Wild West Thread Planning

[+Sorana]

Hey everybody,

@Snipexe and me spent the last few days thinking about a possible Wild West setting and we have reached a point, where we like to show what we have and ask for feedback. Any is appreciated, as well as ideas what to improve, or what you feel is missing.

One thing up front: we left the backstory cloudy in this version, as we want to offer the possibility to find out more about the world, and how it ended up, like it is today. If you feel like you need everything, then we will gladly share that part as well.

An old tale

Spoiler

 

We are the ones following the steps of greater minds than our own. The story of our world is a long one, but you don’t need a lot of words to tell it. Once gods lived on our world. They were mighty and powerful, and they created buildings and settlements, so large, we can't even imagine. They were tall like giants and one day, one of them looked up at the sky, and found it dark and empty. So he created the stars and his heart sang in delight. The next day his sister saw the stars and she cried, because they were so beautiful. She begged her brother to take her there, to let her see these beautiful gems, that he had created. But the brother said no, the stars were there to be admired, no to be owned.

And the sister conceded, but every night she would stand there and look at the stars. She longed to see them, to understand what beautiful things her brother had created and so one day, she left hastily during the day, when her brother was away. She traveled to the stars and when she saw what they were, chunks of stone, metal and ice racing through the night. And she cried again, but this time from disappointment, and her tears were bitter and salty. Wherever they touched the ground the poisoned the earth and it grew dusty and red. That's how the world came to be, what it is today.

The Setting (Overview)

Spoiler

The setting is based on a classical Wild West Setting. Life is hard, but manageable. The landscape is dominated by a desert and a steppe. Small settlements are spread out over the world. Large parts are unexplored, but the people strive to discover more and more of their world. Technology helps to make their lives easier. A newer invention is a railroad system, connecting larger settlements and along the tracks, smaller settlements are forming. As weapons the people prefer to use guns As for weapons, people use guns, though the number of them are dwindling. Gunsmith’s are revered because of their skills, and their practices have become secret, arcane arts. They charge exorbitant prices. The alternatives are the bow and the sword, the latter of which being even more effective in the rusty environment. Next to those living in the settlements, there are always bands roaming the wilds, taking what they want, preying on the weaker ones.

Sometimes strange relics can be found, and they are said to be of older civilizations, that once lived there, but as their purpose was usually lost in time, they are bartered over as pieces of art.

Environment

Spoiler

The world itself is flat. It is rusting away at its borders. not fast, but if you stand the corner of the world for a moment you can see the little pieces of rust flying away, the land slowly shrinking.

 

The landscape is dominated by reds and browns. Massive dust storms weather the land, and even the ground itself slowly starts to rust away. People are able to grow some crops, but it is tedious work, as the land is mostly dry and nutrient-poor. Rain falls rarely, but strong, so the inhabitants of The Rust developed a way to save water, to preserve it, until they need it to water their plants, or to drink it. Water in general is so rare, that it is accepted as a meassure of payment throughout The Rust.

 

Every piece of metal starts to rust after a short time there, if it's in the ground, or not. Therefore wood and stone are more important when it comes to building or creating weapons.

 

Technology

Spoiler

The most important element if you look at technology of The Rust is, although some would argue about that, the railroad. It connects the different parts of The Rust, and offers a possibility to easily transport goods from one place to another. Apart from that people use some type of horses to get from one place to another.

 

Those looking after the railroad are usually held in high regard. They make sure the machines continue to work and always try to find another possibilty to exchange a metal for one made of stone, wood, or whatever they can think of.

Slowly the communities start to adopt new productions methods, although the limited water supply and the slow rusting away of all metal pieces hinders it’s advance and therefore the Rust is stick somewhere at the beginning of industrialization. There are mines, but the demand for metal is so great that the metal they produce is incredibly expensive.

Magic

Spoiler

 

Those without magic are called “Grits”.

Those able to use magic are called “Rusters”

 

Rusters are born with the ability to create rust on anything made of metal. This includes metals that would not rust in the natural environment.

Who is born a Ruster, and who isn’t is determined at random, however the longer a family has spent in the rusts, and the more rusters in the family, the more likely the child is to become a ruster.

Whenever a Ruster makes skin contact with a metal, it begins to rust at a more rapid pace. They can control the speed of the reaction, but cannot stop it from occurring. If they are simply touching a metal without accelerating the reaction at all then the object with be completely covered with rust in half an hour. If they speeding up the reaction as much as possible it can take only a few seconds. The larger the object, the slowed it takes to rust completely. For example, Rusters can touch a train for half an hour and inflict little to no damage, but would destroy a revolver in 15 minutes or so without speeding up the reaction.

Anything in living flesh (like the iron in blood) takes much, much, longer to rust. It would take several days to Rust the iron in a drop of blood. Because of this, as the Rusters age, their bodies are slowly rusting away as well because of the Iron and other metals in the body. The more they use their power, the faster their body deteriorates. The typical lifespan is about twenty to forty years, depending on how much a Ruster uses his powers.

 

Rusters who have Rusters in their previous family lines are more powerful than those without. This means that they can Rust things faster, even when they are not speeding up the reaction. Because they are more powerful however, they also die much more quickly the ordinary Rusters.

The culture

Spoiler

Most inhabitants of The Rust are poor. There are few, that hold the money, those owning larger farms, those lucky enough to inherit land close to one of the few lakes, or rivers. They earn money by selling their crops, but also by loaning water to those without, usually for tedious prices. Many call them Burn Lords, because of how they often let buildings burn in order to conserve water.
 

Next to those living in/ around the settlements, there are those, that try to find new and better places to built up a new live. They set out to the undiscovered parts, and when they manage to find a good spot, it doesn’t take long for others to follow and as soon as a larger settlement is formed, the railroad follows.

 

Then there are those living on the borders of society. Bandits, gangs, dominate parts of the countryside, claiming “taxes” on goods, or simply taking whatever they want to. More often than not, the major of a village pays them a “fee”, to keep them away.

 

The nomads are those that wander the Rusts, looking for the things that only legends speak of. The Greenhara, the Blazing Gun, the Speaker of the Past. These legends of old have become more than mere stories to these people, and they will pay exorbitant amounts for information on them. Many take advantage of them because of this, but they keep searching any way. They collect ancient relics not to sell, but to keep to themselves.

 

Last but not least, there are the Scavengers. The Scavengers actively search for relics of the past. What they discover is usually worthless, strange materials, devices, whose original purpose nobody can guess. But sometimes they find something, that works, something you could use, and although nobody could tell you, if you do it right, these rare devices are deemed powerful, dangerous and expensive.

 

Rusters are a part of the culture. They are common, especially weaker ones, and everybody is used to their bodies rusting away. The older a settlement is, the more Rusters live there. Most people stopped using metal a long time ago, instead wood, horn and other strong materials dominate the typical households. Metal, especially if it’s not rusty, is a sign of money and status, and therefore something the upper class uses to show their dominance over those poorer than themselves.

 

Law enforcement

Spoiler

The Water Syndicate is an organization originally created by the rulers of Broadhead to control the common man’s access to the large lakes beneath the city. As time has gone on, their reach has spread, as had their jurisdiction. As time has passed however they have also become more publicly run, and now exist almost entirely separately from the Nobility of the Rusts. They now function more as Police rather than mafia hit men, though W.S. Officers out in the further regions of the Rusts tend to act more like the latter. They are often hired out to protect valuable cargo on trains, and to protect settlements under attack from bandits, gangs, or other ruffians. The farther they get from Broadhead, the more immoral they are, and the easier they are to bribe.

Three settlements

Spoiler

Broadhead: The Largest Settlement

Population: 10,000

Economics: Based around industry, with the textile and steel production being its primarily industries. Especially the textile production is one of the few in The Rust, leading to some kind of monopol within the economy, as few places have enough water to establish a larger production.

Water Syndicate Presence: The leaders of the city run the Water Syndicate, a group of people who control the access to the larger lakes throughout the region. Their home base is in Broadhead, so there are many patrols throughout the region.

Deep below in the ground, is one of the reasons why Broadhead is so powerful. Secret tunnels lead to the lake, and only a few selected individuals know where they are and have the key to access them. The population can get their daily water ration from a special kind of fountain. Same as in other parts of The Rust water is accepted as some kind of general means of payment.

The largest settlement was built into an ancient structure, leftover from an unknown civilization. Partially of wood, partially of stone or whatever they could find, they built houses, flats and shops inside the ancient walls.

Quarters:

• The central part is used by the governmentand as a general assembly area.

• A spire-like structure reaching for the sky is inhabited by the ruling family.

• There is a simple rule: the higher you live, the richer you are. Especially the structures close to the ground are slum-like, usually controlled by gangs. It is speculated, that some of these gangs also have a way to get more water, than their allocated, but nobody knows if these rumors are real. Others are convinced, the gangs secretly work for the government, while others believe, they plan a massive revolution. Above these slums the normal workers live a simple, but honest life, most of them on the border of moving down, but some aiming for a better position, for more money, for a place a bit higher up.

• The central marketplace is located close to the entrance of Broadhead. This section of the city is, even though it’s close to the ground, one of the richer parts. Merchants rent a room for a few nights, large storage rooms hold their wares and the hallways are always full of people moving goods from one place to the other.

• The artist quarter is a small gem in between the marketplace and the closet slum. Here different artists offer their service, or try to sell their art. From expensive complicated paintings, sculptures or carpets, which are usually sold close to the merchant’s quarter, you can also find those offering obscure services of a different quality. The closer to the slum, the easier it is to find drugs, or someone to warm your bed at night.

• Inhabitants are able to receive some basic medical service in a hospital, but most of them aren’t able to pay for it.

• Close to the merchant’s quarter, artisans sell their goods. Most of them are simple things, which people need in their daily life, but few them are masters of their craft and for the right payment, willing to produce almost everything.

Burning: a Coal Mining town

Burning is a town established entirely around mining coal. The Railways are desperately being built to meet the town, and so much of the industry is being focused towards completing the connection. There are 4 main mines in the area. There used to be 5, however there was an explosion that caught the large vein of coal on fire, and it has been burning ever since, giving the town its name. The 4 different companies that run the mines are in fierce competition, with each trying to establish their own Railway line connection first.

Brighthole: a lake run by the people

Brighthole was established around a large lake. It was the first lake to be controlled by a non-burn lord. Instead of being controlled by nobles, it was run by the people, in a democracy. All was going well, until a large gang of bandits moved into the region, they began to threaten the city, stealing water from the lake, and attacking the farms that surround the main area of the settlement. The two camps are on the brink of war.

The Map

Spoiler

Characters and this setting

Spoiler

When thinking about moving a character to The Rust, there are few things regarding investiture, we would like to stress:

1) Every piece of metal starts to rust. It's possible to contain some vials with metal, as long as they are safely closed, and haven't been opened there. Afterwards the metal will rust. Same goes with metalminds, or hemalurgical spikes.

2) There is no Alleystorm in The Rust. Therefore stormlight can't be found and the sand there isn't invested as well.

3) There is no real connection to the Dor either. Aons and the like work, but are weaker, then when you use them in the Alleyverse.

4) Aviar might die (because of the climate)

 

Edited March 4, 2019 by Sorana
Typo

[Snipexe]

Q: What is the aviation situation?

A: Non-existent.

Q: Are birds still a thing?

A: Yes, though they are much rarer

 

 

Character List:

Spoiler

@Arky-boi Hellbent Rustblade:

Spoiler

Name: Hellbent Rustblade

Powers: Ruster, strong

Age: 13

Sexuality: Male, bisexual

Appearance: Orange-red eyes, dark skin, long fiery red hair. 6 foot, strong build.

Alignment: Bandit, solitary

Equipment: Gun, black wood covering. Horse, midnight black. Numerous saddlebags for food and money.

Backstory: He was born to a sixteen year old mother, and never knew his father. His mother died on his third birthday, and he was taken in by her gang. He was abused, and they only let him live because no one suspected him. He grew in the ranks as he aged, especially when they found out he was a Ruster. Eventually, he killed the leader, his primary enemy, but dropping him off the side of the world. His gang eventually rebelled under his harsh leadership, and tried to do the same to him. He killed three in his fight, and ran, his horse, Nightshade, his only companion. He turned to raiding trains, selling the goods to survive.

@Darth Woodrack Stalker Drown:

Spoiler

Stalker Drown

Powers: None, he is a grit.

Build: He is 6'8' and lean, but also muscled and strong.

Age: 29

Skills: He is an incredibly good gunslinger, able to draw his gun and fire in a split second, a passable hand to hand fighter, and an expert horse rider. He is also a very good card player, and excellent at spotting a cheat. He is also a good lock pick. And can understand the naying of his horse.

Gear: He has four revolvers in his long trench coat, and a pair of marble knuckles that he also keeps in his trench coat. And a marble lock pick. And don't forget his horse, Dawn who is the smartest and fastest horse in the world.

Clothes: He has a long brown trench coat where he keeps everything, that buttons up at the front, that he always keeps the top three buttons buttoned, and brown cowboy hat, a pair of brown leather boots, and a pair of brown leather pants.

Personality: He is kind, and helps out however he can, and does his best to keep everyone safe. He is the kind of guy who would challenge a bandit to a gunbattle just beacue he is harassing a ton that he has never been in before. He also thinks the Water Syndicate is a bunch of corrupt worthless fools.

Weakness: He will help anyone he can, as long as they aren't hurting innocent people. He also will hunt someone he hates down to the ends of the earth, and he hates anyone who hurts anyone he cares about. And he doesn't like rusters because, *see below*

History: His family was killed by a ruster who destroyed their bodies, simply because he could. He trained for years to become a perfect gunslinger, got his gear and guns, as well as his horse, as well as making his own language with Dawn his horse. Then he tracked down the heir of the long dead ruster, and shot him several times in the chest. He then started his crusade to bring peace and order to the Rusts.

@I think I am here. Gant Hargreaves

Spoiler

Name: Gant Hargreaves

Powers: An super incredibly weak Ruster

Build/Appearance: Solid build, about average muscles for someone who’s been excersing. Average height, light brown eyes and dark brown hair that hasn’t been cut in a while and has a little bit of white crawling up the tips. Angular face with stubble, his nose his straight but if you pay attention you can see it’s been broken before.

Age: 36

Motto: “Everything rusts eventually.”

Skills: Very skilled in hand to hand combat and brawling in close-quarters. Is very stubborn, and has a strong will to do his task. Has knowledge of different places, and has travelled around. Isn’t quick at drawing his pistol but has a good aim.

Gear: A pair of hard wooden knuckles that he fights with, and a six shot revolver with some ammunition. Trousers and a messy white striped shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Has a dirty brown tie which he bought from a Scavenger which he wears. A brown cowboy hat. Cheap brown shoes. Has a satchel he wears to his side and he carries a small leatherbound journal which he writes in.

Personality: Stubborn as a rock, and as solid as one too. Reliable, and has a strong will. Is dissatisfied with the current state of The Rust, and buried deep is an adventurous spirit. Inside he’s fond of the nomads, though he scoffs sat them outside. Is generally non-confrontational nowadays (due to the child) and will try to resolve situations peacefully though is quick to anger (he’s trying to work on that). Has a blunt way of speaking, and is fairly straightforward in most things. Has a hidden sense of dry humour.

Weaknesses: Doesn’t know how to ride a horse, and likes playing cards but is bad at it. Is a laughably weak Ruster, so much so that it takes dedicated hours to rust a coin. He doesn’t even wear gloves when handling his gun because his Rusting is so super weak, even when he tries to accelerate it. Quick to anger, and is vulnerable through the child, who he protects and wants to keep alive.

History: When he heard of a baby that was born with powerful Rusting abilities he travelled to the place they lived and killed both of the parents. He tested the baby by touching it with his revolver and the gun vaporised almost immediately. He took the baby, fully intending to sell it for a large amount of money, but somewhere along the trip to Broadhead he had a change of heart and began to have feelings for the baby. He realised the baby would die quickly due to its high Rusting power and now travels, trying to find a way to find a place the baby can grow up without risk of death or theft if people realise how powerful it is.

The Child: The child is a two month old baby girl who sleeps and rests inside a brown blanket in Gant’s satchel. She is cute, and has hazel eyes and light brown coloured hair. She is mostly happy, though cries when conflict occurs. Is an incredibly powerful Ruster, capable of Rusting a revolver in a short moment. Weaknesses include being a two month old baby.

@Clyde Coggins Cornelius Conagher

Spoiler

Name: Cornelius Conagher

Build: Cornelius is 5’ and average build.

Skills: Cornelius is adept at fixing things and is great at playing the banjo.

Equipment: Cornelius has a wrench that he replaces every couple years, a snake skin banjo and throwing knives carved from wood.

Appearance: Cornelius wears a faded red shirt with gray buttons, gray workman’s pants, black suspenders, black gloves, and a fighter pilot’s helmet with goggles. He has a thin moustache and has a tan from years of wandering the desert.

Home: Cornelius lives in his hangar near Broadhead where he also handles his work. It is usually cluttered with tools, blueprints, crates, furniture, and rusty metal. There is a counter near the front door where he takes jobs.

Backstory: Cornelius Conagher was born to 2 nomad parents who wandered the wastes. His father always loved playing his banjo and his mother yearned to learn how to fly, unfortunately this ultimately led to Cornelius’s parents death when one failed flying attempt caught fire and burnt down their camp. After this, he vowed to learn the secrets of flying and to learn the banjo to honor the memory of his parents. Cornelius spent years as a nomad until he got caught in a particularly bad gunfight with an outlaw gang he decided he needed a base of operations so he looked for a place for a workshop. He eventually found the abandoned hangar and set up shop.

 

 

Note: All characters are up to Sorana’s and my digression. If one of us approves a character, but the other disagrees, then your character may need to be reworked. 

Edited March 6, 2019 by Snipexe

[Clyde Froggins]

I am happy about cowboys.

[+Ark1002]

Ima be a bandit.

[+Sorana]

9 minutes ago, Clyde Coggins said:

I am happy about cowboys.

 

1 minute ago, Arky-boi said:

Ima be a bandit.

You can either create a new character, or you use one of your characters and move it over.

Both, a cowboy and a bandit are definitely possible.

[Gancho Libre]

Quote

This looks really cool! Is this alleyverse?

 

Edited March 4, 2019 by Gancho Libre

[+Sorana]

18 minutes ago, Gancho Libre said:

This looks really cool! Is this alleyverse?

As much Alleyverse as the horror and the fantasy thread will be. So yes, but you won't be able to jump between these threads as we do with the other ones right now.

Edited March 4, 2019 by Sorana

[Gancho Libre]

Ok! This is interesting. I'll have a bio here shortly.

[Darth Woodrack]

I'll make a character for here. A grit gunslinger who is know for being one of the fastest draw around, with one of the fastest horses around. Four revolvers, and a hat. Maybe Stalker Drown.

[Gancho Libre]

Stalker Drown?

That... is literally the coolest name that anyone one has ever thought of.

[Darth Woodrack]

DIBS!

[Gancho Libre]

You can't call dibs on your own idea!

*Wait...*

[Darth Woodrack]

Well, I was just making sure you didn't steal it. Here he is.*

Spoiler

Stalker Drown

Powers: None, he is a grit.

Build: He is 6'8' and lean, but also muscled and strong.

Age: 29

Skills: He is an incredibly good gunslinger, able to draw his gun and fire in a split second, a passable hand to hand fighter, and an expert horse rider. He is also a very good card player, and excellent at spotting a cheat. He is also a good lock pick. And can understand the naying of his horse.

Gear: He has four revolvers in his long trench coat, and a pair of marble knuckles that he also keeps in his trench coat. And a marble lock pick. And don't forget his horse, Dawn who is the smartest and fastest horse in the world.

Clothes: He has a long brown trench coat where he keeps everything, that buttons up at the front, that he always keeps the top three buttons buttoned, and brown cowboy hat, a pair of brown leather boots, and a pair of brown leather pants.

Personality: He is kind, and helps out however he can, and does his best to keep everyone safe. He is the kind of guy who would challenge a bandit to a gunbattle just beacue he is harassing a ton that he has never been in before. He also thinks the Water Syndicate is a bunch of corrupt worthless fools.

Weakness: He will help anyone he can, as long as they aren't hurting innocent people. He also will hunt someone he hates down to the ends of the earth, and he hates anyone who hurts anyone he cares about. And he doesn't like rusters because, *see below*

History: His family was killed by a ruster who destroyed their bodies, simply because he could. He trained for years to become a perfect gunslinger, got his gear and guns, as well as his horse, as well as making his own language with Dawn his horse. Then he tracked down the heir of the long dead ruster, and shot him several times in the chest. He then started his crusade to bring peace and order to the Rusts.

*Now the eternal struggle. Do I make a new Google Doc for alternate universe characters, or just put their alternate universe in parentheses next to them.

[Clyde Froggins]

What is the aviation situation?

[Darth Woodrack]

Where do you see that?

[Snipexe]

6 minutes ago, Clyde Coggins said:

What is the aviation situation?

Nonexistent.

[Clyde Froggins]

Are birds a thing still?

[+Ark1002]

Spoiler

Name: Hellbent Rustblade

Powers: Ruster, strong

Age: 13

Sexuality: Male, bisexual

Appearance: Orange-red eyes, dark skin, long fiery red hair. 6 foot, strong build.

Alignment: Bandit, solitary

Equipment: Gun, black wood covering. Horse, midnight black. Numerous saddlebags for food and money.

Backstory: He was born to a sixteen year old mother, and never knew his father. His mother died on his third birthday, and he was taken in by her gang. He was abused, and they only let him live because no one suspected him. He grew in the ranks as he aged, especially when they found out he was a Ruster. Eventually, he killed the leader, his primary enemy, but dropping him off the side of the world. His gang eventually rebelled under his harsh leadership, and tried to do the same to him. He killed three in his fight, and ran, his horse, Nightshade, his only companion. He turned to raiding trains, selling the goods to survive.

 

[Darth Woodrack]

1 minute ago, Arky-boi said:

Name: Hellbent Rustblade

Powers: Ruster, strong

Age: 13

Sexuality: Male, bisexual

Appearance: Orange-red eyes, dark skin, long fiery red hair. 6 foot, strong build.

Alignment: Bandit, solitary

Equipment: Gun, black wood covering. Horse, midnight black. Numerous saddlebags for food and money.

Backstory: He was born to a sixteen year old mother, and never knew his father. His mother died on his third birthday, and he was taken in by her gang. He was abused, and they only let him live because no one suspected him. He grew in the ranks as he aged, especially when they found out he was a Ruster. Eventually, he killed the leader, his primary enemy, but dropping him off the side of the world. His gang eventually rebelled under his harsh leadership, and tried to do the same to him. He killed three in his fight, and ran, his horse, Nightshade, his only companion. He turned to raiding trains, selling the goods to survive.

Honestly, the age makes him even scarier. Also, I doubt Stalker would kill him, as he is a teenager.

[Clyde Froggins]

Can I request Ark be banned from naming any character Hellbent?

[+Ark1002]

1 minute ago, Clyde Coggins said:

Can I request Ark be banned from naming any character Hellbent?

All in favor?

[Darth Woodrack]

No. It's not like he's giving him hemalurgic god hood. Like It.

[Snipexe]

9 minutes ago, Clyde Coggins said:

Are birds a thing still?

Yes, though they are much rarer

[Darth Woodrack]

Okay. That makes since.

[Snipexe]

27 minutes ago, Arky-boi said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Name: Hellbent Rustblade

Powers: Ruster, strong

Age: 13

Sexuality: Male, bisexual

Appearance: Orange-red eyes, dark skin, long fiery red hair. 6 foot, strong build.

Alignment: Bandit, solitary

Equipment: Gun, black wood covering. Horse, midnight black. Numerous saddlebags for food and money.

Backstory: He was born to a sixteen year old mother, and never knew his father. His mother died on his third birthday, and he was taken in by her gang. He was abused, and they only let him live because no one suspected him. He grew in the ranks as he aged, especially when they found out he was a Ruster. Eventually, he killed the leader, his primary enemy, but dropping him off the side of the world. His gang eventually rebelled under his harsh leadership, and tried to do the same to him. He killed three in his fight, and ran, his horse, Nightshade, his only companion. He turned to raiding trains, selling the goods to survive.

 

Approved

Edit: Sorry @Darth WoodrackI missed your post. Approved as well.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Snipexe