Episode One - Stagecoach

From Black Country Role Playing Society

Our tale begins in the year of our Lord 1866. The day is hot and humid, with the sun beating down on a stagecoach, bucklin’ along, crossing the desert plains from Dodge City to Tombstone.

Onboard is an array of characters: the old driver, Angus McClintock, who has worked for the Wells Fargo Stage Coach company for many a year and the trusty Beavis, ridin’ shotgun. There’s Miss Amanda Hugandkiss, a young blond and buxom Southern Dame, on her way to Tombstone to see her ‘Uncle Merv’, who happens to be the Sheriff of Tombstone. Flirtin’ (unsuccessfully) is Tony Hart. He is dressed in a black smart cut suit, with a gold pocket watch and chain. From the right angle a glimpse of a pair of silver handles can be seen, hidden by the suit jacket. A man of average appearance, but his blue eyes emanate a sense of mischief.

Also on the coach is Diamond Back Jack, a nondescript Pistoleros who blends into the background of the coach and Longhorn Jones: a scruffy, smelly Mexican who appears to spend more time with horses than people. Finally, there’s ‘Nameless’ Smith – a grizzled but handsome man – as dark as the Ace of Spades with a stare as deadly as that most dangerous of cards

They travel for days, occasionally stoppin’ to rest the horses and the like. The journey is for some good (like Tony Hart, who improves his skills as a gambler of charismatic prowess by repeatedly losin’ to Miss Hugandkiss in a tense game of ‘Snap’), for some bad (like ‘Nameless’ Smith, worried that any moment soon, a piece of his past will appear…) and for all ugly (as they have to deal with the smell of ‘Longhorn’ Jones).

Such horseplay and banter is eventually interrupted by a call from the front of the coach,

‘Injuns! To the southwest! Thousands of them!’

The travellers turn to face an enormous dust cloud of hooves, Tomahawks and feathers, moving at a rapid pace in their direction.

Immediately they spring to action – Tony Hart starts to smash the back of the carriage, to create a space to shoot out of, ‘Longhorn’ Jones clambers out of the carriage to join Beavis and start shootin’ and ‘Nameless’ Smith and Diamondback Jack open up a volley of shots into the cloud to lessen the numbers.

But it seems futile.

Until Miss Hugandkiss joins the fray, by whippin’ out, from her beautiful billowing hooped skirt – a shotgun. She then unfastens the skirt (revealing tasteful undergarments, much to the annoyance of Tony), and nimbly climbs onto the roof of the carriage.

The extra gun seems to make the difference and holds the Injuns back until, in waves of six they descend to the carriage like vultures to carrion.

Our heroes valiantly fight – but are outnumbered, despite some deft shootin’ and fightin’. They start to lose men – first Angus, to an Injun’s Tomahawk, then Beavis, to a bullet. Miss Hugandkiss nearly meets her maker, but is saved from a scalpin’ by ‘Longhorn’ Jones.

And then…

.. . the sound of a bugle.

Saved by the Calvary!

A sea of blue and gold washes over the desert, fendin’ off the Injuns, until all that’s left is the stagecoach, with its occupants, battered and bruised but, mostly alive and relived that their passage to Tombstone, now under the protection of the Calvary, will be less eventful.

Or will it?

On to Episode Two - Cool Hand Tony

Back to the The BCRPS Bandoleers o' Bandits Campaign