Park County, MO. The Roof of the United States. A cold and unforgiving frontier, filled with deep valleys and high peaks. Around here, land rights aren't an issue to be debated, they are a fact. Land means money, and money means survival. Timber money, oil money, cattle money, blood money. The source doesn't matter, so long as you have it when the bills come due. In this cold land, you have to be a fighter, and none have fought harder than the Parkers. Having made their way to Montana in the late 1800s, the Parkers own and run Bull's Bastion, one of the largest continous ranches in the United States, larger than some counties in other states. They have long held the trust and loyalty of the Park County Rancher's Association, and under their leadership and meddeling, the land has flourished. Not all is well though. With the growth of Meddle, the town closest to the Double B, many competing forces now strive for the sought after natural gold that the Parkers and the other ranchers now sit on. Land Developers, town level politicians, Native Reservationists, Oil and Timber barons, and even some rogue elements in Washington threaten the status quo that has worked for so long, and the Parkers stand in the collective crossfire of all of them.
Welcome to The Last Ranch, an RP inspired by the excellent drama Yellowstone that airs on the Paramount network. In the RP, we will play as various members of the Parker family, the workers of the Ranch, and any other associates as they defend their land and it's bounty from external threats. Note that there will be a limited number of open Parker Family roles depending on the interest of the RP, which will start at 2 at them time of RP launch.
1. I am the OP and God
2. This RP operates on a three strike system
3. No flaming, metagaming, etc. etc. Standard NS rules.
4. Have Fun
2. This RP operates on a three strike system
3. No flaming, metagaming, etc. etc. Standard NS rules.
4. Have Fun
Meddle is a small and growing town of about 5,000 people, nestled in the center of Big Sky country in the middle of three of the largest ranches in the country, a growing offshoot of a native reservation, and miles of privately owned land. The town sits just off of Route 89, which serves as it's main artery, along with a nearby railroad spur that connects it to the greater Burlington Northern network. It has a surprisingly recent history for a town in the area, having only sprung up in the 1950s as a common meeting point along the new 89 for the various ranchs in the area. Later, as Skiing took off in the area, several rich Easterners built cabins and purchased land to be closer to the slopes during their vacations. As these new members began to understand the profit in the area, they quietly began to develop the land as an ideal vacation spot, inviting more of their ilk to the area. One thing lead to another, and sooner rather than later, every major corporation involved in fossil fuels, timber, agriculture, and minerals quietly began to sniff in the area, buying out the smaller landowners while steering clear of the big ranches. Likewise, the nearby native reservation saw it's chance to expand, and greatly improved it's own profits by buying and incorporating nearby land, before building several tourist spots and casinos on it. This miniature boom has been referred to by those in the know as the "Meddle Gold Rush" and has drawn a lot of ire from both the Big Ranches and a few more watchful eyes in the Federal Government, who now both seek their own seperate ways to end the rush. While the conflict between all interested parties drains them, Meddle itself has flourished as a result, resembling the more populated and modern towns of ski country in Colorado and Utah.
Bull's Bastion or the Double B is the largest and most sucessful of the three "Big Ranches" surrounding Meddle, the other two being the "White Mare" and "Sky Mountain" ranches respectively. The Double B has been owned and run by the Parker family since 1889, when Joseph Parker staked a mineral claim where the Double B ranch house now sits. Over time and a great amount of effort, the Parkers assembled a collection of land larger than many smaller counties throughout the country. Through this land, the Parkers quietly hold on to a fortune that would make most of the new rich from Silicon valley or even the Oil Barons of Texas swoon. However, in the enviroment of Meddle, it is understood that one slip up and the whole thing could be lost faster than an addict's money when they relapse. Each and every Parker has a part to play in up keeping their families fortunes, whether it be through actually running the day to day operations of the ranch, acting as head lawyer of the estate, managing deals with various business men, or delving into the messed up world of local politics. The Ranch also engages in a particular practice known as Branding. If someone without options should fall into the hands of the police, or their relatives finally have enough of them, a Parker ranch hand will arrive soon enough after with a choice. Take the brand of the Double B and work for the Parkers, or rot in the county jail for the rest of your days. At the end of the day in Meddle, at least for the moment, the name Parker commands respect, and the Double B is not to be trifled with.
The Park County Ranchers Association is a collective made up of the big three and the smaller ranches that sit outside the chaos of the interior of Meddle. For the past 120 years they have dominated local politics, run the cattle auctions, held the rodeos, and oiled the machine of their little world of the valley. The Association even managed to scare off the big agribusiness back in the 90s. Traditionally headed by the Parker Family, the Association stands strong at the moment, and it is expected that the status quo will remain that way.
-MORE TO BE ADDED-
Bull's Bastion or the Double B is the largest and most sucessful of the three "Big Ranches" surrounding Meddle, the other two being the "White Mare" and "Sky Mountain" ranches respectively. The Double B has been owned and run by the Parker family since 1889, when Joseph Parker staked a mineral claim where the Double B ranch house now sits. Over time and a great amount of effort, the Parkers assembled a collection of land larger than many smaller counties throughout the country. Through this land, the Parkers quietly hold on to a fortune that would make most of the new rich from Silicon valley or even the Oil Barons of Texas swoon. However, in the enviroment of Meddle, it is understood that one slip up and the whole thing could be lost faster than an addict's money when they relapse. Each and every Parker has a part to play in up keeping their families fortunes, whether it be through actually running the day to day operations of the ranch, acting as head lawyer of the estate, managing deals with various business men, or delving into the messed up world of local politics. The Ranch also engages in a particular practice known as Branding. If someone without options should fall into the hands of the police, or their relatives finally have enough of them, a Parker ranch hand will arrive soon enough after with a choice. Take the brand of the Double B and work for the Parkers, or rot in the county jail for the rest of your days. At the end of the day in Meddle, at least for the moment, the name Parker commands respect, and the Double B is not to be trifled with.
The Park County Ranchers Association is a collective made up of the big three and the smaller ranches that sit outside the chaos of the interior of Meddle. For the past 120 years they have dominated local politics, run the cattle auctions, held the rodeos, and oiled the machine of their little world of the valley. The Association even managed to scare off the big agribusiness back in the 90s. Traditionally headed by the Parker Family, the Association stands strong at the moment, and it is expected that the status quo will remain that way.
-MORE TO BE ADDED-
- Code: Select all
[align=center]The Last Ranch Application[/align]
NS Name:
Character Name:
Age:
Appearance:
Build: (Their height, weight, etc. Anything that differes the character from the appearance image)
Job/Profession:
Relation to the Parkers:
Bio:
App Code: -TLRYS2020- DO NOT DELETE
Character Name: Douglas Parker
Age: 64
Appearance:
Build: Douglas if extended would stand at about an even 6 foot, but age has worn down his natural stature to have him stand at 5'10. He is on the lighter side of things, trying to stay healthy in his elder days.
Job/Profession: Owner and manager of the Double B
Relation to the Parkers: Patriarch
Bio: Douglas was born to Jackson and Meredith Parker in 1956 as their eldest son. He grew up learning the ways of the ranch from his father and the various hands around the Double B. Though Douglas will never admit it, he longs for the days of his youth, with nothing but the horse between his legs and the open range of the Double B in front of him. Still though, sometimes circumstances demand that dreams be put aside. When the time was right, Douglas was sent off to College to earn an agricultural degree, but the Ranch quickly called him home. Jackson had suffered a kick to the back by a rogue stallion, and was left paralyzed below the hip. With his father unable to tend to the day to day, Douglas stepped up and quickly assumed the responsibilities that his Father couldn't.
Time wore on, and Douglas was entrusted with more and more responsibilites as owner of the Ranch, yet for a long while he didn't act like it. He drank and partied with the other cowhands, enjoying his youth. Disaster would strike the young Parker when a native girl appeared at the Ranch one day, heavily pregnant and claiming that the child belonged to Douglas. Though he did not believe the woman, his mother would not allow him to turn away a mother on the verge of birth during the Montana winter. Shortly after the woman gave birth to a son, dying in the process. After a paternity test concluded that Douglas was the father, he named the boy Bluff, and though he would never be truely loved by his father, the two developed mutual respect over time.
A little bit shocked from the conclusion of Bluff's birth saga, Douglas swore off the cowhand's life and became full time manager of the Ranch. He married a sweetheart of his, a scion of the White Mare ranch, Melissa Hancock. Douglas and Melissa loved each other, but there was always a mutual knowledge that their marraige was in part political that got in the way of their emotions. Together the pair had multiple children, the oldest of which was their son Luke. 12 years into Douglas and Melissa's marriage, however, tragedy struck, as it inevitably does in Park County. Melissa was killed in a tragic hunting accident, her sister mistakingly firing a shotgun into her. Melissa's death changed Douglas from a generally kind if prudent man, into a more withdrawn, cynical person. He has continued to run the Ranch as his father taught him all those years ago, but time wears on, and Douglas is only growing older. He has served as Livestock Comissioner of Park County since the early 2000s.
App Code: -TLRYS2020- DO NOT DELETE
Character Name: Bluff Parker
Age: 39
Appearance:
Build: Bluff stands at 6'5" and weighs near 220 lbs. He is a physical presence and is not one to be trifled with.
Job/Profession: Ranch Hand/Boss
Relation to the Parkers: Bastard son of Douglas
Bio: Bluff was born to a native woman who claimed to be carrying the child of Douglas Parker. They never learned the woman's name, but a paternity test confirmed that the child she delivered shortly after her arrival was Douglas's. Bluff never knew his mother, she died bringing him into the world, and as a child his father didn't much care for his presence. So, the young Parker ended up being mostly raised by his Grandmother and the various Parker Ranch Hands. He learned to ride a horse and fish from an early age, and besides what his grandmother taught him never recieved a formal education. Instead he learned the ways of the ranch, and by age 12 was as experienced as a rancher as any of the other hands.
By age 16, now fully aware of his situation, Bluff had had enough of his father pratically ignoring him. He came to Douglas with a propsition. Douglas would teach Bluff how to be a Trail Boss, and the bastard would be his most loyal enforcer until the end of his days. In return Bluff would never try to grab a piece of the Ranch or harm the family in the future. Both sides found the agreement good, and so their pact was sealed as father and son. From that day forward, Bluff became his father's best enforcer, leading the various ranch hands and enacting Douglas's will where Douglas could not do it himself. While the main family was respected, Bluff became feared for his presence in a situation meant something was going to go very wrong. He never married or had children, and to this day has remained his father's right hand on the ranch.
App Code: -TLRYS2020- DO NOT DELETE
Character Name: Luke Parker
Age: 32
Appearance:
Build: Luke stands at 6'2", and weighs around 180 lbs. He is not as physically imposing as his half-brother Bluff, but he carries his own air of both friendliness and a willingness to kill you where you stand if you threaten his family.
Job/Profession: Ranch Hand/Livestock Association Deputy
Relation to the Parkers: Eldest son of Douglas
Bio: Luke is Douglas's eldest child, and perhaps his most beloved. The Parker Patriarch sees much of himself in his young son, and has often played favorite with him. Since he was a young boy, Luke has been raised to be the next manager of the Double B, a task that has always excited him. Though he was sent away to boarding school in his youth at his father's insistance that he get a proper education, Luke loved his vacations at home, consuming his time on the ranch like John Muir in Yosemite. He learned mathematics and literature during the year, and then during the summer ranching season he would return home to learn the ways of the ranch. The distance from home did have it's costs however, and the distance from his family tore at Luke after his mother died. When he graduated high school, he refused to leave Park County again, and self taught himself anything he needed from a college education.
Luke married his wife Beth in his early twenties, and with her he has had two daughters. Though Luke has the spirit to lead and the drive, Douglas has yet to instill in him the proper weight of the responsibilities he will have to bear, and seems loath to do so. The coming events may change that however...
App Code: -TLRYS2020- DO NOT DELETE
Age: 64
Appearance:
Build: Douglas if extended would stand at about an even 6 foot, but age has worn down his natural stature to have him stand at 5'10. He is on the lighter side of things, trying to stay healthy in his elder days.
Job/Profession: Owner and manager of the Double B
Relation to the Parkers: Patriarch
Bio: Douglas was born to Jackson and Meredith Parker in 1956 as their eldest son. He grew up learning the ways of the ranch from his father and the various hands around the Double B. Though Douglas will never admit it, he longs for the days of his youth, with nothing but the horse between his legs and the open range of the Double B in front of him. Still though, sometimes circumstances demand that dreams be put aside. When the time was right, Douglas was sent off to College to earn an agricultural degree, but the Ranch quickly called him home. Jackson had suffered a kick to the back by a rogue stallion, and was left paralyzed below the hip. With his father unable to tend to the day to day, Douglas stepped up and quickly assumed the responsibilities that his Father couldn't.
Time wore on, and Douglas was entrusted with more and more responsibilites as owner of the Ranch, yet for a long while he didn't act like it. He drank and partied with the other cowhands, enjoying his youth. Disaster would strike the young Parker when a native girl appeared at the Ranch one day, heavily pregnant and claiming that the child belonged to Douglas. Though he did not believe the woman, his mother would not allow him to turn away a mother on the verge of birth during the Montana winter. Shortly after the woman gave birth to a son, dying in the process. After a paternity test concluded that Douglas was the father, he named the boy Bluff, and though he would never be truely loved by his father, the two developed mutual respect over time.
A little bit shocked from the conclusion of Bluff's birth saga, Douglas swore off the cowhand's life and became full time manager of the Ranch. He married a sweetheart of his, a scion of the White Mare ranch, Melissa Hancock. Douglas and Melissa loved each other, but there was always a mutual knowledge that their marraige was in part political that got in the way of their emotions. Together the pair had multiple children, the oldest of which was their son Luke. 12 years into Douglas and Melissa's marriage, however, tragedy struck, as it inevitably does in Park County. Melissa was killed in a tragic hunting accident, her sister mistakingly firing a shotgun into her. Melissa's death changed Douglas from a generally kind if prudent man, into a more withdrawn, cynical person. He has continued to run the Ranch as his father taught him all those years ago, but time wears on, and Douglas is only growing older. He has served as Livestock Comissioner of Park County since the early 2000s.
App Code: -TLRYS2020- DO NOT DELETE
Character Name: Bluff Parker
Age: 39
Appearance:
Build: Bluff stands at 6'5" and weighs near 220 lbs. He is a physical presence and is not one to be trifled with.
Job/Profession: Ranch Hand/Boss
Relation to the Parkers: Bastard son of Douglas
Bio: Bluff was born to a native woman who claimed to be carrying the child of Douglas Parker. They never learned the woman's name, but a paternity test confirmed that the child she delivered shortly after her arrival was Douglas's. Bluff never knew his mother, she died bringing him into the world, and as a child his father didn't much care for his presence. So, the young Parker ended up being mostly raised by his Grandmother and the various Parker Ranch Hands. He learned to ride a horse and fish from an early age, and besides what his grandmother taught him never recieved a formal education. Instead he learned the ways of the ranch, and by age 12 was as experienced as a rancher as any of the other hands.
By age 16, now fully aware of his situation, Bluff had had enough of his father pratically ignoring him. He came to Douglas with a propsition. Douglas would teach Bluff how to be a Trail Boss, and the bastard would be his most loyal enforcer until the end of his days. In return Bluff would never try to grab a piece of the Ranch or harm the family in the future. Both sides found the agreement good, and so their pact was sealed as father and son. From that day forward, Bluff became his father's best enforcer, leading the various ranch hands and enacting Douglas's will where Douglas could not do it himself. While the main family was respected, Bluff became feared for his presence in a situation meant something was going to go very wrong. He never married or had children, and to this day has remained his father's right hand on the ranch.
App Code: -TLRYS2020- DO NOT DELETE
Character Name: Luke Parker
Age: 32
Appearance:
Build: Luke stands at 6'2", and weighs around 180 lbs. He is not as physically imposing as his half-brother Bluff, but he carries his own air of both friendliness and a willingness to kill you where you stand if you threaten his family.
Job/Profession: Ranch Hand/Livestock Association Deputy
Relation to the Parkers: Eldest son of Douglas
Bio: Luke is Douglas's eldest child, and perhaps his most beloved. The Parker Patriarch sees much of himself in his young son, and has often played favorite with him. Since he was a young boy, Luke has been raised to be the next manager of the Double B, a task that has always excited him. Though he was sent away to boarding school in his youth at his father's insistance that he get a proper education, Luke loved his vacations at home, consuming his time on the ranch like John Muir in Yosemite. He learned mathematics and literature during the year, and then during the summer ranching season he would return home to learn the ways of the ranch. The distance from home did have it's costs however, and the distance from his family tore at Luke after his mother died. When he graduated high school, he refused to leave Park County again, and self taught himself anything he needed from a college education.
Luke married his wife Beth in his early twenties, and with her he has had two daughters. Though Luke has the spirit to lead and the drive, Douglas has yet to instill in him the proper weight of the responsibilities he will have to bear, and seems loath to do so. The coming events may change that however...
App Code: -TLRYS2020- DO NOT DELETE