Once Upon A Time in the West
The sun beats down on the hard-packed earth of the town square.
A Pony Express rider stumbles into the tiny little town, her horse bleeding profusely, her own lips cracked and bleeding from hard riding in the blistering sun.
“Th-they’re c-coming,” she croaks out, sliding to the ground as her mount staggers to a halt.
Madam Marie is there, catching her. She is constantly watching from the upper window of her saloon, looking for signs of dangers…or signs that the men are coming home from the War.
“What…what…” she murmurs to the rider, pulling off the woman’s hat, and gesturing for the stablegirl to bring water, which she dribbles on the parched lips. “Who is coming?”
“Th-they’re coming,” the rider whispers again. “Gonna a-attack ‘cause they know the men folk are away. High noon… Gonna raid the t-town…coming for the g-gold… Gonna sell off the women…”
“Who?” Madam Marie asks again, her voice urgent. “Who is coming?” But the rider is gone, slumping in her arms.
Madam curses, an unladylike word if ever one was heard, but in the circumstances, she can perhaps be forgiven for her lapse. She calls for the town sawbones, who arrives quickly, her bag in hand, and presses her stethoscope to the rider’s now-bared chest.
“She’s there,” Doc says, in her raspy voice, “but just barely. Get her out of the sun, bathe her…if we can get that temperature down, maybe she’ll live.”
“Do it,” Madam says, to one of the saloon girls lingering nearby. “You,” she says, pointing to another, younger girl. “Go summon the council. The town is in danger. Tell them all to come at once…”
Game Details
It’s the old west, steampunk-style, and all the able-bodied menfolk are off fighting the war. All that’s left are the women and the men who - for some reason or other - cannot fight.
The town seems to be under threat of attack, though from whom and from which direction, it isn’t clear. What will the council decide? Fortifications? Scouting? Ignoring it all together…?
Who is coming? Indians? A band of their neighbors from the South? Just plain old bandits and brigands?
Is possible that there’s a traitor in the midst, even? Someone who knows that the town is vulnerable…and that it’s got a significant amount of valuables hidden away?
We’ll certainly find out!
Game Mechanics
This is intended to be a fairly short, fast-paced and close-ended game that we will finish together.
Please note: The old west isn’t called the wild west for nothing. Death abounds, far above and beyond the immediate threat of attack. Although not necessarily likely, it is possible that your character may die! Please be prepared to survive.
Additionally, each player may be given a secret, and one player may, in fact, be a traitor! These will be given to characters privately, either during the character selection process, or during the course of the game.
Character Creation
- Please use the cards provided. Thank you.
- I want a nice diversity of cast, so don’t be afraid to step out of the saloon-girl mindset.
- Male characters should have a reason they are not off fighting. For instance, a parson may be exempt, as would a man who has lost a limb or an eye. Be creative!
- You have some latitude in the type of steampunk technology your character uses, but I do reserve the right to veto something that doesn’t fit well into the world.
- When you submit the character, please indicate whether you are amenable to your character having a dangerous secret, and/or being a traitor.
- There may be some adult language or content - such as violence. Please be aware of this possibility.
I’m looking forward to seeing your characters!
Hosted and narrated by:
Felix A. (Allegra)
Started 08/06/15.
Scenes played: 4
License: Community License
