Bandits! Western-Cowboys and Magic sign-up/interest check

Welcome to Ampion, a continent rich with discovery, adventure, but also danger, and battle. The recently settled country of Loryide has recently reached the Western End, ending a 50 year pioneering expedition. However, new towns, colonies, and cities have been nearly forgotten in the country's lust to take control of this untapped land, leaving bandits and burglars to roam the plains with little force stopping them. Families of bandits have come together to make bigger and better names for themselves, their egos striking again and again with civilians left in the middle. Gunpowder and eyes of newts, too, clash in these wars, where the boundaries between technology and magic blur. A new era is being written by these powerful bandits, and the fate of Loryide - and all of Ampion - is at stake.

But we ain't the good guys. We're the bad guys. "Justice" and "Law-Followin'" are poppycock with the men and women this story follows.

—-

This role play follows the adventures of Daddy's Sons, a crew of bandits that follow the word of their deceased "father," Bass Tonney the Daddy. Communicating to them from the dead via his "Shadow," - the essence that connects you to both the physical and spiritual realm - Daddy's Sons are a family that are bound together by their differences. A bunch of pathetic shits without each other, these ruffians of different backgrounds were taken in by Bass during his great adventures through the Wilds. They owe it to their "father" to finish out his dreams, and conquer ahead to the Western End.

You see, it was two years ago that Bass died - and of heat stroke, no less. After days of grieving, the family had serious decisions to make. Some wanted to separate, and find more peaceful lives or at least get away from a life of crime. Others wanted to keep the name strong, and continue living as villains. Some people left, others stayed, but Ampion had decided that Daddy's Sons was a name to be forgotten. They were of no threat, at least, not the one they used to be.

But they're back. After spending a few months of magic fiddling, Bass's Shadow was contacted, and it possessed his old shotgun. After a year break, the remaining gang took up arms and got back to work. Some big name robberies later, they were back to being recognized as a family to be feared. The wanted posters displayed Daddy's Sons were painted back onto the walls, and Loryide had another reason to be afraid.

And it's not just the law that has their eyes on them...

A rival crew of bandits known as the Devils of Chance happen to be in the nearby grounds of Daddy's Sons. They picked up the abandoned turf that the crew had left behind upon disbanding, and were quite pleased with their position. But now, that family has returned, and what better way to show off their strength than stomping out some old has-beens? The Devils of Chance also play an important figure in this story, and will have more than on clash with Daddy's Sons in this role play.

—-

Too long, didn't read?

There's a family of bandits known as Daddy's Sons. They disbanded when their leader died, but they managed to bring him back (sort of) and are picking up their crime streak. Meanwhile, a rival gang called the Devils of Chance see this as a golden opportunity to show off and finish off the crew before they regain their previous control. Also, magic.

—-

Technology is low-key, with some really light Steampunk stuff being available (and only to engineers who would know how to operate it). Guns ranging from shotguns, pistols, and maybe a really unsafe Gatling are all at your disposal. Dynamite and other various controlled explosives might come in handy, as would a knife or some brass knuckles for close combat.

Magic is low-key, too. And complicated. And life threatening. Your average nobody can't just tamper with the realms of mystic. Magic ranges from potions, supernatural healing, conjuring lightning or fire, and maybe some mind control or hypnotism. Magic works in various ways, and I'll go into detail of how exactly one can use magic in a controlled fashion.

• First of all, the physical realm and the spiritual realm are mirrored worlds, so to speak. Consider them two sides of the same coin. All magic in the physical world is drawn from the spiritual, but only with an even trade. What binds the two realms together are "shadows." Everything has a shadow, from people, to plants, to rocks, to, well, anything. Creating magic usually requires taking the shadows of the right elements and throwing them together, in various fashions.
• Alchemists are the oldest spellcasters. They take ingredients, minerals, and powders to form one idea into another. A tale of a salamander, some jalapeno seeds, and shards of coals can spark a fire. A piece of bronze, some cloth, and rainwater can cause lightning. These magical folk prefer to use their powers to craft elemental and empowered bullets or weapons, or create potions to better the human body.
• Bards are an interesting group of spellcasters, as they take something that is technically non-physical and use its shadow to create magic, such as music, thoughts, or patterns. Often quirky, these folk require a Medium to create their magic, such as an instrument or a pendulum, and are often only able to create smaller-scale spells, like hypnosis or temporary mental support.
• Wizards are masters of spellcraft, often alchemists that have gone to the next level to not require ingredients, but simply harness the shadows themselves and mine them infinitely for magical power. These folks carry a spellbook that in inscribed with various shadows, which they can read in order to cast magic. However, every spell has a downtime, often 24 hours, so a wizard must plan carefully on what to use.
• Sorcerers often stem from wizards, with the idea of inscribing spells, but instead of a spellbook, their body is the page. By using shadow-infused tattoos, these naturally gifted magicians harness magic through their own body and movement, at the cost of draining their physical energy. Indeed, most sorcerers don't live long, as their own shadow is torn away bit by bit with every spell they cast. A sorcerer's power is determined by the amount of tattoos they have, as well as the craftsmanship behind them; the most extremely powerful sorcerers often have whole-body tattoos, but live every day like it's their last - it very well could be.
• Shadowfolk are similar to sorcerers, but instead of using a tattoo, they just go the whole nine-yards; they take a part of their body and turn it into pure magic by forcing a shadow into them. This is some dark shit right here, so don't bother making a character like this yet. It's too dangerous and complex to harness so soon.

There are only humans. There are various ethnic groups you could be apart of, but no elves, dwarves, or gnomes. Maybe a fairy or a goblin here and there, but you can't be one of those. The world just isn't ready for that type of desegregation. Not yet.

The character sheet below will explain the rest. Post to show your interest or submit a character, or maybe offer some ideas or critiques for Worldbuilding! I'll try to be as quick as possible when reading and approving characters, as well as generally responding.

• Name: (What's your moniker? Any nicknames? Middle names? Does it have a meaning?)
• Age: (How many years have you seen? Youngin's are more likely to be playing with that magic, while grandpa will definitely have an old double-barrel by his rocking chair.)
• Gender: (A dude or a dame? A dude-like dame? A dame-like dude?)
• Ethnicity: (Where do your parents stem from?)
  • Loryidians: Think Americans. Rambunctious and righteous, always looking to fulfill their dreams. They're closely related to the people of Liberice.
  • Libercians: Think British. Classy and posh, they have a long, powerful, and pure history behind them. Are currently clashing with the country of Migh-Eace.
  • Migh-Eaceans: Think French. Suave and delicate, often favoring indirect means of combat. Are currently on bad terms with Liberice.
  • Conkastish: Think Spanish. Glorious and mighty, these people were quick to jump into colonizing Ampion, and have made quite a mark for themselves in the south. From the country of Conkast.
  • Awreats: Think Germans. Enduring and mighty, most of these folk hold strong and diverse traditions from their history. From the country of Awreat.
  • Honitians: Think Asians. A varied people with many branching backgrounds, Honitians are some of the few people who have kept swords next to gunfire. From the country Honitia.
  • Spiroulans: Think Africans. Kind and spiritual, these folk hold religion close to their hearts, whatever that religion may be. From the country of Spiroul.
  • Mixed: While most Loryidians come from very mixed descent, there are some whose diverse heritage is not that distant from their ancestors - indeed, maybe their own parents are the cause of the mixing. Whatever it may be, these folk bare some semblances to any two or three of the above races while not particularly sticking out as one over the other.
• Organization: (Are you a Son? Or a Devil? Maybe a lawman or bounty hunter?)
  • As of now, this RP is only looking for Sons or Devils, preferably Sons. Devils will only ever come in before a conflict arises or afterwards, and as antagonists, will eventually see defeat at the end of this story arc.
  • Role: (What do you do for your family? How do your allies address you?)
• Physical Appearance: (How tall do you stand? You fat or thin? Dark or light skinned? Scars or tattoos? How's your hair?)
• Attire: (What duds do you wear? Fancy or simple? Jewelry or bandannas?)
• Skills/Occupation: (What do you do, anyway? How do you, or did you, make money? Farmer or a business man?)
  • Bandits, especially families like Daddy's Sons or Devils of Chance, need all sorts. From fighters to rogues, laborers to magicians, and cooks to snipers.
• Weapons: (If you got in a skirmish, what would you use? Gunpowder or magic? Blade or bullet? In what ways?)
  • Guns are naturally preferred in this setting in comparison to other weapons. Using things like swords or spears should have historical context for your character. An Englishman does not typically have access to a katana, for example.
• Personality: (Are you charming or witty? Quiet or boisterous? Shy or outgoing?)
• History: (What brings you here? Why'd you join the bandits? Why'd you even become one?)
• Other: (Notably religious? Anything special about you? Goals you wanna talk about?)

Take your time, but please post your interest before creating a character! I just want to be sure people are interested before getting any deeper with a plot. Again, feel free to ask questions or offer ideas! They'd be much appreciated.

edited 18th Sep '12 6:10:07 PM by HeavyDDR

Consider me interested.

Slow and steady! Glad to hear.

Hmmm...

I hope that's a good "hmmm."

Just so it's known, I added the "Mixed" category under ethnicity, as well as "Role" and "Other" in the character info sheet. If I can get some more interest going, I'll also add in some important story notes (the leaders of the two bands, the history behind them, etc.) and, again, if you guys have questions or suggestions, throw them out there! I'd love to hear them. Especially when it comes to the magic system.

It's a good 'hmmm'. I'm thinin' about a wanderin' houdoun practitioner with one of those gambling kits with the weapons locker underneath.

Totally not a Saltire expy from the World of Heroes: Reboot.

Maybe he'd be a sorcerer... Or even Shadowfolk.

edited 18th Sep '12 8:53:08 PM by mantlemask

Well, Shadowfolk is, for right now, off limits. Like I said, it's really dangerous shit, and only one NPC (the primary antagonist) will be seen successfully being one for awhile. Though I'm totally cool with your character gaining such a feat in the future. Shadowfolks often stem from sorcerers, especially those who have realized they've really gone overboard with the whole tattoo thing and they're choosing between two extremes; either die the next time you want to use a spell, or be really, really powerful and hope you don't die trying.

I would definitely be interested in this but I'm a semi-frequent poster at best (during the school year, at least) on the RP's on other sites I'm a member of, and I really hate to IC lock people. I'll give it a little while, but I really like the setting of this one.

EDIT: Around what age range are we looking at for Daddy's Sons? I'm guessing 20s-30s?

edited 19th Sep '12 4:03:59 PM by DeviumFilius

Then maybe you'll consider being a Devil? They'll be posting quite a lot less frequently, since they're ever only going to appear before and during a conflict, which is... not extremely common? They're more of a side-story going on that clashes time from time. The leader(s) of the group, Lucky and Rocky Chance, play comic relief back and forth before things get serious. To sort of give you an idea.

The age range for both families are about 20 - 30, yes, but I'm also fine with some characters being a bit younger/older than that range. Bass Tonney accepted all kinds, so long as they were willing to live a life of danger. Lucky Chance, on the other hand, only wants strong, capable, and particularly evil people.

To put it in perspective, Daddy's Sons is a Chaotic Neutral group, with individual members being a step away from that alignment at most (Chaotic Good, True Neutral, Chaotic Evil, etc.), whereas the Devils of Chance are a Chaotic Evil group with members one step away (Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Evil, and Chaotic Evil).

Here's hoping this picks up steam soon. Those interested are more than welcome to write up characters or post thoughts and ideas. Or ask questions. Anything to get some activity, really.

I have an idea for a character. He's, essentially, a human experiment made by alchemists.

edited 21st Sep '12 11:48:48 PM by NickTheSwing

Sounds like it could be interesting, and could deepen the world of magic a bit at the same time. Any other ideas? What does he do? What abilities does he have? What was his purpose of being created? I can't say I'll allow just anything to come through here in this RP, but it sounds like an idea ripe with potential.

Here we go then.

• Name: Amparo Mariposa
• Age: 21
• Gender: Dame
• Ethnicity: Conkastish
• Organization: Sons
  • Role: Cook/Alchemist
• Physical Appearance/Attire: Behold.◊ She's a little on the short side and slightly pudgy (comes from being a cook).
• Skills/Occupation: She cooks and serves food for the Sons in their hideout (I'm assuming they do have one, right?), as well as creates potions and other concoctions for their use. She has few combat skills, so she normally doesn't take a direct part in any actual robberies, raids, or other such activities.
• Weapons: Other than a knife (which she prefers to use for cooking, but is capable of more lethal use), she doesn't carry weapons. However, she usually has a few of her potions on her at all times.
• Personality: Friendly and outgoing, despite being a little overbearing. Tries to make friends with everyone, with varying results.
• History: Amparo's mother passed away when she was young, leaving her father to raise her and her siblings. However, he was a sheriff, which left her little time to deal with his children, which forced Amparo, the oldest, to raise them. As a result, she grew up disliking him, and the law he represented. But she had nowhere to go and no choice but to live with him, despite her developing talents as an alchemist...at least, until the day Bass Tonney came to town and shot her father dead in a robbery. Immediately after that, she approached Tonney. Realizing she how gifted she was, he recruited her on the spot, and she's worked with the Sons since, sending most of her share of the spoils back to keep her brothers and sisters fed and clothed.

edited 22nd Sep '12 4:40:08 PM by TotemicHero

He was created by a pair of disgraced alchemists, who had already been kicked out from most of the society. They're actually his parents. Dad's mental state fractured long ago, and basically, what they want of him is revenge and to "attain power far exceeding that of the alchemist society", though, as I said, their motives are not very concrete.

As far as abilities, he could be described as channeling a particular energy due to his implants (compare to Ki Attacks). He's also incredibly strong, difficult to damage...but he also counts as Unskilled, but Strong, as well as being on the losing side of any battle where Sanity Has Advantages.

@Totemic Hero: Nice! Welcome to the crew. To answer your question, they do have a hideout of sorts, though it changes as they travel. They usually set up camp somewhere in the woods or the hills, far off from any towns, and stay there for a week, two tops, before hitting the dusty trail.

@Nick: I can see that working. He'd basically be a Shadowfolk, just... man-made and with more physically-empowering abilities, like a monk. That seems fine to me. Shadowfolk, from what could be gathered from myths and stories, can access near-limitless supplies of magical energy by drawing and draining from the shadows around them. This guy seems like a had a bunch of shadows thrown into one man-made body, and uses the energy of these shadows to become stronger and enhanced. Is that about right?

If that's the case, go ahead and draw up a character sheet when you can. I may not accept it right away, but only because I may need to point out some adjustments and whatnot.

Somewhat. He'd be an attempt by his parents to make something based off of the Shadowfolk.

But basically, almost the same as what you've said.

Will try and post my sheet soon. Sorry for the delay.

Then that's fine, Nick. Go ahead and write a sheet up when you can.

Name: Scarlett Rose. Neither of these are her true names, really. She often goes by "The Rose" when it comes to business, and "Scarlett" for more personal relationships. And by that, I mean when she isn't in a fight with someone.

Age: 34.

Gender: A woman. Ethnicity: Loryidian, but it doesn't affect her personality very much. Detached from society.

Organization: A "Son". A bounty hunter, albeit she doesn't take contracts against the Sons. Wanders, mainly. When one stops interesting her, she moseys over to the other.

Role: Takes cares of the animals and is one hell of a brawler.

Physical Appearance:

Envision a strikingly beautiful woman, full of grace and suave feminity.

Break it.

Scarlett is perhaps 5'6, 5'7 with her boots on (which is always). Her more noticeable trait is the dark and frayed eyepatch over her left eye, the strings of which are buried beneath her trademark red hair, which is often kept back in a tight ponytail or cut close for convenience. Her face has a half of a Glasgow Grin, matching the eyepatch, and a small nick high on her right cheek. In fact, across her body, scars can be found like a macabre game of connect-the-dots. Her arms and back seem to have a particularly bad thrashing, and her legs weren't spared from whatever chewed her up and spat her back out either.

She walks with confidence and a reserved anger. There is no doubt that this woman has no hesitation about killing someone that crosses her, from one glance. People who meet her one-eyed glare usually tend to look away, simply because she seems so bitter and angry. It's like staring at all the flaws of society, compiled into one pretty little person. She's in good condition, with firm muscle underlining her clothes and a fairly flat chest. She isn't very pretty, unless someone's downed a few strong drinks. And even then.

Attire:

A leather holster holds an old single-action revolver on her right side, and strapped to her right thigh is a trust old Bowie knife, bloodstained but nonetheless razor sharp. She wears a close-cut duster, brown and worn from the years, with thick leather gloves. It would seem that those would make shooting difficult, but one look at her marksmanship and you realize it wouldn't make much difference.

Cowboy boots with spurs adorn her feet, and she typically wears jeans (over her knees are easily concealed but custom made leather pads, presumably for if she took a nasty fall off a horse) and a simple shirt underneath her jacket. A bandana or hat usually conceals her face or hair; she doesn't really like having her whole face revealed in public. Perhaps the eyepatch makes her self-conscious.

Skills/Occupation:

Unless anyone feels like contesting me for it, I'm going to mark her as the best rider in the Sons. She's incredibly good with animals, having a natural grace for dealing with both domesticated and wild beasts. A few treks into the deep wilderness have left her with some experience handling dangerous animals, and years of riding have made her feel more at ease in a saddle than on her own feet. She has raised a hawk, Uriah, from a hatchling, and trained it to make up for her half-blindness in battle.

She's pretty poor in terms of marksmanship, given her lack of depth perception, but she's very good at melee brawls and, as previously mentioned, dealing with animals. She also seems to be aware of some rather nasty tricks for eliciting pain, as well as a repository of bitterness: needless to say, Scarlett's wonderful at getting people to talk.

Weapons:

With a twitchy trigger finger and poor aim, her revolver becomes dead weight fairly quickly. She has no qualms about dropping it in a fight. Within a few feet, her knife becomes a silver blur, but if it's a slightly more open setting, she prefers her bullwhip. Years of using it from horseback have made her adept at hitting moving targets with it, and she can knock a man to his knees or break the skin easily with fierce lashes, all while maintaining quite a distance. There's the added benefit of no one really knowing how to fight off a bullwhip, and the disorientation caused by the loud crack is always helpful.

Uriah could also count as a weapon.

Personality:

Her favorite two words would most likely be "Fuck" and "You". She treats everyone with the same contempt and apathy, watching them speak with her lonely eye and then usually staying quiet. Unless directly spoken to, she rarely speaks. A massive introvert, in fact. She prefers drinking, eating-nearly everything alone. The only thing she really tolerates other people for is fighting, simply for strength in numbers. Why she's with the Sons is really a mystery, and her silence and how she got the eyepatch and scars is the subject of many running bets in the organization.

Scarlett has a soft spot for animals, but no tolerance for the two-legged organisms of the earth. She's terse and rigid, not enjoying the presence of others, even if they're in absolute silence. She is, however, experienced in fighting, and can quickly adjust to the pressures of combat and chaos of a fight. As far as people skills go, however, she's about as helpful as a rock.

History:

Six years ago, she walked out of the desert with a young Uriah perched on her shoulder and a bullwhip dangling from her belt. She took a few bounty jobs, not crossing anyone major: small time criminals. She was pretty good at it, relying on people's underestimating her as a woman and the element of surprise to overtake them. After a while, however, her work for the law slowly tapered off. Whether the money on the other side was too good or if she just grew bored was anyone's guess: she spends most of her pay on food for the small menagerie of animals she's taken in and replacing the revolvers she goes through at an alarming rate.

Since then, she hasn't risen far in the Sons, so to speak, but she's reputable. Her work with the animals is useful, and Scarlett's known for being a trusty partner in a fight any day of the week. However, she's also known for being a stuck up bitch, and isn't particularly popular when the bullets aren't flying and things aren't going to hell.

Scarlett doesn't say much, but there have been a few guesses about her past, just from what little people have seen. For one, all of her scars look roughly the same, from what people can gather. By that, I mean they all look like they were done by more or less the same thing; one wickedly sharp blade. Someone, sometime, was really pissed off at her. Likely enough to gouge out her eye and do who knows what else.

Other:

Doesn't take comments about her eye or scars or Uriah very well. Effective combatant if perhaps one of the worst shots in the group.

And here he is.

• Name: Brandon Panaglenn
• Age: 16 (his age is something of a plot point with him)
• Gender: Male
• Ethnicity: Loryidian

• Organization: Technically a Devil, he is something of a mercenary
  • Role: "Destruction Expert"

• Physical Appearance: You would seriously never expect a figure of infamy like Brandon to be such a pretty faced youth, often smiling innocently, bright green eyes and golden hair styled into a rather school boy-like cut. He has even been described as having "the face of an angel". He is, though, very muscular and tall, not overly bulky, but enough to give a small hint that he's got serious power in there.
• Attire: This kid dresses in a very strange way, wearing an open black vest, no shirt, and what appears to be six golden bands on his arms, each with what looks like a different valuable jewel in each one, one large shoulder plate that extends down over his right pectoral area which has two outfacing spikes from the shoulder area. He wears black slacks and steel toed boots. There are six similar bands on his calves.
• Skills/Occupation: He really only has his mercenary job. He has never really had the chance for much else.
• Weapons: Due to the "Artificial Shadow" experiments conducted by his parents, he has had strange jewels filled with an odd, incredible power melted down and mixed into his blood. As a result, he has incredible strength and defensive ability, a strange sort of Power Floats type of deal. He can also channel the energy that is being produced into anything from a massive cannon-like blast to smaller shots. Another, more rarely used ability is a shield he could technically use...
• Personality: most puzzling about him is that, outside battle, he's always shy and withdrawn, a complete introvert, oddly quite nice in his own way to most people, but almost never even speaking up for himself, and without a really good handle on his emotions (which can result in some scary mood whiplash). He spends a lot of his out of battle time wandering aimlessly or trying to talk to someone he thinks is a friend. He is not the most stable individual, being, deep down, incredibly insane. He seems to really enjoy battle when actually in it, becoming very creepily cheerful and verbose, showing a sadistic streak a mile wide. He secretly loathes his parents for how, exactly, they keep control of him. What is worse about his Blood Knight persona, though, is he doesn't remember all of what happens when he's in that mindset. If confronted with an atrocity he has committed, he might not even know he did that. He also tends to be paranoid of certain kinds of people, like doctors or certain types of objects.
• History: His history is a violent one. Created by his parents, he was viewed by the rest of the Alchemist Society as yet more evidence of his parents' depravity, and there were calls to put him down as early as two or three. His uncle stabbed him, but was unable to finish the job due to his parents returning. When his parents detected how dangerous their "investment" was, mostly due to his neurotic behavior, they put Hypnos and the Prometheus Bindings on him, which would be the shoulder guard and the golden bands, respectively. If his parents want to bring him under control, they can activate these and inflict a hellish amount of pain until he does as they say. The command for this needs to be done by both of them at once, though...
• Other: Yeah, Brandon's life sucks.

Scarlet and Brandon are both accepted! I may end up talking with you, Nick, through private messages in order to flesh him out some more and better fit the more "underground" plot of the Devils of Chance.

Still looking for a few more people. I don't mind playing extras, but I'd much rather hold a GM perspective than a PC perspective, if you get what I mean.

Okay, thanks, Heavy DDR, as I was hoping to discuss with you some specifics.

Gah! Curse my compulsion to give this guy such flavor!

Way I read it, the world of this RP is kinda like "7th Sea", only with cowboys instead of pirates. Also, here's my guy.

• Name: Amilcar "Smiles" Martino. His friends in the Devils call him "Smiles" while the ladies call him "Cary".

• Age: 29

• Gender: Dude as dude can get.

• Ethnicity: Mixed. He's got the classic louche handsomeness of the Conkastish aristocracy, though his father's got some Migh-Eacean blood that accounts for his suave ways, and a bit of that good old Spiroulan kindness (which might explain his magical blood) from his mother, a lady of charm and ease. His thinking and his speech, however, comes from a heartily Loryidian upbringing.

• Organization: Devils of Chance
  • Role: A gambler and a grifter, one of the group's 'thinkers'.

• Appearance: Eight years in the Western End has given a ruggedness to his dandy tanned good looks. Standing in at 5'8 and built slight and lean like a king of weasels, he keeps his appearance neat like you couldn't believe, but for some carefully cultivated stubble on his face. Smiles keeps his wavy brown hair trimmed to chin-length so that it brings out the best of his handsome face with its easy smile and laughing green eyes.

With his shirt off, he wears sorcerous tattoos of stars, suns and various symbols and inscriptions upon his upper arms, biceps and shoulder blades. These are small and stylized, signifying the depth (or lack thereof) of his talent.

• Attire: City man's working fashions◊. Given that his operations take place in the border towns, his clothes are dusty and travel-stained, with not a bit of patching. It's a testament to his skill of showmanship that few notice.

• Skills/Occupation: Smiles turned his fancy book-learning and natural predisposition towards showmanship towards the ends of the Devils. Primarily, he's a gambler, fleecing unwary hicks and scoping out marks. It's how he got this lived that long out in the rough-and-tumble settlements that dot the landscape. When the gang needs to apply brains to an operation, they send him to poke around, grease a few palms and generally lie like the trickster gods of Awreat myth.

But backed into a corner, Smiles drops the his easy-going lover act and fights like a trapped animal, putting the pugilism learned at university to deadly effect, backed by his favored cheating ways. When the going gets tough and iron's drawn, it helps that he's the very devil in skill with the slender Migh-Eacian dagger found in a beautifully-sown sheathe at his waist.

Lastly, Smiles is a sorcerer of middling talent, relying on his magic to charm stubborn opponents and even change the faces of bad hands.

• Weapons: Aside from the dagger on his person at all times, his gambling kit comes with a hidden compartment that containing a butterfly knife, a set of brass knuckles and a gentleman's revolver with at least enough ammo for two reloads. This last item, he prefers to use it for intimidation as he cannot hit the broad side of a barn.

• Personality: To say that Smiles is one of the most charming Devils is an understatement. Living from saloon to saloon, he has put his natural wit and charisma to good use, wooing the local ladies while he gambles all comers blind. Though he gives off the air of a seasoned lothario, Smiles lives by a simple code; run when found out, magic has no place in the affairs of the heart and never touch the love of another.

• History: One of the bastard sons of a prominent Loryide brewmaster, Smiles left the eastern university he'd been comfortably interned in for the excitement and glamor of Western End living. Making his way by horse, coach or foot, the young man found that life in the frontier wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.

It was better that the pamphlets said.

Smiles had signed on with the Devils when some of their younger members had saved his bacon as he'd run from a game run far too heated. When the dust had settled and the aggrieved parties receiving lead cool downs, it was then the young gambler found his crew. Since then, for eight years, Smiles honed his craft, be it wit, skill or spellcraft to benefit the Devils of Chance.

And get a bit of excitement out of the bargain.

• Other: Years of dusk-to-dawn card games have left Smiles with a curious belief in the superstitious and ruminations of luck and its place in life. He carries simple charms and makes all the little gestures to invite good luck and ward away the ill. Also, given his father is a brewer, Smiles has a small measure of fame distilling all manner of alcoholic refreshments to his gang. Most of the Devils' hideouts have a stash of Smiles' drinks, particularly his "liquid sunshine", an apple cider of such comedic violence, tucked away with the same reverence as ammunition or explosives.

EDIT: 09/26/12

edited 26th Sep '12 11:11:23 AM by mantlemask

I think we're going to need more Sons (either that, or expand the role of the Devils).

Definitely more Sons. The Devils will be posting consistently enough, it's just that, what they end up doing is going to be more of a build-up.

The general plot for the RP is going to be:

• a robbery hosted by the Sons. The robbery (which I'm still debating about it either being a typical bank heist or a train hold-up) is basically just to show what the Sons can do, and will be one of their first big acts after having recollected.
• After the robbery, they head back to a small town where they've been keeping low. By chance, the Devils happen to blow in, and with a fowl taste in their mouth over the Sons coming back. After stumbling upon each other (how ever that ends up happening based on the characters), a shoot out begins, and the Sons end up on the run. This is to show what the Devils are capable of.
• From here, the plot gets varied up depending on where everyone wants it to go. The general idea is that the Sons are following the jobs given to them by Bass Tonney, some of which may or may not be to regather some of the old members that left, along with stealing some really precious treasures. The Devils mostly lay low and track behind the Sons, making pit-stops to pick up some really, really dangerous criminals.

This is all subject to change when we actually start R Ping. I'm just throwing this out there so you guys know how much spotlight is shared between the Sons and the Devils. It's about 65/35 or so.

But yeah, definitely in need of more Sons. Ideally, we only need about two more Devils and they're full. I'm wanting a decent-sized crew for the Sons, not including the nameless extras and grunts that are with them.