Dead/ands'" Dime Novel'" #4 lXDER;A- ++-~O/ED f'..'ool (P,4-1

Production: Barry Doyle & Hal Mangold Cover Art and Logo: Ron Spencer Interior Art: Kevin Sharpe Maps: Jeff Lahren

Special Thanks to: Justin /\chilli. Kelley Foote, Shane & Michelle Hensley. John Hopler, Ann Kolinsky. Ashe Marler. Dave seay. Ethan Skemp. Richard Thomas, Matt Tice. Mike TInney. Stephen Wieck, John Zinser.

Dead/ands created by Shane Lacy Hensley werewo!f:The Wild West created by Justin Achilli &Ethan Skemp

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_Icd In ,he USA .?~ t;EDt-E.LONS There was something different about this camp, though. The larger tents bore the brassy emblems of Wasatch, the company controlled by Dr. Darius Hellstromme, the most notorious master of steam technology the West had to offer. That wasn't why Ronan was here though-at least not directly. Wasatch was laying dozens of spurs off of their main line on their way toward the coast. Hellstromme's workers were scattered throughout the west, and situated in northern Arizona, Monument valley wasn't so far from Salt Lake City, the overdeveloped Hellhole the lbmbstone Epitaph liked to call the City of Gloom. No, Ronan had run across many rail company camps in his meanderings around the West. but one thing made this place ~~~0i/5- odd: No tracks ran in or out of the place. When Union 8lue had hired him on to investigate this site. Ronan's first thought had been that the people here must have r~_~_~.~ . ~_~ ~=~.~_~ ~.~ just been a massive survey team. Now that he saw the place, he knew that he'd been wrong. You didn't need that many folks to survey a stretch of land, even one as broad and starkly beautiful C+'+-P IER OE as this one with its tremendous towers of stone stabbing into The moon rose wide and bright as the dead man's horse the blanket of stars overhead. slowly tapped out a funeral drum's beat on the hard. dry dirt of Something else entirely was happening here. the high plains. Steam rose from the horse's flanks in the chill of Ronan reined in his horse, putting an end to its clip-clop gate. the autumn night. Ronan Lynch didn't feel a thing. It nattered quietly as the choir of YIOlves sang on. Ronan didn't feel much of anything these days. Being dead had The gunslinger dismounted and wrapped his reins around a a w.ay ~r doir:t& t~at to a man. Still, while most of the dead lay nearby outcropping of rock. Carrying a dead rider made the nag rotting In their pme-box beds, Ronan was roaming about the nervous enough. The wolves were making her want to bolt, so he West, so he counted himself lucky. tied her down good. She wasn't going anywhere. These da~s, though, Ronan's luck seemed mostly bad. Ronan strode off toward the camp, trying to stick to the A howl pierced the night sky like a silver needle through shadows as much as he could. The crunching of his boots on black velvet. Back in his breathing days. a shiver might have shot the gravelly ground seemed like it YIOuld rouse a man from his up Ronan's spine. Now he just listened to his bay skitter grave, but the few sentries Ronan could see patrolling the camp nervously as a chorus of howls rose to meet the first long. didn't appear to hear a thing. lonely wail. Unfortunately, the camp squatted right in the center of a He ignored the wolf songs and concentrated on the task at broad, relatively smooth section of the valley. When Ronan got hand. As he crested a low hill, he spied the object of his within a few hundred yards of the place, he saw that nothing midni~ht run off in the distance, standing exposed sharp and larger than a }ackalope could make it the rest of the way to the stark In the pale moonlight: a circle of pup tents squalling camp unseen. around two larger tents that would have made a circus He knelt down and began to study the movement of the ringmaster jealous. sentries. He noticed they took a break every 15 minutes or so, Ronan had run across dozens of camps like these before: and it lasted for at least five minutes. All he had to do was wait small, lonely places that stood at the vanguard of the rail lines for their next rest and he could sta lk into the camp unseen. He racing across the broken landscape to be the first to reach the didn't have any idea what was going on here, but he was sure shattered coast. What was left of Ca lifornia in the wake of the the secret was under those t'NO big tents. Great Quak.e was chock full of ghost rock, the most valuable He waited with the calmness of the grave until the guards mineral ever scratched out of the planet's crust. Rail barons took their next break. The wolves had fallen quiet. and the only would kill to win the contract to bring the stuff Back East to the sound he heard was the crackling of a small fire in the center of power-hungry War Between the States that raged on to this day. the smaller tents. ?~-'IFELL06 Ronan was just standing up to make his way into the camp Taza nodded. "Finally, you speak truly." The wolf sounded off when he heard the rifles cock behind him in unison. again, even closer this time. Taza's friends shuddered at the His right hand wandered vaguely toward the Peacemaker sound, but the Apache leader's face was like a fresh-carved hanging from his bell. tombstone. "Oon't think of it, wasichu." The tone belonged to a man "So what did you tell them?" prepared to kill. The accent had Apache all over it. "I have heard your story and measured your words. vou are not Ronan lifted his gloved hands and turned. an innocent man." A trio of Winchester rifles pointed down at Ronan from the Ronan could see where this was heading, and he didn't like it. rocky top of the last small rise before the plain on which the He glanced from one set of murderous eyes to another and camp sal The wan moonlight bleached the color from the land, waited for the wolf to howl again. but Ronan didn't need that to tell him that the three Indians had When it did, he dove to the ground, scrambled to one side and murder on their minds. He could see the warpaint on their faces went for his gun. As he brought it up, a bullet grazed his ribs. just fine. Ronan barely noticed the second shot pierce his left thigh as The man in the center aimed his weapon right at Ronan's he squeezed off three quick shots. The first smashed into the left hearl. "You are trespassing." Apache's arm, k.nocking his gun away. The next caught the Ronan smiled inwardly. He'd been shot through the chest woman in her right shoulder and sent her spinning to the before, and he knew he could take it. even at this range. But that ground and exposing Taza to Ronan's sights. didn't mean it wasn't going to hurt. Just as Ronan was firing at the leader, Taza's rifle barked. The "I was just wandering through, partner." The gunslinger bullet smacked the gunslinger square in the chest, and his own brought down his hands and spread them wide as he walked shot went wide. forward, up the rise. The two other guns poked like a viper's Stunned, Ronan went rolling down the short rise until he fangs at Ronan's ribcage. came to a rest in a dusty heap. When he recovered, he scrambled Ronan ignored them until he was halfway up the rise. Then he to his feet to spot Taza helping his injured companions escape. stopped short and put his hands back up. "I'm on my way from Ronan grunted and started up the side of the rise again, Denver to Virginia City. I just saw the camp and wondered if hunting for his pistol. which he'd dropped. He spotted its they'd be willing to let me bunk near them for the night." polished barrel gleaming in the moonlight and went for it, A single wolf's howl punctuated the sentence. The beast was keeping his eyes trained on the top of the rise the entire time. closer now-much closer. Taza and his friends were gone for now, but there was no telling "You are not welcome here!" hissed the Apache to Ronan's how long that would last. right. Her voice was thin and brittle. Even in the dimness, Ronan Just as his hand closed on his gun's grip, he spotted the could see that she was beautiful, her long, black hair running creature. down her back in a warrior's braid. It topped the hill near where Taza had disappeared. It was The Indian to Ronan's left whispered something to the others taller than the tallest man and covered entirely in long fur that in Apache. Then there was a burst of conversation in hushed gleamed in the silvery moonlight. It stood on two legs like a tones. There seemed to be some sort of disagreement among man, but when it reared back its head and let loose with a howl them that was soon cut short by the man in the center. The only that curdled the gunslinger's long-dead blood, Ronan knew there INOrd the hired gun was able to make out was "Taza." It was was nothing human about it. apparently the center man's name. Ronan kneeled into the shadow of a nearby rock and "What's the story?" Ronan asked when the Apaches fell Silent. furiously reloaded his half-empty gun. As he did, he peered over The center man snorted and glared right into Ronan's eyes. the top of the rock and watched the abomination as it prowled "My friends here," he said, not taking care to be quiet this time, the crest of the rise. It moved like a hunter, sniffing the air for a "they ask me why I bother talking to you at all. Why do I not scent on the wind. Ronan had no doubt as to who it was shoot you down." planning to make its prey. "And?" The blackish stuff that passed for Ronan's blood was trickling "I tell them that I don'l want to hurt an innocent man. thickly down into his boot. reminding him that the damage to his "You're Taza, right?" asked Ronan. The center man nodded. leg was going to make it difficult to run. The wound was already "SoFl of Cochise. I've heard of you. Your words mean a lot to your closing. but it wasn't going to heal quickly enough to do him any people." good. $ll<'J.~ t'>EDFELl..D6 . Ronan brought his arms over the top of the rock and leveled his gun at the slavering beast. As he took aim. the thing C~Two suddenly spotted him. It turned. snarling savagely and baring the meat gnnder that overplayed the part of its massive, fang-filled It was still night when Ronan awakened. The moon had gone mouth. down, and the land was shrouded in darkness except for the . Ronan fired as it leapt at him. Two shots buried themselves constellations shining down on the land below. mto the thing's chest but didn't even slow it down. The beast's The first thing Ronan realized was that he could barely move. As he shook the sleep from his head, he quietly hoped that it lea~ carri~ it entirel~ over the rock the gunslinger was hiding behind. As It landed, It let loose another horrific howl. had all been a bad dream. Ronan drew his Bowie knife with his left hand while Not the way his luck was running. brandishing his Peacemaker in his right. His hands were st ill intact. In fact, he still had his Bowie knife "Nice doggy," he said "Just roll over so I can scratch your belly trapped in a death grip in his left fist. He dropped the knife and with this knife." fell around. ,With. that, the creature cocked its head at the gunslinger and His chest had been shredded like a mass of wet newspaper. raIsed Its furry eyebrows at him. Then it reared back its head And sure enough. his heart was gone. Still, he thought it might and lel loose an all-lOO-human cackle. not have gone too far. Ronan spit on the ground. He knew he was in trouble, His spine was st ill intact, he was pretty sure. He'd never had a chance to touch the front of it before, but he couldn't think of The tx:ast I,ea ped ~t hif!1' and he had just enough time to what else in his battered corpse would feel quite that way. Plus, ~everse hl~ gnp: on his knife before the thing was on him. He Jammed his kmfe arm up under the thing's throat, exposing its he could feel his toes. massive neck, Of course, with the mess that had been made of the muscles , The crea,ture's claws slashed deep into Ronan's chest, tearing in his belly section, he wasn't going to be sitting up any time him open like a Christmas present. Ignoring the pain, the soon. gunslinger shoved his Peacemaker up into the thing's throat and Ronan looked over toward the east and saw the first hints of let loose. the false dawn. He was going to have to hurry to get out of here Ronan emptied the whole cylinder into the beast's neck. Bullet before someone found him in the daylight. He could play dead after bullet blasted away muscle, bone. and fur. Gristle and gore forever by just keeping still, but folks had a way of burying flew everywhere, and Ronan was covered in the creature's hot corpses, even ones as ugly as his. He had no desire to have to red blood. • dig his way out of a grave today, and as weak as he felt, he When Ronan's hammer finally fell on an empty chamber wasn't even sure he could. tho~gh, t~e beast wa~ Sl!1l relentlessly tearing at him. He g~gged Putting aside the pain that every move sent through what was left of his butchered body, Ronan reached out. grabbed a stretch on ItS fetJ~ breath as ItS jaW,S snapped at his head, held back only by hiS left forearm, which he held out before him like a of ground, and pulled himself over onto his stomach. It tried to wrought-iron rod. squirt out from beneath him, but he pushed it bael< below his It was then that the beast stabbed its razorlike claws around ribs as best he could. Ronan's sternum and cracked his ribs apart like he was a Ronan needed meat to help replace the bits he'd lost. and he Thanksgiving turkey. needed it soon. The only way to get that was to make it back to The massive trauma took Ronan's breath away and before he where he'd left his horse. could find it, he'd also lost his heart. ' Rona n started the long. torturous crawl up and over the rise. The beast ripped the lifeless muscle from between the He hadn't gotten 30 feet when he stumbled across what he was gunslinger's lungs and held it up toward the moon like some really missing: his heart. savage trophy before wolfing it down in a single gulp. The mangled lump of flesh had once pumped his blood The creature let loose a howl of sheer triumph and was through his body. He'd relied on it constantly from his birth all the way through to his death. Since then, it hadn't seemed like answered by ~ h at sounded like every can ine in the county. The last thmg Ronan remembered before he finally passed out he'd ever have much use for it again. He didn't want to do it. but he desperately needed meal. was the. sound of th~ beast gagging up its prized meal. A sm ile crossed hiS face as he finally fell still. Apparently he "A ny port in a storm," Ronan muttered to himself. then bit had disagreed with something that had eaten him. into his heart like a ripe apple.

P,l-4Eb ~~ BEDFEUDiS ~~ B EI::>FELLO.tI,;. He finished off about half of it before stuffing the rest into his pocket. C~T~EE Ronan could struggle to his knees now, and he was pretty sure he'd ~e able to make it to his horse before the sun peeked "You do get yourself into the st rangest situations, Ronan," over the rim of Monument Valley. With luck. the thing wouldn't offered Velvet Van Helter as he ministered to the dead man's shy away from him, and he'd be able to make a much-needed wounds. The meat Ronan had eaten had helped some, but he ~eal from its flanks. Arter getting his fill, he could try to hike was still a real mess. Hi s rib cage had knitted back together, but IOta town. his flesh was still flayed to pieces. Desmon~ville was a tiny place, not much more than a stop on The slim, sandy-haired huckster-as those who followed the the stage Ime, but Ronan had friends there. These were the kind mystical teachings of Edmund Hoyle liked to call themselves-did who knew what he was and would be willing to help him out his best to put back together the jigsaw puzzle that was Ronan's far away from the prying eyes of the locals. If he could only g~t skin. He was wearing one of his Signature, all-velvet suits. The to them. color of the day was, appropriately enough, a burgundy so dark He worked his way over the rise and down into a dry as to verge to black. He'd already taken the jacket off and rolled streambed. He made his way along it for a while and then up the sleeves of his criSp, white shi rt. crawled up and over another hill. "Interesting," Velvet murmured as he examined Ronan's As he looked downward, his heart would have fallen into his wounds. "YOU'd almost think that these were made by some kind stomach if it hadn't already been ripped from its regular place. of huge dog or wolf:' The huckster poked around in the hole in Ronan's chest a bit At the bottom of th~ slope, he saw his nag being picked over by a flock of buzzards In the grayness of the imminent dawn. She'd more and seemed to come to a conclusion. "From what you told been gutted by some monstrous creature-probably the same me of your attacker, I'd say it's pretty clear what you were up damned beast trying to get the taste of Ronan's heart out of its against last night." mouth. Ronan just looked him in the eye and grunted for him to go on. R~man s.hooed t~e damned things off as he made his way over Velvet stood up and walked over to his steamer trunk on the to hIs eX-fide.. He dIdn't want to s~are them off with his gun for fear of gathenng unwanted altentJon. They were cowardly things other side of the room. He continued to talk as he rummaged through the smaller drawers. that .took fligh~ as he neared. They flapped casually away but contmued to cIrcle overhead, eager to finish off the dead horse "Now, I've never actually had any personal contact before with or its long-dead rider. one of these creatures, you understand, but there were always His stomach still growling, Ronan looked down at the horse. dark and nasty rumors of their ilk being involved in all sorts of The best .parts of it had apparently been wolfed down by the nasty affairs around the fair Crescent City. The Cajuns in the area heart-eatmg beast, and the buzzards had picked the remnants called them garou. The rest of us simply referred to them as pretty much clean. werewolves. Ronan rolled on his back to curse at the birds, but before he "By day, these creatures walk among us as human beings, but even really got started, an idea hit him. He closed his eyes and they carry with them a terrible curse. On nights when the moon lay in wait. is full in the sky, they transform themselves into savage beasts A few minutes later, the buzzards began circling lower and more wolf than man. And they are compelled to hunt-and to lower. [t wasn't long before one of them landed near the horse's feed:' "Are you sayin' these crilters don't have any choice about what corpse ~nd bega.n pecking away at what it could find. Then it turned Its attention to more fleshy pickings. they're doing?" velvet nodded as he continued to search through the trunk. R~man waited until the bird actually tried to peck a chunk out of hIS liver. Then, in one swift move, he reached out and wrung "Well, then I think your New Orleans wolf -men are different the surprised buzzard's neck. than what they got here in Arizona. This fella enjoyed what he With a few quick strokes of his knife, Ronan had enough fresh was doing, no mistake about it:' squab to make himself a decent meal. As he devoured the raw "You mentioned, though, that you shot this werewolf several meat, he looked up at the other buzzards that had been warned times with little effecl." Velvet seemed to find what he was off by the squawking of their dead sister, and he thought about looking for and turned around to face Ronan. He held something seconds. in his balled-up hand.

P,<-4E9 $1~J!4£ CSEl::>FELLOiS $~ tsEDFEl...l..Do'$ "True enough. SO?" Velvet looked down at his patient and saw that Ronan was "According to the legends in N'awlins. such creatures are holding the remnants of his heart in his hand and prying apart unafrected by normal means of destruction. Only one thing can the sk in on his belly with the other. hurt them." "Don't let me stop you, Reb. I'm just trying to put this back Ronan raised an eyebrow at the huckster. Now he was curious. where it belongs." "What's that?" Velvet, just a bit paler now, whispered, "Don't let me stop you, Velvet stepped forward and opened his hand. revealing six please." brass-jack.eted bullets. the tips of which shone brightly in the • • • lighL "Silver," he said. "only silver." Velvet shut the door quietly behind him and made his way Velvet dropped the bullets into Ronan's outstretched hand. The downstairs into the main room of the saloon. Betty was waiting gunslinger examined them carefully. "Just like that ranger, eh? for him at a table by herself. These must have cost you a mint" She had taken off her beige Stetson, and her curly hair, the "In N'awlins," the huckster said natly, "we take our legends color of hand-rubbed pine, shone in the early morning su n seriously." peeking in through the saloon's front window. She looked up at Silence fell over the room for a long moment. Ronan plugged Velvet, the trouble in her heart showing plainly on her face. She'd the bullets into a spare cylinder for his Peacemaker. and Velvet already bandaged her thumb. turned his attention to his friend's wounds once again. "How is he?" she asked quietly, looking only at the way her "How's Betty doin?" the gunslinger finally asked. She'd run out hands were folded on the table in front of her like the steeple to of the room soon arter velvet had hauled his battered cadaver up a church. the back steps of the Full Moon Saloon. He'd heard her slam her Velvet let out a long sigh, "He'll live- that is to say, he'll soon thumb in the door on the way out. They didn't call her "Bad be as good as he ever was. All he needs now is a little time, By Luck" for nothing. tonight, he'll be knit together tighter than your favorite blue "Oh, I suspect she's doing well. I'll go down to check on her as sweater." soon as 1 finish up with you." velvet's demeanor darkened, "I'm glad to hear that," said Betty, unable to meet Velvet's eyes. contrasting sharply with his gentle Southern drawl. In his days in "Betty," he started, laying a hand over hers. . the Union Army, Ronan's general policy was to shoot any Rebel "It's okay, Velvet," she said, pulling away. She looked up at him on sound or sight. He didn't feel too much differently about the with tears welling in her eyes, "Gosh, I'm sorry. We've ridden situation now than he did then, but for Velvet he was willing to together for so many miles. I know you're a good man, and make an exception. Ronan is too. It's just thaL" "You know that as much as she values your friendship, she "W hat?" has a deucedly hard time reconciling that with your lack of life. H She stumbled for the words, then, "well, you both work with Ronan grimaced as Velvet's hands dug into something evil in your own ways. sensitive. "And what can I do about that? Fall over into a grave? "Ronan, he'S got some kind of spi rit in him that keeps him I've been dead once already. U didn't take." wa lking around long after he should be fertilizing a flower bed Velvet finished what he was doing and went over to the near Denver. And it makes it so we can't entirely trust him Ever. washbasin to scrub his hands clean. When he was done, he drew That's hard." a fresh deck of cards from his shirt pockel He broke the seal Velvet reached out to pat her hands again. This time, she didn't with his thumbnail, shook the deck into his hand, and began to pull away. shuffle it deftly. "Shall we begin!' "And you, Velvet. Ronan never had much of a choice about As Velvet walked over to where Ronan was lying in one of the what happened to him. He didn't ask for it. But you, you chase room's two beds, he said, "A ll I mean to say is that Betty is a down these-these... " delicate, young lass with easily offended sensibilities-at least as "Manitous." far as the arcane is concerned." "Yeah, and then you play games with them." She squeezed his Ronan ignored him for a moment as he reached into his hand tightly. "And what kind 0' monster coulda hurt Ronan like pocket to get something Velvet had missed. that? It just scares me. Velvet." "U's hard for her when you come in like this,H the huckster A deep frown creased the huckster's normally amused face. He continued "U's not that she doesn't know you're dead, of course. didn't wear it well. '''m sorry. Betty, but that's just who I am-who It's just that at times like this... H we are." !?,~JIFELLO."" !?~JIgunfighter was in the middle of a long Cotten's wounds had already healed. the bullets had made a bit argument with a bottle of cheap whiskey, and the .whiskey was of a mess as they'd exited his body. "The Delirium 'WOuld have losing. As Velvet sat down across the table from him, Ronan seen to thal You hardly needed to tempt fate with the man's poured the man a short drink.. . . . fragile heart." The Southern aristocrat pulled hiS glass to hiS lips and Sniffed Cotten smirked as he removed Oinkin's jacket and pants. the golden fluid, then drew back, wrinkling his nose. "How can "His fate could have been worse," Proud Speaker's words were you drink such vile slop?" he asked. . flat but true. NGiven my condition, it's not so hard," the Yankee said flatly Cotten slipped into Oinkin's clothes and then went after the "Besides, I'm not drinking it for the taste of it." man's bools. ·'Yeah. but if I'd messed him up. where muld I be? "Ah, yes," Velvet nodded "Something to keep off the stench of Wandering 'bout this world with nary a stitch for myself." death. As a drink, it makes a wonderful deodorant." The mountain man caught Walks-Among-Men's eye and lent "Yep, but' irs a piss-poor way to get a bad taste oul of your her a broad leer. "A nd we wouldn't want that now, would we, mouth." Annalee?" Ronan poured himself another shot and dow~ed it in ~ne ~ulp. "You paint such a pretty picture, Mr. Cotten,N said the woman­ "Just trying to be polite to my trailmates. Speakmg of WhiCh, Just shaped wolf. "It's too bad the subject doesn't quite measure up to where is the fair Miss McGrew?" the portrait's billing.N Velvet grimaced. "Up in her room." He hesitated for a moment, Proud Speaker and Morningkill did their best to stifle their then: "Packing." .. laughter, but it wasn't nearly good enough. Cotten Si lenced them "Really?" said the gunfighter. "Where's she planning on leading both with a steely glare. us next?" "Enough chatter, boys," said Annalee laBelle. "We haven't come "That's just it, friend," velvet began. "She's INOrking more on all this way through the Umbra and from one world to another leaving than leading." just to banter meaninglessly.~ Ronan rubbed his chin as he thought for a moment about Morningkill cleared his throat. ',-00 true, sweet girl." He turned what that meanl He took a long pull straight from his bottle to the trapper. "We are all weary from our long journey. Have you while he ruminated further. any idea where we might be?" ~ I suppose I know what this is aboul.~ The Indian spoke up. "This world seems similar to our own. The huckster nodded solemnly. "She'd like to depart in the This is Monument Valley here, just as it was when we left our morning." own realm. The land seems entirely the same.. In our world. "And how about you?" Desmondville is only about 20 miles to the east." Velvet sat back in his chair. "She's asked me to accompany her. Cotten sniffed at the air "That's not the way our boy's gone, I'm considering it. ~ although it's kind 0' hard to teIl. His scent's all around this place." Ronan snorted "What's to consider? You can be trailmates "I suggest we adjourn to Desmondville and relax until sunset. with an ungrateful bag of bones or a pretty young girl. Doesn't It's sure to be a most intriguing evening. and we're bound to need seem like much of an argument to me." our rest." Velvet smiled mirthlessly. "I knew you'd understand." "What about this ... man?" asked Annalee. At that moment, the conversational roar of the room was "He will awaken soon," offered Proud Speaker. "He will be shattered by the arrival of four st rangers. . burned bad ly by the sun, but he should be able to make it to The place went entirely quiet as the long-ume.rs paused for a shelter before the light falls from the sky." moment to size up the new folks. Appa rently unimpressed by "Whut the Hell d'ya ca re 'bout him for?" complained the what they saw, they returned to their jobs, drinks, or cards trapper. "He'da killed us dead given half a chance." straight away. . "He is an innocent;' said Morningkill, "and never a real threat Cotten lead the way into the sa loon and plopped down In a to those such as us." chair at an empty table. The trio with him glanced around "He was harmless, all right.~ Cotten snorted. "But as for suspiciously for a bit, then followed sui t. innocent. there ain't no such animal." $l~JI<:tt BF=t=ELL06 AS. the . travel~rs sat only yards away from Ronan and Velvet. ~ornm.gklll motlone.d to the bartender, an easygoing young man c~~ In a grimy, once-white apron. The man favored the newcomers with a nod and an easy smile. Ronan knew when someone had the drop on him. He put up his hands and got to his feet. "A boUl~ of ,your ~st wine," Morningkill requested as he removed his tailored }acket and hung it over the back of his "00 I know you?" chair. He knew he'd done a lot of evil in his day, especially since the The young man snickered softly to himself as he sauntered manitou inside him had dragged him screaming back from HelL over to the table, uncorking an unlabeled green botlle as he This wasn't the first time someone he didn't remember had come It wenl "I don't know if this'll please your refined palate," he after him for something he'd done. likely wasn't going to be as he slapped the bottle down on the table. followed the last. off~red "Naw," said the trapper, inching closer behind the barrel of his qUickly by four sparkling, spit-polished wine glasses. "But it's the best you're ganna find 'round here." gun, "and we ain't gonna have us any time ta get acquainted I Missing the youth's gentle sarcasm, Morningkill sniffed at the know all about yer kind. I guess bloodsuckers like you are just as common.in this world as mine." For a he seemed pleased. Then he suddenly of~ered co~k . m ~ ment Proud Speaker stood and put his hand on Cotten's shoulder crinkled his nose as If he'd found something repulsive on the and looked deep into his hard eyes. "This is not the time. It is end of the stopper. "Somethin' wrong with it. mister?" not our place." "Yes," offered Annalee, a note of pleading in her voice, "we're Cotten looked up to see his "c ivilized" friend giving the hairy eyeball to a pair of men sitting in a corner of the bar. One was not here to hunt this prey. We've got more important game to sharply dressed in a finely tailored su it made seemingly entirely pursue." from the same bolt of midnight blue velvet. Cotten looked down at her for a moment. his resolve crumbling. It was then that Ronan knocked aside the rifle and His companion looked, literally, like death warmed over. To the sensitive nose of the tracker, he smelled worse. went for his gun. The flat crack of the shot banged out, and Cotten was Co.uen r~se slowly to his f~et, his hand already reaching for knocked sprawling to the floor. the nf~e . he~ prop~ up against the wall. "I don't think yer 01' grape JUIce IS what s bothering my friend there, son. I know the Morningkill jumped up and went for the shiny new pistol hanging on his hip. but a second shot smacked into the table in smell of the grave when I'm sitting next to it." front of him. He froze, his move half complete, as Ronan shook The bartender looked at him confused, then noticed Cotten's white-knuckled grip on his rifle and took three long, slow steps his head at him and once again cocked his smoking gun. Proud Speaker and Annalee huddled over their injured friend backward. "Now, mister," he began, "we don't want no-" "Hey, you'" barked Cotten, loud enough for the entire room to as he lay on the floor. "Is it bad?" asked the Indian. ~ear. Everyone ignored him. Lots of people shot off their mouths The woman ripped apart Cotten's blood-soaked shirt to get a In a saloon. better look at his wounded shoulder. "He'll survive, although I'm Annalee plucked at his sleeve, trying to get him to sit down. worried about how he'll be when he awakes. A normal man "Now's not the time," she started. "We have more important issues to concern ourselves with." would likely die from this, but-" Just then, Cotten's eyes flew wide, bloodshot with a horrible Then Cotten cocked his rifle and tried again. This time, he had rage. "But I'm no normal man!" he grOW led, the fur already everyone's attention. "Mister," he said, "I mean you!" A man who'd been playing the piano shut the lid on the spreading across his face. Ronan kept his gun trained on Morningkill. The tin horn put up keyboard, grabbed his hat. and left. Most of the other saloon his hands, mimicking Ronan's own position of a few moments patrons decided the piano player had the right idea and were earlier. A wide smile creased the man's face. close on his heels. In the end, only the Garou, the bartender, and two others were left. "Scrape your friend's hide off the floor and hightail it oulla velvet reached into his vest pocket, brought out a deck of here. I wasn't asking for trouble." cards, and began shuffling. Morningkill's smile widened as he glanced down at Cotten, still on the floor. The trapper's clothes were shredding as he grew Ronan looked up to stare straight down the barrel of the trapper's rifle. larger and furrier.

P~4F17 .s~~ BEl:>FE_l..D'.s .s~ BEDFELLO.S "Oh. but your bullet has certainly purchased it for you, foul He leveled the Peacemaker at the creature's head as it howled abomination. Gaia does not gladly suffer such affronts to nature in total frustration. Ronan hesitated for a moment. Even if it as yourself. We are the Earth Mother's servants on this or any wasn't always possible, he liked to know why someone was other Earth, and ... " Morningkill looked down once again and then after him before he plugged him. stepped aside. However, he knew the werewolf would come crashing down "But I see the time for talk is c:Ner," sooner or later. When it did, it was sure to want his head on a With that cue, the beast that had once been Earl Cotten stood bloody platter. "I'm not about to be gutted by your kind twice in up to its full height. Its pointed ears brushed against the low one day," he said as his finger tightened on his trigger. . ceiling as it rose. Blood still glistened on its shoulder, but the Before he could fire, though, he heard the sound of two pistols lNOund had already healed. showing little more than a pink patch being cocked off 10 his left. He turned his head and saw that the of hairless skin poking out through the beast's thick. glossy coat Indian had his Army revolver pressed against Velvet's temple. The of fur. dandy's LeMat was pointing the gunslinger's way. The werewolf snarled, baring two rows of spiky teeth at The situation was not good. everyone in the room. The young man behind the bar fainted "Hold il!" shouted Annalee as she thrust herself between dead away. Ronan and MorningkilL Glaring at Ronan, she said. "Did I hear Ronan and Velvet stood their ground. "Ronan," the New you say you've encountered 'our kind' before?" Orleans dandy said out of the side of his mouth, "do you still Ronan grunted a 'yes.' "Have your friends back off before my have those little gifts I gave you?" bullets turn this critter's head into hamburger." "yeah," w hispered the gunfighter in an awed voice. Although A knowing look filled Annalee's face. "What kind of bullets?" he'd faced one werewolf recently, that had been a ferocious she asked. struggle in the dark of night. Here in the well-lit saloon, he could "Si lver." take in the entirety of the beast in all its terrible glory, and the She grimaced. "We need to talk." very sight gave the dead man pause. Just then, "Bad Luck" Betty burst into the room, her rifle at the With a quick riffling of his cards, Velvet said, "I think now ready. She took one look around and saw several men with guns would be a good time to put them to use." His voice was as on each other. Then the beast hanging in the air caught her brittle as new frost on glass. attention. Ronan's hand dove into his jacket pocket and whipped out the Frustrated, Cotten gave Betty the kind of snarl that offered to cylinder packed full of silver. With a practiced move, he removed rip her throat out from where he was. She stared at him goggle­ the original cylinder and began to slap the new one in place. eyed for a moment, then fainted dead away. Before he could finish. he looked up to see the once-trapper Ronan look.ed the dark-haired 'NOman straight in the face and beast launch itself at him with a snarl that almost curdled his lowered his gun. "So talk." blackened blood. "Damn," he swore. "Here we go again.~ The burly creature smashed into Ronan, slamming him into the far wall and nearly knocking him senseless. The Yankee's C~5>EVEN head wobbled around for a moment as if it might simply leap off "Velvet. Velvet!" Betty's harsh whisper cracked the relative in search of greener pastures, but it held on for the moment. silence of the Arizona night "What's going on? Who are these Ronan looked up, wondering why the beast wasn't gutting him people?" again, and saw the thing hanging above him in midair. Velvet sighed as he sidled his horse up to the marks'NOman. His VY'Onderment was shattered by Velvet's sharp VY'O rd s. "The "It's complicated," he began. bullets, Ronan-now! I can't hold him up there forever." She cut him off angrily. '"Then use small 'NOrds:' . Ronan glanced over to see the cards glowing in Velvet's hands. He favored her with a winning sm ile. "I meant no Insult to The huckster's brow knit with concentration as he glowered at your intelligence, my dear. I was r~ferring ~o the fact t~at it's all a the were'NOlf struggling about in the air with nothing to find bit bewildering to me. Despite haVing studied the mystical 'NOrks purchase on. of Hoyle these many years, I've never heard of such a slory. The Yankee's hands went to \YOrk on their own, and in a "Apparently, there are many worlds-these visitors call them moment his gun was loaded with the priciest bullets they would 'realms'- like our own, all floating in an interdimensional soup, likely ever fire. similar to, say, shrimp bobbing about in a bowl of gumbo.H .$~~ BEDHLLOiS .$~ B EDFFI I O,S "Correct," offered Proud Speaker over his shoulder as their Ronan turned in his saddle to look back at the woman. Her horses cUp·clopped in formation into the darkness. HOur people. dark. wavy hair shone in the light of the rising moon. "I never the Garou, are able to enter this 'soup' by stepping sideways, said a man crawling out of his grave was right. I didn't ask for slipping from one way of being and into another. We call the this, but it's who I am. I don't go around sucking blood from soup that surrounds our realm 'the Storm Umbra: folks like your friend here seems to think. That ain't my way. "Normally. we stay near to our own realm. but there are those "If you're gonna share a trail with me tonight-or any night-" among us, like friend Cotten. who can navigate deeper into the at this, he glared pointedly at Betty, bringing up the rear, "you're Storm Umbra. It is extremely dangerous, but there are rare going to have to get used to it." rewards. Sometimes those who survive find other realms. Your Before the conversation could go any further, there was a \VOrld is just such a place." shushing sound from the front. Earl Cotten turned to wave them "As you know," Velvet explained to Betty. "my arcane powers forward as their horses trotted to the top of the hill. come from my ability to work with spirits from a dimension the "We're here." locals call the Hunting Grounds. Apparently. these people would In the valley that stretched out before them, they could make call that the Near Umbra. It's all just a matter of semantics." out a circle of pup tents squatting around two big tents, each The group fell silent for a moment. At the front. Ronan led the large enough to hide a house in. A fire burned brightly in the pack with Collen close behind him, the Garou still wrinkling his center of the camp, and there were several men huddled around nose at the stench of death. it From behind the blaze, a harmonica wailed a lonesome song "I should have killed you when I had the chance:' the trapper that drifted thinly up the gentle rise. growled at the gunSlinger. velvet pulled out a spyglass and scanned the area below. "Someone beal you to it a while ago. Try to finish the job any "There's got to be twenty men wandering around down there, not time you think you're up to it." including any inside the tents. I don't see any sign of a werewolf "Now, boys," interrupted Annalee, coming up from behind. thoug~. Of course, if he was in human-excuse me Homid- "We've got ourselves a common foe. Arguing among ourselves form ... only helps him." Morningkill looked down his nose at Ronan. ''The stench of "This exquisite 'WOman is right as always," said Morningkill. death around us makes it hard to discern Storm walker's scent." "We're here to bring Billy Storm walker to Gaia's justice. All else is Cotten sniffed the air loudly. "Oh, he's here all right. He's been secondary." marking his territory like a rabid dog. I'd recognize that stink Ronan rubbed his still-sore belly. "I've got my reasons for anywhere." wanting that shapeshirter dead. What's with you folks? You've "So where is he?" asked Betty. come a long way to put that thing in the ground." Ronan got off his horse and pointed to a large splotch of For a long moment, no one said a 'WOrd. Then Morningkill darkness on the ground. ''This is where t was attacked That's my spoke up. blood right there." "Storm walker was born one of us, but he was seduced by the Proud Speaker was next to him. "There's more than your blood dark power of the Wyrm, the thing of rot and chaos that here. Two people and one of the Garou had their life spilled threatens to destroy Gaia herself. We are the warriors of Gaia, here." the only thing that stands between the Earth Mother and total The rest of the riders dismounted. "Can you find Storm walker's destruction. We are charged with her well-being, and we shall tracks?" asked Annalee. not fail." The Indian and the trapper scoured the ground for a few Ronan snorted in disbelief. "That's a lot of fancy talk, but it moments. They conferred quietly for a moment. then Cotten don't explain why you followed that bugger from one world to spoke up. "Near as we can figure, our boy headed back to camp the next. Seems he might be out of your jurisdiction." right after the fight. There's no way to tell without getting in Cotten hacked loudly and spit on the ground. "I'll track that there somehow." son of a bitch to the end of all that is, if I have to, and I'll taste "There could be more than fifty guns down there," stated Betty. his throat before it's all over," he snarled. "Let's just say, I've got "We can't just walk in and ask around-not after what happened my reasons-and they're enough for all of us:' to Ronan." "Actually:' Annalee pitched in, "what Isaiah was talking about "I concur wholeheartedly, miss," agreed Morningkill. "There is why Earl has so many problems with you, Mr. Lynch. A must be a way to outmaneuver these cads." walking dead man is an affront to Gaia." Velvet cleared his throat. "\ believe I have an idea." .?~~B~s .?~ B EJ::>FEJ...l.D,IS "Of course," Toomes swallowed, a bead of sweat running down his left cheek.. Eventually it caught and ~Ied on the bla~e . C~E~T pressed against his neck. He didn't dare raise a hand to wipe It The young, skinny, dark-haired man stooped over his away. workbench, tinkering with a small device of no apparent use. "We're setting up a mining operation here. Dr. Hellstromme Perhaps it was part of a larger machine. a piece that could be believes that there's ghost rock in these hills, and we're going to designed or repaired on its own and then plugged back. into the keep digging until we find it." thing from which it came. Or maybe it was just an absurd Velvet nodded insincerely at the man. "Uh-huh. Well, Proud experiment with some insane contraption that defied the known Speaker, I believe that Mr. Toomes here is being somet~ing less Jaws of physics-at least as they'd once been defined before than truthful with us. I've been all over the West, and I ve never everything had gone weird seen a mining operation like this." The lamp burning atop the young man's long. thin head (it was The huckster looked at the Indian. "What do you have to say fastened there with a series of canvas straps) stood in front of a to that?" convex mirror that focused all the light from the oil-soaked wick Keeping his blade against Toomes' throat . with ~is left hand, into a tight ray. This beam illuminated the device in a way not Proud Speaker raised his right with one flUid motion and even sunlight could have. shining into all the gadget's intricate smashed in the inventor's nose. The man crumpled to the floor, crevices and angles. blood streaming down his face. The young man's allention was focused on his work even Proud Speaker looked down at his handiwork and turned to more sharply than the light Because of this, he failed to notice Velvet. "He will live." that anyone else was in the tent with him until it was too late. Velvet breathed a sigh of real relief. "Fine, fine. I'd like to keep Proud Speaker tapped the inventor on the shoulder. When he the body count down to something reasonable if we could. 'Don't turned around, the Indian slapped a hand over the man's mouth spill blood unless you're ready to help clean it up: as my daddy and shoved a large, vicious knife up under his chin. always used to say." . "Whispers only," the Indian said softly, "or your next mrds are With that, the two set rummagmg about the tent to see what your last." they could find. "I had to leap us into three different tents­ The inventor nodded his agreement. and Proud Speaker thankfully all empty-before we found something interesting. but removed his hand. He kept the knife in its place. it looks like we may have finally struck ghost rock." "I am Proud Speaker, warrior of the Kiowa people. Who are The huckster held up a set of blueprints into the light still you?" streaming from the lamp on Toomes' head. Proud .spea~e r leaned For a moment, the young man was too shocked to speak, but in behind him and scrutinized the papers, scratching hiS head. a little pressure from the knife prodded him along. "T-toomes. Storm walker's name was scribbled in the notes lining the pages, Wendell Toomes." The man's accent sounded much like that of but that was about all he understood. "What is it?" Morningkill: soft and educated "How did you get in here? The "As nearly as I can figure itt velvet offered. "this man is guards-" working on a ghost-rock bomb." . Velvet stepped forward from the darkness then, revealing "A bomb I know is bad, but what is this ghost rock of which himself for the first time. In his midnight blue suit, Velvet seemed you speak?" to Toomes like he was part of the shadows themselves, suddenly "Something really bad," the huckster answered absent- transforming into a man. "Ah-ah," the huckster wagged his finger mindedly. . at the young inventor. "That would be telling. Besides, we're Velvet stopped studying the papers for a moment to give the asking the questions here." Indian a sidelong glance. Then he returned to the matter at hand. "What are you doing here, Toomes?" Proud Speaker pressed ''They don't have that where you come from? well, that might say along. a whole lot about it. "Ah, I-I'm an employee of Wasatch Railroad. I'm the head of "Anyhow, it's this sort of superfuel that burns a thou~and this project. Dr. Hellstromme himself put me in cha rg e." times better than coal. It's what powers the latest wave m steam­ "Young sir, he didn't ask you who you're working for. He asked powered science. what you're doing here." Velvet gave Proud Speaker an appraising "U's nasty stuff. SOme say those who handle it often go mad, look. "If I were you, I'd tell him. Speaker here's got one Hell of a and you can always tell those who do. see how black Toomes' temper and not a whole lot of patience." hands are? That stain never comes off."

P,44£ZZ .s.1~ BEDFELl..D6 .s.~~ BED"FEl..l..DN"? "So what lNOuld a ghost-rock bomb do?" Ronan recognized him instantly. "Taza." velvet rubbed his chin for a moment. "Well, I've never heard of "Hello, wasichu. I'm surprised to see you alive. Storm walker such a thing before. and it looks like Toomes here has set up was sure you were dead when he left you." more than a bit of sorcery to help his infernal detonator work. I'd "I'm just full of surprises." place any wager you like that this man's soul is as tainted as his Taza clapped his hands, and suddenly Ronan, Betty, and the hands." Garou were surrounded. Apaches stood on all side of them, their The Indian waited patiently for the huckster to answer his rifles at the ready. question. "I don't suppose you'd want to talk about this," started "The long and the short of it is this: The bomb would release Morningkill. an explosion the likes of which this world has not seen before. "You are right. There has been enough talk from white men Everything for miles around VoIOuld be devastated, including that like you who have promised to leave us what little lands we sleepy little town we met you folks in," fight for-and then try to take them away." The voice came from Velvet kept sorting through the papers, becoming more frantic a man who stepped around from behind Taza and into the full about it as he saw more. moonlight. "Why would one wish to destroy Monument Valley?" "It is time for you to listen instead." "Hm, well. according to these papers, this would open one half He was a large Indian with a shock of silver running through of a transdimensional rift. The other haiL." Velvet shuffled his raven-black hair, which he wore in a thick braid that fell through some more papers. down the center of his back. A thick scar ran down the length "The bridge between the dimensions would be completed with of his left cheek, and his dark eyes sparkled with hatred and the destruction of something this man calls a 'caern' on the madness. other side." "I grew up on a reservation in my world, white man. One Proud Speaker grunted. "That is a Garou word for a sacred where men like you beat my people down, stealing what little we place of power. This crazy man means to create a way to cross had and destroying the rest. We were powerless against your easily between your world and mine." numbers and your guns. Our medicine deserted us, and we were "Why would he want to do something like that?" nearly destroyed. UI do not know, but if it has something to do with "When I came of age, I claimed my heritage as a Garou, and I Storm walker, then it is sure to be bad" wandered the West. hoping to find some way to return my 'That's what I like about you, Speaker,H offered Velvet as he people to their former glory. There were some who tried to stop rolled the tattered plans up into a tube. "Your gift for me-" with this he glared at the seething Cotten, who was doing understatement." all he could to not let his rage have its way with him, "-but they were doomed to fail. "I threw off the Garou society that told me 1 should sit and wait for my enemies to attack. 1 began talking to the Mockeries c~~ and other servants of the Wyrm. Their whispers rang with truth." "They've been gone a while," said Betty, a note of worry in her Storm walker wrung his hands together. warming to his tale. voice. ~At their insistence, I explored the wilds of the Storm Umbra. "I wouldn't worry about it. miss," Morningkill said. "If Proud With their help, 1 avoided the wrath of the Storm Eater. I Speaker had been found, he'd certainly put up enough resistance wandered from realm to realm until I found one in which my to capture that we'd have been able to hear him clearly in people were becoming ascendant" Colorado." He stopped then and pointed directly at the ground. "Same for Velvet," Ronan offered. "We'd know." "The people here have powerful medicine, and 1 am going to "Actually," said Cotten, "I think it's us we ought to be worried bring that back to my people. With the help of a man named about." Hellstromme, 1 am going to create a bridge between our two "Why's that?" asked Annalee. His tone made the hair on the worlds. Once this is fashioned, the mighty spirits that aid my back of her neck stand up. brothers in this world will be able to come to the aid of the "Maybe you oughta ask him." The trapper pointed up at the people in mine. rise they had worked their way down from. An Apache Indian "We will rise up against the wasichu, and push them back was standing atop it. once and for all." ~~~ SEDFELLOI!"> ~~ SEDFELLOI!"> There was a moment of silence which was broken by the sound of a man laughing saflly. It was Cotten. CfI+-P'TER TEN "You think. it's that easy? You think you can undo hundreds of years of bad blood with a few Indian spirits? You're crazier than "~, Earl Cotten," said Storm walker, "you've come a long way a loon!" to die." Storm walker strode forward into the circle the Apache had The Garou glared at the villain (both of them in their human formed. "I will not be mocked by you." forms) from where he'd been bound with steel links and With that, Annalee moved between Slormwalker and Cotten. "I strapped to a large metal box that stood ten feet on a side. don't believe you have a choice. evil one. You may have larger Annalee was on the side to his left. Ronan was to his right, and numbers than we, but you have only brought your friends to Betty was behind him. They were in a tent large enough to hold their deaths," a circus in, likely one of those in the center of the Wasatch "True," said Morningkill. "You know what we are. You know camp. that not even rorty men could stand against even we three. Send Isaiah Morningkill- reverted to the human form in which he'd them away before this hill runs with their blood," been born (and naked as he'd been on that same day)- Iay "Either way," Cotten snarled, "you'd better say yeT prayers, strapped atop the cold cube, out of sight. He hadn't made a sound since he'd been blown away, and there was no way of 'ca.u~e you're genna die." With that, he began to grow larger and hamer and even more savage. As if on cue. all three Garou telling whether he'd finally been forced to shuffle off this mortal launched themselves at their captors at once. coil or not. Cotten just snarled at stormwalker. He was beyond words. For ~ few moments, it was a glorious battle. Cotten squared off agamst stormwalker, and he held his own against the larger Despite his rage, though, he was unable to transform himself beastman, Morningkill and Annalee tore through the ranks of the into the terrifying beast that could rip out the traitor's throat. Apaches, the bullets from the Indians' guns doing little to slow Bound as tightly as he was, growing into such a monster would them down in their full werewolf forms. cause the chains to squeeze him to death, From their soft Ronan dashed over and knocked Betty into the dirt covering gleaming, Cotten was pretty sure the chains had been plated her with his body. Of them all, she was the only one ~ho would with silver too. The trapper knew a good trap when he saw one. Now he just really r~ret taking a stray bullet, and there were enough of had to figure a way out He gave Storm walker a wild-eyed look, those ,flymg arou~d to m~ke the gunslinger nervous. While Ronan tned to pick off a few braves with his like a coyote caught in a bear trap. If he could have reached his wrists, he'd have chewed off his hands to have a crack at ripping peacema~er, five men came up from the rear of the group, each armed with a strange sort of gun. The weapons looked as out Storm walker's throat The tainted Garou just threw back his head and laughed. thou~h som.eene had bound a number of Shotgun barrels into a massive cylinder, almost like a Gatling gun. Taza and his braves stood uneasily to one side of the room. It At that, the alarms went off in Ronan's head "Get down'" he was late at night- not too long before dawn- and the Wasatch shouted, but it was too late. The Garou ~uld never even know VoIOrkers were still asleep in their tents, or perhaps just rising for what hit them. the day. The crew armed with the Gatling shotguns let loose with a Betty looked to the Apache leader. "Taza, I'm told you're an thunderous spray of shells that caught Morningkill square in the honorable man. How could you ally yourself with this beast? You know of the damage the manitous have done to our world, both chest as ~e stood hOWling over the body of a fallen foe. The flymg lead buckshot sprayed flesh and chips of bone to your people and mine. How can you let this happen again?" everywhere, and the Garou was blasted backward into the dirt Taza stared at her COldly, "Storm walker has told me of how where he landed in a bloody heap. ' our people are treated in his world, much the same as they were Everyone froze as the smoke blew off the barrel of the in ours until recently. The white governments push them back rotating guns. Storm walker tossed Cotten toward his fallen further and further onto smaller and smaller pieces of land. companion like a rag doll as Annalee raced to his side, Land so hard it cannot be farmed, and the game does not come "Unless you'd like to all end up like your friend, you should to graze on it. surrender," said Taza, "They are a people put down, as we once were, as we still are, "Any objections?" asked Storm walker. I cannot stand by while my brothers suffer in this way. If I can There were none. help them, I will,"

P,<-4EZ7 .s.~~6 .s.~ ~EDFElLOiI"" "But at the cost of so many lives?" setty pleaded with the His companion continued for him. "He certainly can, traitor. man. She could see his resolve wavering. There's as much silver in this world as in ours, and it makes fine "If it must be: yes." bullets." Stormwalk.er cackled again at his ally's concession. Then he Stormwalker seemed to consider this for a moment. becoming turned to Ronan. "SO, my indigestible foe.. You are looking much angrier by the second. He snarled like a caged beast unsure of better than the last time I saw you." what to do. Ronan just glared at him with his dead eyes. "You gave me In one eye-blurring move, he let go of Ronan. reached out. and your best shot, pooch. I'm ready for more. ~ snatched the gun. "Oh, are you?" Storm walker approached the gunslinger where "Ha!" he shouted as he wrestled the thing away from his head. he hung manacled on the steel~cased cube. He wrapped his "Your friends were foolish to show themselves. Now they can die meaty left hand around Ronan's leathery throat. with you." iaza has encountered your kind before. and once I told him The gun went 01T. of our battle he knew you for what you are. He called you one The bullet slammed through Stormwalkers shoulder, tearing of the 'Harrowed: A man with a manitou masquerading for his his muscles into useless meat. He dropped the gun as he was soul." knocked backward into Ronan. Unable to use his arms, the The tainted Garou fumbled out an evil chuckle. "The Apache gunslinger's teeth clamped down on the beast's ear. also told me that this tainted soul of yours lives between your The pain in Stormwa lker's ear rev ived him from the shock of ears. To let it out. all I've got to do is open up your skull." the gunshot and set him howling. He shoved his way off of Ronan noticed that the hand around his neck was becoming Ronan, losing a good portion of his ear as he wenl Ronan larger by the moment. Storm walker's face slowly transfigured munched on the scrap of flesh for a moment. then spit it out as from that of a raving lunatic to a slavering, mad beast with if it had tried to bite him.. silvery hair. "Never tried weremutt before. Tastes 'bout as foul as you'd The ten ~ foot tall Garou brought up his right hand and think." extended one razor~sharp claw directly at Ronan's eye. The The tainted Garou howled in pain again as the Peacemaker gunslinger didn't flinch. He wished he could reach his gun. He trained itself on him again. was aching to put a silver bullet into this creature's brainpan. "You are too late to stop me!" Storm wa lker snarled.• hat box "One poke of my finger. Right through your eye. Right into I've strapped you all to is an explosive device powered by ghost your brain. That's all it's going to take." rock. It's set to go off in minutes." Suddenly Ronan felt his pistol leave its holster. The beast cackled like a mad jackal as he watched the "Any last words?" Storm walker asked like a bartender making reactions of everyone in the room. Taza and his braves made to the last call. leave, while Proud Speaker leapt atop the cube and began Then Ronan saw his Peacemaker float up behind the straining at the chains. werewolf's head, and he grinned from ear to ear. "You fools!" rasped Storm walker as he clutched at his mangled "Sure. Let me go. Or else" shoulder. "You cannot run far enough away. The explosion will Storm walker snickered as he brought his claw close enough reach for miles around." to touch Ronan's eyelashes. "Or else what?" Taza stepped forward. "But we will all die! You are a trickster." The ownerless pistol tapped Stormwalker in the back of the "And you are the tricked!" The beast snorted up blood as he head. tried to laugh. "Or my friend will blow your stinking head off." "You'd better turn the damn thing off if you don't want to die Stormwalker laughed nervously, looking over his shoulder to with us!" yelled Ronan. see the gun floating there, pointed right at his head. "You should "He is likely dead anyway," said Annalee Proud Speaker had know by now that you can't hurt me that way." freed her, and now she was working on the bonds of the others. From far off to one side- away from Taza and his braves­ "But you must have planned this all along," sa id Taza in a low Velvet and a massive, brown-furred werewolf that had to be voice "How did you think you would get away?" Proud Speaker stepped into the gigantic tent. Velvet bore a The beast coughed as he struggled to his feet. "Nothing on this handful of cards before him and a look of intense concentration Earth can stop me" on his fa ce. ''I'd be happy to show you just how wrong you are," With that, Stormwalker suddenly seemed to start fading into he said. nothingness.

P,<-4£Z8 .s~ ~EDFELLD.I~ .s~ ~EDFELLD.I~ NHe's stepping sideways!" yelled Cotten. "Shoot him!" "Too bad we ain't got time to use it," the gunslinger said flatly. The Peacemaker went off again, but the bullet passed right "What do you mean'?" asked Betty from down on the ground through the place where Stormwalker had once been. and he below. was gone. Suddenly, the four Garou shimmered back into existence next to her. They were all visibly relieved, including the already­ healing Morningkill, who was supported by Proud Speaker and Annalee. each beneath one of his shoulders. C~FIEVEN "I apologize for leaving you behind," began Morningkill. un was wendell lbomes awoke with a slap to his battered face. He all I could do to bring the rest of us into the Penumbra" was pretty sure that someone had been slapping him for a while, "There's no need for that," said Betty. "We didn't all need to and he wanted it to stop. He mumbled something to that effect. risk our lives." and it did. Then he got a bucket of cold water poured over his Ronan and velvet climbed down off the cube, leaving Toomes head. and he was wide awake. lying up there exhausted and nearly forgotten. At th.at m?ment. When he opened his eyes. he wanted to shut them again. He Taza stepped forward. Most of his braves stood behind hIm, but was standing atop the ghost-rock bomb that he'd invented. and two -came up with him. One had her arm in a sling. and the the clock atop it lold him that it was ready to go off in less than other leaned hard on a makeshift crutch. a minute. "I would like to apologize," the Apache leader said, his voice Toomes nearly fainted again. but someone shook him to bring heavy with remorse. "Storm walker was a trickster to rival Coyote. him around. It was the strange fellow in the blue suit that he'd He would have left us all here to die." seen earlier that night. Proud Speaker stepped forward and shook Taza's outstretched "Mr. Thomes, you've got exactly forty-rive seconds to shut off arm. "There is no shame in wanting to help your brothers," he your latest invention, or we're all going straight to Hell on the said to him in Apache. "But you should be more careful in express train!" choosing your friends." The young inventor shook his head and got straight to work. Cotten turned to Ronan, Betty, and Velvet. "Thanks fer all yer His vision was still a bit wobbly, which made it hard to focus on help with that s.o.b~ but we need to get going now." which wires from the sorcerous detonator needed to be removed, Ronan stood up and holstered his Peacemaker, which he had but he rinally rigured it out. collected from where Velvet's hex had let it fall. "I'm coming," he "The green one," he muttered. "Cut the green one .~ said flatly. His tone demanded no argument. "No one guts me and Ronan brought his knife down on the wire. gets away with it" "Are you sure?" asked Annalee. "That wire looks blue to me." ''I'm coming too," Velvet piped up. "No student of Hoyle would Toomes sighed in frustration. There were twenty seconds left. ever pass up the chance to walk the Hunting Grounds and ,he blue one then. Either way, that's it" experience a whole new world" Ronan looked his companions in the eye one by one. They "Me too," said Betty as she looked into velvet's.tha~kf~1 eyes, each nodded at him. He slashed at the wire, and it came free. her resolve firmly drowning out the touch of trepIdation," her The clock kept ticking. tone. Five. "I would also like to go." Everyone turned to face the Four. surprising source of the voice: Taza. "\ ~ust at(;me. for my . Three. decisions to support Stormwalker. And If he still hves, \ swear It Two. will not be for long." One. "You're gonna have to g~t in Hne,:' growl~d Ro~an, ~nd the Apache bowed his head, hIS face stili burmng WIth hiS sh.ame. Cotten started to say something, but Annalee ste~ped In. C~T'IIaVE "Then it's settled. I'm sure we could use-and appreciate-ali the Ronan sal back on the top of the cube and let out a deep help we can get." breath. Velvet reached forward and ripped the detonator off the top of the bomb. To be continued in "There must be a fortune in ghost rock in this container,~ he Under a Harrovved Moon. Part 2: said. Savage Passage! I r .s~~OJ/? T ++E,A-DJElIl1RE

~ . ~ ,, ~ ,, ~ , ia;o ~ ~ =' ~

Hey. pardners! How'd ya like For you new readers from our tall tale? They just don't the Savage West side of things. get much more twisted than don't get your britches in a that. Now it's your turn to take bunch. This adventure includes part in the earth-shattering statistics for both games, so plot and put Billy you won't nnd yourself left Stormwalker's plans to an end colder than a wendigo's heart. for good. Just read on, and it should all In case you're not quite clear become clear. on what's going on here. you're holding the first of a brand­ new trilogy of Dime Novels"" T++E?T~ featuring heroes from both the Weird West of DeadJands and ?oF~ the Savage West of WerewolJ: Word is that all worlds. like The Wild West It's already been those of the Weird West, the one Hell of a ride, but we Savage West. and even our promise it's only going to get own, are simply different 1 wilder from here. dimensions, each a variation All you Dead/aods players on a theme (although some are \ out there already know what a more varied than others). Some Dime Novel's all about. It's a folks call this situation the story with an adventure based "multi verse" because there'S upon the story. Cool. eh? "multiple universes." Get it? Garou have a special name place k.nown as the Great for the region around the <::r~WET{D Maze) and the Black Hills of world of the Savage West. Storm walker had a hard South Dakota, right in the They call it the Storm Umbra time getting through 10 Ihe heart of the newly ascendant (or sometimes just plain Weird West, what with it being Sioux Nations. And the dead, umbra). The people of the surrounded by manitous and well, sometimes they get up weird West have another name an, not to mention things from where they're rotting and altogether for the strange darker and more dangerous. walk. locale that invisibly surrounds Eventually, though, he broke The long and short of it is their world. They call it the through, and he liked what he that magiC has returned to the Hunting Grounds- and they're found. world, and in a nastier form usually not of the Happy In the Weird West, the than you might expect Along variety, if you know what I Indians were doing just fine. with it, all sorts of mean. Sure, they'd been shoved supernatural critters have around by the white reared their horrific heads. SO governments for years, but that creatures like werewolves aren't had all come to a screeching exactly unheard of around halt a few years ago. Back in these parts. However you want to slice it. 1863, things had somehow Anyhow, the place is full of our story begins in the Savage changed. all sorts of strange types. West. There, a bitter young pup What happened is an even Hucksters that cast magical of the Wendigo tribe (that's a more bitter Indian shaman by hexes with cards. Mad kind of werewolf. not Indian, the name of Raven touched off scientists that work ghost rock The theory runs that these into new, strange, unheard-of universes are separated from although the young man was a an event that's come to be Sioux brave as well) got it into known as the Reckoning. The technologies. Preachers that go each other only by the thinnest about banishing demons. And of veils. If you know what his head that he should go upshot of the Reckoning is looking for another world, one that certain evil spirits (which native American shamans that you're doing, you can part this call on the spirits of nature­ flimsy stuff and actually walk in which his people (the the Indians call manitous) were Indians) weren't quite so released from their long-held and actually get them to between the worlds. The only answer. problem is that most people oppressed by the white men. prison and unleashed once can't even see the veil, much This man-Billy Stormwalker, again upon the Earth. less part it. of course-wandered the space Since then, things have gone T fit: ~D:S MEET between the worlds for many from the frying pan straight Garou are the kind of folks Billy Slormwalker really years. Along the way, he made that can find the veil, and they into the fires of Hell. liked what he found. With their himself a lot of enemies and can reach through it by doing It's 13 years later, and the new magical powers, the Indian precious few friends. His anger what they call Hstepping American Civil War's still nations across the continent and frustration usually got in raging on, although a bit more sideways.H When they do this, had. finally been able to rally the way, and he found himself they find themselves in the quietly than before. California's agamst the encroachment of always returning to the Savage place between the dimensions, fallen into the sea (at the the white men (particularly West, and always disappointed. the otherworldly mortar that hands of Raven, once again). A since the white governments Until he stumbled upon the fantastic superfuel called ghost holds the bricks of the were having problems of their Weird West, that is. multiverse together. rock has been discovered in own Back East). the remains of California (a - - - For a while, Storm walker Such a large amount of this lived among his brethren in the BuLr::.t14- B>Rl~ precious ore was \\'Orth a tremendous fortune- more than strangely similar Black Hills in Traditionally Spirit Gates (or most folks ever even saw in a relative peace and harmony, dimensional bridges, as lifetime-and even with but eventually his thoughts Hellstromme prefers to call turned to those he knew back them) are places of incredible Hellstromme's financial power behind him, it took Toomes a home. He had to figure out a power, holes in the fabric of long time to amass it. It took way to bring this Reckoning to the multiverse laid there when him even longer to plumb the his own people, to restore the different realities first depths of occult obscenity and them to their former glory. The formed. No one had ever tried only question was: How? to create a new one, until devise the sorcerous device Storm walker wandered Hellstromme bent his twisted that y..ould act as the payload's detonator. about the Weird West. looking mind to it. for an answer. Eventually he It was clear from the start Toomes spent a lot of effort on creating this bomb, and he's found it in the mind of the that what was going to be self-proclaimed smartest man needed was a terrible rent in damn well going to use it. in the West: Dr. Darius both worlds at the exact same Toomes has set up his bomb on spot in Monument Valley, in Hellstromme. geographic location. That and a the northern part of Arizona. As the President of Wasatch bit of sorcerous help (by This, he's told by Stormwalker, Industries, HeJlstromme had means of black magic). corresponds with a caern (a launched his company to the Hellstromme claimed, would be place of power) in the Savage top of the burgeoning new enough to build a bridge West. Once the bomb is blown, (ghost-rock powered) steamtech between the t\\'O places. Once used to seeing. We're just industry. And he hadn't done it that happened, the manitous the bridge is halfway on its way to completion. presenting you with a situation by being nice. \\'Ould flow freely between the and letting you take it in When Hellstromme heard of t\\'O worlds, and the Reckoning Toomes is holding things up to make a few last-minute whatever direction you like. Storm walker's plight. he was would enter the Savage West tests, but it's only a matter of There's no plot line as such. struck by t\\'O things. First, if as well. days before he detonates his and while this can be kind of he could come up with a way And, of course, Hellstromme liberating for a Marshal. it can to build a bridge bet ween the would have a whole new world prized device. It's at this vital point that also be more than just a little two \\'Orlds, he could establish to plunder. bit intimidating. Relax and just for himself a whole new world Hellstromme appointed the heroes finally enter the picture. run with it. Give the heroes to exploit. Wendell Toomes, an ambitious their head and let them loose Second, he was going to find young prot~e , to head up the for a while. Just be sure to an answer. Weird Western half of the reign them back in time for the Eventually, after days of project. All Toomes had to do How the heroes get involved finish of this portion of this research and conversing with was engineer an explosive epic tale. Storm walker, he did. in the adventure depends a lot device of such terrible on which of the two worlds In the end, you want a Storm walker was constantly potential that it could actually climactic confrontation bemoaning the lack of (the Weird West or the Savage tear a hole in the fabric of the West) they call home. Overall, between the heroes and something called a Spirit Gate, multiverse. To do this, he Stormwalker. Everything else is and Hellstromme soon figured this is a lot looser of an turned to both sorcery and adventure than you might be gravy. oul a way to make it. literally tons of raw ghost rock. =

WBr(D ++-£ROE.$ c+~~ .s,<-1lJ4E -I+i=LP Of course, it's always If the heroes are entirely If the heroes hail from the possible (however unlikely) that from the Weird West, they're Weird West, there are all sorts the heroes could simply eventually going to need some of ways to get them into the stumble upon Toomes' camp help from the Savage Wesl thick of the plot. Arter all, the entirely on their own. It's right Otherwise, at the end of the heroes are going to catch up in the heart of Monument adventure, they're not going to with Stormwalker in the \YOrld Valley, so it's not impossible. be able to follow Stormwalker of DeadJands. not Werewolf: However, it's a lot more once he gets away. The Wild West Still, it's up to reasonable for the heroes to Even if the heroes could you, Marshal. to snag any run afoul of either one of actuatly somehow manage to reluctant heroes in your Taza's patrols or even . get into the Hunting Grounds. wicked web. Spin it as wide as Stormwalker himself. WhIch chances that they could track you need. way it goes from there is Storm walker back to the entirely up to you. Mayhem Savage West are pretty much +IRED -i+f-'lD5- isn't out of the question. nil. The fact that Wasatch has It's perfectly fine to run the been hoarding a tremendous f'.'oolEt f'.V,-HE_ game with a mixed posse amount of ghost rock hasn't featuring heroes from both If the heroes are something sides of the veil. If there are gone unnoticed amone, . less than heroic, they may be Hellstromme's competItors In no Garou involved, though, interested in making money the Great Rail Wars (the race you're going to have to bring the old-fashioned way: stealing to complete the first railroad one in as an extra. The Weird it. across the weird West), If the Western heroes are going to .$f-l/;.4E +-l-Bi:OES With Toomes collecting as need his services at some If the heroes are Garou, then not-so-good doctor's collecting much in the way of ghost rock such a large amount of the point in their adventure. getting them involved becomes as he is, someone's bound to sturr. it can't be good The extra Garou knows a bit more complicated. After certainly get wind of it. If that someone for anyone except the professor about Storm walker (although all, it takes a lot to get a pack happens to let the heroes not all of his plans), and he of werewolves to chase their himselr. know about it. they might Hellstromme's rivals like to asks the heroes to help him quarry all the way from one think that a small camp out in put an end to the madman's world to the next-even if it's keep a close eye on him and the middle of nowhere should his unusual operations, reign of terror. If you need this Storm walker. be easy pickings. After all, how difficult as this may sometimes kind of hero, simply use As for how the heroes might tough can it be to knock ?fr a be. The heroes can be hired by Storm walker's stats with a few track Storm walker across the bunch of scientific types 10 the any of the opposing Rail modifications of your own, and Storm Umbra, that's up to you. middle of nowhere. They Barons to check into the you're set. They could discover a map of probably think it would be a mysterious camp that lbOmes Of course, this extra doesn't the route that Stormwalker piece of cake. has set up. They are to report have to show up until after the discovered, or possibly they're They'd be wrong, but you back as soon as they figure heroes foil Storm walker's plans. just good enough to follow the can let them find that out the Let the heroes deal with the monster's foul scent between out just what's going on well hard way. After all, who are enough to satisfy their bulk of the adventure on their worlds. Tailor what happens to you to interfere? employer'S curiosity. own. )'Our needs. ... - -

been killed by the mad Garou. a f,-1V1~...I01 Either way, they're not about to BiLU .:STOIDakota Territory. He grew up in that one of these wise folks poverty and watched as the US would have gotten wind of the A- La!« ?!+aT Army waged war on his renegade wendigo's plans for If the heroes are the kinds people, crUShing them onto altering the state of their of folks who like to wander smaller and smaller world. about the Storm Umbra (they'd reservations and stripping his Wise elders certainly aren't have to be out of their minds, once-proUd people of what going to sit still while such a but hey, they're heroes, so you little was left of their dignity. man wreaks havoc upon Gaia. never know!), then they might It was too much for him to Many of them are too old or encounter Slormwalker in their bear. don't posses the proper skills travels. This could happen in As Stormwalker came of to take off after a Garou such either the weird West or even age, he learned that he was. in as Storm walker. However, they the Storm Umbra. It's real1y up fact. a Garou: a Wendigo are certainly more than willing to you. Theurge. as a matter of fact. to call upon younger members Of course. with these kinds "Wendigo" refers to his of their sept (or of several of odds against them crossing werelAlOlf tribe; "Theurge" different septs if need be) to paths with Stormwalker, you speaks to the phase of the come to the aid of their might want to have it turn out moon the man was born under and how this affects his people. that Storm walker was looking Indian tribes. Both seemed When faced with such a personality. for them. well, maybe not them doomed to early extinction, request, what proper Garou The Wendigos are culled specifically, but any kind of fated to be drowned under the could refuse? After all, the fate from the Indians of the Savage Garou that might be gunning encroaching tide of white of their world CQuid be at for him and trying to ruin his West. They're a solitary bunch preferring to deal with the ' settlers. He struck out from stake. plans. That makes it kind of time to time. often outright white encroachment with their ironic that his own need for killing those who were air-tight security is what claws. V£lI:ttI.= Is ~ Theurges are born under a u~fortunate enough to get in causes him to run roughshod hIS way. That's how he first In his time. Storm walker has crescent moon. This makes stepped on more than a few over the wrong pack of became an outlaw. innocent Garou, but that's what them closer to the spirit \YOrld toes. And heads, throats, making them great shamans ' While on the run from the destiny's all about. remaining members of a sept gonads, and so on. He's been and mystics. They're the wise he had decimated, Storrnwalker known to fly into frenzied men of the .tri~, spending stepped sideways into the rages that don't stop until he's fvV,-JOK: PLA-VER~ most of their lime pondering killed everything in his wobbly the fate of their people and Storm umbra and got decidedly There are two men the lost. When he final1y found path. how to prevent the Garou from heroes are likely to encounter himself, he was on the The heroes may have lost being destroyed. someone dear to them to in ways that are bound to outskirts of another realm. It change their lives (and Over the years, Storm walker Stormwalker. In fact, one of became frustrated with the was then that his wanderings their pack might even have hopefully-for their sakes- not through the rnultiverse began. involve their deaths). position of his Garou and - ~• v F>- OJ?

Stormwalker is a thin man must spend a Fate Chip Storm Umbra). An of medium height. at least in WffiD~ORLE and make a persuasion unwilling passenger can his Hamid (human) form. He's corporeal: O:3<1S, N:4dl0, 5:5<1S, check. The difficulty is resist with a Fair (5) Faith lean and fit from his years of Q4d8, V,4d12 determined by the roll. Every success the having to fend for himself in Climbin 3<110, dodge 4<110, strength of the spirit On passenger gets negates both the wilderness of the fightin'; brawlin' Sdl0, horse a success, the spirit obeys one of the Garou's. The Savage West and the Storm ridin' 2d10, quick draw: knife the command. Each Garou must have a Umbra. 4dS, shootin': shotgun 2dS, command requires a new success and a raise left to Clean-shaven. he has long sneak SdIO, swimmin' 2d10, Fate Chip. This does not win the battle. black hair. streaked with silver. throwin'; knife 4dS summon spirits, nor can it Persuasion: The Garou that he wea rs in a long Mental: C:2dIO, K:4d6, M:ldIO, exorcise a spirit. makes a Fair (5) Mien warrior's braid. He has a scar Sm~d8, Sp,3d8 DusL Storm: The Garou check. If successful. he down the lert side of his cheek Area knowledge: storm spends a point of GnoSis, adds +2 to all other Mien that he got in a fight with Earl umbra 2d6, guts 3d8, native then makes a Faith check. rolls with the current Cotten many moons ago. language: Sioux 3<16, The TN is determined by group of people The years have not been language: English 2d6, how dusty the terrain is (maximum of one hour). kind to Storm walker. Although overawe 3dIO, professional: (desert:TN 3; city_TN II). If Reach the Umbra: The he's only in his early 3Os, he occult Sd6, scrutinize 4d 10, successful. a storm whips Garou can step sideways could easily pass for a man in search SdIO, trackin' 6d10 around the area, blinding into the Umbra (or his late 405. perhaps it's the Edges: Sense of direction everyone, fouling Hunting Grounds) without premature gray in his hair that Hindrances: Grim servant 0' machinery (time for those having to look into a does it. or maybe it's the dealh Reliability checks), and reflective surface. hunted look in his eyes. Terror: Depends on form. See coating everything in dirt. Savage the Mind: The Stormwalk.er carries a rules on Garou in the back This lasts for two turns Garou spend Gnosis and scattergun with him but it's of this book. for each success. then makes a contested only for shO'vV. He much prefers Special Abilities: Grasp the Beyond: This Spirit check against the to rip people open with his Garou: See the rules in the permits the Garou to step target. If he gets at least a talons when in his Crinos form back of this book. Sideways with something success and a raise, he He uses an oversized knife Gnosis: 7 or someone without can permanently destroy instead when in his Hamid Assimilation: The Garou having to dedicate it by one die type step from form. can assimilate himself means of ceremony. The the target's Smarts for The profiles given for into any culture with a Garou grabs the object to every raise he gal He Stormwalker below are scrutinize check. The TN be taken with him, then must spend 2 points of necessarily incomplete. Let's depends on how alien the spends a Fate Chip (white Gnosis for every die type just say there's more to our culture is. If successful, for small items, red for destroyed. villain than meets the eye. We'll the Garou does not suffer larger items, and blue for Spirit Speech: The Garou let you in on the secret in the any prejudices from huge items, like a person). can converse w ith spirits next Dime Novel. Until then, anyone in that SOCiety. He then makes the usual (including nature spirits consider it your job to keep This lasts for one day. roll to step sideways (see and manitou). They won't Billy alive and free. After all. command Spirit: The the end of this book). If necessa rily listen to him it's not much of a story if the Garou can force a spirit to successful. he and the though. villain gets capped in the obey a single, simple object or person pass into Gear: SCattergun, box of 20 opening act command To do this, he the Hunting Grounds (or shells, Bowie knife.

12 Toomes is of medium height ~J.4E Pli:OFlLE and build, with curly, dark hair WFKD Pli:OFlLE Attributes: Strength 3, kept short on the sides but Corporeal: 0:3d6, N:2d6, S:4d4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5, permitted to go a bit wild up Q.3d8, VAd6 Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, top. A kind of madness Climbin 2d6, fightin': brawlin' Appearance 3, Perception 4, sparkles in his pale blue eyes Id6, horse rid in' Id6, shoot in': Intelligence 2. Wits 3 whenever he starts talking flamethrower 2d6, sneak Id6 Abilities: Alertness 4. about science. The sparkle Mental: C:3d12, K:6ciIO, M:2d8, Athletics 4, Dodge 4, might be explained by the dark Sm,4dI2, Sp2d4 Empathy 4, Subterfuge 4, stains on Toomes' hands, since Guts 2d4, professional: occult Animal Ken 3, Crafts 1. the man rarely ever takes SelIO, science: ghost rock Firearms 2, Melee 5, Ride 2. precautions when working SelIO, scrutinize 3<:112, search Stealth 5, Survival 2. with ghost rock. (One side 2d12, tinkerin' SelI2 Enigmas I, Linguistics 2, effect of the mysterious Edges: Dinero. mechanically Medicine I, Occult 4. Science mineral is that it can drive its inclined I handlers insane). Hindrances: Cu rious Gifts: Assimilation, Command Toomes is bossy, bordering Gear: Peacemaker, box of 50 Spirit, Dust Storm, Grasp the on dictatorial. He expects his bullets, notebook full of Beyond. Persuasion. Reach workers to follow his orders to untested designs, rocket the umbra, Savage the Mind, the letter. When he tells pack (perfect for an easy Spirit Speech. Tornado Rider someone to jump, he tells escape), flamethrower. Rage 10, Gnosis 6. Willpower them how high right then and 8 there, and they'd damn well ~,,-uv.i3rr.M- 7"-LOOI goods. Still, they're weH­ Description: A fine place to stocked with just about wet your whistle and maybe anything a local could want. find a bed for the night It's occupants: Alex and wanda a quiet place. with little in Darcy (owners; pleasant folks the way of entertainment in their middle years; they're save drink. cards, and a little unwilling to bargain on their piano music when AI prices) and their four Wilshire (a local feed corn children, ages 3 to 14. All are farmer) gets the hankering mourning the loss of Wilbur to tickle the ivories. This Darcy, the eldest child. clapboard building consists of a main room, a WJ.-<-I£R?' .s..n tI-V storeroom, a kitchen. and Description: A small place five bedrooms, one of which with just enough room for a is occupied by the owner forge. There's a horse pen and his young wife. behind the smithy, and a occupants: Johnny shack behind that. Persimmons and his wife occupants: Janice Walters Martha (owners; a young (owner; a stocky woman couple who recently put up who could arm-wrestle a the saloon in hopes of sailor to his knees; she's It's a perfect place for a capitalizing on a railroad good-natured as can be, and C 11-,1.-P 1£1< Two: bomb threat. coming through town), 2d4 she makes no secret of the other patrons from local fact she's in the market for a f'v\ou..\Brr Vf.-J I FY farms and ranches. Martha .p.A-~OLSo husband ... at least for a few . Monument Valley is located lives in fear of her innocent There aren't a whole lot of days), In northeastern Arizona, high husband. who just doesn't people who live near on the Colorado plateau and understand what's going on. Monument Valley. That's just To~ -/+j...LL not too distant from such the way that Toomes likes it. Description: A small, one­ ~n~ers as. the Grand Canyon. After all, it won't do to have D~d So (i-BI£I?,I.-L room building that stands It s filled With the massive. folks snooping around the 7,CJItl': unoccupied. This place awe-inspiring. lowering rock camp and trying to interfere formations from which the Description: A run-of-the-mill serves as the seat of the with his plans. place gets its name. general store in a two-story local government. but there Of course, Toomes isn't so If you want to really see building. The owners live in is none to speak of. No confident in how isolated his how this place looks (and you the back of the main floor sherifr. no jail, no mayor, no locale is to leave the place don't happen to live nearby), and the entire second story. judge. An assayer passes unguarded. To make sure that check out one of John Ford's Since they're the only game through about once a week no one disturbs his gate­ Westerns. Most of them were in town, the Darcys to see if anyone needs him building project, he's arranged filmed in this place of overcharge mercilessly. to evaluate a claim. for guards to patrol the area staggering natural beauty. Expect to pay 25% over the occupants: None. for him. ---I -0 - Toomes realized right away At Toomes' request, Clueless as to Storm walker's that bands of armed white stormwalker approached a true intentions, Taza and his T -i+E ~CUJ~IE "'~aJ men wandering about the area nearby band of Apaches (led braves set about patrolling the stormwalker is eager to were bound to attract a lot of by Taza, son of the famous area for several miles around avoid any sort of attention, unwanted attention. With chief Cochise) and explained Toomes' camp. They are although sometimes he lets his Storm walker's help, he hit his plan to them. With the aid experienced trackers and baser appetites for blood and upon the perfect solution: Use of Wasatch, he lNOuld be able hunters, and they know the destruction get the better of the local Indians. to build a bridge to his world land like their own mothers. him. Witness the deaths of No one lNOuld ever suspect and bring the Apache's They generally find anyone Wilbur Darcy and several local roaming bands of Apaches of newfound power and prosperity poking about, unless they take beeves. Still, he tries to keep to being involved in anything to his people. extreme (usually supernaturall himself during daylight hours, more sinister than a hunt. He simply forgot to mention measures. just in case someone comes After all, they were crawling all that he'd be willing to murder Any heroes that run into a looking for him. He's pretty over the place already. And everyone in the area, including patrol are likely to encounter distinctive looking, after all, they'd been known to INOrk any Apaches, to put his plan three to six Apaches (possibly and it wouldn't take much for with Wasatch for a price. into action. including Taza). If the Apaches someone to remember crossing are outnumbered, they simply his path, especially if he take stock of the heroes and happened to be in his full-on sneak off to get help to shove werewolf form. them off the land. If the That's actually behind what Apaches feel confident they happened to poor Wilbur can take the heroes, they stand Darcy. The salesman was up and confront them right traveling along his circuit when then and there. he stumbled across the If the heroes are discovered stormwalker butchering a cow. at night. the Apaches can call The Garou wasn't willing to upon Storm walker for help if leave any witnesses to the they need it. The Garou carnage, so he stalked and wanders around the area in his killed the terrified young man. Crinos form all night long, Of course, he got a little every night, seemingly tireless. carried away with During the day, he changes ceremoniously removing back into a Homid and retreats Wilbur's heart, but you could to his tenl hardly expect any less from No matter where he is in the such a hot-blooded killer. valley, stormwalker can hear a Storm walker's aware of the gunshot. It should only take attention the murder has him less than 15 minutes (or as gotten in town. He knows a little as three) to find the Garou tracking him might heroes from there. Garou in recognize his trademarks in those Crinos forms are pretty murder, but there's little he can darn fast, and stormwalker do about it now, so he's knows what's at stake. decided to forget about it.

fr;"I-~":"",:':~="=,,,=!=;=<;():::::~ ff· the fact they're silting around C~TtI~EE killing time these days, at least they're well-paid to do it. If T cx::.f'.'E~,' C;.-Mp push comes to shove, though, wendell Toomes' camp is set these folks aren't really ready to lay down their lives for their up in the middle of a low ~int in Monument Valley. It consIsts company. They'll put up with some gunplay, but at the first of t\YO large tents surrounded by 10 medium-sized tents. sign that they're losing a fight. The smaller tents house two they pull up stakes and head to four \YOrkers each. At the for the. hills. point the story begins. the Toomes has trained five of workers' jobs are done, but Taza's braves Lo use Gatling Thomes keeps them around shotguns, which tends to even anyhow. They don't know why. out a lot of fights. These folk s but the real reason is that the tend to hang back until they ghost-rock bomb needs the know their services are needed. sacrifice of a couple dozen Then they launch themselves lives for the sorcerous into the thick of the fray. detonator to be able to rip through the fabric of the Bi,," Top #1 multi verse. In the meantime, This is where Toomes they collect their paychecks. spends just about all of his Of course, there's no way to While the sheep wait time. This humongous tent is a know what Toomes is building Bi,," Top#? patiently to be led to the combination laboratory, sleep the bomb for without somehow The second huge tent is slaughter. Toomes keeps them space, and warehouse. The getting it out of him. Since he's busy as "security" for his where the real payoff is. This is place is strewn about with rather easily intimidated, this where Storm walker sleeps (on pro)ect. Few of the people plans for all sorts of things, shouldn't be too much of a know a whole lot about what's the rare occasions that he most of which concentrate on push for someone who can get does-mostly in the day) and going on. All they're really sure various incarnations of the him alone for a few minutes. of is that Toomes has gathered where the ghost-rock bomb is ghost-rock bomb. The big secret in the tent is housed. himself a half a ton of ghost All of the blueprints are what's underneath the big tarp rock in a metal box he keeps If the heroes haven't seen dated, so it's easy to figure out in the middle of the room: a the plans for the bomb, they in Big Top #2. Also, Toomes which ones are the most number of metallic bodies in keeps tinkering around with might not understa nd what it recent. Given time to lake a various states of construction, is. II looks just like a steel some huge device he keeps in good look at the plans, a hero all loaded up on a steam tank Big TOp #1, but si nce all the cube, 10 feel on a side. Chunky who makes an Onerous (7) that's ready to go at a rivets hold the entire thing pieces were brought in tinkerin' check can determine moment's notice. These are five separately, no one's really sure together, and the seams have Just what it is that Toomes is different automatons that been caulked with resin and what it is. trying to build: the most Thomes is designing to help The workers are all pine tar, making the box powerful explosive device ever him out in his first entry into airtight. The cube is built as moderately loyal to wasatch known. the Savage West. and Toomes. After all, despite solid as a rock. , -

Atop the cube, there's a that they have someone with space for the sorcerous D$C~ them who's going to allow detonator that sets the whole them to step sideways into the thing orr. The detonator is in IA~ Hunting Grounds. Unless place, and it's ready to go off When all's said and done, they've cooked up something sometime soon (whenever you you want a few things to really strange, this should be a feel it might be dramatically happen. Garou. appropriate-use your judgment Toomes can be captured, or After all, the next ballle's here). he can get away on a rocket not going to be fought in the pack he's got hidden in his familiar territory of the Weird tent. If things fall right, the West. It's time to brave a whole heroes' are going to be too new world. busy to bring him to justice anyhow, so you might as well The detonator has three have him steam off into the wires coming out of it and sunset. snaking into the box. They are If Toomes is somehow killed, red, green, and blue. To defuse that's fine. He figures into the the bomb, all the heroes have ~frC14:O: ~~ (1Z) plot later down the line, but he to do is break the connection Attack: can be easily replaced. To with the blue wire. Toomes Rifle 3d6/ 3d6 Hellstromme. young inventors if Defense: can tell them this he's still eager to prove themselves to around and alive. Otherwise, Brawlin 2 him are a dime a dozen. it's up to the heroes. In the end, though. you want If they choose the wrong Werewolf: Firearms 3, Brawl 2 Stormwalker to get away. If he wire. well ... doesn't, the whole adventure Actually if the heroes pick comes crashing to an end, tong 4-fr~ the wrong wire, nothing before he gets to become a $H-OT~(3) happens. but the heroes don't true threat to the two Wests. If need to know that. (Toomes' Attack: the heroes are from the Weird design for the sorcerous Gatling shotgun 3dS/ 2d6+4d6 West, the Garou can always be detonator is slightly flawedJ Defense: captured or even "killed" and Play up the tension of the Brawlin 2 then step sideways to get away. moment for all it's worth. Make Either way, Stormwalker just them sweat a little before Werewolf: Firearms 3, Brawl 2 wails for the right time to giving them the payoff. make his break. You should realize that the Wj. -$frTCt+- ~ (20) heroes are supposed to . Attack: succeed at this adventure with ERLOWE Pistol 2d6/ 3d6 few problems. After all, it's not With any luck, most if not Defense: a whole lot of fun if the all of the heroes have made it Brawlin 1 heroes get whaCked right at through this adventure alive. the start of the story. The key thing is to make sure Werewolf: Firearms 2, Brawl I Co!IER'lJI:i- WB?&'OLF. THE 'MLD W£$T10 r::>E,.-~

Under a Harrowed Moon WOf?L"C6 ;4>,A-IIT trilogy), it's simple. Every Deadlands has already got character that we give details werewolves of its own, as on here has statistics for both described in the Deadlands Deadlands and Were""'if: The rulebook, but they're more like Wild West. Just use the set you traditional creatures of legend need for the game that you than the Carou of Were""'if: happen to be playing. The Wild West Up until now, the Weird West and the Savage ~~OJN TtI-E West have mixed as well as oil and bl<><>cL but the story begun WEm:> WE5-T in this book has blended the Some of you out there, two into a unique concoction though, may want to try to all its own. take one of your own heroes Roleplaying games are about and cast him in a whole new a lot more than just fiction, of light. For you brave souls, we've course. There's a game element got some rules for converting to it as well. your Werewolf: The Wild West If you want to play the creatures into Deadlands adventure in the back of this heroes. Let's start out with Dime Novel (and the rest of the • Aptitudes. We've listed how to ?IEP Z: .A-funES convert the basic Abilities on the chart below, but this list Dots Die Type TO ~l1JI:;>ES can't possibly cover every kind I d4 The more complicated part of skill. Sometimes it's just got 2 d6 of making a Garou into a to be up to the Marshal and 3 d8 Weird Western hero comes the player to get together and 4 dlO with converting Abilities to use their collective good sense. 5 dl2 • • The real question, of course, ~. f1lE.~, 'O~o·_ • is which Attributes convert to '" pi ,..:) which Traits. Just consult the Ability Aptitude following Attributes to Traits Alertness Scrutinize Table. Any time you've got Athletics Choose a Nimbleness skill more than one Attribute that Brawl Fightin': Brawlin' applies to a Trait. just average Dodge Dodge them. Empathy Scrutinize Expression Persuasion, Tale Tellin' • Intimidation Overawe Larceny Lockpickin' and Filchin' ..!. Primal-Urge No equivalent putting Garou in the Weird Subterfuge Scrutinize, Bluff & Gamblin' - Animal Ken West. Next time (in Under a Attribute Trait Animal Wranglin' Harrowed Moon: Savage Perception Cognition Crafts Tinkerin' passage), we'll cover Deadlands Intelligence Knowledge Etiquette Streetwise heroes in the Savage West. Charisma+ Firearms Shootin': (choose one concentration) Manipulation+ Leadership Leadership Appearance Mien Melee Fightin': (choose one weapon) ?1EP1: Wits Smarts Performance Performin': (choose one concentration) 1/2 Gnosis Spirit Ride Horse Ridin' .A--Tl1I<:AJ{CE.? Ability with the highest It YJOuld take the better part To mak.e a change in form, number of dots. If the Ability of a good-sized lx>ok to cover the Garou must make a Hard converts to more than one converting all the possible (9) Vigor roll. The hero can add Backgrounds into the its Primal-urge Ability to the Aptitude, use the same roll. . numbers for both. corresponding Edges and Oon't forget that all Hindrances, so we're leaving For every success the hero Dead/ands heroes get some that up to you and your gets, she can change one level levels in certain skills for free. Marshal. Just use your common of form. So a Garou that gets These are Area Knowledge: sense and remember: the two successes can change Home County 2, Climbin' I. Marshal's .....-ord is law. from a Hamid straight to a Crinos. Native Language 2. Search I, Sneak I. 4-MaJ DETAlL5 Ir the Garou goes bust, her Only use these numbers if transformation goes wrong in the converted werewolf: The Of course, Garou aren't like a painful way. This causes 3<16 wild West hero has no skills in your average garden-variety damage to the creature's guts. these areas. Otherwise. use the werewolves. They're a bit more though. Instead, it only heals complicated than that Besides converted dots. Do not add WOJI.DS one 'vVOund level per hour until these to the converted dots. all the Traits and Aptitudes, it manages to heal the affected Being the rough-and-tumble vital area(s) back to critical. mystical kinds of critters they This power makes Garou a~e, Garou take injury a bit terrible foes. but there are different than your average joe ways to defeat them. Garou might. cannot use their healing power Form Effect In any form, Garou take on any wounds inflicted by Hamid None. damage normally. However, silver. fire. electricity, direct Glabro Add 2 die types to Strength and Vigor. Take I die when they're in Glabro, Crinos, type from Mien. Terror 7. magiC Oike a soul blast). or or Hispo forms, they heal one supernatural creatures (like Crinos Add 4 die types to Strength. Add 3 die types to Vigor. wound level in every location Add I die type to Deftness. Take 3 die types from other were'NOlves, whether in which they're injured-every they're Garou or noll. Mien. Terror 9. turn. These wounds hea l at the Hispo Add 3 die types to Strength and Vigor. Add 2 die The Garou's healing types to Deftness. Take 3 die types from Mien. normal rate. They can be automatically takes place at healed more quickly by Terror 5. the start of each turn. If he preachers, hucksters, and Lupus Add 2 die types to Deftness and Vigor. Add 1 die ever takes a maiming 'NOund to type to Strength. Take 3 die types from Mien. Take shamans with the right kind of the guts or noggin, the Garou magical powers. 2 die types from Cognition. goes down. It's not dead, r v/f}?D ~,I,f~Cv 1

Rage roll for a number of The Target NUm~be::r~O:f~':h:e~-::-'-::~--~~-.... R/.4E different reasons (see WereVtlOIf: Cognition roll is determined by \t~L.;. PO,'F'? C ..:H~ .. You should keep track of The wild west for all about the phase of the moon, as ' .. ,. .$ your Carou's Rage. just like you this). The difficulty of a Rage shown on the Rage Against the Willpower would if he was roaming roll depends on the phase of Moon Table. The Fate Chip Points Fate Chip around the Savage West. Just the moon (unless the critter's spent doesn't affect the I White consider it an extra stat that is trying to stay on his feet, in Cognition roll, no matter what 3 Red gained and recovered like which case it doesn't apply). kind it is, but you can spend 5 Blue normal. You can spend Rage in additional chips to affect the Deadlands games in the • • roll. On a success, the Garou lQ.4E ,A-4M!~-'­ regains (or retains) control. ~~ (ollowing ways: ,,,£/11001 • Gnosis is handled just the Extra Actions: By spending S way it is in wereWOlf: The Wild a point of Rage. the hero can F,A-TE C+l-lP~ West Keep track of It just like draw another Ac tion Card A Moon Target"- A Garou can use Fate Ch ips you normally would. [t can be Carou can spend up to her Phase Number to purchase points of Rage, as used to activate Gifts or Deftness Coordination each Full 3 shown on the table below. fetishes regu larly. Gibbous 5 turn in this way. Gnosis can be regained Half 7 Changing Forms: A Carou through a variety of means, Crescent can spend a Rage point to 9 but most often by way of shapesh ift to any form it likes New 11 meditation. After one hour of without having to roll for il Fate Chip Rage Points contemplation, the Garou Stun Checks: When making ~ t,. White I makes an Onerous en Smarts a stun check, a Carou can Red 2 check. She gains one Gnosis spend a point of Rage (before ~OL.L.j,-SLE Blue 3 point for every success and rolling) to make it instantly. 1l0l? hour spent in meditation Staying on Your Feet: .A-<: (whichever is the least). Whenever a Garou gets three ~T+l-Ev/~F When a Carou's taken a Note thal a Garou can never maiming wound to the noggin or more successes on a Rage If a Garou has no Rage (and have more Gnosis than she or guts, it can stay on its feet roll, he goes a bit bonkers. no Fate Chips to buy it with), starts out with. (and continue righting. running. Handle this just Like you she cannot shapeshift In fact, or whatever) by making a Rage normally VJOuld (i.e.. usually it's she reverts to her natural form roll. He rolls Id6 for every point pretty bad for the Garou and until she has more Rage. <=i1FT~ t,. FEll~ ' I £$ of Rage he's gOl left. The anyone nearby). These things each have their difficully is Hard (9). Each Also, sometimes the Marshal 'NiLLPOiR own subsystem that they work success heals a single Y/Ound may reveal that the Garou has on, and they're all described in level, even if from aggravated an uncontrollable urge to do Garou don't have Willpower, delail in wereWOlf: The Wild damage. something (like gu t someone so to speak, in the Wei rd West. West. Again, it would take a who's hacking him off). Instead, this converts over to large book to recast each and The Ga rou can get out of Fate Chips. You can convert everyone of these in a R/.4E K:'0Ll5 either a frenzy or an beginning Willpower points Deadlands mold. Instead, it's up Garou tend to think with uncontrollable urge by into Fate Chips by purchasing 10 the player and Marshal to their large, pounding hearts, spending a Fate Chip to make them for the costs shown on figure these things out for and they might have to make a a Cognition roll. the Willpower Chips Table. themselves. - should also add an area's Fear ~~,-!+o~, Level to the Target Number. This represents how much II1.SDO\\ t,. RJ,->IK more difficult the manitous Don't worry about these make running the Gauntlet things. They only function in into their home. Garou society. and unless you've got a whole lot of Garou wandering around the Weird West, they're not going to mean a whole lot in the Area TN - game. City II Town 9 Frontier 7 Wilderness 5 The Delirium doesn't work in the Weird West. The human The number of successes a cullures in the world of Garou gets determines how Dead/ands haven't been preyed quickly he moves into the upon by werewolves for Hunting Grounds. Check out generations, so they don't have the Stepping Speed Table the same kind of reactions as people in the Savage Wesl • or course, people still get sca red out of their wits when ... they see werewolves running Successes Time around. and they need to make Bust Stuck in the Terror checks. Gauntlet o Failed; must wait .slE~ .:StDEvP$ an hour to try Garou actually have the again power to move directly into the 1 5 minutes Penumbra. In Dead/ands terms, 2 30 seconds they're stepping right into the 3 Instant Hunting Grounds. lb do SQ, a Garou needs to Hanging around in the gaze into a reflective surface Hunting Grounds can be of some type. Then his player dangerous. For every 10 rolls Id6 for every point of minutes a Garou stays there, Gnosis he has. The difficulty is he must make another Gnosis determined by how populated check. If he fails it, he's forced a place is (since there are no back into the Weird West by caerns in the Weird west). You rampaging manitous. 9003

Ronan Lynch doesn't know what's in store for him when he checks oul that mysterious Wasatch camp basking in the light of the full moon. But it's more than he was bargaining fOf. An encounter with a ferocious beast known as a Carau (that's one mother of a werewolf to most folksllaunches the undead gunslinger and his friends into the heart of a twisted pial. If they and their Garou allies fail to foil it, the savage West is going to look a lot like the Weird Westn." and a lot of people are going to end up dead-or worse. As someone once said. "There will come a Reckoning." You'd better pray that's wrong.

Slrong~ BedJellOWS is the first Oime Novel'" In the Under 0 Harrowed Moon tnlogy It Indudes the first part of a triple-length n(ll.'elJa and a Deodkmds'" l*rewolI The Wild West'" adventure