Re: [DL] Realism

[Lorgryt <lorgryt.detroll@verizon.net>]

At 08:50 AM 4/15/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>Speaking about realism, I was wondering if anyone had any info(read quick 
>and easy) on the lay of the land. The reason being is that I am getting 
>tired of "So, what's the area / terrain look like?", "Uhh... well your in 
>Nebraska so.. there is lots of cornfields."  As you might guess, I don't 
>know a lot about the terrain of other states / areas that my posse will be 
>stomping daisies in (being a troll I don't get to travel very much). Any 
>help would be wonderful.
>
>Troll

Well, I lived in Southern Nebraska for a few years... let me see if I can 
give you a feel for the land.  First off, it wasn't till AFTER the civil 
war that the area had a large influx of people.  Indian attacks were common 
into the 70's.  In Deadlands it would be into the 90's I would 
imagine.  Not enough Army to stop them.

Most of the settlements were around the Plat Rivers (North Plat, South 
Plat, and Plat).  So are most of the trees.  The ground is rolling hills 
broken by sudden cliffs of 20 feet or so into gullies.  These are 
accessible easily if you know about them, but a hard ride could put you 
into one FAST!!!  Wild grasses cover the ground, as do a large number of 
weeds.  None of it gets very tall, though sections of Buffalo Grass can get 
3 feet high, and will cut unprotected skin if you move though it too fast 
(1D6 wind for running 2 rounds is a good level I think).  Most of the rest 
of the grass is about 8 to 14 inches, with weeds getting 2 to 4 inches 
higher than that.

Prairie Dog hills and holes pose a great danger to horses and men 
alike.  the hills WILL have Rattle Snakes and Coral Snakes in them, both 
very bad to get bitten by (although the Coral Snake is FAR worse.  Most 
adults won't die from a Rattler, but Coral Snakes are cousins to Cobra's 
and their venom is very dangerous).  Prairie Dog holes (a place where only 
a few dogs live) are hard to see in the grass, and can break a man's leg, 
let alone horses or cows.  Prairie Dogs have a lot of hills and more 
holes.  In an area of 3 miles radius around our home we had 7 hills and 
over 100 holes.  In other words, hills are easily seen, but holes make a 
great plot complication as they can effectively kill a horse, and put the 
rider a-foot.

The sky is vast, and blue, and filled with HUGE fluffy clouds that can turn 
into black anvils spitting lightning at the drop of a dime in 
summer.  Tornados are common, seeing 2 or 3 a year is normal, but getting 
hit by one is rare.  (TRUE STORY TIME:  In 1972, when I was a kid, a 
neighbor had gone out to collect eggs before the wind hit so he wouldn't 
loose them.  The chicken coop was lifted up by a tornado, and set down 14 
miles from his house.  He was fine, he lost 2 eggs that he dropped when the 
coop started moving, and the chickens wouldn't lay for about 3 
weeks.  During that same tornado wheat grass was shot though telephone 
poles so that the head was on one side, and the root (had it been there) 
was on the other.  Never underestimate the power of wind, or the fickle 
nature of a tornado.  Here ends Story Time.)

When it rains, it doesn't mess around.  It my drizzle all day, but a cloud 
burst is just that, and explosion of water!  Visibility can drop to nil for 
up to 15 minutes, during which time as much as 3 inches of water will fall 
from the sky, often backed up with a cold wind that guarantees you get wet 
even under a slicker.

People are stand-offish, and clannish.  If they don't know you they will 
watch you.  It isn't that they are unfriendly, just bored and suspicious. 
If you are in need, they are likely to help if asked, and will help if they 
can make a profit at it.  Being farmers makes them merchants by nature. 
They will not try and gouge someone for work done, but if the offer of over 
payment is made they will act like it is a charity on their part to accept 
so little. After all, never give a sucker an even break.

Names run Dutch.  Johansen, Hansen, Johnson, Philips, Loomis are all common 
names, but so are a lot of other names from non-Dutch sources.

Houses are either Sod single story huts with one or two rooms often dug 
into the walls of gullies, or they are 2 story wooden Victorian-esque farm 
houses on flat section of the upper ground.  If the former, the people are 
new to the are, or very poor.  The latter are the "average" family.  These 
houses are surrounded on the NORTH side by a wind break of trees.  The 
length of this break is at least 3 times the width of the house in both 
directions (east and west) from the house, and the opening to get to the 
house (the drive) is almost always on the Easter side of the house if it 
comes though the trees at all.  The size of the trees will range from a few 
feet (having been planted a year or two before the house was begun) to 
about 15 to 20, as that is all the taller the trees get.  Deciduous trees 
are the norm as there are almost no evergreens in the state.  However, rich 
folks like to import Spruce and Ceder for display purposes and for 
Christmas Trees later.  There are some Evergreens, but not enough to use 
for much at all.

Also, the tree break will be extended to include the northern border of the 
pasture land the horses and cows use for protection from the winter winds 
and snows.  This is the reason for them in the first place.

Winter is a whole other monster, made up of deep drifts, cold snaps, and 
occasional blizzards.  But, most of the time it is bright (I am snow blind! 
Help ME!) and clear.  Locals often work in a padded vest even in 
January.  While it isn't warm, below freezing, you just get used to it.

Hope all this helps, Bo