Cleverbird

Black Powder Arcana

Whaaaat? I'd never do a thing like that to our most glorious leader to whom we may thank the rising of the sun. That'd just be crazy-talk.

Black Powder Arcana

Probably gonna wait till our esteemed master has posted, so I have more to reply to :P

Black Powder Arcana

Yesss... Yessssss... Praise me morrrrrrre, master~

I kinda want to post and reply to the hobo harassing Lily, but I'd like to know what everybody else is up to before doing so.

Black Powder Arcana

Aw man, I got totally excited hoping there were two new IC posts :'(

Black Powder Arcana

Scare me? Nah, it motivated me :D

Black Powder Arcana

_{____________________________________________________________________________}

L i l y "R E D" O a k l e y

^{____________________________________________________________________________}

"Find him, bind him
Tie him to a pole and break
His fingers to splinters
Drag him to a hole until he
Wakes up, naked
Clawing at the ceiling
Of his grave"

It was a verse Lily had repeated ad nauseam and one she hummed to herself as she rode into the town of Ulysses. The sky was already turning a muddled orange as the sun was setting down across the horizon, casting her twisted shadow across the road. The few people still out and about warily eyed the stranger, but she paid them no heed. In another lifetime, she probably would've been more excited coming to a place like this and seeing so many people; nowadays they were more trouble than worth.

Still, Ulysses was different. Ever since the... Event, she had felt a pull in this direction and only now that she had set foot in the well trodden streets of the town, did she know that this was her final destination. You could feel it in the air, like a building tension just waiting to snap and burst open; pouring its vile intentions all over whoever just happened to be around. Whether she was here to stop it, or help it along was another question all together.

The brown horse neighed in relieve as he finally came to a stop in front of the saloon, happy to finally get some rest after the many days of traveling the desert. Lily slapped the beasts's neck, wishing she could still feel the sense of familiarity; after all, it had been her father's favorite steed. But no amount of wishing could wash away the feeling of the creature simply being another beast of burden among many others.

Irked with herself, Lily turned and headed towards the door; but not before stopping to read the various notes plastered across the wall. Some were old and weathered, the poor printing no longer legible. There were a few fresh ones though, with the first one catching Lily's interest. It was about a farmstead coming under attack. While it lacked any details, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of similarity to what happened at her home. Had the gang of twelve really set up shop around Ulysses?

The second poster was of equal interest. It seemed like the sheriff was rounding up a posse to investigate the farmstead. Tearing the poster from the wall, Lily stuffed the piece of paper into her duster. If the sheriff was this desperate to hire on outsiders and riff-raff, it meant it was beyond him and his deputy's control.

Pushing into the saloon, Lily felt more wary eyes gaze upon her. The town was on edge, that much was obvious. Ignoring the patrons, Lily made her way up towards the bar and caught the bartender's attention.

"A whiskey." She simply stated.

The bartender carefully examined the woman before him, she was a stranger in town after all; and with all the bad stuff happening around the place, who knew what she was here for?

Lily felt the man's gaze sizing her up before lingering around her throat, where the rather obscene scar was hard to miss. Pulling up her red scarf to cover it up, she glared at the man. "Whiskey." She less said and more commanded.

The man silently nodded before fetching her a dirtied glass of liquor. Taking a quick sip while slamming some coins onto the counter told Lily that the swill was watered down to the point where it was barely even whiskey anymore. Still, alcohol was alcohol.

"Where might I find the sheriff?" She asked. "I'd like to inquire about the Jefferson farmstead."

Black Powder Arcana

Gotta say, that was an intimidatingly great opening post! Not sure when I have the time to make my post though, super busy with being sick (yay...) and starting a new job (yay!)

Black Powder Arcana

Lily "Red" Oakley

---

Hear the Devil callin'.
Hear the Devil callin'.
Well, I hear the Devil callin',
gotta pay him what he's due.
I can't stop the Dogs of War.

___________________________________________ L I L Y O A K L E Y "ʀᴇᴅ" 34 | ♀ ᴍᴜɴᴅᴀɴᴇ ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ ♠ Ambidexterity ♠ Marksmanship ♠ Fighting ♠ Big game hunter ♠ Survival ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ ♥ Emotionless, except extremes and the 7 sins ♥ Supernatural aim, time slows as the adrenaline gets pumping ᴇqᴜɪᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ ♣ ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴꜱ ♦ 2x Colt Single Action Army A pair of reliable single action revolvers, each holding 6 .45 Colt cartridges. These particular models are the models issued to cavalry units, coming with 7 1⁄2 inch barrels. ♦ Winchester Model 1866 A rugged lever-action rifle chambered in .44 Henry. It's tube magazine holds 15 rounds. It's leather strap allows it to easily be carried over a shoulder.	ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ Lily stands at 1.7m tall and is probably most easily recognized by a her dark red, almost crimson colored hair. Her eyes are a muddied brown and have an uncanny hardness to them, speaking volumes of the horrors she has witnessed. Her skin is fair, tanned by the many hours she has spend under the unforgiving glare of the sun. There are a myriad of scars marring her body, from animal slashes to gunshot wounds. The most notable is a nasty gash that runs horizontally across her throat. She normally attempts to cover the latter one up with her iconic red scarf. ᴅᴇꜱᴄʀɪᴘᴛᴏʀ A cursed gunslinger seeking revenge against those who killed her. ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ The memories of before my death seem like a lifetime away now... I used to have it good, y'know? My parents, my little brother and little sister; all living peacefully on our own little plot of land far away from civilization. The ground was good for crops and game aplenty. We worked the lands and were happy with the way things were. It's where my pa taught me how to shoot, hunt and survive. Ah, but we all know what this place does to a good thing, don't we? They came riding in at dusk. Bandits, raiders, outlaws... Whatever you want to call them. A posse of twelve had entered our lands and were making a beeline for our home. My pa told us to hide in the barn as he tried to reason with them. I found myself a crack in the paneling I could peer through as my pa approached the gang, cocking his rifle. Now my pa was a big man, the kinda guy everybody had to look up at. But the leader of this gang towered over my pa! A hulking mass of muscle. I was too far away to hear what was said, but you could tell things were rapidly going downhill by the gang's laughter. Things quickly went south as they ganged up on my pa, mercilessly beating him down into the dirt. I screamed in instinct, drawing the attention of the outlaws. Bearing down onto the barn like a pack of wild dogs, they dragged us out into the open. Now I wish this all had a happy ending, but we both know better, don't we? I had hoped, prayed, that these men were here merely for money or food... But god has turned a blind eye to this part of the world, hasn't he? I watched how they strung my little brother up into a tree and used him as target practice for their knifes... My dad was beaten until even I didn't recognize his face anymore. As for my little sister, mother and me. Well... I'm sure you're the imaginative kind. Let's just say their screams will haunt me till the day I die. As the sun dipped below the hills, I began noticing weirder things. The outlaws had set up a large fire, bathing the area in an eerie orange glow. But it was their shadows that seemed off, hunched and deformed. More beast than man. Weirder still, was the shady figure darting between them. Perhaps it was the abuse I was receiving that day, my mind trying to concoct a reason as to why a human being could possibly be this cruel. But I swear there was a thirteenth member of the gang among them. His shape was a mere wisp of smoke, featureless like a shadow. It would move from man to man and whisper something into their eyes before they would enact yet another horrifying act. Now, I could regale you with all the horrors they inflicted on me that evening, but I doubt you're here for that. No, I told you I died, didn't I? When the first rays of sunlight broke over the hills, I was approached by their leader. The absolute giant of a man had stayed remarkably absent during his gang's festivities during the night. I still remember the words he spoke to me like he said them yesterday... "My my, you survived?" He told me with a noticeable glee in his voice. Grabbing me by my hair, he pulled me up as if I weighed nothing. "Tell him I said hello." He growled. Before I could even bother to form the question who he meant, he dragged a knife across my throat. I collapsed to the ground, desperately clutching my throat as I quickly began choking on my own blood. The last thing I remember seeing before darkness overtook me was the man grinning down at me, his teeth awfully sharp for a human. Now this is where I would tell you that I saw the white light, right? That my family was eagerly awaiting me with open arms. But that's just a load of bull. There was nothing. Blankness. Void. No warmth nor cold. There was a light though, but it didn't come from some heavenly portal. I simply found myself opening my eyes and staring up at the clear blue sky. Sitting up with a start, I reached for my throat; finding nothing but caked blood and the charming scar I have today. I wasnt alone though. Before stood perhaps the oddest figure I've ever seen. A small, spindly man in a dirty suit that looked more at home in a bank. His cheeks were gaunt and his skin awfully pale. But what I remember the most were his eyes. The bluest blue I'd ever seen. He simply said to me the following: "Find him, bind him Tie him to a pole and break His fingers to splinters Drag him to a hole until he Wakes up, naked Clawing at the ceiling Of his grave" And just like that, he was gone; vanished like smoke. The homestead was razed. I buried my family, yet felt no remorse or sadness. It was as of a part of me died that evening. All I knew was that I would find this gang and kill them with my own two hands. Which is what brought me to Ulysses. See, ever since that night I've felt a pull. Like something guiding me towards this place. Whether this is just a stop in between or the end of my journey I don't know... But how about you pour me another whiskey and we'll see what the night bring?

Black Powder Arcana

I was thinking of elaborating the gang a bit further, but I think my sheet is pretty much done.

Black Powder Arcana

A wippity for now!

Lily "Red" Oakley

---

Hear the Devil callin'.
Hear the Devil callin'.
Well, I hear the Devil callin',
gotta pay him what he's due.
I can't stop the Dogs of War.

___________________________________________ L I L Y O A K L E Y "ʀᴇᴅ" 34 | ♀ ᴍᴜɴᴅᴀɴᴇ ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ ♠ Ambidexterity ♠ Marksmanship ♠ Fighting ♠ Big game hunter ♠ Survival ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ ♥ Emotionless, except extremes and the 7 sins ♥ Supernatural aim, time slows as the adrenaline gets pumping ᴇqᴜɪᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ ♣ ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴꜱ ♦ 2x Colt Single Action Army A pair of reliable single action revolvers, each holding 6 .45 Colt cartridges. These particular models are the models issued to cavalry units, coming with 7 1⁄2 inch barrels. ♦ Winchester Model 1866 A rugged lever-action rifle chambered in .44 Henry. It's tube magazine holds 15 rounds. It's leather strap allows it to easily be carried over a shoulder.	ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ Lily stands at 1.7m tall and is probably most easily recognized by a her dark red, almost crimson colored hair. Her eyes are a muddied brown and have an uncanny hardness to them, speaking volumes of the horrors she has witnessed. Her skin is fair, tanned by the many hours she has spend under the unforgiving glare of the sun. There are a myriad of scars marring her body, from animal slashes to gunshot wounds. The most notable is a nasty gash that runs horizontally across her throat. She normally attempts to cover the latter one up with her iconic red scarf. ᴅᴇꜱᴄʀɪᴘᴛᴏʀ A cursed gunslinger seeking revenge against those who killed her. ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ The memories of before my death seem like a lifetime away now... I used to have it good, y'know? My parents, my little brother and little sister; all living peacefully on our own little plot of land far away from civilization. The ground was good for crops and game aplenty. We worked the lands and were happy with the way things were. It's where my pa taught me how to shoot, hunt and survive. Ah, but we all know what this place does to a good thing, don't we? They came riding in at dusk. Bandits, raiders, outlaws... Whatever you want to call them. A posse of twelve had entered our lands and were making a beeline for our home. My pa told us to hide in the barn as he tried to reason with them. I found myself a crack in the paneling I could peer through as my pa approached the gang, cocking his rifle. Now my pa was a big man, the kinda guy everybody had to look up at. But the leader of this gang towered over my pa! A hulking mass of muscle. I was too far away to hear what was said, but you could tell things were rapidly going downhill by the gang's laughter. Things quickly went south as they ganged up on my pa, mercilessly beating him down into the dirt. I screamed in instinct, drawing the attention of the outlaws. Bearing down onto the barn like a pack of wild dogs, they dragged us out into the open. Now I wish this all had a happy ending, but we both know better, don't we? I had hoped, prayed, that these men were here merely for money or food... But god has turned a blind eye to this part of the world, hasn't he? I watched how they strung my little brother up into a tree and used him as target practice for their knifes... My dad was beaten until even I didn't recognize his face anymore. As for my little sister, mother and me. Well... I'm sure you're the imaginative kind. Let's just say their screams will haunt me till the day I die. As the sun dipped below the hills, I began noticing weirder things. The outlaws had set up a large fire, bathing the area in an eerie orange glow. But it was their shadows that seemed off, hunched and deformed. More beast than man. Weirder still, was the shady figure darting between them. Perhaps it was the abuse I was receiving that day, my mind trying to concoct a reason as to why a human being could possibly be this cruel. But I swear there was a thirteenth member of the gang among them. His shape was a mere wisp of smoke, featureless like a shadow. It would move from man to man and whisper something into their eyes before they would enact yet another horrifying act. Now, I could regale you with all the horrors they inflicted on me that evening, but I doubt you're here for that. No, I told you I died, didn't I? When the first rays of sunlight broke over the hills, I was approached by their leader. The absolute giant of a man had stayed remarkably absent during his gang's festivities during the night. I still remember the words he spoke to me like he said them yesterday... "My my, you survived?" He told me with a noticeable glee in his voice. Grabbing me by my hair, he pulled me up as if I weighed nothing. "Tell him I said hello." He growled. Before I could even bother to form the question who he meant, he dragged a knife across my throat. I collapsed to the ground, desperately clutching my throat as I quickly began choking on my own blood. The last thing I remember seeing before darkness overtook me was the man grinning down at me, his teeth awfully sharp for a human. Now this is where I would tell you that I saw the white light, right? That my family was eagerly awaiting me with open arms. But that's just a load of bull. There was nothing. Blankness. Void. No warmth nor cold. There was a light though, but it didn't come from some heavenly portal. I simply found myself opening my eyes and staring up at the clear blue sky. Sitting up with a start, I reached for my throat; finding nothing but caked blood and the charming scar I have today. I wasnt alone though. Before stood perhaps the oddest figure I've ever seen. A small, spindly man in a dirty suit that looked more at home in a bank. His cheeks were gaunt and his skin awfully pale. But what I remember the most were his eyes. The bluest blue I'd ever seen. He simply said to me the following: "Find him, bind him Tie him to a pole and break His fingers to splinters Drag him to a hole until he Wakes up, naked Clawing at the ceiling Of his grave" And just like that, he was gone; vanished like smoke. The homestead was razed. I buried my family, yet felt no remorse or sadness. It was as of a part of me died that evening. All I knew was that I would find this gang and kill them with my own two hands. Which is what brought me to Ulysses. See, ever since that night I've felt a pull. Like something guiding me towards this place. Whether this is just a stop in between or the end of my journey I don't know... But how about you pour me another whiskey and we'll see what the night bring?