Express Train to Hell
Major Players
Here's the bio's and stats of the main characters in this adventure, plus details on all the minor bad guys and characters too.
Here's the bio's and stats of the main characters in this adventure, plus details on all the minor bad guys and characters too.
Carlton Kent was born in Virginia in 1836 and was an ordinary God-fearing man until war broke out in '61. He fought for his country for 2 years, more out of a sense of duty than any real belief in the cause, but deserted his post in 1864 after recieving a battle shock-induced vision of how makind could be saved by making their own way to Heaven. Kent headed out West and ended up in Salt Lake city, a place he had heard was a refuge for those of different religious beliefs. He soon discovered what a load of old claptrap that was and that only Mormons got ahead in life in that desert city. He instead set up a farm 5 miles East of the city and began recruiting believers into his flock.
The manitou came to him early in 1876 in the form of a "Messenger from Heaven" and soon persuaded him to give up his spirit in return for "absolute enlightenment". The Greater manitou that inhabits Carlton Kent's still living body is evil incarnate, and powerful to boot. Kent went before his congregation at the farmstead and announced that he was now the "Messenger", an envoy from heaven and would bring the faithful to the promised land in small numbers at a time. Kent selected the most loyal 12 devoutees whom he could trust to carry out his sinister plan and set to work conditioning them for the journey ahead. Six months later and his plan has neared fruition.
The Greater Manitou inside Kent's body is of such power that it has not survived without a physical effect on Carlton's form. His eyeballs have turned a jet black colour due to the evil presence inside of him (the eyes being the mirrors of the soul and all that) and when he gets angry his fingernails and teeth grow that bit longer. The manitou also consumes a lot of supernatural energy and requires replenishing about once per week. Replenishment takes the form of sucking the very essence and soul from a human being and consuming it for himself. These souls have been supplied to him courtesy of those cult applicants who have been deemed "unsuitable". No longer are they sent home with a sympathetic smile but are locked away by Kent in a secret dungeon and culled once per week. The fear created by these prisoners gives the Reckoners something to snack on while they await the fruits of their scheme to ripen. No other cult member knows of this little secret.
Kent stands at around 5'9" tall, is fairly fit from his fighting years, has receeding black hair slicked back on his head and wears a set of opaque spectacles to hide his unatural eye colour (his fellow cult member accept this as being natural for God's Messenger but other folk get perturbed by his obsidian black eyes). Kent always dresses in a smart black suit and wears the cults flaming portal ring at all times.
COG 2d8, KNO 4d8, MIE 2d12+2, SMA 3d8, SPI 4d12+4
Scrutinize 3d8, Academia:Occult 5d8, Language:English 3d8, Language:Arcane 3d8, Leadership 4d12+2, Overawe 3d12+2, Performin:Speeches 2d12+2, Persuasion 5d12+2, Tale Tellin' 2d12+2, Bluff 3d8, Faith:Reckoners 5d12+4
DEF 2d6, NIM 3d8, STR 2d12+2, QUI 4d8, VIG 4d10
Dodge 2d8, Fightin':Brawlin/Wrasslin' 4d8
Wind:26
Gear: A golden Sacred Gate ring, worth around $5. Opaque spectacles
Harrowed Powers: Supernatural Traits (Mien & Strength), Nightmare 4, Soul Sucker 4, Voice O the Damned 3, Claws 3
Edges 'n' Hindrances: Anything associated with a Greater Manitou masquerading as a charismatic cult leader...
Special Rules:
Kent is a Betrayer as detailed on the Official Deadlands Website - A living person possesed by a manitou. In this case a Greater Manitou has possesed Kent and as such has more power and a higher Spirit.
Immune the effects of fear (passes all Guts checks automatically - including Overawe tests)
Ignores 2 levels of pain modifiers as if Harrowed, but takes wind damage as a normal, living person
Needs to absorb a human soul once per week through the use of the Soul Sucker power
Tom used to be a good old fashioned, mean as a rattler, gun for hire up until a few years ago when he noticed something distinctly odd about the West. He secretly witnessed a gunfight in a back alley in Dodge City between a locally famous gunslinger and some unknown stranger who's guns flashed with an odd light. The stranger filled the other man with eldritch fire from his guns and, thinking he had not been seen, fled the scene. Tom was amazed by what had occured and tracked down the Hexslinger begging to be taught his powers. The Hexslinger saw Tom for the greedy and cold individual that he was and refused. This did not go down well with Tom who lost his temper and beat the hexslinger unconscious with a plank of wood. He then took the body to an abandonned warehouse and there had the hexslinger teach Tom the secrets of his art under pain of death and torture. For several weeks Tom kept the hexslinger hostage, slowly learning the basics of hexslinging in the process and keeping his captive suitably weak so he could not escape.
Then one day the hexslinger was able to trick Tom into giving him an unloaded pistol to demonstrate a hex for him, the hexslinger saw his opportunity and fired a bullet of eldritch power into Tom's face. Half blinded and mad with pain Tom lashed out with his own supernatural power and unloaded both his peacemakers into the Hexslinger, the magical bullets spread their target's body all over that abandonned warehouse. One of the bullets hit a deck of cards in the hexslinger's pocket and sent cards flying in all directions, Tom fled the warehouse clutching his bleeding face as playing cards rained down around him.
Tom had to leave Dodge city after that and lost an eye from his facial injury. He changed his name from Tom to "Ace" Stark and set up home in the vast City O Gloom where his past would not catch up with him. He took time to hone his rough Hexslinging talents and now hangs out with a gang of outlaws from Texas whom he bullies into going along with whatever money-making crime he has in mind. So far he has avoided being caught by the local law as they have not proved his involvement with any of the city's crimes. He did kill a man outside Madame Marie's dance hall last week and left an ace of hearts in his breast pocket, but this was "proved" to be self defense by his witnesses - the rest of his gang.
Ace has been hired by Zacharia Smithe to steal an Horglass from a Wasatch supply convoy. He is being paid $1000 for his efforts and will get $1000 more if he helps to hijack a Wasatch train later in the day. He knows nothing of the cult or it's sinister plan, but he likely wouldn't care anyhow - he just wants the money!Ace is a tall, lean man of 6', has a droopy black handlebar moustache and an eyepatch over his left eye. He wears a navy blue duster, a red shirt and has the four suits from a deck of cards tattoed on each of his knuckles
COG 2d6, KNO 2d8, MIE 3d8, SMA 2d10, SPI 2d10
Scrutinize 2d6, Trackin' 2d6, Academia:Occult 1d8, Demolition 1d8, Medicine:General 2d8, Leadership 2d8, Overawe 3d8, Bluff 2d10, Gamblin' 3d10, Ridicule 2d10, Survival:General 2s10, Streetwise 3d10, Guts 4d10
DEF 3d10, NIM 3d8, STR 2d8, QUI 5d10, VIG 3d8
Gunplay 4d10, Shootin':Pistol 6d10, Speedload:Pistol 3d10, Dodge 2d8, Fightin':Brawlin' 2d8, Ridin' 4d8, Sneak 2d8, Quickdraw:Pistol 5d10
Wind: 22
Hexes: Ammo Whammy 3, Loaded For Bear 3, Bullet With Your Name on it 4, Knife Through Butter 2, Longbarrel Special 3, Phantom Quickload 5
Note - If you haven't got Law Dogs the hexes basically have the following effects, in order: Creates bullets out of thin air; increases die type of damage dice of bullets; reduces penalties to hit if you speak targets name; gives bullets greater armour penetration; increases range of weapon; Phantom Quickload is on my Hexes page. Basically higher hands give greater effect, an Ace is the minimum hand needed, most drain one wind per round to maintain and have a speed of 2 to cast. When casting these hexes, cards do not appear in Ace's hands, his guns are his focus and they glow ever-so slightly
Edges n Hindrances: Mean as a Rattler, Greedy, Vengeful, Focus Dependant (-2), bad eyes (-2), Keen, Arcane Background:Hexslinger, Tough as nails (2)
Gear: Single action peacemaker of quality (set trigger, pearl handled, black metal) quickdraw holster, fast horse, 50 bullets, trail gear, $50
Zach used to be a fine upstanding member of the Mormon community of Salt lake city but his dabblings in the art of science and his dealings with manitous soon drove him mildly insane. He suffered terrible lapses of memory loss and had an "alter ego" who loved to drink, womanise and generally act immorallly in the eyes of the fun-hating Mormons. Tired of being continually blacklisted and shunned by his fellow Mormons he left the comfort of their religion and moved to Junkyard where he got a job working at Hellstromme Industries Plant#1 designing engine systems and combustion thrusters for Hellstrommes many railroad vehicles and locomotives.
Zach secretly missed the lifestyle of the Mormons and found new hope when he crossed the path of Carlton Kent who was setting up a new "free" religion outside of town. Zach and Kent soon became good friends and Zach's ties to the City of Gloom made him the perfect candidate to find new recruits in that hell hole called Junkyard. Most people there have a tough time of things and find they can never make enough money to leave the city. A death by Black Lung seems to be the fate of most and so Zach preyed on this hope of a better place to find suitable folk to join the Sacred Gate cult.
Zach believes wholeheartedly in the Cult's "raison d'etre" but since "Carlton Kent" has become known as "The Messenger" he has noticed a distinct change in the way things work. Kent has now asked him to do a few things around town that could be described as a bit "dodgy", namely to hire somebody to steal the Hourglass and then hijack a train - not to metion the explosives he must design! Zach reasons that it's all for the greater good - both for the cult and for those aboard the train who's souls will be "saved" by the cults actions. Any time his reasoning becomes muddled his alter ego takes over and gets on with any morally ambiguous activities. Neither personality knows anything of Kent's true nature nor his ultimate plans for the cult.Zacharia is a short, wiry man of middle years. His hair is wild and snow white in colour (although the grime of ghost rock smoke makes it appear grey) and his fingertips are stained black through contact with the dreaded fuel. He wears a white Wasatch lab coat smeared with muck and often forgets to take it off even in his private hours. He has a terribly muddled memory y'see.
COG 2d8, KNO 1d10, MIE 3d6, SMA 2d10, SPI 2d4
Scrutinize 4d8, Academia:Theology 1d10, Demolition 4d10, Science:Combustion/Engineering/Chemistry 4d10, Trade:Metalsmith 3d10, Trade:SteamEngines 2d10, Persuasion 4d6, Scroungin' 3d10, Tinkerin' 4d10, Guts 2d4
DEF 2d4, NIM 3d6, STR 2d6, QUI 2d6, VIG 2d4
Shootin':Automatics 2d4, Drivin':Steamwagon 2d6,Drivin':Rocket Car 2d6, Fightin: Blunt 2d6
Wind: 8
Edges 'n' Hindrances: Arcane:Mad Scientist, Loco (Multiple Personality Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Absent Minded), intolerance:Mormons, Loyal (Kent and the Cult), The Voice (enthusiastic/persuasive)
Gear: Nothing of note on his person, he even forgets to wear his Sacred Gate ring.
Things didn't go at all well for him and when the factory he worked in was bombed by Danites he soon found himself out of work. Marcus was forced to live for a year in the most wretched hole in the West, namely Sludgetown on the banks of Sludge Creek. Living off diseased rats and ghostrock-polluted water nearly killed Marcus, but he was saved from all this by Zacharia Smithe, who, whilst out recruiting on the way home from work, saw in Freeman an intelligence and a desperation to rise above the filth he was surrounded by. Marcus was admitted to the newly formed Saced Gate cult and lived a life of comparitive bliss farming on the Cults headquarters out of town. His devotion, loyalty and intelligence soon saw him rise through the ranks of the cult to become one of Kent's most trusted members. Skin colour meant nothing to this group of God-fearing individuals and everybody was treated as an equal.
Since Kent was possesed by the manitou he has been grooming Marcus for a very special purpose. Kent has told him he will not be going with the first group of travellers to Heaven but will instead remain to lead those cult memebrs left behind and be prepared to recieve "The Messenger" himself in a few days time, so that the cult's numbers may be built up once again and a new group of Travellers sent on their way to their Heavenly destination.
Kent's manitou, once it relinquishes control of it's mortal body in the Deadlands, will return to Earth to posses the willing body of Marcus Freeman and start the whole process over again...
Marcus Freeman is a middle aged, powerfully built black man. His hair is beginning to grey at the sides but he still strikes an imposing figure (which is one reason why Kent chose him as his successor). Marcus wears his Sacred Gate ring all the time and simple, white clothes when at rest on the farmhouse. When recieving visitors or giving talks he dons Kent's white robe of office with a blazing ring of Heavenly fire sewn onto the front.
DEF 1d6, NIM 2d6, STR 2d8, QUI 2d8, VIG 3d8
Shootin':Shotgun 2s6, Fightin':Brawlin' 3d6
Wind: 14
Edges 'n' Hindrances: Loyal (cult), Self Righteous, The Voice (persuasive), Intolerance (racists and biggots), Brave
A collection of stats for all those minor characters and bad guys in the adventure.
The remaining trio answer to the names Joe Landergaugh, "Big" Bill Waits, and his younger brother Cole Waits. The former has a large bushy beard and stinks to high heaven, the latter two are identical save for their height - "Big" Bill is 5'3" and his brother is nearly a foot taller.
Statistics D 2d8, N 3d8, St 3d6, Q 4d6, V 3d6, C 2d4, K 1d6, M 2d6, Sm 2d6, Sp 3d6
Shootin':Pistol (Rifle for Cole) 3d8, Speedload:Pistol 2d8, Climbin' 2d8, Ridin' 2d8, Fightin':Brawlin'/Knife 2d8, Quickdraw 2d6, Search 1d4, Trackin' 3d4, Area Knowledge:Texas 2d6, Demolition 1d6, Overawe 2d6, Gamblin' 2d6, Guts 3d6.
Gear: Single action Colt Walker, 25 rounds of ammo, Spencer rifle for Cole, Grimy dusters, poor horses, 3d6 dollars in Confederate scrip, 3d6 union dollars, and 2d6 Deseret Dollars.
There's a real mixture of folk that make up the stock of Kent's Cult, but the common bond is that they are all looking for something better than what they have seen and experienced in their own lives. Kent's taken with him the morally questionable and more trusted individuals - namely the 11 who have been in the cult longest - and left behind the younger, newer, and less "conditioned" individuals (about 15 altogether). Caucasian Men and women equally make up the members with one or two black americans sucked in too. The younger members are non-violent in general and spend their time farming, studying or listening to lectures on the farmstead. All their wordly possesions go towards the Cult fund, which puts clothes on their backs and food on the table.
During learning hours they wear white robes with the Sacred Gate burning ring of fire logo. At other times they wear simple clothes. They each have a golden Sacred Gate ring on their left hand on the wedding finger - symbolising their marriage to their belief.
Statistics
D 1d6, N 2d6, St 1d8, Q 2d6, V 3d6, C 2d6, K 3d6, M 1d8, Sm 2d8, Sp 2d4
Shootin':Shotgun/rifle/pistol 1d6, Fightin':Brawlin'/Club 2d6, Sneak 1d6, Teamster 1d6, Scrutinize 1d6, Area Knowledge:Deseret East 2d6, Language:English 2d6, Academia:Theology 2d6, Persuasion 2d8, Tale Tellin' 1d8, Faith:Sacred Gate 3d4, Guts 2d4Gear: Nothing of worldly value. The cultists with Kent on the train are armed with a variety of weapons (which they use inexpertly - that's why the outlaws were needed) including Shotguns, Pistols, Rifles, coshes and knives.