Also, I figured I would mention a couple of things I left out of the retelling of the first session.
First, this game doesn't use the Deadlands setting. It takes place in historical 1877 with Deadlands elements added, playing a bit more like Wild Western Call of Cthulhu than the standard setting. Father Seward is a blessed and Jake is a huckster, so those things (along with Rattlers) are still currently the same.
Additionally, while staying in Boston, each member of the group received a letter or other form of communication indicating that something near and dear to that person may be found in San Francisco. These missives also included a single playing card. Father Alex Seward noticed that the ticket vendor who sold David Hood his train ticket is also the same man who delivered the priest's letter.
In addition to the PCs, there's a Mr. Butler who also received a playing card, but there is some suggestion that he's into some weird and evil stuff. For example, there was a priest in Mr. Butler's sleeper car on the train to St. Louis (this same priest bumped into Father Seward in the baggage car, presumably performing some form of pickpocketing or switcheroo, though Father Seward never determined what he actually did). This priest started getting sicker and sicker; at night, he would cough and go to the bathroom. His hand was wrapped with a bandage.
After several nights of coughing beside our door, we finally confronted him. Father Seward met him in the hallway, but the priest responded with horror when he saw Seward, wishing he were not there. He then removed the bandage on his hand, revealing a wound. He smeared the blood on Seward's head and then he died. A mysterious presence filled the car and everything fell silent before it subsided.
Granted, Mr. Butler had nothing to do with this (he was asleep at the time, as best as anyone can tell), but even so. Things are weird.
I'm sure we'll find out about these events, though. In time.
It is also worth noting that the night of the earthquake, he appeared in the crowd of onlookers, impeccably dressed although it was the middle of the night. When I called out and started to approach him, he turned and walked away, disappearing down a side street by the time I caught up.
ReplyDeleteAnd as Bart, a.k.a. David Hood, quipped the other night to me (paraphrasing), "We wouldn't be in this much trouble if you'd only put out." While I'm not entirely sure about that, it is possible that could have assisted the group in some way. Never gonna happen, though, because I am a LADY.