, and Reuben heaves that hunk o' metal right into his cranium.
+
Armed with this new discovery, he makes his way to the courtyard and signals the others.  After a few minutes of waitin', the posse is reunited and alerted of the system of tunnels residin' just a few feet below.  This leads to a resumed search of the others, and discovery o' four more tunnels: one in each buildin'.
  
−
Im sensin' myself a pattern here.  Didnt know they made vorpal dice, did ya?
+
Together, the posse descends into the depths below.  After a thorough investigation and some cogitatin' they determine that the maze of tunnels creates a pentagram.  They all seem clear, well, except the one beneath the church.
  
−
Anyway, the guy is dazed and staggers a bit, while on the other side Miranda has moved up to the front of the car.  She pokes her head around and sees a guy with a shotgun.  He shoulda known better, but he dint.  Hesitation costs him all he had as she squeezes off two from each pistol into the guy, droppin' him in his tracks.
+
==The Tip of the Starberg==
 +
Under the pulpit sits an altar, a horizontal, blood stained, symbolically engraved abomination of an altar.  Reuben and his sharp old eyes notice spigots leading down the corners into blood stained grooves on the floor.  Everyone is disgusted.
  
−
While his quarry is dazed Reuben is busy scourin' the ground lookin for a suitable rock.  He cant find that, but does scare up a large hunk o' metal, perfect for chuckin'.  He yells for their surrender just as another hombre emerges from below.  Before Miranda can react he plants a tree of lead right through her skirt. It did him no good however, as it exits the other side harmlessly. 
+
But Jonah, as focused as he is, begins contemplatin' exactly what they are findin'.  After reflectin', he comes to the conclusion that some sort of summonin' ritual is goin' on here.
  
−
Of course, when her guns hum their music, the only song they know is death.  Another fusillade of bullets and he drops.
+
Its been a nice hard first night, so the posse decides to make camp here.
  
−
==The Smoke Clears==
+
==Little Indian Girl==
−
One of those wicked hombres is still alive, but has surrendered.  The rest seem to have left him behind or died tryin', but Jonah heads down the valley to be sure.  After a thorough interrogation its pretty clear that these guys had nothing to do with the missing cars in the back, they just wanted valuables from the train robbery.
+
During the second watch, a little something happens.  Something I am sure at least one of the posse wishes they could forget.  But between you and me, I doubt she ever will.
  
−
As they conclude their discussion the rest of the passengers emerge from the wreckage.  The posse does what they can to help everyone out, and Miranda returns that map.  The guy gives her an odd, quizzical look as he snatches his parchment from her grasp.  It seems after a quick muster that only one crew member has survived, Hank the cook.  A couple of passengers are missing too.
+
Jonah is up, keepin' watch on the posse as they sleep.  Everythin' seems to be goin' pretty much as they would expect.  Miranda starts to become restless; tossin' turnin' and other evidence of less than ideal sleep.  Then, suddenly, she bolts up and mutters:
  
−
Speakin' of those missin' cars...
+
Dream, girl, crazy...laughing, doll, blood...AAAAAAHHHHHHH!
  
−
==Down the Mountain==
+
Immediately she is in hysterics.  Reuben and Jonah do their best to calm her down, but it takes a while.  Eventually its clear that she had a nightmare, and a particularly awful one at that.  After some calmin' and a little proddin' from the others, she relates her tale o' horror.
−
Jonah volunteers to stay behind and organize the campsite.  Everyone agrees they need to prepare for what could be an ambush if those cowardly hombres find some courage, liquid or otherwise.  Not only that, but this is the Rockies, its gonna be cold!
+
  
−
Miranda and Reuben head down the mountain, with one of the female passengers in tow.  She has an expensive family heirloom that she absolutely must find.  The trip is a bit treacherous, but otherwise uneventful.
+
She found herself wakin' up in one of the dormitories to the sound of a gigglin' child, and when she walked into the courtyard she could see fires burnin' all around.  The shadows are eerie, and occasionally a dark figure darts from one to another.  She can never make 'em out, but somehow she knows these are the ones who killed the disciples.
  
−
==Loco Turnover==
+
And speakin' o' the disciples, their mutilated bodies, fresh and bloody, litter the compound in front of her.  Again she hears the laughin' and she turns to find a little Indian girl runnin' away clutchin' a doll.  Somehow she keeps pace ahead, and even finds time to stop next to a gruesome corpse and touch the blood, still bein' all giggly-like.
−
Near the bottom of the grade its clear the cars jumped the track.  They seem to have come to rest near a stream at the bottom of an incline.  Carefully, the posse and their hanger-on climb down to investigate.
+
  
−
The baggage of the passengers is strewn about, and the woman goes to work lookin' for her heirloom.  Reuben climbs into one of the cars, and Miranda looks around for strangeness outside.  Everyone pretty much keeps to themselves.
+
That was it.  Miranda couldnt take anymore and ran full steam up to the lil' gal and grabbed the back o' her dress.  She pulled her away from the body and turned her around to face her.  And when she did, it was clear her throat had been violently slashed.  Blood drained down the front of her dress.  Oh, and that doll, well its neck was cut so deeply that its head lolled back and forth as she moved.  She was still gigglin' all right.  Clear as day.
  
−
Miranda finds some tracks that look a little like someone in boots bein' dragged up the hill.  She finds this thoroughly disconcerting.  She cant seem to locate the tracks of whatever is draggin' them, however.  This just adds to the eerie feelin'.
+
==Cleanup==
 +
After everyone finally calms down a bit, they get a little rest.  But not much.  Reuben makes his famous biscuits for breakfast the next day, but the conversation is sparse and light.  Eventually they decide to split up their duties slightly.  Jonah and Reuben will pile up the dead and make a bonfire, while Miranda does some searchin' outside the compound.  Its a tedious days work, but it has to get done.
  
−
Inside the baggage car, Reuben finds blood, and lots of it.  Someone certainly met their end around here.  A strange machine-like thing catches his eye.  It looks like a pistol with six barrels, almost like a Gatling pistol.  He also finds a broken wooden box marked Museum of Boston.  Strangely, it seems to be the only piece of baggage thats harmed in any way.  Upon closer inspection the inside of the box is scratched all to hell, and it looks like something broke out of it.
+
Outside Miranda finds a path to the east that leads to an outside pulpit and pews up on a hill.  There is a grove of trees and a sparse collection of underbrush.  Its interestin', so she comes back and shares her discovery with the rest of the posse immediately.  Jonah and Reuben take a welcome break from their grim task and venture out there for a looksy.
  
−
You heard me right.  Broke out, not in.
+
Immediately Jonah notices somethin' aint right.  At first the others dont see it, but when its pointed out, its clear as day that the pews and pulpit are facin' the same direction (the mission).  That means that whoever did the preachin', did it with his back to the flock.  Mighty strange if you ask me.
  
−
As he climbs out Miranda informs him of her findings.  Reuben is outwardly disturbed.  He reminds Miranda of the fate of ol' Hank Ketchum ([[This Harrowed Ground]]), and postulates this could be related.  The woman doesnt agree, she is convinced its wolves. She also thinks that they should return as soon as possible.
+
When they return Reuben and Jonah get back to work, and ol' Miranda circles around and looks for anythin' else she can muster outside.  Eventually she finds some tracks, and follows them all the way to a cave on a small mountainside. Inside she finds some shackles secured to a wall.
  
−
Reuben, of course, strenuously disagrees, and a heated (as well as highly irrational) argument erupts between them that finally culminates with her pulling a derringer from her garter, and informin' him she cant make her stay.  She is goin' back. 
+
What the hell was that?
  
−
Reuben and Miranda, however, are stayin'.  They are gonna follow those tracks first and see what they can find, then resolve the rest of the matters in the mornin'.
+
==Another Night in Paradise==
 +
And so it begins, another night on the trail.  Sure is a glamorous life our agents lead, eh?  At least they have roofs over their heads.  O' course, those roofs are inside a spooky compound littered with nearly 50 bodies. Now thats a vacation!
  
−
==The Woods, Dark and Deep==
+
Miranda knows whats comin'.  Yep, but there aint nothin' gonna prevent it.  Nope, no siree.
−
Still a bit miffed by the womans behavior, Reuben is even more steeled in his resolve.  The two posse members trudge up the mountainside into the thick trees.  At one point the silence is so deafening they can hear nothing beyond themselves, and can barely see an arms length beyond where they walk in any direction (because of the tightly packed evergreens).
+
  
−
But eventually a clearing looms ahead.   
+
When she drifts off into la-la land, it all begins in the same place, and continues just as before.  But that aint all.  It goes on, and I dont rightly know if thats any better or not.
  
−
==Clearly Disgusting==
+
This time, after she turns the little girl to face her, she wrests herself free from Mirandas grip and skips away toward the church.  Miranda yells to stop, but she aint listenin', almost like it were her ears cut instead o' her neck.  Once she reaches the front steps of the church she kneels and begins to play in the dirt while hummin' some kind o' song or rhyme.  As Miranda approaches it begins to become clear.
−
The thought of a clearin' and the sight of the sky above brings smiles to the faces of Reuben and Miranda, but what they see in the clearin' obliterates all thoughts o' anything but horror and disgust before they can gestate.
+
  
−
Lyin' flat on the ground in front of them are the bodies of the missin' passenger as well as the conductor.  They have been viciously torn, especially in the shoulder and arm area, by giant claws of some kind of beast they could never describe (but somehow I gotta).  Pulsatin' in the gashes cleaved on their shoulders are giant oblong white globes coated in a thick, nauseatin' fluid.
+
'This is the church, and this is the steeple...' She then reaches back and flings open the door.  'Open the door and see all the people!'
  
−
Could they be? Oh my god yes, those look like...eggs.
+
Inside, the room is ablaze with light distilled red through the stained glass of the churches windows. Unnerving as that is, it is just the beginnin'. Impaled on hooks from the ceilin' are at least 10 bodies, still writhin' with life. Their agony is clear and disturbin', and Miranda starts awake.
  
−
But that aint all, no friend, not by a long shot.  Standin' over 'em, lookin' as menacin' and dangerous as satans right hand man, is a giant 10 legged spider-thing.  No, not a spider, but certainly an insect of some sort.
+
==Frenchy 'n Friends==
 +
The next day Reuben and Miranda are tryin' to figure out the best way to git into the well while Jonah is investigatin' the chapel.  Its mid-mornin', and the sun is startin' to get warm.  Just as the two prepare to drop dynamite down into the abyss, they notice a couple o' gentlemen approachin' on horseback.  He hails the two and they begin a discussion.
  
−
How big, you ask?  The posse might tell you it was 150 pounds if it was an ounce, and who am I to argue.  And given the much lower density of insects, well, its clear this was one humongous arachnid (or somethin').
+
Then, outta nowheres, the men come chargin' into the mission, guns a'blazin'.  All the while two other men are climbin' the fence and makin' their way into the courtyard. The posse is surrounded!
  
−
For an eternal second everyone is dumbstruck; awed silly by the naked unbelievable-ness of what sits before them.  Quick hands lie dormant.  Quick minds lie stuck in mud as wheels refuse to churn.
+
The leader charges past Miranda and Reuben as Miranda stands dumbstruck.  Reuben, thinkin' quickly, jumps on top o' her and covers as the leader rains shots down upon them.  Two of them find their mark, but he is only grazed.  Two men dismount and head into buildin's for cover, one of them shootin' shotgun blasts all the while.  Reuben fires at the leader as he rides on by, but it is wide left.
  
−
Unfazed, the creature springs to action and charges forward at breakneck pace, screeching a preternatural opera of doom that holds the posse paralyzed with fear.  Miranda shakes so violently that she drops tears all the way down her cheek, while Reuben is so shocked he forgets to breathe.
+
Now things get interestin'.  Reuben rolls off of Miranda and takes a shot at the leader, grazin' him.  Jonah steps into the doorway of the chapel and the leader blasts him with two pistols.  He is seriously injured.  Rifle and shotguns blaze from the doorways from the invadin' henchmen, but Miranda finds cover behind the well and blasts one of 'em with both pistols.  He stumbles back inside.
  
−
Before its too late Miranda screams, squints and charges forward, guns blazin'.  Her eyes are so filled with tears, and her muscles so violently trembling, that her aim is slightly off, and only a single bullet finds its home.  But fate, that fickle bitch, has taken a likin' to this here gal, and that one hunk o' lead buries itself deep into one of the hundreds o' eye sockets on this monstrosity.
+
Utter chaos reigns as guns blaze from everyone, everywhere for what seems like forever.  Some henchmen are hit, Jonah takes on another wound, and Miranda has her dress ripped to shreds by shot.  Reuben gets all crotchety and impatient, and lights a stick o' dynamite and throws it into a buildin'.  The henchman inside has no choice but to run out towards the other buildin', but Miranda gives him a generous gift of lead.  In the middle of it all an injured man crawls over the fence to his waitin' horse.
  
−
The motion jars Reuben from his coma, and he lets go with both barrels, showing that he, too, is in cahoots with fate by vaporizin' the head of that infernal personification of disgust.  Momentum carries the skitterin' hulk right up to their feet.  Neither move a muscle as it twitches and writhes inches from them.  Eventually Miranda eeks out a noise.
+
BOOM!
  
−
'What...?' And that was the last word she said.  For two days.
+
Everybody keeps their head down for a minute, but Reuben is busy lightin' another stick.  The single mounted dude (the leader), gains control of his horse just as the other stick flies in his direction.  He tries to get away, and squeezes off a shot or two, but the inevitable comes.
  
−
==Undertakin' Aint Glamorous, But It Must Be Done==
+
BOOM!
−
After long minutes of cryin', screamin' and evacuatin' o' the digestive tracts Reuben starts directin' zombie Miranda into helpin' him dispose o' this grim scene.  No way is this gettin' out o' here.  A giant bonfire engulfs each body, and they spend all night making sure nothin' survives.  Nothin'.
+
  
−
==Denver==
+
Unbeknownst to Reuben, behind him two other henchmen have entered the chapel and begun shootin' it out with Jonah, and unfortunately, it aint goin' so well.  A flurry of shots sends Jonah to the floor, but one of the invaders gets wounded in the process.  Miranda finds her bearings and opens fire.  Reuben gets her back and blasts the last henchman on his side with a shotgun.  Finally, the last remainin' one heads for the fence and a safe getaway, but when he wont stop the posse is forced to gun him down too.
−
Somehow she dont look the same after all they have been through.  The posse, weary and exhausted, have barely spoken of what happened to them.  But one of the passengers, a cub reporter for the [[Tombstone Epitaph]], finally coaxes it out o' 'em.  She'll make 'em famous, she reckons, and herself at the same time.  If anyone ever believes it.
+
  
−
The hike out was arduous for everyone but Reuben and Miranda. For them, it was the easiest work they had ever done.  Leavin' those experiences in the past was a welcome respite that the memories themselves refuse to oblige.  It aint quite nightmares, well, at least not yet.
+
==Aftermath (or After French, if you prefer)==
 +
When the smoke clears Reuben and Miranda know they need to find the missin' invader.  They split up and head outside, but its clear that he aint gone far, since his horse is still tethered to the fence.  Before they embark on a long, drawn out search, they decide they should make sure Jonah will be ok.
  
−
Things were just startin' to feel normal, when they saw those guys stride in that seedy bar.
+
He looks terrible, but fortunately, he should be ok.  After a little R 'n R, the posse commences a search.
  
−
==Men In Black Dusters==
+
==Right Under Their Noses==
 +
And their feet as well.  Eventually, the search leads down into the catacombs, where lyin' on the main altar they find the mutilated body o' the escaped desperado.  Blood is everywhere, but organs seem to be gone.  Grisly though it is, the posse spends the next few hours doin' a thorough search.  Still no perpetrator.
  
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==Past Recaps==
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=Past Recaps=
 
[[Deadlands Recaps]]
 
[[Deadlands Recaps]]
  
 
=What's Next?=
 
=What's Next?=
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Next Sunday: A trip to Arizona, and a visit to: The Mission.
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Next Sunday: A trip to Salt Lake City (The City o' Gloom) and a walk down The Road to Hell.
  
 
Now that the posse are agents of the Secret Service all right and proper, the whole world is different.
 
Now that the posse are agents of the Secret Service all right and proper, the whole world is different.

Latest revision as of 23:26, 6 July 2008

Here is the wikipedia link [1]

If I ran a Deadlands game it would be much less overt than the standard setting. Magic and all those things would exist, but they would not be common knowledge. From the first glance the world would look exactly as ours did in 1873.

Rules Snafus

Hey, look what I found! http://www.sonic.net/~dkjedi/deadlands/

The Posse

Reuben McRotch An ornery old cuss of a prospector who cant seem to keep his mouth shut about how he doesnt trust people, or his ex partner, or, well, anythin' really.

Jonah Benton A huckster from back east. Or at least he dresses like it.

Miranda Valentine A two-gun gal from parts unknown. She doesnt say much, she lets her six-guns do the talkin'.

Other Available Characters

Most likely, any new character would be an Agency operative. But just in case, or for one off purposes, I will keep these guys here. Who knows when you might need a priest?

Wandering Bear A Shaman of the Peiute tribe. His entire tribal group was wiped out just a few months ago, leaving him their sole survivor. Even though he is only 13, he is determined to complete his visionquest and reunite his tribe and return them to their former glory.

lil' Tim McKenzie A wanderin' muckraker who just might be the one who writes that book about what is happenin' that nobody'll speak of. The tales livin' in this brain pan might curdle a double whiskey.

Father 'Silver' Hank O'Keefe A travellin' preacher who resolves to drive the devils back to hell by force of his faith and will, alone if necessary. He's seen 'em, but he has enough sense to keep to himself about it.

The Links that Fasten 'Em

All of the characters, as well as potential characters, have direct knowledge of the supernatural evil thats pointin' its bony finger at the world. All of 'em are damn sworn to do whats necessary to stop it, too.

The Setting

It is the world of 1873 (its 1874 now, the game began December 1873). Things are pretty much as you might see in a history book, with a few exceptions. The Civil War rages on, seemingly endlessly. Every time one side or the other seems poised to make a telling strike, something happens to prevent the conclusion from occurrin'. People are a little on edge; things are a little unnerving everywhere. Nobody knows why, but somehow they all know. The superstitious whisper about devils, or monsters, or things that cant be described. But nobody has any proof, nobody of any respectability has seen them, and no serious intellectual considers it anythin' more than wives tales.

Current Recap

After acceptin' the Agency's offer, the posse begins trainin' back in Denver.

The Mission

Its a warm afternoon when Agent Andrew Sykes invites the posse into his office. He is pleased with their progress, and is ready to offer them a job to do. Seems one of their field agents has been out of contact for over 6 weeks. They need to find out why. His last known whereabouts was somewhere in eastern Arizona, and he was investigatin' some religious outfit.

Wait, Arizona? Aint that Confederate territory?

Damn right pardner, damn right. This is gonna take a good cover story and some undercover work. But be careful, if'n the Confederates get wind o' what yer doin', its espionage, and that is punishable by hangin'.

Now that we have that out of the way...

The Trip

After some conversin', the posse decides that religious folk is the best cover story. They can be on some sort of pilgrimage, and it makes sense to visit other religious establishments along the way. Yep, that works all well and proper.

So the posse hits the trail, and for the next three days makes their way to the missing agents last known whereabouts.

Pueblo Viejo

Its nothin' but a tiny, one-horse town of maybe 50 folks. They make their way to the local roomin' house and saloon and secure themselves some lodgin's. After checkin' in, they proceed to gently probe the barkeep about the missin' agent.

It seems that no one has seen him or anyone from the mission in weeks. Thats a mite strange too, considerin' they used to make it to town every two weeks or so for supplies and such. Its almost a two day ride out there, but the posse decides they had better hit the mission pronto.

Finally, They Arrive

Its an uneventful day and a half ride to the site of the mission. When they arrive, around one, the scene is still and serene. Deadly serene.

Cautiously they approach, guns drawn, alert on high. The compound is surrounded by an adobe, 8 foot wall, with a thick, log gate in the front. Lucky for them, its wide open. Did I say lucky?

Scattered around the inside of the compound are bodies and plenty of them. Old and picked, with some arrows stickin' in 'em all nice like. The compound itself consists of 5 buildin's, one of 'em a church. The others, well, we will see soon now wont we?

Mission, Proper

Once inside the posse splits up and investigates the buildin's. They quickly determine that they consist of a mens and womens dormitory, a rectory, a church and a dining hall. Each of them seems to be also full of bodies, and the dormitories have a selection of beds; some slept in, some not.

Jonah finds hisself in the church, lookin' through every nook and cranny all by his lonesome. He inspects the pews, enters the prayer room, and even hits the bell tower for a spell. But by far the most interesting discovery is somethin' found in the confessional.

On the floor he spies a gold double eagle, wedged between a chair and the wall, and partially under the wall itself. Behind the priests chair a concealed panel hides the entrance to a tiny room. After opening it, he finds what was likely a treasury of some sort. Now, however, its only home to $120 and a torn bag.

Reuben is in the mens dormitory, futtsin' around with this and that. He counts bodies and beds, and finds that the members of this sect had little for personal effects. He also notices a collection of scratches near the base of a pot bellied stove and that gives him an idear or two. He gives it a fine shove and it moves revealin' a passageway.

The Star of the Desert

Armed with this new discovery, he makes his way to the courtyard and signals the others. After a few minutes of waitin', the posse is reunited and alerted of the system of tunnels residin' just a few feet below. This leads to a resumed search of the others, and discovery o' four more tunnels: one in each buildin'.

Together, the posse descends into the depths below. After a thorough investigation and some cogitatin' they determine that the maze of tunnels creates a pentagram. They all seem clear, well, except the one beneath the church.

The Tip of the Starberg

Under the pulpit sits an altar, a horizontal, blood stained, symbolically engraved abomination of an altar. Reuben and his sharp old eyes notice spigots leading down the corners into blood stained grooves on the floor. Everyone is disgusted.

But Jonah, as focused as he is, begins contemplatin' exactly what they are findin'. After reflectin', he comes to the conclusion that some sort of summonin' ritual is goin' on here.

Its been a nice hard first night, so the posse decides to make camp here.

Little Indian Girl

During the second watch, a little something happens. Something I am sure at least one of the posse wishes they could forget. But between you and me, I doubt she ever will.

Jonah is up, keepin' watch on the posse as they sleep. Everythin' seems to be goin' pretty much as they would expect. Miranda starts to become restless; tossin' turnin' and other evidence of less than ideal sleep. Then, suddenly, she bolts up and mutters:

Dream, girl, crazy...laughing, doll, blood...AAAAAAHHHHHHH!

Immediately she is in hysterics. Reuben and Jonah do their best to calm her down, but it takes a while. Eventually its clear that she had a nightmare, and a particularly awful one at that. After some calmin' and a little proddin' from the others, she relates her tale o' horror.

She found herself wakin' up in one of the dormitories to the sound of a gigglin' child, and when she walked into the courtyard she could see fires burnin' all around. The shadows are eerie, and occasionally a dark figure darts from one to another. She can never make 'em out, but somehow she knows these are the ones who killed the disciples.

And speakin' o' the disciples, their mutilated bodies, fresh and bloody, litter the compound in front of her. Again she hears the laughin' and she turns to find a little Indian girl runnin' away clutchin' a doll. Somehow she keeps pace ahead, and even finds time to stop next to a gruesome corpse and touch the blood, still bein' all giggly-like.

That was it. Miranda couldnt take anymore and ran full steam up to the lil' gal and grabbed the back o' her dress. She pulled her away from the body and turned her around to face her. And when she did, it was clear her throat had been violently slashed. Blood drained down the front of her dress. Oh, and that doll, well its neck was cut so deeply that its head lolled back and forth as she moved. She was still gigglin' all right. Clear as day.

Cleanup

After everyone finally calms down a bit, they get a little rest. But not much. Reuben makes his famous biscuits for breakfast the next day, but the conversation is sparse and light. Eventually they decide to split up their duties slightly. Jonah and Reuben will pile up the dead and make a bonfire, while Miranda does some searchin' outside the compound. Its a tedious days work, but it has to get done.

Outside Miranda finds a path to the east that leads to an outside pulpit and pews up on a hill. There is a grove of trees and a sparse collection of underbrush. Its interestin', so she comes back and shares her discovery with the rest of the posse immediately. Jonah and Reuben take a welcome break from their grim task and venture out there for a looksy.

Immediately Jonah notices somethin' aint right. At first the others dont see it, but when its pointed out, its clear as day that the pews and pulpit are facin' the same direction (the mission). That means that whoever did the preachin', did it with his back to the flock. Mighty strange if you ask me.

When they return Reuben and Jonah get back to work, and ol' Miranda circles around and looks for anythin' else she can muster outside. Eventually she finds some tracks, and follows them all the way to a cave on a small mountainside. Inside she finds some shackles secured to a wall.

What the hell was that?

Another Night in Paradise

And so it begins, another night on the trail. Sure is a glamorous life our agents lead, eh? At least they have roofs over their heads. O' course, those roofs are inside a spooky compound littered with nearly 50 bodies. Now thats a vacation!

Miranda knows whats comin'. Yep, but there aint nothin' gonna prevent it. Nope, no siree.

When she drifts off into la-la land, it all begins in the same place, and continues just as before. But that aint all. It goes on, and I dont rightly know if thats any better or not.

This time, after she turns the little girl to face her, she wrests herself free from Mirandas grip and skips away toward the church. Miranda yells to stop, but she aint listenin', almost like it were her ears cut instead o' her neck. Once she reaches the front steps of the church she kneels and begins to play in the dirt while hummin' some kind o' song or rhyme. As Miranda approaches it begins to become clear.

'This is the church, and this is the steeple...' She then reaches back and flings open the door. 'Open the door and see all the people!'

Inside, the room is ablaze with light distilled red through the stained glass of the churches windows. Unnerving as that is, it is just the beginnin'. Impaled on hooks from the ceilin' are at least 10 bodies, still writhin' with life. Their agony is clear and disturbin', and Miranda starts awake.

Frenchy 'n Friends

The next day Reuben and Miranda are tryin' to figure out the best way to git into the well while Jonah is investigatin' the chapel. Its mid-mornin', and the sun is startin' to get warm. Just as the two prepare to drop dynamite down into the abyss, they notice a couple o' gentlemen approachin' on horseback. He hails the two and they begin a discussion.

Then, outta nowheres, the men come chargin' into the mission, guns a'blazin'. All the while two other men are climbin' the fence and makin' their way into the courtyard. The posse is surrounded!

The leader charges past Miranda and Reuben as Miranda stands dumbstruck. Reuben, thinkin' quickly, jumps on top o' her and covers as the leader rains shots down upon them. Two of them find their mark, but he is only grazed. Two men dismount and head into buildin's for cover, one of them shootin' shotgun blasts all the while. Reuben fires at the leader as he rides on by, but it is wide left.

Now things get interestin'. Reuben rolls off of Miranda and takes a shot at the leader, grazin' him. Jonah steps into the doorway of the chapel and the leader blasts him with two pistols. He is seriously injured. Rifle and shotguns blaze from the doorways from the invadin' henchmen, but Miranda finds cover behind the well and blasts one of 'em with both pistols. He stumbles back inside.

Utter chaos reigns as guns blaze from everyone, everywhere for what seems like forever. Some henchmen are hit, Jonah takes on another wound, and Miranda has her dress ripped to shreds by shot. Reuben gets all crotchety and impatient, and lights a stick o' dynamite and throws it into a buildin'. The henchman inside has no choice but to run out towards the other buildin', but Miranda gives him a generous gift of lead. In the middle of it all an injured man crawls over the fence to his waitin' horse.

BOOM!

Everybody keeps their head down for a minute, but Reuben is busy lightin' another stick. The single mounted dude (the leader), gains control of his horse just as the other stick flies in his direction. He tries to get away, and squeezes off a shot or two, but the inevitable comes.

BOOM!

Unbeknownst to Reuben, behind him two other henchmen have entered the chapel and begun shootin' it out with Jonah, and unfortunately, it aint goin' so well. A flurry of shots sends Jonah to the floor, but one of the invaders gets wounded in the process. Miranda finds her bearings and opens fire. Reuben gets her back and blasts the last henchman on his side with a shotgun. Finally, the last remainin' one heads for the fence and a safe getaway, but when he wont stop the posse is forced to gun him down too.

Aftermath (or After French, if you prefer)

When the smoke clears Reuben and Miranda know they need to find the missin' invader. They split up and head outside, but its clear that he aint gone far, since his horse is still tethered to the fence. Before they embark on a long, drawn out search, they decide they should make sure Jonah will be ok.

He looks terrible, but fortunately, he should be ok. After a little R 'n R, the posse commences a search.

Right Under Their Noses

And their feet as well. Eventually, the search leads down into the catacombs, where lyin' on the main altar they find the mutilated body o' the escaped desperado. Blood is everywhere, but organs seem to be gone. Grisly though it is, the posse spends the next few hours doin' a thorough search. Still no perpetrator.

Past Recaps

Deadlands Recaps

What's Next?

Next Sunday: A trip to Salt Lake City (The City o' Gloom) and a walk down The Road to Hell.

Now that the posse are agents of the Secret Service all right and proper, the whole world is different.

Status

This game is active and weekly.

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