You lie among the corpses for what seems like an eternity. The smell is the worst thing you've ever smelled, but the knowledge that it's dead bodies moving against you is terrifying. Still, you know that the idea of the undead monsters yanking you from the pile and tearing you apart is even scarier, so you stay silent.

You have no idea how long you spend in the cart. How many hours? Hell, it could be over a day by now. Eventually, the cart stops. You hear growls outside, before a shout.

"How many?" a young man's voice cries.

"Twenty-seven. Thirteen Orcs, thirteen Men, one Dwarf."

"A dwarf? I wonder what that small little bastard was doing in that region. Ah, who cares. Prepare them."

You hear zombies yank corpses from the cart. One of them pulls Bagig off you and you close your eyes and go limp. The zombie yanks you forward, and quite gently lays you on the ground. You open your eyes slightly, to see you're being laid out in rows. You're in the courtyard of what appears to be a massive castle made from black stone. You're surrounded by undead monsters, with one exception: A human, wearing hooded black robes, holding a steel sword. His face is paler than bone, and his angular facial features tells you there's probably some High Elf lineage in him. His black hair is slicked back undead his hood, and he eagerly looks at the corpses like a warrior among battle. An undead knight who had been leading the pack rides forward, looking at the man.

"Are you raising them, or is the Grand Necromancer?"

The Grand Necromancer. Papa's told you about him. A cowardly mage who uses raises the dead to fight for him. You know he has some lesser Necromancers, which probably included the robed man.

"No, I shall raise them today."

The Necromancer turns and raises his hands.

"Rise, Minions! The Grim Reaper shall not take you today! Shrug off the eternal sleep and wake!" he laughs.

His eyes turn black as his pupils consume his irises and corneas. A faint blackness appears to flow from his fingertips outwards, enrapturing the corpses. The corpses begin to shudder as the black, magical energy floods into them. Then, the dead begin to rise. Slowly, the corpses begin to stand, their eyes still as soulless as before. The Necromancer pauses, spotting you. You attempt to stand slowly, like the newly created zombies, but stumble and fall flat again.

"Ah, someone from the land of the living is here! Hello!"

Cold hands grab you, and you are yanked up. You crane your neck to see Bagig, holding you in his rotting hands. No, Bagig is dead. Bagig was loving, friendly, funny and kind. This... abomination, has black, soulless eyes. You draw your blade and sink it into the side of his head. Bagig's corpse releases you, and falls to the ground. Bagig has always loved you. His body deserves to rest.

"Ah, a fighter!" the Necromancer laughs.

Rotting hands grab you, and the knife is ripped from your hands. You see several Orcs, seemingly alive, approach.

"What's the issue, Trant?" one of them growls.

"My title is Necromancer Trant, servant of the Grand Necromancer. I will not be addressed as simply "Trant" by some lowly mercenary!"

"Don't make me ask again, Trant!"

"There's a survivor."

The Orc, apparently the leader of a band of mercenaries, looks at you, and you get a good luck at him. He's quite a fair bit taller than Bagig was, although his body is covered with scars. Several scars run across his face, including one that's taken out his eye, leaving a disgusting hole in his face.

"He's just a boy. I doubt he's been on his first hunt yet."

"Well, he should be dead," Necromancer Trant says angrily.

"I ain't killing him..."

You breath a sigh of relief.

"... for normal pay. Five times if you want me to kill a kid."

"Fine. I'll pay out of pocket. I don't want to... bother the Grand Necromancer with this."

"Ha! Hiding something from the Master of Death? Alright then, it's your head," the Mercenary Leader says.

You're dropped by the undead, and the Mercenary Leader quickly kicks you in the chest, knocking you backwards. You fall on the ground, and he grabs your arms. You watch with terror as a chopping block is brought out. One of the Orcs binds your hands with ropes, tightening them behind your back. You're shoved to your knees, and the chopping block is dropped in front of you. Your neck is forced to the chopping block. A bucket is shoved in front of you, no doubt for your head to fall into. The Mercenary Leader is handed a massive battleaxe.

"Don't worry, kid. I'll make it quick. I'm good with an axe. I've filled that bucket many a time."
> You curse the Mercenary Leader out
"It'll be filled just like your mother was filled hundreds of times, you fucking scum!" you shout, struggling to think of every bad word you've been taught.

Thankfully, many, many, many hours spent listening to Papa, Bagig, Mazkil, Gruzub and even sometimes Mama swear has given you a lot of material.

"You're the product of a whore!" you yell.

"Ha! This one's got balls!" the Mercenary Leader laughs.

"Unlike you, you unloved, honor less eunuch! The fires of hell take you! I hope Demons rape your soul and... and... your mother's a whore, who..."

"Aw, he ran out of insults. Alright, kid. Let's get this over with."

The Orc raises his blade.

"STOP!" a young, shrill voice cries.

The Orc pauses, turning to look.

"Ah, fuck," he sighs.

You turn to see two humans approaching. The one in the lead is a tall, pale figure wearing hooded black robes with silver trim with short black hair. His face is gaunt and his eyes are sunken into his face, giving him the appearance of a skull. He is followed by a small girl, who looks to be only your age, wearing a dark red dress with flowing blond hair. She's considerably less pale than the man, and has bright green eyes. She looks worried at the sight of the execution, and she very well might've just saved your life.

"What the fuck is this?" the tall man asks angrily.

"Nothing, Grand Necromancer."

"Nothing? This doesn't look like nothing, Balok the Honorless!"

"It's an execution, sir. Nothing out of the ordinary."

The Grand Necromancer grabs you, yanking you up.

"How old would you say this kid is?" he asks.

"I don't know, sir."

"Blaise, why did you scream?" the Grand Necromancer asks.

"Because you only kill bad people, and he's too young to be bad," the girl says, looking worried.

"Are you paid to kill kids, Balok?" the Grand Necromancer asks.

"Yes, sir. Well, not kids specifically, but my job is to kill whoever..."

The Grand Necromancer, despite being quite short, swings his fist, punching the Mercenary Leader.

"If you pull this shit again, I'll torture you to death, and then do it again!" the Grand Necromancer says.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," the Orc apologizes.

The Grand Necromancer looks at you, before looking at the girl.

"Cut the boy loose, have his wounds dressed and have him cleaned and clothed."

"Then what?" the Orc asks.

"Have him brought to my quarters."

The Orc nods. The Necromancer looks at you.

"What's your name, boy?"

"Dagden."

"It's alright, Dagden. I promise you won't be harmed. I have problems to deal with, Balok. Don't cause more of them."

He turns, and strolls off. The girl stays behind for a few seconds, staring at you. Finally, she turns and quickly follows the Grand Necromancer.

"Well, fuck me," Balok sighs, cutting you loose. "Come on, you little prick. I gotta follow the "Master of Death"'s orders. And way to stand up for me, Trant. Fuck you, you fuckin' corpse-fucker."

Trant smiles and gives Balok the finger. Balok swears and begins dragging you toward the building he came out from.
> You continue
You're thrown onto a bed in what appears to be a Medic's room. A small Orc enters, narrowing her eyes.

"You're the kid, are you? Made Balok look like a right moron, you did."

She sits down on a stool next to you. She begins to stitch your cuts on your chest from the bear closed. You wince, and she grabs a red vial from her leather bag.

"Here. Drink. Every last drop. Lick it clean if you must."

You open the cork, and drink. You swallow the sweet mixture. You assume it's some healing potion, because your pain lessens and strength courses through you. You feel much better now.

"So, where you from, boy?" the Medic asks.
> You answer
"I'm a Red Blade."

"Ah! I was sweet on a Red Blade once. Ended up beating him half to death when he tried to have his way with me on a drunken night. Jakku Smallcock, he was. Or at least, that title is more fitting," she smiles.

You nod, and she quickly patches you up.

"No strenuous exercise, you don't want the stitching to tear. Alright, head off to the bathrooms now the hall. Balok said to have you washed."

You leave the Medic's Room and find yourself in a stone hallway. Down the hall you can see the, though there is a path left.
> You go wash up
You walk into the bathrooms, and find a bath waiting for you. You touch the water. It's quite hot, to your surprise. Your baths have always been in the cold river, or sometimes if you're lucky been in a basin slowly pouring a bucket of hot water on yourself. This entire bath is hot. You remove your clothes, and lower yourself into the water. The heat envelops you, and you let out a sigh of relief.

"Ah... good," you say to yourself.

You begin to scrub your skin, rubbing away mud, dirt and blood. Layers of dirt that you had assumed were skin are wash off, and you're left cleaner than you've ever been in your entire existence. It's unnerving to be this green. The door opens, and your hands immediately move to cover your genitals. An undead Dwarf walks in, dropping clothes in front of you, before picking up your old clothes. The Dwarf has long, braided brown hair and a combed beard, although his skin is cracked and broken and peeling away to reveal flesh as some point. His teeth have almost all rotted, and a spear wound has destroyed much of his throat.

"Hello. I'm here to give you new clothes and take away your old," he rasps.

"You're not supposed to talk. The dead don't talk."

"Orcs aren't supposed to be clean."

"What are you?"

"A Wight."

You nod, despite not having a clue what that entails. The Wight turns, and walks out the door. You stand and find come clean rags laid out to wipe yourself dry. When you're finished, you get dressed in the trousers, shirt, belt and polished boots. You look at your reflection in the water.

You look like a ponce.

"If Gruzub, Mazkil or Bagig saw me they'd..." you pause, tears welling up in your eyes.

You grab the rags, and dry your eyes again, as the door is opened again. The Wight stands there.

"I'm to escort you to the Grand Necromancer."

You nod, and follow the Wight out of the bathroom, and follow him along the halls. You spot various Orc, Elf, Human and Dwarven Mercenaries, as well as countless undead. You shiver as you pass them. You're eventually led to a pair of double doors.

"Through there," the Wight says.
> You go through the doors
Chapter II: A Guest among the Graves

You push through the double doors, and find yourself in a large room. A massive feasting table stands in front of you, covered in food. Your stomach grumbles as you realize you haven't eaten in quite some time, and your mouth waters as you look upon roasted chicken, baked loaves of bread, turkey legs, roasted boar and even more food. You see the Grand Necromancer sitting at the head of the table, wearing his black robes with the silver trim, although his hood is pulled down. Sitting next to him is the young child from earlier. About a dozen black robed Necromancers sit at the table, as well as several Mercenary Captains. Standing guard are dozens of undead knights, who stare at you with their cold eyes. The Grand Necromancer looks up at you and smiles.

"Ah! Our guest is here, young Mr Dagden. Please, take a seat at my side."

You can tell by the cold, emotionless staring of the guards that declining this offer would be a bad move. You nod, and walk past the necromancers. You spot Trant among them, who winks at you. You make a silent promise to yourself that you're going to kill him. You take a seat next to the Grand Necromancer, directly across from the girl. The Grand Necromancer smiles at you, a charming smile from a horrible monster of a man.

"I'm sorry about the recent unpleasantness, Dagden. I sent my soldiers to wipe out bandits and thugs and retrieve their corpses to add to my forces. I'm so sorry that you and your brother got confused with them."

You don't look at the Grand Necromancer, out of disgust and hatred. You grab a turkey leg, and eagerly begin chewing into it. You realize just how starved you are as begin to wolf down your meal.

"Hungry little one, aren't you? I bet you've never eaten a meal this big, coming from a tribal village."

"I bet you didn't catch a single thing on this table yourself, and got stronger men to do it," you retort.

The Necromancer laughs.

"It tastes better that way, I would imagine. I admit, I don't catch my own food. I'm not a strong person. My brothers were the strong ones. They wanted to be warriors. I wanted to be a scholar, but after I began to research magic, I decided to become a mage. I quickly specialized in Necromancy. It has a terrible reputation like all other forms of Black Magic, but I've never understood it. Necromancy, Blood Magic, Creating Life, Elemental Darkness, Demon Summoning, Demon Bonding, deals with demons... Anything with demons, really, all hated by fools and morons. We hate Blood Magic because we can't seem to comprehend a need for sacrifice, we hate creating life because we seem to think that's the place of the Gods who barely exist and never help us "foolish mortals", we hate Elemental Darkness because the dumbest part of our brain is scared of what we can't see, we hate dealing with demons because we're too scared about our ability to keep control over them, and most importantly, we hate Necromancy because we have respect for corpses because of what they once were and fear the dead. It's pathetic. Do you know the amount of good Necromancy could do? Imagine cities defended by armies of undead, so hunting bandits and defending from enemies will no longer risk any lives. Do you see why my work is important?"
> You say "Yes."
"Good! It's important to learn these things! I'm glad you can be so understanding at such a young age. My daughter, Blaise, is also quite understanding. I don't know if I've introduced you."

You look over at the girl, who stares at you with wide curious eyes.

"She's the splitting image of her mother. She..."

"When can I go home?" you ask abruptly, causing the Grand Necromancer to frown.

"Ah... about that... You realize you've already seen so much... You've seen the extent of my operations, you know my plans to expand my army, my use of other Necromancers, my use of mercenaries, my base of operations... I think it would be wise if you stay here, as our guest, for some time."

You stare into the eyes of the Grand Necromancer. You can feel him peering into your soul. You refuse to break gaze. He sighs.

"I'm sorry to have to keep you here. I can promise you'll be treated well."

You can continue staring at the Grand Necromancer, which seems to unnerve him. You feel some joy at doing so, but stop yourself from smiling.

"Blaise, why don't you show our new guest your room? I'm sure you have loads of toys to show him. I have business to discuss."

Blaise nods, and stands up from the table. You stand, and she walks over and grabs your hand.

"Come on. I'll show you my room," she says.

She begins dragging you to a small door at the back of the room, and opens it. You find yourself in a large bedroom, bigger than Papa's. There's a large double canopy bed, a wardrobe, a bookshelf, two chest of drawers and several toys lying around the room.

"Usually, Dad doesn't bring many guests here, and never ever anyone my age. My name's Blaise. What's yours?"

"Dagden. My friends call me Dag."

"Pleased to meet you, Dag. I'm Blaise. I have loads of toys, but I also have other stuff. I have a pet..."

You stare into her eyes, and feel hatred. She's the most important thing to the Grand Necromancer, the man who took your brother. You're far enough from the main room. You could very, very easily get your revenge and hurt the Necromancer just like he hurt you.
> You continue listening to her
No, she's done nothing to you. She's just a little kid in a situation you didn't choose, just like you.

"...dog, named Stitches."

"Stitches?" you say, raising an eyebrow.

"He was attacked by an assassin, an Orc trying to kill my dad. My dad brought him back so I could keep him. Stitches! Come here, Stitches!"

You here scratching behind you, and turn around. You open your mouth to scream, before remembering what Papa always said.

"When faced with danger, never scream, only roar."

You growl, staring at the abomination. The "dog" is missing patches of its brown fur, and is covered in stitches across it's body and legs. It's missing almost all the flesh from one of its back legs and its lower jaw. The Dog quickly walks forward, and Blaise begins stroking its back. You extend a hand forward and begin stroking its head. It extends a liver-colored tongue and licks your hand and you recoil in disgust. Stitches whimpers, and you start stroking its head again. It barks happily, and you begin to rub it's belly. You've always wanted a dog, although you wanted one with a bit more life in it than this one. You can't tell whether you should hug or strangle the dog, but you know you really, really want to do one of them.

"Do you like him?" Blaise asks, looking up at you.
> You say "Yes."
She smiles at you, and continues rubbing Stitches.

"He's really... cute," you say, struggling for words.

The girl looks up at you, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you want to go hear what they're saying?" she asks.

"Who?"

"My Dad and the other Necromancers."

"How?"

"I know about a hidden room where you can eavesdrop. I don't know what it was for, but I like to go there sometimes when I don't want to be found. Do you want to see it?"

You nod eagerly, and she goes over to her wardrobe. She opens it, and reaches a hand in to root around the dresses, blouses and skirts, before pulling out a small, unassuming silver key.

"Come on, follow me," she says, turning and walking over to the side of the room.

She begins putting all her weight against the bookshelf. It moves slightly, revealing a small wooden door hidden behind it.

"It's a pretty obvious place to put a hidden door. I don't think this castle's architect was very clever."

She unlocks and opens the door. The room inside is a small room with a small table and four chairs, another bookshelf, a large bed and a chest.

"If you put your head up against the wall, you can here what's inside."

You lean against the far wall, putting your ear against it.

"...allow us to have more control over the mountain range. We send teams into the mines and mountains to force the Dwarves back, and allow us to conquer the tombs. With the tombs in our hands, the whole continent will fall," the Grand Necromancer says.

"I'll lead the raids. The Dwarf Clans have survived untouched by war for far too long. I think my knowledge of battle tactics..." an Unknown voice cries.

"Ha! Galmead, please don't pretend it's anything other than vengeance that makes you want to lead the assault. Still, you've served me well over the years. You can lead the assault."

"Thank you, Grand Necromancer."

"Of course. Now Thonir, fetch the Orc child and find a room for him. Make sure the door's locked and there's extra guards on. I don't want him escaping."

Blaise pulls her head back from the door.

"We should get out of here," she says.

You both quickly rush out of the room, with Blaise locking it behind you. You push the bookshelf closed, before you hear a short rapping on the door. Blaise opens it, and you're faced with the Dwarven Wight from earlier.

"Lady Blaise, Dagden. I'm here to escort you to your new private chambers, Dagden."

"OK," you reply.

"Bye, Dag."

"Bye, Blaise."

The Wight begins leading you down a hallway.

"My name is Thonir. I am to look after you during your stay."

"OK."

"If you need anything, simply ask and I shall do my best to help to the extent I can. Of course, if I think the request compromises the... security of you or anyone else here, I shall not grant it."

You nod, looking up at him. His rotting face stares blankly on, before he stops in front of a large oak door. He opens it, and you walk inside. There's a small room with a seat with a hole in the floor that you presume is a bathroom, a basin filled with water, a small bed, a wardrobe, a dresser, a bookshelf and a table and chair. There's also a massive bear skull mounted on the wall, which you think looks cool.

"This shall be your quarters for the duration of your stay. I shall guard the door for the night. Knock on the door if you need anything."

With that, Thorin closes the door. You can hear the clunking of the locking mechanism, and then silence. You look around. There's a book lying on the table that might be of some interest, and there's also the bed, which after such a long day looks quite appealing.
> You investigate the book
You walk over to the book, and pick it up. A golden star takes up most of the cover. Its title, "Magic", takes up the rest of the cover.

"Well, that's obvious," you say.

 You open it and start reading. You struggle considerably with the massive words, but of the many perks of being the son of the Chieftain, being taught the ability to read, quite well, actually, is your favorite. Papa would spit on Elven tomes, but you're able to speak, write and read common tongue well enough. It opens with various entries about the types of magic users. You start reading.

Conjurers

Conjurers are Magic Users who specialize in Conjuration. They can conjure swords, knives, spears, axes, compasses, food, water and many other objects from other planes.

Demon Dealers

Demon Dealers are Magic users who specialize in dealing with demons. They can summon demons, bind them, make deals and much more.

Necromancers

Necromancers are Magic Users who specialize in Necromancy. They raise the dead and talk with spirits.

Warlocks

Warlocks are Magic Users who study destructive magic, such as fire and ice based magic, so they can become warlords and wage war against their enemies.

Alchemists

Alchemists are Magic Users who study Alchemy. They use science and reason to study the creation of gold from lesser metals and the making of potions, elixirs and mixtures, especially in regard to immortality.

Enchanters

Enchanters are Magic Users who study enchanting. They can imbue objects such as weapons or armor with magical properties.

Healers

Healers are Magic Users who study Healing. They can undue wounds and heal illnesses and plagues from people and animals.

You flick through the rest of the book, but it seems to go into much, much more detail. You're struggling to read the basic start, there's no way you can read more. You put down the book.
> You go to sleep
You go over to the bed, and lie down on it. You live in bed for several minutes, trying to fall asleep. Eventually, you manage to reach a state that's neither fully awake nor fully asleep. You're broken out of this state by a light tapping. You stand up, raising an eye as you search for the sound of the noise. You find it in the bookcase. You move around to push the bookcase slightly out of the way, noticing a small door behind the bookcase, similar to the one Blaise showed you. You try the handle. You grin as the door handle clicks open and the door swings ajar. Inside is a small, black tunnel covered in cobwebs. Standing in the middle is Blaise.

"Hello," she smiles.

"Hey," you respond. "What are you doing here?"

"There's loads of tunnels stretching from the hidden room I showed you to all around the castle."

"So why'd you come find me?" you ask.

Blaise shrugs.

"I don't know. I guess you're the only person I really have to show this kinda stuff to."

"OK," you nod.

"Well... What do you want to do?" Blaise asks. "I could show you the gardens, or the..."

You mind perks as you have an idea.
> You say "Can you help me escape?"
Blaise looks uncertain and nervous, but nods.

"I think so."

"How?"

"There's a tunnel that leads down to the stables. Down there there's a trading cart that goes between the nearby towns and the Castle. They brought fresh fruit today, so they're probably still down there."

You nod.

"OK. Show me the way."

Blaise turns and leads you into another hallway. You struggle to see through the darkness, and knock into a stone wall. You groan in pain, and Blaise giggles.

"It's not funny. If I had my dagger, I'd gut you," you moan.

"It is funny. You have a dagger?" Blaise giggles.

"Had."

"Oh. My Dad doesn't let me have weapons."

Blaise leans over and grabs your hand. Despite the fact that it's incredibly hard to see for you so her holding of your hand is incredibly rational, you still blush and feel embarrassed as her small warm hand grips your fingers. She pulls you along the dark corridors, until she stops suddenly. You knock into her, and end up sprawled out on the floor.

"Sorry," you grunt, standing up.

You extend a hand and pull her up.

"Thanks," Blaise says. "It's just down this hallway."

You nod, and quickly follow her down another hallway branching off to the side. Eventually, you come across another door. Blaise takes out her key and quietly unlocks the door. She slowly opens it, revealing a large stables. You step out, noticing that the door is hidden into the wall. In the stables are three old wooden carts that sit unused, as well as several tied up horses.

"Why would someone need so many tunnels?" you ask.

"Sssh! There's always guards on duty," Blaise whispers.

Blaise looks around, before frowning.

"It's not here!" she whispers loudly.

"What?"

"The trader's cart! It's not here!"

"What's the plan, then?"

Blaise looks around.

"I don't know... you could hide in the hay cart. They take out the dirty hay in them. Or... you could steal one of the horses."
> You hide in the hay cart
"I'll hide in the hay cart," you say. "Give me a boost."

Blaise nods, and offers her hands out. You put your foot in her hands, and she boosts you up. You land in the soft hay, brushing it off you.

"Thanks," you grunt.

"I guess we won't see each other again," Blaise says.

"I guess."

"Well, I'll miss you. It was fun having a friend while it lasted."

"I'll miss you too."

"Well, I..." she begins, before stopping and craning her head.

"We're late. Get the horses ready," a voice cries.

"You should hide," Blaise says.

You nod.

"Thanks," you say.

You squirm down into the hay, hiding under the pile of hay. You find your way to the bottom of the hay, and curl up into a ball. After a few minutes, you feel the wheels begin to turn as the cart is pulled from its stationary position.

"Wait," the Voice says. "We have to check the hay."

You freeze, staying as still as you can. A few seconds later, you feel an incredible pain as a pitchfork goes through your back, impaling you. You let out a scream as your tiny body is impaled by the cart's driver.


Blaise looks uncertain and nervous, but nods.

"I think so."

"How?"

"There's a tunnel that leads down to the stables. Down there there's a trading cart that goes between the nearby towns and the Castle. They brought fresh fruit today, so they're probably still down there."

You nod.

"OK. Show me the way."

Blaise turns and leads you into another hallway. You struggle to see through the darkness, and knock into a stone wall. You groan in pain, and Blaise giggles.

"It's not funny. If I had my dagger, I'd gut you," you moan.

"It is funny. You have a dagger?" Blaise giggles.

"Had."

"Oh. My Dad doesn't let me have weapons."

Blaise leans over and grabs your hand. Despite the fact that it's incredibly hard to see for you so her holding of your hand is incredibly rational, you still blush and feel embarrassed as her small warm hand grips your fingers. She pulls you along the dark corridors, until she stops suddenly. You knock into her, and end up sprawled out on the floor.

"Sorry," you grunt, standing up.

You extend a hand and pull her up.

"Thanks," Blaise says. "It's just down this hallway."

You nod, and quickly follow her down another hallway branching off to the side. Eventually, you come across another door. Blaise takes out her key and quietly unlocks the door. She slowly opens it, revealing a large stables. You step out, noticing that the door is hidden into the wall. In the stables are three old wooden carts that sit unused, as well as several tied up horses.

"Why would someone need so many tunnels?" you ask.

"Sssh! There's always guards on duty," Blaise whispers.

Blaise looks around, before frowning.

"It's not here!" she whispers loudly.

"What?"

"The trader's cart! It's not here!"

"What's the plan, then?"

Blaise looks around.

"I don't know... you could hide in the hay cart. They take out the dirty hay in them. Or... you could steal one of the horses."
> You steal a horse
You climb onto the horse, and gently kick it. The horse whinnies.

"Go!" you command.

The horse stays still.

"Come on! Gallop!"

The horse stays still.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" Blaise asks, staring at you.

"No."

"Ah. This could be a problem in our plan."

You kick the horse again, before slipping. You fall off the horse and hit the ground with a thud and a groan.

"Ow. What were the other options?" you ask.


You smell the town before you see it. A horrid combination of sewage and rotting thatch permeates the crisp December air. The town has perhaps a hundred homes at most, with most people living in farmsteads around the surrounding area.

Normally, the town would be fairly quiet, however today is Wednesday, marketday, and the town is filled with crowds of villagers from the farthest corners of your realm.

As your horses move through the center street, villagers hurry to make room. Some cheer, but others eye you with suspicion or even fear.

At the center of the town, you hold up your fist and your party draws to a halt. A crowd quickly gathers, all eyes are on you. Pausing to gather your words, you address your people.
> You say "I am truly sorry for your losses"
You raise your hand and silence falls like a blanket over the crowd of people. Your eyes flick from face, some meet your gaze, others stare at their feet.

"I know the losses you have experienced have hurt you all deeply, but you must remain strong. William's butchery of your loved ones cannot go unanswered, we hurt him at Hastings, and those you lost were a part of that. Do not let them die in vain! William must pay, and we will bring justice to him!"

Your escort applauds, rattling swords on shields and roaring.

Some of the villagers clap nervously, but others remain still; one, a young woman with a grim face raises her hand.                                                                                "Why was the fyrd so undersupplied? Why was it not provided with shields?"                                          One of your men barks at her to be silent, but she snarls back, tears bead her eyes                            "I lost my husband and my son! Don't you dare tell me to be silent!"                                               She stabs her finger at you, sobbing                                                                                "Answer me! Answer me!"                                                                                One of your men reaches for his sword, but you wave him off. Looking the determined young woman in the eye, you give her an answer.


Acwellen continues to stare into the flickering glow of the burning town. His face is stony, unfathomable. You turn to leave, picking your way through a patch of muck gingerly. Pressing down with your foot, you assess the ground. Certain patches are dry, but the soil is perilously loose. All it will take is a night of rain to turn the battlefield into a muddy hell. Well, you think to yourself, at least the mud will hurt the Normans worse than us.

"Aethelwulf!"

A voice interrupts your musings.

A very familiar voice, deep and booming. It is the voice of Harold, your king.

At just under six feet, he stands a head taller than most, and is just on par with yourself. Both his beard and hair are a fiery orange, and both are thick and wild. His chest is broad and his body muscular, but you notice a distinct bulge in the leather jerkin around his midriff; his infamous love of revelry has not gone unpunished.

"Aethelwulf, you canny bastard!"

He bellows, grinning and thumping you on the back.
> You kneel
Kneeling in the muck, you incline you head towards your king

"My liege, I am honored-"

King Harold bellows with great peals of laughter. Reaching down, he grabs you under the armpit and yanks you to your feet

"You always were a mannerful bastard, Aethelwulf!"

He chuckles, long and low.

"But come, I haven't seen you since we set up camp here! That was two bloody months ago, near as! Where've you been! Avoiding me, have you?"

You laugh, your respectful tone undone by his amicable nature.

"If I went to another feast of yours, I wouldn't fit into my mail"

He shakes his head ruefully

"You should learn to unwind more! Live your life, you know? Speaking of, how's your wife?"

You nod solemnly

"She fares well, and yours?"

Harold snorts derisively

"Fat and ugly, as always. Ah well, that's what tavern girls are for, eh?"

He grins and nudges you with his shoulder; you shrug. Harold notices your expression and laughs again

"As chaste as a damned priest! Ah well, we'll break you in eventually."

Again you shrug. You and Harold have very different views on the matter, he won't change, nor will you. The best course, you decide, is to skate around the issue altogether. Nodding towards the hill, you speak seriously

"What do you make of our defenses?"

Harold frowns, his earlier humor gone. He throws up his hands irritably.

"My Kingdom depends on a hill and five thousand farmers"

You shake your head

"Five thousand farmers and three thousand warriors"

Harold nods

"Aye. True enough. We'll make this William pay for every inch, if nothing else"

He squints at the hill in the fading light

"The scouts say William has four thousand cavalry"

You shake your head decisively

"No cavalry in the world can break a strong shieldwall"

Harold laughs bitterly

"Our shieldwall isn't strong! It's weak! Half of the bloody farmers don't even own shields! Goddamned useless bastards!"

Surveying the hill thoughtfully, two plans come to mind;

You could craft wooden stakes and plant them along the hill, disorganizing the horse charge.

Or you could create makeshift shields for the conscripts, to help them hold the line.

The carpenters will only have enough time to do one, you must choose which is more beneficial.


Gently, you place your hand on his shoulder and speak softly

"I'm sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a son, but I am sure he looks down on you from heaven."

Acwellen's gaze remains fixed on the burning town, and his face is still set in a mask of stone, but his cheeks are streaked.

"Thank you"

He exhales shakily, opens his mouth to say something else, then closes it and remains silent, yet the words are plainly on his mind, trying to slip free like hounds on a leash. At last he speaks, grim and quiet, little more than a whisper.

"Can we win this battle?"

The question hangs there for an eternity, all the fear and anxiety of the English army expressed in the musings of one broken man.
> You don't know
Hidden by the dense screen of trees, twelve thousand Norman warriors wait. Each one is battle ready, and battle hardened; professional killers. Within your camp waits fewer than eight thousand men, but of those eight thousand only three thousand can be trusted. The rest are just farmers, weary and ill-disciplined. These are long odds, and even with the high ground, this will be no easy victory. Acwellen is still looking at you, waiting for a response. You shrug grimly.

"I don't know Acwellen. I don't know."

Behind the screen of trees the town of Hastings roils with flames and the Norman William's horde assembles.


All around you is the smell of warfare. Acrid smoke from the campfires, piss and refuse from the latrines, sweat from the men.

And fear. You smell that too.

These men have reason to be afraid. You have spent the last few months fighting King Harold's enemies, only to march double-time to confront his most dangerous yet; William of Normandy. His army is camped below, twelve thousand men strong, in comparison to your eight thousand. There is reason to be afraid. Are you afraid? No, you affirm decisively in your mind. You are not afraid. You are Lord Aethelwulf, The Lord In The North, King Harold's most trusted advisor, and the veteran of a hundred battles. Why should you be afraid of an army of ragtag Normans who come to die on your sword?

Shaking such doubts from your mind, you stride purposefully through the bustle of the camp, intent on checking on the forward defenses. A pair of giggling urchins weave nimbly around you and a staggering drunk lurches out in front of you, notices your sparkling chainmail armor and backs away, apologizing profusely. Striding onward towards the edge of the English camp you pass the watchful gaze of the sentries unchallenged and stand at the upper slope of the hill.

You are not alone. Another man sits on the hill, wreathed in the shadow of the setting sun. Drawing closer you recognize him as Acwellen, a minor lord, but stalwart fighter. His face is stone, his jaw grimly set and his eyes staring out at the horizon. Looking over his shoulder you see the black smoke smearing the red evening sky. In the distance the town of Hastings burns. In the blurry uncertainty of the setting sun, you cannot tell if the glisten at his eyes is tears or just the sparkle of dying sunlight. Acwellen's son, you remember, was put in command of Hasting's garrison.

Above the treeline you can just make out the crackle of flames. Hastings burns.
> You say "..."
You have no words. Perhaps Acwellen's son is alive, even now rallying survivors and waiting for the cover of night to slip into the safety of the English camp, yet more likely he is dead, cleaved open by a Norman axe, or gutted by a Norman blade, or shot by a Norman arrow. Lying there, consumed by the inferno that lights the evening sky in the distance. You cannot offer false consolation. Instead you stand by him, silently sharing in his grief. Acwellen exhales shakily, opens his mouth to say something, then closes it and remains silent, yet the words are plainly on his mind, trying to slip free like hounds on a leash. At last he speaks, grim and quiet, little more than a whisper.

"Can we win this battle?"

The question hangs there for an eternity, all the fear and anxiety of the English army expressed in the musings of one broken man.


Your name is Bill Grey and you were born in Missouri in 1840.

When the American Civil War broke out you sided with your friends and family and served on the Southern side, first in the Missouri State Guard and then with Quantrill's Raiders. After both your parents were shot dead by Union soldiers in the Camp Jackson Massacre your vengeance knew no bounds and you served as a guerrilla under such men as Captain Quantrill, Bloody Bill Anderson and Little Archie Clement. You were at the Lawrence Massacre in 1863 where Quantrill's Raiders killed some two hundred Yankee men and boys in Lawrence, Kansas. A year later you took part in the Centralia Massacre where, with the rest of Anderson's band, you helped stop a train, took two dozen unarmed Union soldiers off it and shot them dead - when soldiers were sent out a few hours later your band ambushed them as well and killed more than one hundred. Following Anderson's death in 1864 and Quantrill's in 1865 you and your surviving companions surrendered at the end of the Civil War.

Returning to Missouri you try to rebuild your life as a farmer on your family's lands but it is impossible: though pardoned you and your fellow guerrillas have not been forgiven for your Civil War activities and are threatened and persecuted by pro-Unionist citizens and lawmen. The victorious North controls the banks, railroad and government and in fear of your life and unable to do business with any but your fellow impoverished Southerners by 1866 you have had enough. You learn that your last surviving war-time leader Archie Clement is secretly arranging a meeting of several former-Guerrillas and when he invites you to take part you readily accept. Clement's plan is to rob Yankee banks in Missouri to show the Federal Government that though the war may be over you and your companions are still fighting back. It is this fateful decision that will be your first step down the Outlaw path, a dangerous and lonely road...

In this story your fate will be determined entirely by your choices. The number of Gunfights you take part in, the people you Injure and Kill, the number of Robberies you commit and your Score (your share of the amount of money you steal) will all be recorded. Your main aim is to survive, avoiding both prison and death in order to continue your Outlaw career with a long-term goal of eventually retiring. Be careful: one wrong decision, particularly in a gunfight where any moment can be your last, will signal a sudden and fatal end to your career, prison is less of a final ending but depending on the evidence against you can either be a short term delay to your career or a decisive end to it. Your secondary aim is to build up your Score by taking part in as many successful robberies as possible, if you are part of a ten-man team that rob a bank of $10,000 dollars for example your share will come to $1,000 and this will be added to your Score. When your career ends, whether through peaceful retirement or suddenly and violently, you will be sent to the Performance Table where you can compare your Gunfights, Injured, Killed, Robberies and Score to your fellow Outlaws as an indication of how well you performed - leaving a comment at the end of the story will also enable others to see your Score.

Good luck Reader, your Outlaw story is about to begin.
> The First Step
You and your fellow Outlaws meet at the James Family Farm to plan your first bank robbery. There are seven of you: your youthful leader Little Archie Clement, calm and reserved Frank James, cunning Cole Younger and his reliable brother-in-law John Jarette, the Shepherd brothers George Shepherd and one-eyed Ol Shepherd and finally yourself. You fought alongside each other for years during the War and you know from experience they are all brave and daring. It is your 20 year old leader Little Archie, the youngest and deadliest man present, who arranged this meeting and plans the robbery.

"It's time for us to ride again boys," he declares to you all. "Show those Yankee carpet-baggers that there is still some fight in the South! The town of Liberty, is our target boys, we'll all ride in together. Frank, you and Cole will go in the bank, take the tellers hostage and put all the money you find in the safe into this haversack. The rest of us will wait outside, hold the horses and keep anyone from entering the bank. When you two have finished lock the tellers in the vault, come outside and we'll mount up and ride off. If the alarm is raised boys pull out your pistols and fire them into the air like we used to do in the War when we raided a town - it works wonders for keeping those Yankee shop owners and stable boys off the street! If they start shooting back clear out fast, whether we have the money or not. We'll hit the bank on February 13th, an unlucky day for Yankees but a good day for us!"

On the chosen day you and your companions ride into Liberty early in the morning when there are few people on the street. With winter snow still swirling through the air you and your companions rein in outside the bank while Frank and Cole dismount and enter the bank, giving their horses's reins to the Shepherd brothers to hold. The moments seem to drag by ponderously with no sound coming out of the plain stone building in front of you. A few townsfolk are glancing at you all curiously; you reach into your right pocket and nervously clench your heavy but loaded revolver which you have hidden inside. Suddenly Cole and Frank emerge from the bank, the latter holding a bulging haversack. They walk quickly back to their horses and begin to mount up. It all seems too easy.

Suddenly a voice from inside the bank shouts out "Robbery! They're robbing the bank!" As a few nearby civilians start in alarm you and your companions promptly draw out your pistols and begin shooting them into the air, yelling at people to get off the street. Two youths are standing nearby when the alarm is raised and promptly turn and start running down the street in the direction of a Gun Store. Little Archie spurs his horse after them and fires a shot at them with his pistol, which misses. "Shoot them," he shouts at you, who are closest to him. "Shoot them, they're going for the guns!" Obediently you raise your pistol and point it at one of the fleeing teenager's backs but hesitate about pulling the trigger.
> You shoot the boy
Your shot hits one of the boys in the back, pitching him face-first down to the street with a cry. The other boy takes shelter in a doorway so turning your horse away you and your companions ride out of town. Using routes well-known to you all you ride your horses across the countryside for several hours, completely eluding any pursuit that might have been sent after you. Reaching a safe place you stop to count to your money and to your amazement you find that Frank and Cole have managed to steal $60,000, your share alone comes to $8,500.

Little Archie is pleased but instinctively cautious. "There will be a big noise about this so it is best if we split up for a time," he declares. There is some discussion and then you all make your decisions: Little Archie is going to check into a hotel in the town of Lexington, Missouri and lie low for a while. Frank, John and Cole all decide to hide out at Cole's family farm near the town of Independence while George and Ol are going back to their own Farm near the town of St Joseph. All your companions invite you to go with them and you need to choose who to hide out with.
> You go with Little Archie to Lexington
You and Little Archie travel to Lexington where you rent rooms in a hotel and lie low for the rest of the year, spending your stolen money in bars, restaurants and with sporting ladies. One winter's night in December however Little Archie's notoriety leads to an arrest attempt. You and Archie are sitting in a saloon having a quiet drink when three blue-uniformed soldiers armed with rifles approach your table. "Gentlemen, you are both under arrest," one of the soldiers declares.

You and Archie glance at each other and then Archie springs to his feet, pulling a pistol from his pocket as he does so, and starts firing. The soldiers scatter, one firing back and hitting Archie in the side. You are on your feet, pistol in hand and follow Archie as he dashes across the room, hand clasped to his bleeding side, and the pair of you use the pandemonium of fleeing bar customers to escape out a side door into an alley. Several horses are tied up nearby and untying two you mount up. Archie turns and spurs his horse down the alley towards the main street while in the other direction you can see the alley opens up into a side street. You have a choice of directions.
> You follow Little Archie towards the main street
As you both ride out of the alley into the main street a volley of gunshots ring out from a dozen soldiers waiting in a line. Both of you are hit several times and fall from your horses into the dust of the street. You are so badly hurt you are barely able to move, turning your head slightly you see Archie trying to re-cock his pistol with his teeth. As the soldiers approach cautiously, rifles raised, Archie rasps "I've done what I've always said I would do, die before I surrender." You are unable to speak and moments later you and your companion are both dead.
> You your Outlaw Career is at an end
This is the Performance Table where you can compare your Gunfights, Injured, Killed, Robberies, Score and Fate with those of your fellow members of the James Gang to see who is the greatest Outlaw!

1: Jesse James: Gunfights: 11, Killed: 7, Injured: 1, Robberies: 21, Score: $19,900 - Killed.

2: Frank James: Gunfights: 11, Killed: 2, Injured: 1, Robberies: 17, Score: $26,900 - Surrendered.

3: Cole Younger: Gunfights: 6, Killed: 1, Injured: 2, Robberies: 15, Score: $26,800 - Imprisoned.

4: John Younger: Gunfights: 4, Killed: 4, Injured: 0, Robberies: 7, Score: $3,300 - Killed.

5: Bob Younger: Gunfights: 3, Killed: 0, Injured: 2, Robberies: 8, Score: $12,100 - Imprisoned.

6: Clell Miller: Gunfights: 4, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 8, Score: $12,500 - Killed.

7: Jim Younger: Gunfights: 3, Killed: 1, Injured: 1, Robberies: 5, Score: $2,200 - Imprisoned.

8: John Jarette: Gunfights: 3, Killed: 0, Injured: 1, Robberies: 3, Score: $10,600 - Killed.

9: Charlie Pitts: Gunfights: 2, Killed: 0, Injured: 1, Robberies: 5, Score: $3,400 - Killed.

10: Wood Hite: Gunfights: 2, Killed: 0, Injured: 1, Robberies: 4, Score: $2,400 - Killed.

11: Bill Chadwell: Gunfights: 1, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 5, Stolen: $3,400 - Killed.

12: Dick Liddil: Gunfights: 2, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 4, Stolen: $1,200 - Surrendered.

13: Ol Shepherd: Gunfights: 3, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 2, Stolen: $10,200 - Killed.

14: Little Archie Clement: Gunfights: 2, Killed: 1, Injured: 0, Robberies: 1, Stolen: $8,500 - Killed.

15: George Shepherd: Gunfights: 2, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 2, Stolen: $102,00 - Imprisoned.

16: Bill Ryan: Gunfights: 0, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 4, Stolen: $2,800 - Imprisoned.

17: Charlie Ford: Gunfights: 2, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 1, Stolen: $100 - Surrendered.

18: Clarence Hite: Gunfights: 1, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 2, Stolen: $200 - Imprisoned.

19: Bud McDaniels: Gunfights: 1, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 1, Stolen: $7,800 - Killed.

20: Tom McDaniels: Gunfights: 2, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 1, Stolen: $2,000 - Killed.

21: Tom Webb: Gunfights: 1, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 1, Stolen: $2,000 - Imprisoned.

22: Ed Miller: Gunfights: 1, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 1, Stolen: $1,000 - Killed.

23: Tucker Bassham: Gunfights: 0, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 1, Stolen: $1,000 - Imprisoned.

24: Hoobs Kerry: Gunfights: 0, Killed: 0, Injured: 0, Robberies: 1, Stolen: $1,600 - Imprisoned.

25: Robert Ford: Gunfights: 3, Killed: 2, Injured: 0, Robberies: 0, Stolen: $0 - Killed.

Most Prolific Gunfighter: 1: Frank James / Jesse James (11 Gunfights), 2: Cole Younger (6 Gunfights).

Most Lethal Hurter: 1: Bob Younger / Cole Younger (2 Injured).

Most Deadly Killer: 1: Jesse James (7 Killed), 2: John Younger (4 Killed), 3: Frank James (2 Killed).

Most Enthusiastic Robber: 1: Jesse James (21 Robberies), 2: Frank James (17 Robberies), 3: Cole Younger (15 Robberies).

Most Successful Bandit: 1: Frank James ($26,900), 2: Cole Younger ($26,800), 3: Jesse James ($19,900).

Overall Best Outlaw: 1: Jesse James, 2: Frank James, 3: Cole Younger, 4: John Younger, 5: Bob Younger.

As always thank you for taking the time to read my story, please rate and if you would like others to see your score please leave a comment. Have a good day!


You and Little Archie travel to Lexington where you rent rooms in a hotel and lie low for the rest of the year, spending your stolen money in bars, restaurants and with sporting ladies. One winter's night in December however Little Archie's notoriety leads to an arrest attempt. You and Archie are sitting in a saloon having a quiet drink when three blue-uniformed soldiers armed with rifles approach your table. "Gentlemen, you are both under arrest," one of the soldiers declares.

You and Archie glance at each other and then Archie springs to his feet, pulling a pistol from his pocket as he does so, and starts firing. The soldiers scatter, one firing back and hitting Archie in the side. You are on your feet, pistol in hand and follow Archie as he dashes across the room, hand clasped to his bleeding side, and the pair of you use the pandemonium of fleeing bar customers to escape out a side door into an alley. Several horses are tied up nearby and untying two you mount up. Archie turns and spurs his horse down the alley towards the main street while in the other direction you can see the alley opens up into a side street. You have a choice of directions.
> You set off by yourself up the alley towards the side street
You turn your horse away from Little Archie's and spur it down the alley into the side street. The side street is clear of people so you gallop down it towards the edge of town: as you do you hear a volley of gun shots, a horse screaming and then an ominous silence. Riding to a small knoll overlooking the town you look down and your worst fears are realized: your companion is lying dead in the dust of main street surrounded by silent soldiers.

Anxious not to share your leader's fate you ride cross-country for twelve hours straight until you reach the safety of the Shepherd's Family Farm. George and Ol are shocked to hear of Little Archie's death and for all of 1867 you all lay low before a meeting is arranged and the gang re-convenes in the spring of 1868.
> Another Robbery
It is a somber group that gathers at the James Farm in the spring of 1868: you, Frank, John, George, Ol and Cole are all saddened by your leader's death. Also present at the gathering is Frank's younger brother Jesse James, a garrulous Civil War veteran who was shot three times in the war including one occasion when he blew half his right index finger off while cleaning a loaded pistol. You are all unanimous that you should continue robbing banks and stealing Yankee money, as the oldest and most experienced of the group John Jarette takes charge.

"Missouri may be dangerous for us now," he says seriously. "We should cross the border into Kentucky, rob a bank in that Yankee state and then ride back here to hide out. I've been doing some investigating the bank in Russellville, Kentucky is wealthy. This should be our next target."

On the chosen day the seven of you ride into town. While the Shepherd brothers guard your horses you, Frank, Jesse, John and Cole all dismount and walk into the bank. There are three tellers inside and as you approach the front counter you all draw your pistols.

"This is a hold up," John barks. "Throw up your hands."

Instantly one of the tellers springs to his feet and starts running towards a side door. You aim your pistol at the fleeing man's head but pause, wondering whether or not you should pull the trigger.
> You shoot the fleeing man
You fire a shot that grazes the teller's head and though the man stumbles he keeps running, makes it to the door, throws it open and dashes outside yelling "Robbery!" Moving quickly you and Frank ransack the vault, throwing all the money you can find into two haversacks while the others guard the tellers and rifle the counter. Shutting the remaining tellers inside the vault you all race outside. While you and your companions mount up the Shepherd brothers begin firing shots into the air to keep citizens off the street.

You have just pulled yourself onto your horse's back when a young man comes running out of a store across from you with a pistol in his hands. As you and your companions begin spurring your horses down the street he fires a shot at you all, which whizzes overhead to shatter a window in the back behind you.

"Get that bastard with the gun," someone shouts. You have your pistol in your hand and consider firing back.
> You fire back
Raising your pistol you fire back: your shot hits the man on the side, spins him on the spot and he falls to the ground. Turning your horse you spur after your companions and moments later you are out of town and riding across the countryside. You ride hard until you are back across the border in Missouri and there you pause in a copse of trees to count the money you have stolen: you are all pleased to discover it comes to $12,000, which split seven ways makes your share $1,700, which has been added to your Score.

"We need to all split up now to make it harder for the Law to track us," John declares.

"Jesse and I will go back to our Farm and hide out there," Frank declares.

"I'll go with George and Ol back to their Farm to hide out," John decides.

"My brother John has just got a job at his friend Tom McDaniel's Farm near the town of Scyene down in Texas," Cole says thoughtfully. "I'll go down there for a bit to lie low."

You consider who to hide out with.
> You go with Frank and Jesse to the James Farm
You join the James brothers at their farm where you live quietly for a few weeks until one morning Frank returns from town with a newspaper and a grim expression.

"Yankee lawmen killed John and Ol," he says tersely. "George is in prison charged with bank robbery."

You and Jesse crowd round to read how your three companions were identified as participants in the Russellville robbery and were tracked to their homes by lawmen. George later receives a three year prison sentence for his part in the robbery. Despite the loss of three of your companions Jesse is eager for the three of you to rob a bank and after a year and a half when you feel it is safe you make a plan to rob the little bank in the town of Gallatin, Missouri.

Riding into town one winter's morning you leave your horses tied up outside and walk inside to find a single teller talking to a customer. The teller looks oddly familiar to you and you can't figure out where you have seen him from until Jesse pulls you and Frank to one side.

"Isn't that Colonel Cox?" Jesse asks quietly. "That Yankee Colonel who killed Bill Anderson during the War? I heard he lived in Gallatin."

The three of you study the teller closely. You now remember Cox well from his picture in the newspapers, he led an ambush that killed several of your friends including your former leader Bloody Bill Anderson. The teller does indeed look exactly like him and Frank agrees quietly. "Let's kill him," he mutters. Approaching the bank counter the three of you draw your pistols from your pockets. The customer backs away and the teller looks up startled.
> You shoot him in the head
Your bullet hits the teller in the head, blasting a circle of red blood and gore onto the wall behind him. As the teller slumps dead in his chair Frank and Jesse fire more bullets into him. The customer screams "Murder!" and starts running past the three of you towards the door to the bank. "Shoot him," Jesse yells.
> You shoot the customer as well
Your shot hits the man in the back of the right arm but he keeps on running and makes it through the door and out onto the street. "Quickly boys, get the money," you call out and moving quickly you, Frank and Jesse scoop up all the money you can find from the counter, which comes to several hundred dollars. Unwilling to spend time pillaging the vault you all run outside and begin mounting your horses but the alarm has already been raised a a few citizens are taking pot shots at you with pistols from teh shelter of a gun store.

When a bullet nicks it Jesse's horse rears up in terror, spilling it's rider to the ground before running off. "Get up behind me Jesse," Frank yells and while you fire your pistol at the gun store, trying to cover them, Jesse awkwardly scrambles up behind Frank. The three of you ride out of town on two horses, not stopping for several hours until you reach the safety of the James Farm. There you find you have escaped with less than $700, making your share a paltry $200. There is worse news to follow however.

The next morning Frank returns to the Farm with a paper. "It wasn't Colonel Cox who we killed in Gallatin," he declares. "It was some bank clerk called John Sheets. They know it was us as well, we've all been identified by name. We'd better clear out." Leaving the James Farm the three of you go traveling for a year to wait for the attention to die down before returning to Missouri in the summer of 1871 and arranging a meeting with Cole Younger at the home of your mutual friend Clell Miller. Despite the loss of John, George and Ol you are all determined to continue your robberies.
> A new Gang
By the time you, Frank, Jesse and Cole meet in the summer of 1871 you have all been identified as bank robbers and probably killers or would-be killers. Frank, stern and silent sits thoughtfully to one side, fingering a bible lying in his lap. Jesse, grinning and cheerful sits next to him while Cole, balding but as tough as any man you know sits alone in the corner. You sit next to Clell Miller, a light-hearted friend of Jesse's who as a teenager served briefly as a Guerrilla during the War. You all chat over things and despite the deaths of Little Archie, John and Ol and George's retirement from crime following his release from prison the five of you resolve to form a new Gang and continue robbing Northern banks as revenge for their treatment of Southerners since the War ended. Jesse has been looking as possible targets and has chosen a bank in the pro-Union town of Corydon in Iowa, a place in which bank robbers are unheard of.

One summer day the five of you ride into town, dismount, tie up your horses and walk into the bank. It's Sunday and everyone is at church except a lone teller who is quickly captured. You and Frank empty the contents of the vault rapidly into a sack and then locking the teller inside you stroll outside, mount your horses and begin riding off. The robbery has been so easy that when you pass an open-air church service Jesse got resist shouting out to them gleefully "Hey there, we've just robbed the bank!" Frank frowns but the congregation just ignore you and whooping and laughing you all ride out of town.

You all ride back to the James Farm in Missouri where you count the haul and find you have made off with $8,000, making your share $1,600. When the papers report the crime you, Frank, Jesse and Cole are all identified again and the newspapers begin calling you the James-Younger Gang. Jesse is delighted with his newfound fame while Cole prevails upon the rest of you to let his younger brother John Younger join the Gang. John, who has already killed three men including two Texan lawmen, is an angel-faced but deadly young man and Jesse especially seems pleased to have him in the Gang. You plan your next bank robbery to take place in Kentucky.
> You 29 April 1872: Columbia, Kentucky
As you have done so many times you and your companions ride into a small town early one morning. While Frank, Clell and John hold the horses outside you lead Jesse and Cole into the bank. Inside four customers are sitting at a table talking while one smiling cashier waits behind the counter. The three of you walk up to the counter and draw your pistols.

"Consider yourself under arrest," Cole says cheerfully.

To your amazement the cashier begins shouting "Bank Robbers! Bank Robbers!" at the top of his voice.

"Shut up man or I'll kill you," you yell at him but the cashier keeps shouting warnings at the top of his voice.
> You shoot him
You shoot the cashier in the chest and he staggers back, blood spreading across his shirt front. Jesse and Cole shoot him as well and the cashier falls dead to the ground. Instantly the four customers spring to their feet and start running for the door. "Stop them," Jesse yells.
> You fire a shot at them to try to stop them running
You fire a shot that hits one of the men in the hand. He yells in pain but a moment later the four customers have scrambled out the door leaving the three of you alone in the bank with the dead teller on the floor behind the counter. "Quickly, grab the money" you tell the others and moving fast you snatch up all the money you can find on the counter. In less than a minute you are back outside to find Frank, Clell and John firing their pistols into the air as you, Jesse and Cole scramble back onto your horses. A man runs out onto the street and fires a pistol at you, Jesse fires back. Both miss but Jesse's shot prompts the man to take cover and the six of you are able to spur your horses out of town and escape.

Riding hard you do not stop until you are a long way from Columbia. When you pause to count the money you find you have escaped with less than $1,000, which makes your share $200. Frank is especially unhappy.

"We're killing too many bank tellers Jesse," he tells his brother. "This will bring the law down on us."

"Maybe we should lay off banks for a while," Jesse says thoughtfully and grins. "I have a mind to rob a ticket office at the Kansas City Exposition."

After a quick discussion Cole and John both offer to join Jesse but Frank and Clell decide it is better to lay low - Frank is going back to the James Farm while Clell is going back to his own family's farm. You consider what is best to do.
> You join Frank at the James Farm
You and Frank hide out at the James Farm and the surrounding area for a while, relying on newspapers for your information. You read about how Jesse and his companions succeeded in robbing the Kansas City Exposition. You also get a scare when you learn that Clell has been arrested for the Columbia Bank Robbery but is released after the shaken witnesses failed to correctly identify him. After a year when you feel the heat has warn off you and the gang reunite to plan your next robbery.
> Another Robbery
By now you and your companions have become famous across America as the James-Younger Gang and Southern newspapers laud you as Robin Hood type figures continuing the fight for Southern Rights while Northern newspapers focus on the amounts you have stolen and the men you have killed, a number which altogether has reached six slain. Jesse loves all this attention and John and Clell enjoy it too but Frank is quick to point out that you haven't made much money from your recent robberies.

That is why on a lazy summer afternoon you and your fellow Outlaws ride into the little town of St Genevieve. While Frank, Clell and John look after your horses you, Jesse and Cole enter the bank. There is just one cashier inside and following your usual procedure you take him prisoner, empty the vault of money and then lock the cashier inside. As you are riding out of town Jesse again throws caution to the wind and begins firing his pistol into the air and cheering. Clell and John soon join in, much to Frank and Cole's disapproval.

Returning to the Younger Farm this time you count the money and find you have stolen $4,000, making your share $600. All the robberies seem so easy that Jesse decides it is time to increase the stakes. He lays out a plan for you all to rob a train in the state of Iowa, a extremely rare crime that is sure to gain the attention of all America. Though Clell and John readily agree to the plan Frank and Cole are more reluctant and only agree on the condition that more men can be brought in to join the Gang. You all agree to meet in the town of Adair, Iowa in two months.
> You from Banks to Trains...
In the pre-dawn morning light you and the rest of the James-Younger Gang assemble outside the busy little town of Adair. Cole and John have brought along their brothers Jim and Bob to join in the robbery. Jim is a steady veteran who you fought alongside during the Civil War, though he seems reluctant to be involved in this robbery, Bob is a likable and reliable young man. You and Clell turn up with Charlie Pitts, a quiet but tough man who is another former Guerrilla. Frank and Jesse arrive with an extremely tall and chatty man called Bill Chadwell. Altogether there are ten of you, including the two James brothers and the four Younger brothers.

Though you held up trains during the War you are all new to peacetime train robbery and you study the railroad trying to think of the best way to get the train to stop near your place of concealment. Predictably it is Jesse who has the idea of using a mental bar and a hammer to tear up the track, reasoning that the driver will see the broken line and halt the train alongside where you will be waiting with the horse. You all agree to the plan. "Who will tear up the track?" Cole asks and you all glance among yourselves.
> You volunteer to tear up the track
Taking the hammer and the bar you pry up several rails and toss them to one side. You and the rest of the Gang then take cover in the trees near the track and wait for the train. When the train comes down the line you are astonished by how fast it is going. The driver sees the damage to the track and slams on the brakes but the train is going too fast: to your astonishment the locomotive shoots off the end of the broken line and crashes down onto it's side with an ear-splitting crash, as does the first passenger carriage. The noise is indescribable.

The train has come to a complete halt with the front two carriages on their side and you and your deafened companions emerge stunned from the trees. While Bill, Charlie, Bob and Jim hold the horses and Jesse leads most of the rest towards the Express Carriage at the rear of the train you and Frank jog to the crashed locomotive and peer inside. The sight sickens you, the driver has been literally crushed to death and the fireman has been badly hurt, bleeding freely from his head.

You are still shaken by the time you return to the woods and are rejoined by Jesse and the others. Mounting up you ride away from the train you have just wrecked and ride nonstop for several hours to get to safety. When you count the money you are disappointed to find the train was not carrying a lot, just $3,000 which is divided between the ten of you to make your share $300. Despite the small profits from this you know this brazen robbery will increase your already great fame and notoriety.

Bill, Clell and Charlie are all a bit unnerved by the attention this crime will bring and decide they will all go and hide out at Charlie's farm in Missouri. Jesse, as usual, is delighted and indifferent to the fact the robbery has led to another death. He intends for himself, Frank, Bob, Cole, Jim and John (all the James and Younger brothers) to ride south into Arkansas to rob a stagecoach, another type of crime the Gang haven't committed before which Jesse hopes will lead to more fame. It is up to you whether or not you want to go into hiding or join in the crime spree.
> You join Bill, Charlie and Clell in hiding out at the Pitts's Farm
Hiding out at the Pitts Farm you feel confident of avoiding detection because though both you and Clell are well-known outlaws Bill Chadwell and Charlie Pitts have never been connected with any crime and you rely on those two to go into town for all your supplies and newspapers. You read how the James and Younger boys continue to pull robberies in Arkansas and Missouri but there are consequences: the Pinkerton Detective Agency is hired to bring you and your companions to justice. Frank and Jesse kill one Pinkerton Agent near their Farm but a second gunfight claims the lives of two more lawmen and John Younger near the Younger Farm, Jim Younger being the sole survivor.

A letter arrives from Jesse telling you all to meet the rest of the gang in Texas and when you reunite the Gang is a grim bunch. All the remaining Younger Brothers are saddened by John's death with Jim openly blaming Frank and Jesse for getting him mixed up in robberies and swearing he wants nothing more to do with either of them and that he's going to California. Frank and Cole also think it's better that you all lie low for a time at the farm of their friend Bud McDaniels but not Jesse: he sees it as the best way to avenge John is to pull another robbery and the newer members of the gang, Clell, Charlie, Bill and Bob Younger all agree to join him in robbing a stagecoach here in Texas. You need to choose who you join.
> You help Jesse, Clell, Bill, Charlie and Bob rob a stagecoach in Texas
Riding into the town of Austin you and your companions make inquiries about the local stagecoach routes before heading south and hiding in some trees to waylay a coach on its route. The hold-up goes smoothly, the coach is stopped and the passengers forced to dismount before being stripped of their valuables. Mounting up your ride cross-country before catching a train and rejoining Frank and Cole at the McDaniels Farm. During the ride you count the loot to find you have stolen $3,000, making your share $500.

The success of the robbery has encouraged Frank and Cole to join in fresh robberies and you soon have a new gang member in the form of Bud McDaniels, the cheerful life-long friend of the Younger family. Together you all plan a daring train robbery in Kansas but Bill and Charlie prefer to lay low this time and return to their hiding place at Charlie's farm as they are both enjoying the fact they haven't been identified as outlaws yet and have safety in their anonymity. You need to choose which group you join.
> You join Frank, Jesse, Cole, Bob, Clell and Bud in robbing the Kansas train
One winter's day you and your companions ride out to the train tracks near the town of Muncie. You start a fire right next to the tracks and hide in the trees: sure enough when the train comes down the line the driver sees the fire and stops the train. While Bob and Cole take the driver hostage you, Frank and Jesse board the Express Carriage and capture the messenger at gunpoint. Quickly emptying the contents of the safe into a sack you leave the train, all of you running back to where Bud and Clell are holding your horses.

You ride a long distance from Muncie before you stop to count the money and when you do you discover you have really hit the jackpot big time: you have stolen $55,000 from the train, making your share a whopping $7,800. Everyone, especially Bud, are very happy but you know it is time to split up again. Frank, Jesse and Clell decide to hide out with friends near St Joseph, Missouri, Bud McDaniels declares he intends to rent a hotel room in Kansas City while Bob and Cole decide they are going down to Texas to stay with their old friend Bud's brother Tom McDaniels. You need to choose who to join.
> You go with Frank, Jesse and Clell to St Joseph
You go with the James boys and Clell to hide out near St Joseph where you read in newspapers that Bud was identified as one of the Muncie train robbers and shot while trying to escape prison in Kansas City. His death saddens you all and drives you into hiding but in January 1875 you read even more incredible news in the newspapers. Suspecting that you and the others are in the area a small army of Pinkerton Agents surrounded the James Farm and blew it up with some kind of explosive. The explosion killed Frank and Jesse's eight year old brother Archie and tore their elderly mother Zerelda's right arm off.

Frank and especially Jesse are overwhelmed with rage when they learn of the cowardly attack and Jesse's first reaction is to kill every single Pinkerton Detective involved in the raid. After calming a little he decides to settle for killing his neighbor Dan Askew who is wildly known to have allowed the Pinkertons to use his Farm as a base from which to launch the raid. One night the four of you approach the Askew Farm and knock on the door. When the old farmer opens his front door Jesse shoots him in the chest.
> You shoot him as well
Raising your pistol you shoot the old farmer in the head killing him. Fleeing the scene rapidly you and your companions take to the woods where you live in hiding. Reading newspapers you learn that the Pinkerton Detective Agency are sending one of their Agents, Jack Ladd, to investigate Dan Askew's murder. As Ladd also took part in the attack on the James Family Farm Frank and Jesse see more opportunity for revenge and decide to kill the Pinkerton as well.

Returning to the Askew Property armed with rifles you and your companions sneak through the trees and get yourself into a position from which you can see the farm house. You watch it for several hours until finally a man in a smart suit who you recognize as Ladd from the newspaper photographs emerges from the front door. "Now," Jesse murmurs and all of you raise your rifles. You consider whether or not to fire at the unsuspecting man.
> You shoot the Pinkerton
Your aim is perfect and Ladd jerks as four bullets slam into his chest, knocking him to the ground. Fleeing the property you decide it is better to get out of Missouri and heading south to join Bob and Cole. Most of the newspapers, which were initially supportive of the James brothers after the attack on their family, are outraged by the two murders and urge people everywhere to shoot any member of the James-Younger Gang on sight.

Going down to the McDaniels Farm you meet up with Bob, Cole and their host Tom McDaniels, brother of the slain Bud. Together with another friend and war veteran called Tom Webb the group are planning to rob a bank in West Virginia, far from your usual raiding areas. Frank likes the idea but uncharacteristically Bob, Clell and Jesse think it is better to lay low for a spell until the attention of the Pinkertons has worn off. You will have to choose who to join.
> You join Frank, Cole and the two Tom's in robbing the bank in West Virginia
On the morning chosen for the robbery you and your four companions ride into Huntingdon and dismount outside the town bank. While the two Tom's guard the horses you, Frank and Cole walk into the bank, draw your weapons, take the teller hostage, empty all the money in the vault into a sack and lock him inside the vault. Going outside you re-mount your horses and ride out of town. Once more it seems like you have pulled off another straight-forward robbery.

You haven't got far from Huntingdon when suddenly you spot a dozen horsemen riding out of the town straight after you. "Now boys, ride for it," Cole calls out and all of you spur your horses into a gallop. You hear bangs behind you as the posse begin shooting their rifles and pistols at you all, the bullets whistling overhead and between you all. Suddenly Tom McDaniels reins his horse in and turns it about. "Fuck this," he calls out as he pulls his rifle from his saddle scabbard and begins firing back at the posse.
> You join Tom in returning fire
Like Tom you turn your horse and fire back at the approaching riders. The posse fires a volley of shots at the pair of you and both of you are hit, Tom in the chest and you in the throat. Gasping wetly through the blood you turn your horse to try to ride away but the wound is fatal. You topple from your horse to the ground, Tom is also lying nearby. As your pursuers get closer and closer you stare up at the clear blue sky above you and silently expire.