- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per week
- One post per week
- Slow As Molasses
- Writing Levels
- Adept
- Advanced
- Prestige
- Preferred Character Gender
- Male
- Female
- Primarily Prefer Male
- Genres
- Fantasy, SciFi, Modern, Magical
The sky roiled, black masses of cloud twisting and turning but never moving. Like gunfire, lightning flashed across the sky, the telltale cracks echoing across the empty plains below as electricity forked from one dark end of the horizon to the other. The earth seemed to hold its breath, for there was no movement of wind, and even the grasshoppers were quiet. A silence blanketed the land, unnatural and evil, and even the sky fell quiet.
Suddenly, as if clawing its way up from the deepest chasm, a knell shook the air, its bass tone rattling even the stones from their earthen cradles. And with it came the man. He stood in the field, knee deep in wild oat stalks, where there had moments before been no one. A black suit, finely tailored, covered a satin blouse of red, and the neck was pulled open. One hand rested in the pocket of the coat, unencumbered, and his other held a roll of paper. It was old, older than the man's aged suit, and a ribbon of jet bound it. A list of names were scrawled on its face, each written in blood. A hard gaze rested upon a town of medium size, it's wooden buildings barely breaking the horizon. The church steeple stood the highest, a thin cross obvious against the red twilight. The man's eyes narrowed, and his grip on the roll tightened. There was another knell, the town seemed to shudder in response, and the man was gone.
The bells had been rung. It was time to collect on the deals.
***
Golden City, Colorado Territory; the 1870s. It's a time of hard living. Cattle don't always bring the best price, the land doesn't alway yield bountiful crops, the train doesn't always arrive on time, the gold mines don't produce like they once did, and crime seems to care little for the few members of law enforcement that attempt to maintain order. Though of growing size, Golden City remained in the ever persistent shadow of Denver, a place only reinforced by the loss of the railroad laying race to Cheyenne.
You are a member of the community, whether farmer, smithy, grocer, postman, school teacher, or train conductor. Things might have otherwise been just fine for you. Yet something happened to upset the delicate balance upon which your life sat. Perhaps it was personal tragedy: the death of a father that necessitated you dropping school to help with the crops. Maybe it was a financial predicament: recent travel following the gold boom had left you penniless and in need of monetary assistance. It may have even been simply the desire for more, whatever that meant for you. Whatever the reason, you find yourself dissatisfied with your lot, and you want it changed.
And so the opportunity came. A man, nondescript save for the dress suit of darkest black, came to each of you as you wandered some dark path or roadway, always meeting you at a crossroad. He offered what you most desired at that moment: a bountiful crop, the health of a dying loved one, a job at which to be successful, or wealth with which to buy the hearts of those around you. Yet he made one demand; when he so chose, you must do as he bid when he bid it, or else be sent immediately to Damnation. It was an easy agreement to make, for who could honestly believe that any such man could make good on that threat?
On a particular night, some short time after the solstice, you hear a shuddering tone echo through Golden City, followed shortly by another. And soon after, a knock on your door…
***
Hey, all! So this is expressly an interest check. Before even considering character sign ups or whatnot, I want to check who might be interested. Should this happen, to give y'all the heads up, it'll be of a detailed nature, with a minimum of three paragraphs per post expected and post frequency tentatively every two weeks.
This will dive head first into the Tall Tales aspect of the Old West, supernatural aspects and all. Definitely had my inspiration from Ghost Rider, though it won't be exclusively "deal with the devil" in nature. Lots of room for Pecos Bill lassoing the tornado, etc. But it will for the most part be grounded in historical accuracy, save where the Tall Tales are concerned. Your characters will not be capable of amazing feats, save for things found during the story.
Let me know if this appeals to you, and we'll see where it leads us.
Suddenly, as if clawing its way up from the deepest chasm, a knell shook the air, its bass tone rattling even the stones from their earthen cradles. And with it came the man. He stood in the field, knee deep in wild oat stalks, where there had moments before been no one. A black suit, finely tailored, covered a satin blouse of red, and the neck was pulled open. One hand rested in the pocket of the coat, unencumbered, and his other held a roll of paper. It was old, older than the man's aged suit, and a ribbon of jet bound it. A list of names were scrawled on its face, each written in blood. A hard gaze rested upon a town of medium size, it's wooden buildings barely breaking the horizon. The church steeple stood the highest, a thin cross obvious against the red twilight. The man's eyes narrowed, and his grip on the roll tightened. There was another knell, the town seemed to shudder in response, and the man was gone.
The bells had been rung. It was time to collect on the deals.
***
Golden City, Colorado Territory; the 1870s. It's a time of hard living. Cattle don't always bring the best price, the land doesn't alway yield bountiful crops, the train doesn't always arrive on time, the gold mines don't produce like they once did, and crime seems to care little for the few members of law enforcement that attempt to maintain order. Though of growing size, Golden City remained in the ever persistent shadow of Denver, a place only reinforced by the loss of the railroad laying race to Cheyenne.
You are a member of the community, whether farmer, smithy, grocer, postman, school teacher, or train conductor. Things might have otherwise been just fine for you. Yet something happened to upset the delicate balance upon which your life sat. Perhaps it was personal tragedy: the death of a father that necessitated you dropping school to help with the crops. Maybe it was a financial predicament: recent travel following the gold boom had left you penniless and in need of monetary assistance. It may have even been simply the desire for more, whatever that meant for you. Whatever the reason, you find yourself dissatisfied with your lot, and you want it changed.
And so the opportunity came. A man, nondescript save for the dress suit of darkest black, came to each of you as you wandered some dark path or roadway, always meeting you at a crossroad. He offered what you most desired at that moment: a bountiful crop, the health of a dying loved one, a job at which to be successful, or wealth with which to buy the hearts of those around you. Yet he made one demand; when he so chose, you must do as he bid when he bid it, or else be sent immediately to Damnation. It was an easy agreement to make, for who could honestly believe that any such man could make good on that threat?
On a particular night, some short time after the solstice, you hear a shuddering tone echo through Golden City, followed shortly by another. And soon after, a knock on your door…
***
Hey, all! So this is expressly an interest check. Before even considering character sign ups or whatnot, I want to check who might be interested. Should this happen, to give y'all the heads up, it'll be of a detailed nature, with a minimum of three paragraphs per post expected and post frequency tentatively every two weeks.
This will dive head first into the Tall Tales aspect of the Old West, supernatural aspects and all. Definitely had my inspiration from Ghost Rider, though it won't be exclusively "deal with the devil" in nature. Lots of room for Pecos Bill lassoing the tornado, etc. But it will for the most part be grounded in historical accuracy, save where the Tall Tales are concerned. Your characters will not be capable of amazing feats, save for things found during the story.
Let me know if this appeals to you, and we'll see where it leads us.
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