| Stone | |
|---|---|
 | |
| NPC Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Reckoners, Death |
| Setting(s) | Deadlands, Hell on Earth |
Stone, originally born as Jasper Stone, is a Harrowed gunslinger so vicious that his own manitou lives in fear of him. Shot in the back by his own men at Gettysburg and left for dead, he has since been named the Servitor of Death and kills those who threaten the Reckoners' plans. He is also personally responsible for preventing the Reckoners' defeat and bringing about Hell on Earth.
Description
A tall and obviously dead man, wearing a duster covered in the badges he's taken from the chests of dead lawmen, with a pair of Colt Walkers resting on his hips. Although he was the first Harrowed created since the Reckoning, he was not the first Harrowed to ever be created.
History (Weird West)
The Reckoning
Captain Jasper Stone was an officer in the 13th Alabama Infantry serving under the CSA, with a reputation of cruel leadership. On July 3rd, 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg, he was shot in the back by his own troops. He crawled out of his grave as one of the first Harrowed, and possibly the servitor of Death - though that may have happened later.
Following the battle, he teamed up with Rex Tremendae, a deserter from the 13th Alabama Infantry. Together they spent the next few years in Missouri and Kansas robbing banks and terrorizing the people. But during a failed bank robbery, Rex was injured. Rather than waiting for him to heal, Stone killed him and convinced Death to raise him as a Harrowed. Rex was upset that he would do this to him and he left Stone some time later.
Devils Tower
In 1876, Stone set in motion the events of the Devils Tower adventures by hiring Rex Tremendae to steal the Heart of Darkness from Hellstromme. Though he succeeded in getting the gem, Reverend Grimme took it and used it to enact the events of Bloody Sunday. It was revealed here that the Reckoners succeeded in making the world a literal Hell on Earth by sending Stone back in time to kill anyone heroic enough to stand in their way. Stone re-obtained the Heart of Darkness and set out to use it to create a Deadland in a location that would resist the power of the Reckoners, even in that far-off time.
History (Hell on Earth)
Bringing About Hell on Earth
As part of the Reckoner's plan, Stone killed dozens of heroes before they could defeat the Reckoners, and consequently they were able to bring about Hell on Earth. Stone continued to kill any heroes who began to be a threat to the Reckoners' plans. Gunter Jurgenson, a Wendigo hunter from Leavenworth, was famously able to evade Stone for an entire month before being killed by him.
Game Information and Marshal Uses
Stone is on the cover of Deadlands: The Weird West, the first book in the Deadlands Classic line, but was not identified until The Road to Hell. Because his role in-game is to defeat heroes who threaten the Reckoners, the Deadlands Classic books suggested that a Marshal send Stone to defeat a posse that had become too powerful. This suggestion was removed in the Deadlands Reloaded books.
Originally Stone did not have stats because Pinnacle reasoned that "if you stat it, they will kill it" and did not want a posse killing Stone. In Deadlands Reloaded, he is given full stats, but they make him an extremely powerful individual. Furthermore, he is invulnerable and cannot be killed unless one of his weaknesses is exploited.
Stone is meant to be a final threat lurking over the heads of any player group; a bogeyman that personified his dark master, Death. An encounter with Stone should come near the climax of a campaign, as the Reckoners seek to thwart the heroes with their ultimate servant.
Appearances in Published Adventures
- The Road to Hell (mentioned only)
- Heart o' Darkness
- Fortress o' Fear
Sources
- The Road to Hell
- Heart o' Darkness
- Fortress o' Fear
- Hell on Earth (Classic)
- Deadlands: Marshal's Handbook
- Deadlands Reloaded: Marshal's Handbook