((This is a tale, told by Miss Kitty. It is aided by Lin Fuqua, Buddy, Molly, and Mayor MacDonald. Bennies will be used as necessary. This occurs after the Mayor calls to the farmers to come with him back to the town.))
Miss Kitty lifts her skirts and climbs up on a bench in the center of town. She clears her throat delicately and then begins to speak in a booming voice:
"My friends, I'd like to tell you about the most wonderful dream I've had. It is a dream that many of you may already know... a dream written on the hearts of every man, woman, and child who has ever wanted a better life. It is a dream of a place of prosperity, of safety, of community, of justice. It's a dream of what Gommora is supposed to be, and it's a dream that is starting to finally come true.
There are many awful things out there that want to destroy our town. They would rather you didn't listen to me and my dream. That's because they know the power of dreams, and they want to trick you into letting fear and panic control what you do. Because dreams are dangerous things for the shadows that try to ruin our lives. A dream is like a gun, and hope is like the bullet that kills those dark things and shatters their hold on our lives. Fear is their weapon, but hope conquers fear.
The ancient men who were lost in their caves, shivering against the cold and hoping their fire would keep back the darkness... they thought they were powerless. Then one day one of them dreamed that their lives could be better. He told the others about his dream, and slowly they all began to hope for something better. They took their torches out of the caves, and they built homes for themselves outside. They learned to hunt and to make tools, and they overcame the powers of the darkness around them. They found out that hope conquers fear.
The pilgrims of Massachusetts had a similar problem. They wanted to worship God in their own way, but the politicians and kings of Europe were persecuting them and trying to kill them. They looked for a place to flee to, but all they saw was a vast ocean that led to the end of the world. They had heard of a mystical new world, but all they saw was a sea of monsters and fear before them. And then one day one of those pilgrims looked in the Bible, and read that those who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. They read that Jesus was their shepherd, protecting them as they walked through the valley of the shadow of death. Those words gave them hope, and it was hope which carried them across the sea to a new world of peace and prosperity. God showed them that hope conquers fear.
A little over a hundred years ago the people of England wanted their colonies to live in fear. They continually passed laws to make life harder on the colonists. They taxed them, they beat them, they chained them, they taunted them. The colonists lived in a world of darkness and fear. But a few of those colonists got together to talk about how to make things better. They met in secret and began to plan a revolution. They took up arms against the tides of oppression, and together they were able to overcome it. They proved that when righteous men stand together against injustice, their hope for a better world will end the world of fear.
A few weeks back, there were some Sweetrock miners trapped in the bottom of a shaft when the whole mine caught fire. The cavern caved in, blocking their escape, and fear was all around them. They may have considered giving up, because no one could possibly save them. The miners who had escaped were also terrified... because they didn't know of any way that they could help their friends. But then some of our town's heroes showed up, arranged a bucket squad outside, and then ran into the mine to save the others. Down at the bottom of the shaft, buried behind rocks and despair, the trapped miners were ready to lie down and die when, at the last minute, a glowing group of heroes punched through the wall and lead them to safety. The miners were faced with insurmountable obstacles, but their heroes never lost hope, and those men are alive today because this town's heroes hold a hope that smashes apart the barriers of fear.
Today, life in Gommora looks pretty bad. Strange religions are killing farmers. Dark clouds are killing crops. People are running away because all they can see is that fear is all-powerful. Now some of us have tried to talk about hope. Righteous men like Lin Fuqua, John Two Hawks, and Mayor MacDonald. They stand there and tell you that they are fighting against the darkness, and that you just need to have hope. These men have saved your lives many times, and are constantly working to make the town safer. These men have asked for your support, but many of you are afraid to support them. I have heard some people say that we should avoid false hope. That no matter what we hope for, the reality will never be good enough.
But in the unlikely stories of the cave men, the pilgrims, the Americans, and the citizens of Gommora... there has never been anything false about hope. And the hope of the farmer whose crops are dying is the same hope of the miner hoping to make a better life for his family. It is the hope of a Chinese laundry worker, trying to find a home in this new land, which is the same hope of the Indian brave, seeking to live peacefully with his fellow men. In all of these people, it is this hope for a better world that allows them to keep going, to keep trying, and eventually to succeed.
That hope is what drove John Two Hawks, Mayor Macdonald, Sheriff Packard, Councilman Lin, and many others to stand up against the darkness last week. They knew that the gang called the Crazy 8s were causing trouble and trying to force people to live in fear of their banditry. Those heroes of our town set up an ambush for the Crazy 8s... a trick to draw the cowardly fear-mongers into the open.
It worked... but not without difficulty. The Crazy 8s tried to attack our town's heroes. They fired guns and even sent monstrous creatures after them. A crazed wolf-woman and several half-dead monstrosities joined the fight, trying to put an end to the hope that had begun to threaten them. These evil creatures rose up, and our heroes put them down soundly. They killed the monsters and the bandits that the Crazy 8s had sent against us, and the protectors of the town of Gommora TRIUMPHED!
Each of our heroes has powerful weapons at his disposal. John Two Hawks swings a tomahawk that makes even the strongest of his own people take a step back. Lin Fuqua's fists glow with a righteous power that vanquishes evil with every punch. Doctor Fletcher shoots bolts of lightning into anyone who would do harm to the town. Even Mayor MacDonald can make sure that bullets end up in the heads of all the evil creatures around this fair city. Despite their skills, none of these people would be able to do much on their own.
It is the hope for a better world that draws our heroes together. Lin Fuqua calls it a town of great justice. John Two Hawks calls it a world without evil creatures. Molly Packard calls it a town of strong laws that protect the people. Buddy calls it a much cooler world. I call it our future... a future of prosperity, a future of possibility, a future of hope. We all have fears, but the one thing that makes Fear afraid is the power of many people united around hope, acting to make their world a better place.
So if you want to let the cowards and fear-mongers win, go ahead and run away. I can guarantee you that the bad things will soon follow you, though, because they only have strength when people are afraid. The heroes of Gommora are standing up against the darkness, and the true citizens of Gommora are standing behind them in full support. Cowards will run away, but the people who possess the daring to let hope take hold will soon realize that they are not alone. Hope is ours, my friends, and it is a force that cannot be stopped. My dream of a better town becomes more and more true every day, and I invite you to share in that dream with me. A dream of prosperity...a dream of success...a dream of safety...a dream of hope."
She gives a wide smile to all who are watching and listening and steps down gently from her position.
Played by Ellie.
Edited by Miss Kitty on 12-16-2008 11:27
Posts: 274 Location: Northampton, MA Joined: 23.09.07
Posted on 12-16-2008 00:33
((OOC: Props also to our President-elect, for the awesome line about there never being anything false about hope.))
"This will be of fine service for you, you bag of the scum. I am sure you will not mind that I remove your manhoods and leave them out on the dessert flour for your aunts to eat."
- 36th Chamber of Shaolin
[fmr chars: Will Sawyer]
Edited by Lin Fuqua on 12-16-2008 00:36
one of the townsfolk that has gathered steps forward. The young man says "That was a very purdy tale miss kitty."
Several of the townsfolk near him nod in murmur in agreement. "I do have hope that Gommora is getting better, but
I'm still afraid of all the fires."
An old man shouts out, "And what about the man who was running around ripping people's heads off?"
An old lady says, "Or tearing out people's hearts?"
A farmer says, "Or all those wild animals that have been attackin' us."
Young man: "And there are murders nearly every week that go unsolved"
Old lady: "Or blatantly ignored"
Old man: "Or both!"
Old lady: "Like that preacher that was gunned down in the middle of the street with an audience"
Young man: "Or that ranger killed in a back alley"
Farmer: "Criminals just aren't getting brought to justice"
Old lady: "The worse I've seen is a $20 fine!"
Old man: "And the sheriffs keep disappearing"
The young man finishes, "And we read that Sacramento was safer, and better."
Several of the townsfolk near him nod in murmur in agreement.
Webmaster only while on break from GMing.
Commonly known as Jason, Laprade, or Mr. Mio.
Miss Kitty looks serene through out all the yelling and speaks loud enough for everyone to hear once the shouts are finished.
"Many of these problems have been solved or are being solved. I know I will never stop fighting for Gomorra and neither will heroes like John Two Hawks, Lin Fuqua, or Sheriff Packard. As long as there are people willing to fight, Gomorra will be a place where we can rely on the strength of each other in order to save our own hopes and dreams. No town is strong unless they have strong people and, in all my travels, I've seen no place that is strong, or better, than Gomorra."
Another one pipes up "I haven't been able to feed my family for the past few months, I put the last of my money into getting us to someplace where we can live."
Posts: 321 Location: Chicopee, MA Joined: 19.09.07
Posted on 12-17-2008 08:13
[ooc: bennies as necessary to persuade issues of money and fires]
*Clarence will step forward*
"These frontier towns are can be difficult. Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good. I am personally working with Sweet Rock, the economic powerhouse of this town to fix the economic problems here. It takes time, but prices will go down. Dr. Heinman and Dr. Fletcher are both hard at work to rebuild the cheap hotel to provide affordable housing along with improvements from science.
As for the fires, I have been investigating each of the fires. The two mine fires were clearly the work of the Crazy Eights and the arsonists of the first fire have been brought to justice. This very evening we captured a few members of the Crazy Eights and we'll work diligently to bring the rest of these outlaws to justice. The fire at Sweet Rock HQ is also under my personal investigation, though suspicions currently point to the Crazy Eights again. Lastly the fire in the good hotel seems to have been an accident when a lamp broke, and was put out before causing significant by the heroics of Dr. Heinman and Lin Fuqua.
The west can be difficult, but as that man *pointing to the one who said Gommora is getting better* Gommora is getting better. We're not giving up on this town, and everyone is working tirelessly to make this town better for us all."
Currently: Pending (Not Zack)
Formerly: Dr. Henry Watson, saw bones and howler
Formerly: Doctor Sylvester Woods, blind new scientist
Formerly: Clarence MacDonald, Reporter, Clerk of the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor
Formerly: Professor Qutaybah al-Surwad Saiq, Arab Scientist and Botanist
Formerly: Herman Yeager, Best Carpenter in the West
Player: Eisen, sometimes called Ben
Edited by PlaidViking on 12-17-2008 12:18
((Tale telling continuation, bennies if necessary))
Kitty speaks up again, making sure everyone is listening.
"Sacramento may seem like a great place, a glittering place, but it certainly has its own share of tragedies. Only a few decades ago, Sacramento was a place of floods and fires and disease swept through the land. Now, Sacramento doesn’t want this getting out to other folks, so they’re trying to cover up the flooded city, making seem higher than others. But deep down inside, Sacramento, Old Sacramento, is filled with opium dens and is home to the worst kinds of criminals. Is this the kind of stuff you want to expose your children to? I, for one, would not.
So, while Sacramento may seem all peachy keen, it’s not. You’ll just keep running away and you’ll never find good things if you keep running away from the bad. Bad things, evil things, happen everywhere, but hope can only exist when good men and women stand up and defend what they believe in and what they love. Hope doesn’t run…it persists and triumphs in the face of trouble!"
Played by Ellie.
Edited by Miss Kitty on 12-18-2008 13:16
*Molly will respond to the crowd after Miss Kitty's schpeil (sp?) on Sacramento. [OOC: I'm not sure of the mechanic of this, but I'm not trying to tell a separate tale from Miss Kitty, I'm trying to help her out. So what I'm going for is an assist]*
Joaquim Maurita was the one responsible for decapitating people and Joaquim Maurita is dead!
I only just heard about this myself, so you'll have to ask Miss Kitty or someone who was there for the details.
[OOC: I'm assuming this was before Clarence wrote the article, so no one knows this stuff.]
Molly Packard - School Marm - 8/30/08, Deputized- 11/8/08, Sheriff- 12/6/08 - 5/2/09
Total time as Sheriff: 7.33 sessions
The 5th, and last sheriff of Gomorra.
Player: Chrissy
(OOC: please remove the reference to the Donner party (I am ignoring it in this post). In the real world they actually did the cannibalism prior to settling in California (not after). More importantly in the Deadlands world things were much more sinister and the details are not really known to anyone besides the people that went through that module and either breezed through it or got pasted in the opening chapter (depending on which person you ask about it))
"Well Clarence made Sacramento sound so nice in his paper, and now you're saying it's an awful place filled with the worst of society... Were you lying in the paper Clarence, or is she making up stories about Sacramento?"
"Forget about Sacramento! You're saying that the crazy 8s were the ones setting all the fires and you've managed to stop them? I've been buying food and tools from them ever since the prices started rising because they were selling it at the old prices."
"You were funding those terrorists? I lost friends in those fires! I heard how people had been saved in the most recent one but no one ever told us about how they had found out who did it and stopped them. I've been on edge every time I've gone into the mine since this all started and I'd love to hear how I don't have to worry about it anymore"
"Mine fires! At least you'd have a chance to get out! My best friend had his head ripped off just last month. He never did anything to anyone but now he's dead. Why did he rip his head off? He had so much of his life ahead of him!" *sobbing*
"At least that kills you. I shudder about the guy that had his toes cut off. Sometimes at night when I go to sleep I dream that I'm going to wake up and find some crazy person sawing my toes off."
"Pipe down, people get murdered every couple weeks here. Go down by the docks and you'll see dead bodies that someone dumped over the edge on a regular basis. I'm getting out of here because of all the murdering, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a dead person around here!"
"Half those deaths were what seemed like animal attacks anyway. There have been people that looked like they were ripped apart by wolves, is that anything to do with the wolf lady that you said the crazy 8s were working with? Are we safe from the giant animals that have been killing people?"
"The animals aren't as big of a problem as whatever it is that's going around ripping hearts out of people! I'm scared to death that the next one is going to be me. I heard the last guy was found in an alley behind that bar that Isaac used to own. I drink there almost every day!"
"That's the same alley they found that Ranger's body in. Another murder added to the death count around here. It's one thing when it's a nameless mook that's being killed purely to prove that some evil creature is dangerous, but Marcus was a real character! He did stuff! He had his own bennies! If he can get gunned down and nothing happens then what chance do I, some useless red shirt, have?!"
"Marcus never did half as much for this town as the sheriffs did. Nate is gone, Wolfie is dead, Isaac mysteriously disappeared, and Two hawks bailed on the town after the job maimed him. Our new sheriff is the freakin School Marm?!?! I was scared when we were leaving it to an Indian to enforce the law, now if someone does something wrong they have to stay after class?"
"Pipe Down everyone! Miss Kitty, you said that some of the problems are solved... Which ones? And why didn't anyone tell us?"
*The crowd focuses on Miss Kitty*
"No, Clarence, you said that the fires weren't a problem anymore, and that Sacramento was a golden land of opportunity. You've given us concrete real answers rather than vague ideas of "many problems have been solved" or "we're working on it". I want to hear more from you about what's been going on."
*The crowd focuses on Clarence*
"But Clarence was saying how great of a city Sacramento is and now Miss Kitty is saying it's awful. What are we supposed to believe?"
*The crowd starts to shift uncertainly, looking back and forth between Clarence and Miss Kitty, some looking to the rest of the town, and some looking over to their packed things and the trail away from Gommora.*
(quiet guitar strum in the background, casting boost trait -persuasion- on miss kitty. I'll maintain it until either I run out of power points, or she stops talking. I'll throw a benny at it if it fails on the first try.)
currently in transition..
recently 'grandpa' {shuffled off his mortal coil}
not currently Playing "Leaf Harlin",
(the artist previously known as 'Buddy' )
(boost trait doesn't work on checks that have a significant time invested in them. your max duration is 90 seconds, this conversation takes much longer than that. same reason we shut you down on boosting trait healing for their 10 minute duration to make a healing check.)
"That's the same alley they found that Ranger's body in. Another murder added to the death count around here. It's one thing when it's a nameless mook that's being killed purely to prove that some evil creature is dangerous, but Marcus was a real character! He did stuff! He had his own bennies! If he can get gunned down and nothing happens then what chance do I, some useless red shirt, have?!"
[OOC: This amuses me.]
Molly Packard - School Marm - 8/30/08, Deputized- 11/8/08, Sheriff- 12/6/08 - 5/2/09
Total time as Sheriff: 7.33 sessions
The 5th, and last sheriff of Gomorra.
Player: Chrissy
"Marcus never did half as much for this town as the sheriffs did. Nate is gone, Wolfie is dead, Isaac mysteriously disappeared, and Two hawks bailed on the town after the job maimed him. Our new sheriff is the freakin School Marm?!?! I was scared when we were leaving it to an Indian to enforce the law, now if someone does something wrong they have to stay after class?"
*At this, Molly will scowl at the person who said it, but not wishing to interrupt Miss Kitty or Clarence, she'll keep her peace. She will be sure to note the man/woman (hair color, approximate height, etc.)*
Molly Packard - School Marm - 8/30/08, Deputized- 11/8/08, Sheriff- 12/6/08 - 5/2/09
Total time as Sheriff: 7.33 sessions
The 5th, and last sheriff of Gomorra.
Player: Chrissy
Posts: 321 Location: Chicopee, MA Joined: 19.09.07
Posted on 12-21-2008 16:24
[Ooc: spending bennies as needed for success]
"First let me clarify one thing about Sacremento. From what I've heard it is a nice town, personally though I like it here in Gommora. We have our problems, but every place does. What matters is we're working on fixing ours. I assume you're talking about the article in The Sun. Well that advertisement was submitted to me, and we at The Sun don't discriminate. If someone pays good money for an advertisement, we give them the print.
As for the fires, I'm more than happy to share the details of my investigations with you. *pulls out a notepad and fidgets with his glasses* Allow me to use the first fire as an example as I don't want to bore you with long details. It was Mine 13, which Thomas and I investigated after the main fire had burned out. We managed to find the source of the fire which was some tinder, which was unusual given that how deep it was in the mine ghoststeel is usually used as support. We were able that either some new science device was used or someone who knew a lot about mining. Of the miners working that shaft, 3 were unaccounted for, the same 3 who had kidnapped Two Hawks. Two Hawks was able to recall that ambush to note Jedidiah Holyoke, the leader of the Crazy 8s as being one of the ambushers. Given that these 3 miners had ties to the Crazy 8s and were unaccounted for with the mine fire, they were brought to trial and found guilty.
The culprit behind the decapitations, was Joaquin Mureita. Thanks to Miss Kitty and several other folks here in town is dead as I understand it. So fear not, your heads are safe. Miss Kitty can give you more details on bringing that villain to justice [ooc: I have yet to have a chance to actually interview anyone and the article has yet to be written]. *gestures at Miss Kitty*
I understand that folks are worried. We've had a horrible string of luck the past several months with murdering and violence, but we a have fresh set of arms in the Sheriff's office, people dedicated to helping this town. There's an old saying, 'the coin has two sides', and well we're due for some good times now. Sweet Rock, I know is working hard on this as well to protect this town and those who call it home. I'd hate to miss out on the rebound of this town as it becomes once again a safe place to live, work, and raise a family."
Currently: Pending (Not Zack)
Formerly: Dr. Henry Watson, saw bones and howler
Formerly: Doctor Sylvester Woods, blind new scientist
Formerly: Clarence MacDonald, Reporter, Clerk of the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor
Formerly: Professor Qutaybah al-Surwad Saiq, Arab Scientist and Botanist
Formerly: Herman Yeager, Best Carpenter in the West
Player: Eisen, sometimes called Ben
After listening to the compelling and persuasive arguments made by both Miss Kitty and Clarence MacDonald, the majority of the the people turn back and decide that they too have hope for the future.
The Mass Exodus is stopped.
Most of those leaving begin setting up in small tents at the edge of town, hoping that tomorrow morning they will be able to repurchase the land, homes, and equipment they had sold upon deciding to leave for Sacramento.
Game is back on. At least as much as it normally is in the downtime between seasons.
