Editing Texas: Sixgun City

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=Sixgun City=

Sixgun City is a medium-sized town in Southern Texas along the Mexican American border. It is a prototypical Wild West settlement with plenty of opportunity for action and adventure for a posse of restless cowboys.

==PEOPLE==

'''Adelaide Stevenson''' — Adelaide is a bored domestic housewife who is having an affair with Chief, hoping her husband Seth will notice and pay more attention to her.

'''Alegra Johnson — born and raised in Sixgun City, Alegra has a practical outlook on life that reflects her common sense. She is a tailor and seamstress. Alegra is married to Byron and together they make a happy, well-adjusted couple.

'''Alessandra Gonzalez''' — the daughter of a wealthy Mexican rancher who left an arranged marriage to live with her cousins in Sixgun City. She harbors dreams of becoming a gunfighter instead of forever engaging in domestic work. Her former last name is Artian and her foppishly dangerous husband Carlito is still looking for her.

'''Byron Johnston''' — an insulting yet easygoing gun aficionado, Byron often sneaks away from his gun store to have a quick drink in the saloon with his friends. He is married to Alegra, who disapproves of his regular breaks. Byron is famous for insulting his buyers, insinuating that they can’t lift the guns that they are buying and suggesting that they pick something smaller. If a client engages Byron with bragging and bravado, he will be favorably inclined toward them and provide a discount on all purchases. Byron loves to arm wrestle although his left arm has been partially paralyzed and atrophied by polio.

'''Chief''' — a half Cherokee man, Chief’s past is a mystery to the residents of Sixgun City. He is the bouncer for the Calico Queen and does a damn fine job. Chief never carries guns but has a throwing knife at his belt. He is an excellent boxer and has an uncanny awareness of his surroundings. The half-breed is usually quiet and doesn’t quiet get along with many of the residents although he is respected for his martial prowess.

'''Gus and Jess Shafer''' — identical twin brothers, the Shafers are two rancher bachelors who inherited their modest ranch from their father after he was shot and killed by El Diablo Gordo and his gang of cattle rustlers.

'''Deputy One-Eyed Pete''' — this retired sheriff of Sixgun City has seen it all. He lost his vision when he was trampled in a stampede and suffered a retina detachment. An eye patch covers the sightless eye. One-Eyed Pete is getting older and his speed at the draw has diminished somewhat. However, he makes up for this with his vast experience and his ability to bluff. Pete enjoys poker and other games of chance. He now serves as a deputy in Sixgun City because he found it difficult to stay retired.

'''Deputy Sammy Parker''' — the newest and youngest deputy, Samuel’s shooting talents are undeniable as his hotheadedness and lack of experience. He has orange tussled hair and is always chasing women. He makes derogatory comments about people who aren’t there and always takes everything personally. When asked his age, he can “never remember.”

'''Deputy Seth Stevenson''' — a former bounty hunter, Seth married Adelaide and settled down in Sixgun after getting a job as a deputy. Having a wife and two young children has curbed his youthful hotheadedness.

'''El Diablo Gordo''' — a fat Mexican bandit in a red sombrero and poncho who smokes cigars and commands a gang of bandits. He and his gang use a small abandoned farmhouse three days ride from Sixgun City as their base of operations. El Diablo Gordo is quite intelligent and, despite his large gut, can move faster than greased lighting.

'''Gravy Goodins''' — the best cook in the entire county, Gravy is a housewife and is the husband of Lucas.

'''Jackrabbit''' - Jack—a jittery, high-strung gunslinger from California who sucks down coffee like it was air. He is a fast draw but his aim is a little off. When sitting, he will bounce his leg and is always darting glancing this way and that as if expected someone to come after him.

'''Jenny Primrose''' — the attractive schoolteacher, Jenny is a stickler for grammar and a wonderful teacher. She took over the schoolhouse after the previous teacher grew tired of the brats under his charge and left. Jenny, however, has had success in controlling her students, no doubt due to her pretty face, good soul, and genuine understanding of human nature. She has brown hair and an easygoing manner. Her younger brother is Milton.

'''Lucas Goodins''' — the owner and operator of the main general store in town, Lucas lives his life by the motto “always be prepared.” He extends this philosophy onto his customers and cannot understand why anyone would not buy lots of equipment to prepare for any eventuality. Lucas has blond hair and freckles. He is married to Gravy.

'''Mayor Killian Portwood''' — slightly corrupt and self-centered, Mayor Portwood is still interested in being perceived as a good citizen, upright soul, and general do-gooder. He is a politician at heart and will cheerfully reverse his ethics and moral stances depending upon the political conditions that he finds himself in. The mayor is fat, well-dressed, and carries a gold pocket watch which he checks frequently not because he has anywhere to go, but because he likes to show it off.

'''Milton Primrose''' — the resident bookworm, the out-of-shape Milton can be found carrying a book under his arm or reading while he walks. He is a clerk at Lucas’s General Store but cares little for his job, preferring to immerse himself in texts. Milton is the younger brother of Jenny and knows a great deal of scholarly knowledge.

'''Professor Lujemonus Bartlesby the Third, MD, PhD''' — a second rate snake oil salesman and conman, the Professor made up his first name and two degrees. He has an insincere smile, small trimmed moustache and goatee, glasses, and slicked back black hair. The professor will remind new acquaintances of his two degrees, allude to them in conversation, and is a pathological liar.

'''Reverend Black—Rev. David Black''' is a hellfire preacher new to Sixgun City. Upon his arrival, he was appalled at the amount of “sin, sin, sin” that went on. He is trying to lead a movement in the town to reduce the amount of crime, corruption, gambling, and fornication that goes on. His oratory abilities are matched only by his intolerance for transgressions against his version of the Bible. No one knows that he used to be a sheriff from Tennessee before his overzealous and violent methods of law enforcement lost him his job. He is a gaunt man with long fingers, wiry muscles, and an intense gaze.

'''Ruby Jennings—Ruby''' is a prostitute who sold her heart of gold for a quarter of a bottle of tequila. A consummate alcoholic, this conniving seductress flirts with men, drinks them under the table, and then either robs them blind or cons them out of their money. She is a buxom red-head who has three left husbands in various parts of Texas.

'''Sheriff Nicodemus''' — Sheriff Nicodemus is one of the fastest draws in Texas. He is also batshit crazy. He laughs insanely and is highly unpredictable. Nicodemus enjoys gunfights and the crazy chaos they cause. Although he is insane, he is not stupid and has managed to serve as an effective sheriff for a decade.

'''Stanley Graves''' — the undertaker and coffin maker of Sixgun City, Stanley always has his work cut out for him. He speaks in a depressing monotone voice that conveys a sense of emotional detachment. Mr. Graves is not well liked but no one else is willing to do his job. He is a short man with black hair and pale skin.

==PLACES==

'''Barber''' — the business is run by Adolfo Borrego—an aging and ever courteous gentleman—and his twenty-year old son Marco. Outside, a blind orphan kid nicknamed Squirt plays the harmonica. Adolfo has sort of adopted him and makes sure the kid gets enough food and always has a decent haircut. The place has two barber chairs although Marco isn’t always around to help out. Adolfo also has medical training from his time in the Mexican army.

'''Beaver Creek''' — a few minutes out of town, Beaver Creek is mostly dried up except during winter. It is doubtful the creek was ever home to any beaver, but a few deep puddles along the creek bed alternately serve as watering holes and fishing spots.

'''Black Diamond Mine''' — several hours ride outside of town, the Black Diamond mine has long been abandoned. It is a network of interconnected tunnels in the valley between the two hills of Momma’s Bosom that occasionally houses a stray coyote.

'''Byron’s Gun Store''' — a small, well-stocked store owned by Byron Johnston and located adjacent to the Rough Rider Saloon on Main Street. Byron sells all sorts of firearms, ammunition, and knives. Hidden in the backroom, he also has a bit of extra-powerful dynamite he calls “Whammy Sticks.” The shop is often closed temporarily as Byron likes to sneak into the nearby saloon to feed his thirst for bad tequila and gossip.

'''Calico Queen''' — a two-storey casino and saloon on the outskirts of town, the Calico Queen is a hot nightspot on Friday nights and is the center of a great deal of sinning in the city. It has tables for blackjack, poker, and roulette. Chief works here as a bouncer.

'''Church''' — a modest steepled church with a few stain glass windows serves as the place of worship for the god-fearing in Sixgun City. The minister is Reverend Black. The church has an attached cemetery that separates it from the schoolhouse. The church is a bit rundown, a literal and metaphorical problem that Reverend Black hopes to remedy in the coming months.

'''Cornbread House''' — a restaurant famous for serving beans and cornbread. Prices are reasonable and the food is tasty and filling if a bit heavy on the butter.

'''Corner Grocery''' — Curt Platt, the husband to a sick and bed-ridden Debbie, owns Corner Grocery. The business is on the corner of Main Street and has stands of produce out front. Curt hates kids, partially because he was never able to have any, and partially because the urchins steal from his store.

'''Feeding Trough Restaurant''' — a simple restaurant that gives great quantities of bad food for cheap prices.

'''Frontier Hotel''' — a bit less classy than the Hotel Royal, the Frontier Hotel is only $1.00/night. It has decent rooms on the second floor and offers nothing to eat. William and Marianne Byers own it. Their three kids help keep the business running. Although a family business, the Byers try to stay out of the way of their tenants as much as possible.

'''Hotel Royal''' — the almost luxurious hotel has a lobby on the first floor and rooms on the second and third. Rooms are slightly expensive ($2.50/night) but quiet. A helpful and energetic young bellhop named Spencer will offer to be a gopher for rich patrons. The Hotel Royal does not serve food although it does have a stash of spirits that are available to be ordered and sent up to ones room.

'''Lucas’s General Store''' — a wooden shop facing Main Street that is owned by Lucas Goodins. The store provides much of Sixgun City with common supplies. If the owner isn’t in, Milton Primrose can be found manning the register.

'''Post Office''' — run by Quint, a short man with glasses who loves to gossip and get in everyone else’s business. He will offer to read letters for illiterate people not to help them, but in order to find out what their letter says. Sometimes, his desire to get a peek at a letter gets the best of him and he opens and reads them anyway.

'''Red Pony Corral''' — a ten-minute walk out of town, Jake Anderson buys, sells, and trades horses and cattle from his homestead. He has four middle-aged sons (Jess, Jeremiah, Jeremy, Jericho) who help him with his business and one daughter Bessie, who he never lets out of his sight.

'''Rough Rider Saloon''' - a favorite spot for locals and visitors alike, the Rough Rider saloon has a billboard picturing a cowboy riding on a rocking horse out front. Swinging doors lead into an interior that contains a bar, half a dozen tables, and a piano that has a tendency to fall silent whenever a particularly intimidating cowboy walks through the door. Maria Gonzalez and Peggy Sue are the waitress and bartender, respectively.

'''Schoolhouse''' — a simple one-room brick school house managed by Jenny Primrose, the town schoolteacher. Most of the town kids are misbehaved hooligans and prefer to play hooky than attend class. The cemetery separates the schoolhouse from the church.

'''Sheriff’s Office and Jail''' — Sheriff Nicodemus and his main deputies One-Eyed Pete, Sammy Parker, and Seth Stevenson have their headquarters in this wooden building. The office stores tin stars, rifles, revolvers, handcuffs, and some other necessary gear. There is always at least one lawman here during the day. In the basement of the building are two jails cells and a drunk tank.

'''Train Station''' — twice per week at three o’clock, the Southbound train from central Texas stops for about ten minutes at the train station. During this time, supplies are unloaded and passengers get on or off. A single clerk named Madison manages the depot on the two days. He lives in a shack across the tracks and has always dreamed of actually going somewhere.

'''Wells Fargo Bank''' — an inefficiently run bank situated in a brick building. The main clerk is Duane Brennan, a man whose difficulty in counting is only superseded by his ability to take his time. The single vault is protected by an elaborate locking mechanism recently installed by the company. Luckily, the Sheriff’s Office and Jail are just around the corner. Doing any business at Well’s Fargo will result in previously undisclosed fines and fees that nickel-and-dime away the cowboy’s wealth.
 
==ADVENTURE SEEDS==

'''Blackmail a Judge by Kidnapping his Daughter'''

Judge Richards is a judge up North in San Adolfo. He will soon be trying the notorious criminal “Snake” McDoon. McDoon’s employer, one Mr. Graham Goodwin, is unwilling to let his henchman hang. As a businessman from the East coast, Mr. Goodwin has many unwholesome contacts and the money to utilize them. He hires a group to kidnap Judge Richard’s daughter as she rides the train through Sixgun City and hold her at an undisclosed location until the trial is over. This is where the posse comes in.

One bodyguard with a leaky bladder accompanies the daughter. If the posse messes up the mission, then a group of federal marshals or Texas Rangers will stage a commando raid to get the girl back or grab the posse for a trial of their own.
Alternately, the posse can be hired to get Ms. Richards back safely after she is kidnapped by a gang of ruffians.


'''Horse Race at the Calico Queen'''

Mr. Queen, the enigmatic and effeminate businessman that owns the Calico Queen, is sponsoring a horse race in order to attract more patrons to his casino. The race is one hour long in the late afternoon. The course follows a windy dirt road that makes a wide horseshoe shape and ends up back at the Calico Queen. Mr. Queen has stationed groups of his men along the course to make sure that the racers do no take illegal shortcuts. In addition, one of his top henchwomen Roxy is taking bets and managing the gambling aspect on the race itself.

A month before the event, advertisements are posted about town and Mr. Queen sends some men to advertise elsewhere and recruit famous racers. Visitors start arriving one week before the event. The hotels fill up pretty quickly, and the population of Sixgun City temporarily surges. This means an increase in bar fights, an increase in theft and opportunities for theft, as well as an increased need for deputies to maintain order. The whole event should provide plenty of opportunities for the posse to have fun. For example, Professor Bartleby is selling a special mixture that will increase the ability of a horse to run distances. It might even work.
Entering the race is easy if the cowboys are so inclined. A cowboy looking to race need only sign up at the Calico Queen with Roxy. Registration is free; Mr. Queen wants as many people involved in the race as possible. 

The day of the race, much of the town is at the Calico Queen. Mayor Killian makes a speech, and the winner of an amateur beauty contest that was held earlier in the day fires the gun to start the race. 

There are about 25 contestants. The famous racer Jericho Williams is riding Rag Tag Nag. He is a fierce and veteran competitor. From among the locals, one of the Anderson sons is also competing. A few of his brothers will hide out along the trail and try to sabotage other riders by throwing rocks at them from behind an old rock wall. Katherine (Kat) Sanchez is a half-Mexican women looking to prove herself with her mare Madrugada. No one has heard of her, but she is the niece of El Diablo Gordo and he has secretly placed several bets on her. The two brothers from out of town are racing, mostly to beat one another. They are Jim and Thomas Mitchwood, and live to outdo one another. The winner of the contest is given $500. If a PC comes in the top three, she is given a deed to an old mine that can serve as the hook to future adventures.

'''A Circus Comes to Town'''

A circus has come to Sixgun City, much to the delight of its inhabitants. The circus is called Marzipan and Gridley’s Pandemonium Parade. The circus consists of…

*Bluto Firebreath— a dwarf who eats fire, is shot from a canon, and is thrown by other performers.
*The Amazing Rubber Girl—a contortionist who can fit inside a box and spring forth like a jack-in-the-box.
*Ms. Ellie Livingsworth—a lion tamer and gymnast, and girl who is put in dangerous situations.
*The Human Pincushion—has hundreds of piercings and can accurately throw daggers at Ms. Livingsworth as she whirls about bound to a giant wooden wheel. He can also juggle blades.
*Esmeralda—tells fortunes in a separate tent with the aid of a crystal ball, an owl pet, and lots of incense. 
*Gridley the Magnificent—the ringmaster and announcer of the troupe.
*Marzipan—a clown, acrobat, and magician of some talent who rides a unicycle.
*Lions, elephants, bears, horses, and a two-headed cow.
A few urchin carnie children will be in the audience in an effort to pickpocket unsuspecting marks.


'''Drinking Match'''
Billy Paher is short in stature but wide in girth. He likes to drink and loves talking about alcohol. Tequila is his favorite drink, and should any cowboy be inclined to challenge him, he will engage in a tequila drinking competition. A crowd will assemble and betting will commence. Local saloon patrons will bet on Billy. Even if a cowboy looses to Billy Paher, he will be a friend to them because, as Billy always says, “I never met a man or woman I didn’t enjoy drinking with.”


'''Jilted Lover'''
Chief from the Calico Queen and Adelaide Stevenson are having an affair, cuckolding Adelaide’s husband Deputy Seth Stevenson. Seth may grow suspicious and get the posse to check up on his wife. Alternatively, he will go to them for help getting his wife back. The two paramours engage in their illicit activities in a private room in the Calico Queen when Chief is off work. Seth may think that his wife has a gambling problem, as she spends money here in order to allay the suspicions of her husband.


'''Lost Love'''
Carlito Artian is a foppish dandy who inherited his family’s rich ranch estate in Mexico. He married Alessandra Gonzalez but the union was an unhappy one; Alessandra ended up running away from her husband and seeking refuge with her cousins in Sixgun City. She harbors dreams of becoming a gunfighter. Carlito has traced his wife to Sixgun City. He carries her photo and says that a cowboy named Wane Randy kidnapped her. Asking around for anyone named Gonzalez, Carlito will eventually find his wife’s cousin Maria Gonzalez, a waitress in the Rough Rider Saloon. He will threaten her, stalk her after work, and do everything he can to find his wife. If he finds Alessandra, he will beat her a little, spend the night in the town, and then bring her back South with him.