The Journal of Cassandra Kane: Her Adventures in the Wild Wild West

Dime Novel: Respite

Real World Date: August 2008

Game World Date: December 1878

Season Two, Episode Five 

December 13, 1878

We’ve been resting for 2 days here in the Tower. Most of us are hurt real bad. Aieslyn and Marguerite can heal up my arms but not our wounds. Damn Stone!!

Stetson: +2 to your intimidate, (once per adventure) get rid of shaken effect, (once per adventure) get rid of all your wounds. The hat feels like it’s got plans of it’s own like it wants to kill people. I see more flashes of Stone killing people like us. And of what looks like a skeleton in his outfit. Everything around him dies. He looks like death incarnate.

Reluctantly I give the Stetson to the Captain – who has been increasingly bugging me about for days. I need to keep an eye on him.

We head North to make Corman’s appointment in Montana.

December 24, 1878

After days of riding in the cold and evading Injun scouting parties we arrive at an old fort. Abandon barracks, doors of hinges, looks like a blacksmith shop and a mess hall too. A main building in the middle and an armory. This was the fort that Corman trained with the 51st at. Been abandoned for at least 7 years.

Corman and the men scout around. No sign of anyone.

We head into the fort to get in out of the snow and stable the horses.

December 25, 1878 12:01 am

A trumpet sounds and wakes those of us not on watch. Looking out the window there is no snow on the ground. We see building that look familiar but can’t place them. We see men working with steam engines and the scream of working ghost rock. And it’s very hot. And the Colonel is walking towards us. Aieslynn thinks we are the Colonel’s plane.

Oh and the Captain, according to Aieslynn, looks like Death incarnate. Yeah, this is bad.

The Colonel and Corman big talk at each other for a while. It’s decided that they will fight one on one with tomahawks. The Colonel raises them up on platforms so just the two of them can fight.

The Captain starts shooting the men at the bottom, seems to be 2 buglers, 2 banner guys and 8 more soldiers. I help him out. We back into the building and our building gets surrounding.

The building gets shot up while we are inside. All we are pretty doing is shooting anything in sight while they tear holes into this place. We see them roll up some canons and I’m able to blast the soldiers around them, but they start to reinforce. Luckily there is such a malfunction on one of the cannons it blows itself up and the other one along with it. The ghost rock screams killing almost 50 more men.

Corman’s actually holding up his own against the Colonel. I have to say we are a little surprised that he’s lasted this long.

The explosion actually some how hurt the Colonel letting Corman get an amazin’ couple of shot in on him and killing him as he falls off the platform.

Once the Colonel is “killed” all of his men turn to dust and disappear.

At one point, due to Aieslyn’s calling, Jonathan and a flock of ravens show up. They had been fighting the undead as well.

Now he attempts to find us a way out of this hell.

Jonathan says he can get us to some fairy rings and we’ll have to bounce around to different ones in order to get back home. He says there’s a ring near Freedom.

Jonathan wrote in some funny language in the air and Aieslyn performs a prayer.

(Hunter in the Shadow = What Jonathan calls the Major.)

What a birthday!

December 27, 1878

We arrive back in Freedom.

Mr. Parker is happy to see us and tells us that Mr. Conklin has arrived and that him and his men have taken over the boys’ room.

He says that there will be a gala on New Years that we all need to attend and dress up for. Except for Murphy – he doesn’t have to go.

Corman gets me a present for my Birthday. Mr. IM Hymm’s new pulp novel!

December 29, 1878

Mr. Parker has a Christmas spread for us. A yummy dinner with all the fixin’s

The captain gets me a hat just like his, just less evil.

I get:

Aieslyn a broach

The Captain a box of cigars and a shotgun holster

Corman a bottle of whiskey and a spyglass.

Mr. Parker gets us:

Reggie: Pearl handle colt peacemakers

Marguerite: Voodoo stuff

Murphy: A case of booze

Corman: A contact that can help him out with his hand.

The Captain: A nice scattergun and some ponchos.

Cassandra: Book of hoyles’ cards & games, a new set of cowboy boots, signed copies of all of Hymn’s dime novels.

Aieslynn: talisman from the roman era of Ireland, lots of dresses, jewelry.

We talk to Mr. Parker about what’s been happing with us. He fills us in on news that the Mexican army has a new leader – the Major.

January 1, 1879

In the afternoon we have a brief meeting with Mr. Conklin. He says that over the next couple days he’ll talk to each of us about what our goals are for the future. But for now we are to enjoy the party this evening.

He also pays us what we are due ($2000 each) A bank in Denver is where some of are pay is there for our retirement. Very safe.

People at the gala that we might want to influence. Col. Wembly (the new Colonel at the fort), Major Peterson – member of the war department in Washington. Liu Qwan (leader of the Triad). We might want to help him acquire fresh water resources, as we might need his help against Kang.

Mr. Parker insisted that at least The Captain and I go through introductions. The Captain because of his connections and me because of my family. Seems everyone has now learned my family is well to do.

The Captain has me be his date. He and his men look all pretty dressed up. Corman even cleans up nice. And of course Miss Aieslynn looks beautiful as always. She got angry about something and her and Corman ended up sharing a drink in the corner.

A little later, I hear a Lord Charles Fairfax get introduced.

The Captain comes with to talk to Mr. Qwan. We give him the money owed and a gift because the meeting with Mr. Kelly never happened due to his unfortunate murder by the Major. He accepts our apology and with a promise that we will look into seeing if we can get him a copy of the plans for the fresh water machine and help getting fresh water that perhaps we can be allies.

I talk to Mr. Fairfax for a while and he asks me to dance. So does Mr. Conklin and Mr. Parker. I dance with Corman and the Captain as well. The Captain and I tried to get Aieslyn and Corman to dance together but that didn’t work.

January 3, 1879

The meeting with Mr. Conklin has us figuring out goals for the year.

The Captain says Grimme & The Major are the two biggest things to deal with.

I suggest more alliance with Shan Fran most for the need to give them fresh water and to make sure that Grimme doesn’t get any more allies.

Mr. Conklin asked if there is anything he could get us to help us. I asked him for an items that could help us out against the Major. I think the Major isn’t a guy we could fight. He’s super tough, super smart, and always at least 2 steps ahead of us. Aieslynn figured he’s using the “laylines” to travel back and forth which would explain how he always get to place days ahead of us. That how we were on his trail and he managed to attack the fort, kill the general, and still take time to capture. Mr. Parker and torture him for days awaiting our return.

That and how he’s working with Grimme because we are against him.