BangoSkank

Deadlands - A Supernatural Western

Off Chisholm Trail, Near to Selina

Reacting quickly to the Frenchman's shout the Austrian fires off his revolver just a few seconds after LeBlanc sends a rifle round into the brush. One of those rounds seems to have found it's mark as the brush stops moving and a howl is heard. Though to the observer it may seem like a long time, the silence and stillness thereafter is actually only another second or two. It is broken up by a sound like a thick wet blanket tearing and a shrill scream.

A second cougar has circled the party and advanced up along the other side of the coach while the party were inspecting the bodies. Perhaps the shooting scared it or perhaps the damnable things were just more treacherous than folk give 'em credit for. Either way the driver of the coach was suddenly having a very bad day. This second beast had pounced on him from the side, grasping onto him with tooth and claw and dragging him into the dirt. The tearing sound, the result of the cougar doing his level best to separate the driver's left arm from his body, is quickly followed by a shotgun blast as the coachman leans around to try to save his friend and begins to climb across the shooter's platform toward the others. He can barely be seen crawling his way across the platform before his eyes light up bright and he is quickly dragged back behind the coach by the second cougar.

Deadlands - A Supernatural Western

Selina

The Sheriff nods in turn to the oddly sharply dressed young man. Folk didn't normally go 'bout greeting the Sheriff. Most folk just want to keep their head down, go 'bout their lives. Seemed decent enough though. Them sharp clothes might get him in trouble, he'd have to keep an eye out on the man, but he didn't exactly seem like a city boy. Still. Last thing Selina needed was getting too much attention. Area had enough to deal with as it was. Rumor had it that Earp in Dodge City was looking for jobs for some of his brothers. No sir, not here.

Another stranger rode in to town on a strong looking black Morgan. More trouble. Sheriff wiped the sweat from his cheeks, then wiped his hands off on his pants, and fixed his hat. Goddamit. Maybe the rumors was true. He sidled over toward Zeke's to join the stranger, figured that Jack fella would be heading that way soon enough as well. Sure enough he could use a...

Oh hell. That addle brained woman was staring again. O'Flanagan never kept as good a eye on her as he should, let her about to wander aimless like all around town. Poor thing didn't have more than a brain cell or two to rub together.

Might as well head on over, seemed they'd all end up at Zeke's soon enough, most of the time that were how it worked out.

Zeke's Hunter Lodge

"Morning, name's Jack, and this is Zeke's Hunter Lodge," a skinny clean shaven man calls out as he sees the man on the black Morgan riding toward him.

"If'n you lookin' fer some taxidermy Zeke's over that away by the General Store. You can set right here at the bar, or if you were lookin' fer some eats pull up a chair and Lily," he motions to a slight woman with generous curves, "will get you fixed up right quick."

"Can I get you something?"

The bar is quite clearly a small side business. Zeke's Hunter Lodge is primarily a taxidermy shop, various critters of the local area (and a few more exotic animals) are posed all about in startlingly lifelike poses. Tattered Union Flag hangs up above the counter. It is kept meticulously clean, floors swept, counter shined, the preserved critters apparently brushed regularly as they don't have dust or nothing built up on 'em. Looks like it's been doin' pretty good business.

The bar on the other hand is a long counter set off to the side. A cabinet up behind the bar showin' a good selection for a small town bar but not a particularly generous supply. That is to say you can probly get what ya want but if you a heavy drinker you'll probably finish what they got. Glasses are clean enough, counters clean enough, small kitchen's clean enough. Storefront is created by a a wooden wall on a hinge propped up by a couple 2x4s, gives customers some shade in the heat and makes the bar seem more roomy that it really is. Seems to be working. Bar ain't crowded exactly but there's a few folk drinking to forget one thing or another.

Deadlands - A Supernatural Western

I’m at work so I can’t do real posts but I don’t want to slow you guys down so...

ElGappa, go ahead and post your turn
Wampower after he does that if you can PM me what you want to do or hit me up on the Discord.

Everyone in town, the bar is rather small and located in the back of Zeke’s Taxidermy shop. It’s decorated with a variety of well preserved and posed wildlife. You can get hard drinks or stuff like water, club soda, or coffee. Nothing fancy to eat as that’s mostly at the Bed and Breakfast.

Zeke owns the place and acts as bartender. He’s a smaller guy, jittery, heavily bearded. The bar is less than pristine but well cared for, mostly by the worn out waitress Nancy who looks as though she was probably once quite pretty.

If you’re coming in to town feel free to have Zeke call you over, something like “Hey there feller! You look like youse in need of a stiff drink. C’mere”

Deadlands - A Supernatural Western

Off Chisholm Trail, Near to Selina

Clomping off through the dirt and leaves the driver makes his way back to the coach cursing under his breath. "Come on Jeff," he calls to the coachman, "leave it to these here foreign fellas. We ain't paid but to run the wagon."

More reluctantly the coachman heads back on still slightly wobbly legs, careful not to step in the blood of the recently deceased. Behind him one of them foreigners, the Frenchman LeBlanc, still covering the body with his rifle called out to his compatriots,

"Do what you have to do with these damn bodies, and then lets get the hell out of here! What ever killed these may still be around..."

Before the other two could join their compatriot, as if in reply to LeBlanc's warning, a deep rolling growl sounded from somewhere nearby and low to the ground. At the sound of the growl the coachman pauses, not quite fearless enough to return but proud enough to consider it, before being ushered to the coach by the driver. Whatever the hell that damn thing were it's exact location was indistinguishable except for one thing, it sure as hell weren't in the wagon. Wherever the damn thing were it were a ways out and it were certainly somewheres in the brush and bushes between LeBlanc and his compatriots, and if that impossibly faint intermittent sound of shifting brush were any indicator, the damn thing were stalking.

Deadlands - A Supernatural Western

So we are about to begin what will soon become our first combat. In order to make things a little bit more game like we're going to have turn orders which really just means a post order. Deadlands doesn't really have a lot, at least not that I've found, about who goes in what order so I'm just looking at relevant-ish stats for now.

The way Deadlands proper is run, like at a table and in person, is that everyone draws a card from a deck at random and then they act in the order of highest card. We could try that too with me just picking random cards for everyone if that sounds good. But for now...

In the post I'm about to make a Big Fucking Cougar will make the first "move." A move is not necessarily an attack it can also be movement or an action such as reloading, clearing a jammed weapon, falling back, crouching, or saying something much longer than a syllable or so. So we will go in move order and at least at first lets do PMs to figure out whats going to happen.

When it's your turn PM me what you want to do so we can make sure that everyone is doing roughly the same amount of stuff per turn taking into consideration abilities and whatnot, and we'll figure out if it misses or if it hits and if it hits how effective it is. This will also help keep things clearly in sequence so folks are clearer about where everyone is. In time I'm confident we can all kind of figure out how to share the story and actions so that only a move order is needed, but lets try it out like this a bit.

Move Order for this encounter is : Big Fucking Cougar - LeBlanc - Kaufmann - PAUSE - Blackburn

So ElGappa if you can send me a PM with what you want to do, then we'll figure out how much of that is reasonable for you to do as your turn and how effective it is, at which point you can write up your post.

This is pretty experimental so any input on what does and doesnt work and how it might work better is verrrry much appreciated. I kind of wish there was an Initiative skill or stat. I'm basing this off of Agility and any relevant stats, for this encounter I'm looking at Fighting, Shooting, and Survival. I'm also trying to take into account positioning, which is simple enough for this but not so much in the future probably.

Deadlands - A Supernatural Western

We have one more application coming in relatively soon. Hopefully Life in Stasis will join in on a future RP as her character Sequoyah Guess seemed really cool.

I'm updating the front page a bit, just to copy/paste some stuff from the Interest Check thread to the opening and to provide a bit of a reference for who the Supporting Cast is.

Deadlands - A Supernatural Western

Off Chisholm Trail, Near to Selina

"I better tend to the horses," the driver muttered, unaccustomed to seeing such butchery. There was shootings sure, out here in the Disputed Lands there was always shootings, and sometimes those fucking injins come out and work some of their mischief, but that was different somehow. He'd kept further from the body, and seent somethin' the others hadn't noticed yet. He weren't no sharp eye the driver, but he were good enough now at surviving even when that meant getting the hell out of Dodge. Sometimes literally.

Coughing as he passes the Frenchman he vaguely gestures off toward the bushes, toward the blood trail. Toward two other bodies.

[Constantin LeBlanc Passes Survival Check]

Sure enough, deeper into the brush is a slick trail of blood and a discarded shoe. With a closer look LeBlanc can see a bloody socked foot and a pale leg sticking out through some brush.

Deadlands - A Supernatural Western

Off Chisholm Trail, Near to Selina

Days heatin' up. Nothing crazy, but hot just the same. Type of weather makes a man happy to get back to civilization but still yearn to head back out. Sleeves rolled up, wipin' sweat from their brows, the driver and the coachman smell it before they see it. In a heat like this meat spoils quick.

"Whooooooah," the driver calls out as he pulls back on the reins, the coachman already turned to face forward, coachgun scanning about. As the carriage come to a stop the coachman jumps out moving up past the window.

"Somethin' ain't right out here, you all..." he stops midsentence and instead chokes out a muted "oh fuck, oh Christ"

"Sta...stay up there Hank," the coachman shouts back to the driver as he approaches the body.

"Shit...oh my god...damn...shit..."

He approaches the body in a low crouch, not no tactical crouch now, a plum scared crouch. He turns back as the door to the carriage opens, then turns back to the body. A young woman, though that is scarcely determinable given the state she's in. Torn open and spread across the road. The coachman whispers "Mam?" to her, just in case, though she is most certainly dead and he knows it. Closer, now closer still, he bends down to take look at her wounds and grows unsteady on his feet.

Selina

"Ah," Father O'Flanagan says, trying to affect his usual cheerfulness but falling short, "Sister Aveline."

"I..." he begins as he makes his way toward her chair. Though a large man it would be hard to find hims in any way intimidating, long nights spent reading "The Book," preparing his sermons, and tending to the sick has given him a neigh permanent lurch.

"Thank you sister for carrying that burden with me. I don't know if I told you, but the miner he was a friend to me once when I was a young man. One of the finest men I'd ever known before I found the Lord."

He is quiet for a moment, looking to the horizon, before he sighs and his shoulders sloop ever so slightly.

"This morning I am troubled, by probably the oldest question. Why do bad things happen to good men? Old Charles he was surely a good man and that, that was surely a bad way to go."

Straightening out his robes and pulling back his shoulders he continues, in a tone that is almost convincing,

"But it is a beautiful day is it not? Charles will be missed, but his memory will live on and it is a beautiful day."

Working a smile across his face Father O'Flanagan pats Aveline gently on the shoulder and heads inside the monastery to find solace in the Good Book.

Now it surely is one of those beautifully cruel things about this world, way these things happen and the world it just keep a moving on. That miner Charles, he surely were a fine man and he surely did suffer. Took a long time dyin' that one. Aveline and the Father they done all they could, Father didn't have no "gifts" but he pray'd his heart out safe to say. Aveline she done her thing and yet even still whatever it were that were hauntin' him it weren't nothin' that neither of them could fix. Damndest thing it was. Didn't matter how much that one ate he were ever hungry, ever thirsty, and ever losing weight. He were a strong miner all his life, but at the end he were weak as a suckling babe. Poor poor Charles.

Deadlands - A Supernatural Western

Characters

2sky11 - Rick Matthews, Union Cavalryman

Hider

Stats -
Agility: 5
Smarts: 6
Spirit: 4
Strength: 5
Vigor: 5

Skills –
Fighting - 5
Riding - 5
Shooting - 5

Gear – Carries standard issue Springfield model 1873 rifle along with two Colt M1878 handguns. When not in uniform, he wears black trousers and a vest over a shirt. Typically wears a tan trench coat that is ragged on the edges, and a dark brown Stetson.

Worst Nightmare – Being eaten alive

Background –

Hider

Lived in NYC, but enlisted at age 16, lying to recruiters about his age. They didn’t really care as the army was always in short supply of fresh meat. During training, one of the horses went crazy but he managed to calm the horse down. A cavalry officer was present, and gave him a shot to try out for the cavalry. He proved to have a knack for riding, and was as good a shot on the ground as he was horseback at full gallop.

He has spent most of his time out west, patrolling the border and fighting the occasional skirmish with CSA patrols. For a while the goal was to keep the Indians and CSA in check but the recent peace deal has made things slow and boring. He has started a few fights with CSA patrols, though has made sure to cover his tracks by making sure they were all dead and leaving no survivors.

After serving in the cavalry for 8 years, he was about to leave the service, however the same officer that recruited him to Cavalry, offered him the chance at a commission to be an officer. He would’ve been a fool to pass it up and took on the chance. Compared to the other officers he felt out of place as he had been a poor boy from New York, but wasn’t going to let it bother him.

What he’ll never forget was his first mission as an officer, leading a group into the badlands of the disputed lands. He’ll never forget the second night. They had just stopped a large group of outlaws that had slaughtered an Indian village. They had killed most of the m, but had managed to capture the boss and a few henchmen. As they camped out, rustling sound could be heard followed by eerie gnarling sound and shuffling. Rick stood immediately grabbing his pistols as the rest of his mean stood to their feet, wary of the situation. Without warning they were set upon, by what seemed living dead. One of the same men that he had personally killed, was on his feet trying to kill him, despite a gaping hole in its chest.

The bodies of the dead Indians were also among them, and they attacked without care. He watched as the dead killed and tore apart some of the arrested outlaws and some of the horses. He rallied his men as they shot and pushed off the attackers. Soon out of bullets they took to hand to hand combat, fighting them off with whatever was at hand. His saber proved useful, as did bashing in the creatures heads with the butts of rifles. Before long, the battle had been over, and he had lost half his men.

He loaded the bodies of his fallen men, on a wagon they found in the village, and they set the remaining bodies on fire. When they arrived back to their outpost, he and his men were taken and isolated in a barrack. It was here he was reassigned. He was to join military intelligence, and work under the officer that had shown interest in his career all these years. What he had seen and experience, he would keep a secret. The populace was not ready to find out about those the things that lurk out there. His men, were also reassigned to a special company that dealt with such creatures, after all they had proven their worth in fighting them off.

Taking on his new role, he would ensure, knowledge of these creatures remain a secret and take care of anyone that would divulge such knowledge.

Dragonbud - Aveline, Blessed

Hider

Stats -
Agility: 5
Smarts: 7
Spirit: 5
Strength: 4
Vigor: 4

Skills -
Healing - 3
Investigation - 2
Knowledge - 2
Notice - 3
Persuasion - 3
Stealth - 2

Gear - Aveline despises violence, even shooting a gun near her makes her jumpy and nervous. And while she has been taught how to shoot, by a lawman who didn't want her to be taken advantage of, she really doesn't like carrying a weapon.

Worst Nightmare - Losing her mind.

Other: Aveline has been practicing, and improving, her speech, but it is still very ineffective for communication. She carries with her a chalkboard and chalk, gifted to her, when she really needs to get a point across, but this can be a problem when trying to 'talk' to someone who can't read. Her newest, and most useless, form of communication is Sign Language. She finally get to start learning signs when the books she ordered arrived from the developed cities in the North. Sign Language has been around since the early 1800s, but isn't very widespread or learned. Still, Aveline, likes learning.

Background -

Hider

Aveline know very little about who she is, or was, and where she came from. The woman has amnesia, caused by a traumatic brain injury she suffered. A gunshot wound to the head, the scar still visible on her left temple. The furthest back Aveline can remember is suddenly waking up, strapped to an operating table, a doctor picking pieces of lead bullet out of her skull, the pain slightly numbed with the taste of whiskey in her mouth. Her body had been dumped near a river, where it was found by a local minister. He was able to get her to a doctor before she expired, her survival being seen as a miracle.

When she finally came to, her emergency surgery a success, Aveline found herself struggling to answer the questions asked by the priest, the doctors, and the local law. Not only could she remember almost nothing, she could barely communicate. She had to strain to speak, but even then her words would be slurred and stuttered, the doctors assumed this was caused by the area of the brain struck with the bullet. She had to resort to communicating through written words, where she revealed everything she could remember. A ranch, a home, an argument. A Gunshot. Her name.

As she recovered she tried to recall who she was. Maybe an escort who angered a customer, or a rancher who's competition took matters into their own hands. Maybe she was a criminal, or just a victim of a random attack. But without any identifying documents, or anyone coming forward to claim the confused woman, her true background continued to be a mystery. All the doctors could piece together was that she did not come from Selina, unless her family was keeping away on purpose. And yet Aveline carried herself with a air of politeness, and knew how to read and write, which pointed her towards a past of civilization.

And a civilized past indeed. Aveline does not know, but I know because I am an omnipotent narrator. Aveline belongs to the Amcotte family, affluent plantation owners from the southern states. However, with the continuation of the war, as well as the rumors of the dead rising, the plantation began to suffer, following the death of the patriarch of the family, Aveline's father. Aveline, the youngest of her siblings, was left a comfortable sum in the Will, which angered her eldest sister, who had received the failing farm after the death of their father. Aveline's sister went on a rampage, murdering each remaining member of the Amcotte family, to gain the entire inheritance for herself. Too bad Aveline survived.

Today, Aveline still struggles. Although she has been practicing with speaking, her words are still soft and slurred, and she has a pretty prominent stutter. She fears that people only see her as an anomaly in town, or that her slow speech makes her unappealing. But her life is not all misery, and she is not entirely helpless. She considers herself quite lucky, despite her lingering disability. She can still communicate through speech, even if it is slow and stuttered, and she can write out what she wants to say. Her brush with death, as well as the care she received from both the local priests and doctors as she recovered, has inspired her. As she recovered she began to learn about the art of healing, both medicinal and miracle based. Her mentors and teachers would remark that she learns quickly, especially for a woman who had been shot in the head. She would much rather patch up a wound than cause one, but saying that she would much rather stay inside and read than face off against gunslingers.

ElGappa - Constantin LeBlanc, French Soldier of Fortune

Hider

Stats -
Agility: 6
Smarts: 4
Spirit: 4
Strength: 6
Vigor: 5

Skills -
Climbing - 1
Fighting - 3
Gambling - 1
Intimidation - 1
Persuasion - 2
Riding - 1
Shooting - 4
Stealth - 1
Survival - 1

Gear
-Gras Model 1874: The dream of every Mercenary, and taken from the dead hands of a french soldier. One of the best rifles of its time, the single shot bolt action rifles is loving cared for by Constantin, who has given the gun the name "Amelie"
-1872 Swiss Revolver: Won from a Swiss mercenary during a game of cards in Timbuktu, the six-shot revolver is a loyal sidearm, who has proven its worth, be it in the damp jungles and deserts of Africa, or in the dusty fields of china.
-Ida Sword: A personal trophy, taken during contract with Zanzibarran Slavers, Constantin adores the blade he uses as a melee weapon. A strange weapon for an European eye, it has an strange weight in ones hand, and at time, people claim that the blade would whisper...

Background -

Hider

Constantin Hector Leblanc was born in a small village in the Normandie, France. His mother, Maria Leblanc, was a young peasant daughter, while his father was a false wandering preacher, abusing the deep religious devotion of the rural population, for his personal gain and would vanish quickly, as Maria´s pregnancy was noticed. Raised in his grandparents house, Constantin learned quickly what it meant to be an bastard, and both his family and his fellow children would not miss a chance, to torment him because of his birth. Yet Constantin was blessed with a grim temper and a strong physic, and before long, not a single child in his village, dared to call him a bastard, in fear of losing their teeth. The simple beauty of violent solutions was among the first lessons Constantin would learn in his life. Moving out of his grandparents house, as his mother hunted a local huntsman, Constantin would learn a second lesson, that would mark his life.
His new step-father, whom Constantin took an early liking to, took the boy with him, and would teach him how to load and fire a rifle, as soon as he was old enough to hold it. Enjoying both the thrill of the hunt, as well as the ability to help his new father to feed his family, fate took a turn for the worse, when his step-father, would die in a tragic hunting accident.
Widowed, Constantin, barley fourteen at the time, took up the rifle his step-father left him, and took to poaching, to provide for his sickly mother, who would pass away from a fever a years later. Orphaned, Constantin continued his poaching for three more years, until he was caught red handed, and arrested. Facing a deportation into the prison colonies, the Franco-Mexican war broke out, and Constantin was drafted into it.
Shipped into a conflict on the other side of the world, which ended in an disaster, would turn out to be a stroke of luck for Constantin. Able to distinguish himself as an capable soldier, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant, and remained in service, even after the humiliating defeat, that saw the installed emperor shot like an common criminal. Still, he returned to France with full pockets, a secure income and a reputation as more then just a bastard. For single, blissful year, Constantin enjoyed a trouble-free time in Paris where he was garrisoned, before the Franco-German War broke out.

Joining up, like any proper soldier would, Constantin would met an Austrian, whom he would develop a friendship with, and a sneering Englishman, whom he would develop a mutual rivalry with. Then Sedan came, and the dead rose from the ground to feed on the living. With Chaos all around them, and no help in sight, the three were on their own, as they tried their best to escape the nightmare around them. It was in this chaos, that a shrapnel would hit his chest, grievously wounding him. Expecting to be left behind, and even cursing Franz Kaufmann to leave him behind and save himself, the Austrian took his remove the shrapnel, and bandage his wound, saving his life from certain death in the ruins of Sedan. Hiking to Paris, the three were able to get their just pay, even through Constantin almost had to break a mans arm for it. Released from his duty, Constantin saw his homeland crumble into chaos and disgusted by the new republic, would leave for the colonies, to make a living on his own. He invited the Austrian to join him on his travels [...]

The next seven years, Constantin would cut a bloody path through the world. In Africa he would break bread with slavers and petty officals, willing to fight for the colonial powers against the natives, now strengthen by new allies from beyond for the right price, until he beat up an Belgian gentleman in Congo, for calling him a bastard, earning himself a bounty and a reason to leave the continent. In south america, he would happily crush uprisings of local workers, while earning a pay from the local plantation owners, before also being forced to leave, after earning himself the hate of an influential Cattle-Baron, after being caught in bed with his wife. Leaving for Asia, Constantin fought both in the Dutch East Indies as well in the Taiping Rebellion. Once more caught in an argument with an Taiping Officer, this time over a prostitute, Constantin drunkenly beheaded the rebel, before switching sides, and taking Quing coins as payment. Joining the "Ever Victorious Army", he took part in multiple lootings of ancient temples, and, after being denied payment, would sack a local palace, before deciding, that with a bag filled with golden trinkets, it was time to return home.

Paying for a passage back into France, and buying a small plot of land in the champagne, Constantin was, while far from wealthy, alive, which was more then most mercenaries could say. He began to court a local widow, with plans set to marriage, before a familiar Austrian would enter his home, talking him into one last adventure...

Lewis - John Blackburn, Investigator

Hider

John Blackburn

cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/230880…

Stats -
Agility - 5
Smarts - 6
Spirit - 5
Strength - 4
Vigor - 5

Skills -
Fighting - 1
Gambling - 2
Investigation - 3
Knowledge - 3
Lockpicking - 1
Persuasion - 3
Shooting - 1

Gear - A Four Barrelled Howdah Pistol from the Abyssinia Expedition (only four shots but ever so powerful), his 1845 Pattern Infantry Officer's Sword across his back, a Lion Head Cane, as befitting a Gentleman such as he. John wears a three piece suit, quite popular back home, and Army Issue Hessian Boots.

Hider

Worst Nightmare - Being beaten by a Frenchmen

Background -

Hider

Born into a working class family John's prospect's changed when his father was given an Battlefield promotion during Crimean War. Instead of joining the Grunts like his father and grandfather had done, John attended Military school and gained an lieutenant commission in the Indian Army were he fought in the Abyssinia Expedition.

Shortly after the expedition John was promoted to captain but despite John's skill he was shunned by the officers and men alike for being of working class origin. It got so bad that John was about to leave the Army when he was approached by a member of the Directorate of Military Intelligence and offered an role in the growing organisation. John accepted and for the next ten years worked for Military Intelligence, Helping the Birtish Empire from the Shadows.

The Directorate of Military Intelligence has know about the dead and various other monsters appearing on earth for several years now, with John himself being one of the first members of the directorate to witness it first hand at the battle of sedan.

Posing as "birtish advisor" to French John was actual there to eliminate a French colonel and acquire the documents he carried but with the Frogs losing so badly John was dragged into the fighting before he could escape.

With the help of an Franz, an member of the Austrian expeditionary force and a French solider named Constantin John was able to hold of the Prussian and was about flee when the unthinkable happened: the corpses of the fallen rose up. Soon they were surrounded as undead Prussians, French, and Austrians lashed out from all sides.

They where almost overwhelmed but managed escape though an Prussian Artillery Barrage and fled into the Night. Resting in a nearby forest it was discovered that Constantin had been hit in the chest with artillery shrapnel.

Despite Constantin's Plees and John's suggestion he die instead of "forever be embarrassed that bloody Prussians beat them." Franz couldn't bring himself to abandon a fellow soldier. He pulled the shrapnel out piece by piece and bandaged the wound, saving Constantin from death His screams.

"Tough French Bastard isn't he?"

Hiking back to Paris they arrived just in time for the coronation of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Helping Franz (And Constantin) get their compensation and release from service the group went their own separate ways although before they did, they exchanged contact details... Franz and Constantin were talented soldiers and could been of use to the Directorate.. or to John himself.

Returning to England John continued to work for the Directorate but was now tasked to find out more about the dead and various other monsters appearing that people had long considers to be fairtale stories.

By 1879 this investigation had led john to American. The civil war has recently "ended" with a peacefire and despite some rumours and hostile Indian tribes people flocked to American west to get their hands on "Ghost Rock" a new resource than burns Five Times Hotter and 100 Times Longer than Coal.

By chance Franz, now a member of the Imperial Society and the Frenchman from sedan where also heading to American. claiming to now be an moderate successful Businessman John joined them, claiming to be interested in ghost rock for a factory he part owned.

The group took a ship together across the pond. arriving in American Franz acquired a coach and the small band of old European soldiers is on their way to Selina, Kansas.

Wampower - Franz Kaufman, Austrian Gunsmith and Ex-Soldier

Hider

Appearance -
Franz is relatively average physically. He’s 5’10”, with an average stature. He has a fair and lightly freckled complexion. He has short light brown hair and a full beard. His outfit consists of a long grey coat, white shirt, tough blue trousers from his military days, blue vest, old army boots, and something like a grey Homburg hat.

Stats -
Agility - 6
Smarts - 6
Spirit - 4
Strength - 5
Vigor - 4

Skills -
Coach Driving: 1
Fighting: 1
Investigation: 2
Knowledge: 2
Repair: 3
Riding: 1
Shooting: 4
Streetwise: 1

Gear - Franz has brought his tools for reloading ammo and gun maintenance and of course his babies

An automatic gatling rifle built in his shop

Hider

His modified Gasser M1870 he used to survive during the Battle of Sedan. This pistol was used by officers and cavalry, and Franz has cared for it meticulously and updated some of it’s mechanisms. It has high stopping power, with it’s carbine chamber of 11.25x36mm.

Hider

Worst Nightmare -
Getting eaten alive at Sedan

Background -

Hider

Franz Kaufmann was born to Josef Kaufmann and Marie Kaufmann in poor worker tenements in Vienna in 1848. The chaos caused by the year’s revolutions caused his parents much misfortune, so they named their son after the new Hapsburg monarch, Franz Joseph, who ascended to the throne that year to return stability to the Empire. The family lived an impoverished existence, working hard early industrial jobs in Vienna. Josef and Marie were unable to conceive again, so further strain was put on Franz to work hard for the family. The young man knew his duty, but truly desired to seek fame and fortune from adventure, like so many others. When he was 18, he enlisted in the army for the Austro-Prussian War, much to his parent’s chagrin. The adventure was short-lived when the war ended in quick defeat for the Austrians, but he distinguished himself and received extra payment for his service. With the money, his family was able to rise out of the worst of it’s problems. The experience of a lost war changed him forever, but he ultimately considered it worthwhile to serve his Empire and family. He stayed on in the army and started to rise in ranks.

In 1870, the Prussians turned on Napoleon III’s French Empire. The Austrians didn’t join the war, but the French paid for an expeditionary force to aid them. He joined it eagerly, knowing it would set him up for life if he used his pay wisely. The force found its way to France just in time before the Battle of Sedan, where it fought well with another division of French men. In the chaos of the battlefield, he, a British advisor named John, and a Frenchman named Constantin depended on each other to make sure their guns kept firing. They barely managed to fend off every Prussian advance on their position, unaware that the battle as a whole was deteriorating. As they kept firing to keep the Prussians from braving a full assault, the unthinkable happened: the corpses of the fallen rose up. Soon they were surrounded as undead Prussians, French, and Austrians lashed out from all sides. A living man was worth 10 of the flesh gnashers, but the dead always outnumbered the living. Under the moonlight, they were almost overwhelmed. Then Prussian artillery started shelling the growing horde, allowing them an escape route. As they fled into night, it became apparent that the Frenchman had been hit in the chest with artillery shrapnel. Even though the three knew none of each other’s language, they all knew what had to be done. Despite Constantin's plees to leave him behind, Franz couldn't bring himself to abandon a fellow soldier. He pulled the shrapnel out piece by piece and bandaged the wound, saving Constantin from death. His screams and twisted flesh would haunt Franz whenever he remembered Sedan.

After resting a few hours, the three hiked back to Paris, arriving in time for the coronation of Kaiser Wilhelm I. They managed to strong-arm an army bureaucrat into giving Franz and Constantin their rightful compensation and release from service. Before they went their separate ways, they exchanged contact details, so the three men could correspond later. Franz went back to Vienna, secured an honorable discharge, and decided to settle down. He’d lost his taste for adventure and soldiering after the horrors of Sedan, or so he thought.

Utilizing his carefully saved army money, Franz was able to open a business as a gunsmith in Vienna. He quickly saw success by getting out in front of the newer innovations and was able to set his aging parents up well in his new home. The working class soldier suddenly found himself thrust into Vienna’s new wave of Bourgeoisie. While it was a culture shock at first, he soon became invested in efforts to help modernize Vienna and prepare for the coming age of technology and magic. He joined the state funded Imperial Society of Science and Magic to tell his stories of the horrors of Sedan and his experiences with the new wave of gatling firearms. It helped him to share his experience in a productive way. He also found love in a professor's daughter named Amelia, marrying her and establishing a family.

Franz was happy and successful, while raising his toddler daughter Sophia, but his old taste for adventure started to reawaken. Things in America were getting worse and the Emperor wanted somebody from the Imperial Society to go abroad and investigate more. Franz somewhat reluctantly volunteered. He didn’t want to leave his family and business, but he also couldn’t deny his desire to discover the happenings of the American West. He urged his friends from Sedan in letters to join him. While the Frenchman was reluctant, John agreed readily. The group took a ship together across the pond. Franz acquired a coach and the small band of old European soldiers is on their way to Selina, Kansas.