Name: The Weird West
Opening ETA: Somewhere around May
Seeking: Storytellers & Admins
Location: Tombstone, Arizona and the surrounding areas
When: May 1881
What: Magic (completely homebrew) + Cowboys
Who: The Hashknife Regulators
Setting: Many men and women attempt to lay claim the nearby mines for wealth, power, and property. This is all thrown in disarray when they find an ancient box. When opened a rush of energy and light floods the mines, and in turn kills the eleven men and women within. This surge of energy unleashed unseen power in the human population and is now dubbed The Harrowing. Many beasts in the world have changed: some for the better, many for the worse. What's worst is this change has established a sense of lawlessness and fear across the known world, and humanity is fighting for survival or relative normalcy once more. A few even whisper of this being the end times.
Themes: Mystery: No one actually knows what happened, or why. Magic and magical animals now permeate the world, and no one flatly knows the cause outside of Tombstone. There are theories bandied about, of course, but no one truth may be right. The worst change of comes in the form of Hexen. Alien creatures hellbent on the death and destruction of humanity, and their frightening immunity to magic.
Themes: The Black Book: The Black Book is the standing repository of all knowledge of The Harrowing, and changes found in the immediate area. It is also a metaphorically living document, and information is almost constantly being added to it. The biggest necessitates for filling out more are research, autopsy, and plain experience with the changes wrought by The Harrowing.
Themes: Circling the Wagons: Even if you're not from Tombstone, you've a vested interest in its protection. Most of the surrounding towns have turned away or murdered anyone with any measure of magical ability, and a lone magician is simply prey for Hexen. However, Tombstone provides sanctuary even if you're only paying lip service to the Regulators.
Themes: The Good: People with magic are propositioned, strong-armed, and forced into the Regulators. The Regulators are a posse and militia of sorts headed by Tombstone's former sheriff Kelly Whitman. The Regulators serve as law enforcement, and double down as the standing defense against Hexen and the changed fera of the world.
Themes: The Bad: There are some people who'd take advantage of The Harrowing, and target innocents either with magic or good, old-fashioned robbery. While the law isn't what it used to be, there are bounties up and requests for returning stolen goods or avenging deaths.
Themes: The Ugly: Hexen are the primary threat to living, let alone peace, and seem to revel in this fact. No one knows their wants, their needs, or what are their true aims. However, one thing is true: they want every human in Tombstone. Hexen are humanoid beings covered in pale white skin, coal-black overlarge bug eyes,
Notes:
- Deadlands & other books/games/movies: I've been asked a few times over by people that have seen a few previews, but this isn't an adaptation of Deadlands or any other settings. I've yet to read such material, but will give it a go down the line.
- The only required book is Chronicles of Darkness, but we will be adapting some of the Mental, Physical, Social, and Fighting Merits from Hurt Locker on a case by case basis.
- XP: XP will be fairly low, but can be passively gained. Everyone starts with 1XP, passively gains XP that goes down over time, and active XP gains (the usual Beat gains) are capped at 1XP per week.