Deadlands

Set in the last quarter of the 19th century, this chronicle of the Weird West tells the story of a cadre of unlikely heroes who have banded together to stand against the Reckoners.

## The Posse

Time and fate have occasionally split our heroes into two groups:

### The Cardslingers

* GG Gallant (Treb): A young, well dressed, good-looking huckster and not a bad poker player.
* Ben Fortuna (Dave): A skilled huckster wrapped around a hero's heart.
* Sarah (Sheri): A rifle totin' tracker who seems to have friends in every city.
* Pan Comido (Doug): A guitar slinging mariachi, wandering the West looking for his fortune.

### Harrowed Hunters

* Running Elk (PondSküm): An older, Northern Cheyenne shaman raised on the shores of Lake Gichigami (Lake Superior). His spirit is the Bear and he excels at healing.
* Sam Begai/Burning Owl (John): A white man who was raised from birth by the Sioux as one of their own. This tracker recently lost one of his arms in a battle with a giant worm.
* “Kola” (known as Virgil Anderson in another life; few people know his given name) (Mark): A Colorado farmer who turned gunslinger after his pregnant wife was raped, beaten, and burned to death. He escaped the fire, not without scars (both physical and emotional) and has sworn vengeance. He seems, to some folks, to have gone native with the injuns.
* Caleb Black (Adam): An ex-Confederate gunslinger who seems to have a shadow of death hanging over him.

## Other People

### Past Companions

* Ms. Alexis Hastings (Chelle): A well-dressed Yankee, come to the West to explore new possibilities. Strangely good with a gun.
* Eli Roebuck (Doug): This mad scientist has been left behind in Potluck Gulch to work on ... well, whatever those things in his shop are supposed to be....
* Matoskah “White Bear” (Sander): A Lakota indian.

### Denver

* Sister Bernadette
* John P. Diamond
* Doc Darious Hellstromme

### Potluck Gulch

#### The Law

* Sheriff Adelade
* Deputy Samuelson
* Deputy Wei

### The Exiled Lakota Tribe

* Talking Tree: Peace leader, shaman; captured by T’Paxafrax and taken to the Hunting Grounds for a time until rescued.
* New Moon Shadow: Talking Tree’s wife, acted in his stead while he was captured.
* Madeline Dying Crow: Half-French, half-Lakota; all-sourpuss.

### Bad News

* T'Paxafrax: The manitou who the Hunters encountered in the Hunting Ground.

## The Story So Far...

### Beginnings

*\* As told to this chronicler by the notorious gambler GG Gallant.*

**October 25, 1877 – Denver**

Being in Denver for just over a month, GG has found a place to play poker (Ketchums) while staying at the Wide Acre Inn. Meeting Sister Bernadette, GG, along with his friends, is hired to follow John P. Diamond. Diamond is suspected of being in league with saboteurs and of leaking sensitive information to an employee of Smith and Robards. Diamond is a regular player in the poker games that GG has been playing in, and it seems that he and GG do not get along at all. According to the Sister, Diamond is going to be making a trip out of Denver and she would like him watched for evidence of his suspected actions. GG and his friends are scheduled to take the Ghost Rock Express out of Denver to Salt Lake City.

The plan is a simple one – the group will board the Express as passengers, and GG will begin spreading the word that there will be a poker game aboard the train during the trip. The hope is that Diamond will join the game and that will make it easier to keep tabs on him during the trip. On the morning of the journey, GG heads for the train station, finds a spot to keep an eye on things and when the train arrives he will board and head to the dining car. From there GG should be able to keep an eye on who is boarding. He counts 13 total passengers from Denver, including his friends and Diamond. The train itself also has some on-board guards who make their rounds every 15 minutes or so. Most of the passengers opt to stay out of the sleeper berths, though by the looks of things, Diamond has no problem paying the extra money to have a sleeper all to himself.

Shortly after the train departs at 10am, Diamond finds GG in the dining car and they talk for a bit about poker. During the conversation a nicely-dressed woman in the car begins waving at GG or Diamond trying to catch their attention. Diamond joins her and after a few minutes he waves GG over to join them. He introduces her to GG as Mary Susan, another poker player, and GG immediately notices that she is discretely armed. After a short talk, GG leaves briefly to find Ben and bring him into the conversation and a possible poker game. Upon their return, they find another woman has joined Diamond and Mary, and is looking to join the game. While Ben and I keep an eye on Diamond, the group of us plays poker.

That evening Sam manages to discover that Mary, along with one of the guards, are trying to crack the safe that the guards have been hired to protect. Sam brings this knowledge to Sister Bernadette, and, with some of the authorities, captures the safe-crackers to hold them for the law at the next scheduled train station.

He train makes a scheduled stop at Vane – where Diamond departs. GG attempts to head him off, and though Diamond ignores GG’s first call, GG manages to catch up and stop Diamond. Talking with him on the platform, Diamond ‘performs’ for the crowd and GG and he part ways. GG turns to observe that his companions have disembarked the train, and realizes that he needs to get his own things before the train continues it’s journey. GG gathers his belongings and, with some final words to Sister Bernadette, he leaves the train. His first true steps into Vane are greeted with the sounds of gunfire and women screaming.

Tossing his saddlebags onto his horse, Lady, he leaps on and begins to ride toward the trouble as fast as possible.

(There’s a sizable gunfight in town during which Ben is shot and GG attempts to use his ‘skills’ to keep Ben from dying. GG does draw his gun and manages to hold his own. Many townsfolk, more heavies, and a couple of companions are not so lucky.)

After the gunfire ceases, people begin to emerge from where they dove for cover. A few begin to rifle through the bodies. Sam and Ms. Hastings tell the company that they witnessed Diamond using some sort of springing gadget to scale a cliffside near the town to escape. GG is having some issues of his own for most of the day which he remains tight-lipped about. During that time Ben has regained consciousness and he and GG have a brief talk, presumably about what happened. GG leaves Ben’s side, and looking over the carnage, GG has some side conversations with other townsfolk. GG learns that Diamond is considered the head honcho in town and there are a number of people who do his dirty work for him.

Ben is still in a bad way and he is brought to the town doctor who immediately goes to work fixing Ben up. Sam and Ms. Hastings leave town – Sam looks for, and finds, a path leading to the top of the cliff. Ms. Hastings retires to her hotel for freshening up. Sam manages to not only find the path up the cliff, but he finds exactly where Diamond reached the top and then mounted a horse and rode off. He takes note that the horse had been waiting there for a while.

Back in town, GG whistles for his horse, and mounting up, he spots a ring of keys among the gathered bodies and items. GG takes them and rides towards a row of small residences. Arriving at the houses, GG spots one described to him by the townspeople as the one belonging to Diamond. Draping Lady’s reins over the post of the house next door, GG examines Diamond’s shack. It’s a simple cabin, with a single window and locked front door. He goes around back to find a padlocked entrance to the cellar. Using the keys he lifted from one of the bodies, presumably one of Diamond’s cronies, he finds one that opens the padlock. The cellar appears mostly empty and contains nothing of note. GG exits and relocks the door. Circling back to the front of the building, GG picks up a rock and breaks the window. From the broken pane he manages to unlock the front door and enters the house. Searching around reveals a few beds and a monogrammed copy of Hoyle’s – not Diamond’s from the initials. GG takes the book and leaves, stepping outside to find a few neighbors watching him, their hands hovering close to their six-shooters. He leaves the door open, mounts up, and rides back to his hotel.

Meanwhile, the rest of the companions, save Ms. Hastings, gather in town and share the information they have gathered. After their discussion they return to GG’s hotel, meet him, and everyone discusses what they have found out about the current situation. Perhaps inspired by the conversation, Ben departs to take care of some business.

Just outside of town, Ben uses his skills to gather a group of bats. He seems to be able to communicate with them, and sends them off in search of Diamond. A short time later they return to him with information that Diamond is in a nearby cave with a couple of men and some horses. While Ben is gone, the rest of us find some food and drink in town. Once Ben returns, and informs the group of his discovery, everyone except GG heads out to camp at the top of the cliff. GG remains in town and becomes involved in a poker game. The travel to the top of the cliff is slow, but steady. Arriving at the top, the group creates a watch list and beds down for some rest. GG finishes his game a requests an early wake up from the hotel manager.

Woken before dawn, GG gathers his things and heads out of town towards the cliff top. When he feels like he’s getting close, he begins to whistle. Coming around a blind turn he finds a few of his companions obviously prepared for anything. They relax when it’s realized that the sound is only GG. Everything is packed away and the group heads out to catch up to Sam who left camp just before dawn.

Riding for a while, the silence is broken by Sam who mutters a soft warning to everyone and leaves the path that we’re following. Kola immediately follows Sam off the path and after a brief pause the rest of us do the same. Before any of us can react, a shot rings out, snapping Kola’s head back and sending his hat flying. A tell-tale line of blood appears on Kola’s scalp, as we all abruptly dive for cover.

In an attempt to gain an advantage over our assailant, several folks begin to circle around towards where the shot seemed to come. After a minute the sounds of a horse galloping away are heard spurring several of the group to mount up and give chase. GG starts out after the mystery runner, but turns back after some second thoughts, leaving Sam and Ms. Hastings to the chase. While some of the group set off in pursuit, Kola and Ben have discovered a small, hidden side trail. The trail leads them to a cave where they find a man keeping two horses quiet.

Sneaking into the cave, they confront the man. Over the course of questioning him, Kola decides to be a bit more persuasive and shoots him in the leg. This produces better answers to their questions, and after getting the information Kola wanted, he shoots the man in the head. Unfortunately, this does not end the man’s suffering, and he screams until he slips into unconsciousness. GG, having begun to circle back, hears the first shot, but stops moving when he can’t locate where the sound originated. Hearing the second shot, along with the man screaming, GG moves in the direction of the ruckus until he stumbles onto the hidden path and spots Kola’s burro.

Sam and Ms. Hastings, continue to follow the fleeing rider eventually slowing a bit to avoid any more ambushes. Dismounting his horse, Sam sprints along as he tracks the unknown runner. Ms. Hastings keeps pace with him, gun out and ready, keeping an eye on their surroundings. They pause, trying to remain hidden, when they both notice a pair of rifle barrels glinting in the sun and pointed in their direction. As they whisper plans to deal with their new situation, a tremendous roar like nothing they’ve heard before comes from the direction of the ambush. Turning towards the sounds, which now include men’s screams, they witness the gun barrels disappear. Eventually the screams stop. The guns do not re-emerge. Sam draws his Bowie knife and hunkers down in the cover. Ms. Hastings begins heading back to the group, leading Sam’s horse. After Ms. Hastings has a few minutes head-start, Sam slowly follows while covering their retreat.

Ben and Kola exit the small cave, leading out a couple of horses. The horses have saddlebags upon them and Ben remarks that they ‘found them’ and he’s already staked his claim on one. Ms. Hastings arrives around that time with Sam appearing a few minutes later. We all take a moment to discuss what everyone has found or uncovered, with the final decision to continue to look for what we suspect is the lair of Diamond’s accomplice, a mad scientist or gadget maker of some sort. The group begins to head out.

GG offers to ‘bring up the behind’ and before he leaves the area he takes a few minutes to heal the wounded man in the cave. Using the opportunity GG asks the man further questions about his association with Diamond. As GG leaves he warns the man to make himself scarce before the group returns to the area and town. The man nods once and GG slowly catches up to the group.

Reaching the spot where Sam and Ms. Hastings described their hidden, would-be assailants the group is greeted by a scene of carnage. The majority of the group seems stunned by the sight before them: bodies, mostly in pieces, missing most of their flesh, with blood collecting in pools on the open ground. Ben stops, gasps briefly, and begins to shake a bit. GG is frozen, staring wide-eyed at the horror surrounding them. The other companions slowly begin to search the area carefully. Ms. Hastings gently searches the bodies, while Sam methodically examines the brush around the clearing to determine what might have happened.

Suddenly Kola’s eyes go wide in alarm and he begins to crouch, reaching for his weapon – as if he feels Death itself descending upon him.

Kola’s movements and his gravelly voiced comment of “Somethin’s comin’,” seem to break GG’s reverie. Everyone, save Ms. Hastings, is heading for cover. When Sam snaps out an order to get down, Ms. Hastings looks up from the bodies, casting a glance at her horse, but remains where she stands. GG whistles for his horse as he pulls out some new cards.

After a moment Kola seems to relax a bit – but it is decided to leave the area as soon as possible. Sam frequently leads the group, tracking or scouting ahead, and so the group moves out with him taking the lead. Though it is mid-afternoon, it is October and a chill wind begins to blow as the trail is followed. Sam finds a spot where the party can take some shelter from the weather.

It’s at this point that Sam points out that the group is going to have to leave the horses and continue on foot. Most everyone puts blankets on their horses – GG simply tells Lady to go back to the small cave, which she does. Then the party heads out to continue to climb the mountain.

Suddenly, the creature springs it’s trap: bellowing out a terrifying roar. The panic that grips the group is obvious. Ms. Hastings turns and runs. Sam and GG are so shocked by the noise that they pass out. In the next moment a bucket-sized rock impacts Ben. Clearly hurt, Ben manages to maintain his footing. Raising a rifle to his shoulder, Ben nudges GG with his boot, waking GG up. Ben begins to open fire on an almost 10’ cat-like monster – black fur, matted with blood, huge paws with sharp claws, and lots of long, pointed teeth. GG whips out a pistol and begins to fire at the beast.

The thing closes the distance towards the fallen, raking a strike at a recovering Sam. The paw sweeps low and Sam, somehow, manages to jump over it. In a blur, Kola draws and fires. The shot seems to take the creature in the midsection but it doesn’t slow at all. Kola snaps off a second shot and succeeds in striking a leg. Blood sprays out.

Sam leaps away and moves some distance before he turns to fire his rifle – visibly catching the monster in the head. Again it appears unfazed. Kola follows that shot with another shot to it’s head. It doesn’t seem to notice. Attempting to repeat the shot, Kola fires again, this time hitting it in the gut. The creature doesn’t stop. Ms. Hastings continues to flee down the hill.

Sam changes position and fires, taking the cat-thing in the midsection. This appears to serve only to make the thing more ferocious. Calmly, Kola takes careful aim, and fires a shot at it’s head. The creature actually dodges out of the way. Ben raises his rifle, fires, and blood sprays from the head of the beast. He follows that shot with another to it’s head and the monster goes into a full rage.

Seeking to aid the struggle, GG fires his six-shooter. Unfortunately all the frantic movement brings Kola into the line of fire. His hat goes flying off, and he turns to scrutinize GG calmly for a moment before turning back to the struggle. It’s obvious that he’s not pleased by GG’s shot.

After several more shots strike it, the creature turns to flee. Sam follows it’s motion and raises his rifle as the things disappears behind some scrub, but not before Sam squeezes off another telling shot. The monster appears to be in full retreat as it springs away from the onslaught. Ben reloads his rifle, and following the beast carefully, fires a shot which catches it in the back of the head. The cat-thing wavers for a moment and then falls.

As the group begins to emerge from cover and collect themselves, Ben warily creeps towards the fallen beast. He draws a sabre and makes certain the thing is dead by severing it’s head. A minute later Sam arrives at the body and takes some trophies for himself. Once that has been done, and the group is assessing the situation, GG attempts some medical care on Ben while Ben attempts the same on Kola. The group decides to move on.

Sam creeps up to the area that was described to him by the fellows found earlier in the cave. He pauses, discretely glancing about, then notices Sister Bernadette and two train guards as they emerge from cover nearby. Sam is immediately concerned about their sudden appearance, but after a while he begins to relax a little. Sister Bernadette explains the events which brought her to the same area where the group was located. She tells a tale of the train being attacked, the rails being blown up, and a huge centipede machine which had a Gatling gun and belched fire. The train’s special car was broken in to and an experimental engine was stolen.

The Sister offers her assistance to the group – Ben mentions that he is still feeling injured from the fight. Sister Bernadette states that ‘God’ can aid him and places her hands upon Ben while closing her eyes to pray. Slowly, from his injured arm and eventually covering his body, Ben is encompassed in a white glow. As the glow fades Ben appears to be completely unharmed.

After discussing the options ahead of us, it is decided that perhaps the party should pursue Diamond. Those among the gathered who have an opinion agree that Diamond may be the best lead and the group heads out. GG insists on bringing up the rear and Sam resumes his position as front scout. A short time later, the choice of letting Sam lead pays off again, when Sam spots Diamond looking down the mountain. Diamond appears to be watching something the party cannot see. Calling attention to Diamond, several others notice him before one of Diamond’s people spots Kola and turns Diamond’s attention that way. Once the group is aware that they have been spotted, they rapidly begin to take action.

Ben moves off the trail, and Sam continues to watch the gang up the mountain. When Diamond’s crew disappears from Sam’s view, Sam calls everyone to him. A quick discussion results in several folks breaking into a run up the mountain, trying to get to Diamond’s hide-out as fast as possible while staying cautious. Ben reminds everyone to be ready for tricks and surprises. GG decides to stay behind with Sister Bernadette and the train guards.

Sam breaks the crest of the rise first, keeping to the brush, and catches several glimpses of Diamond trying to grab his belongings and retreat. Diamond is forced, by the nature of the area, to bolt across an open clearing. His henchmen are watching to see where the posse may come from and cover Diamond as well. Successfully crossing the clearing, Diamond dashes into an obscured tunnel in the mountainside. Looking closer, Sam easily spots a figure hidden just inside the tunnel with what appears to be a rifle. Sam begins to creep closer to the tunnel with the idea of sneaking inside. Kola, Ben, and Ms. Hastings burst onto the rise and into the clearing.

With the sudden appearance of members of the posse, the guard at the tunnel turns and begins to bring his rifle up. Kola ends that action by smoothly drawing and shooting the guard – all while still moving. Below, Sister Bernadette, her guards, and GG hear the gunfire and begin to scramble their way up the mountain. Screaming can be heard coming from the rise, and so they silently agree to hustle.

After a few tense moments Sam, Kola, and the others reach the tunnel. They find that the entrance has been worked somewhat to allow a person to hide and have a place to rest their rifle. The person who was there is lying on the ground making sounds of suffering and clutching at his face. Ben ends his run by standing on the dropped carbine. Kola heads into the tunnel a bit further than the others. As Kola’s eyes adjust, he notices light deeper inside and that the floor begins to slope. He decides to sneak in to see what he can find.

After stumbling more than once, Kola changes his mind and attempts to sneak his way back out. Meanwhile, most of the rest of the group has decided to sneak into the tunnel in force. Sister Bernadette, the train guards, and I move to the spot where Sam has been keeping an eye on the rise in case of ambush. Leaving the Sister and GG, Sam heads into the tunnel after the majority of the group. Eventually GG can’t keep his curiosity in check and decides to head in to the tunnel quietly.

GG spends a few quiet minutes creeping down the dark cave with only the sound of his rushing pulse accompanying him. Then the tell-tale scream of burning ghost rock can be heard clearly. The sound seems to be emanating from deeper in the tunnel and heading towards the entrance. GG makes a guess and sprints from the corridor. Ben, meanwhile, has decided to face whatever it may be head on. He steps away from the tunnel wall and draws his weapons.

Filling the corridor, the mechanical-centipede comes rushing up at Ben. He manages to put a couple of shots into the operator at the same time that the Gatling bellows out a retort, dropping Ben to the floor. Sam bravely steps into the center of the tunnel and manages to shoot the operator in the head – discovering the reason why Ben wasn’t able to stop him. The bullets seem to just pass right through with no effect. Sam makes the decision to take that personally and leaps onto the machine. While Sam is in mid-leap, Ms. Hastings fans the hammer on her pistol and rips several shots into the machine itself, damaging one of it’s many legs. Kola blasts the machine as it passes him, though the result is nothing spectacular.

Once the operator of the thing has passed her, Ms. Hastings sees Ben lying on the floor, and also that Kola has noticed Ben’s condition as well. A brief exchange between them determines that Kola will get Ben and Ms. Hastings will head out towards the ridge. The mere length of the ghost rock beast catches Kola as he attempts to pull Ben out from the middle of the tunnel and knocks Kola to the floor next to Ben. In the close quarters of the tunnel, and with the dangers of hitting her companions, Ms. Hastings decides to holster her pistol and draw her bullwhip.

The man on the back of the machine opens up the Gatling, twice, firing at the Indian scout clutching onto the back of the centipede. The shots ricochet down the tunnel as they pass by Sam harmlessly. Ms. Hastings attempts to snare one of the mechanical legs. Kola manages to roll himself and Ben into the middle of the floor - keeping the pounding metal legs from crushing either of them. The huge device passes over their heads. Ms. Hastings also is missed by the crushing legs of the behemoth. The Gatling continues to miss Sam.

Kola decides to open fire on the underbelly of the machination, scoring several hits. Ms. Hastings tries again to snag a leg but is unsuccessful. Sam manages to get some footing and begins to make his way towards the operator, attacking that man with a knife. Ms. Hastings finally succeeds in using her whip to pull herself onto the machine. The man fighting Sam pulls a pistol and attempts to rid himself of the knife-wielding Indian – unfortunately he doesn’t do a good job.

As the centipede passes over and finally past Kola, he turns and fans a few rounds into the tail of it – striking the Gatling operator but doing no serious damage. Ms. Hastings, on the machine itself, turns and fires several rounds at the gun operator as well. Finally the mechanical beast begins to leave the tunnel and face those folks gathered outside.

(There is a broken description of the fight between the ghost rock centipede, the men operating it, and the party gathered outside. GG doesn’t seem to have many details clear on who did what when, but in the end, the machine was broken, the men slain or captured, and the hidden lab inside the mountain was dismantled by Sister Bernadette and her people. Unfortunately, Diamond and some others managed to get away to cause havoc elsewhere. But that’s another story.)

### Goin' Down to Potluck Gulch

*\* Again, as told to this chronicler by the gambler GG Gallant.*

**March 3, 1878 – Denver**

Sister Bernadette meets with the group Sunday, after mass. She seems pleased with the posse’s performance on her last task and offers the party a new job. A small town located just south of the Sioux territories, Potluck Gulch, has recently announced the discovery of ghost rock there. A road has been commissioned to be built from Denver to Potluck Gulch, along with a telegraph line. However, the road crew has gone missing. Sister Bernadette wants to send a group out to the end of the construction to determine what happened to the road crew. She asks that her man, James Stockton, lead the posse out to discover who, or what, has caused the stoppage of construction. The meeting with Jim is scheduled for the next morning, so some of the group spends that evening in a friendly game of poker.

In the morning the posse gathers to meet Jim Stockton. He is a tall, red-haired Irishman in a bowler hat. He brings his crew with him: five people on the work crew, and three folks who will act as extra guards. Jim will also be bringing two steam-driven wagons and will be operating the one with his guards aboard.

The posse and the work teams get organized and prepare to head out. The groups board the steam wagons. The road-crew wagon is towing a trailer, and the wagon for guards has a big Gatling on it. Once the engines scream to life, Sam heads out on point, with Kola following closely behind. GG smokes a cigarette waiting for the wood-smoke and steam to dissipate before heading out after the wagons. The work begins immediately as the wagons stop every couple of hours for everyone to scan the horizon for trouble and the missing crew. The day passes uneventfully and as dusk approaches the group makes a stop for camp.

The groups decide to sleep in shifts to keep an eye out for trouble. GG passes his shift flirting with ‘Purdy’ Sally who had been manning the Gatling during the day’s travel. When the morning arrives the exercise is repeated: wake, mount, move. There’s some casual discussion between the guards and the posse about the interesting armor the guards have equipped. This day’s travel encounters the first of the problems.

Sam had been riding ahead to scout and keep the main group safe from ambushes when he spots a large obstruction. It appears that a group of trouble-makers have dug a large ditch across the new road and fortified their position with a large piece of artillery. The huge cannon is pointed down the road in the direction of the group, and Sam can see several people moving around it. Sam stops and both Kola and Ben are able to catch up to him. They have a short discussion, and sending their horses back to the main group, the three of them sneak off the road. Ms. Hastings, half-way between the posse and the three scouts ahead, waits until their horses reach her and then sends her horse back with the others, sneaking into the plains as the scouts did.

The posse group continues on for a bit, slows, and then stops a distance away from the artillery. The individuals who snuck into the plains have effectively disappeared. Slowly GG begins to move up the line of people and wagons. He gives the wagons a wide berth as if he might be burnt by their boilers. Reaching the front of the team he slows Lady to a walk and begins moving toward the make-shift fortification. It’s not long before a voice calls out from the fortification to stop all forward motion. Following that order comes a threat of blood and violence if the group doesn’t comply. GG dismounts and begins a slow walk forward asking in a loud voice for someone to come and discuss terms for getting past the roadblock. The voice calls out again to halt. GG does.

A brief discussion between GG and the faceless voice results in a lieutenant, of some sort, to be sent out to discuss terms with GG. GG asks if the one doing the talking, and threatening, can come out to discuss. GG is turned down and the lieutenant emerges from behind the cannon and begins making his way towards GG. The two men cautiously begin moving towards each other. Suddenly the lieutenant stops and, throwing himself to one side, calls out a warning to his compatriots that they are being betrayed by the posse.

Then all hell breaks loose.

The long and short of the battle is that the cannon wasn’t fired very often. Of the twenty or so individuals who had blockaded the road, thirteen survive the initial encounter. Two more men pass away before the posse is ready to move beyond the obstruction. Their weapons are gathered and placed inside the guard wagon. The road is repaired by the crew, along with the telegraph lines, and Sam takes it upon himself to bury the dead. The remaining men are bound and the marshal is called on the now working telegraph line. Ben gags the two leaders of the road-gang informing them that they will be the one’s held accountable for the destruction of property and life. The cannon is hitched to the guard wagon.

Sam returns after burying the dead and spots the ring leaders all bound and gagged. He ungags them and has some harsh words with Ben for the way they were being treated. Sam is concerned with the prisoners not being treated with some modicum of respect. Around this time the group learns that Smith and Robards (a railroad company) is having a meeting at the end of the road. That seems to be the cue to pack up and head on out.

Dinner break has Jim pulling out his telegraph equipment and testing the line again. Once he’s satisfied that it’s working correctly the posse continues on. The group continues for a bit, even after dark, until Sam spots some more obstructions ahead on the road. As it turns out, it appears to be a couple of ruined carts, most likely belonging to the road crew. Sam, Kola, and Ben move ahead, and off the road, to investigate. A few minutes after they arrive at the carts, GG moves up to Jim and recommends that he might consider passing out the confiscated weapons to the prisoners ‘just in case’. GG then continues on to Ms. Hastings to wait and see what the scouts find.

It appears that the carts are heavily spattered with blood and chunks of something remain stuck to the wreckage. From this carnage is a trail of small tracks and drag marks. Using a spyglass, Jim is watching from the wagons. The skies overhead grow dark as the sun sets and the weather seems to threaten rain. The three scouts return.

Sam states that it may have been a single creature with a score of legs that made the tracks. There’s general nodding from the group given what was experienced recently with the mechanical centipede. Jim says it might have been a ‘rattler’ – his description of what that might be is a gruesome image to most. A discussion is had of what to do with the carts and how the group should camp. The judgment from the scouts is that the carts have been looking like that for about a week. The scouts return to the wreckage to see what can be salvaged. Their decision is that the ammunition and weapons scattered around can be recovered, along with one full cart and the rest can be salvaged for parts. They also determine that there may be some Ghost Rock left in the carts to use, so that is recovered as well. The skies grow darker and rain is definitely coming.

While the scouts are salvaging what they can, Ms. Hastings, Jim, and GG begin setting up the camp. The carts are arranged for defense, with the Gatling pointed down the road and the horses are kept separate from the carts. Jim and GG discuss the possibility of handing out some of the rifles, with limited ammo, to the prisoners. Night watches are determined and dinner is prepared. The scouts return from their excursion.

While GG and Ben are playing cards, Ben seems to regain some of his vitality as if the act of playing brings him rest. After a while the skies open up and it begin to rain in earnest. Ben does keep wiping his hands all the time – an unconscious behavior that he has picked up sometime recently. The rain begins to fall heavily, and with the sensation of lasting a long time. Sam whistles for his horse and rides the perimeter. After a few hours of this one of the road crew, Vernon, begins to wake some others in the group to take watch. GG finds a dry spot under Sally’s wagon where he falls asleep. With the change of people, and the weight of the rain, both Ms. Hastings and Kola ride the perimeter, while the others on watch tend to the camp. The rain seems to let up a touch as the hours pass by slowly.

By morning the rain finally ceases and the dawn seems bring a pleasant day. Breakfast is had by all. GG seems in a foul mood as all his tobacco was ruined by the heavy rain. Sam, with Ben following some distance behind, is tracking the creature described by Jim. Kola and Ms. Hastings ride some distance away on either side as Sam moves along.

Without warning Sam stops and raises his rife, waving it to attract attention. Most of the group moves to gather around him except for Ms. Hastings who keeps an eye on the road crew and their surroundings. Sam explains that he’s found a den – a hole in the ground and strange tracks around it. As the gathered watch, Sam draws some powders from his pack and begins mixing them. He paints his body with the mixture and begins to chant. After a bit Sam crouches and begins to slowly move forward. Kola collects his things and cautiously follows. Ben and GG spread out to either side and keep pace with the movement. Kola draws a gun and Sam grips his rifle tighter while reducing their pace further. The others closely match the movements trying to feel what Sam and Kola can already sense.

Ms. Hastings had stayed behind to keep watch around the roadwork that was resumed by the new road crew. Jim, the road crew manager, has not only been testing the telegraph lines, but during his first check he also wired for the local Marshall. He’s informed Ms. Hastings that this is the case and the Marshall should be arriving today for the prisoners. She is splitting much of her watch time keeping an eye out for the Marshall along with trying to keep an eye on the rest of the group further up, and off, the road. As if on cue, she soon hears the approach of the Marshall’s steam-wagon. Along with hearing that eerie sound she hears the more familiar sound of gun fire further north up the road. And, as if that wasn’t enough for her to have to deal with, she is informed by the road crew that one of the prisoners has escaped.

She learns that one of the other prisoners was struck and stunned by the escapee, and that the ropes binding him were cut. Ms. Hastings looks back and forth between the situations splitting her attention at the moment and decides to offer the road crew and it’s guards a fifty dollar reward to whomever brings the escaped prisoner back to her alive. Then she turns her gaze back toward the Marshall’s wagon.

She rides out to meet Sister Bernadette, who is accompanying the Marshall, and is close enough to be recognized. Once greetings are exchanged, Ms. Hastings begins to explain all the events that are unfolding around them. As if to punctuate the conversation a whomping concussion is heard from the north. Casting a quick glance in that direction, Ms. Hastings politely, but rapidly, excuses herself and spurs her horse to bolt as quickly as possible in that direction.
It begins slowly, as a breeze blowing through a field of grass. Then blossoms forth – a beastly terror bursting from the ground, emerging to it’s full size and horrific form, and rushing in Sam and Kola’s direction. Rooted to the ground, Sam stands as if beguiled by the sight of the creature’s tentacles as they stretch towards the morsels treading upon the soil. The hell-spawn seems intent on Kola and it covers a barn length in an instant. The grotesque body completes it’s vile birthing from the dark earth just as it reaches Kola.

(Chronicler’s note - Here, GG shudders briefly at some remembered vision. He lights a cigarette, forgetting he has one already lit. Try as he might, he finds it difficult to describe the desperate clash of survival instincts that took place following the appearance of the monster in the plains. Clearly, our heroes were successful in their collective desire to live – though at a tremendous price.)

As the tentacle thing was focused on Kola, Sam has drawn a stick of dynamite out of his belongings. He runs to support Kola’s attempts to kill or drive off the creature. Group members around the eruption of dirt and horror begin firing their guns at the monstrosity. The thing shows no sign of stopping the onslaught, and instead ensnares both Kola and Sam in the writhing tentacles surrounding it’s maw. Sam and Kola are now fighting desperately for their lives, and Sam sees that drastic measures are necessary. He lights the fuse on the dynamite. That happens to be the same moment when the monster decides that it should take it’s meal underground.

Sam and Kola find themselves, shoulder to shoulder, in smothering blackness as they are dragged under the soil. Kola blindly grasps for the stick of explosive as he struggles to get free of the monster. Sam, having a firm hold on the dynamite, has thrust his arm up to the shoulder into the beast’s mouth. The creature instinctively complies with Sam’s offer and clamps it’s teeth together. Sam draws back a stump. The dynamite detonates.

As the dirt begins to settle, Ben and GG leap into the crater left by the explosion and begin to dig furiously. They manage to pull a motionless Sam and Kola from the earth and gore. Ben quickly tends to each man and manages to staunch the bleeding. Ms. Hastings arrives a minute later and with a brief explanation rushes back to fetch a cart and Sister Bernadette. With a conspiratorial look, Ben and GG begin playing cards while keeping a concerned eye on Kola and Sam.

Ms. Hastings returns with Sister Bernadette who asks immediately what GG and Ben are doing. Ben replies that they are trying to lend a helping hand. With obvious coldness the Sister exits the cart and moves to Sam immediately, falling to her knees praying next to him. After a few moments she slumps, nearly falling unconscious on top of Sam’s still form. The card game abruptly ends at this event, and Ben asks Sister Bernadette if she is well. She responds that a few moments are required to gather herself, and then she recovers enough to tend to Kola.

Once the Sister is satisfied that the two men are stable enough to move, Ben and GG gently place them in the wagon. The group rides slowly back to the road, and back to the crew. Upon our arrival, Jim informs us that the town at the end of the road, Potluck Gulch, is in dire need of assistance. Their town seems to be in an uproar and pulling itself apart. Between Jim and the Sister the details of what’s transpiring there are given to the group. It is decided to gather ourselves, eat quickly, and head there as soon as we are able. Sam and Kola have regained their senses, and are fed. GG changes out of his filthy clothes and into something stylish and tailored. The Sister, along with a guard, and a driver she has selected will accompany the group. Once the party is ready they mount up and head to Potluck Gulch.

### Things Come to a Head

*[Insert introduction of Sarah, Caleb, Running Elk, Eli, & Matoskah. Please add details, if you have them, of the Potluck Gulch experience.]*

*\* Related to this chronicler by GG Gallant. With some editorial.*

**March 7, 1878 – Denver**

The group rides more than a day’s worth, and sometime after dark comes to the edge of a chasm. With some effort and a lot of needless riding a place to cross is finally located. Once the chasm is behind them, the group looks for a place to camp and waits for the cart to catch up. Camp is set, watches selected, and people begin to bed down. That’s when the gunfire is heard.

Two pistol shots ring out, then a louder retort which may have been a shotgun. After a bit of time there’s a bright light and a definite explosion. It’s after the explosion that the group decides that it may be wiser to break camp and just try to head into town. The cart hangs back as the riders gradually pull ahead. Travelling the path towards town the riders spot a light off to the side. Kola and, despite some protest, Sam decide to scout a bit to see what’s going on in the area of the light. They return stating that there’s a mine a little way off the trail. After a little bit of discussion, Ben decides to go to the mine and see what it’s all about.

Carefully approaching the mine Ben, and Kola who has just caught up to him, are stopped by an individual who steps out of the mine carrying a lantern. They obey. After a short wait, Ben starts forward again, shortly followed by Kola. A diminutive woman then steps from the entrance of the mine and speaks to them. They answer her questions very carefully.

(Chronicler’s note: GG cannot comment on what the woman said, or what the answers were from his companions. The gambler also made an attempt at this point to explain the occurrences in the township of Potluck; his story was unbelievable and involved a powerful indian shaman, unkillable indian masses attacking the town, shape-changers, and a shot that a highly trained sharp-shooter would be challenged to perform never mind GG claiming to be the one who struck the target himself. This reporter believes this particular story to be a fabrication the likes of which one skilled at bluffing would be able to tell most others and be accepted as truth. But, as a professional gambler, GG’s tale led into the more credible story of a grand poker tournament…)

### A Crooked Card Game

*[Needs inclusion of the Cardslingers investigation of the card game murders.]*

### Rescue Mission

A young Injun boy stumbles into Potluck Gulch and asks for help with his tribe. Officially, the tribal elders can't help his tribe, since their war leader was the one who made the deal with the manitou and attacked Potluck Gulch. But Running Elk doesn't have this restriction and gathers Burning Owl, Kola, and Caleb and heads off. On the way, they run across several beasts which suggest that the land this tribe has settled in is ... wrong. First, a group of giant bees is in their path. Then, they realize a Jackalope seems to be stalking the village.

Despite the protestations of one of the village women, a sourpuss named Madeline, the group learns the details behind the tribe's problems. Recently, the village's peace leader, a shaman named Talking Tree, was kidnapped. Tracks indicate that the person who took him was ... massive. The group heads out and enters a territory even more corrupted than the land the Lakota were trying to settle. As they move through this area, they are set upon by a pack of shadowy wolves, but manage to fend them off without suffering any major injuries.

The trail led to a cavern, and upon entering, they found Talking Tree and his captor. This captor was a man completely encased in ghostrock. This Stone Man was torturing the shaman, trying to get him to submit to some agreement. Behind them both was a shimmering portal. When the party moved to rescue him, the Stone Man dropped him. Dazed and confused, Talking Tree sought safety by fleeing through the portal. Burning Owl dove through the portal shortly after him. The rest of the group was able to defeat the Stone Man, but when a stray flame ignited the ghost rock corpse ("What? Yes, a stray flame. Well, look, \*I'm\* telling this story and that's how \*I\* remember it happening! Where was I?").

So the cavern began filling with smoke, and the rest of the group was pinned between the flame and the portal. They all entered the portal and landed in a place that seemed like the Puritanical depictions of Mount Zion. Neither Burning Owl nor Talking Tree were anywhere to be found. Caleb was able to track the signs Burning Owl had left, and when they rejoined, they set out looking for Talking Tree.

Their path brought them into contact with the annoying trickster Coyote, who made a deal with them. He would help them by giving them a guide and they would agree to 'teach' people whenever possible.

The group tracked the stolen Shaman to a Viking village where he was being healed by a Confederate sawbones. Along the way, they were set upon by a group of very small manitou. They also began to learn about the evil ones' plans to 'terror-form' the world. Their deals and "gifts" to the world (e.g., ghost rock) were intended to spread death and fear. This would make the world more habitable for them in their true forms. They also learned that telling the tales of your fight against the evil is one of the main ways to keep the ‘terror-forming’ from becoming reality.

After tending to Talking Tree's wounds, the group made their way back to the portal. However, a really, really big manitou called T'Paxafrax had set up shop on the location of the portal. He offered the group items of power if they would agree to share their bodies with him back on Earth. The other way, he explained, was for him to kill us. By reanimating dead bodies with their original souls, manitou enter the body as well and those create the Harrowed. Both options were distasteful, so they refused his offer and fought him. At first, T'Paxafrax tried to focus his attacks on a single person, hoping to kill that one, and perhaps jump into his body. But when it was clear that he was losing, the beast fled, leaving behind control of the portal as well as the items of power:

* Aaron Burr’s dueling pistols. The actual pistols that killed an American President.
* Daniel Boone’s favorite hunting rifle. A legendary piece from a legendary man.
* The Maquahuitl (a wooden club with obsidian chips embedded all around the edge of the weapon) of the Axtec warrior Tlahuicole. He survived Cortez’s slaughter and yet still volunteered to be ritually sacrificed by his own people. The weapon of the truest of warriors.

The group returned Talking Tree to his people and were feasted and honored as members of the Sioux. Not only did they rescue an important member of their tribe, but now the Sioux Nation has a new place of power.

On the ride back to Potluck Gulch, the group agreed that they needed to reconnect with their other friends (the Cardslingers) if they were going to successfully stand against the Evil Ones.

### On the Hunt (Topeka)

The Hunters stay in Potluck Gulch for a week or so to recover and plan their next move. Running Elk goes to see Eli Roebuck to see if he can get in touch with the others to tell them of this new information. He attempts a few telegrams, but none get any response. So it is decided to find them the old fashioned way. They learn that the Cardslingers were following a traveling poker game. So they decide to get to the last city of the game to see if they are still there.

With much coaxing and prodding, they get Running Elk on a train and head to Dodge City, Kansas. Although they need to get to Salina, KS, Running Elk refuses to get on the next train, so they ride towards Salina, hearing of the Huckster murders and that some of those same dead Hucksters are still walking around. They get to Salina too late to catch the others, but find that the others have headed to Topeka to check out the latest Huckster killing.

As they travel, the Hunters are asked for help against a small Plains Rattler (it was only 15’ long). Sam keeps out of range while the group lures it onto a bed of dynamite. As they patch themselves up, a man rides up saying something about an attack happening at a small homestead. They quickly mount and follow him out. As they arrive at the scene, Sam sees the glimpse of two people, a small person with blond hair and a taller one with dark hair. The little blond turns and stares at him. She then turned around and ran off.

Sam seemed clumsy and slow while he tried to follow the tracks in the dark. A few hours later he seemed to recover and found the tracks leading to Topeka. They first help to bury the mangled bodies of a father, mother and young boy. They get to Topeka and pick up the trail of the little blond. It leads to a saloon called the “Tipsy Turtle”. They are about to enter when you notice that the Cardslingers are inside and sitting at a table with a small blond woman (Sarah Watkins) and a Mexican looking man with a guitar across his knees…

Thinking that their friends were in trouble, the Hunters moved quickly. The Cardslingers tried to diffuse the situation, but telling their friends that "Sarah wasn't exactly alive" was \*exactly\* the wrong thing to say. Caleb, Sam and Kola filled the woman full of lead before anyone could react, fearing that she would 'put the whammy' on someone. The other stranger opted to sit quietly, not moving a muscle.

While Sam and Kola went to go head off the local law and explain things, Caleb explained the events of the past few weeks and that the girl ... and an accomplice ... brutally killed several people. It wasn't until the group alibied the other stranger as being with them when the attack happened that Caleb lowered his pistols. They explained that the reason they were trying to keep the woman safe was that she was coming to them for help. She was indeed Harrowed, but the murders must have been committed during a period during which she claimed to have no memory. This, of course coincided with what T'Paxafrax had suggested about the nature of such an arrangement ... the manitou would take control of the Harrowed's body 'every now and again'.

The local sheriff arrived, looking for Caleb (as he had immediately locked Sam and Kola up). Caleb agreed to go with him until this could be cleared up, but not to be disarmed or actually arrested. When the undertaker arrived and told the sheriff that the woman had been dead for a long time, he agreed to release Sam and Kola as long as no one left town. A Texas Ranger was heading this way, and although he was way out of his jurisdiction, he was supposed to be an authority on this kind of weirdness.

The group began to ask the sheriff about recently deceased people and they began to suspect that Vince Tarkin might be Harrowed, so they dashed off to Boot Hill. Sure enough, Vince had come out of his grave and it seemed that he had also raised several dead soldiers.

The group returned to the Tipsy Turtle (much to the owner's chagrin) to discuss plans. However, before they could get very far, they began to hear the telltale sounds of cattle. As they quickly moved to various vantage points, they realized that Vince and his soldiers had driven a stampede into the town and were beginning to slaughter citizens. The group managed to dispatch the soldiers before they could kill more than a handful of people, but when they began to shoot at Vince, he simply vanished.

However, after the crisis had ended, it turned out that Vince hadn't actually left ... just skipped forward about an hour in time. He quickly ran off before he could be immediately followed. Kola and Sam went out tracking the dead soldiers' movements from before the stampede and gunfight, while Caleb went to track Vince. (Sarah covered Caleb from a distance with ... a minor mishap). The group converged on Vince after he unsuccessfully tried to steal a horse and decided to hijack a steam-powered cart. When Caleb interceded in the hijacking (and shot Vince a few times), Vince quickly surrendered. The sherriff took charge of Vince and admidst of complaining, suggested that the group leave town before the Texas Ranger got to town. Since the Cardslingers had a lead on Diamond, a huckster who might be the cause of all the Harrowed in the area, they decided to take the suggestion. After convincing Running Elk to board the train, the group made the trip to Dodge City.

### Dodge City

Once in Dodge City, people spread out. Sarah goes to the Wild Irish Rose to gather info. She finds out that her nemesis Higgins has not been around in a while. GG and Ben go to Hoyle's Rules to gather info. GG is given a playing card (the Jack of Diamonds) and told that a man with no face dropped it while he was in the bar about a week ago. GG also finds out that Diamond was heading for Salina, Kansas. This is also the town where the Whites were murdered during the Poker Tour.

Everyone gets on the train heading for Salina. During the trip, Running Elk pulls out his bladed club and almost kills Pan. Luckily Sarah knocks him unconscious and Sam takes the club from him. Kola then carefully wraps the club and puts it in his pack. The rest of the trip is uneventful as the train pulls into Salina station.

```
(Missing Stuff here)

```

After the body cooled, it was extracted from the crawler and Eli went to work pulling apart various items and set about to create a cart to take them with him. The shards of the skull were separated and individually buried with Running Elk sanctifying the ground they are buried in. Meanwhile the rest of you slowly stumble back to town.

The next morning Ranger Dickinson releases Pan's body and all his belongings to the group. GG knows the most about Pan's wishes and takes care to honor them. The proprietor of your inn asks that you all gather your belongings and leave. He pays you back any forwarded money on the room and board. There are also some rumblings on the street about the effect your group is having on the local businesses. Except from One eyed Louis. He'll be sad to see you go.

Ranger Dickinson and his posse make sure to say good bye before heading out of town. He thanks you for your help and welcomes you to Texas if you are ever in the neighborhood. He has a fresh track on Jack White and is going to follow him until he is caught. You have no doubt that this will happen.

Those of you that are interested in the bounty take Dr. Smithstone's remains (basically his head) and Helmut Schaeffer back to Denver to the Denver-Pacific Railroad a subsidiary of Smith & Robards to Sister Bernadette. You are awarded $1000.00 to be split amongst the group. While there is no current bounty on Helmut, the Sister is happy to see him brought to justice...