Welcome to Ghost Town, Texas, Population: 806. Ghost Town was founded by Belasco Graves, a wealthy businessman who lucked out when he won a deed for a Silver mine in a poker game. The silver had long run out, but he discovered the mine held a far more precious bounty: Ghost Rock. Graves reopened the nearby ghost town, formerly known as Cactusville, dubbed it Ghost Town in honor of the ore it's residents were going to mine, and soon it was booming.
Ghost Town is located in Texas, just below the borders of Kansas and Colorado. It is host to many miners, cowboys, gamblers, and drunks. Being located in disputed territory gives Ghost Town the ability to deal with a variety of clients including both the Union and Confederacy, as well as the Coyote Confederation and Sioux Nation. Graves is a careful player and makes certain that none of his buyers ever meet at the same time.
The town is geared towards keeping the miners happy, so it contains an appropriate number of brothels and saloons. The miners are pretty much allowed to do as they please so long as nobody gets killed. Unfortunately, harming a miner (even in self-defense) is a hanging offense. Graves, being the mayor and his brother Killian, being the town Judge, gets to make the laws. No one crosses either of them.
Despite the Graves brothers desires the town has grown to include a number of other residents, including the holy rollers lead by Rev. Seth Loveless. The Graves bros. had hoped to keep the towns population limited, so as to maintain their strict influence, but with the new influx of homesteaders they have begun to worry about losing their hold on the town.
They suspect that the Pinkertons have set up an undercover office in town, but they can't prove it. Belasco has so far managed to keep the Confederacy from building a fort nearby, but if the town keeps growing he fears the citizens may ask the South to build a fort just for protection. This will put a serious cramp into his cash flow as he heavily depends on the North's money, as well as cash from the Indian territories.
The mine is the biggest strike of Ghost Rock east of the Great Maze. Ghost Town is a cash cow that Belasco and his brother want to milk for as long as possible. They will eliminate any opposition to their plans. Hence, the other reason for the town's name.
Hi, welcome to my campaign setting for the Deadlands RPG. This is the place my players call home. I have tried to set up a town full of strife, where danger is a possibility everyday, and you can still relax once in a great while. I plan to list all the town's major characters, as well as the usual gizmo's, hexes, and such that any good Marshall gets to see pop up during his game. Please feel free to send comments. Thanks, I can be contacted at norse@clover.net, Ray Johnson.
Belasco Graves, presiding Mayor of Ghost Town.
Belsaco is first and foremost a businessman. He is greedy and ruthless, he cares only for money, and often takes big risks to make an extra dollar. Belasco cares for no one other than himself, not his men, not even his brother Killian. If he seems concerned for them it is only because he knows that without them he loses a fortune. So he has set the town up to keep the miners happy, and lets his brother dispense justice as he sees fit. To give an accurate description of the good mayor----he would kill his own mother for a dime, so long as she couldn't provide him with eleven cents.
Judge Killian Graves
Killian is as cold-hearted as his brother. Unlike Belasco, however, he lives to control the good people of Ghost Town. His brand of justice is swift and brutal. Any crime above public drunkenness is a hanging offense. Killian is so sick that he made the tree outside his home the Hanging Tree, just so he could watch the bodies sway in the morning breeze over coffee.
Sheriff Nicodemus Hazard
Nicodemus is, surprisingly, an honest hard working man. He tries his best to keep the peace, and to keep as many people out of Grave's courtroom. Hazard is one of the best gunmen in the west, but he prefers to use his wits over his guns. Quote, "Ok, everybody. Let's all keep our heads, before I have ta blow your's off."
Deputy Chase Hunter
Chase used to be a bounty hunter, but he settled down in Ghost Town after Sheriff Hazard saved his life. Hunter feels like he owes Hazard, and he won't let anything happen to him if he can help it. Chase is good with a gun, but he isn't at Hazard's level yet. Still he was good enough to make a living hunting down dangerous outlaws for some years.
Reverend Seth Loveless
Rev. Loveless is a truly pious man. He is, of course, one of the blessed. He can quote the bible word for word, but he has also studied the Torah and Koran. Loveless knows that the Graves brothers are demons garbbed in human flesh in the service of Mammon (money). He does everything in his power to chip away at the grip they have over the townspeople.
Dr. Damien Ambition
The local mad scientist. Dr. Ambition was originally brought west by Belasco, who hoped he would be able to invent better mining equipment. It turned out that Ambition got to Texas and felt inspired to create, anything but mining equipment. Now he spends his time building marvelous new devices, like Dr. Ambition's Fabulous Frankenstein Machine and the Ambitious Tank.
Proff. Powers Thirteen
The good professor is a Snakeoil Salesman (a class of my own making which will be elaborated upon later). He spends his time selling minor ointments and medicines while secretly experimenting with his chemicals. He is a top notch Snakeoil Salesman, an alchemist if you will.
Bartender Gunther Hellman
Gunther is a great bartender, it's just a shame that he died several years ago. Gunther used to be a Texas Ranger, at the time he went by the name of Gus Oldman. He crossed paths with a Sioux brave and had his heart cut out for his troubles. When he rose a few days later he swore off the law, and took to bartending. Unfortunately, several weeks ago he lost his battle for control, and right now his demon is in the driver's seat. Hellman has been secretly tainting his alcohol with the microscopic spore of Texas Tummy Twisters. The town will soon be suffering a serious outbreak due to his efforts.
Squirrel-Toothed Annie, "Barmaid"
Annie works the Three Legged Dog Saloon as a, ahem, barmaid. She does tend to vanish with a customer once in a while, but before long she's back tending to the rest of the bar's customers. Because of her outgoing and cheerful disposition (and her upstairs antics) she has the scoop on just about every major player in town.
Johnny "Cardshark" Riverbottom
Johnny came to Ghost Town when he was down on his luck. He'd been run out of Mississippi after being caught cheating at cards. He left Kansas under similar circumstances, only this time he left minus a finger on his right hand. He swore that if he made it out of there alive he'd give up cheating and become an honest gambler. So far he hasn't kept to his word, but he has been on one long "lucky" streak. Johnny knows that eventually he'll get caught, and so is always looking for a reason to leave town, but until Gunther kicks him out or a cowpoke gets wise to him he'll stay planted in his chair at the Three Legged Dog Saloon.
Undertaker Milton Dante
Milton is a solemn man. He is rarely seen unless somebody kicks the bucket or the bucket kicks them. He is always dressed in black, with dark spectacles covering his eyes. Milton is tall and gangly, and some folks say he's so thin that if he turned sideways he'd disappear. What no one knows about Uncle Milty is that he is the murderous Orchard Jack. Orchard Jack came from Ohio, where he had a penchant for hanging small children from Apple trees. He went from orchard to orchard leaving small bodies dangling from the trees. He has been drawn here by Judge Killian Grave's penchant for hanging folks. To add to the town's woes he has successfully grown a Hanging Tree just south of town. The tree will grab anybody that walks beneath it, and will hang them. Milton plans to resume his hanging career soon.
Juan Chavez, General Store
Jaun, a man of 60, keeps the town supplied. He is a hard worker, and keeps out of other people's business. He is good friends with Ash Cage, the local muckraker. Jaun used to be in the Mexican army, but he moved north long before the incident with the Alamo. He refuses to take up arms again. Recently, his daughter, 13, disappeared, and since she often talked of going back to old Mexico to be with her mother he isn't concerned yet. He has hopes that Ash can locate his daughter.
Miss Judy Primrose, Schoolmarm
Miss Primrose is a strict disiplinarian. She preaches the three R's and lots of homework. She considers each of her students to be her own children. They are her life, and she will be the first one to notice if the children have any kind of problems. Outwardly though, she is closed and harsh. It will take a lot to get her to admit her affection for the children.
The Four Jacks
The four Jacks are a group of friends who hang out at the Three Legged Dog Saloon.
"Hatchet" Jack Pratchett: Hatchet Jack had his left hand removed for being a horse thief. He tied a hatchet to his stump, gave up thieving, and took up drinking. He is always inebriated.
Mad Jack Bishop: Mad Jack suffers from a different form of dementia each day. He is rumoured to have been a mad scientist who pushed the envelope a bit too far. Fact is, Mad Jack is in fact a Pinkerton spy. He keeps an eye on the the townsfolks and reports back daily in coded messages that the telegraph office can't understand. His "madness" is his cover, this way he can go places and do things without anyone getting the wiser.
One-Eyed Jack Rath: One-Eye used to be a cowboy, but he gave up his nights on the range when weird things started showing up. Rath plans on spending the rest of his days playing cards and gettin' 3 sheets to the wind.
Black Jack Reeves: Jack is the saloon's bouncer. He tries to keep things quiet, but rarely gets up from the table to do so. He is called Black Jack because he carries one and uses it on rowdy customers.
Ash Cage, Muckraker
Ash was sent west by his paper in New York City to investigate the strange goings on. He was chosen not so much for his writing skill, but for his unerring ability to find trouble. He has started his own paper in town, but still reports to New York once a month via telegraph. His paper, the Ghost Hunter, is a mixture of accurate facts and complete falsehoods. Not that Ash has a clue as to which is which. Because off his connection back east Ash can get a lot of information (that is accurate) quickly. He may actually learn about Orchard Jack's murderous past if he thinks to write New York.