viewtopic.php?f=22&t=23973

The outpost town of Devil's Creek stands by the untamable Rio Grande, a statement to be made, more or
less. The town is about as rowdy as the river, as some say. A whorehouse lines the central dirt path
that serves as the major road throughout the territory, and drunken men eagerly await their turn with
the mistresses, usually kicking up a nasty storm at the scene. The General store lays across the street,
a juxtaposition to say the least. The Saloon rounds off the edge of the town, drawing in the most
travelers, being the largest saloon in arguably the largest town in the area. Betwixt this and the
whorehouse, there is not much else of interest in the town. It's a long way from the major cities, and
this region of Dona Ana doesn't have much to rival the larger stops.



Outside of Devil's Creek is a wide expanse, filled with few towns. There is Piedrecita to the south,
Santa Ana to the west, New Suffolk further to the west, and Gran Llanura to the east. The north is
desert, with the exception of a few squatter colonies along the riverside. There is a ghost town just
northeast of Devil's Creek, with the old mill that never pulled itself off the ground because the tycoon
who started it had no clue what he was doing, and the lucrative plan died early in its infancy.
The richest man in the region of Dona Ana, Richard Burgess, built his Queen Anne styled mansion out west,
which really didn't fit, considering the desert landscape in the surrounding area.
To the southeast, there is a grand Spanish mission, owned by Burgess and converted by him into the
only train station in the area, where the Southern Pacific Railroad Company stops at en route to or
from El Paso, Texas. Lastly, to the southwest, there is the Breton Ranch, the sole purveyor of cattle,
horses, swine, and chicken for 600 miles.
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New Mexico, 1886.

A good portion of the west has been tamed by the adventurous, westward people in the 19th century.
However, while the Indian population has been culled in the west, leading to little to no resistance
from the people in this time, there is still much unrest. Gunslingers, cowboys, outlaws, and other
undesirables roam the open range, due in part to little to no supply of lawmen in the towns.
Unfortunately, that is a given in this harsh environment on the frontier, and these brave souls must
encounter such in order to reap the riches and rewards of the barren west; The Wild West.

It was a warm day in Devil's Creek, the sun shone brightly, blinding those who dare stare. Drunks
followed their daily migration from the saloon to the whorehouse, causing ruckus as usual. Out in the
distance the train could be heard, bellowing its furious, agonized cries as smoke fumed from its stack.
A wagon was arriving from the ranch, carrying the weekly quota of butter, milk, and various meats.
Along with that wagon, came The Stranger. His face worn, scraggly at best. The wide brim of his hat
covered most of his upper facial features as he brushed by passersby. A rotting stench rose his from
his blood stained boots and his matted poncho was covered with dust, just patting it eschewed it into
the air.

A trio of drunks were stumbling around the entrance to the whorehouse, throwing slurred insults at
passersby. One jostled The Stranger, and when he raised his head, his full face was visble. Cold,
unfeeling eyes, a worn and weary face, unkempt facial growth, and the most striking feature, a large "X"
etched into his forehead. The drunk made a terrible mistake, one that held grave consequences.
He not only severely bothered The Stranger, but then had the gall to stare him down, followed by his
cohorts.

"Watsch where youre goin', bashtard!" The drunk quipped in anger. "I'm tryin to reash!"
"Oh," replied a stern, yet soft voice. "Did I?"

The Stranger drew his revolver in an instant and fired exactly two bullets into the skulls of each drunk.
Quickly, he reloaded the revolver and holstered it, sauntering away as if nothing happened.
There are two actions that one must never perform before The Stranger.
1. Do not stare directly into his face for more than 4 seconds. He relishes the countdown.
2. Do not attempt to belittle him through vocal expression. That merely leaves a man with a gun in his
face.
Mixing the two leads to disastrous results.

The Stranger pushed open the doors to the saloon, and sat down at a poker table.
"Rum." he stated, referencing the bartender behind him. Service came immediately, and he downed it,
dropping the glass to the floor once emptying it.

"Five Card Stud."
"Sorry mister, we're in the middle of a game of Texas Hold'Em. We'll get to that when we finish this
game." a player replied.
He lifted his revolver.
"This here is the greatest gun ever mass manufactured, the Colt Single Action Army, otherwise known as
the Peacemaker. Now I like this weapon because it provides me with a fast load out, unlimited
opportunities, and, no fumbling with gunpowder to reload. That means I can put a round in each of you and
have the ability to reload in less than 5 seconds. Enough time to take out the bastard pointing a rifle
at my head."
"If I counted correctly after last firing, I have six rounds. That makes four for everyone at the table,
one for the bastard with the rifle, and one for myself. Always got to have a plan."
"Now, I said Five Card Stud."

The men grumbled as they gave in and reshuffled the deck. It was not what a man said that intimidated an
enemy, but the gun itself. The west was just a parcel of land, and the gun was its sovereign king.

Just then, a shot rang out, blowing out an unused oil lamp above The Stranger. He kicked out the table
and scanned the room. It seemed that the shot began a shootout, men killing one another left and right.
The Stranger uttered not a groan, hopping over the bar and whipping out his revolver. With the skill of
an expert marksman, he fired a shot into a man's head, counting at least six kills at a time.

Within minutes the gunfight ended, with most of the men in the saloon dead. The Stranger stood up from
his cover and left the building.

"Well, this town sure lives up to its name."