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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2810143" data-attributes="member: 8530">This Story Hour continues our Wild West campaign that uses combined Dungeons & Dragons and Boot Hill rules.   This particular story uses TSR's 1982 module "Ballots & Bullets" by David James Ritchie as the basis for the story.   The campaign takes place in Promise City, Arizona, a mining town approximately sixty miles east of Tombstone, Arizona.  The first three modules from this campaign (and Story Hour links) are:Revenge, Renewal, and the Promise of a New Year  (January 1882) played Aug. 2004 to Feb. 2005 <a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=99053" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=99053</a>Wizards, Whiskey, and Wonderful Things (March to April 1882) played Feb. to Aug. 2005<a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=115136" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=115136</a>Here there be Vampires (April to May 1882) played Aug. to Dec. 2005<a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=146609" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=146609</a>Primary Cast of CharactersJake Cook – “The Gambler”, male human rogue/fighter (Baradtgnome)Minerva Florencia - "The Priestess", female human cleric (moon dancer)Katherine Kale - “The Teacher”, female human expert/wizard (orchid blossom)Chester Martin - “The Deputy”, male human fighter/ranger (SteveJung)Nanuet – “The Indian Priest”, male high elf ranger/cleric (Dire Wolf)Ruby West - “The Singer”, female human bard/rogue (Queenie)Secondary Cast of CharactersColleen & Cathleen O'Hara - "The Twins", female humans (Janiru)Conrad Booth - "The Boyfriend", male human bard (Silver Moon)George Kilgore - "The Veteran", male human fighter (Snaebjorn)Ginnie Flaherty - “The Kid”, female human rogue/wizard (Kriskrafts)Qualtaqa - "The Noble Indian", male centaur fighter/cleric (Silver Moon)Sonoma – “The Senorita”, female wood elf druid/bard (Kriskrafts)Thom - "The Hired Hand", male human fighter (?) (Dire Wolf)The module will officially start in early January 2006 but we have already played out a prelude to it that will be posted as the next several chapters.  Prelude, Part A - "Night with the Girls", Monday, May 22nd, 1882:Madge Duprey, lead dance at the Gay Lady Variety Hall and Saloon arrives mid-afternoon at the Lucky Lady Dance Hall and Saloon for a scheduled appointment with her friend Ruby West, lead singer, dance and also co-owner of the Lucky Lady.  Madge has a broad grin on her face and says “Ruby, Great news! We’re having company! The Pauline Markham Theatrical Company played this last weekend again in Tombstone and has just arrived in town for the next day on their way east to engagements in the New Mexico Territory. They’re checking into the Promise City Hotel right now. Josie has asked if the three of us would be interested in spending the rest of today together.” A huge smile comes to Ruby's face as she claps her hands together. "That would be wonderful! I didn't get to spend any time with Josie at the festival and I'd really like to spend time with her. And I don't have to work so tonight would be perfect." She pauses for a moment. "I should make sure Jake doesn't have any plans..." Her voice trails off. Silly girl, since when do you have to ask permission to go out? "I just have to get ready. What are the plans and when should we meet?"Madge says, "Well, she's never seen much of the Promise City area so I was thinking of renting a carriage from Drover's Livery and showing her some of the scenic parts of this countryside before it gets dark. Then we can come back to town for supper and entertainment. Since it's supposed to be a night off that should rule out our going to both the Gay Lady and Lucky Lady, otherwise we might end up working. Why don't we start with El Parador Cantina for dinner, make our way over to the Comique Dance Hall and Saloon for a show, then finish off with gambling at the Long Branch Saloon."Ruby claps her hands together gleefully. "That sounds perfect. I keep meaning to get around to the other establishments but I'm always so busy..." Ruby starts heading for the stairs. "I'll go get ready right now, I'll be down in a few minutes, make yourself comfortable." Ruby takes the stairs two at a time. She bursts into her room, scaring Jake Cooke, gambler, Lucky Lady co-owner and boyfriend of Miss. West.  He is quietly reading the paper near the window. "Hi baby!" She strides over and kisses him hard on the lips. "Guess what?" She continues without waiting for an answer, "Josie is back in town and she wants to spend the day with Madge and I." She barely breathes as she excitedly rips off her clothes and tears through her closet. She settles on her cream dress with the peach flowers on it. "We're going to take her through the area on a tour then eat at the El Parador and then watch Clarisse sing at the Comique then over to gamble at the Long Branch." Ruby chatters incessantly until she is finally standing in front of the mirror dressed and smoothing her dress. "Well, what do you think? Did you have any plans for us for today?"  He replies, "Beautiful as always." Jake throws the folded paper on the floor. "Ruby, Madge and Josie on the town together? Heh, my plan is to duck." He laughs. "Go have fun. I'll try to get into less trouble than you three." Ruby carefully sits on Jake's lap, pushing her skirt out of the way, and wraps her arms around his neck. "You are SO adorable. Have I told you that lately?" She kisses him passionately before pulling away slightly. Running a finger lightly over his cheek she continues, "I do so worry that you'd get into trouble without me and I'd miss it." An innocent expression comes to Ruby's face, topped with an angelic smile. "You know how I hate to miss out on fun." He says, "You could always take me along, I mean there are THREE attractive ladies going out...."  Ruby feigns a look of shock before sticking her tongue out at Jake and playfully slapping him. "I thought I was the only girl you had eyes for Mr. Cook." She continues to act hurt as she turns her face away from Jake with her nose in the air and her arms crossed. "I'll just have to make sure some innocent fellow makes me feel better tonight I suppose. An innocent attractive fellow..." "I do only have eyes, and other parts, for you Ruby dearest." Jake rubs his beard with one hand, "Now I wonder.... just how an INNONCENT fellow is going to make you feel better?" He smirks, "When you get bored with those innocents just come on back I'll be waiting to take care of you." Ruby suddenly turns back to Jake and throws her arms around him tightly. She again kisses him passionately for a long moment. "Lover, you know you're the only one I want to take care of me. You're the only one who can or ever could." Ruby smiles mischievously as she taps Jake on the nose, "I'll be looking forward to tonight." Ruby giggles as she stands, "Besides, we both know innocent is boring." She checks herself in the mirror again. She stuffs some extra money deep down the front of her bodice. "Alright, I think I'm ready." She strides towards Jake and leaning forward she kisses him. "I love you baby, behave yourself." Jake just nods and smirks.  Ruby gives Jake one final hug and kiss before heading back down to Madge. Bouncing down the stairs with a smile she says, "Ready when you are!" She takes Madge's arm in hers and they head out the door.  Madge drops Ruby off at the Promise City Hotel and says, "I'll be back shortly with the carriage, keep Josie company in the meanwhile."  Ruby enters to see her friend Josephine Marcus sitting with the actor from her company who she had been introduced to only as Mr. Fabian. They are currently both having a piece of hotel owner and cook Melissa Smith's award-winning apple pies. Josie gestures for Ruby to join them.Ruby hurries over to the table and embraces Josie. "I'm so excited you made it back to town!" She releases her and then extends a hand to her handsome partner, "Nice to see you again Mr. Fabian. I hope you'll find something interesting to do while we steal Josie away for the evening. We plan to keep her out late."   Fabian says "Call me Will." She turns back to Josie. "Madge went to get the carriage, we're going for a ride." Ruby sits at the table with the two actors. "So tell me, what have you been up to?"   Josie replies, "Well, last month we finally finished our scheduled performances of 'Stolen Kisses', that was the play you saw us perform in nearby Tombstone. Personally, I hope I never have to act in that one again. Too many bad memories from the night last March when Morgan Earp was shot and killed.  That set this whole Cowboy Gang war into motion. This past month we've been performing Hamlet, with William here in the title role. Tombstone seems to prefer lighthearted comedies to the classics so we did only two performances there this time. We've got a few engagements scheduled in the New Mexico Territory and then it's off to Colorado for the remainder of the summer. In the fall we will return home to San Francisco where we'll stay until next spring."Ruby says, "Ah, San Francisco. I'd love to see San Francisco. Maybe I'll come and visit sometime. You must be longing for home, these little dirty towns don't quite compare to such a large city."   Josie replies, "Well, I grew up in a city. I was born in Brooklyn back in '61. My family moved to San Francisco when I was a young girl.  Oh Ruby, I guess it's time I told you my story. William, you've heard it before, why don't you go get us some lemonades." He does as instructed. She beings, "I always wanted to become an actress, so once I turned eighteen my friend Dora Hirsh and I escaped to join a theatrical company where we were hired as dancers.  So three years ago we started to travel with Pauline Markham's traveling theater company. It was in the Territorial capitol of Prescott that I met Johnny Behan, who at that time was the Yavapai County Sheriff. We had a short but intense love affair and he asked me to stay. The company left without me but then I became homesick and returned to San Francisco. Johnny Behan followed me and asked me to marry him, but I declined so he returned to Arizona. The same thing happened the following year when the Company toured Arizona, and this time I again stayed behind in Prescott with Behan. But I found out that Johnny Behan was seeing other women behind my back so I wrote a letter to my father, who sent me 300 dollars so that I could return to San Francisco. Both last year and again this year Behan has tried to get me back. I still had feelings for him....that is, until I saw Wyatt Earp.  It was love at first sight for both of us. Now Johnny would be just a distant memory if not for his now hunting the man I now love. I've tried to stay friendly with him so that I can pass information on to Wyatt. I don't believe that Behan suspects."Ruby listens intently to Josie's story, sitting quiet and still as she tells it. Finally she comments, "So you're sleeping with the enemy, so to speak." She places a hand over Josie’s. "What we won't do for the men we love..." Josie says, "Well no...I haven't been sleeping with him this year, I'm afraid that if I did Johnny might notice that I now react differently to him. But I did spend much of this past weekend socializing with him in Tombstone and talking to him about his bravery and heroics in hunting after the Earps now that they are wanted men. Ruby says, "I grew up in New York City, well grew up mostly in New York City. And I can't tell you how many times I wished to run away and become an actress." She shrugs, "I guess I still do sometimes, wish I could run away and become an actress, forget who I am and be someone else, or who I was anyway."   Ruby lowers her voice before continuing, "Someone else I know believes Behan might be a part of a quickly diminishing Cowboy Gang. So it won't be long now. Have you heard from Wyatt lately?"Josie replies, "Yes I...I have information to now pass on to Wyatt right now. That's the real reason behind this carriage ride we're about to go on."</blockquote>

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