Haley hadn't spoken to him yet. She knew why he was here, of course, though she hadn't seen him coming. Stone was a killer, plain and simple, an emissary of dark powers, who slew heroes, martyrs and oracles alike for his master. Possessed by a demon instants after death, the manatou had found this madman a fiercer prey than it had expected, and soon enough Stone was the one calling the shots, with the magic of a devil in one hand, and the skill of an immortal gunslinger in the other. If Stone was here, it was to kill her. Of course, that wouldn't be easy.
Haley, see, was no snake oil saleswoman. She could see the future. Took her a moment to do it, but with a bit of eye-rolling and a deep breath, she could switch to a subject, and see every possibly outcome of every possible action, all in the breadth of a second. O'course, they got trickier to track as time went on, but in the short term it had made her a formidable duelist. In fact, before this oracle business, Haley had killed her share of cowboys too big for their britches, sometimes on the level, more often not, but runnin' from the Rangers had gotten to risky, so she had dyed her hair, and come to Californee to find herself a new venue of work. Irony of Ironies, it was this line of work, but the one of violence, which had called this doom down on her.

“So.” She said, “Yer Stone?” Immediately, the gaunt creature before her swept into a bow, sweeping his hat off and twirling it in one hand before him.
“I am indeed, madam.” He said in a softy, raspy tone, looking up through curtains of greasy black hair. “And I trust that you are Haley of the Delacourt clan, born in New York upon the third of May in the year of '64?”
“I am.” Haley stood.
“Please, do not rise on my account, dear lady.” Stone straightened himself, and fixed his hat back upon his head. “I am not uncivilized, one thing at a time. Do you know why I am here?”
“Yer heathen demon of a master wants me dead'd be the size of it.” Haley said, brushing aside a lock of red hair that had come out of place. She glanced at Bruno, Duchey's understudy, and nodded towards the side-passage where she kept her pistols. The large man glanced fearfully at Stone, and backed towards the door.
“It's quite alright, big fellow, go ahead.” Stone said, waving with the back of his hand, “And yes, that is about the size of it. I assume your pugulist confederate over there,” his thin lips curled into a grin at the entendre, being as southern as grey back of Dixie whistles himself, “has gone to fetch you your shooting irons.”

“I hope you don't mind.” Haley said, through gritted teeth.
“Oh no, not at all. And I won't mind when you use your little powers to sneak a peek at the next page, either. I play fair, but a handicap is warrented.”
“Damn decent of you.” Haley snuck a look at her audience. Contempt was all she normally felt for these people. Sheep who came to her seeking advice and council, spilling their life stories, dropping ten dollars into her bowl and expecting her to solve all of their problems. Half as often as not, she gave them a course of action that landed them paying her more, and then dead. It was easy to pass judgement when one's knowledge is total. But now, she saw an opportunity to impress them that would be worth return visits of its own accord. “But I think you'd be better off shootin' me now, you Dixie whistling Reb. My second sight and sixth sense make me invulnerable in battle.” she flourished her hands, menacingly.
“I'm certain that is hyperbole, madam.” Stone said, in a condescending tone. “What you mean, of course, is that you can see the future, and thus, are impossible to outperform, or hit in battle.”
“Same thing.” Haley said, and felt her face darkening with anger. “If I can't be hit, I'm invulnerable.”
“I imagine that would be so, if that were not hyperbole as well, but Madam, surely what you mean is that you can be hit, but it would be exceptionally difficult to do so, as you can see every position in which you would be injured.”

“Yes, I can. And I can see how to best draw the weapon, and where you'll be dodging to.”
“Indeed indeed. So what makes you think, madam, that that makes you invincible?” Bruno returned with the weapons. Haley grabbed the belt, and fixed it around her waist, furiously.
“You'll see, polecat, when I'm done with you, you'll be back in the ground where you belong. I'll keep those pistols of yours though, as souvenirs.” she rolled her eyes up as the buckle went into place, and Stone began his reply. She didn't hear it.

What she saw, however, was bloodcurdling.

WHEN YOU LEAVE MY COLOURS FADE TO GREY

HEY LITTLE LOVER STAY,

OR ALL MY COLOURS FADE AWAY

She made a clever remark. She grabbed for her iron. About two thirds of the way out of the holster, a Bullet struck her in the left lung. Then the right. Then the left kidney. Then the right. Then the pistol itself. Then the forehead. Dead.

Staredown. Grab for iron. Bullet in esophagus, left lung, right elbow. Dead.

Let arm hang down, grab for iron quickly, draw, aim. Bullet in forehead. Dead.

Throw self to the left, pull out irons, brace self for impact, squeeze trig-Dead.

Throw self to right, Dead.

Duck. Dead.

Beg for mercy, Dead.

Shout for help. Dead.

Run. Dead.

Piss Self. Dead.

Scream. Dead.

Cry. Dead.

Dead. Dead. Dead.

>>8791722


Bloodcurdling indeed.

'twas Euro-pop what slew our poor victim!

And as Haley stood there, and her eyes rolled back down, she found herself covered in sweat, and shaking. Her jaw quivvered. Her blood pounded in her ears like a funeral march, and there stood Stone, hand behind his back, and the other barely tugging back the edge of his duster to expose the red hog's leg of his left weapon. Stone was Right Handed.
The son of a bitch had waited in line, because he had known that Haley wouldn't check her own future if she didn't know he was coming. He fought her fair, because he knew that he couldn't lose in a fair fight, even if he let her cheat. If she had a day to prepare, or even an hour, a minute, she could have outwitted him, beaten him at a game of her choosing, but this was his playing field. No quickness of thought, no cunning could beat Stone at his own game. She swallowed, heavily, and with the barest sense of irony noted that this must be what it felt like to desire salvation. This was what she had denied so many of the sheep she serviced. She was the Oracle of Oregon.

And she was about to die.

>>8791722
NOW THAT IS ALL I CAN HEAR.

Not as good as Earth. Still, I like it, it's always cool to see someone with a superpower just get their shit wrecked through raw bullshit skill.

And that is why Stone is Death's Right Hand.

>>8791830
Thanks, I guess. I get the feeling my writing quality is inversely proportional to its length.

>>8791615

So Stone can't actually fan both his dragoons at once because they apparently require two hands. Or is he so bad that the Reckoners broke the rules of the game for him?

He's Stone, the only way he would allow himself to die is if every other "living" thing had died, and there was no possibility of life returning.

Or you could try killing Death.

I'm not going to hold my breath on that last one.

>>8791868
I liked the idea of him being so entirely confident in his own superiority that he only used one, and slowly levels it up depending on how good his opponent is. This woman wasn't that good, her assets were being a decent gunslinger, and seeing the future. Apparently clairvoyance is no match for 10D12+10 Shootin' Skill.

>>8791926

>10D12+10 shooting skill
That means nothing to me. Frame of reference?

>>8791949

That stat is a guesstimation given in the Devils Tower series.

>>8791949
If I recall, It's in the area of... Difficulty 40 to hit someone in the forehead six times in one round from 20 yards with a cap & ball revolver. From horseback. At night. Stone could do that with a little bit worse than 9 out of 10 times, and when he fails, it'll be because he only hits with 4 or 5.

>>8791973
Yeah, I don't think they ever actually statted him out, just because it would've encouraged the ridiculous notion that he could actually be defeated. Stone is up there with the Lady of Pain in terms of killability, except that unlike our dear Lady, he actually serves a purpose.

>>8791995
Good madam, that is hyperbole, lol.

I just noticed that he didn't even use his dominate hand. What a fucking dick.

>>8791949

An average dude rolls like 1d8 Shooting in Deadlands Classic. Stone has TEN DEE TWEELVES.

And there are two of him. Two.

IT ISN'T FUCKING FAIR.

>>8792069
Ten dee twelves, PLUS TEN. The difficulty to hit someone in ideal conditions is fucking SIX.

>>8792069
>two stones
WHAT. OH GOD.

There are TWO of him?

What the fuck is the rationale behind that?

>>8792134
Ten bucks says he can time travel.

>>8792134

Time travel and fucking paradoxes out the wazoo.

The best thing is, the older one has had another century and a half of experience.

>>8792151
Expanded reasoning, someone posted (and then deleted) that he could only be killed by 'his own stone cold hands.' Which... Means he probably goes back in time and kills himself, the fucker.

>>8792151
>>8792160
Ladies and Gentlemen, John Galt.

Why would Stone kill himself? I'm genuinely curious as to the reasoning behind that.

Also-does that mean, that there are also two Stones in Hell on Earth, one of which has NINE HUNDRED YEARS OF EXPERIENCE?

Jesus Christ. Do they still make this game?

>>8792261
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE.
Also, Stone kills people, and is secretly looking for someone good enough to kill him. Who else?

>>8792261

Nah, the younger one disappeared somehow. My money's on the player characters getting a shot at him in the upcoming Death plotpoint campaign.

And then Old Stone coming in and shooting him in the head to be a big dick.

>>8792263
Prepare to be devastated.

... didn't the players ultimately win, banish the Reckoners and all that... only to have Stone show up in the future or re-appear in the past to kill them all off?

They still do, there's a new revised version of Deadlands Reloaded coming out. I made a thread about it >>8790292

>>8792358
John Galt was not informed.

>>8792322
>>8792263

Hey guys, The Cackler is still mere months from arriving.

Just you wait till he gets here! Boy will there be some changes then!

>>8792395
Jesus, What?

So the revised edition of DL:R has the following changes:

Split into two books.

An actual map of the Weird West comes inside the front cover of every Players Guide.

GUNSMITHING/INVENTIN' RULES ARE BACK

Weird Scientists are no longer horribad. Insanity is based on chance again.

Patent system has returned.(Yay, curling irons!)

Yuropean shamans, there are now two diff versions of the Old Ways Oath(Minor/Major). Shamans don't HAVE to take it, although it provides certain benefits.

Dynamite has been nerfed. Expect to get blowed up.

New version of the old poker mechanics.

Spiffier layout.

Both books are 24.99, which saves the players money for the half of the book they won't be using.

I have been looking through these books, the system looks pretty cool, how do you guys like it?

Somebody run this game. Actually, I'll do it if nobody else wants to.

>>8792405

The Cackler is a powerful lich from England who is a distant ancestor of the Whateley clan. He is manipulating various factions into finding a raven haired girl named Rachel who is the reincarnation of his deceased sorcerous mother. He hasn't been mentioned again since his initial appearance in Black Circle and nothing regarding him has reached fruition

"What you should not do is bring the
Cackler into your game yet. He’s coming,
and you’ll know it when he does. We’re
not ready to say exactly when, but his
presence will change the Weird West
forever." - Black Circle, page 55.

>>8792511

The Cackler is in Rippers, it's the same world as the Weird West.

>>8792477
It is sex with Halle Berry on a bed made of skinned kittens.

>>8792579
...Kitten fur. That came out seriously wrong. I might have just given myself nightmares.

My group played a Red Dead Revolver campaign using Deadland rules. Shit was ultimately cash.

I'm starting a game on SA-gonna run Murder on the Hellstromme Express. Any advice?

>>8792890
Yeah. Ride first class.

>>8792497
>>8792477
Yeah but you should play deadlands classic. nothing against savage worlds but you can't beat the original.

The new book's said to be released in about two months.

Stone is a total d-bag.

So what's the best thing to do if you're a Blessed and Stone wants to kill you.

>>8794652
Oh wait, I know this one.
Pray.

As the riders went on by him, he heard one call his name.

'If you want to save your soul from hell, a-riding on our range,
Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride,
Trying to catch the devil's herd across the endless sky.'

Son of a whore indeed. Fuck you, Stone, you killed half of my party while we were playing poker!
You know what he said right before he did it? "Ante up." God, FUCK that guy.

>>8791738
Ha! Nice future seeing, ya bitch!