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Emotion Magic: A Wild West High Fantasy Adventure.

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Zedalb

Zedalb

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The Basics​

In this setting people and animals differ from us, by having within them eight gates of power. Each gate is tied to a separate emotion, through focus and usage of that emotion in sufficient strength one can do amazing things. Typical each emotion can be felt externally or internally causing it to have an internal or an external effect respectively.

The Gates in no particular order are.
Emotion Internal Effect External Effect
Passion Super Strength Fire Manipulation
Joy Super Speed Wind Manipulation
Resolve/Will Power Super Toughness Earth/Metal Manipulation
Love Regeneration Healing others
Empathy Super Senses Lightning Manipulation
Sorrow Enhanced Wisdom Water Manipulation
Fear Invisibility/Incorporeal Shadow Manipulation
Hatred Slow Death Death Manipulation
Internal Emotion:To feel an emotion, for, about or to one's self.

Passion: Feeling passionate about the things that make you who you are, whether that is art, ideas or whatever else
Joy: To be happy with who you are, a happiness derived from within. A choice to be happy
Resolve: Self discipline to be able to make yourself do boring task or focus when you would rather not. The ability to master yourself or be resolved for others.
Love: Loving yourself for the person you are.
Empathy: Forgiving yourself for mistakes and treating yourself well, understanding of who you are.
Sorrow: True regret for your actions statements or for who you are.
Fear: Fear for your own life or fear of the consequences of what will happen to you.
Hatred:Self Loathing

External Emotion: To feel an emotion, for, about or to others. (The easier of the two)
Passion: To feel passionate about others or things outside of your control. Your love life, or a sunset invoking passion.
Joy:Happiness because of others, or things outside your control. Truly enjoyment of raid for instance.
Resolve: The ability to continue in spite of fatigue, pain, injury. To stand up to others and withstand great burdens.
Love:To love someone or something else.
Empathy: To be compassionate and understanding of others.
Sorrow:To feel sorrow because of things outside your control, or to feel sorrow for others or what happens to others.
Fear: To feel concern for others lives or the consequences of what will happen to them.
Hatred:Loathing of others or of things other than yourself.
White it is technically true that anyone can use any gate. In practice only those that live extreme lives tend to be able to reliably use them. A quiet peaceful life does not lend itself to the uproar of emotion it takes to use an emotion for the first time. The first time, being considered the most difficult, because after that you have the memory of what inspired the first use and a little practice to know what you are doing. The first time is often called "The Awakening of" it's respective emotion. After the Awakening the emotion required seems much lower but always a type of cost. You can only focus on one memory so many times before it loses it's metaphorical weight to you after all. Emotions are tricky things and power can vary wildly week to week.

Most people live and work without any reliance upon the gates, only truly using them a few times in their lives. For instance traditionally a man makes the wedding ring before proposing. If he is not resolved enough to make the ring, then he is not resolved enough for marriage is the sentiment. He may light candles with a flick of his wrist on his wedding night, eager for what is to come. However years later the memory lacks the weight and emotion it did the night of and he may no longer be able to manipulate even the smallest flame.

That is not the case for everyone though. Those who show talent from a young age for the gates are thrust into positions where they must use them. Often dangerous violent ones, leading to a cycle. Their grand ideas and emotions put them in positions where big things are happening to them leading to powerful emotion which leads to large things happening to them again. Combat and the things that lead to it after all are emotional things. The Texas ranger hunting down the outlaw that killed his family certain has the emotional fuel to do amazing things in his coming fights. Not just that but years of battle, saving lives and seeing others die have given him a wealth of experience in using those powers and big emotional events that he can call upon.
So passion for your wife may let you manipulate fire what does that mean? Well it means manipulating and moving flames, growing or shrinking them, creating and throwing fire balls. It means your sword catching fire, or your bullets being coated in fire. The more complex of those take practice to do practice which is hard to get without living a life with lots of passion and emotion. Though there is a small cheat, excelling or practice in one aspect of an emotion makes the other aspect of that emotion come easier. If you are very passionate about your wife and thus great with fire manipulation, you will find passion coming easier in other areas, including internally. Leading to super strength being much easier for you.

However people are not limited to feeling or using one emotion at a time. We are more complex than that, multiple emotions and their effects can be mixed. For internal effects this means you can be super strong, and super tough at the same time. For external though it means you may create and throw flaming stones or make a fire that heals those close enough to feel its warmth. The particular skilled, may be able to not just stop a fire from damaging a stone wall but to rebuild it. If they feel the right emotions strongly enough and have enough practice for that type of fine tune control.

Each emotion after the second becomes much harder to feel and manipulate distinctly as is only natural.

However there are (at least) three other advanced usages of the gates that can make someone much stronger.

First is the opening of a gate. Someone who becomes advanced enough in one emotion may "Open" the gate, which will stop them from actively using any others though they may still function as a natural consequence of their uncontrolled emotions as normal. However the gate they did open will have both the internal and the external function of that gate working incredibly powerfully for a short time.

Secondly is known as "Completion" and is considered something of a myth. It is said that by awakening all eight of the gates and reaching a level of competency with them has amazing effects. However since it is rare to find someone that can use even 3 different gates with competency finding someone to test this on is nearly impossible. There are legends it makes all the internal effects permanent, others say it makes all usage of the gates trivially easy taking only the slightest emotion. However once again no one knows the truth.

Third is called acceptance, it is the ability to accept the emotions of others and use them for your own magic. It takes an incredible mastery of whatever emotion you intend to use and something beyond that, that is a closely guarded secret.

The Setting
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1870 Texas has the wild west in full swing where outlaws tend to have magic more often than quiet civilians. The additional danger criminals and wars pose has lead to a different America. Castles and Knights are a common sight. After all the resolute knight will find his armor withstanding bullet after bullet. It is far easier to kill such a knight with another Knight who's great passion gives him the strength to cut through such enhanced armor. Not to say that gunman are uncommon. Emotions are tricky things and those that can use them readily and reliably in such a way are few and far between. The country as a whole could barely summon ten thousand such knights. So for everyone else that can not manipulate the elements on any given day, guns are a must. Luckily for the gunman a knights resolve only needs to waver for a moment.

State Governors are treated like dukes trusted to police their state and raise an army if needed but to always remain loyal to the current president. In truth the governors ability to raise an army is also to keep each other in check and deal with larger threats. Jesse James for instance is using his hatred so that those he kills comes back as zombies under his command. His gang is learning similar tricks and other ways to leverage magic. To fight that with a police force would be suicide so the Governor of Texas is raising an army and calling upon the knights. Soon an epic confrontation between the two sides will unfold. Of course there is also the fear that Mexico will try to reclaim Texas, another need for the army in and of itself.

All of which is before the monsters and beast that roam the dangerous until recently undeveloped lands, show up. They will show up as the first picture hints.
Militia: The standard protectors of a town, equipped with a breastplate and a revolver they are meant more as emergency police than soldiers, but when trouble comes it isn't uncommon to see them use a personal rifle. They are untrained in the magical arts but some have talent anyway.
Riflemen: The most common type of solider, they are equipped with a rifle a tench coat and hat in camouflage colors and leather armor that is unlikely to stop anything but the weakest shot. Armor was considered a waste with canons and magic being thrown around, stealth was chosen instead. Most untrained in the magical arts, they may have some capable of magic with them though for support.

Heavy Riflemen: The elites of the infantry, in order to become one, one must first show talent in super toughness. This proves both that they are resolved to the hard training and that they can make the most use of that armor. Super toughness enhancing them, and earth and metal manipulation enhancing the armor. They are equipped with bolt or level action rifles and a breast plate with a few other pieces of armor depending on the unit. Largely used to defend castle walls.

Texas Ranger: Not truly a military unit and even in their training they are not taught much in the way of magic mostly a bit of resolve to survive injuries and to enhance their slugs. They are equipped with whatever armor they want, and a shotgun and revolver. Using metal manipulation to make the shotguns hit harder. The rangers hunt down, outlaws and beast that are not easily killed.

Gun-mage: The second rarest type of solider. Gun mages are those that can do incredibly things with firearms and magic. Often capable of out shooting a dozen trained men. Their talents vary widely but even one or two can change a battle field, by making incredible shots or just so damn many of them. Gun mages often go on to stop needing their tools and become full mages.
Duelist: Dueling is a dying art, but do not let the name fool you, they wear armor on the side of the body they fight with always pointing it towards the enemy along with their sword and occasional pistol side arm. The ones that survive any length of time, are capable of super speed and using at least one element to enhance their attacks.

Mage: The few and far between. Those who have learned to become walking artillery pieces with the magic they have learned. Each is capable of huge effects and worth hundreds on men on the battle field. Each is far to unique to give much more description to. They are equipped with whatever the fuck they want and are capable of damn near anything.

Knights:Once again it is resolve that defines a military unit. The knights are a tradition passed down through families, studying war from as soon as they could walk, and all the while studying the gates. In fact a large part of the tradition is practices to help ensure each knight is capable of a high degree of internal magic to make themselves a mighty warrior.

Knights of Passion: Some knights take their training even further focusing on a single gate until they can learn to open it. The most common of which is passion. Swinging huge axes with super strength, while the axes are of course burning brightly. Combined with nasty fire manipulation leads to them being a heavy front line mass casualty causing unit. Sadly very few knights manage this.

Knights of X: Knights who can open other gates exist, though they are varying degrees of rare.

Undead Minions: Some who delve into hatred learn not just how to kill but how to raise the dead to use them for their own ends, this is one such example.
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Guns: Anything 1870-1880 is around though lever action rifles are still more common than bolt, and revolvers are almost as common as pants. Cannons and a few early miniguns are around.

Bows: Are used by some with the passion necessary to use bows strong enough to hurt people through plate armor and resolves protection.

Electricity: Commonly used by wind generators and the light bulb has already been invented a few years early and is fairly common, only really frontier towns don't use them. Nothing in the way of computers.

Fortifications: Castles can easily be raised by groups of highly dedicated people, making them common, they also can be reinforced by those same people making them more dependable. They are key in many commanders defensive plans more so considering how helpful the walls are for riflemen and the towers are for snipers.

Cars:Not in use yet

Horses: Used mostly for transportation rarely for war, though some animals can use gates and show magical abilities, it is nearly impossible to train for and not reliable enough for combat. Though some individual have trust worthy battle ready steeds no one can field them in a battle field safely. With the devastating power of fairly common magic they just aren't worth it for anything beyond troop transports.

Trains: Trains are commonly in use and the rail road is rapidly expanding in every direction, several companies competing and fighting a corporate war over rights and locations.

Steam boats: Fill what few rivers in Texas are large enough to use for large scale boat shipping.

Hot air balloons: Used for scouting and watching over large amounts of terrain, and even the occasional mage or gun mage using it as a way to survey and rain death onto the battle field.

Telegraphs: Common and there is a small corporate war to become the dominate company with horse riders delivering letters to the recipients.
OOC
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I wanted to do a system where players had to think about the emotions their characters where feeling. I wanted fireball to be more than a 5d6 attack that takes six seconds of casting. I aim here to make a goal where what emotions are involved and why are constantly relevant. Where infighting is okay because it serves a purpose as well. Power does not come from knowing Pyromancy+6 it comes from the ways in which you are human. Though visibly super powers from emotion may feel like showing rather than telling a story. I hope it can be an avenue for the strong quiet type to express themselves without lots of introspection or for those who struggle to write out deeper feelings to convey themselves.

I want this to be a deeper more meaningful story telling experience for all of us. I'm also taking Co-GMs because I'd love to play and am not willing to GM myself out of fairness.

​
Character Creation​

You have 100 points to spend and all expenditures must fit within the back story. I am more than happy to work with you for character creation to help I understand how difficult it can be for original settings and I tried to give enough information for you.

5 Points: "I have a badge" some symbol of office and authority like being a Texas ranger, needs approval.
5 Points: Gun Familiarity: you aren't formally trained but your comfortable loading and shooting any gun not as good as a skill.
5 Points: Melee Weapon Familiarity: You aren't formally trained but you know your way around a knife or sword.
5 Points: Emotional Keepsake:You possess an item that is very special to you and makes using one emotion much easier as long as you have it.

5 Points: Can use one of the gates internally or externally (Maximum of 3 gates that can be used in any way)
10 Points: Can use one of the gates internally and externally (Maximum of 3 gates that can be used in any way) (Does not require the previous)
10 Points: Novice in one gate of choice (Can be chosen for each gate you can use paying the cost each time)
20 Points: Apprentice in one gate of choice (Must buy novice first, must buy each rank independently)
20 Points: Journeyman in one gate of choice (Must buy Apprentice first, must buy each rank independently)
20 Points: Can open one gate of choice (Must buy Journeyman first, must buy each rank independently)

10 Points: Novice in one gun of choice from "Rifle, Shotgun or Pistol". (Can be chosen for each gun paying the cost each time)
20 Points: Apprentice in one gun of choice (Must buy novice first, must buy each rank independently)
20 Points: Journeyman in one gun of choice (Must buy Apprentice first, must buy each rank independently)
20 Points: Expert in one gun of choice (Must buy Journeyman first, must buy each rank independently)

Melee weapon skill cost the same as gun but there is only one category "Melee weapon skill"
You are free to invent your own skills at the same cost as gun skills like "Gun smith, Tracking, Medicine"


Sheet Template:
Name:
Age:
Sex:
Appearance: (Picture and description preferred)
Back Story: (must include how you know and are willing to work for the duke of Texas)
Points Spent:
Equipment: (You can have whatever you can carry or wear on you, day to day without super strength, and a horse)​
 
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World Information
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The Catholic Church officially claims that it was Jesus sacrifice that allowed us to use the gates, and that they are a miracle given by heaven or hell. Several historians and records contradict this. Those people are normally found dead in quiet fashion, those books and records burned and lost. Some people suspect that what the church claims is false however they rarely speak up treating it as a polite fiction. Faith is after all a very Emotional thing, and the agents of the church are incredibly powerful.

The invention of gunpowder did not lead the elimination of the knight. Instead it reduced it from a common sight to a rare specialist. As knightly families died off their training methods, and tactics were taken or given to the families that were stronger. Often the weaker families would band together or join with a stronger one to keep the tradition alive. Many people found strength in the adversity, instead of being killed off by guns they grew stronger for having a bar they were resolved to pass, and tradition they were desperate to keep alive. In this way the number of knights quickly died, but survival of the fittest took over in a way making them stronger but a rare sight.

The American revolution was won on the nature of magic. England was certain their larger, better trained army with many more mages of all types that they were certain to win. However the truth was that their soldiers found it hard to care about the war nearly as much as the revolutionist. The red coats felt they were fighting over something stupid, people rebelling over taxes that were tiny. The rebels felt they were fighting for great ideas and freedom. This lead to American mages on average being able to channel much stronger magic. George Washington took this a step further and broke the traditional large block of riflemen into small tight knit groups. They were fighting for each other and used those bonds as another source of power.
When the American revolution was won, with knights and their traditions still being alive it shaped the nation a little differently. Governors serve for life and normally prepare their children to be the next Governor, giving them the nick name of "Duke". Though this is technically inaccurate it is for all intents and purposes correct. This also exist to makes the states stronger and more independent which helps with the separation of church and state.
​
Texas

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Texas is fucked. Monsters are a common sight, animals who have been changed by the gates, with some creatures having gates we do not or their gates acting differently from humans mutating them into giant beast. More colonized areas without the same huge open areas have far less monsters, it seems they take time to grow and with Texas so huge it's common for them to get huge before being seen by humans. Though there are other theories on why Texas has so many and so dangerous of ones.

Outlaws exist everywhere but the wild nature of Texas leads to more, and they open spaces for them to hide in lead to them living longer and growing stronger. They are also a circular problem, many of them having become outlaws after the government failed to get justice from previous outlaws.
The outlaws are also fueled by the reputed wealth in Texas. Oil, gold and silver are all said to be more common than water in Texas, and others dream of owning a cattle ranch and becoming rich as the plantation owners became on the backs of slaves. After all land is cheap and surely if you don't find anything, raising cattle on it would be easy right? With so many constantly coming seeking wealth, and a few of them succeeding there are always new fools to rob who aren't quite ready enough with a gun.


Finally and most damming Texas has two wars being fought on it's soil, only one of which it is actively in. A half dozen railroad companies are fighting over the rail roads and the wealth that comes with them, each raising a private army as "Security to protect from the bandits" then disguising them as bandits to attack each other. The Duke is in a difficult position, with legitimate bandits he can't stop them from having large groups of armed guards. He also can't just back one and make it the only one allowed under the current laws. Nor would he want to give one company that much power to have such full control over the budding transportation network.

The second war is with Mexico. On paper the war is over. In practice Mexico is operating in the same way as the railroad companies, sending soldiers over the border and attacking Texas held castles and then claiming they were rogue factions or that they were just bandits seeking wealth. Texas and the states as a whole are recovering from the civil war and with all of Texas's other problems they can not afford a full blow war with Mexico. More so since Mexico still has an Aztec population known to be more skilled with death related magic than anyone else.​
 
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Resources!

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Main Cities.​
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I don't know why I need it but fuck it this one is reserved too.
 
Okay this is the last one I am reserving I guess, so feel free to post now! Oh god someone please have post. I haven't slept well in days obsessing over this if it isn't loved I'm going to do a lot of drinking. I poured my heart and soul out man. Jesus fuck I want this to work.


Okay yeah post now please....
 
No worries, man. I'm in this like Flynn. Will get to more serious character creation in a bit, but for now have a pic.


Doesn't hurt that I've been bingeing on Westworld the past week.
 
Sinsystems said:
Hmm I'm interested, quick question @Zedalb which emotion do you think Faith should fall under?
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Faith is a complex idea that can be expressed many ways.

Resolve to see through the tenants of your faith.
Passion in what you believe in.
Sorrow for your sins.
Fear of a Wrathful god.
Joy in your faith because god said to worship "With a joyful noise".


Being a very faithful person could be an avenue into more than one rather than just an expression of anyone as well.
 
Zedalb said:
Faith is a complex idea that can be expressed many ways.

Resolve to see through the tenants of your faith.
Passion in what you believe in.
Sorrow for your sins.
Fear of a Wrathful god.
Joy in your faith because god said to worship "With a joyful noise".


Being a very faithful person could be an avenue into more than one rather than just an expression of anyone as well.
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Alright then, also might I ask how skilled one would be at Expert Melee Weapon Skill (Longsword)?
 
Sinsystems said:
Alright and might I ask what the exact differences between Love and Empathy is because I plan on being a very Knight Errant style character who won't refuse the cry of someone in need.
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Empathy is the ability to understand and feel something for a person.

Love is LOVE

Empathy is compassion, and understanding when you hear a stranger lost a child, you may feel for them, that is empathetic and sad.

But your child is someone you love and would move mountains for.
 
Zedalb said:
Empathy is the ability to understand and feel something for a person.

Love is LOVE

Empathy is compassion, and understanding when you hear a stranger lost a child, you may feel for them, that is empathetic and sad.

But your child is someone you love and would move mountains for.
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Understood, finally I want to check how being able to use a Gate but not having even Novice level skill in it would affect me.
 
Sinsystems said:
Understood, finally I want to check how being able to use a Gate but not having even Novice level skill in it would affect me.
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Mostly it would be unreliable. You could do it, when that emotion was burning particularly hot or when you were desperate or lucky.

You also couldn't pull very fine measures of control with it.
 
Kensai said:
No worries, man. I'm in this like Flynn. Will get to more serious character creation in a bit, but for now have a pic.


Doesn't hurt that I've been bingeing on Westworld the past week.
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Somehow missed your post, but I like the picture and I'm happy to have you.
 
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Sinsystems Knight
  • Threadmarks
    • Name: Gustav Von Hecker
    Age: 24
    Sex: Male
    Appearance:

    Back Story: Once not too long ago there existed a house of Germanic Nobles, the Von Heckers. While never all that wealthy, for nobles at least, they were nevertheless able to exist through a series of clever investments.

    To this family were born two children, Gustav a lad who fell in love with the ideals of the Knight and received training from some of the finest tutors money could buy and his sister Maria, a sickly girl who suffered from a disease that no medicine could fully cure, only ease and yet never let it diminish her caring heart. They were inseparable with young Gustav dotting on his sister at every opportunity and Maria smiling at her older sibling's antics.

    But it all came to a sudden end one day, when their entire world came crashing down. Unbeknownst to Gustav and Maria their family's finances had been suffering in recent years and in desperation their father had taken out a loan with some rather dangerous people in order to try one last time to salvage his investments....he fail and they lost everything when the debt was due and his 'friend' came to collect.

    Left with no other options Gustav took his sister and all that he could carry and fled. For weeks they ran across Europe and using what little they had left they fled across the ocean to America.

    However without the constant Medical treatments their family's wealth afforded her Maria's health rapidly began to deteriorate....and there was nothing Gustav could do, except pray for a miracle. Every day he would do what he could, earn the money he could to buy her just a little more time and pray that somehow he'd find a way.

    Then one day as he lay his entire being at the feet of god, begging for a way he met him....the Duke of Texas, the man who was his miracle.

    Points Spent:
    • 70 Points: Expert Melee Weapon Skill (Long Sword)
    • 20 Points: Can use Gate (Passion and Resolve/Will) internally and externally
    • 5 Points: Can use Gate (Love) Internally.
    • 5 Points: Emotional Keepsake (Love), A locket with the picture of a small girl.
    Equipment:
    • Steel Longsword.
    • Knight Armor with white mantle.
    • Weapon/Armor Maintenance kit.
    • Basic Survival Supplies (Contains water bottle, travel rations and flint)
    • Prayer Book + Silver Cross.

    This is the basic sheet, I plan on working on the backstory at a later date. @Zedalb how connected is the Duke, say for instance could he ensure that a child with medical issues is taken care of?
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Sinsystems said:
    Name: Gustav Von Hecker
    Age: 24
    Sex: Male
    Appearance:

    Back Story: -WIP-
    Points Spent:
    • 70 Points: Expert Melee Weapon Skill (Long Sword)
    • 20 Points: Can use Gate (Passion and Resolve/Will) internally and externally
    • 5 Points: Can use Gate (Love) Internally.
    • 5 Points: Emotional Keepsake (Love), A locket with the picture of a small girl.
    Equipment:
    • Steel Longsword.
    • Knight Armor with white mantle.
    • Weapon/Armor Maintenance kit.
    • Basic Survival Supplies (Contains water bottle, travel rations and flint)
    • Prayer Book + Silver Cross.

    This is the basic sheet, I plan on working on the backstory at a later date. @Zedalb how connected is the Duke, say for instance could he ensure that a child with medical issues is taken care of?
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    He could if it would give him some value. Duke/Governor (Technical the second, but enough people call him each it doesn't matter)
     
    Sinsystems said:
    Well obviously it would be Gustav's primary reason for working with him, classic "Take care of my little sister" arrangement.
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    Yep that would work just fine and the duke would be willing to do so.

    Though if it is not permanently heal-able it needs to be cancer. (Not a disease that can be killed, but a malfunction of the body itself)
     
    Zedalb said:
    Yep that would work just fine and the duke would be willing to do so.

    Though if it is not permanently heal-able it needs to be cancer. (Not a disease that can be killed, but a malfunction of the body itself)
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    That works, honestly the type of illness doesn't really affect the backstory too much.

    The basic idea I am going for is this

    Gustav and his sister were once members of a German Noble family, Gustav took a fancy to the way of the knight and was tutored by the best sword instructors the family could afford (Hence high sword skills but low Gate abilities). Family collapsed due to poor financial decisions and political intrigue. Gustav and his sister fled to America. Sister's illness got worse and worse, with Gustav's faith developing as he frequently visited churches to pray for a miracle as there was almost no way he'd be able to afford his sister's treatments on his own. By sheer luck ran into the Duke (Plus the Duke's guards) on the road, were attacked by bandits/monsters and Gustav managed to impress the Duke enough that the Duke wanted to employ him. Gustav outlined his price (IE to take care of his sister) and the Duke accepted.
     
    Sinsystems said:
    That works, honestly the type of illness doesn't really affect the backstory too much.

    The basic idea I am going for is this

    Gustav and his sister were once members of a German Noble family, Gustav took a fancy to the way of the knight and was tutored by the best sword instructors the family could afford (Hence high sword skills but low Gate abilities). Family collapsed due to poor financial decisions and political intrigue. Gustav and his sister fled to America. Sister's illness got worse and worse, with Gustav's faith developing as he frequently visited churches to pray for a miracle as there was almost no way he'd be able to afford his sister's treatments on his own. By sheer luck ran into the Duke (Plus the Duke's guards) on the road, were attacked by bandits/monsters and Gustav managed to impress the Duke enough that the Duke wanted to employ him. Gustav outlined his price (IE to take care of his sister) and the Duke accepted.
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    That could work, and I already have a few twisty turny ideas.
     
    PX-12 Gun Slinger
  • Threadmarks
    • Well, this is certainly interesting. Sign me up!

    Name: "Mad Henry" Callahan

    Age: 25

    Sex: Male

    Appearance: Henry Callahan is a tall and off putting man. Stand ing at just over 6 feet with a strong build, he cuts an imposing figure from afar. Sporting a usually matted mop of golden blonde hair, Henry tends to look like quite the mess when face to face. He usually wears a leather longcoat with a vest and gloves, a yellow or white colored shirt underneath and a pair of dark pants and thick boots. His most striking features, however, are his piercing blue eyes, which seem to perpetually give an intense, almost demented look to Henry's face regardless of every other feature. It was that particular look that earned him the nickname "Mad Henry".


    Backstory: Born as the son of a Rifleman and a brothel woman, Henry was one of many unfortunate souls to be abandoned and made an orphan. After being picked up by a nun who happened upon him, he was cared for in an orphanage. Henry's time in his home was generally not a very happy one. Due to his rather frightening eyes and strangely carefree attitude, he was ostracized by many of the children he was stuck with. Even many adults stayed clear of him. That is, except one child. Her name was Colette, and Henry was absolutely infatuated with her. She and him were kindred spirits. She too was ostracized from everyone else due to her being part Cherokee. He spent nearly all of his free time with her. The best memories of his childhood came from the travels they took through the arad plains of Kansas. His most precious memory came his tenth birthday, when he was fortunate enough to take a picture with Colette, something he kept with him for the rest of his life; it was one of the last times he ever saw her before she was adopted.

    By the time Henry was thirteen, he was quite fit and cut an imposing figure, making him less than desirable as an adoptee. What definitely did not help was the fact that he often practiced using firearms, saying that he wanted to become something great, like a Ranger. However, one day, he was finally taken up by a terrifying old man simply named Ned. A retired bounty hunter, he saw potential in the kid and took him as his protégé.

    Henry was molded into a quintessential gunslinger, able to kill a man in the blink of an eye. He was also taught discipline and the importance of how to compose oneself when on the job. The training was grueling. Many times, he was nearly killed due to Ned's unorthodox methods. However, he always grit his teeth and kept on going. Then, one day, his training was put to the test. An uppity bandit showed up onto a house Ned had been staying at. One of the members attempted to rob Ned and Henry, trying to goad them into doing something stupid. The two kept their cool until the bandit decided on pulling out his gun. In a split second, Henry dropped him with three pristine shots; one to the head, neck and chest.

    After checking the body, Henry figured out that this lowly bandit was actually a member of a group of outlaws called the "Chapman Gang", lead by Bill Chapman. Once he figure this out, he immediately set off to make sure they didn't come back in retaliation. When he arrived, it was the dead of night. By the morning, eleven of the thirteen men within the Chapman Gang were dead, each given a bullet between the eyes. Henry had then spent the better part of an afternoon collecting the bounties on their heads, just as Ned taught him. This little act gave him quite a bit of notoriety.

    Of course, the actual gunfight was much less impressive; when he left home on horseback, he meant to go there to at least attempt peace. After all, fighting the whole gang on their own would have been suicide by his own thoughts. By the time he arrived to the saloon they were in, however, nearly all the members were drunk, including Arnold Chapman. After his attempts at diplomacy failed, he saw one of the men threaten him before reaching for his pistol. In that moment all six of his bullets were fired and all six found their mark, leaving half a dozen corpses on the ground. What followed was a shootout that Henry, with skill, grit and more than a bit of good fortune, came out of victorious. The booze hampering the gang's aim certainly helped as well. The only sober member member of the shootout saw the carnage and had the good sense to get the hell out, galloping away on horseback. On his trip to a saloon, he told others of this madman gunslinger, the crazed look in his eyes as he shot down ten men.

    After the scrape with danger, Henry decided that he had completed his tutelage underneath Ned. After a heartfelt goodbye, the two parted ways. Since then, Henry has collected the bounties of many outlaws, each one felled in a flash. He gained the epithet "Mad Henry" Callahan due to the glare he would give his target as he drew his gun. Eventually, he found his way to Texas in search of a job as a Ranger and to follow a recent lead on an old crush.

    Points Spent:
    • 70 Points: Expert Ranged Weapon Skill (Pistol).
    • 10 Points: Can use Gate (Love) internally and externally.
    • 10 Points: Can use Gate (Resolve) Internally and Externally.
    • 5 Points: Can use Gate (Joy) Internally.
    • 5 Points: Emotional Keepsake (Love) - A picture of a young Henry and a young girl.
    Equipment:
    • Twin Colt .45 "Peacemaker" Revolvers
    • Ammunition belt and gun holsters
    • Leather long coat
    • Backpack (Contains a canteen and rations, a journal, a fountain pen and ink, a matchbox, a gun cleaning and repair kit, a wash rag and a pair of extra clothes)
    • A Horse "Gallagher"
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Will complete later (it's early in the morning for me right now). Also (not gonna see this till tomorrow, but still), what does Super Senses entail? Does it just increase reflexes or does it give your five senses a boost?
     
    Last edited:
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