Fantasy D E A D † W E S T -L O R E

[Hell0NHighWater]

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D E A D † W E S T ​

† LORE OF THE WEST † ​

↽𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞: 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑⇁

❝By now, I'm sure you’ve heard some rumors about what started it all. You’ve been told that something called the Reckoning happened on July 4th, 1863, and the received wisdom is that there are some sort of dark “gods” behind it. There've been rumors circulating that it is they who have returned magic and monsters to the world. If you don’t hold firm to any religious viewpoint, however, you may consider this a heapin' pile of bullshit! Anything beyond that—including why it all happened or who the “Reckoners” are—is a mystery you’ll have to solve as you travel the Dead West. Keep your eyes and ears open, the truth is out there. Whispers that the Reckoners have chosen mortals on earth are also fairly common. Some claim famous folks such as Darius Hellstromme are “servitors” of the Reckoners, but there are just as many wild tales about Grant, Davis, and his replacement being wolves in sheep’s clothing, so take such rumors with a grain of salt. There is however, a kernel of truth to every wild tale. The Reckoning ain't no myth strummed up by some Native Shaman, or some old prospector with a few screws loose, it's here—❞

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MAPS​

❝Hold onto your Stetson and make sure your spurs are tight, 'cause the trail is about to get rocky.❞​

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Spoiler: map half 1

Spoiler: map half 2

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FEAR LEVELS​

If you haven't noticed already, each location that the posse can visit has its own “Fear Level,” to represent the success of the Reckoners and their minions in turning the world into a living Hell. The best way for our heroes to fight evil is to fight the fear. Once the posse defeats a major evil, one of the heroes may tell the tale of the group’s victory over the forces of darkness. The epic needs to be recounted to a sizable audience (or an influential one, like the local reporter). It must also be told within the area affected—an audience in New York doesn’t care so much what happens in Podunk, Iowa. If the character is ultimately successful, they reduce the local Fear Level by 1. However, it is possible (regardless of the result of the speech check) for the character to send the wrong message and actually increase the Fear Level by +1!
*Note that if the whole map reaches Deadland status then the Reckoners will walk the earth and the game is more than likely over.
Now that we know how things get scary, let’s talk a little about what each Fear Level should look and feel like:

Spoiler: Level Meanings

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟎
This is happy land, folks. The natives are friendly, the sky is blue, and you can walk the streets at night. Perhaps you won’t be surprised to hear that only a few of these places are left in the West, and they ain’t easy to find.

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟏
In such places, some folks believe monsters exist, they just haven’t seen any. The sky is still blue, but if you must go out at night, bring a buddy.

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟐
No one goes near the creepy old shack on top of the hill. The land looks about the same, but the shadows are just a little bit longer. It’s not really safe to got out alone at night, but it’s not a death sentence, either. This is the general prevailing Fear Level in most places these days.

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟑
Things are starting to get a little...weird. There’s an occasional disappearance, and probably more than a few strange creatures live close by (though folks don’t really talk about it). Don’t go out at night without a weapon or a friend.

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟒
There are mysterious disappearances, and when the bodies are found, it’s piece by piece. The land itself starts to change: the shadows on the cliffs start to look like leering faces, or cornrows always seem to rustle as if something’s hiding within. The winds of the High Plains might whisper your name.

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟓
There’s no doubt something’s amiss. Folks have seen monsters, and almost everyone’s terrified. Most flowers die, but weeds have no problem thriving. Don’t go out at night without an armed posse.

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟔
𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃
This is as bad as it gets: a full blown nightmare landscape. Monsters run rampant, rocks look like skulls, and not only do the winds of the High Plains whisper your name, they do so in your dead friend’s voice. Anyone out at night is dead meat. If the Reckoners have their way, the whole planet is destined to one day become such a place.

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G H O S T † R O C K ​

In 1868, a change of a more noticeable sort came around. An earthquake the likes of which history has never seen shattered the west coast from Mexicali to Oregon. It left in its wake a labyrinth of jagged mesas towering over flooded, broken terrain. This region was quickly dubbed the “Great Maze.” The ruins revealed wonders unseen previously, such as the California Maze Dragons, immense reptilian creatures that trolled the rough channels of the Maze. Still more amazing was the discovery of what some believed to be simple coal, but was soon determined to be a new mineral altogether. This new fundament burned a hundred times hotter and longer than coal. When consumed, it gave off a ghostly white vapor and howled like the Devil himself. The first survivors who discovered it dubbed it “ghost rock,” and the name stuck. Though it didn’t happen overnight, ghost rock would change the face of the war…and the West.
Immediately after this discovery, many hopeful inventors flocked to the Maze. In months, they had perfected devices powered by steam and fueled by ghost rock. Reports of horseless carriages, ghostrock powered ships, and even weapons capable of spewing great gouts of flame or torrents of bullets became common. It wasn’t long before the miracle mineral was put to even more use, both in engineering and chemistry. It was discovered that ghost rock could be used in place of coke when refining steel, creating a much stronger and lighter metal with a higher melting point, called ghost steel. Likewise, refined ghost rock—usually in powdered form— could be used as both a catalyst and reagent in chemical reactions, leading to the creation of many new tonics, salves, and unguents using the powdered mineral as a key ingredient. While these elixirs remain popular today, ingesting higher concentrations of ghost rock invariably proves fatal.
BUT SCIENCE MARCHES ON
…into battle. You guessed it, partner. It wasn’t long before generals and other high and mighty folks Back East noticed the array of gadgets coming out of the Maze. Confederate President Jeff Davis was the first to realize their potential, and quickly instituted a program to turn this “New Science” toward the war effort. Confederate scientists in a secret base near Roswell, New Mexico developed a whole passel of these infernal devices and shipped them Back East. In February of 1871, General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia attacked Union lines near Washington D.C. Lee’s forces included dozens of Davis’ secret weapons. Flamethrowers, steam tanks, and other, stranger weapons rained death on Union troops. The attack was devastating, so much so that Lee’s forces temporarily seized the Union capital itself!
Though it didn’t take long for the Rebels’ experimental devices to malfunction and their supply of ghost rock to run low, the message was clear. The war would turn on a wheel powered by ghost rock. Since the Quake of ’68, ghost rock had been found all over the country, but the greatest concentration was still in the Maze. Once back in the White House, President Grant offered the exclusive government contract for ghost rock to the first company that managed to build a transcontinental railroad. President Davis followed suit the next day. The Civil War, bloodier than ever, continued, and the Great Rail Wars had begun.

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LOCATIONS​

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Spoiler: 【Ｂａｃｋ　Ｅａｓｔ】

|Fear Level: 1|
Whether you’re in the North or South, the lay of the land Back East is entirely different than out West. For starters, there’s a lot more people, places, and problems per square mile than out West. Even in the South, which is sparsely populated compared to the Northeast, you won’t find the wide open spaces of the West. Odds are good that if you’re not in a city teeming with strangers, you’re trespassing on someone’s land. Wide open spaces are something you read about in a travelogue. It’s surprising, then, that folks Back East are in many ways even more isolated than those in the West. With so many people around, most folks can’t be bothered to give someone else the time of day, much less show any sort of kindness to a stranger. This anonymity is also a fertile breeding ground for secrets, conspiracies, and lies, many of which stretch their twisted tendrils all the way to the West. In most cities—especially the big ones—it’s illegal to carry firearms.

Spoiler: 【Ｔｈｅ　Ｄｉｓｐｕｔｅｄ　Ｔｅｒｒｉｔｏｒｉｅｓ】

𝙺𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚊𝚜, 𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚘
|Fear Level: 2|
The Disputed Territories are about as lawless as it gets in the West, thanks largely to the terms of the Civil War cease-fire. With neither North nor South allowed to deploy troops into the region, it is plagued by bandits, raiders, and outlaws who would otherwise be hunted by one federal government or another. Worse, despite the ongoing peace negotiations, both North and South “sponsor” partisan guerillas in the region. For the most part, these forces are supported by the Mason conspiracy (for bluebellies) or those corrupt officials leftover from Davis’ reign of terror (for rebs). These vicious outlaws have been known to put entire towns to the torch, killing every man, woman, and child in the area. The most notorious of these ne’er-do-wells are Quantrill’s Raiders, led by “Bloody” Bill Quantrill, and the James Gang. Supposedly a Confederate guerilla, Quantrill is so bloodthirsty he’s reviled and feared throughout Kansas, regardless of which flag a body salutes. Not even women and children are safe from the depredations of this Harrowed fiend. On the other side of the coin, opinion on the James Gang is split. The James boys are famed for their hatred of anything north of the Mason-Dixon line, and many die-hard rebs hold them up as folk heroes. On the other hand, more sensible rebs—and just about any Union sympathizer you care to name—revile them.

𝙳𝚘𝚍𝚐𝚎 𝙲𝚒𝚝𝚢
|Fear Level: 3|
Dodge is a city divided. Like Kansas itself, the loyalties of Dodge’s citizens are torn between North and South. Unlike most towns in Kansas, however, Yankees and Rebels live side by side in Dodge. You wouldn’t think they’d tolerate each other for very long, but there’s money to be made in Dodge, and that’s a powerful motivator. Unfortunately, it also means that everyone in Dodge has an axe to grind with somebody. On top of the problems with partisan violence, Dodge has to deal with two competing railroads—Black River and Union Blue—as well as a rowdy population of buffalo hunters. These buffalo hunters are themselves hunted by outlaws and Native war parties up from Coyote Lands in Oklahoma. It’s a big ol’ mess. Back when the city was founded by Robert Wright, he envisioned it as a place where those tired of the constant fighting in Kansas could live in peace. These days, Dodge is called “Peacetown” only with a heavy dose of irony. The most controversial law in Dodge is the prohibition against firearms within city limits. With all the violence committed in Dodge, the Council thought it wise to force people to resort to fisticuffs rather than more lethal—and permanent—solutions. Anyone arriving in town is required to head for the marshal’s station and check his guns, where they are given a claim slip in return*. The bearer can return a claim slip for the weapon upon leaving Dodge.
*Carrying a weapon in Dodge can lead to a jail term of up to three months, confiscation of the weapon, and a $50 fine per violation

𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚘
|Fear Level: 2|
As of yet, Colorado hasn’t been engulfed in the partisan violence so common in Kansas. That said, bands of raiders occasionally lie low in Colorado when things get too hot further East. Colorado towns nearest Kansas have occasionally been overrun by raiders, though usually in a figurative sense. These rowdy bands often ride into Colorado towns for a little “relaxation”, which pretty much means drunken brawls, casual murder, and…well, let’s just say raiders are an ungentlemanly lot, and don’t often take ‘no’ for an answer. This has raised quite an outcry in Denver, where Mayor Hornsby—more or less the de facto governor of the territory, what with the Confederate and Union provisional governments more or less canceling out each others’ efforts—has been petitioned to do everything, from declare for the Union or Confederacy in the hope of military assistance, to raise a Denver Defense Brigade of soldiers.

Spoiler: 【Ｔｈｅ　Ｇｒｅａｔ　Ｂａｓｉｎ】

𝚂𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚗 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚊, 𝙽𝚎𝚟𝚊𝚍𝚊
|Fear Level: 1|
Southern California and Nevada form the Great Basin. This arid land is mostly desert, though water can be found if one knows where to look. That said, a body who knows what’s good for him won’t venture out in this region without a map and a few weeks’ provisions.

𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚅𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢
|Fear Level: 5|
Death Valley is one of the hottest places on earth—maybe even the hottest. Only the hardiest sort manage to survive here, including a few prospectors who scratch a living out of the volcanic mountains. The lower portions of the valley are covered in salt flats, left behind by a rare wash from the Amargosa River, which is usually dry as a bone but fills with a few inches of water about three times a year. Bizarrely, a few prospectors have reported someone is laying track through the region.

𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝟻𝟷
|Fear Level: 0|
Fort 51 is the Union’s answer to the Confederate base at Roswell, and all manner of experiments are conducted here at all hours of the day. Seventeen scientists and their families live on the base, overseen by “Mr. Eddington,” a mysterious, secretive type who rarely speaks and never smiles, but keeps his nose in every experiment. Officially, however, the base is home to Captain Jay Kyle’s Flying Buffalos. Some time ago, Kyle’s men suffered greatly from Apache snipers who positioned themselves high in the surrounding terrain. Being a wealthy individual, Kyle sprung for five Smith & Robards rocket packs. These proved invaluable in fighting the Apaches, and Kyle now has an entire regiment trained in the use of the rocket packs. He has about 50 of the powerful devices available, though only 40 can usually be operated at any one time (the rest are in for repairs). Whenever the Federals mount a raid into Apache territory, the Flying Buffalos are the only choice. Lately, however, Kyle has noticed that more of his rocket packs than usual are in for repairs at any given time. Though he’s pressed Eddington for an explanation on more than one occasion, the man simply refuses to answer.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙶𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚕
|Fear Level: 3|
The Ghost Trail used to run to Santa Fe, where it became the Santa Fe Trail. It came to life in ’69, when Southerners used it to ship ghost rock to Roswell for Jeff Davis’ attack on Washington. Since Roswell exploded, the contractors working for the government move their loads to the railhead at Tombstone instead. Bandits and thieves are common along the ghost trail, as are the ghosts of their victims.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚓𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝙳𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚝
|Fear Level: 4|
The Mojave is a huge expanse of barren land in southern California. Part of the desert is hard and brittle, with only a few stray cacti and dry scrubs scattered across the landscape. The rest is made up of shifting sand dunes and bizarre rock formations.There isn’t much reason for sane folks to head out into the Mojave. A few of the crazy sort, however, make an honest—if dangerous—buck hunting Mojave rattlers.

Spoiler: 【Ｔｈｅ　Ｇｒｅａｔ　Ｍａｚｅ】

𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚊
|Fear Level: 2|
The broken landscape of the Maze is a magnificent sight. From certain vantage points, a cowpoke can see thousands of settlements. Some are perched atop one of the many mesas, while others rest on the rubble below. Everywhere one looks, hopeful prospectors chip away at the cliff faces for gold, silver, or ghost rock. Below, ore barges scud back and forth. The lucky ones are guarded by Federal or Confederate ironclads—those less fortunate are sometimes preyed upon by pirates and raiders. The wider channels host a variety of colorful vessels, ranging from Kang’s sampans and junks to the heavily-armed flotillas of the Mexican Armada. At the point where the broken landscape meets what remains of California is the City of Lost Angels, resting atop the low inland cliffs overlooking Prosperity Bay.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝙰𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚕𝚜
|Fear Level: 5|
In the wake of the Great Quake of ’68, the survivors made their way inland as best they could. It was an incredible journey. Besides the lack of food and fresh water, the refugees had to cross shark-infested sea channels and scale rugged mesa walls. The most successful of these groups was led by a preacher named Ezekiah Grimme, who somehow managed to provide food and water for his followers on their pilgrimage. When they arrived at the inland side of the Maze to find a natural spring, Grimme proclaimed the pilgrims’ journey complete, and proclaimed the site a new home for his “Lost Angels.” The newly founded City of Lost Angels grew slowly but steadily until the discovery of gold in the Maze, and later ghost rock. When the rush began in earnest, Grimme’s sanctuary became the natural shipping point for everything coming into and out of the Maze. As such, the City of Lost Angels is a haven in the barren landscape of what’s left of California. But danger, deceit and treachery lie beneath the surface of Grimme’s West coast paradise.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚊
|Fear Level: 2|
The good folks of California voted on which flag they should salute a while back. Thing is, most folks voted for neither, instead electing to pursue an independent Californian nation. Grimme seized upon this opportunity following his Edict of ’77 and declared the City of Lost Angels sovereign territory. Though he claims all of California as his bailiwick, Reverend Grimme’s power really only extends about 75 miles. Beyond that, the Maze is pretty much up for grabs. While everyone fights over the Maze, wily merchants butter their bread on both sides by selling gold and ghost rock to both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.

𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝙵𝚊𝚗
|Fear Level: 3|
The Chinese warlords can all count on one safe haven in the Maze: the port city of Shan Fan, located about 300 miles north of Lost Angels. While not as large or important as Lost Angels, Shan Fan holds its own, acting as a stop-off point for ghost rock shipments heading south, as well as a convenient place for Maze pirates to fence their ill-gotten gains.

Spoiler: 【Ｔｈｅ　Ｇｒｅａｔ　Ｎｏｒｔｈｗｅｓｔ】

𝚆𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚘𝚗, 𝙾𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚘𝚗, 𝙸𝚍𝚊𝚑𝚘
|Fear Level: 1|
At first glance, the beautiful landscape of the Great Northwest is serene and peaceful. The mist-shrouded base of Mount Rainier, the snowy evergreens of the Cascade Mountains, and the crystal lakes lure a man in like a siren’s call. Don’t be fooled. The howls in the night are more than just the wind.

Spoiler: 【Ｔｈｅ　Ｈｉｇｈ　Ｐｌａｉｎｓ】

𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚊, 𝚆𝚢𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝙽𝚎𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚊
|Fear Level: 2|
The northern area of the Great Plains looks harmless. Low rolling hills seem open and inviting, and the gently swaying grasses seem incapable of concealing danger. However, nowhere in the West is what it seems. These idyllic surroundings conceal horrific creatures behind nearly every hill. In the tall grass, fiends with bloodshot eyes and dripping fangs silently stalk lone travelers for meat—or entertainment.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚊𝚍𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜
|Fear Level: 4|
The Badlands west of the Black Hills host many dangers. These twisted foothills of the Rocky Mountains are home to all manner of predators—some human, some less so. Even though the Californian desert is far from here, the occasional sighting of Mojave rattlers is enough to keep travelers on their toes. It is not uncommon to encounter marauding Sioux war parties either. Belligerent young braves occasionally roam the Badlands looking to exact a little vengeance for the white man’s incursion into the sacred Black Hills to the East. The twisted valleys and canyons of the Badlands are also home to swarms of devil bats who protect their aeries fiercely.

𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚖 𝙲𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗
|Fear Level: 5|
There is an even more sinister evil at work in the Badlands. Worm Canyon, deep in the heart of the Badlands, is a labyrinthine area that is home to a number of giant worms similar to Utah and Mojave rattlers. Here also lives a black sorceress named Ursula and her twisted followers, who worship the rattlers as gods. She and her coven of witches wound up in the area after narrowly escaping the Agency, only to be cornered by a pack of rattlers. Ursula was taken aback when the lead rattler whispered in her mind, but she didn’t hesitate to fulfill its demand for a sacrifice. She shoved one of her followers off a cliff and into the creature’s maw. Since then, Ursula has been both the rattlers’ prisoner and queen. She entraps travelers for sacrifice to the worms, but if she fails to do so for too long, the worms demand one of her coven. By now, she’s about as crazy as an outhouse rat.

Spoiler: 【Ｔｈｅ　Ｒｅｐｕｂｌｉｃ　ｏｆ　Ｄｅｓｅｒｅｔ】

𝙲𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚘' 𝙶𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚖, 𝚄𝚝𝚊𝚑
|Fear Level: 4|
Salt Lake City, popularly called the City o’ Gloom, is the most technologically advanced city in the world. Thousands of high voltage wires and pipes bearing natural gas sprawl through the urban tangle, bringing light, heat, and electricity to those who can afford it. Salt Lake City’s mechanization does not come without a cost, however. The once-clean city now lies hidden beneath a pall of dirty smog. It’s also attracted a rogue’s gallery of prospectors, former rail warriors, and settlers who are down on their luck and hoping for a job in one of Hellstromme’s many factories. Most of these lost souls never leave the city’s factory district, known locally as the Junkyard. Even in this grimy subsection, life in the city is incredibly expensive, so laborers usually find themselves trapped in an endless cycle of wage slavery. Life is cheap in the Junkyard, but death can often be a money-spinner. Various blood sports are a common entertainment in the Junkyard, and some factory workers have been known to wager a week’s salary on a single event. Sandwiched between the Junkyard and the Wasatch Mountains are the city’s many ore mining facilities, all mechanized thanks to Hellstromme’s technological assistance. The lucky few who land jobs working the mines are able to escape the choking smog of Junkyard, only to risk life and limb operating Hellstromme’s enormous digging and ore transport machines.

Spoiler: 【Ｎａｔｉｖｅ　Ｃｏｕｎｔｒｙ】

𝙳𝚊𝚔𝚘𝚝𝚊, 𝙾𝚔𝚕𝚊𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚊
|Fear Level: 3|
The Natives are an enigma to most white folks. Some are noble and honorable, others savage and cruel. The truth is, they’re just plain folks, whether good, bad, or indifferent. Each tribe has its own culture, which may seem strange to those from more “civilized” parts of the world. Even more confusing to whites, the customs of the natives are as varied as the people themselves. There are literally hundreds of different tribes in the West, but there are three groups who have the most influence. From largest to smallest, they are the Sioux, the Coyote Nation, and the Apache.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙷𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚜
|Fear Level: 3|
The Sioux are ruthless in patrolling the sacred Black Hills. A miner who can’t produce a legal claim is dragged back to Deadwood without his gear. Anyone who fights back is killed, and his corpse mounted on poles along the trail to the Black Hills as a warning to other miners.

𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚠𝚘𝚘𝚍
|Fear Level: 3|
Deadwood is a wild place. Over a third of the population makes its living from saloons, gambling, or prostitution. The knowledge that the Sioux could decide to wipe out the town any day lurks in the back of every citizen’s mind, and most eat, drink, and make merry, for they might never see tomorrow. Marshal Seth Bullock and his deputies do their best to keep the peace and round up any errant drunks. He tries to keep violence to a minimum—especially when the Sioux are mixed up in an incident—but things don’t always work out the way he’d like. Most folks don’t actually live within city limits, instead camping out in the hills overlooking the town. Some miners refuse to leave their stakes for fear claim jumpers will rob them blind. The Sioux leave the miners alone, provided they don’t wander off their registered claims.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚘𝚢𝚘𝚝𝚎 𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
|Fear Level: 3|
The Coyote Nation was formed in 1874, just a few months after the Battle at Adobe Walls. Coyote’s own identity is a mystery to folks in the West. Most agree Coyote is male, thanks to his deep booming voice, but they disagree on whether he is Comanche, Cheyenne, Kiowa, or something else.

Spoiler: 【Ｔｈｅ　Ｗｉｌｄ　Ｓｏｕｔｈｗｅｓｔ】

𝚃𝚎𝚡𝚊𝚜, 𝙽𝚎𝚠 𝙼𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚌𝚘, 𝙰𝚛𝚒𝚣𝚘𝚗𝚊
|Fear Level: 2|
Texas has its fair share of rolling hills, auburn fields, cottonwood stands, and scrub plains, but the stark mountains of New Mexico and Arizona are what really define the area for most travelers. Wild Texans, Apache raiders, and the constant threat of invasion from Mexico keeps the Fear Level simmering nicely.

𝙰𝚍𝚘𝚋𝚎 𝚆𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚜
|Fear Level: 3|
High in the Texas Panhandle is a ruined village by the name of Adobe Walls. It was built in 1843 by the Bent St. Vrain & Company trading company. Bent believed the town would give him an edge on his Indian competition for buffalo hides and stolen horses. The Natives didn’t take kindly to this, and sent Bent scurrying Back East with his tail between his legs. Since then, Adobe Walls has been the site of several conflicts between the natives and whites, most recently in 1874. That last fight left the town in ruins and, according to the Coyote Confederation, haunted. The Natives won’t go near the place, and several unfortunate whites have camped there only to turn up dead the next morning.

𝚃𝚘𝚖𝚋𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚎
|Fear Level: 3|
While the Confederate government claims all of Arizona as its territory, anyone who spends any time near Tombstone knows better. Geronimo and his Chiricahua Apaches dominate the surrounding countryside, and Santa Anna and his New Mexican Army pass through the area frequently on their way to the Maze. Tombstone was originally founded as a silver mining town, but enjoyed only modest success. The arrival of Bayou Vermilion’s railhead, and the subsequent establishment of Tombstone as the destination for Confederate ghost rock caravans from the Great Maze, put it on the map overnight. Suddenly, the town was flooded with a transient population, as well as a horde of merchants, outfitters, and saloon-keepers (and all the other types that make a boomtown boom) looking to part folks of their hard earned cash.
Tombstone gets “civilized” about once a month when Hank Ketchum and his Texas Rangers ride through. That’s usually around the time the Cowboys decide they’ve got business south of the border. Even Lacy O’Malley usually manages to keep his “wild theories” to himself while the Rangers are around. Of course, once they pull out, it doesn’t take long for business as usual to resume.

[/div] [div class="tabsContent tabsContentRules" style="display: none;"] ❝You know monsters are real, and you’ve heard a lot of tales about how to put these creatures down. You know walkin’ dead must be shot in the head, for instance, that vampires die with stakes in their heart, and werewolves don’t like silver. But save for the more..."well-known" critters you're going to have to find out how to kill the rest yourselves. ❞ —Excerpt from the Ranger's Bible: Chapter 13

Spoiler: DEMONS

The Dead West is chock full of fire and brimstone preachers who harangue their congregations with worries of Hell and damnation. The Reckoners are loathe to let such a ready source of fear fall by the wayside, and occasionally reward a Satanic cult—or torture a God–fearing congregation—with something straight out of the most zealous preacher’s worst imaginings. Demons draw much of their form from the concepts of the summoning cult or the frightened congregation. As a result, they vary greatly in appearance, size, and power. Most conform very closely to the most common depictions of demonic beings. Additionally, most demons play the appropriate role in any Faustian bargain a cultist might propose, though any power granted comes straight from the Reckoners. The demon is nothing more than a Hellish broker. When cultists “summon” a demon, they go through a series of complex rituals, possibly including human or animal sacrifice. The more horrific the ritual, the larger and more powerful the demon bestowed upon them as a reward. The demon, however, is in no way bound to the summoners, no matter what these misguided souls might believe. Once the cult is of no further use, the demon discards them in the most frightening fashion available. On the rare occasions when demons are forced into direct physical confrontations, they take full advantage of their immunity to most attacks and rend their foes to shreds with their claws and teeth.
Weakness: Holy Symbols / Holy Water

Spoiler: GHOULS

Ghouls are human-shaped and around 5 feet tall, though they appear shorter due to their stooped shuffling gait. Their skin is corpse gray and is often covered in sores or pustules. Ghouls feed on the dead. They will eat any corpse, but they prefer fresh meat, so are often found near battlefields, though they have been known to grab those too badly wounded to defend themselves as well. These grotesque creatures live in groups underground, and are led by a bloated bestial ghoul king.
Weakness: Fire/Bright Light

Spoiler: RATTLERS

They call these great worms “rattlers” because a person’s teeth start chattering as the rattler rumbles through the earth beneath him. Though they are most common in the Mojave, rattlers are also found in isolated flatlands in Montana and Utah. The rattlers of each region tend to have their own colors and even personalities. Mojave rattlers go straight for the kill, while the ones in Montana are skulkers. Utah rattlers are smaller but faster, and they absolutely love to chase steam wagons across the great Salt Flats. Like Maze dragons, rattlers are accepted near the regions they terrorize. Folks Back East think Westerners exaggerate, but the locals know better. The greatest secret of the rattlers is that they’re not creatures of the Reckoning. They were awakened by it, however. Long ago, the rattlers were a race of near-gods, ruling over the primordial creatures of Earth’s past. Their reign ended under mysterious circumstances, but they have been slowly attempting to recruit new worshippers from the odd creatures (humans) who now tread upon their former domain.
Weakness: Rattlers have a cluster of nerves deep in their bodies at the nexus of their tentacles. Pretty much an instant kill if you shoot it.

Spoiler: TERRANTULA

A sub-species of tarantula infests the southwestern Confederate states, these horrid beasts swarms when hunting. The spider, identified by a unique set of markings resembling, oddly enough, a human skull, has been given the rather colorful sobriquet “terrantula” by frontiersmen. The terrantula is believed to have two growth stages: one similar to that of the common tarantula, and a second, much larger size. Many believe that the smaller spiders—roughly the size of a grown man’s palm—are hatchlings. Hatchling terrantula swarms are capable of overcoming prey much larger than themselves. The larger terrantulas reach the size of a small dog. Adults become territorial and use methods similar to that of trap-door spiders to capture prey. Only the cannibalistic tendencies of these horrible anthropoids prevents terrantulas from dominating the South.
Weakness: Shoot 'em, burn 'em, anything will pretty much kill 'em

Spoiler: WALKIN' DEAD

Pulp novels describe your basic walkin’ dead as slow and mindless. Obviously the writers have never truly encountered them. Creatures like these aren’t the kind to shuffle about like they hadn’t a thought in their rotting heads. These suckers are mean and clever. They know people think they’re supposed to be slow and stupid, so sometimes they act that way just to get close. And by the way, they do feed on brains.
Weakness: Head shots

Spoiler: TUMBLEBLEEED

In the Dead West, even the tumbleweeds are out to get you. Tumblebleeds are vicious critters that look just like tumbleweeds, the dried plants you see blowing across the desolate desert plains. They attack by rolling into a victim and entangling them in their thorny branches. The things’ mouths and spiny thorns then penetrate the skin and drain the prey’s blood. Tumblebleeds usually travel in packs for more efficient hunting. Hungry tumblebleeds stay well away from any prey carrying fire—they burn like dry tinder when they haven’t fed recently. A tumblebleed that has just feasted looks like a pile of wet, bloody seaweed.
Weakness: Fire

Spoiler: WEEPING WIDOW

This abomination is the grief-stricken spirit of a woman who has witnessed the violent death of at least one member of her immediate family, and then died herself soon after. These women never had time to mourn their loss, and their grief and rage bind them to the physical world. A woman possessed by a weeping widow always appears as the widow did when she died. Her face is streaked with unnatural tears pooling from pale white eyes. She speaks and weeps in the voice of her host body in a voice ranging from quiet sobbing to racking wails against fate. During combat, the possessed woman shrieks howls of rage and pain at the top of her lungs, cursing the murderers of her sons or husband. If the widow defeats her opponents, she weeps over the bodies of those she has slain—as if they were her lost family—until the host herself is dead, at which point the spirit moves on to her next victims.
Weakness: ???

***It is important to note that these are not all the critters you'll find out in the West. Some have yet to be discovered, but the ones we do know come from the Ranger's Bible*** [/div] [div class="tabsContent tabsContentCharacters" style="display: none;"] Only a fool or a madman ventures out into the West without proper survival gear. More often than not, “proper survival gear” includes a shootin’ iron along with the usual equipment. Of course, if you’re going to buy any of that gear, you’re going to need a way to pay for it.
Coin xxxxxxxxxx Value (USD)
Gold Eagle xxxxxxx $10
Half Eagle xxxxxxxx $5
Quarter Eagle xxxxx $2.50
Silver Dollar xxxxxx $1
Half Dollar xxxxxxx $0.50
Dime xxxxxxxxxxxx $0.10
Half Dime xxxxxxx $0.05
Copper Cent xxxxx $0.01


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There will come a Reckoning... ​