Deadwood, Marquis of Death

Walter "Deadwood" Fitch was a good-fer-nuthin' low-life, good at poker and bad with whiskey until he met a good christian woman who refused to back down when faced with his nonsense, so naturally he did the only thing he could and married her. He enjoyed his quiet life on a ranch, living a reasonable life until the Devil came, and took his bride away from him. So naturally, Walter did the only thing he could and went to rescue her. Faced with the power of Bhaal and his minions, Walter was soundly defeated, but not before stealing a precious treasure from the Devil, which he traded to Samuel Colt in exchange for crafting a revolver that could kill anything. So armed, Walter Fitch killed the Devil, but it was too late. His wife had been dragged to hell.

Lord Entropy arrested Walter Fitch and dragged him in chains before his court, for Deadwood had violated the law “Be as I would have you be,” and mortals should not, as a rule, be killing Imperators. But Azrael beheld Walter Fitch and his deeds and proclaimed “Lo, he follows a higher law!” and when asked what higher law he followed, she replied “Mine,” and took him as her Power. Thus, he fell under the Chestnut Law, and the death of Bhaal was no more than seven times worse than the kidnapping and enslavement of a wife but, frustrated at being overruled, Lord Entropy declared that if Fitch freed his wife, then he would be in violation of the Chestnut law. To serve the Imperators of Earth, Walter would have to give up his mortal life and accept his role as Death.

Deadwood has three anchors: the Colt, the Nameless Horse, and Persephone Cross (his ex-wife, separated by Death).  His flowers are Vervain, the Key of Something Powerful, and Mimulus, the Key of Something Restless.  Deadwood, particularly beloved by one or two of our players, has his own playlist.

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Two forces threaten to corrupt the good-spirited Deadwood. First is the Cammora. They are outside of Lord Entropy’s law, so they can rescue Persephone Cross and Lord Entropy would say nothing about it. They can help Deadwood violate his Estate. And so, Deadwood plays a dangerous game with the Cammora and slowly finds himself being drawn into debt with them. He gave them six of his bullets to rescue Persephone, and he has not heard yet if anything has come of it.

Meanwhile, Yvonka Velvetine has begun to whisper to him that there may be a way to bring Justice to his estate. She has hinted that she loves him, that it might be best if he let Persephone go, and love her instead. When he says that this violates the Windflower Law, she hints that there’s another law. Slowly, Yvonka tempts Deadwood into her Conspiracy and away from the War.

Aspect 5 (Great Master)
Domain 3 (Marquis)
Persona 0
Treasure 0
Miracle Points: 5
Common Gifts: Immortal (6)
Gifts:

• Avatar of Death: Deadwood can take on any aspect of the Death Estate as per Persona 3 at the cost of 1 Persona MP (1)
  
• Focus: the Colt: Deadwood carries a revolver with bullets marked with the names he has come to take (though he can fire it no more than 6 times in a scene). It can kill anyone, even an immortal, similar to an Abhorent Weapon. Each attempt costs 1 Treasure MP Treasure (1)
  
• Focus: The Nameless Horse: Deadwood has a nameless white horse who will always arrive when needed, no matter where Deadwood is, and can carry Deadwood to wherever he needs to go (3)
  

Passions and Skills

Skill: Cool +5
Passion: That sunset is inviting; best I be mozyin' along. +5
Passion: A just man must be willing to get his hands dirty: +2
Passion: Just one more glass... -1
Skill: Cow-Wranglin' +1
Skill: Poker +2
Skill: Gun-slingin' +3

Bonds and Afflictions

Bond: I killed the Devil once, and I'll do it again if I have to +2
Bond: I would give anything to be with my wife again +2
Bond: I am a just man +1
Bond: Fastest Gun in Creation +4
Affliction: The Devil follows my footsteps, and so I have to keep moving on or he'll hurt you too +3
Affliction: I'm an out-of-date cowboy +1

Anchors

The Colt

Bhaal, the devil Deadwood killed, served as a general in the Excrucian war, and carried a dread weapon with him at all times. When Deadwood fought Bhaal, a piece of the devil's weapon broke off in the battle, and Deadwood stole it and brought it to his friend, Samuel Colt. The industrialist investigated the strange material and agreed to make a weapon out of it, in exchange for the other half of the material. The resulting revolver came with six bullets and had the ability to kill anything. It can kill even an actively immortal being by acting like an abhorrent weapon in that it can negate certain, specific miracles. The strange, starlike material that makes it up carries the whiff of the Not with it and when Deadwood has let a few powers look at the Colt, they have found hints of Excrucian engineering in it, suggesting that Deadwood either stole a piece of an abhorrent weapon, or it wasn't Samuel Colt who built the weapon, and that Deadwood was a pawn in an Excrucian plot to end Bhaal.

Deadwood has far more than 6 bullets now. He's learned the trick of forging them on his own, and they always carry the name of his targets.

The Nameless Horse

Deadwood rides a pale horse (and is, hence, sometimes known as the Pale Horseman). Azrael acquired the Pale Horse early in the Excrucian War, long before most Powers even existed. According to some, Azrael consumed the Excrucion that had brought Death into the world, taming the Excrucian's poison and making Death a natural part of the world. When she did, she claimed his horse, and thus the Pale Horse of Azrael's reaper is the same sort of horse that the Pale Horsemen ride. The horse must remain nameless lest it come free of Azrael. It seems unnatural, hard to see, hard to want to understand.

The Nameless Horse is always with Deadwood, even if you cannot see it, and it can always bring Deadwood to wherever he needs to go.

Persephone Cross

As a baby, Persephone Cross was sold to the devil, so her father, Ezekial Cross, the Leatherwood Warlock, could achieve immortality. Her mother ran away with her baby and tried to baptise her, but the sacred water burned her and the pastor turned her away. She tried to bring her girl to church, but Persephone could not step foot on holy ground. She gave her daughter a bible to read, but the pages turned to cinders when she touched them. So her mother told her. She whispered God’s holy word to her damned daughter, and raised her upright and sacred. She kept her hidden from Ezekial’s cult, from those who called her witch or demon, and taught her the sacred word of God. When her mother finally died, she passed her silver cross to her daughter, and her mother’s love protected her from its burning touch, and the cross itself acts as a talisman to protect her from her father’s hateful eye.
Her damnation pushed her out of civilization and further West, where her education made her a natural teacher. There, she met Deadwood, who refused to be put off by “the only good woman in the West” and eventually agreed to marry him. She never told him of her damnation, but on her 26^th birthday, the devil came for her.

She accepted her fate. She’d long ago made peace with it, but when she turned back, when she saw Walter struggling to rescue her, she thought she saw Bhaal deal a lethal blow, depression swept over her and she wept for her husband as the walls of Hell closed in around her. When Deadwood returned and killed the devil, Persephone saw her chance and struck a new deal with Asmodeus, her new keeper. She would accept his demand to serve him as a courtesan and a dancer, and in return, he would release her after a century had passed. She performed her service, and Asmodeus broke the agreement, the devil of Lust preferring to keep her for himself. She raged, then, gathering up all of her hatred and power and lashed out at him. By chance, the forces of the Cammora also worked to free her, and together, they struck down Asmodeus long enough for her to escape. Now, she roams the world, her former husband unaware of her relase, and she in denial about her demonic nature as she seeks to reconnect with him.

Passions and Skills

Passion: A woman’s love can overcome anything +3
Skill: Christian Devotion +2
Superior Quality: Devilish Charm +1
Shine +2

Bonds and Afflictions

Bond: I’m a Good Woman +1
Bond: I love Death +2
Bond: I belong to the Devil +2
Affliction: I’m corrupted by Hell +3
Affliction: I'm an out-of-date victorian +1