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SoB Time Line
11-02-2013, 09:14 PM (This post was last modified: 08-25-2014 12:08 PM by Old Dwarf.)
Post: #1
SoB Time Line
I know what your thinking " OD, is your social life so
pitiful that you have time for this stuff?"

Well YES Watchmen02 Actually a lot of the enjoyment I get from
Games is developing back stories for ones that interest me.

Even though SoB is still in it's early KS days & not
all info has been released ,I think there is enough
to speculate on some of the background that FFP
has left vague.

Like where in the hell was Brimstone beyond their
"on the edge of the hottest desert in the SW & on
a rail line" and why the rush for Dark Stone, it's warm,
glows & is a crystal/metal mix. Rather a bit thin to set off
a Rush.

Plus when did this all happen ? Probably after the Mexican War
in the 1840's & well before WWI by which time the classic
Old West was history.

It would be nice to come up with something that's not completely
made out of Whole Cloth. If you could fit actual history &
events into Brimstone & Dark Stone. This for me at least
would allow the fantastic & supernatural stuff a firm holder
to which to suspend disbelief & immerse oneself in the Game.

So Location-The Mohave is the hottest desert in the US,
so we are into Nevada, Arizona. Now was their anything
odd that actually happened that might be explained by
Brimestone & it's destruction as FFP says the Govt. denied
the incident.

That led me to find out more than I cared to about
NW Arizona & SW Nevada but then the magic moment,
The Lost County of Pah-Ute Arizona. Unexplained
boundary adjustments, abandonment of towns &
finally internment of the region under Lake Mead.

I had my location but Pah-Ute only existed from 1865-
1869 so the part about Brimstone being on a rail
line was not going to work as rail roads didn't get to the
area until the 1880's. I had to fudge it by creating
a modest 15 mile narrow gage rail line to connect Brimstone
to the Colorado River. The rest of the areas actual history
then fell into place. The U.S.Army, Mormon settlements
(god I tried to work in the Danites but just could not
stretch the fluff that far-though a squad of Mormon hit
men would be a cool group of heroes-I doubt FFP is
including them).

Once the Time Line jelled (with it's subtle hints of Govt.
actions in the background) I was ready to tackle Dark
Stone. Obviously the shards have many properties that
"other world" Societies value but what would make it
so attractive to humans that they would pay big for
it, set off a Rush & risk their lives to obtain it? Problem
Solved....it's a natural CRACK!!.

So without further rambling here's my Time line (well you'll
need to read the next post.

OD

1846-Dalton Outfitters receive contract to supply US Army with
provisions during the Mexican War & set up a base camp in
NW Arizona.The Teamsters, Hunters/Trappers, Stock men
are soon joined by a raffish assortment of prostitutes,
gamblers & vagrants. Advanced Mormon missionaries
seeking to bring the camp into the Mormon Fold had little
success & the wide open camp soon provoked them
to call down God's punishment of Fire & Brimstone on the camp.
The camp residences respond by naming their town Brimstone.

1847-Mexican patrol from the San Luis Potosi Battalion invade
NW Arizona in an attempt to cut the American Army supply
lines. Residents of Brimstone stage a night ambush &
wipe out the patrol. Their bodies are dumped into a chasm
inside one of the caves found in the Region.

1849-The Gold Rush, Brimstone prospers as a way station for
gold seekers using the Southern Route to the California
Gold Fields.

1850-The Brimstone Spur-to keep up with the demand of the
gold seekers Dalton Outfitters construct a narrow
gage rail line some 15 miles away to gain access to the
Colorado River & constructed a wharf/warehouse.

Federal troops establish Ft. Mohave just across the border
in California. Brimstone was soon full of off duty soldiers
with no where else to spend their pay.

1858-Dark Stone discovered. Zebulon Baxter hunting Jack Rabbits
comes across a cluster of strange Dark shards. Passing
the stones around the saloon as a curiosity, then it's
noticed touching the stone to bare skin causes a
Euphoria which can last several days. Soon the locals
begin to search for the strange stones to sell to the
soldiers. The area around Brimstone become pockmarked
from the digging.

1860-The Civil War begins

1861-Federal Troops abandon Ft. Mohave & the solders are
withdrawn to Los Angles & then sent to the Eastern Theater.
They carry cachets of the Dark Stone with them.
Within months orders begin arriving in Brimstone from
the East requesting Dark Stone.

1863- Federal Troops reoccupy Ft. Mohave & the demand
for Dark Stone grows.

Dalton Mining Company-Paul Dalton General Manager of Dalton
Outfitters was at first amused by the Dark Stone stir and
figured the novelty would ware off but it be came apparent
that the use of the stone was addictive. The surface shards
soon were played out people then turned to serious
mining. The completion was such that claim jumping
& robbery became common place. Dalton Outfitters
was at this point wholly dependent an the Federal Army
as a money source & should the increasing violence cause
Brimstone to be put off limits the company would go under.
Plus as Dark Stone was now a steady income source
& the company was getting no financial benefit from
the use of company land something needed to be done to
uphold the Companies claim.

Dalton created the Dalton Mining Company and used his
company police forces to size the existing mines. Leases
were offered and the miners were allowed to reopen their
mines but under the supervision of the Dalton Mining Company.

1864-Mormon Settlements-Brigham Young seeking to create
a greater Mormon State of Deseret sent expeditions to
the Brimstone Region establishing the settlements of
Callville, St.Thomas & St. George. Mormon Missionaries
to Brimstone find no acceptance & the communities
ignore each other.

The Allcock Manuf. Co. Order- Dalton Mining receives
a massive order from Benjamin Brandreth," the Patent
Medicine King" for Dark Stone. Well beyond the current
production capacity of the mines. The upfront money
allows Paul Dalton to cancel all leases, buy heavy
mining equipment & hire professional engineers.
The 13 Dark Stone Mines are dug deeper & deeper
& a huge warehouse is built to store the mined
shards.

1865-Pah-Ute County is created by the Arizona Territorial
Legislature with Callville as the County Seat & includes
Brimstone.

1866-The Great Explosion-Feb.3rd a tremendous explosion
& fire at the Dalton Mining Co. Warehouse wipes the
town of Brimstone off the map creating a several
mile wide swath of desolation. Survivors flee to Callville .

Later It's found that all the stored Dark Stone was
consumed in the conflagration. No officials of Dalton
Outfitters /Dalton Mining survive. Elias Stewart of
Boston MA. a cousin to Paul Dalton inherits the properties
& hires Samuel Benson a surviving mine supervisor
to try to continue mining operations .

Mining resumes on a small scale in May but shut downs
within a month as miners report weird sightings,
strange encounters & refuse to enter the mines.
The Hoo Doo reputation make it impossible to
find people willing to work the mines. Elias Stewart
has the estate declared insolvent & all formal
attempts to mine for Dark Stone end.

The Brimstone area & it's mines are deserted but
brave or desperate individuals continue to enter
seeking economic gain or refuge.

1867-Duffield Report-The wild stories of mutated men,
demonic monsters, old tales of ghosts, vampires &
werewolves coupled with disappearances & occasional
mutilated bodies begin to have a chilling effect on the
areas population. People begin to leave the region for
California & Utah or Nevada & the Territorial Legislature
becomes concern that Arizona's march toward Statehood
could be impacted by the drop in population.

December-The U.S Marshal in St.Thomas Milton Duffield
is ordered to conduct an investigation, into the abandoned
mines that seem to be the epicenter of the weirdness ,
by Henry Stanbery U.S.Attorney General at the request of
Arizona's Governor John Goodwin.

1868- March-Duffield Report-submitted in secret direct to
Attorney General Stanbery. Confirms that the fantastic
& outré rumors are indeed true. Recommends that Federal
Troops be sent in to quarantine the Brimstone area.
President Johnson rejects the use of Federal Troops
as he does not wish to provoke Southern sympathizers
from the Recent Unpleasantness. Unspecified other
measures are to be taken to isolate the Region.

Governor Goodwin request for information concerning
the investigation is simply told the matter is being studied.

1869-The Lost County-In a surprise move the U.S. Legislature
dissolved Pah-Ute County & divides it up between Nevada
& Utah.The U.S. Army removes it's Callville Garrison
& the Callville Landing is declared too shallow for
steamboat landings & closed. In June Callville is abandoned
& it's residents relocate to St. Thomas. This isolates
the Brimstone region which remain in an remote rump in
Arizona. This leaves a week's hard journey to reach
the nearest settlement at Ft. Mohave CA. now that
the Ferry is no longer in operation & travelers have
to go North to find the Ford.


1870-1932-Brimstone & Dark Stone slowly fade from
memory with the passage of time. However the Brothels
& Saloons of Ft. Mohave still hear outlandish tales of
strange encounters & occasionally a stranger shows
with a odd artifact at the pawn shop. Then every few
months or so someone shows with Dark Stone
tempting the more daring to dare the old mines.

1882-Construction of the AT&SF Rail from New Mexico to
Needles California is briefly halted as the US Govt.
determines the soil will not support a rail road, the
Govt. changes AT&SF right of way & construction
takes a deep turn to the South.

1933-The Oakie Massacre-A caravan of Oklahomans fleeing the
Dust Bowl for the promise land of California make a
wrong turn which causes them to camp for the night
in the desolate remains of Brimstone.7 people
turn up 3 weeks later in St. George Utah all that
remains of the 6 car caravan & some 25 people.
An incredible tale of attacks by mutated men
with snake like bodies & tentacles leads police to
believe the party just fell out with one another due
to drinking. Arizona State Police make a cursory
investigation but find no evidence. The surviving Oakies
are released to travel on to California & the incident
is dismissed.

Arizona officials are surprised when the Office of the
U.S. Marshal request the State Police files on the incident.


1936- Brimstone & it's surrounding regions now rest 400'
under lake Mead courtesy of the U.S. Govt. Hoover
Dam project. All secrets now rest in the deep.

Sighing like the night wind and sobbing like the rain,—
Wailing for the lost one that comes not again:
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11-07-2013, 08:51 AM
Post: #2
RE: SoB Time Line
Actually the "official" timeline of the game is set in about 1886, 50 years after the Alamo. The explosion of the town of Brimstone is 6 months before the game.
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11-07-2013, 10:18 AM
Post: #3
RE: SoB Time Line
Welcome to TZG-DSC-Yes the Lost Army fluff has them
active 50 years after the Alamo time frame, but I gave
myself some wiggle room & just figured they were reanimated
by the BS explosion but it took a couple of decades of
BS exposure in the mines to get then to the point they
were built up enough to leave the mine & pillage the countryside.

The Pah-Ute background was only viable between 1865-1869
so that made the Brimstone explosion need to happen
during that period.

Jason said that the Adventure Book would have a lot of background
my Time Line may turn out to be totally off base.

OD

Sighing like the night wind and sobbing like the rain,—
Wailing for the lost one that comes not again:
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