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Texarkana may be one of the new players on the field of the Possibility Wars, but it is one of the fastest growing. Situated in the heart of the west, it commands a great deal of the resources once afforded the Terran United States, and it is capitalizing. However, it is still a dangerous place to visit, and Storm Knights are advised to keep one hand on their gunbelts at all times.
Contents:
The History of Frontier
The Cosm is named Frontier, since that’s what it is. The two hemispheres sport one one continent each. The first one, in the east, is Eurasia/Africa. On Frontier, this continent is only about the size of North America. The three separate continents are half their size on Earth. The other hemisphere is the “West,” a continent about the size of Earth’s Asia. It has a Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Mississippi River, and Appalachian country. In fact, it almost perfectly resembles early America, except that the frontier doesn’t end at California. It keeps on going for another five thousand miles! Past the Rocky Mountains, the Western Continent isn’t explored very well, but progress is rampant. All that is known was learned from the Lewis and Clark expidition, which took twelve years to complete. They brought back news of two more massive mountain ranges past the Rockies, and strips of desert land between them, broken up by two more major river the size of the Mississippi.
With all this land, it may seem strange that the Highlord of Frontier is even concerned about expanding, but the key to power is possibility energy, and with such a comparitively small population, that’s something Frontier doesn’t have as much of as other cosms.
World Rules and Axioms
Frontier and its realm, Texarkana, operate under strange axioms, making them different from Earth in the 1800s.
Technological: 19 Social: 18 Spiritual: 9 Magical: 10
Texarkana shares the same tech level as Orrorsh or Earth in 1880. Socially, it is also equal to Earth at that time period. The Spiritual axiom is the same as modern day Core Earth, with miracles only available to groups of the faithful through a ficus person. The magical axiom is the only real diversion form Core Earth, and it allows ghosts and lucky charms to exist.
There are two World Rules which govern Frontier and Texarkana.
The Law of Melodrama: Life in Texarkana is imbued with an overly dramatic atmosphere. For instance, when a person walks into a tavern, the music stops and all eyes are fixed upon them, be they friend or foe. During a shoot-out, time seems to stretch second by second as the two duelists face each other down. When shot, a person goes down fighting. In the game, this rule is mostly used to bring atmosphere to the game, to give the right “feel” to life in Texarkana. However, it also has a couple of game mechanics. In a dramatic scene, a possibility-rated character is allowed one action even after he or she has been mortally wounded or killed. This even applies to characters fallen under wagon wheels, into furnaces, or off cliffs. Another aspect is that every round characters may choose to ignore either KO or shock damage.
The Law of Morality: This Law works the same as the Law of Morality from the Nile Empire sourcebook. It is impossible to hide one’s inclination for long; to do so is a contradiction.
The High Lord, "Black" Jack Sterling
Texarkana is ruled from behind the scenes by the mysterious Man in Black, usually known as “Black” Jack Sterling. He was a lawless robber from the earlest days of Frontier, before the Civil War took place in the young America. He amassed a fortune by stealing from stagecoaches and trains, and racked up such a body count, that he was wanted dead, not alive, by every sheriff in every state. He was so ruthless, he would let only one person go from each of his crimes, to tell the story; the others he would brutally kill. He set up three towns based on sin: gambling, prostituion, or thievery, and kept these going through appointed managers while he was away wandering the plains. He would only return to take his share of th money and make sure the books were being balanced correctly.
Then one day he failed to return when planned. His managers waited an extra three months before deciding he was dead in a gully somewhere and voting themselves a significant raise. They sold off his possessions and turned his hillside manor into an opium den.
Then, one hot day, Jack Sterling came walking out of the western mirages and back to his sin cities. He killed the managers of his sin cities, then the manager’s lackeys. His brash killing spree enraged the members of the towns, who attacked him as a mob. He killed them all with his two revolvers, shooting with one while he reloaded the other. When it was all over, he stood alone in the dusty streets of the city. He immediately went out and recruited lowlifes for new, better, dirtier sin cities. After his demonstration of power, nobody dared step out of line. His power and name grew across Frontier quickly. With him, rogues and scoundrels found a place to live and ply their trades without fear of the law. Yes, there is order in Sterling’s sin cities, but there is no “law” as good folk know it.
Sterling’s trip into the far west mystified people. Somehow, he was changed. He was taller, darker. His face was mysteriously obscured by shadow, even in direct sunlight. And he was faster, far faster. People said he had met the devil while he was away. This was closer to the truth than they knew. In fact, he had found his Darkness Device, Outrider. It is star-shaped like a sheriff’s badge, except inverted in the manner of a pentagram. The word “Marshal” is etched into its surface.
Sterling wears black leathers which creak only when dictated by the Law of Melodrama. At his side are his pistols, Lawbreaker and Widowmaker.
“Black” Jack Sterling
DEXTERITY 15
Beast Riding 21, Dodge 22, Fire Combat 25, Melee Weapons 18, Running 18
Prestidigitation 18, Stealth 19, Unarmed Combat 18, Fast Draw 20
STRENGTH 10
TOUGHNESS 13
PERCEPTION 15
Alteration Magic 18, Divination Magic 18, Evidence Analysis 19, Find 20,
Land Vehicles (train) 18, Scholar (Frontier) 25, Tracking 20, Water
Vehicles (canoe) 17, Trick 19, Holdout 17
MIND 14
Apporation Magic 17, Conjuration Magic 17, Survival 20, Willpower 20
CHARISMA 8
Persuasion 12, Taunt 12
SPIRIT 15
Intimidation 22, Reality 23
Arcane Knowledges: Death, Time, True Knowledge, Darkness, Folk.
Possibilities: 60
Equipment: Sterling wears his Darkness Device with him almost all the time.
In addition, he has an enchanted belt buckle which gives him the power to
create a zombie as per spell Raise Zombie, once per round. At all times he wears
his pistols, Lawbreaker and Widowmaker, on his belt. Lawbreaker is powerful
(20 damage) while Widowmaker is deadly accurate (+5 to Fire Combat, 17 dam.)
The Darkness Device, Outrider
Outrider is a five-pointed sheriff’s star, only the points are inverted, like a pentagram. It says “Marshal” in engraved letters, signifying Sterling’s rule over all of Frontier. In addition to its normal powers, Outrider creates a constant fear aura, like the Gaunt Man’s, only smaller. It works like the spell.
The cosm of Frontier and the realms of Texarkana are connected by maelstrom bridges which appear as massive train trestles extending upward into a hole in the air. Sterling has actually set up a train system which transports objects along this rail back and forth on the bridges alone. However, there are tracks leading from regular train routes to the maelstrom bridge as well. The stelae of Texarkana are buried cow skulls.
Gospog created by Outrider take the form of giant scorpions in the second planting, and mobile cactus (something like a desert treant) in the third planting. After the fourth planting, the Gospog take the form of a Bison the size of an elephant. The fifth and final planting renders the Gospog as thunderbirds, which are giant falcons roughly the size of a biplane. They can cause sonic booms capable of physical damage.
Sterling's "Deputies"
Note: this section is incomplete.
The Highlord usually travels with one or all of his three “deputies.” One is named The Undertaker and is a thin, tall man who wears “the cloth,” like a pastor. He wears a huge wide-brimmed hat pulled low over his brow to conceal his pupiless blank eyes. Despite being blind, he is a legendary gunslinger, second only to Sterling himself. The second is The Hangman, who is a scruffy redneck from somewhere in the south. He wears black riding boots and a black vest with his confederate uniform. He has a length of rope slung around his shoulder which he likes to hang people by. The third “deputy” is The Desperado, a haggard-looking Mexican with little social grace. He spits, curses, leers, and a lot more given the opportunity. In fact, he has no morals at all. He is brutal, and looks for every opportunity to kill as many people as he can. The Desperado wears a mojave-style sarape and constantly chews.
People and Places of Texarkana
Note: this section is incomplete.
"The Outlaws"
Note: this section is incomplete.
The "Outlaws" are a loosely organized team of professional gunfighters, cowboys, train robbers, and rustlers who actively oppose the rule of Sterling. Most of them are famous, even in Core Earth. Among them are: Wild Bill Hickock (who is a marshal in Abeline back on Frontier,) Calamity Jane, Billy the Kid, Geronimo, Buffalo Bill Cody, Kit Carson, Sitting Bull, James Bowie, and Wyatt Earp.
Native Americans
Note: this section is incomplete. There is much more that can one day be added to this, but for now it should suffice.
The Hopi and their Religion Of all the scores of Native American tribes which cover the continent of Frontier in the cosm of Frontier, none are so cloaked in mystery as the Hopi. They are the only people known to practice magic, as limited as it is in that reality. But their true strength comes from their highly spiritual culture which marks them as one of the most powerful in all of the west.
Unlike Core Earth, where the Hopi are simply a small fragment of a larger culture which includes the Pueblo, Navajo, and Zuni, the Hopi on Frontier command the greatest land and power base in all of the New Mexico/Arizona area. The Navajo are second largest, but spend a greater amount of time roaming in search of food instead of building cities. Next are the Pueblo, a mysterious branch of the Hopi, living in cities that house mysteries and legendary caverns. Finally, the smallest are the Zuni, a tribe which is said to live halfway between Kuskurza, the third world (the current time in Frontier) and Tokpela, the first world.
The Hopi have the rudiments of a civilization that, in time, could rival that of the Maya or Aztecs. They build cities in the living rock of huge mesas or buttes. These cities are usually smallish, although larger ones have been seen that cover nearly a quarter of the perimiter of the mesa. Far out away from these towering stones the Hopi also have built “modular” cities, which are simply large groupings of rectangular structures entered via a trapdoor in the top. The roads of these kiva are the rooftops of the other structures! Every city or town is home to a clan, which derive their names from animals, birds, or foods. Major cities are: Walpi “Place of the Ravine,” Awatovi “Spirit Cave,” Oraibi “Gray rock place,” Mishongnovi “Large Boulder,” Shongopavi “Sand grass spring place,” and Shipaulovi “Place of mosquitos.”
Families in Hopi culture are paternal, although great reverence is given to daughters, as they are considered the doorway to the next generation. Village life is sometimes tough, especially when there is a drought, but food is shared equally among members of the entire town. This creates a strong bond among members of a community.
There is little rivalry in Hopi culture. Wars never occur. The closest thing to rivalry is a loose distrust of the cliff-dwellers by kiva dwellers. It is said strange things occur at the cliff cities, and old members tell of a race pre-dating the Hopi who climbed down ladders from the sky and built the cities to house them. Rumours also tell of pits full of monstrous remnants of these people who were invaders in the natural world. Not much wight is given to these rumours, though, particularly by the cliff-dwellers themselves, who have long since abandoned such stories after finding nothing to fear in the carvernous reaches behind the buildings.
Religion plays an integral part in Hopi life. It tells of a creator, named Taiowa, who wanted to create a land and fill it with people. To perform the necessary tasks, he created Sotuknang, who in turn created the spider woman Kokyangwuti and Poqanhoya the solidifier. These two invented the first world, “Tokpela.” The newly created people spread out and lived in relative peace until Lavaihoya the talker in mockingbird form convinced the people they were different from animals. Then Kato’ya the handsom in big-head-snake form made the people suspicious and warlike. Unhappy, Taiowa sent the people to a special place so he could re-create the world. Until “Tokpa” was finished, they lived with the ant-people. They lived on Tokpa for a while longer until environmental damage irreversably ruined it, so the world was reformed once more into the current form, “Kuskurza,” the third world.
Each world was associated with a different direction, color, metal, bird, animal, and plant.
“Tokpela” = West, Yellow (Sikyangpu), Gold (Sikyasvu), Big-head-snake, fat-eating bird, four leaf plant. “Tokpa” = South, Blue, Silver (Qochasiva), skunk, eagle, spruce. “Kuskurza” = East, red, Copper (Palasiva), antelope, crow, tobacco.
Each direction has a correspondance table:
North West South East Up Down color yellow blue red white black all speckled animal mtn. lion bear wildcat wolf none mole bird oriole bluebird parrot magpie tanager none
According to their religion, which is called the Hozho religion, all people are descendant from the Kachinas, a race of spirit people. These Kachinas are said to still wander the earth freely, performing deeds as well as mischief. Nobody has yet seen one and lived to tell about it, although it is not generally believed the Kachinas killed them. There may be some connection with the kachinas and the Pueblo belief that people came up from the Underworld, called “Shipapu,” aided by a venerable spirit named Grandmother Iatiku.
Hozho means beauty, happiness, harmony, and goodness.
Hopi Miracles of Faith: Summon Spirit Desert Wind Trail Fire Spiritual rating: 5 Spiritual rating: 7 Spiritual rating: 6 Community rating: 6 Community rating: 6 Community rating: 8 Difficulty: 12 Difficulty: 10 Difficulty: 8 Range: n/a Range: effect Range: special Duration: 10 hrs. Duration: 1 minute Duration: 5 hours Effect: Summons either a Effect: Calls forth a hot wind Effect: This miracle causes a buffalo, eagle, or coyote with a temperature of 100 trail, of varying degrees of spirit which will help the degrees F, along with blind- hiddeness, to blaze with a invoker with a specific ing dust effect value 15. bluish light only the invok- task or problem. Wind speed is value 10. er can see. Entire trail. Kachina Walk Skinwalker Spirit Drum Spiritual rating: 6 Spiritual rating: 9 Spiritual rating: 8 Community rating: 12 Community rating: 8 Community rating: 6 Difficulty: 15 Difficulty: 18 Difficulty: 13 Range: 100 miles Range: effect Range: effect Duration: effect Duration: special Duration: 1 hour Effect: Enables the invoker’s Effect: The invoker’s soul is Effect: Spiritually amplifies spirit to step outside his capable of stepping into any drum, allowing it to or her body and move norm- another’s body and taking be heard for a distance ally in a ethereal form. control of it until the victim equal to the effect value After the miracle’s time is beats the effect value with read on the Power Push up, the invoker is instantly his or her Spirit. table. Natural distance for returned to his body. a drumbeat is 18.
Running Texarkana in Torg 2000
Just like the “Old West,” Texarkana is a realm of gunfights, mining towns, outlaws, train robbers, wild “Indians,” and cowboys. The typical day there involves at least one shoot-out between rival gunslingers. Life is rough in the frontier towns; cattle ranching, mining, some farming, and theft are the major means of making money here. Only the fittest can survive the mean spirited towns dotting the deserts and scrublands.
Adventures here can range from protecting a train from robbers to robbing a train, finding a dangerous gunslinger or cattle rustler, cleaning up a town, helping one of the Outlaws, or tracking one of Sterling's posses. Great action sequences can arise from tense showdowns on city streets, runaway mining carts or trains, or battling the strange gospog out in the badlands.
The important thing for a gamemaster to remember about Texarkana is that it is infused with melodrama. Every eye twitch, every footstep, every word should be overdramatized when the scene calls for it. When a character steps into a bar, everyone should fall silent. Gunfights should be fast and deadly. There is no shortage of villains in this corrupt reality.
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