DangerousDM

The Morrison Trail - (A Western Oregon-Trail-based RP with Dinosaurs)

@DangerousDM Still good man?

@Lmpkio

Shit dude I'm sorry. I'll have something up tonight for sure. Had an emergency to deal with on the weekend. We're all good though.

The Morrison Trail - (A Western Oregon-Trail-based RP with Dinosaurs)

I'll have one up probably by the weekend. I'm still here!

The Morrison Trail - (A Western Oregon-Trail-based RP with Dinosaurs)

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Clarabella closed her eyes and sighed; this was the first real moment of relaxation she had gotten in several days. The restless nights spent camping on uncomfortable ground had made her lower back ache and throb with pain. Every stranger she passed on the road was a potential murderer or rapist. Or, heaven forbid, both. Worrying about every movement and sound in the darkness; what kind of predator was it? Was it a native? Or was it a wolf or a raptor? None of these had done her many favors when it came to her anxiety level. Now, her body soaking in the warm, soapy bathwater, all she wanted to do was fall asleep.

She reached to her side and picked glass of whiskey off a small side-table. bringing it to her lips and swallowing with a grimace. It was strong, but after so many days suffering fried nerves, she needed something strong. She replaced the glass, cupped her hands in the bathwater, and brought them to her face; the water washing away the last few days of tension. She sunk lower into the tub, letting the water come up to her chin. She blew out a breath and the bubbles collecting around her face blew into the air.

She was in a hotel bathroom. It wasn't a high-end hotel, but it had a private room and offered a bath for a reasonable price. The room was lit by a few oil lamps, their wicks burning low to keep the room at a warm and relaxing light. The large, metal tub sat in the center of the room. The only other piece of furniture was a storage cabinet that held all the bath essentials. It had been cleverly disguised as an armoire to keep up appearances. There was a curtained window, but on the second floor with no surrounding buildings to give sight-lines, Clarabella felt she had an appropriate level of privacy.

She heard Brutus groan from outside in their stables. One would think they would have a place large enough for an animal of his considerable size, but one would be mistaken. He wasn't happy, but she believed he needed the rest as much as she did.

She lolled her head to one side; a candle sit on the table next to her whiskey. She stared into it, the flame reflecting off her dark brown, almost black, eyes.

She remembered the fire. She remembered waking to thunder and rain, her body crying in pain. Reminiscently, a hand trailed below her left breast, caressing the scarred and knotted flesh where the bullet had struck her. She took another long sip of her whiskey, savoring the burn as it flowed down her throat. The bullet had narrowly missed her heart, the only major injury she sustained was a couple of broken ribs. She should've been dead. The family name wasn't well known, so to those who knew her, she was dead.

"Jezisa," she muttered, downing the rest of her whiskey. "What kind of word is 'Jezisa' anyway?" She poured another three fingers from the bottle she requested be left behind and fought the urge not to drink from it.

"Do not go after them, Miss Cain." The words echoed in her mind.

'Joseph'. That was the name she knew him by. His skin dark as night, his upper body covered in scars that resembled crocodile flesh. He was a killer, a soldier, a savior in his homeland. But here, in a world that didn't belong to him, he was a slave. But he trained her, and he trained her well. She lied about the black eyes, the cuts and bruises and muscle soreness, saying it was the fault of an overenthusiastic Woolly Rhino or Parasaur. But it was his fault. He damn near beat her into submission a dozen times.

"These natives fight like animals. You think they will stop when you lose your feet?"

"Lose your footing." She had corrected him. He had struggled with her language initially. A mispronunciation here, an awkward metaphor there. She learned not to correct him when they were training…

"No," he stated harshly, stomping on her bare feet with his heel. "You think they will stop when they destroy your feet? Cripple your opponent before he cripples you. Hurt him so he never has the ability to do so again."

Her hand drifted to her collarbone and touched her other scar. She remembered the feeling as it went in; red-hot, like 100 piercing needles. The audible sound as it bounced off her collarbone and buried itself deep in her chest. She winced at the memory.

After wandering the eastern coast for a week, living frugally and discretely to not draw attention, she had gotten the foolish idea in her mind to head West only a couple days ago. She rationalized the decision not as running away, but as starting over. She had the skills to find placement on a ranch or, if she was lucky, build one of her own. She entertained the thought of what she would call it and what she would raise, then stowed it away to not lose focus.

The windows shook as some massive beast descended into town. A screech was heard, and the animals in the stables below her responded with their own vocals. It wasn't an unwelcome disturbance; hearing other animals after days of hearing nothing but Brutus' flatulence and her own heartbeat.

There was a knock on the bathroom door and Claire sighed. "I still have 20 minutes." She declared.

"I know, Miss Cain. A letter arrived for you." A meek, female voice responded.

Claire cocked a brow. "Well, come in then. Give it here."

The door opened slowly, and Claire draped her hand over the other side of the tub where her holster hung. She felt the cold steel and wooden handgrip caress her fingertips. She fingered the hammer back out of caution with a 'click'. A young woman, younger than her but not at all lacking in her upstairs assets, entered the room. She dressed in a blue and white frilled dress. Her hair piled tight on top, was loose enough to allow a few strands to tumble down to her shoulders. She caught sight of Claire's body and blushed.

Claire, noticing the discomfort, released the grip on her revolver. She pulled a pile of bubbles towards her and tried to cover herself. "Come on, now. I don't have anything you don't." She said with a chuckle.

The woman stammered. "I know, Miss Cain. Just…trying to maintain your privacy is all." She handed the Claire the letter.

Claire waved her off. "Read it to me. My hands are wet." She raised one hand out of the water, but the other hung over the side. Just in case.

The girl, taken aback by being allowed to read someone's mail, delicately went about opening the ornate envelope.

As the girl read, Claire stared into the candlelight. This letter wasn't meant for her; she was sure of it. The thought ran through her mind that she might've received the letter by mistake. She doubted anyone would deliver a letter to a random hotel in a place like this. When the girl had finished, Claire still hadn't broken her gaze with the candle.

"Sounds exciting, Miss Cain." The girl said, the smile audible on her face.

"Did whoever give this to you say who it was for?" Claire ignored her statement.

"All's he said was the original address wasn't there no more. That it'd burned down."

Claire swallowed. It was for her. "How did he know to bring it here?" She asked, pressing her tongue against the inside of her cheek nervously.

"He said some man directed him where to go. Said you'd be in this town, in this hotel, at this time."

Claire scoffed. "Joseph, you bastard…" She muttered under her breath.

The girl looked up from the letter. "You say something, Miss Cain?"

Claire shook her head. "No," she said. "Would you mind handing me a towel, I'm starting to prune." She stood up out of the tub and onto the floor, not caring that the girl damn near fainted from the sight. She took the offered towel and wrapped it around her body. Claire waved off any other help the girl tried to give her and asked her to leave.

She threw on the nightshirt they had given her. Her clothes were being washed and wouldn’t' be ready until tomorrow morning. She fixed her hair as best she could, combing it and tying it back into a loose ponytail. She had already eaten, so she wasn't planning on going out. The desire to lay on a warm, soft bed was overwhelming. Collecting her belt, she walked back to her room, entered, and locked the door behind her.

Claire flopped onto the bed and examined the letter. As she has suspected, the letter wasn't for her.

"Mr. Archibald Cain & Family…" She said, reading the name on the front of the envelope. It was for her father.

She had guessed word didn't reach Lakewood about his unfortunate death. But, then again, living a couple hours ride from any established fort or town, word wasn't known to travel far unless it was required.

She pondered the letter, examining all its intricacies and beauty, Clarabella Cain drifted off to sleep an hour or so later. Though, when she awoke, she had the same thought in her mind from the night before.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

The Morrison Trail - (A Western Oregon-Trail-based RP with Dinosaurs)

@PsyBlade@DangerousDM How are you guys doing with your posts?

@Lmpkio

I've almost got mine ready to go. Should be done today. Been working on it almost all week

The Morrison Trail - (A Western Oregon-Trail-based RP with Dinosaurs)

I'm going to guess that we don't really have a posting order, correct? So it's kind of every man for themselves?

The Morrison Trail - (A Western Oregon-Trail-based RP with Dinosaurs)

<Snipped quote by DangerousDM>

Oof I only changed that to accompany the fact of deflation. It’s based on the 19th century so $500 then would be a whole lot more in modern times. I could bump it up if need be but it’s still a lot of money for this “age” - like equivalent to $10,000 today.

@Lmpkio

It's alright man. I'm just messing around haha. When I last looked it was $3,000 and I was like "There better be a magician in this posse or there's gonna be trouble."

The Morrison Trail - (A Western Oregon-Trail-based RP with Dinosaurs)

Woah, woah, woah! Hold up a second...

AND in addition to that, you will be awarded $500 upon arrival - enough to start your new life and to pay off any compensation you might've encountered during the trip (god forbid).

I thought we were getting paid $3,000 when we got there. There's some shenanigans at play here...

The Morrison Trail - (A Western Oregon-Trail-based RP with Dinosaurs)

Name:

Clarabella 'Claire' Cain

Appearance: Claire is taller for a woman, standing at 5'9, and in good shape for a rancher's daughter. She has two bullet-wound scars; one below her left breast and another below her collarbone on the right. There are knife scars on her wrists from training drills, but aren't noticeable unless one is very close. She does not dress like a woman should, forgoing dresses and corsets for more functional men's clothing. Trousers, button-down shirts and vests, boots, and dusters are all part of her wardrobe.

Age: 28

Gender: Female

Mount: Woolly Rhinoceros 'Brutus' (Coelodonta antiquitatis)

Occupation: Former Ranch Hand/Animal Handler

Specialized Skills:

Major:

Animal Handling: Claire has a passion for breeding, caring, and being around animals. She has an advanced knowledge of animal anatomy, behavior, and diet. She knows how to calm down almost any beast.

Minor:

Competent Combatant: Claire was trained by 'Joseph', a member of her family's ranch militia to defend herself from harm. She is extremely familiar around weapons and is trained in unorthodox methods of self defense. Although nowhere near a trained soldier, she can still be dangerous should someone underestimate her.

Items:

There isn't much Claire has with her. She lost most of her possessions when the ranch was sacked. She managed to salvage/buy:

items

- 4 or 5 changes of clothes.
- Two revolvers
- One lever-action rifle
- One Sawed-Off Over Under Shotgun
- One box of ammunition
- 50 Dollars
- One Triceratops horn handled Bowie Knife
- One Scalping Knife
- General camp gear (tent, bedroll, mess supplies etc.)

Personality: Claire is a tomboy through and through. She is polite and well-mannered, but has a quick wit and a quicker tongue. She's got an iron-will and is cool under pressure. She fakes the damsel in distress persona to throw people off who she really is. She by no means uses people, as she is fiercely independent, and is more likely to be found in the mud with the boys than doing needle-point with the girls.

History

History

Clarabella 'Claire' Cain was born to a loving family as the youngest of four brothers. Her parents owned a ranch where they primarily raised Equus, an ancestor of the modern horse. Additionally, they also raised Chalicotherium, and a variety of Ornithopods. Being the youngest, Claire was mercilessly picked on by her older brothers and had to develop a thick skin at an early age. Her mother viewed the abuse as unnecessary, but her father saw it as a learning experience. He told Claire the only person she could completely, unconditionally rely on, was herself. Never depend on others to come to her rescue. "If you can feasibly do it yourself, do it." He said. She could trust in others but never forget the only person she could control, was her. The next time her brothers came at her, she punched one of them in the nose, and broke a broom over another's back. The teasing didn't stop, but it forced all involved to think twice before starting anything.

Being a rancher's child, she developed an interest in animals at an early age. All animals were considered wild, even ones like cats and dogs who were normally domesticated. "They should be viewed with equal parts fear and respect. Just because your brother raised that raptor from birth doesn't mean it won't take his arm just because it feels like it." Her father would say. She spent more time in the stables learning from the hired hands than she did learning how to be prim and proper from her mother. As she grew older, she found she was teaching the greenhorns more than the senior hands.

In addition to raising animals, the family maintained a plot of land for farming. Working the land was tough and time-consuming, and the family employed Woolly Rhinos as beasts of burden to help till the land. When one of the females died while giving birth, Claire's father permitted her to help raise it. Naming it Brutus, the calf quickly viewed Claire as a mother figure, and would go to any length to be by her side.

Like most ranchers, her family had several interactions with the natives. With any kind of actual protection far away the ranch had to also function like a military fort. Everyone on the premises knew how to fire a rifle, Clarabella included. A couple of the senior hands had formally served, and they were the only thing close to real soldiers.

One night, the natives launched a night raid on the property, and unfortunately one of her brothers was killed. Claire channeled her heartbreak, fear and anger into something destructive. One of the hands had taken the name 'Joseph', in place of his actual name, which was much harder to pronounce. Claire had heard that he used to be a deadly warrior from somewhere very, very far away, and she convinced him to take a special interest in training her.

As the years passed, one by one, Claire's brothers joined the army in skirmishes against the natives, leaving her, her father, and her mother to maintain the ranch. Although she grew frustrated with the day to day regulatory workings, she took comfort knowing that her father was proud of her. When they received the letter that a fort had been overrun and two of her brothers had been killed, Claire was driven to have revenge. But her father would not let her leave. Angry, she poured herself into training.

Seasons passed and her father showed no signs of getting better. He passed at night, leaving the ranch in the hands of Claire, her mother, and her remaining brother. The ranch began to decline. And in addition to laying off many of their hands, they were forced to sell most of their animals to make payments on the land. But the money was still tight, and eventually they could no longer make the minimum payments. Claire sent letters to her brother, but he never wrote back. Worried and angry, Claire tried to convince her mother to leave the ranch behind and travel with her to find her brother.

One day, the bank sent out a group of 'collectors' to retrieve the money they were owed. These men and women were little more than hired-criminals, who murdered the hands and pillaged the ranch. The battle was over quickly. Claire had been shot twice, her mother had her throat cut, and the remaining hands had either fled or been killed.

When Claire awoke to the sound of thunder and rain, she lay in a ditch. She crawled from her shallow grave on the outskirts of the ranch land, and began to make her way back to the red and yellow glow of her home. As she neared, 'Joseph' appeared and stopped her. He carried her to his homestead in the wilderness and tended her wounds until she could walk on her own. Her Woolly Rhino, Brutus, had fled with 'Joseph' and was wounded, but otherwise unharmed.

Claire had nothing to go back to, and told Joseph that he should move on, that he was no longer beholden to the ranch. Before she left, 'Joseph' told her where he was from, and that his people had stories of the dead coming back to life. He called them 'Jezisa', and that she was one of them. He begged her not to seek revenge, and that it would lead her no place good.

While searching the remains of her home, she came across a lockbox that belonged to her father. Inside was a letter that beckoned him to head west, but due to his illness he couldn't make the journey. With nothing but dead memories for her in the east, it was a simple decision to make the journey out west.

---

Brutus

Name:

Brutus

Appearance: Brutus the Woolly Rhinoceros is 13 feet from head to tail. He weights in at a whopping 5,000lbs and is 6.8 at the shoulder. His fur is a mixture of reddish-brown and blonde. His second horn, though still there, is shorter than average due to a break. His main horn is about 4 feet long and very sharp.

Age: 12

Gender: Male

Role: Mount/Pack Animal

Stats:

Size: 2 ▣▣
Strength: 4 ▣▣▣▣
Speed: 3 ▣▣▣
Intelligence: 3 ▣▣▣

Special Abilities

Juggernaut: When Brutus gets up to speed, not much can stand in his way for long. He's been observed toppling wagons, barn-doors, and other structures with ease.

Above Average Hearing/Below Average Eyesight: Brutus has surprisingly good hearing for an animal of his size to make up for his poor eyesight.

Other: Having been cared for by Claire since birth, Brutus has a strong emotional connection to her and is fiercely protective. Although Woolly Rhinos are not the most intelligent animals, Brutus appears to follow basic 'come', 'go', and 'stay' commands both verbally and in the form of whistles.

The Morrison Trail - (A Western Oregon Trail-based RP with Dinosaurs)

Will there be an OOC along with it or is that later? Just curious. So excited!

The Morrison Trail - (A Western Oregon Trail-based RP with Dinosaurs)

Name:

Clarabella 'Claire' Cain

Appearance: Claire is taller for a woman, standing at 5'9, and in good shape for a rancher's daughter. She has two bullet-wound scars; one below her left breast and another below her collarbone on the right. There are knife scars on her wrists from training drills, but aren't noticeable unless one is very close. She does not dress like a woman should, forgoing dresses and corsets for more functional men's clothing. Trousers, button-down shirts and vests, boots, and dusters are all part of her wardrobe.

Age: 28

Gender: Female

Mount: Woolly Rhinoceros 'Brutus' (Coelodonta antiquitatis)

Occupation: Former Ranch Hand/Animal Handler

Specialized Skills:

Major:

Animal Handling: Claire has a passion for breeding, caring, and being around animals. She has an advanced knowledge of animal anatomy, behavior, and diet. She knows how to calm down almost any beast.

Minor:

Competent Combatant: Claire was trained by 'Joseph', a member of her family's ranch militia to defend herself from harm. She is extremely familiar around weapons and is trained in unorthodox methods of self defense. Although nowhere near a trained soldier, she can still be dangerous should someone underestimate her.

Items:

There isn't much Claire has with her. She lost most of her possessions when the ranch was sacked. She managed to salvage/buy:

items

- 4 or 5 changes of clothes.
- Two revolvers
- One lever-action rifle
- One Sawed-Off Over Under Shotgun
- One box of ammunition
- 50 Dollars
- One Triceratops horn handled Bowie Knife
- One Scalping Knife
- General camp gear (tent, bedroll, mess supplies etc.)

Personality: Claire is a tomboy through and through. She is polite and well-mannered, but has a quick wit and a quicker tongue. She's got an iron-will and is cool under pressure. She fakes the damsel in distress persona to throw people off who she really is. She by no means uses people, as she is fiercely independent, and is more likely to be found in the mud with the boys than doing needle-point with the girls.

History

History

Clarabella 'Claire' Cain was born to a loving family as the youngest of four brothers. Her parents owned a ranch where they primarily raised Equus, an ancestor of the modern horse. Additionally, they also raised Chalicotherium, and a variety of Ornithopods. Being the youngest, Claire was mercilessly picked on by her older brothers and had to develop a thick skin at an early age. Her mother viewed the abuse as unnecessary, but her father saw it as a learning experience. He told Claire the only person she could completely, unconditionally rely on, was herself. Never depend on others to come to her rescue. "If you can feasibly do it yourself, do it." He said. She could trust in others but never forget the only person she could control, was her. The next time her brothers came at her, she punched one of them in the nose, and broke a broom over another's back. The teasing didn't stop, but it forced all involved to think twice before starting anything.

Being a rancher's child, she developed an interest in animals at an early age. All animals were considered wild, even ones like cats and dogs who were normally domesticated. "They should be viewed with equal parts fear and respect. Just because your brother raised that raptor from birth doesn't mean it won't take his arm just because it feels like it." Her father would say. She spent more time in the stables learning from the hired hands than she did learning how to be prim and proper from her mother. As she grew older, she found she was teaching the greenhorns more than the senior hands.

In addition to raising animals, the family maintained a plot of land for farming. Working the land was tough and time-consuming, and the family employed Woolly Rhinos as beasts of burden to help till the land. When one of the females died while giving birth, Claire's father permitted her to help raise it. Naming it Brutus, the calf quickly viewed Claire as a mother figure, and would go to any length to be by her side.

Like most ranchers, her family had several interactions with the natives. With any kind of actual protection far away the ranch had to also function like a military fort. Everyone on the premises knew how to fire a rifle, Clarabella included. A couple of the senior hands had formally served, and they were the only thing close to real soldiers.

One night, the natives launched a night raid on the property, and unfortunately one of her brothers was killed. Claire channeled her heartbreak, fear and anger into something destructive. One of the hands had taken the name 'Joseph', in place of his actual name, which was much harder to pronounce. Claire had heard that he used to be a deadly warrior from somewhere very, very far away, and she convinced him to take a special interest in training her.

As the years passed, one by one, Claire's brothers joined the army in skirmishes against the natives, leaving her, her father, and her mother to maintain the ranch. Although she grew frustrated with the day to day regulatory workings, she took comfort knowing that her father was proud of her. When they received the letter that a fort had been overrun and two of her brothers had been killed, Claire was driven to have revenge. But her father would not let her leave. Angry, she poured herself into training.

Seasons passed and her father showed no signs of getting better. He passed at night, leaving the ranch in the hands of Claire, her mother, and her remaining brother. The ranch began to decline. And in addition to laying off many of their hands, they were forced to sell most of their animals to make payments on the land. But the money was still tight, and eventually they could no longer make the minimum payments. Claire sent letters to her brother, but he never wrote back. Worried and angry, Claire tried to convince her mother to leave the ranch behind and travel with her to find her brother.

One day, the bank sent out a group of 'collectors' to retrieve the money they were owed. These men and women were little more than hired-criminals, who murdered the hands and pillaged the ranch. The battle was over quickly. Claire had been shot twice, her mother had her throat cut, and the remaining hands had either fled or been killed.

When Claire awoke to the sound of thunder and rain, she lay in a ditch. She crawled from her shallow grave on the outskirts of the ranch land, and began to make her way back to the red and yellow glow of her home. As she neared, 'Joseph' appeared and stopped her. He carried her to his homestead in the wilderness and tended her wounds until she could walk on her own. Her Woolly Rhino, Brutus, had fled with 'Joseph' and was wounded, but otherwise unharmed.

Claire had nothing to go back to, and told Joseph that he should move on, that he was no longer beholden to the ranch. Before she left, 'Joseph' told her where he was from, and that his people had stories of the dead coming back to life. He called them 'Jezisa', and that she was one of them. He begged her not to seek revenge, and that it would lead her no place good.

While searching the remains of her home, she came across a lockbox that belonged to her father. Inside was a letter that beckoned him to head west, but due to his illness he couldn't make the journey. With nothing but dead memories for her in the east, it was a simple decision to make the journey out west.

---

Brutus

Name:

Brutus

Appearance: Brutus the Woolly Rhinoceros is 13 feet from head to tail. He weights in at a whopping 5,000lbs and is 6.8 at the shoulder. His fur is a mixture of reddish-brown and blonde. His second horn, though still there, is shorter than average due to a break. His main horn is about 4 feet long and very sharp.

Age: 12

Gender: Male

Role: Mount/Pack Animal

Stats:

Size: 2 ▣▣
Strength: 4 ▣▣▣▣
Speed: 3 ▣▣▣
Intelligence: 3 ▣▣▣

Special Abilities

Juggernaut: When Brutus gets up to speed, not much can stand in his way for long. He's been observed toppling wagons, barn-doors, and other structures with ease.

Above Average Hearing/Below Average Eyesight: Brutus has surprisingly good hearing for an animal of his size to make up for his poor eyesight.

Other: Having been cared for by Claire since birth, Brutus has a strong emotional connection to her and is fiercely protective. Although Woolly Rhinos are not the most intelligent animals, Brutus appears to follow basic 'come', 'go', and 'stay' commands both verbally and in the form of whistles.