DeadlandsHistory

A Brief History of the Weird West To Hell in a Handbasket | Back to Main Page |

The Weird West is a strange place, and possesses a complicated history with politics driven by ghost-rock, Civil War, and strange happenings. Back East, the North and South duke it out in a fifteen year old war, and in the West, folks of all sorts have come to make their fortunes. THE CIVIL WAR The year is 1876, and the Civil War still marches on. While the tense battles of Bull Run, Vicksburg, and Gettysburg are history, the war has never reached a decisive conclusion. Instead, a tense stalemate exists between North and South, punctuated by occasional battles and skirmishes. A cynical man would note that most of these conflicts occur for only a few months, every four years, and seem to be timed shortly before the presidential elections. Soldiers have taken to calling them the November Offensives, but the political reality is far more complicated. The war will not be won by soldiers – they will be won by one side or the other developing a unilateral technological advantage. GETTYSBURG Gettysburg was the turning point in that stalemate. No single battle, North or South, took so heavy a toll in human lives. Newspapers estimated that nearly ninety percent of the committed forces were killed in action, and that the battle itself became an unpredictable maelstrom of chaos and death. Horrifying atrocities were committed by both sides, and in the aftermath of the battle, most of the soldiers who didn't desert were institutionalized. After Gettysburg, a temporary, ninety day cease fire was declared. Attempts to achieve an amicable resolution through diplomacy ultimately failed, and both nations waited for the ninety day mark to pass. It did so – and then another ninety days, and another without a shot fired. Both sides licked their wounds, circling for a sign of weakness, and the war continued on... just a little more quietly than it had before. THE GREAT QUAKE OF '68 Five years after Gettysburg, and the tentative 'peace' that had been established continued to hold. Then the largest earthquake in recorded history shattered the west coat, and whole chunks of California fell wholesale into the ocean. In the wake of the Great Quake was left 'The Great Maze,' miles of jagged mesas towering over a labyrinth of flooded sea-channels. New species were discovered in the Maze – the great 'Maze Dragon' being one of the most noteworthy examples. But the cracking of the Maze yielded more than just biological discoveries – it also led to the discovery of a new mineral which would change the face of the world. The new mineral looked like coal, but it burned a hundred times hotter and longer. It gave off a ghost-white vapor and a howl as it was burned, and the first survivors of the quake named the fundament 'ghost-rock.' The name stuck. THE POWER OF GHOST ROCK Ghost-rock proved to be a downright amazing fuel source. Within months of the discovery of the fuel source, inventors and scientists arrived in California and the Maze, seeking to experiment with the substance. Soon, strange inventions began pouring out of laboratories all over the world – horseless carriages, ghost-rock powered ships, and weapons that could spit waves of bullets or fire. Both North and South sat up and took keen notice – perhaps their deadlock wasn't meant to last forever, after all. BATTLE OF WASHINGTON President Jefferson Davis quickly realized the possible uses of these devices in wartime, and created a secret military laboratory to study ghost-rock near Roswell, New Mexico. (Sadly, that base has since been destroyed by an unfortunate explosion.) The base created a number of functional prototypes, shipping them back to the Confederacy and integrated into a massive offensive. General Robert E. Lee marched on Washington in February of 1871, and the Army of Northern Virginia attacked the Union lines around the District of Columbia. The attack was devastatingly effective, even if periodic malfunctions occasionally proved as detrimental to Confederate lives as they had to Union forces. When the dust settled, the Confederacy held the Capitol, and Union forces were pushed back by the Confederate war machines. THE GREAT RAIL WARS Yankee forces soon reclaimed the Capitol, as Lee's machines malfunctioned or ran out of ghost-rock. But the Confederate victory had sent a clear message: The war would be decided by the new steam-powered weaponry, and within a month the price of ghost-rock was twice the price of gold. Ghost-rock was quickly found in other places all over the country – but the Maze had the richest and most abundant veins. After Grant's generals retook the White House, he issued a proclamation promising an exclusive government contract to the first transcontinental rail line. President Davis issued the same contract the very next day. While over two dozen prospective rail companies sprang up overnight, the battle to establish a transcontinental rail line quickly claimed casualties. Within months, the fighting had been narrowed down to six competitors, none of them shy of a fight. Sabotage, espionage, and open warfare on close-running lines became the order of the day, and most trains are now equipped with sophisticated ghost-rock powered ordnance and heavy armor plating. The Rail Wars will be discussed in greater detail, below. But the effect of the rail wars – and the effect of the ongoing Civil War – had repercussions throughout North America. A NATION SUNDERED The American Civil War began in 1861, and has now drug out over the course of 15 years. The weakness of the Union and Confederate nations has allowed the creation of other nations – The Sioux Union, the Coyote Confederacy, the Republic of Deseret, and the City of Lost Angels. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA President Ulysses S. Grant won the election in '72, defeating Andrew Johnson's attempt at a tertiary term. Grant's battlefield experience and the respect of a nation catapulted him to victory, despite his lack of political acumen. After seven years of lethargy in the ongoing Civil War, the Yankee public was ready for a man they believed could take charge and take action. The Yankees do not acknowledge the sovereignty of any other nation on 'Union soil,' including the Confederacy, Sioux Union, Coyote Confederation, the Republic of Deseret or Lost Angels. The reality is that the Union lacks any kind of control or presence inside of those nations. PRESIDENT GRANT Grant's prospects against Samuel Tilden, a pro-peace candidate, are looking slim in 1876. The tides of public opinion have changed, and the Yankee constituency that had hoped a skillful general like Grant would quickly sweep the war in favor of the North have begun to doubt his dedication to the cause of “Unconditional Surrender.” Grant has proven far less reckless and war-hungry a President than any of his voters expected; under his administration the Presidency has focused on rebuilding the wealth and industry that was at the core of the Union's early successes. Grant seeks a victory with teeth – he intends the Union to possess a decisive advantage when they push back into the South, and there is considerable speculation as to how he intends to accomplish this. His detractors speculate that he is tired of war, and only intends to allay the public fears and let the cease-fires stretch out as long as is politically convenient. PINKERTON DETECTIVE AGENCY The Pinkerton Detective Agency was given authority under te jurisdiction of the Secret Service by President Abraham Lincoln. Ironically, both the Secret Service and the drafting of the Pinkerton Detective Agency into the Secret Service was accomplished by President Lincoln on the day of his assassination. Pinkertons are charged with investigation of matters important to the Union; they don't answer to anyone save their organization. The Pinkertons still hunt down wanted men, but its an open secret that they also conduct clandestine missions on both sides of the USA/CSA border. Pinkertons are portrayed by the newspapers as roguish spies and masters of espionage. CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA While the Confederacy was originally born out of a desire to avoid the perceived imperialism of the North, (or to avoid the loss of wealth that slavery avoided) there is a clear irony In how history has allowed the South to develop. In order to raise a fighting army, President Davis removed the bonds of slavery and issued drafts and taxation that was a match for any the North has issued. While much of the Southern lifestyle has been preserved, at least for the wealthy, some of its southern cities are now a match for the industrialization of the North. Impoverished workers die in equal numbers in Southern factories as Northern, and a growing number of confederate patriots have begun to defect, uncertain what they are fighting for any longer. PRESIDENT DAVIS President Jefferson Davis won the initial elections, after the declaration of Southern secession, and again in '67 when he was opposed by Senator Robert M.T. Hunter. (Mr. Hunter died of illness just a few days before the election.) For several years he ruled by martial law, but magnanimously restored free elections in March of '76. His popularity in the South is also at an all-time low, with his inability to force the North to recognize Southern independence and the devastated rural economy of several states giving the Whig party aspirations of toppling the sole president of the Confederacy. Robert E. Lee has accepted the Whig nomination, challenging Davis. A popular leader and respected general, his campaign already seems to have President Davis on the retreat. THE TEXAS RANGERS The Texas Rangers were first used as spies, scouts, and saboteurs during the Mexian War of '46-'48. They protected Texas against Mexican invasion, then later enforced law while it was still the 'Republic of Texas.' After Texas became a member of the Union in '45, they continued to serve as law enforcement agents. During the Civil War, the Texas Rangers were dispatched to fight in several important battles, including Gettysburg. Now, the Texas Rangers serve a role similar to that of Federal Marshals in the North – they have nationwide jurisdiction, and travel from state to state in pursuit of fugitives, criminals, and deserters. SIOUX NATIONS Without the ongoing war between North and South, the Sioux Nations might never have been born. The Sioux Union, created after Sitting Bull's defeat of General Custer, had defied the Union and the Yankees, eventually suing for a ceasefire which granted them sovereignty over much of the land of the Dakotas. SITTING BULL AND CUSTER Sitting Bull, an old and cunning chief of the Sioux, defeated the forces of General George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. While Custer's charge was credited as sheer tactical folly, the famous general managed to survive his battle with the Sioux, and has vowed his revenge. Custer struggles to raise an army to avenge himself on 'the heathens.' Sitting Bull and Custer's growing army have already fought several skirmishes. DEADWOOD After ghostrock was discovered in the Black hills, thousands of white prospectors flooded the area. Eventually, the conflict proved more trouble than it was worth, and the Sioux created an agreement of mutual benefit, allowing the prospectors to take up residence in the treaty city of Deadwood. The city and miners pay a fee to the Sioux, but agree not to travel the surroundings land which belong to the Sioux. The prospectors, however, have barely heeded this treaty, and regularly violate the boundaries they've been allowed in search of new sources of fundament. The bodies of prospectors and would be Custer loyalists are routinely recovered from the Black Hills, and tensions continue to mount. THE OLD WAYS The shamans (or wicasas) of the Sioux have received visions that a great plague will fall upon them for adopting the white man's ways. The elders of the Sioux have called for a return to the Old Ways, forbidding guns and the incursion of corruptions like firewater and opium. Sitting Bull has clashed openly with the elders on this point - he feels that guns are necessary for the survival of the Sioux, and returning to hand-crafted weapons provides a distinct advantage to the white settles who would claim the land as their own. COYOTE CONFEDERATION After the success of the Sioux, a coalition of Cherokee, Comanche, Creek, Seminole, Kiowa, Chickasaw, and Choctaw Indians formed their own nation. Led by a mysterious hooded figure who calls himself 'Coyote.' Speculation abounds that this is a ruse to protect the leader from assassination, and that Coyote is several different leaders and medicine men using the cloak of mystery to unite the disparate tribes. Because the Confederation lacks any kind of unified leadership, the tribes are left to their own devices, and several of them still make regular raids into white territory. This has created conflict with the settlements in the disputed territories, and requests for action from the North and South alike. BROTHERS IN ARMS The Tombstone Epitaph noted in early '76 that the majority of raids into settlements in the disputed lands were again Union loyal townships, and that the raiding tribes of the Coyote Confederation also rarely ventured into Southern territory. Accusations that Southern forces are using the Coyote Confederation as a proxy against Northern settlers have not yet been refuted. REPUBLIC OF DESERET Most folk are familiar with the Mormons, and the Latter Day saints that marched out of the East and across the untracked wilderness to find a home. They faced religious persecution, and traded it for the harsh trials of the desert, establishing the territory of Utah and a city by a great salt lake in 1947. Their leader, Brigham Young, steered them through a checkered past and into a hopeful future. PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG Of course, in 1949, the Gold Rush traipsed right through Utah. Suddenly, the fledgling community was beset with miners and hopeful prospectors. They had money to spend, but all the old religious troubles of the past followed them. The miners also seemed to have trouble abiding by the religious laws of the Latter Day Saints, banning liquor and caffeine. Several unfortunate conflicts with the new arrivals ended with blood on both sides, but the situation managed to muddle along until 1866. With no end in sight of the Civil War, Brigham young declared himself President of the Republic of Deseret, until such time as the conflict was resolved. Once the North or South could properly address the Saints concerns, they would rejoin the states, but until then he expressed an imperative they rule themselves responsibly. THE CITY OF GLOOM The Mormons recieved something of a windfall when noted inventor and scientist Dr. Darius Hellstromme converted to Mormonism and settled in salt Lake City. Smith and Robards, an inventor and businessman, also took up residence in Salt Lake City, and within a decade the landscape of Salt Lake City had been transformed into endless warehouses and factories. Smith and Robards catalogs no permeate the West, delivering mail-order gadgets and high quality goods to anyone with the money to purchase them. Salt Lake City has been nicknamed the City of Gloom, as ghostrock powered factories belch smoke into the air. CITY OF LOST ANGELS After the quake of '68, numerous groups of survivors were trapped atop the mesas, far above the ocean channels. Most died of starvation, but one group managed to escape their mesa prison, led by the Reverend Ezekial Grimme. He guided his group of followers back to the mainland, finding food and steering them clear of the dangers of the Maze by faith alone. Grimme called his followers his 'lost angels,' and after they arrived in safe harbor, founded a city by the same name. Grimme's city quickly became a center of the burgeoning Ghost Rock trade. It was only a few weeks overland to Tombstone. Grimme maintains his power in Lost Angels. The Great Maze is a place where food is scarce - waters drain into the Great Maze, and lush forests and farmlands lie dead and fallow. The city's prices on food are shockingly expensive; a loaf of bread can cost all the money a miner makes in a week, and many people are just a few meals from death by starvation. Once a week, the Reverend Grimme opens the cathedral at the heart of Lost Angel's for the Sunday Feast - all the food that his followers can eat. He rules by popular appeal, and his charity and faith are unquestioned. REVEREND GRIMME That doesn't stop Grimme from being a bit of an odd duck, though. He had the city's followers construct the city in a circular pattern, with the great Cathedral of Lost Angels in the city's center. He claimed to have been inspired by a divine dream, and that the 'Celestial City' was to be a monument to faith and the human spirit. Grimme's leadership, charity, and piety has convinced most of the denizens of Lost Angels he's been sent by the Almighty himself. THE EDICT For years, Grimme has preached against the evils that the rails will bring - graft, corruption, and the evils of Eastern society. In recent months, members of his flock have taken to martyring themselves in an attempt to stymie the progress of the rails further East. Some believe the food that would arrive by rail would ruin Grimme's power, but most of his faithful truly believe their very souls would be at risk with the arrival of the rails. some already speculate that the City of Lost Angels is already a power unto itself, and that the Celestial City will soon declare its independence. GRIMME'S CRUSADE Grimme's proselytizing has begun to spread throughout the Maze. He seeks allies among the other major cities of California, to create a consensus of independence for the Great Maze and stand against the 'partisan politics' of the North and South. His preachers have begun gathering converts in every city, and usually provide food in a similar manner as at Grimme's own cathedral - opening their doors on Sundays and letting the faithful eat their fill. THE GREAT RAIL WARS The Rail Wars continue as fiercely as ever, though dynamite-strapped martyrs of the Lost Angels Church have interfered with progress for the rails aiming for Lost Angels. North and South alike haven't yet issued a resolution, but forward progress has certainly slowed. The players in the Rail Wars are below - information on the lengths of line under their control are up for grabs. BAYOU VERMILLION Owner: Baron Simone Lacroix headquarters: New Orleans, Louisiana The Bayou Vermillion line runs south through Texas and Arizona, connecting the South to Tombstone. Its lines come under frequent attack from the Apache. BLACK RIVER Owner: Mina Devlin Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee The Black River lines run directly through the heart of disputed lands, parallel to both the Union Blue and the Dixie Rails. Despite those difficulties, Black River has fared well, and enjoys one of the more amicable relationships with the other lines. This may be due in no small part to Mina Devlin herself, one of the most beautiful women in the west. DENVER-PACIFIC Owner: Smith & Robards Headquarters: Denver, Colorado The Denver Pacific rail isn't situated to win the transcontinental contract, but its ideally positioned to play kingmaker; Smith & Robards have made it clear they intend to sell, but their asking price has made even the other Rail Barons blanche. The DPR runs from Denver to the City of Gloom, and continues to extend across the Mojave. DIXIE RAILS Owner: Fitzhugh Lee Headquarters: Lexington, Virginia More of a military train than a passenger rail, the Dixie Rails has focused on a comprehensive set of rails built throughout the South. It focuses on shipping supplies East and West, but hasn't extended as far as any of the other rails, though it is neck and neck with the Union Blue. IRON DRAGON Owner: Kang Headquarters: Legally registered in New York. he enigmatic warlord Kang has made a splash with his entry into the Rail Wars - he is the only Rail Baron who began working from West to East, starting in the Great Maze, then moving north and east. He's also boggled rivals by managing to negotiate a treaty letting him cut through the Dakotas, despite the Old Ways movement of the Sioux. Kang has connections to the powerful criminal Triads of Shan Fan, as well as to pirate groups in the Maze. UNION BLUE Owner: General Joshua Chamberlain Headquarters: Washington, D.C. (Practically, operated out of Maine) The war hero Joshua Chamberlain was a hero of Gettysburg, and well respected on both sides of the Mason Dixie. Of all the rails, the Union Blue carries a reputation for honesty and decency in their dealings. Much like the Dixie Rails, the Union Blue is a private company in name only. WASATCH Owner: Dr. Darius Hellstromme headquarters: Salt Lake City, Republic of Deseret Wasatch Rail dominated the early years of the Rail Wars with clockwork automatons, and the scientific pedigree of Dr. Darius Hellstromme has continued to provide technological advances over all of his rivals. He is also well known for his brilliance and ruthlessness, and the Rail Barons that have crossed swords with him have found him willing to use terror, extortion, and brutal practices to slow his rivals. Hellstromme's biggest rival is the Denver-Pacific; the geniuses at Smith and Robards have proven themselves well capable of defending against the ingenious contraptions of Dr. Hellstromme. | Back to Main Page |