Closed for the season! Rancho Mirago Trailer Park

[Dave Syrinx]

This game doesn´t accept more players.



The forum of the game ◄Click here

[Dave Syrinx]

Without revealing too much, I´m preparing a one-shot set in Arizona. The player characters are staying at a desolate trailer park for different reasons. Many people have good, or bad, reasons for leaving the big city. Richard Dansky, bohemian trailer-park manager is portrayed by Jeff Bridges. Who´ll actually will be running the character remains to be decided.

The Kerr brothers (Tarantino & Clooney) are thrown a couple of lucky robberies in Mexico and arrives at the forsaken place.

Rebecca Borgstrom (De Mornay) and her 10-year-old son, Timothy hides away here to begin a new life, away from bill collectors.

But then again, the bills keep on coming...


These are a few of the characters that make up the cast for the upcoming story, "and I feel fine."

The characters are pregenerated and handed out to aspiring players.
The story starts on Monday, March 1st.

Up till then I´m wrapping up my current game and setting up a forum to give a thorough background on the fourteen characters and Rancho Mirago as well as the close-by town of Barkerville, AZ.

[Mr. Handy]

I'm definitely interested in this one, though I had no idea that The Dreaming Man was so close to finishing.

[Gaffer]

I am definitely interested. Please tell me more.

[Dave Syrinx]

[TDM]
Handy, I´ve been struggling for some time with that one. I guess it´s time to call in the big guns and realize how little the small man can do - in the big picture. Without ending the scenario in a total party kill, I´m letting everyone off the hook. That is if they survive through February. At this time most of the UK is in serious distress. The PCs have only seen a small portion of what´s been happening.
So, it seems Kathryn Petersen will return to the US and to L.A. for some R&R. I´m not saying that the characters are thrown in the bin. Just stating that the TDM will be taken care of by a stronger force.

The two scenarios of the L.A. team have opened multiple routes for a third scenario in the future.

1. The Las Vegas money trail & occult murders. Based on To live and die in Las Veags by Rodriguez.

2. The Mansion in the dark, outside Manaus, Brazil. Based on Shane Ivey´s Jaundiced Eyes

These will be prepared properly before run.

************

Rancho Mirago

This scenario And I feel fine is written by G.C. Gabrowski for the RPG Unknown Armies, conversion in progress.
Permission granted by the author to run the game here.

The ancient war between good and evil continues even today. Which Way will the universe choose? How to define what is good and evil in a world with many shades of gray? Who knows what is right, what's wrong? At least one thing is certain. It is our choice. At least we have that.
The war still continues. There are sometimes conflicts worldwide, you can see on the TV news, and sometimes go completely unnoticed by most of us. But they always have influence in our world.
On this occasion one of the chapters of this war will take place on a site that would never suspect: A semi-abandoned caravan parking in the great desert of Arizona.

To set the scene a little for the upcoming adventure, most of our action will take place in or around the Rancho Mirago trailer park in the tiny, tiny High Desert hamlet known as Barkerville, Arizona. The park's name is about as close to proper Spanish as Old El Paso is to authentic Mexican cuisine, but it isn't the kind of place where people are particular about that sort of thing.
To be honest, Rancho Mirago, and Barkerville in general, are not drying up and blowing away. That happened long ago. What remains is the civic equivalent of cow skulls bleaching the sun. The trailer park itself is a wasteland of abandoned, dust-covered trailers and blowing tumbleweeds, inhabited only by debris of human wreckage carried in on the desert wind.

Barkerville
Barkerville and its surroundings are located in the middle of nowhere, off major highways, in a stretch of high desert that isn't going to be developed if they start building suburbs to Los Angeles on the moon. It is a place where things end, rather than start. This stagnation and placid decay forms
part of the overarching mood. While nothing can begin in Barkerville, it is so isolated from the world that it´s a perfect place for things to end.
Physically, the Barkerville region is high, hot, dry desert. Stunted plant growth, flat land and an almost total lack of water-induced decay make it a serene landscape of mirages and shacks deserted for decades. Only the trailer park, Rancho Mirago, the derelict town of Barkerville, and the Ames Ranch are still inhabited. (Eastwood as Mike Ames)

Rancho Mirago
The Rancho Mirago had its heyday in the early 1950s, but it's been downhill ever since. The trailer park sprang up in response to uranium prospecting in the area, but no ore was found, and the park soon entered a sort of semi-conscious half-life. There was a temporary resurgence between 1969 and 1972, when a commune briefly inhabited the park. (When Uli von Mensch arrived, here depicted by Max von Sydow) While it quickly disintegrated from internal tensions, remnants of the community, once thirty-five strong, can be seen here and there; many of the deserted trailers are festooned inside with dry-rotted cloth in tie-dyed patterns, either in tatters or seeming¬ly whole but fragile as cobwebs.
Dead cars are everywhere. Uli's last car, a recently deceased Pinto, has had the top cut off and hood and trunk removed, and the dirt-filled corpse serves as a planter for his cactus garden.
There are twenty-three trailers in the Rancho Mirago, ranging from tiny 1940s tow-trailers to a comparatively palatial 40' doublewide occupied by the Kerr Brothers. Only four are inhabited. The rest are ever-so-slowly weathering into oblivion from sand and the very occasional rain. In many of the abandoned trailers, the scattered personal effects of the last inhabitants still rest, tossed around by long-vanished looters and wearing thick coats of powdery Arizona dust.


**************

My idea for this game is to let the players play out the misery of the run-down state of the area. The characters have some knowledge of each other but not total insight. Secrets are best not shared.

To make it possible to choose what character to play I´m giving some information on the concerned parties. The players will have to disregard some of the information as not known to their characters. Well, that´s what makes up good role playing, right?

************


Richard Dansky

Dansky was an ordinary young intellectual. He had a fairly normal childhood in Philadelphia, did well in high school and took a Masters in English Composition from Cornell. His first foray into the working world, however, led him straight into the satanic inner workings of an outplacement agency best described as non-traditionally managed. After a few years, he left. he was fed up with the academic world that wouldn't take his studies seriously, and the cynical businessmen who wanted nothing more than the bucks of desperate executives. "Fuck 'em all," he decided, and became a trailer park manager.
It seemed like such a good idea at the time. But the drunken brawls, the petty greed of the park owners, the hopeless feeling that pervaded the environment gradually wore him down. He managed as best he could. Maybe he drank too much, but at least necessary repairs were made and the cops only had to be summoned on a domestic call once or twice a month.
Then came the tornadoes. First one, then the next, just as he was rebuilding. The memories of the black winds, the howl of tearing metal and the crash of shattering wood, the screams barely audible over the storm, still haunt his dreams. After the second one, he found a child's leg, the foot still in the sneaker. That's all they found to bury of the little girl. That was it for Richard. He quit five minutes after he got back from the funeral.
Rich weren't really sure what he was going to do after that. He figured maybe he'd go live under a bridge and drink, but that didn't seem appealing after the first try. So Dansky took the next best thing, and signed on with the management company that owns Rancho Mirago. No tornadoes out here! He´s been working there for four years now, and he couldn't be happier. His parents occasionally moan about how he´s wasting his life, but what do they know? In the evenings, Richard plays chess or sits with Uli, the old timer Doc and watch the place slowly go to hell. It might not be "the life," but it's better than any other job he´s had to date. What could go wrong in the middle of the Arizona desert? Hell, they're even starting to think of Dansky as a local. Just two days ago, Mike Ames was having truck problems, and he asked Rich to take a new fuel tank for his generator out to the ranch—a couple years ago, Ames barely acknowledged Dansky´s existence. Obviously, Richard Dansky isnn't doing too badly. Maybe it´s time to get that fuel tank over to the Ames Ranch.

***********

Character sheets and specifics will be posted on the forum later. If enough interest is shown for this small Arizona hide-out. Four players needed, fourteen slots open.

[Lawless1]

I would be very interested in participating in this if possible.

[Dave Syrinx]

Hi, Lawless1! That can be arranged. Just stick around and be tuned in on March 1st. Why do you feel the urge to escape into the desert?
Now we have three players queued up. I know another one is lurking to join. But, hey the desert is vast!

[Dave Syrinx]

So, where in Arizona lies Rancho Mirago and Barkerville?



470 miles east of Los Angeles.
120 miles north of the Mexican border.
100 miles from Phoenix.

The closest city is Tuscon, roughly 50 miles south of Barkerville, a two hour car ride.
However, the state highways go around the high desert of the old prospect desert of Barkerville, giving no reason to take a detour.
Besides, the only sights in the middle of nowhere is the abandoned town of Barkerville, eight permanent souls.


Road to Barkerville to the right. East Florence Kelvin Highway heading straight on.

[Dave Syrinx]

Rebecca Borgstrom

Once, a long time ago, she was Rebecca Christianson, an average girl in an average suburban neighborhood. After graduating high school with a 3.8 average, she went to college at the University of Pittsburgh to study English Literature. In her sophomore year, she met Chet Borgstrom at a sorority mixer; he was a handsome young pre-med student who stole her heart. The idea of taking care of a beautiful house in the far suburbs with a couple of cocker spaniels and a wonderful child sounded just about right. Further, she found Chet's intelligence, attractiveness, and easygoing charm irresistible. What a mistake that was.
Rebecca worked her fingers to the bone as a waitress and a secretary to help Chet through Med school, she supported him through his internship, and she didn't complain when she only saw him three nights a week (at most) after he started performing surgery as a heart specialist. The two even had a great kid, Timothy, who he could barely be bothered to learn the name of, and did Rebecca complain? No.
Unfortunately, Chet had other plans. He left her for some twenty-something sculptor with purple hair, unshaved armpits and pierced eyebrows, the bastard. His crummy lawyers kept Rebecca from getting a damn thing, except for the child support he never pays. She hear he's quite the patron of the Boston art scene now. And what about Becs? She´s living in a run-down trailer park in Arizona, trying to get herself together before she plunges into the West Coast job market. The fact that the collection agencies will never find her in this armpit of nowhere doesn't hurt, either.

[Dave Syrinx]

Timothy James Borgstrom

Tim is just an ordinary ten-year-old kid. He likes to explore the world around him, find out how things work, and have a somewhat sadistic sense of fun and humor. His dad, who he never really knew that well, left his mom for this weird woman with purple hair who was pretty and went to the bathroom an awful lot. Timothy has a big, wonderful golden retriever named Sparky whom he loves more than anything in the whole world. He´s not sure, but he thinks tehy're poor now.
He and his mom live in a trailer park now, full of cool junk like wrecked cars and ruined trailers. Not a lot of stuff happens there, but he´s got a Playstation, and it's great to explore, even if he has to watch out for scorpions and rattlesnakes. Tim is pretty sure he should be going to school someplace, but nobody seems to mind, so he´s not complaining yet. He likes Kevin and Kenny, the Kerr brothers. They're fun and they like to play Playstation with him. Tim and Kevin think Kenny has a crush on Tim´s mom, but neither of them wants to embarrass the two love birds. Tim also both think the guy who runs the trailer park and the really old German guy he hangs around with are pretty creepy, but the old guy sewed Tim up after he had cut himself pretty badly a month ago, and he´s feeling okay.

Sparky

[Dave Syrinx]

In case I forgot to mention it, Gaffer and Mr Handy are welcome to the trailer park, too

[Dave Syrinx]

Kenneth Kerr

Growing up poor in Portland was rough for Kenneth and his younger brother Kevin. Kenny never knew his father, and his mother worked endless hours as a waitress to make ends meet for the two of them. It wasn't out of mischief or spite that Kenneth ended up getting himself and his brother involved in crime—it just seemed like the right thing to do. At least he got out of the house now and then, and the two brothers eventually had enough money to get by on their own. Kenneth even helped out by paying the bills when he got older. Mom didn't like it, but once Kenny started paying the rent she stopped complaining.
He´s always had to take care of his brother, and he´s always wanted to make something of himself. Small-time crime wasn't going to take Kenneth Kerr anywhere, other than the state correctional facility. While he might not be the smartest guy in the world, it was clear that it was either the big time or the big house for him and Kevin. So last year, the Kerr brothers robbed forty-seven banks in Mexico.
Kenneth didn't really realize how hot it would get, so the two Kerr brothers are laying low, very low, back in the States until the heat dies down. It might be a while, so they spend some of their loot. Rancho Mirago isn't great, but the people here all have reasons to keep out of sight, and they aren't law and order types. Since most of the loot is in pesos, the fact that Mirago is cheap isn't bad, either. Kenny thinks the trailer park guy and his old Nazi buddy are weird in a somewhat unpleasant way. Kenneth likes Rebecca Borgstrom and her son, though. He tries to play with the kid whenever he can, and he´s been trying to help Rebecca with some of the money, but, like Mom, she's resistant to charity. Still, Kenny has been able to buy her some groceries and so on from the Old Reliable in Barkerville from time to time, and he isn't willing to give up yet.

[superagonist]

What is the post rate expected to be for this game? I'm currently involved in another game here with a brisk pace and I don't want to over commit, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in this game. I actually spent about 17 years of my life slightly north-west of the area wherein the story takes place (for the curious a place called Coolidge, AZ population less than 1000 when I was there.)

[Dave Syrinx]

You´re welcome home! With my dropping a bunch of other games and committing to this one in March, I´d say 2-3 per character and week. It all depends on how frequently the players on a certain location post. The pace will be determined after a while, it´s really not up to me to set a target rate. If for some reason a player won´t post - I´ll head on with the story anyway. Doing nothing counts as something in my book.

The start up will be to set the tone for the game. Get the characters to interact. To build up some purpose for them being there. So far the characters posted have plausible reasons for staying in the area. There are further motifs in the character sheets when we start this one up.

********************


"Ba - ra - cu- cu - da - da!
Well, it ain't Barracuda, man, but I think we got a hit record!!"

"Welcome to K-MOUTH K.M.T.H -radio playing your favourite 70´s hits. Like this one... This is Chuck Parker, broadcasting from Barkerville, Arizona!"

...Life goin' nowhere.
Somebody help me.
Somebody help me, yeah.
Life goin' nowhere.
Somebody help me, yeah.
Stayin' alive!!!

*************************

Did someone say Tremors? Think Tremors - without the burrowers beneath! That kind of wraps the location up. Same scene different story.

[Voodoo]

Now that my new son is born I should have plenty of time to add this game to my list, If there is still room that is.

[Dave Syrinx]

Sure thing, congrats on the kid! There should be just about six to eight interested players by now. That would leave a handful of open slots. So, welcome to the trailer park in March!

In the meantime I´m adding more characters to this thread. So you can decide on someone no play.

/Dave

[Dave Syrinx]

Chuck Parker

Working for KMTH the low wattage station catering golden oldies to truck drives passing Barkerville, Chuck has had plenty of time contemplating. He´s not really a Dj, more a maintenance man who switch pre-recorded tapes, complete with ads, sent from the large media syndicate Nude Age Syndication Enterprise. The Thomson gal often come over to watch him broadcast the sessions. A welcomed visit, and a chilling one too. It was that chill that had sent Chuck away from Vegas in the 90´s. Too much fraternising with teen aged girls made him a liability for the company. Being satisfied with the secluded place, Parker lets his desires stay just that, images of fantasy.
The perk of having the whole cinder-block building to himself makes him feel somewhat important.

[Dave Syrinx]

Uli von Mensch

Uli grew up in Germany during the war and immigrated to America in 1950 with his family. He became a doctor and served a very important role in those repressive times: he was an abortionist. Unfortunately, an abortion went somewhat awry in the early 1970s and one of Uli´s patients died. Unfortunate. More unfortunate, her husband was both influential and displeased.
There were legal issues. Mensch became a wanted man. Los Angeles was no longer his kind of town. A desert retirement was in order, and Rancho Mirago seemed like the perfect place.
It was a little livelier then, with the hippies, but there was always need for a doctor in a commune. Uli delivered three children, treated two heroin overdoses, checked and okayed innumerable drugs as suitable for human consumption, and spent a few years high as a kite. It was a nice second childhood. Now he´s settled down into a comfortable old age, and is enjoying these sunset years. He expects that he'll has to buy the trailer park from Rihard Dansky quite soon and start paying the taxes on it soon, but Uli does't mind. The way Rich is handling business and the kind of buffer cash he has, it´s just a question of time till he goes belly-up. Mensch was rather in the high end of his profession, and the bank statements from his accounts in Argentina and Switzerland keep on coming in.
Uli knows that the other residents think he´s a Nazi fugitive, which is somewhat amusing, as he'd have to be about twenty years older than he is now. While he´s old, he´s hardly that decrepit.

[Dave Syrinx]

Kevin Kerr

Kevin has spent his whole life with his older brother, and the two of them are inseparable. Ever since they were kids growing up in Portland, Kenny has taken care of Kevin. When Kevin was young, Kenneth made sure the bigger kids didn't pick on his little brother, and later on, when Kevin got into petty crime, big bro made sure that Kevin didn't get left behind or set up or cheated out of his cut on jobs. Once Kevin was old enough to realize how smart his brother was, and how good he was at taking care of the two of them, Kevin decided to make sure that whatever Kenny wanted, happened.
Basically, his older brother does the thinking, and Kevin does the cleaning. Kevin wasted three men in Mexico, a bank guard and two cops. They would have put the two Kerr brother in jail, so it wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. If he had to, he'd do it again without a second thought.
Kevin likes it here in Arizona. He likes that his brother has a crush on that Rebecca Borgstrom chick, he likes the weather, he likes the place they live in. The double wide caravan is quite neat. They live like movie starts on a stage set. Something about the run-down nature of the trailer park just puts him at peace. It's a place that isn't full of challenges—he can just be himself here. Hell, he even likes the guy who runs the trailer camp and his buddy Dr. Mengele. Timmy, Rebecca Borgstrom's ten-year-old son, reminds him of how he wishes he'd been when he was ten. Kevin play with him a lot, and the two of them help each other keep a straight face while Kenny courts Rebecca.
If the world ended tomorrow and the inhabitants of the Rancho Mirago were the only people left alive on earth, he'd stick his hands up over his head and shout "Fuck yeah!"

[Dave Syrinx]

Carl Williams

Taking a year off from the whole enchilada, Carl is letting his business rest in San Francisco. The wheels of the late model Harley Davidson took him to this place called Barkerville. The fill-up station of The Old Reliable store filled her up. The place has an eerie feel of abandoned places. A perfect place to lose oneself in. He sure could need the luxury of escaping the real deal for a spell. That last job has taken the geist out of him and at times on the ride through the desert, he had a sense of displacement. Like when you drive to work and realize you´re there. Just like that!
Carl has come to despise smugness. Hit someone, take advantage of them, whatever he needs to do to make a living or survive, but goddamn it, don't be smug about it. There's nothing that pushes his buttons like someone smirking about how they just fucked someone over.
What´s nearly as bad as smugness is rats. As a kid, one of Carl´s cousins was badly bitten by rats when she fell into a basement. The
memory of her scarred and bleeding face still lingers with him to this day.
On the upside, what makes him feel sympathy is people who don't know better. Williams doesn´t know how many times he has watched someone lacking common sense self-destruct before his eyes. Back when he had extensive contact with normal people, not those jerk offs who try to avoid their responsibility, he used to make an effort to try to educate them about how to avoid needless trouble. Not that it helped very often, of course.