Interest check - Classic Western game.

[Chrystal]

1874

Sorry, I had meant to make that clear from the start. Someone like Dan Gator will be able to afford the latest, so I would expect his men to have Winchester '73s if they wanted them, and possibly Colt Army "Peacemaker" '73s as well, although that might be less popular.

Chrystal, you know I have never been all that interested in playing in a western game but I am actually excited about this one.  It must me you. 

*giggles* You jest cayun't stay away from me can yu, liddle laydee? (Very bad impression of The Duke)

I'm going to pull my interest from this for now. Not because of the female blacksmith issue, the resulting discussion didn't surprise me, actually.
I just have enough on my plate these days. 
Since it's not starting till Summer I may pop back into it.

Have fun folks!

Aww. Sorry to see you go, Nymph. Especially as we had found a satisfactory way for me to agree to a lady blacksmith... However, as I said this will be a while to get going, because I need more players to play out-of-town characters, and I too have a LOT on my plate!

So if you do feel like popping back, you will be welcome.

You can work for my character if your Ugly leaning to Bad or be her "Gentlewoman Companion".

I can see a pattern developing here - a pattern that I like!

[RubySlippers]

Any chance to play a second character a woman and I'm thinking who runs the Stage Coach Station for Mr. Gator, her parents work for him in the ranch house. A good one locals would know so to speak.

[BeckyAnnn]

You can work for my character if your Ugly leaning to Bad or be her "Gentlewoman Companion".

Hmmm.....interesting idea. I know Gen was born in Texas, but she met John in Kentucky so I am wondering where the Burwell ranch was located.  Was it in Kentucky?

[RubySlippers]

Hmmm.....interesting idea. I know Gen was born in Texas, but she met John in Kentucky so I am wondering where the Burwell ranch was located.  Was it in Kentucky?

It was a Plantation in Virginia, but my character went to college in Kentucky they could have met at or with her living near the school. 

Being another teacher would be  nice, you don't need a degree to teach just pass a Texas state test. Maybe teaching the young children?

[BeckyAnnn]

It was a Plantation in Virginia, but my character went to college in Kentucky they could have met at or with her living near the school. 

Being another teacher would be  nice, you don't need a degree to teach just pass a Texas state test. Maybe teaching the young children?

Okay here is what is kinda brewing in my head.  Mrs. Burwell encountered my character in Mississippi as she journeyed to Texas.  The young woman (16-18) had recently been orphaned about a year or so earlier when her mother died from sickness.  Her father and three brothers never returned from the war.  Mrs. Burwell finds her on the street peddling trinkets (what those trinkets are is up for discussion though it had crossed my mind to have her doing something quite distasteful like robbing graves of fallen soldier's and scavenging for anything that might bring her some coinage). Mrs. Burwell then takes her in for...um....certain favors.  I am imagining then in a sleeping compartment on a train and Burwell introducing her to just what those favors would consist of. 

At any rate, the girl would  be timid and quiet for the most part.  When the two first met she was educated just enough to be able to get by.  Her grammar was poor and her reading was weak though none of that was not unusual for the region.  She knew just enough math to be able to count money. But she was bright and caught on quickly, her speech improved, when she chose to speak at all.  She might have improved enough, in her time with the teacher, that should could assist Mrs. Burwell in the school.

Now, if none of that appeals to you, it is more than alright.  I have a bad habit of letting an idea take flight in my head without seeing if anyone else likes it first.  But I enjoy thinking about the possibilities so I just let it go.

*breaks out into song   "Let it gooo.....let it go. Can't hold it back anymore..."

[RubySlippers]

Seems fine to me. You won't have to worry she will be taken care of. 

[Chrystal]

Any chance to play a second character a woman and I'm thinking who runs the Stage Coach Station for Mr. Gator, her parents work for him in the ranch house. A good one locals would know so to speak.

Sure, go for it. May I make a suggestion: If she is loyal to the Colonel (for whatever reason), the previous owner of the business could well have disappeared under mysterious circumstances?

I'd love it if we could get a few more guys playing? Seems to be very girl heavy. I'm sure the guys we have don't mind that, but all the same...!

Becky and Ruby, that sounds like fun! Please remember when defining your history that in 1870 the railroad from New Orleans only ran as far as Donaldston LO or Morgan City LO. From Baton Rouge, there was a ferry across the Mississippi, and a further rail line as far as Rosedale. Railroad construction in the South West was interrupted by the war, and the need to build and improve the railroads in the heart of the Confederacy. So if you want a back story a bit like this: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=194715.0, it may have to be further east. *giggles*

[BeckyAnnn]

Hmm... Perhaps Mrs. Burwell hired a private stage coach to take her to Memphis.  From there a River boat ride to New Orleans.  She could have encountered the girl during a stop at the Post of Natchez. Of course  we could just leave it as "she took the girl in en route to Texas", but that's not as much fun.  lol

Of course when the game begins the cast is already set in or around GX, though I think it might be fun, for Ruby and I at least, to play a flashback to the time they met.

@Ruby,  I figured she would be and that the good teacher would begin teaching, or at least correcting the girl right away. 

[Hazy Sky]

Becky, I need to know the age of your daughter character please. It's kind of an important detail in the Colonel's life after all and I need to get it right on his character sheet.

[BeckyAnnn]

Becky, I need to know the age of your daughter character please. It's kind of an important detail in the Colonel's life after all and I need to get it right on his character sheet.

Skyre, I have forwarded you what I sent to Chrystal so far.

[Hazy Sky]

Thanks Becky. I'll work it in to my calculations for his life history. By my reckoning she was born in 1857 when her daddy was 23. So she will have been living with her mother in a city, whilst daddy was away serving in the army. Daddy leaves the army in 1868, but her mother dies before about a year before that from a fever and she spends that year living with her father and his unit. In particular she may remember a Sargent Cheyenne from that time.

[Ascia]

Interested, reading through the OPs.

[Chrystal]

Hi Ascia. Nice to see you again (I'm sure out paths have crossed).

Feel free to PM me a character sheet and/or post any questions you may have.

[BeckyAnnn]

* pounces Chrystal. ....just cuz I'm in a good mood and I can.



Chrystal, I know you said that the game probably would not start until summer but I was wondering if you might consider going ahead and creating a character thread so it would be easier to go back and review the accepted characters.

[Chrystal]

Oddly enough I have just updated the table on the OP. I'll put links in to character sheets so they're easy to find.

Anyone who has an approved sheet please feel free to post it here, for now.

[BeckyAnnn]

Oddly enough I have just updated the table on the OP. I'll put links in to character sheets so they're easy to find.

Anyone who has an approved sheet please feel free to post it here, for now.

You rock, babe!

[Deathnote]

Player ID: Deathnote

Character Name: Andrews (Real Name: Lǐ Xìn zhà)

Nickname (if Any): Crazy Wind, Lefty

Role: The drifter

Good, Bad or Ugly: Undecided

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Brown (right eye yellow due to injury)

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Distinguishing Marks: Right eye yellow

Weapons: British Army M1872 Mark III (3 bullets left), Smith & Wesson Model 3, Bowie Knife

Draw Speed: M1872: 0.52 seconds (right hand) / 0.5 seconds (left hand), S&W: 0.56 seconds (right hand) / 0.5 seconds (left hand)

Accuracy (Aimed and drawn - each weapon):
British Army M1872 Mark III (right hand w/ sunglasses on):
Drawn - 10 yds
Aimed - 35 yds

British Army M1872 Mark III (right hand w/ sunglasses off or left hand w/ sunglasses on):
Drawn - 12 yds
Aimed - 50 yds

British Army M1872 Mark III (left hand w/ sunglasses off):
Drawn - 15 yds
Aimed - 70 yds

Smith & Wesson Model 3 (right hand w/ sunglasses on):
Drawn - 10 yds
Aimed - 35 yds

Smith & Wesson Model 3 (right hand w/ sunglasses off or left hand w/ sunglasses on):
Drawn - 11 yds
Aimed - 40 yds

Smith & Wesson Model 3 (left hand w/ sunglasses off):
Drawn - 12 yds
Aimed - 50 yds

Other Equipment:
Sunglasses (or... tinted spectacles)
Rope
Bedroll
Canteen
Medicine Chest

Horse: Mostly walks where he needs to go

Likes: Gambling, brawling, freedom, girl-on-girl, helping the innocent

Dislikes: Slavery, opium, bullies, mines, and killing (recent)

Personality:  A very tense and serious type of person who seems to wear no other expression other than a constant frown.  Andrews rarely lets anything get to him making him very hard to piss off and/or depress.  He attempts to be approachable and tries to be friendly with other people, though it's obvious that he's not very good at it.  He can also be surprisingly stubborn and make very reckless decisions at times.  Once he's made up his mind about something, he'll see through it to the end.

Andrews is also the type to see things in shades of gray.  He believes that everything is situational and prefers to hear the full story before having to judge someone if he has to.  He also believes that there is good in everyone, though there are people he would find hard to forgive if at all.

History:
Xin was born in the Guangdong province of China before the start of the second opium war.  From a very young age, his father Li Jing taught him Chinese medicine and acupuncture.  Xin, however, had no real interest in pursuing a career in medicine.  He would regularly sneak out of the house to get out of studying.  One of his father's friends, Sim Yee-San was a master martial artist who had recently opened up a school nearby.  Xin started going there at the age of six.  Both Li Jing and Sim Yee-San were vocally and publically against opium trading.

Around ten years later, at the insistence of an upperclassman, Xin started regularly going to a gambling den.  He was not very good at gambling and in almost no time at all, he and his senior classmate had accumulated a large debt.  Unable to pay off the debt, Xin was kidnapped by the Shaho gang, whose leader owned the gambling den.  Fortunately, Li Jing and Sim Yee-San learned of this and went to rescue him.  The two of them along with several of Sim Yee-San's students fought the Shaho Gang.  In the chaos of the battle that ensued, Xin got his hands on the Shaho gang leader's gun and killed him with it.  As it turned out, the Shaho gang was backed by the East India Company and the gang leader had connections with a wealthy British merchant.

After getting out of the gambling den, Xin got on a boat to America after listening to someone advertise about it being the land of opportunity.  Like many of the other Chinese immigrants who fell for the advertisement, Xin ended up working at a mining site.  For a few months, he had to endure hard labour while being forced to work in the mines.  The foreman of that mine was particularly sadistic and cruel, barely feeding the workers and going on frequent power trips.  The other labourers weren't all that much better.  On Xin's first day in the mines, one of the labourers overpowered him and stole his food.  This didn't happen everyday, but it happened frequently enough that one day, he collapsed from lack of nutrition.  Fortunately, at that point, one of the other labourers took pity on him and gave him some of their own food.

There was little to no regard for safety, resulting in several labourers to lose their lives on a regular basis.  One particular mining accident resulted in the deaths of a large number of workers.  Unsurprisingly, after that incident, a plan for rebellion was already underway among the labourers.  They put their plan into action on the same day that a United States Marshal was visiting the mines.  They revolted against their oppressors and in the middle of all that chaos, Xin stole a gun from one of the supervisors and attempted to kill the foreman.  The Marshal intervened and he and Xin got into a firefight against each other.  Xin managed to get in a lucky shot and kill the Marshal before putting a bullet into the foreman execution style.

After his escape from the mines, Xin cut off his queue, grew out his hair, and changed his named to Andrews.  For the next three years, he would travel from town to town, doing a few odd jobs here and there to make ends meet.  He frequently disguised himself as a medicine man and was sometimes forced to hide out in opium dens to escape capture by lawmen.  His travels would eventually lead him to Gator's Crossing.

Any Other Info:

[Kaya]

Player ID: Kaya

Clothing

Character Name: Honiahaka (meaning: Little Wolf)

Nickname (if Any): Honi. War Name: Mopopi (meaning: Beautiful Chest)

Role: Indian Raider

Good, Bad or Ugly: Bad

Gender: female

Age: 21

Hair Colour: black

Eye Colour: brown

Sexuality: bisexual

Distinguishing Marks: None really, but you could say her boobs, they were the reason for her war name. Big and perfectly rounded, seemingly untouched by gravity and almost unnaturally firm and with high-set nipples, they really are quite the sight.

Weapons: Short Bow, Tomahawk and Knife

Draw Speed: Can draw and shoot an arrow from the quiver attached to her horse in less than 2 seconds. If she holds three arrows in her hand, she can shoot all three within 2 seconds.

Accuracy (Aimed and drawn - each weapon): Short Bow: aimed 70 yards, from horseback 30 yards.

Other Equipment: Saddle blanket, bed roll, water skin, a few small trap kits, quiver with arrows, which are all attached to her horse. She also carries a bag of nuggets hidden in her bedroll.

Horse: White and brown painted Mustang mare

Likes: The Indian way of life, a glorious battle, riding over the praerie with the wind in her hair, a challenge.

Dislikes: Buffalo hunters, cowards, anybody squatting on lands that she considers rightfully belonging to her people, people with forked tongues.

Personality: Wild and untamed probably describes her best. Reckless would also be a word that comes to mind from the perspective of a white man. She likes to take risks, but mistrusts anyone who is not from her tribe. She would probably kill any buffalo hunter on sight if given the chance, but she can be a fierce friend for people she likes.

History: Honi is the daughter of a famous Cheyenne warrior, Woqini (Roman Nose). He was killed by American soldiers during the Battle of Beecher Island on September 17, 1868, while attempting to charge the island in the Arikaree River where the soldiers had dug in. Honi was just 15 at that time, but she was there when it happened and recovered her mortally wounded father with the help of other boys and girls under heavy fire from the island. She was one of the very few to remain unscathed, many of the others were killed or wounded. That was seen as a sign by many. Always more interested in hunting and war than typical girl stuff, she was honored for her bravery and invited by several warrior societies after this show of bravery.

She picked an all-female warrior society with the name "Pretty Flowers" and became a so called prospect. Prospects are first being trained for about a year, then they can join war parties but they will be armed with melee weapons only. The tomahawk is a clear favorite for prospects. To be accepted as a prospect with the Pretty Flowers, a girl had to be - well - pretty. Do not expect them all to look like supermodels, but they will have a good figure (slender and/or athletic) and something else like a cute smile or even a certain swing of the lips that the warrior society deems attractive. To become a full member, a prospect has to impress members with her bravery and skill. Honi became a full member a year after her initial training was complete and received her war name.

The very fragile Medicine Lodge Treaty promised the Comanche, the Kiowa, the (Southern) Cheyenne and the Arapaho lands in Indian Territory "as long as the Buffalo roams the land". Unfortunately, that did not seem to mean forever, since white buffalo hunters have been reducing the buffalo year after year, taking away the foundation of life for the tribes. There would be no buffalo left soon, and herds were harder and harder to find. Something needed to be done. During the winter of 1873/1874, a Comanche holy man called Quenatosavit, later that man would be known as Isatai, preached war to the four tribes and produced medicine which could stop bullets or at least make it harder to hit a warrior with bullets. This medicine was carried as marked leather bracelets on the upper arms, as can be seen in the picture "Clothing" below the character picture.

With war looming on the horizon, the Pretty Flowers have been gaining a lot of new prospects, and the society has been growing in the past years considerably because of the presence of the famous daughter of Woqini. Lacking modern guns, acquiring them one way or the other was becoming a priority.

Any Other Info: I simplified the names from the original Cheyenne for better readability.

In case you don't think female warriors would be realistic, here is a good article on that subject (would be enough to read the first two paragraphs): http://sunshineskyways.blogspot.de/2006/04/cheyenne-women-warriors-marginalized.html

A word on the clothing picture below my character image on the right: The breastplates would be mostly useless with guns and almost nobody uses them anymore. Honi certainly does not wear one and only very few members of her society do. The members wear the leggings as shown, prospects do not wear leggings though, they leave their legs bare.

Important for other players: Honi is set up as a character that can be killed if the situation calls for it. Don't pull your punches. If you find your character in battle with Honi and you feel you are in a situation where your character would fire at her, all I ask is that you do not post the result of the shot. Shoot me a PM with what you feel should be the result, and we can discuss that or I'll post accordingly. I have another character lined up in case something bad happens to Honi, so no need to feel bad. Cool?

[Chrystal]

*grins* I just realised, Kaya, you forgot to list two of her weapons... Well, you listed them but not as weapons!

*laughs*

[BeckyAnnn]

Player ID: Kaya

Clothing

Character Name: Honiahaka (meaning: Little Wolf)

Nickname (if Any): Honi. War Name: Mopopi (meaning: Beautiful Chest)

Role: Indian Raider

Good, Bad or Ugly: Bad

Gender: female

Age: 21

Hair Colour: black

Eye Colour: brown

Sexuality: bisexual

Distinguishing Marks: None really, but you could say her boobs, they were the reason for her war name. Big and perfectly rounded, seemingly untouched by gravity and almost unnaturally firm and with high-set nipples, they really are quite the sight.

Weapons: Short Bow, Tomahawk and Knife

Draw Speed: Can draw and shoot an arrow from the quiver attached to her horse in less than 2 seconds. If she holds three arrows in her hand, she can shoot all three within 2 seconds.

Accuracy (Aimed and drawn - each weapon): Short Bow: aimed 70 yards, from horseback 30 yards.

Other Equipment: Saddle blanket, bed roll, water skin, a few small trap kits, quiver with arrows, which are all attached to her horse. She also carries a bag of nuggets hidden in her bedroll.

Horse: White and brown painted Mustang mare

Likes: The Indian way of life, a glorious battle, riding over the praerie with the wind in her hair, a challenge.

Dislikes: Buffalo hunters, cowards, anybody squatting on lands that she considers rightfully belonging to her people, people with forked tongues.

Personality: Wild and untamed probably describes her best. Reckless would also be a word that comes to mind from the perspective of a white man. She likes to take risks, but mistrusts anyone who is not from her tribe. She would probably kill any buffalo hunter on sight if given the chance, but she can be a fierce friend for people she likes.

History: Honi is the daughter of a famous Cheyenne warrior, Woqini (Roman Nose). He was killed by American soldiers during the Battle of Beecher Island on September 17, 1868, while attempting to charge the island in the Arikaree River where the soldiers had dug in. Honi was just 15 at that time, but she was there when it happened and recovered her mortally wounded father with the help of other boys and girls under heavy fire from the island. She was one of the very few to remain unscathed, many of the others were killed or wounded. That was seen as a sign by many. Always more interested in hunting and war than typical girl stuff, she was honored for her bravery and invited by several warrior societies after this show of bravery.

She picked an all-female warrior society with the name "Pretty Flowers" and became a so called prospect. Prospects are first being trained for about a year, then they can join war parties but they will be armed with melee weapons only. The tomahawk is a clear favorite for prospects. To be accepted as a prospect with the Pretty Flowers, a girl had to be - well - pretty. Do not expect them all to look like supermodels, but they will have a good figure (slender and/or athletic) and something else like a cute smile or even a certain swing of the lips that the warrior society deems attractive. To become a full member, a prospect has to impress members with her bravery and skill. Honi became a full member a year after her initial training was complete and received her war name.

The very fragile Medicine Lodge Treaty promised the Comanche, the Kiowa, the (Southern) Cheyenne and the Arapaho lands in Indian Territory "as long as the Buffalo roams the land". Unfortunately, that did not seem to mean forever, since white buffalo hunters have been reducing the buffalo year after year, taking away the foundation of life for the tribes. There would be no buffalo left soon, and herds were harder and harder to find. Something needed to be done. During the winter of 1873/1874, a Comanche holy man called Quenatosavit, later that man would be known as Isatai, preached war to the four tribes and produced medicine which could stop bullets or at least make it harder to hit a warrior with bullets. This medicine was carried as marked leather bracelets on the upper arms, as can be seen in the picture "Clothing" below the character picture.

With war looming on the horizon, the Pretty Flowers have been gaining a lot of new prospects, and the society has been growing in the past years considerably because of the presence of the famous daughter of Woqini. Lacking modern guns, acquiring them one way or the other was becoming a priority.

Any Other Info: I simplified the names from the original Cheyenne for better readability.

In case you don't think female warriors would be realistic, here is a good article on that subject (would be enough to read the first two paragraphs): http://sunshineskyways.blogspot.de/2006/04/cheyenne-women-warriors-marginalized.html

A word on the clothing picture below my character image on the right: The breastplates would be mostly useless with guns and almost nobody uses them anymore. Honi certainly does not wear one and only very few members of her society do. The members wear the leggings as shown, prospects do not wear leggings though, they leave their legs bare.

Important for other players: Honi is set up as a character that can be killed if the situation calls for it. Don't pull your punches. If you find your character in battle with Honi and you feel you are in a situation where your character would fire at her, all I ask is that you do not post the result of the shot. Shoot me a PM with what you feel should be the result, and we can discuss that or I'll post accordingly. I have another character lined up in case something bad happens to Honi, so no need to feel bad. Cool?

Whoa!

Can't see why anyone would want to kill off Honi. 

[BeckyAnnn]

Approved Character


Player ID: BeckyAnnn

Character Name: Sarah Elizabeth Davis

Nickname (if Any): Family back home called her LizzyBeth

Role: School Teacher's Maid

Good, Bad or Ugly: Ugly but obedient to Mrs. Burwell

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Hair Colour: Brown

Eye Colour: Blue

Sexuality: Virgin

Distinguishing Marks: Small scar behind her left ear from one of her older brothers shooting her with a sling shot.

Weapons: None

Draw Speed: NA

Accuracy (Aimed and drawn - each weapon): NA

Other Equipment:  Has no possessions of her own.  Everything she does have belongs to Mrs. Burwell.

Horse: None of her own but bares some of the responsibility for caring for Mrs. Burwell's horse, Nelly.

Likes: Mrs. Burwell, Mrs. Burwell's horse Nelly, not having to worry where her next meal will come from, a soft warm bed, security, serving Mrs. Burwell

Dislikes: Hunger, homelessness, poverty, the noose

Personality: Quiet ans studious, if for no other reason than to please Mrs. Burwell.  She has been intimidated by the woman's intelligence and strength from the day they met.  A good person at heart, she never the less serves Mrs. Burwell with nothing less than total loyalty. She owes her life to the woman and spends each day trying to repay that debt, not out of guilt or a sense of duty, but out of gratitude. 

For herself though, Sarah dreams of a family of her own, a good husband and beautiful children.  She sometimes finds herself conflicted, torn between her longing for a family and her earnest desire to serve Mrs. Burwell.  She knows though, if she ever had to chose, she would chose to serve the woman who saved her.   

History: Sarah Elizabeth Davis was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi in 1858.  The youngest of six children and the only girl born to Olivia and Jasper Davis.  The Davis family was among the most desperately impoverished white families in Lee County.  For this reason, when war broke out in 1861 Jasper enlisted in the Army of the Confederacy.  The lure of a decent, steady pay was hard to resist.  His time in the army was cut short however, when he lost his left eye and the hearing in his left ear as well as suffering damage to his hearing in his right ear, in his very first battle.  He returned home to his family, a war hero, in under a year.  But Jasper survived his short service in the army only to be murdered in front of his family in 1864, by one of General A.J. Smith's Union soldiers as they marched south to engage General Nathan Bedford Forrest's forces in order to protect General Sherman's supply lines.  Sarah Elizabeth was only six years old. 

After their father's death the three oldest boys joined the Confederate Army, the youngest of the three being too young to fight, was used as a drummer. He and the the oldest son both fell at the Battle of Palmito Ranch.  The other was said to have witnessed General Robert E. Lee's surrender but has not been seen or heard from since. 

Olivia and the last two remaining Davis children survived as best they could.  In time the two youngest boys both left seeking employment else where.  One was working on the expansion of the railway system and the other ended up working in the West Virginia coal mines, where a man's life was valued less than that of a mule.

Olivia Davis died in the winter of 1872 of pneumonia. Sarah Elizabeth was 14 years old.  Lizzybeth, as her family had always called her, found work as a maid on a rich family's estate.  She spent practically all day on her hands and knees scrubbing floors.  She was just days past her 16th birthday when the estate owner's 22 year old son cornered her in the stables as she slipped an apple to her favorite of the family's horses one evening.   The man tried to rape the young girl at knife point and would likely have succeeded except he was drunk.   The petite young girl killed the man with his own knife.  Gutted would be a more accurate description of what she did to him.  Lizzybeth knew that no matter what she said, she would hang for killing the man.  So she stole what money the man had on him, took the family's fastest horse and run away before anyone knew what had happened.

The young girl made her way to Natchez, Mississippi.  There was a lot of talk there about the fortunes to be made out west, and that the frontiersmen were looking for white wives, as there was nothing out west but Indians and coyotes.  Well that sounded like the perfect solution to the young fugitive running from the noose.  So she sold the stolen horse and booked passage for herself on a river boat bound for New Orleans.  Lizzybeth kept herself locked in her room for the most part.  After all, it wasn't exactly safe for a young girl traveling alone. 

Lizzy's plan was to travel to New Orleans, then take a ship to Texas.  After that she would make her way slowly west, taking odd jobs in various towns along the way in order to fund her journey.  But, she encountered an unexpected problem.  After paying for the riverboat trip she did not have enough money to pay for passage on a ship bound for Texas.  And New Orleans was not a place she wanted to spend much time in, particularly not alone.  Additionally, she figured that the longer she remained east of the Mississippi the more likely it was that she would be caught.  So Lizzybeth saw only one option.  She was already guilty of murder and they can only hang you once so...she stowed away on the first ship she found headed for Texas. 

Apparently Lizzybeth was a better murderer and horse thief than she was a stow away because she was caught the very next morning, sneaking out of her hiding place looking for something to eat.  The young girl, thin and dirty from her travels and hiding in the cargo hold, was dragged on deck and before the captain. The captain was a hard man and when Lizzy opened her mouth to speak in her own behalf the man backhanded her, knocking her to the deck. There was some discussion as to what would be done with the girl.  Some suggested she be hung from the mast or, at the very least, bound to it.  Others proposed she be given over to the crew for their pleasure before being tossed over board.  After all, it would be most merciful to relieve the wretched wench of the burden of her miserable little life. But just as one of the crew members was reaching out to lay a hand on the terrified young woman, someone stepped forward in her defense.

The woman was obviously well bred, educated and strong.  And from the look of the clothes she wore, was a person of considerable means.  She gave the captain and the crew a good verbal lashing for their lack of humanity and basic decency.  The woman assured the captain that she would pay the girl's fare and would take responsibility for her.  "Of course, Mrs. Burwell.  As you wish."  It might have been amusing. seeing how contrite the rough old captain was and how he submitted to the woman's wishes without objection, if Lizzybeth had not been so frightened.  The woman took the girl by the arm and led her away to her cabin to be cleaned up, fed and to tend to the bruise the captain had left on her cheek.

Sarah Elizabeth was not illiterate but nor was she well educated.  She read well enough that she could get by on her own and had enough math skills to understand money.  As it turned out, Mrs. Burwell was a teacher and began furthering the girl's education that very day.  She would not tolerate her companion being ignorant.




Any Other Info: Of the six Davis children, Lizzybeth was the only one to continue her schooling into the 8th grade.  This had much to do with the influence of Mrs. Sinclair, and elderly widowed teacher who lived about a mile down the old dirt road from the Davis home.  Lizzybeth would walk to her house everyday after school, taking the old lady a meal prepared for her by her mother as well as doing any house work the old lady needed.  The old lady was nearly blind with age but helped Lizzy as much as she could when she had problems with her school work.  She was also teaching the girl basic Spanish and French, subjects not commonly offered in many schools in the region.  In addition to being a retired teacher, Mrs. Sinclair was also a fine pianist, who gave lessons in her younger days when she could see well enough to read music and actually see her pupils.  By the time she met Lizzy her sight was failing and she played everything by ear and by memory.  One of the old woman's favorite things to do when Lizzybeth came for her daily visits was to sit down at her piano and play as the girl sang to her some of the old country hymns that she loved. 

Lizzy was crushed went the old lady passed away peacefully in her sleep one night in the Fall of 1872.  The girl was all choked up as she sang the old lady's favorite hymn at her grave side.  When her mother died just months later, Lizzy found herself  suddenly alone in the world and could not find it in her heart to sing.  She had to leave school in order to take a job just to be able to survive.

[Kaya]

*grins* I just realised, Kaya, you forgot to list two of her weapons... Well, you listed them but not as weapons!

*laughs*

Oh, you mean those two built-in rocketlaunchers?

Well, not really, but close! 

[BeckyAnnn]

Player ID: BeckyAnnn

Character Name:Roselyn Gator

Nickname (if Any): Rose or Rosie

Role: Gator's daughter

Good, Bad or Ugly: Ugly

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Hair Colour: Red

Eye Colour: Green

Sexuality: Virgin

Distinguishing Marks: Only distinguishing mark is not actually visible.  Rose has a scar on the left side of her head within her hairline above her ear from being kicked by a horse when she was ten.  It was more of a glancing blow that laid open her scalp, briefly rendered her unconscious and left her with a concussion.  All things considered it could have been much much worse.  Aside from that, her skin and complexion are practically flawless.   

Weapons: FOREHAND & WADSWORTH, WORCESTER .22 short r.f. caliber Pocket Pistol hidden on her person. Location depends on what she is wearing at the time. 


In addition, Rose has a 20 gauge short barrel coach gun holstered on her saddle when she rides. Originally supplied with a 12 gauge much like the other Gator ranch hands were equipped with, that gun was replaced when it dislocated her shoulder firing on a mountain lion. 

Draw Speed: NA

Accuracy (Aimed and drawn - each weapon): Col. Gator tried and tried to teach his daughter to shoot but gave up when it became apparent that she just did not have an eye for it.  He was apparently satisfied that she at least knew which end to point at her adversary.

Other Equipment: Sultry eyes, full red lips and a swing in her hips that could kill a man.

Horse: Black and white Painted Horse, 13 hands   Named Belleza (Spanish for beauty)


Likes: Horses, her horse Belleza, horse back riding, calf roping, ranch hands, being outdoors, loves her Pa

Dislikes: Gator's Rangers (vile and violent men, the lot of them), studying but her pa insists she does it (would rather be outside), vehemently despises ANY woman who dares chase after her father

Personality: Flip a coin and see which Rose you get.  She has a kind and gentle side that is the embodiment of care and compassion.  This she got from her mother who was an angel on this Earth.  Then there is her Gator side, the feisty and strong willed red head who never settles for "you can't do that."  And never, ever tell she can do something because she is a girl.  She WILL prove you wrong. 

She doesn't know a whole lot about her father's business.  The compassionate and fair-minded part  of her would not approve of some of it and the fiery side of her personality would not hesitate to tell her father so.

History:  Rose was born in 1857.  For the better part of her early life, it was just her and her mother, Camilla. Oh, her father was never too far away and she saw him frequently, but for the most part it was just Rose and Camilla living alone in the city.  Her days were filled with schooling and lessons.  Late afternoon and evenings with play and her weekends at her mother's side in service to others.  She was a happy child with bright eyes and the sweetest smile.

But tragedy befell the Gator family.  Camilla fell ill with a fever.  The Col. returned to his little family but his wife died two days later.  Rose was ten years old.  After four days, Gator rode back into his camp, his arms around his daughter sitting in front of him on his horse.  For weeks it was almost as though it had been Rose who had died.  She was like a ghost in the camp.  She wouldn't speak.  She hardly ate and the smile she once gave so freely was no where to be found. 

After a time though, she began to display an interest in the cavalry horses.  She still was hardly speaking and would not smile but she watched them, even daring now and then to reach out and try to touch one.  One day, while her father was and some of his officers were out of camp, Rose ventured to close to one of the horses.  It was big and mean.  It had been the mount of a fallen Confederate officer.  In the blink of an eye, she went from venturing too close to laying deathly still on the cool grass twenty feet away.

The first to reach the young girl's side was a Indian prisoner.  He had proved himself trust worth and so his hands and feet were only loosely bound.   This allowed him just enough freedom of motion to render aid to the child.  As it turned out he knew quite a bit about first aid and much more about horses. 

As soon as the accident happen a messenger was dispatched to go find the Col. and tell him what had happened.  When asked how the girl was the over excited soldier replied " I don't know.  I think she's dead!"  When Col. Gator made it back to camp he found not a dead child, but he found his little girl sitting in the prisoner's lap as he held a blood soaked handkerchief  to her bleeding head.  Rose looked at her Pa as he came to her side.  There was blood everywhere and her eyes were glassy.  She was unsteady and seemed to have trouble just holding her head up.  But the most amazing thing happened as she looked up at her father.  Young Rose spoke more words than she had the entire time she had spent in her father's camp.  Her voice was soft, shaky and a bit slurred as she spoke.  "Pa.  Dis is Langundo.  He'sth fwom Texasth.  He raisth horsethes."

Rose recovered over the next week or so and often asked to visit with Langundo, where the two would sit and talk about horses.  In time, and as the Col. got to know him better, Langundo was allowed to take Rose near the horses and teacher the things she should, and more importantly should not, do around them.  Rose began to smile again as she spent more time with Langundo and the horses.  And, after much pleading on her part, Langundo was even allowed to teach Rose to ride. 

After about a year, the Col. decided it was time to go home.  Rose was both excited and nervous about meeting her grandfather.  Even at the tender age of eleven, Rose could sense the the tension between her father and grandfather.  But the elder Gator was never anything but kind to her.  She was saddened when he passed away.  She wasn't sure if her Pa felt the same way and that bothered her. 

It was three days prior to her thirteenth birthday and Rose was in town with her father when one of his rangers approached them with a message.  "Col., there's an old Indian couple here.  They are asking for you...you and Miss. Rose."  The ranger didn't seem able to give much more detail than that.  But Rose and the Col. were curious so they agreed t meet with the old Indian.

They met him by the livery stable where the old man sat on a barrel waiting.  He looked up as they approached.  The old man's skin was dark and his face and hands seemed worn with age, but his eyes shined with a tranquility that comes only from being at peace with the world.  They all exchanged greetings and pleasantries, the two men seeming to try to size each other up.  Finally the old man got to the point. 

"Col. Gator.  My grandson was once your prisoner."  The old man spoke excellent English though his accent was thick. "He spoke of you highly.  And your daughter. He called her 'my Rose."  The old man looked at Rose then and gave her a smile and a slight bow of his head.  It was apparent that he had spent a considerable amount of time with the white man.  "Grandson loved horses.  Loved your Rose like he loved little sister who died as a child."  Rose' heart sank as the old man spoke of Langundo in the past tense.  "Grandson have accident in swollen river.  Joined spirit world to watch over his people.  Do not be sad, little Rose.  It is the way of things.  Grandson watch over his Rose too."  Rose fought back the lump in her throat.  The old man went on.  "Grandson love Rose.  So we bring Rose gift from grandson." With that the old Indian gave a whistle and a young INdian woman came waking leading the most beautiful black and white horse Rose had ever seen.  "Do us great honor....do grandson great honor to be accepting gift." 

Rose went straight over to the horse.  She stroked its nose and the horse nudged her gently.  She was sleek and shiny with the most amazing markings.  "You are so beautiful.  I should call you Belleza."  Rose looked back and the Col. with bright hopeful eyes and a sweet sweet smile.  "Pa.....can I?  Please?"

Roselyn Gator has not ridden another horse sense.   

Any Other Info: Yes, as the "Likes" section states, Rose likes ranch hands.  But the ranch hands are too scared of her father that they will hardly even speak to the girl.  Those stupid enough to attempt more than a working relationship her have not lasted in the Col.'s employ.

[Hazy Sky]

Sorry everyone. I've picked up a cold and it's making me feel like someone has poured concrete into my skull. The character sheet is almost finished, I just need to tweak a few details when I can be sure that I've remembered them all, which at the moment I can't.

[Kaya]

Aww, I hope you feel better soon, Skyre!