Don your TIN STAR and Lay Down the Law in the West (Choice of Games CYOA)

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Heir03: Oct 16, 2012; Pillbug

achtungnight posted:

Take Carrie and Dan with us to New York, let Maria wait.

Yep.

# ? Dec 28, 2018 21:46

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# ? Jun 10, 2024 05:38

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

achtungnight posted:

1,1. We can�t be governor of Nevada yet, it�s still a territory not a state. One county and a partial marshal term isn�t a lot of experience anyway. Let�s spread our story some, then maybe we can enter politics in the unknown future. And on the Uptons, yeah, let�s run down leads. If we get nowhere maybe then we�ll have more ammo for interrogation.

Not to disagree with your choices, here, but:

1. Territories in the US had governors.
2. Nevada became a state in 1864. it's after that now.

# ? Dec 29, 2018 04:04

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

Looks like we're bringing every member of the posse who's willing to ride...

quote:

"Don't you want to see a big city? It'll be the apple of your eye."

"Of course I do," she replies. "I just wanted to know if you were serious."

With that she gives you a little squeeze and moves in for a brief and pointed kiss. (+5 Caraway)

quote:

Nod.

"Well alright then," she says then gives you a little squeeze and moves in for a brief and pointed kiss. (+5 Caraway)

quote:

Dan stares off at the horizon as stars begin to come out for the night, "I wonder how much New York has grown since last I saw her?"

"Come along and see for yourself."

quote:
"I think I will," he says and gazes off into the sky as if the stars were dancing to his private tune. (+5 Schmidt)
~~"I can't take you with me."~~
Stand beside him for a moment.

quote:
"Yeah, it'd be good to see a real city again," he says and tenders over a brief nod. (+5 Schmidt)
~~Head for my horse and leave him behind.~~

quote:

The eastern sky is afire with morning light as you step out of your office. There, waiting on the stoop, is Eduardo. The big blonde bodyguard tilts his head down the street and you can't help but follow the nod toward Maria Agustina just down the way.

Her dress is a spot of dark blue amid the golden dawn, all of a navy tone with more than a riffle of frill to the drapes of silk. A parasol makes for a canopy against the sun, puts her features in shade that her dark locks barely escape. Her gloves are delicate things of lace with just a hint of red thread sewn through and through.

"Good morning."

quote:
"Buenos dias," she replies. "But such pleasantries aside, there are things I would wish to discuss with you."
"Buenos dias."

quote:
"Indeed," she remarks. "But such pleasantries aside, there are things I would wish to discuss with you."
Yawn.

quote:
"How polite of you," she remarks. "But let us not dwell on such trifles."
Let her start talking.

quote:
"Are you feeling well?" she asks. "I would recommend bed rest, but there are things I would wish to discuss with you.

quote:

Eduardo eases over to Maria's side then turns away to watch behind her.

"Something came up suddenly and I had to make preparations. I was going to visit you, I swear."

quote:
"Swear? As in an oath?" she inquires. "To speak such words is a serious business."
"I have to leave for New York soon. I shall be gone for months."

quote:
"I had heard rumors. Of course you must do as you must do, and I must endure what must be endured," she says quietly.
Stare at her.

quote:
"No words? Not even a comment upon my beauty?" she ponders. "Such silence is all but deafening."
~~"I can't be with you anymore."~~

... and asking Maria to leave a light on for us.

quote:

"What is it you want from me?"
"Life is measured not with what we want, but by what we can give," Maria points out.

"I am sad that we were not more intimate."
"Be not sad, but hungry for the bread that is to come," Maria says then lets a hint of a smile creep into her lips. "For there is always tomorrow for the likes of us."

Stare.
"I know we will be separated, but I will not forget you. I could never forget you."

quote:
"Nor I, you," Maria replies and her eyes flutter of their own accord.
Step closer.

quote:
Maria lifts her head invitingly as you approach.

quote:

Your lips brush hers like silk stirring in the wind and the ache that follows subsumes your very bones. The sun obediently stands still in the blue sky until at last you part. The moment though, feels as though it will last forever.

Someone coughs nearby; Eduardo with a discrete warning. Maria draws back and gives a pleased twirl of her parasol as she gazes upon you in full.

"Would that I could more than pray for your good journey," she says softly, "but a loving God will surely grant precisely that."

With that she walks on toward the Grand Haven Hotel.

With things as settled as they can be, it's time to hit the trail.

quote:

The journey is a long one and it starts out with a single day. You ride east along the grading paths set out by the Central Pacific railroad company. Eventually those disappear into the wilds of Utah.

But with Dan beside you the wilderness is of little consequence. He readily points out scorpion nests and spies a hungry coyote that would clearly like to take a chunk from your horse.

"Everything out here is hungry," he says after a time, "because there is so little to eat."

When the sun is high overhead, Miss Caraway follows where Dan points and shoots a sunning rattle snake. The round takes its head clean off.

"See, this way you don't have to worry about the poison," she points out with a grin.

"There's better ways," Dan notes. "But that'll do."

Later, Dan cooks it for dinner and the chewy meat has a delicate taste like royal pheasant but with more bones.

But the drifting tumbleweeds don't last long after you come upon the grading crews of the Union Pacific railroad company. The Saints and Irish men there are laying the groundwork for the rails that are headed west to link up with those of the Central Pacific headed east.

A day's ride beyond them you spy the tell-tale plumes of white steam that arise from a bevy of trains at a rail-head.

"Civilization," Dan says in annoyance.

"Whiskey," Carrie considers happily.

Ride on in.
Go around.

quote:
You turn away from the rail-head and continue to make your way east. Eventually you locate a real train station and purchase a ticket.

We could skip this talky scene, but why not?

quote:

Ride on in.

The rail-head is much like any other. Dozens of men laboring to and fro at the behest of bawling supervisors. Out here though, there isn't a chinese worker to be seen. Instead the accents of Ireland and a dozen other little countries of Europe mash together in a constant murmur as you lead your horse through.

"What's a lady doing out here?" a man's voice calls over.

Carrie glances over at you as a sly grin adorns her full lips. "Which of us do you think he means, my lady�?" she whispers over.

You glance over and find a young man in a tidy gray suit, his bowler hat pulled low over his eyes, and a polished Smith and Wesson holstered at his hip. He eases toward you with a hand low beside his weapon and his steady dark brown eyes are fixed upon your own. If there had been a brick wall between the two of you, he might not notice or care.

"I'm Peter Ebersal, and I work for the Union Pacific in my capacity," he says and glances nervously at Dan and Carrie, both of which loom in their own ways.

"I'm just passing through."

quote:
"I see. Well, without a name you're going to be leaving at a gallop," Peter indicates.

"I'm Ruolan Shen."

quote:
"That sounds familiar," Peter muses. "Normally I wouldn't bother asking but things have been antsy around here after what happened out in Nevada."
"Jane Wabaningo."

quote:
Carrie purses her lips quizzically at your choice of pseudonym.

"Is that an Indian name?" Peter asks then waves off the question a moment later. "Sorry Miss Wabaningo, not my place to pry but things have been antsy around here after what happened out in Nevada."
"Lady Maria Agustina Toledo y Santarosa."

quote:
Carrie gives a snort and then a considering glance at you that promises an interesting night.

"That's not what I was expecting. Not at all," Peter replies in a baffled tone. "Are you Spanish? Mexican? You know, never mind. My apologies if I have offended. It is just that things have been antsy around here after what happened out in Nevada."

"Madeline Madrigal Morrison."

quote:
Carrie tilts her head in consideration and seems to like the new name.

"That's nicely alliterative," Peter notes. "Is it a stage name? Regardless, my apologies if I have offended. It is just that things have been antsy around here after what happened out in Nevada."
"Tina Star."

quote:
The moment the name leaves your lips, Carrie rolls her eyes.

"That's got a nice ring to it, Miss," Peter notes. "Normally I wouldn't have pried but things have been antsy around here after what happened out in Nevada."
Ride on.

quote:
You turn away from the rail-head and continue to make your way east. Soon enough you locate a real train station, without the likes of Ebersal and with a saloon nearby. As Carrie refills her hip flask and Dan prepares the horses, you purchase the ticket and pay to freight your animals.

"I'm Ruolan Shen."

quote:
"That sounds familiar," he replies. "What brings you out here, riding east when everything is going west?"

"Its for my health.

quote:
"I didn't want to pry, but its my job to do that," Peter says. "Things have been kind of antsy over here ever since that dust-up that happened out in Nevada."
"I'm headed to New York."

quote:
"Yeah? I've been there plenty of times," Peter says. "Just came back from there in fact. I would have liked to stay, but then there was this dust up out in Nevada..."
"East is the new west."

quote:
"Nice answer. If you want to be cagey, that's your affair," Peter replies. "But mine is to ask questions of everyone. We can't be too careful after what happened out in Nevada."

"I'm Marshal Shen."

quote:
"Marshal?" he asks and finally spies your tin star beneath the trail dust. "I see it now. My apologies. Can't be too careful out here. I mean, have you heard of the dust-up that happened out in Nevada?"

"A little."

quote:
"We should compare notes," Peter suggests. "Professional to professional."
Continue to stare at him.

quote:
"You have heard then?" Peter asks then shakes his head. "Of course you have. We're both professionals."
"I was there."

quote:
"No kidding?" Peter says as a ghost of a smile settles on his lips. "We should swap notes then. Professional to professional."

Stare at him.

quote:
He stares back then finally notes your tin star beneath all the trail dust, "Oh, I see. My apologies. Can't be too careful out here. I mean, have you heard of the dust-up that happened out Nevada."

"A little."

quote:
"We should compare notes," Peter suggests. "Professional to professional."
Continue to stare at him.

quote:
"You have heard then?" Peter asks then shakes his head. "Of course you have. We're both professionals."
"I was there."

quote:
"No kidding?" Peter says as a ghost of a smile settles on his lips. "We should swap notes then. Professional to professional."

Depending on the Marshal's gender there's many different fake names you can give, from various Tin Star pseudonyms to the names of other characters like Preston and Yiska. It serves no mechanical function, but it's fun to see Dan and Carrie's reactions.

quote:

"Have things been quiet here?"
"Ah, we've had our share of Indians, riots, and gunfights," Peter says but doesn't take his eyes off you. "Still, that's nothing like they had in Nevada. See, the thing is, what's holding us back here can't be shot. At least not directly."

"What do you mean, can't be shot?"
"Its the Union Pacific's Governing board. They're locked in a terrible battle of wills with the head of the company, Doc Durant. The Doc got us started and people were totting away bags of money at the beginning, but now�well, now all that flush cash is gone and we're scrambling day to day to keep moving forward."

"Have the rails been moving forward?"
"Yep. Slow and steady, which is good because the company needs the bonds that it gets paid for each mile of track laid. If it doesn't move forward, there is no money coming in to move forward some more. All it'd take is one bad month and all this would stall. As things stands, paydays are being missed and iron is coming up short."

"Has the work suffered?"
"Yeah. Without good wood, the ties and trestles are shoddy. Men get injured and don't get replaced. Tools break and stay broken. I tell you, if this thing gets built it'll be because the men who labored to put it together were too stubborn to quit."

"I've got to go, but I'll be sure to tell people about all this."

quote:
"Please do. Someone should know, someone should care," Peter implores you. "A great work like this should not be forgotten."

Slip off toward the next train.

quote:
You leave him to his thoughts and head toward the steam puffing locomotives.
Touch his arm in sympathy.

quote:
"Thanks," He says. "And I mean that. Say, do you need a rail-pass?"

He walks you toward the nearest locomotive and makes arrangements for you and your horse. Carrie almost decks him when he suggests a woman's car. Dan has to be talked out of staying with his steed in a freight car.
"I understand. Listen to the news for the next while. It should be interesting."

quote:
"I'll do that," he replies then gives you a nod and heads off.

Let him talk everything out.

quote:
"We've had our share of Indian raids, riots, and firefights, but the thing that's holding us back can't be shot. At least not from here."

"Back in New York, the Union Pacific's governing board is locked in a terrible battle of wills with the head of the company, Doc Durant. The Doc got us started and everyone was making plenty of money, but where it went this past year is anyone's guess because paydays are being missed and the iron is short besides."

"All their squabbling is making it hard for the men here to keep moving forward. And only by moving forward can the company get paid the bonds it is due for each mile of track laid. No track, no bonds, no money to move forward, and so on like a wheel going round and round. Or in this case, stopping cold and not moving an inch. But things have been inching forward even though people are going hungry. I tell you, if these rails meet those of the Central Pacific despite everyone having to work long hours without enough wood, hands or hammers, it will be because the men who actually built the thing were too stubborn to quit."

Peter casts a glance about the rail-head where the slow and yet continuous shifting of rails down the line continues, "I didn't mean to talk your ear off, but these days I can't help it. People don't know what is happening and they should."

Slip off toward the next train.

quote:
You leave him to his thoughts and head toward the steam puffing locomotives.
Touch his arm in sympathy.

quote:
"Thanks," He says. "And I mean that. Say, do you need a rail-pass?"

He walks you toward the nearest locomotive and makes arrangements for you and your horse. Carrie almost decks him when he suggests a woman's car. Dan has to be talked out of staying with his steed in a freight car.
"I understand. Listen to the news for the next while. It should be interesting."

quote:
"I'll do that," he replies then gives you a nod and heads off.

And now we know more about railroad problems.

quote:

Once on board the train, the engine sounds out and the rattle of the cars begins. It won't take months to reach New York as it might by ship; just a few short weeks by rail instead. Miss Caraway sleeps through the start of the trip and happily too.

Schmidt hardly catches a wink of slumber at first as every bump and screech of metal brings his eyes to twitching back and forth. "It's unnatural," he mutters more than once.

Nebraska proves to be as flat as a pancake and maybe even more so depending on who is cooking.

1. Tend my horse during stops for coal and water.
2. Talk a little legalese with the fellow travelers from Chicago.
3. Practice target shooting with my rifle from the top of the train.
4. Fire at startled pheasants with my pistol from the rear car.
5. Study the mighty bridge that spans the Mississippi.
6. Chat with the other passengers.
7. Make certain no one stirs up trouble despite the continual rattle and thump of the rail.
8. Get all the rest I can.
9. Give the fireman at the engine a little help with stoking the engine.

It's that time again, for the last time we're going to decide how Marshal Shen spends her copious free time on this trip. She can do 4 things and unlike previous down-time everything can be repeated as much as you'd like except for studying the bridge and talking legalese (since those are only available when the train passes through those areas- they're not mutually exclusive, so you can vote for both if you'd like).

So, what is Ruolan going to do on her trip?

quote:

Miss Ruolan Shen:
Traits: Chinese.
Current Companions: Dan Schmidt, prospector. Miss Caraway, gunslinger.
Health: Bursting with vigor.
Wealth: Enough for a month in town.

Honor: Your word is your bond. (98%)
Law: Without laws there can be no civilization. (88%)
Order: Everything is one, two and then three. (82%)
Notoriety: 14%

Skills:
Gunfighting: There may be one person who can equal your lightning fast hands, and you haven't met them yet. (74%)
Sharpshooting: You know the world best when you see it through the aperture of a scope. (64%)
Brawling: Precious few can get back up after you put them down. (52%)
Riding: At a gallop, the boundaries between horse and rider all but disappear. (46%)
Survival: The wilderness is an open book to you. (51%)
Legal Understanding: You could argue a case before the supreme court, and win. (39%)
Engineering: There are few firms that could not employ your constructive skills in some capacity. (26%)
Explosives: Nitroglycerin is unstable, and fun. (35%)
Persuasion: A few casual words from you can change people's lives forever. (73%)
Intimidate: A rattlesnake once bit itself rather than get in your way. (71%)
Stamina: You could travel for days on end without sleep or food. (46%)
Resolve: You can out-stubborn a tired mule. (68%)

Influence:
Ben Carson: The two of you are good friends. (77%)
Dan Schmidt: You are his northern star. (108%)
Miss Caraway: She loves you more than whiskey itself. (117%)
JT Preston: You are his one, true friend. (124%)
Richard Hartigan: He believes you are just another stuffy tin star. You owe each other no favors. (45%)
The people of Albion Falls: Bishop Hancock has faith in you. (71%)
Maria Agustina: Her love for you could scorch the heavens. (135%)
Marshal James: He didn't believe in miracles, until now. (102%)
Yiska: He knows that Tahoma is his true friend. (109%)

# ? Dec 29, 2018 07:25

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Epicurius posted:

Not to disagree with your choices, here, but:

1. Territories in the US had governors.
2. Nevada became a state in 1864. it's after that now.

Thanks. Guess I need to brush up my US History.

For the latest vote- 2,5,6,8.

# ? Dec 29, 2018 07:37

where the red fern gropes: Aug 24, 2011

nice bridge
really nice bridge
repair our horse
fireman sam

# ? Dec 29, 2018 13:01

Golden Bee: Dec 24, 2009; I came here to chew bubblegum and quote 'They Live', and I'm... at an impasse.

I say we keep the peace so we can end up with the achievement for top order and top honor.

# ? Dec 29, 2018 17:49

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

Got a variety of votes here, so let's mix things up. Starting with the horses, since they're most spooked at the start of the trip.

quote:

Tend my horse during stops for coal and water.

Your horse takes a while to calm down each time it has to re-enter the cargo car.

"This ain't natural for horses," Dan explains softly as he tends his own steed, "or for people either."

(Riding and Survival increased) (+4 Riding, +4 Survival)

Iowa is all scrub and green until you get near the roils of the Mississippi River. Then the undulations of soil are lined with cultivated corn as far as the eye can see.

Then getting the exclusives done with the Mississipi River and Chicago.

quote:

Study the mighty bridge that spans the Mississippi.

The rail bridge is a work of art: thousands upon thousands of beams and rivets the likes of which have been arranged to span a river that is hard to see across on a hazy day.

"Beautiful," Dan notes and gives an appreciative whistle. "Carrie will be sad she was drunk and missed this. Maybe."

(Engineering greatly increased) (+8 Engineering)

At Chicago, the wood burning engine is replaced by a coal stoked locomotive. After that, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio all blur together.

quote:

Talk a little legalese with the fellow travelers from Chicago.

As expected, the lawyers of Chicago are awfully sharp with their chosen trade.

"Its like a whole other tongue," Carrie says with a shake of her head afterward.

"It can be," Dan notes. "Bit of Latin, bit of Greek."

"Greek?" Carrie asks incredulously. "Really?"

"Reminds me of a fella I knew from Greece," Dan notes. "He knew all the philosophers by heart and could recite just about anything in what he called 'the learned tongue'. We got along well enough after I showed him how to spot a rattlesnake sunning itself."

(Legal Understanding increased) (+5 Legal)

Pennsylvania is a tidy sight marred only by pit mining sites that have reduced huge hills to craters.

And finally we keep the peace.

quote:

Make certain no one stirs up trouble despite the continual rattle and thump of the rail.

More than a few miners board the train while drunk, but you see to it they either keep drinking or sober up real quick.

Predictably, Carrie all but makes their choice for them.

(Intimidate and Resolve slightly increased) (+2 Intimidate, +2 Resolve)

At last the green fields and hills of the countryside give way to the stone and iron of New York city.

quote:

Across a wide river lies a sprawl of buildings high and low. Smoke, ash, and dung filled streets form a maze any spider would appreciate. The din of it rises up as you ride forward and the steadily gathering press of humanity makes your skin crawl. Millions of people, tightly packed in but as ignorant of one another as sheep in separate flocks. A bevy of ferries bob on the dark waters, carry people and things back and forth from land to island.

"Are you ready for a stench? Are you ready for squalor?" Dan asks in the voice of a salesman. "Because here you can have both."

"I am getting the subtle hint that you don't like it here."

quote:
"Are you?" Dan replies with a hint of a grin. "Maybe that's because I don't like walking in a cesspool."
"What about the people?"

quote:
"I'm sure they're fine people," he shrugs. "They're from all over the world too if I remember right. But I just don't like the place. It feels like I'm walking into a crypt and without a good torch."

"How many times have you been there?"
"That's a long story and we don't have all day," he says with a chuckle then snaps the reins of his steed and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.

"That cosmopolitan ideal doesn't appeal to you?"
"It does, a little, but I want more grass and trees to go with it," he says then snaps the reins of his steed and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.

"Crypt? Torch?"
"I don't want to talk about it. Not now," he says then snaps the reins of his steed and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.
"You wouldn't want to live here?"

quote:
"There are plenty of places I wouldn't want to live," he points out. "This just happens to be one of them."
Nod

quote:
"Yep," he replies, "let's get this over with."

With a snap of the reins he leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.

"Is it that bad?"

quote:
"Over there the rats are as big as cats," Dan points out, "and the cats are thick as fleas. Don't ask about the fleas."

"What's this about fleas?"

quote:
"Lots of fleas. If you're not careful you'll pick up a whole circus of them," he says and glances away wistfully. "Training them is the hard part."

"Training�fleas?"
"Takes too long and fleas are short lived," he points out then snaps the reins and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.
"If you say so."
"Didn't make a cent either time," he sighs then snaps the reins and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.
Let him talk.
"I wonder if they're in there, somewhere, spinning wheels and walking tightropes on their own," Dan says with a wistful sigh. Then he snaps the reins and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.
"Are the rats dangerous?"

quote:
"Only if they swarm," Dan notes, "so don't go slathering yourself in lard unless its for a darn good reason."

With that he snaps the reins and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.
"Lots of cats then?"

quote:
"You'll have your pick of them if you want a pet," Dan notes. "Just find a good one. There are plenty that will scratch you up on account of them being feral even with all them people around."

With that he snaps the reins and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.
"Listen."

quote:
"And don't get me started about the birds," he says pointedly, "and I mean that. The pigeons alone will have you seeing red."

With that he snaps the reins and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.

Listen.

quote:
"Heck, you can have just about whatever you want, just so long as you pay for it," Dan says pointedly.

"Gold?"

quote:
"They take that most places, but its the exceptions that really sting," he says softly then gives a quick snap of the reins and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself."
"Blood?"

quote:
"Some places take that, a few demand a bit of flesh to go with it," he notes. "And it is hard to know which it is until you have to pay up."

He gives a quick snap of the reins of his steed and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.
"Favors?"

quote:
"If you want something unique, yeah," he admits. "But be careful. Favors here mean doing something that most can't get done or else it'd be done already."

He gives a quick snap of the reins and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.
Listen.

quote:
"I'm kind of hoping some of the people I met last time have moved on," he says. "But I'm doubting it."

He gives a quick snap of the reins and leads the way toward the ferries that cross to the city itself.

Dan is not a fan.

quote:

"How many saloons you think they've got here?" Carrie wonders. "And how long we gonna be here?"

"Do you plan to drink your way through each of them?"

quote:
"Its what we Hartigans do," she says. "But don't worry, it won't take but three or four days if I pace myself."

"Afterward, right?"

quote:
"Right," she replies reluctantly and settles in to ride.
"Three or four days?"

quote:
"I'm gonna pace myself this time," she replies and settles in to ride.
Wait.

quote:
"Course... work comes first," she says reluctantly and settles in to ride.

"We'll be here long enough to sample a few, and only a few."

quote:
"Fine by me. That leaves plenty more for another time," she points out and settles in to ride.
Wait.

quote:
"I can get through a saloon an hour if I'm steady," she muses aloud. "Maybe double that after the first six. Twelve hours of drinking while its dark, say another two before the sun gets too bright. That's ten saloons a day."

"And if there are three hundred saloons�"

quote:
"Thirty days," she considers. "A month or less depending, except if'n its February."

With that figured out, she settles in to ride.
"You can't drink all day?"

quote:
"I can, but I don't enjoy it enough," she replies and settles in to ride.
Wait.

quote:
"How many saloons�say four per block, two hundred blocks�eight hundred? That's eighty days of drinking, maybe more if they open any new places while I'm at it," she considers then lets out a sigh. "We've got our work cut out for us."

With that figured out, she settles in to ride.

I suspect the first casualty will be Carrie's liver.

quote:

It takes only a few 'discrete' discrete questions about the Upton family to garner directions to a certain mansion off the east river. Rather appropriately it overlooks the Hell Gate channel. With a soft kick of spurs, you set your horse trotting away from the hive of scum and villainy. Dan breathes a sigh of relief as the abject squalor of the central city is left behind.

Seen from the street, the Fredrick Charles Upton mansion is an imposing thing set high upon the hill overlooking a treacherous channel. Sharp edged roofs jut to scrap at the sky while a host of weathered stone gargoyles lurk atop crenelated battlements that adorn a curtain of high walls.

"I don't like this," Carrie says softly. "Its like a fort but without the cannon."

A closer look finds that there are cracks everywhere. Some crawl halfway up the sides while others are filled with lichen and moss. Here and there slate tiles from the roof have slid off or shattered, left tiny fragments behind. To one side of the wall lies a servant's entrance, the iron gate to the grounds badly rusted at the hinges.

"Several years of growth in places," Dan notes. "Though someone tried to trim it back recently."

1. Ring the bell at the front gate.
2. Slip over the wall.
3. Head in through the servant's gate.

Looks like we found the place, but how will we get in?

# ? Dec 30, 2018 10:04

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Servant�s gate. If anyone asks, it was open and we serve justice.

# ? Dec 30, 2018 11:14

Dong Quixote: Oct 3, 2015; Fun Shoe

Slip over the wall. Seeing as how we captured his kids he probably wont be too happy to see us.

# ? Dec 30, 2018 13:39

Heir03: Oct 16, 2012; Pillbug

achtungnight posted:

Servant�s gate. If anyone asks, it was open and we serve justice.

We probably look like servants between the grizzled prospector, the drunk and the "celestial."

# ? Dec 30, 2018 23:44

Golden Bee: Dec 24, 2009; I came here to chew bubblegum and quote 'They Live', and I'm... at an impasse.

Servant...of justice!

# ? Dec 31, 2018 00:48

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

Servants of justice, coming in through the side door...

quote:

Head in through the servant's gate.

The gate proves to be unlocked, but the rusted hinges groan as they shift. A soft cough rises to the side as you close things up and there in the lee of the mansion stands a Butler in a tidy black uniform with a starched white shirt whose collar threatens his ears.

"We are not conducting interviews as of yet.�" he begins as he stares at Dan and Carrie then finally notes your marshal's badge. "My apologies. I believe you are expected."

The Butler conducts you down drab hallways whose furniture and paintings are shrouded by dust covers. Only a narrow corridor is cleaned and from the way the man absently wipes a passing door knob with a cloth, you know who does it all.

Dan takes up position by the front door then fades into the many shadows.

Carrie settles in the hallway as if she somehow belonged there.

"Master Upton will see you presently," the Butler says formally then opens the door to a massive study.

quote:

An immense oak desk dominates the room, piled high with papers and trinkets. Portraits adorn every wall and reveal a lineage you have come to know well. Indeed, at the far end there are three painted persons you have seen before; Priscilla Upton, as well as Regina and Reginald.

A crackle of burning logs sounds out from a fireplace across the way and an old man, swaddled in layers, sits before it. Only his eyes move as you approach and regard you with outright hostility.

"Who are you?" he asks in a low whisper.

1. "I'm no one to be trifled with."
2. "Your executioner."
3. Just shoot him.
4. "I'm Marshal Shen and I've come to arrest you for conspiracy to commit murder."

We've found our suspect, but who are we?

# ? Dec 31, 2018 07:44

Regallion: Nov 11, 2012

In what possible way is that a question? We have already established who we are by now, we aren't gonna do a 180 right now.
We are the marshal and your rear end is ours

# ? Dec 31, 2018 07:56

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

4. And if you�re wondering who let us in and led us to you, the butler did it!

# ? Dec 31, 2018 11:07

Dong Quixote: Oct 3, 2015; Fun Shoe

DmitriX posted:

In what possible way is that a question? We have already established who we are by now, we aren't gonna do a 180 right now.
We are the marshal and your rear end is ours

# ? Dec 31, 2018 12:38

sebmojo: Oct 23, 2010; Legit Cyberpunk

DmitriX posted:

In what possible way is that a question? We have already established who we are by now, we aren't gonna do a 180 right now.
We are the marshal and your rear end is ours

# ? Dec 31, 2018 12:56

where the red fern gropes: Aug 24, 2011

do we even know for certain who this old man is, and do we actually have jurisdiction in this area?

1

# ? Dec 31, 2018 13:19

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

where the red fern gropes posted:

do we even know for certain who this old man is, and do we actually have jurisdiction in this area?

1

If I�m not mistaken federal marshals have jurisdiction over the entire US of A. And the butler led us to him so he�s obviously the master of the house.

# ? Dec 31, 2018 14:15

AmyL: Aug 8, 2013; Black Thursday was a disaster, plain and simple.
We lost too many good people, too many planes.
We can't let that kind of tragedy happen again.

DmitriX posted:

In what possible way is that a question? We have already established who we are by now, we aren't gonna do a 180 right now.
We are the marshal and your rear end is ours

# ? Dec 31, 2018 23:14

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

Let it be known that we are the law.

quote:

"I'm Marshal Shen and I've come to arrest you for conspiracy to commit murder."

"That sounds like a serious charge," he notes and shifts aside a blanket. "I imagine you are going to take me in�aren't you?"

"Mister Upton, stand up. I'm taking you in."

quote:
"So predictable," the Old Man sighs then tosses aside his blanket and eases to his feet on creaking knees. "Is there no arrangement we can come to regarding this? You must have things you want."
"Of course I'm arresting you. Now get up."

quote:
"The young are always in such a hurry," he notes as he sets aside his blanket and eases to his feet on creaking knees. "They also overlook opportunities that come but once in a lifetime."
"You sound as though you want to make a deal.�"

quote:
"Very astute," he replies as he eases to his feet on creaking knees and faces you with a level gaze. "What can I offer and what will you accept?"
Shoot him.

quote:

"What I want is justice."

quote:
"Oh, you can have that if you want. It costs nothing because it is merely a figment of collective imagination. Can you see it, can you touch it? No, it doesn't exist," the elder Upton notes, "It can't, else my family would not be in such dire straights."
"I've got things I want, sure. But can you give them to me?"
"I want you arrested for your crimes."

quote:
"Easy enough. Here I am," he begins and holds out his hands to be manacled. But only for a moment before he pulls them away.
Shoot him.

We've cornered the old spider in his web, and like most masterminds he's going to gloat a bit first.

quote:

He turns to regard the low burning fire. It is more embers than flame, but that changes as he begins to stoke the coals.

"You clearly do not know me," he says in slow, unhurried tones. "I am of a distinguished lineage that dates back centuries. My wealth is immense despite the state of my estate here. My coffers have filled to the brim owing to rumors of happenings in Nevada. All those parcels of property in Texas, long held and worthless, became modestly valuable again. The titles were snapped up on the outside chance that the trans-continental railroad might not be completed in full."

"Do you doubt me? Do see only the disrepair? That is how I wish it. The spider can not betray his presence in the web else his prey shall fly off. This, all of this, shields me from a myriad of trifles. Should you call for the police, know that I own them. Arrest me yourself and senators shall dance on your head. Shoot me dead and they shall hunt for you as they did Lincoln's assassin. And even if you drag me before a court, I shall delay and delay until my body gives out or I take poison. Either way, they can't convict a corpse and my family shall carry on," he says with a voice rising at every word until he reaches a peak. Then that tempo subsides. "But it doesn't have to be that way. As I said, my coffers are flush and I do know how to share."

"Lay it all out for me, I'm interested."

quote:
"Excellent. Everyone has someone or something dear to their heart. How would you prefer to sooth your little aches?"
"With money."

quote:
"Money? People think that is important, and it can be," the elderly Upton says absently, "but it is also transitory. It comes and goes like the wind. What you want is stone and slate that will not be moved."
"With influence."

quote:
"Influence. Yes. Making things happen is an excellent thing to have," the elderly Upton agrees. "However, there is one thing that exceeds it; though in truth it is far harder to obtain."
"With power."

quote:
"Ah, a kindred soul," the elderly Upton notes almost fondly. "Yes, power is the most intoxicating liquor to be found. A single cup is worth a pint of influence and a barrel of money. Power means not merely making things happen, but starting something when and where you wish it."
"By shooting you."

quote:
Upton blinks.
Shoot him.
"Just kidding. You were saying something...sorry if I broke your concentration."
"Your method is quite... impressive as a technique," Upton notes. "Now then..."

Pat my pistol.
Upton swallows hard, "As I was saying..."

"You are trying to bribe me."

quote:
"Oh yes. I have much that still needs to be done," he relates. "Everyone has something they want or someone they want to help. Good or bad, righteous or foul, I do not rightly care. So, let me make you an offer..."
"That's good for your family, but you'll not spend a dime."

quote:
He laughs at that, "Not a dime? But I already have. And everyone has something or someone in need, so listen to this...

quote:

"I have the triumvirate of politics at my command. Money, influence and, come the next election, power."

"I like money.

quote:
"Money? People think that is important, and it can be," the elderly Upton tells you. "But it is also transitory. It comes and goes like the wind, and it must else it is of no service. What you want is stone and slate that will not be moved."

The elder Upton rings a little bell on his desk and the Butler returns, waits patiently beside the door.

"Influence is useful."

quote:
"Influence. Yes. Making things happen is an excellent thing to have," the elderly Upton agrees, "and there is but one thing that exceeds it, though in truth it is far harder to obtain."

The elder Upton rings a little bell on his desk and the Butler returns, waits patiently beside the door.

"I want power."

quote:
"Ah, a kindred soul," the elderly Upton notes almost fondly. "Yes, power is the most intoxicating liquor to be found. A single cup is worth a pint of influence and a barrel of money. Power means not merely making things happen, but starting something when and where you wish it."

The elder Upton rings a little bell on his desk and the Butler returns, waits patiently beside the door.

Let him keep talking.

quote:
"Money is the easiest to garner; it flows in with the tide of influence and on the coattails of power. But it vanishes just as quick for if it is unspent it is useless," he explains and briefly steeples his fingers. "Influence may arise from many sources but requires careful tending to cultivate. Power though, ah, power endures both the winds of fortune and the pounding of the tide; it is the slate and granite that great things are built upon."

The elder Upton rings a little bell on his desk and the Butler returns, waits patiently beside the door.

Shoot him.

We've heard some of the general ideas of what he can offer, but he hasn't seen what we bring to the table.

quote:

"Was none of this personal?"
"Why would it be personal?" he asks. "I don't know you and I wager that until recently that you did not know me. When I ordered all those things done, it was just another Tuesday to me."

1. Arrest the elder Upton.
2. "There is an arrangement we can make."
2. Wait for him to make me an offer.

"I'd like you to know a little bit about Priscilla Upton."

quote:
"My good daughter? My lost child?" the elder Upton asks. "She has gone on. The shining hope of mine snuffed out by a cruel hand that paid the ultimate price."

A. "Let us move on."
B. "I've been dying to tell you that I killed your daughter."

quote:
B.1 Step forward and give his poor, poor heart the last little fright it needs.

"I haven't told you what happened to Regina."

quote:
"Regina?" he blinks. "Why are you talking so about my wonderful daughter?"
A. Move on to another subject.
B. "She has been arrested and will face trial."

"I haven't told you what happened to Reginald."

quote:
"Reginald?" he asks. "Why are you talking so about my worthless son?"

A. Move on to another subject.
B. "He has been arrested and and is presently incarcerated."

3. Shoot him.
4. Brutally deal with him and the Butler.

The Upton Mastermind. I thought about doing this conversation piece-by-piece, but with a vote you'd probably make up your mind the first time around and voting on it four times in a row would be silly. So let's get to the interesting part.

Regardless of how Marshal Shen eventually chooses to deal with the elder Upton, there's the first question of if she reveals the fates of the Upton children. She killed Priscilla Upton and kicked off the start of the game, and she's since arrested Regina Upton at the Painted Caves and Reginald Upton aboard the hijacked train. She can reveal or not reveal whichever ones she'd like, it's not an all-or-nothing vote. It can definitely change how she's treated in the next set of choices.

Next there's the Upton Primarch himself. Shen can just arrest him, or she can hear more about his offer. If she's looking for a quick solution shooting him has always been an option, or she can finish them both off in a brutal but less noisy manner.

So, what will Marshal Shen do now?

# ? Jan 1, 2019 05:57

Golden Bee: Dec 24, 2009; I came here to chew bubblegum and quote 'They Live', and I'm... at an impasse.

Tell him the arrests. Hear his offers and get him on bribery.

# ? Jan 1, 2019 06:16

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

2. Lets hear him out... then decide.

# ? Jan 1, 2019 09:05

Xander77: Apr 6, 2009; Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.

Tell him about the arrests and murders. Then when he tries to shoot us, we can gun him down all legal-like.

# ? Jan 1, 2019 09:25

Rockopolis: Dec 21, 2012; I MAKE FUN OF QUEER STORYGAMES BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO WITH MY LIFE THAN MAKE OTHER PEOPLE CRY

I can't understand these kinds of games, and not getting it bugs me almost as much as me being weird

Can you literally scare him to death? Do that. Go all like, Judge Doom at him.

# ? Jan 1, 2019 09:33

where the red fern gropes: Aug 24, 2011

as he points out, we can't arrest him or shoot him because he owns people in positions of power. however

Rockopolis posted:

Can you literally scare him to death? Do that. Go all like, Judge Doom at him.

this keeps our hands clean, if it's actually an option. i think patting pistol and spooking him with priscilla might actually make this work if our intimidate is high enough. do this one

# ? Jan 1, 2019 10:56

wedgekree: Feb 20, 2013

where the red fern gropes posted:

as he points out, we can't arrest him or shoot him because he owns people in positions of power. however

this keeps our hands clean, if it's actually an option. i think patting pistol and spooking him with priscilla might actually make this work if our intimidate is high enough. do this one

# ? Jan 1, 2019 12:19

Rogue AI Goddess: May 10, 2012; I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees.
That was a joke... unless..?

Let him monologue, pat pistol, tell about Regina, then Reginald, then Priscilla. Shoot in self-defense, arrest otherwise.

# ? Jan 1, 2019 12:45

Dong Quixote: Oct 3, 2015; Fun Shoe

Ephemeron posted:

Let him monologue, pat pistol, tell about Regina, then Reginald, then Priscilla. Shoot in self-defense, arrest otherwise.

Tell about Regina, Reginald, Priscilla, scare him, and then arrest him

# ? Jan 1, 2019 13:15

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

We've intimidated him a little before letting him talk.

quote:

Pat my pistol.

Upton swallows hard, "As I was saying..."

Now it's time to assert our position by telling him what we did to his children.

quote:

"He has been arrested and is presently incarcerated."

"You wouldn't dare to charge him.�" the elder Upton stammers.

quote:

"She has been arrested and will face trial."

"You wouldn't dare to charge her.�" the elder Upton stammers.

quote:

"I've been dying to tell you that I killed your daughter."

The old man narrows his gaze at you, "This is a ploy. Vengeance was seized. That vicious bitch swung for it. I have the telegram."

Upton rambles on for a while until you set your own doctored papers before him, show how nothing matches and that your signature is the same as it appears in other court documents concerning your previous trial.

He locks eyes with you and cold rage filters in behind his eyes, "You gain nothing by revealing this except my burning enmity�and so I will believe you."

We're at something of a tie here as to if we want to hear him out or give him the fright of his life. A coin-flip says to spook him.

quote:

Step forward and give his poor, poor heart the last little fright it needs.

The color drains drains from his features. He grasps weakly at his chest then collapses to the floor.

The Butler hurries to his master's side as the old man grows ashen gray, "There are medicinal salts in the top desk drawer!"

"Yeah, I imagine there are."

quote:
"You.. can't just stand there and do nothing..." the Butler says and stares up at you even as he cradles Upton's head.

"I also can't pass up a chance to be darkly amusing. I'll get the salts."
"Sorry, doing nothing is taking up all my time. Try next year."
Continue to do nothing.
Head over to the desk.
Deal brutally with the Butler.

Step to the big desk and take a look.

quote:
You jerk open drawer after drawer until a tinkle of glass sounds out. There, in the corner, lay several little vials. One is marker 'Heart Salts' while another is labeled 'Cyanide'.

Take the cyanide over to the Butler.
Take the heart salts over to the Butler.

Do nothing.

quote:
"Help me! A man is dying..." the Butler says and stares up at you even as he cradles Upton's head.

"Trust me, I noticed."
"What do I look like, a doctor?"
"Sorry, doing nothing is taking up all my time. Try next year."
Continue to do nothing.
Head over to the desk.
Deal brutally with the Butler.

The Upton patriarch's anger at the murder of his daughter and her killer's presence is a bit more than his old heart can take. Marshal Shen can choose to save him with the heart salts, do nothing, or poison him with cyanide. And if she sees the end of the Upton elder she needs to decide if she should kill or spare the Butler.

How is this going to end?

# ? Jan 2, 2019 05:31

where the red fern gropes: Aug 24, 2011

cyanide and i'd like to see what the butler says after the old man dies before deciding what to do with him (i.e. if he's going to cause problems we gank him otherwise let him be)

# ? Jan 2, 2019 06:00

Golden Bee: Dec 24, 2009; I came here to chew bubblegum and quote 'They Live', and I'm... at an impasse.

Save him. It's the oddest choice.

# ? Jan 2, 2019 06:27

HomestarCanter: Oct 21, 2008; Strong Bad,
you're a horse's twees.

Save him. Show we don't fear him one bit.

# ? Jan 2, 2019 06:37

wedgekree: Feb 20, 2013

Save him. Show him that he is *nothing* to us and that we are doing our job. It doesn't matter *what* he has or *who* he has in his pocket.

We are justice. And we are not giving a drat of what he thinks he has for protection.

# ? Jan 2, 2019 06:45

Akratic Method: Mar 9, 2013; It's going to pay off eventually--I'm sure of it.

Any day now.

wedgekree posted:

Save him. Show him that he is *nothing* to us and that we are doing our job. It doesn't matter *what* he has or *who* he has in his pocket.

Saving a person like that will only make them think that you're in his pocket.

Do nothing.

And if the Butler tries to go for the salts, stop him.

# ? Jan 2, 2019 06:56

The Lone Badger: Sep 24, 2007

Do nothing. Taking active steps to kill him would be murder. But we are not legally obligated to render aid.

# ? Jan 2, 2019 07:18

Rogue AI Goddess: May 10, 2012; I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees.
That was a joke... unless..?

The only thing necessary for the triumph over evil is for good women to do nothing.

# ? Jan 2, 2019 07:27

Regallion: Nov 11, 2012

Save him
He can't very well be hanged by the neck if he is dead from a heart attack, can he?

# ? Jan 2, 2019 09:23

Poland Spring: Sep 11, 2005

Save the drat fool

# ? Jan 2, 2019 09:49

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

I can�t resist being darkly amusing. I�ll get the salts.

# ? Jan 2, 2019 09:57

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# ? Jun 10, 2024 05:38

Rockopolis: Dec 21, 2012; I MAKE FUN OF QUEER STORYGAMES BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO WITH MY LIFE THAN MAKE OTHER PEOPLE CRY

I can't understand these kinds of games, and not getting it bugs me almost as much as me being weird

Do nothing.
Why the hell would you want to save him?

# ? Jan 2, 2019 10:55

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Don your TIN STAR and Lay Down the Law in the West (Choice of Games CYOA)

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