A Cylarn Roleplay
US-Mexican Border Region (New Austin/Nuevo Paraiso) - 1976
They say that the West is dead; that the new America has overtaken the open range, the cowboys, the wild nature of the frontier. They say that the Wild West now only exists in books, TV shows, and movies. What they fail to realize is that they have only forgotten about the existence of the Wild West, a spirit that is continuing to live on like the spirit of America. The Wild West has yet to lie down and be buried by the modern America. Compressed into the American state of New Austin and the Mexican state of Nuevo Paraiso, the Wild West has no intention of settling down anytime soon.
Over 60 years have passed on since former outlaw and bounty hunter John Marston, in cooperation with the then-Bureau of Investigation, struck down 3 notorious outlaws in New Austin and played a pivotal role in the overthrow of Nuevo Paraiso's military governor, and ultimately the overthrow of President Ignacio Sanchez of Mexico, before being gunned down himself by the government for his previous criminal record. Strong men of the West like John Marston and Marshal Leigh Johnston - and rebellious men like Dutch van der Linden and Abraham Reyes may be long dead, but the wide open wilderness of this region still exist to this day. Despite the best efforts of the West to hold true, the city of Blackwater, the plains of West Elizabeth, Thieves' Landing, and Escalera have all begun to modernize greater than most areas in the region, with Blackwater growing into a modern city of 400,000 and an important commercial hub with the rest of America to New Austin.
Surveying for oil in Cholla Springs County and Hennigan's Stead Counties, the Southwestern Oil Company has managed to discover oil deposits in the two counties, with the ranching and nature communities all raising concerns about their operation, and the law having to respond to growing violence between Southwestern employees and angry cowboys. Meanwhile, real estate developers in West Elizabeth seek to expand into Tall Trees and build ski lodges in the ever-snowy region, while the hunting community and the local Red Wolf Tribe switch to activism and even violence to end the development.
Where would the Wild West be without crime, right? The infamous bandit groups that once owned New Austin and Nuevo Paraiso have transitioned into outlaw motorcycle gangs fighting the law and other groups for control over the drug trade, with Laotian heroin losing its dominance giving way to Colombian cocaine and Mexican marijuana. The Cosa Nostra has been reported to have set up shop in Blackwater, with several families looking to strike up a deal with the Mexicans, trading guns for marijuana, though some of the Mexican cartels are opposed to this, instead choosing to distribute their marijuana through predominately Mexican-American gangs in cities throughout the US. The law and the cartels are also embroiled in a small border war, with the law cracking down on smuggling and illegal immigration.
You, my friend, are living in this region during the West's final fight. In this story, maybe you are just another joe, working on a ranch in Hennigan's Stead, or an office worker in Blackwater. Perhaps you are a lawman, wearing the star of a Cholla's Springs Sheriff, an officer of the Policía Federal, or the shield and 5-pointed star of a New Austin Ranger. On the other end of the spectrum, perhaps you are a Mafioso arriving at the Blackwater International Airport from New York, looking to establish a base for your family in New Austin, or a cartel smuggler, exchanging drugs for guns and evading the law. Whatever you are, know that you have a role in the metaphorical war between two cultures.