Brimstone Mayoral Election 1884

Results & Rewards

Election Results Graphic

Let's give a big round of applause to our new Mayor, William Blakeley! And the new country sheriff, Mrs. Ara Vasquez-Tanning!

For participating in the Brimstone Election Event everybody is gonna get some lovely rewards! These can be split up between any of your active characters.

• Blazer889 gets 5xp, 1 non-expiring benny, and $500
• PitViper27 gets 4xp, 2 non-expiring bennies, and $200
• Nukes gets 4xp, 2 non-expiring bennies, and $100
• kartusch gets 3xp, a non-expiring benny, and $100
• nikolaidis gets 5xp, 1 non-expiring benny, and $150
• LobsterJ gets 6xp, 2 non-expiring bennies, and $600
• opfor6 gets 5xp, 1 non-expiring benny, and $300
• Larsson gets 3xp, 2 non-expiring bennies, and $150
• dstuff , Aria, GSA, and Deanopalooza, for listening in all get 1xp
• Rickerman gets 3 XP, 1 non-expiring benny, $100

How will this work?

The election will work like an extended Dramatic Task. Each Mayoral and Sheriff candidate will collect "success tokens" through various phases of the election, and the one with the highest total at the end will win. These will be collected via various methods and activities before and during the live session on 9/29/21 at 6pm Central.

1. Player Voting Phase: All active players, make sure to vote in the online poll (LIVE NOW, SEE LINK IN #ELECTION-DISCUSSION!). Each player will get 3 votes to represent their player characters (whether they actually have 3 or not). The poll will close on Wednesday 9/29 at 3pm Central.
2. Token Allocation Phase: Each Mayoral and Sheriff candidate will start Wednesday's session with success tokens based on the outcome of the poll, and also the general sentiment of the groups of people in town according to various factors (see the matrices below). The totals will be announced at the beginning of the session.
3. Stump Speeches Phase: Similar to an Interlude, during the live session players can take on the role of one of the NPC candidates and make the case for their candidacy to the townspeople of Brimstone in a brief speech. After the speech they will make a skill roll adjusted by how well they executed the speech for additional tokens. Any player doing this will get a reward at the end for their participation, which may include bennies, funds, or XP for the character of their choice!
4. Campaign Activity Phase: During the live session, each candidate will describe the efforts, activities and funds they will be putting toward their campaign. For the efforts they will make a skill roll and any success/raise will go toward their total. They may also choose to sabotage their rivals, and any successes and raises on those rolls will remove success tokens from the person being targeted! This will be run as a 5-round Dramatic Task with difficulty modified by the task they choose. Initiative cards will be drawn, and if a clubs come up, the candidate will be at a -2 to their skill roll, and if they do not succeed, they will be unable to gain tokens that round or participate in further rounds.
5. Complications! This is Brimstone after all, something crazy could happen at any time to derail the proceedings!
6. The Final Count. The Mayoral and Sheriff candidates with the highest total of success tokens at the end of the night win the race!

Race Tracker

Candidate	Initial Scores										Election Session Scores
	Townspeople	Ranchers	Miners	Chinatown	People of Action	General Adv	General Disadv	War Chest	Player Voting	Pre-Session Total	Tasks	Support	Success Tokens
William Blakeley	6	8	8	6	3	8, Local investments	-4, "Big businessman"	4, Filthy rich, other wealthy backers	6	21			7
Matron Lopez	12	2	6	6	2	4, longtime settler, helps poor, Mexican and Catholic relations	-6, minority, woman	2, Support of locals	6	16			1
Colonel Whitaker	9	6	6	4	1	8, "Law and order," Lone Star Rail, support of law enforcement	-2, not as many local connections	3, Lone Star Rail, Explorer's Society, other wealthy backers	6	19			5
Lu Liang	3	4	8	8	4	6, Chinatown relations, moderate politics, disdain for Torres	-8, outsider, minority	4, Luli's Cabal, Chinatown	4	14			0
Vance Rodgers	12	6	8	6	3	6, local investments, free drinks	-6, city slicker, no background in law enforcement	4, filthy rich	5	22			0
Ara Vasquez	12	8	6	8	4	8, was a Ranger, worked closely with Torres	-8, minority, female, outlaw brother	3, personal savings	9	25			3

Town Demographics & Issues

Demographic	Description	Population	% of Population	Gun Control	Alcohol Regulation	Law Enforcement	Immigration	New Science Regulation	Black River Rail Spur	Ranching
Townspeople	Shop owners and workers, service people, skilled laborers	1022	43.7%	+8, feel unsafe from repeated attacks	+4	+6	-4	+6	+6	+2
Ranchers	Ranch owners and workers in and near town	432	18.5%	-8	-8	+3	-8	+6	-3	+10
Miners	Ghost rock and silver miners	349	14.9%	-1	-8	+3	-8	-6	+6	+0
Chinatown	Residents of Brimstone Chinatown, mostly Chinese immigrants	198	8.5%	+8, feel very unsafe, not used to guns	+2	-4	+8	-2	-6, prefer airline	+2
People of Action	Troubleshooters, gamblers, hunters, new scientists, Explorer's Society members	216	9.2%	-6	-6	+3	+3	-6	-6	+2
Reservation (No Votes)	Residents of nearby Indian reservation, mostly from Arapahoe tribe	120	5%
TOTAL	All Eligible Voters	2217	95%

Candidate Issue Matrix

Candidate	Occupation	Gun Control	Alcohol Restrictions	Law Enforcement	The Future	New Science Regulation	Rail Spur	Ranching	Misc.
William Blakeley	Banker, Land Speculator	$100 license for open carry in town	No changes to current laws	Will appoint separate Town Marshal and hire more deputies	Encourage immigration, mining and ranching	Practitioners must seek permission	Supports	Support ranching, police disputes between ranchers, pursue cattle rustlers	Owns shares in many businesses, mining claims, financed several buildings in town, sponsored poker tournament.
Matron Lopez	Boarding house owner, Catholic	Complete ban in town	None sold on Sundays or after midnight. Support for alcoholics.	Wants someone like Torres, not a thug	Safe for families, not as much focus on mining	No opinion	Suspicious, but supports to a degree	Support ranching, no death penalty for cattle rustling	Catholic, Women's rights, one of the town's first settlers, support of Mexican community
Colonel Whitaker	Station Master of Brimstone's Lone Star station	Limit to law enforcement and rail employees	Limit on Sundays to start sale at 5pm	Will appoint separate Town Marshal and hire more deputies	Make safe for more settlers	License practitioners for $50, no use on streets of town	Expand rail spur, does not support Black River spur	Support ranching	Supports law & order
Lu Liang	Businessman, Investor	No changes to current laws	No changes to current laws	Reduce power of local law to safety concerns	Make the city a melting pot	No opinion	Expand airline instead, Does not support Black River	Limit land for ranching near town	Immigrated from China 6 years ago, strong relationship with Chinatown
Vance Rodgers	Businessman, Investor	No changes except to outlaw duels	No changes to current laws	Responsibility, no drinking on the job	Keep citizens safe	Pro-new science, will follow federal laws	No opinion	Support ranchers, create harmony	Wealthy, free drinks
Ara Vasquez	Ex-Ranger, Troubleshooter	No changes to current laws	No changes to current laws	Hire more deputies	Pursue criminals to the fullest extent of the law	No opinion, will follow federal laws	Does not support Black River	Support ranching, police disputes between ranchers, pursue cattle rustlers	She was an ex-Ranger, Father was a Ranger, outlaw brother, relationship with Tanning

Mayoral Candidates

William Blakeley

Occupation: Owner of Blakeley Financial. A banker and land speculator who often acts as the spokesperson for the interests of many of Brimstone's various businesses.

Gun Control: "Obviously I would never wish to infringe upon 2nd Amendment rights. Self-defense in ones own home is noble, and certainly you can be armed when leaving our fair settlement, but simply because you may own a firearm does not necessarily mean we should allow for every citizen to simply swagger around with a .45 on their hip in the middle of town, that's been proven to be trouble waiting to happen. That's why I am proposing a $100 license for anyone who is not a law enforcement officer to be allowed open carry, subject to being revoked by a judge for any misuse of it. Otherwise they must check their gun at the marshal's office."

Alcohol: "As long as they're paying their taxes I see no reason to interfere or restrict the spirits industry beyond the laws that Brimstone already has. Let the people do what they want and have a good time, and if they act irresponsibly be punished accordingly. Now, if a saloon is unlicensed and thus operating illegally that's another matter, but I'd say that for any business."

Law Enforcement: "I do not wish to turn Brimstone into some kind of police state. One of our town's greatest virtues is the freedom and opportunity it provides to everybody to prosper... But there are limits, and the recent violence clearly shows as such. When elected I will work closely with the county sheriff and, more importantly, I will not only appoint a new, separate town marshal so that one person does not have to entirely bear the burden of both local and county-wide issues at the same time, but also several new town deputies as well!"

Business: "Business is the lifeblood of Brimstone. Ghost rock may be the reason why our town is so prosperous, but it is businesses that allow our town to actually function as, well, a town. Furthermore, it is healthy competition from free businesses and free miners that keep us from becoming a single "company town" like shudder Avery's Bluff. I believe folks should be able to buy and sell land and claims as they wish, and that more and more businesses set up to help bring greater prosperity. I also believe that no business should receive preferential treatment... Even our rail line."

The Future: "Brimstone's future is bright friends! We may have dealt with darkness, but we have come out of it stronger, and soon comes the dawn. I see a Brimstone with even more citizens! They come in droves each day, and for good reason! Recent finds have proven theirs plenty of ghost rock in the hills, and our connection to a rail line means that the chance of us going bust are next to nil. Why, I have even recently personally taken a great deal of interest in advertising Brimstone as THE premier frontier destination. Still, I do believe that the ranching component to our fair town is being somewhat overlooked in favor of the fruits of the earth, So, I would like to introduce regulations to be better help our local cattle industry."

Regulation of New Science: "The new sciences are a complex topic. Many modern wonders are thanks to this new, emerging field barely a decade old, but it also is not entirely tested and reliable. Now, I must emphasize that, while the horrific arson attack on our town was perpetrated by several new scientists it was a deliberate, criminal act of terrorism rather than an accident. Nevertheless, it did show us the dangerous of fire and explosives. That is why, when I am mayor, I will require anybody who wishes to tinker or conduct experiments with explosive materials to both inform our town government before doing so to obtain permission, and understand that they will be held responsible for any mayhem their actions might cause. Nevertheless, ingenuity and progress should be praised and patronized, rather than us becoming reactionary Luddites."

Approaching Rail Spur: "This may be perhaps the most contentious issue I have been asked about today. Many are doubtlessly aware that "Lightning' Langley and "Thunder" Santos the two women who perpetrated the dance hall shooting and hung for their crimes are rumored to be affiliated with Black River Rail. I must admit, they are worrying, but they are also unconfirmed. If we believed every rumor we heard without proof, then I would be up here saying Simon LaCroix could revive the dead! Still, caution is warranted. However, we must also face another reality, and that is that Lone Star Rail has a monopoly on this town currently. There is no competition for them. They charge what they want, and we all just must take it or leave it! They take a cut from even what other rail companies, such as Wasatch, buy directly from our miners. We are in northeastern New Mexico. Frankly, we are at their mercy. But look at Dodge City, where three rail lines meet. THAT is one of the greatest cities in the west, where multiple rails exist in healthy competition and bring unbelievable prosperity. This spur is what we need, whether you like it or not!"

Ranches: "It is like I said when talking about the future and business. Ghost rock may be why Brimstone booms, but we are not a one trick pony. I believe we cannot continue to neglect ranching interests to the extent that we have. We need more infrastructure to support their transport. We need to prevent conflict between local ranches and clamp down on rustling or potential border issues, whether it be between herds or ranchers and prospector claims. And we need to remember that this town must still cater to ranchers, alongside miners."

"I thank you for all of your questions, and I am flattered that you all asked for me to speak, but I think you've heard the sound of my voice enough. And we're not here for me. We're here to celebrate us coming together as a community. Working together to rebuild stronger, and I am only just one part of that. So let's enjoy the pie and punch, and let's celebrate the opening of the Miller Photography Gallery!"

Misc Facts:

• William Blakeley owns shares in several local businesses besides his own, and also has several mining claims and vacant lots in town.
• Rebuilt the Miller Photography Gallery after the arson attack, forgiving all debts and paying for it himself.
• Was the main financier for Brimstone's town hall.
• Hired local troubleshooters to find the whereabouts of the missing Owens' brothers after the miners didn't show up in town for several weeks.
• Also hired local troubleshooters to investigate odd activity in the neighboring town of Avery's Bluff.
• Sponsoring the Blakeley Annual Brimstone Open Poker Tournament, a $20,000 prize poker tournament that has been advertised across the entire country.

Señora Bernarda Lopez, aka Matron Lopez

Occupation: Proprietor of the Rosa Amarilla Boarding House, a low cost but surprisingly comfortable lodging... If you're willing to live up to her strict rules and moral standards. She's also a pillar of Brimstone's local Catholic community.

Gun Control: "I was railing against killing and wanton firing of guns well before the unfortunate demise of Sheriff Torres, and I'll continue to do so afterward. Armed men and women so drunk the slightest discourtesy is a grave insult to their honor is a disaster waiting to happen. There should be a complete ban on guns within town limits for all of our safety. And gun 'duels' are simply mutually agreed upon murder attempts with additional formality"

Alcohol: "And the guns are merely half of the equation. The criminals that took Sheriff Torres' life might not have been liquored up, but how much of the 'petty' violence and other killings in this town HAVE been? We have more saloons than we can count in this town, and yet they just keep springing up. I am formally pro-temperance, I will not apologize for that. Not when young men fritter away a week's wages on one night of debauchery and their family starves as a result and the slingers of sin reap rewards from their suffering. I know there are people who can occasionally have a drink and not descend into rampant alcoholism, I am not naive, but that does not change the fact that Brimstone DOES have an alcohol problem that needs to be addressed. At minimum, I promise you that if I am elected there will be NO alcohol sold on the Lord's Day, and that no saloon or other house of ill repute will be allowed to operate after midnight, and I will strive for more. And those who have fallen into the dark pit of alcoholism will have my sympathy, aid, and support. Those who put them their in the name of greed? None."

Law Enforcement: "Benjamin was a good man, and it was wrong to drag his name through the mud. Whatever person Señor Blackstone was, Señor Torres was in many ways who I think our next sheriff should be. He was not some swaggering, macho gunfighter looking to put another notch on his belt. He wanted to make this place safe, and cared about the people enough to donate extensively to charitable causes instead of simply lining his pocket with tax money. And just because he was killed by a thug and a bully does not mean we need another thug and a bully to take his place. We need somebody who cares about the men, women and children of Brimstone and wants to protect them from both others and themselves. Somebody who not only keeps order but knows the community and works with it to make it a better place. Somebody if forced to kill would lament what they did out of necessity, rather than patting themselves on the back.

The Future: "I was here before there was ghost rock in Brimstone, and I wish to remain in it long after. There is much money here. Much much money. Anyone can ses this. But, friends, you need to understand that boomtowns CAN go bust. Nothing is unlimited. Eventually the ghost rock will run out,, and once it does what will be left? If we simply cater to mining, and vice the answer will be nothing. What Brimstone does not need is bachelors. What it needs is families. We must encourage respectable business, the kind that lets a community with a rail spur hold on and support itself. The kind where people are not scared of to settle down and have families. I want to make this town a safe, prosperous one that will last for decades to come for everybody. Not a star that shines brightly only to be snuffed out just as quickly while a few walk away with stuffed pockets. Approaching Rail Spur: "It is true Black River Rail has done much good work in this world. Mina Devlin has made immense strides toward us women having a better lot by proving that not only could a woman make her own way in the west, but become one of the richest women in all of the world as a self-made woman. Similarly, there are stories in all of the papers about the charities she's supported and the orphans she's personally housed and cared for... But there are also stories about her company intimidating towns to force their spurs through. About gunmen and women hired by them murdering in cold blood. Of outlaws, those, Wichita Witches, rumored to ultimately answer to her. And the Rail Wars are bloody business, by their very nature. I doubt all the stories are true, and rail companies are more than one person, it's quite possible she was unaware of some stories that were indeed true. However, there are enough stories and competition ruthless enough that I cannot say I do not think that Black River has just as much sinner as it does saint. It's quite possible Ms. Devlin is less clean than she appears. I'm... Suspicious. We need to be wary, especially after what happened in the Silver Palace, as much as I hope this will be a good thing in the end.

Ranching: "The cattlemen are undoubtedly important to our town, but I will admit, they fall somewhat outside my area of expertise. But I do think that cattle rustling should not be a crime worthy of death. An animal's life is not equal to a humans. I understand why the penalties are so harsh, but clearly delineated lines of property and better means of preventing the altering of brands are the answer, not nooses. Beyond that, as I said,, ranching is important, and if it is going well otherwise we should not interfere. It's a valuable, reliable industry performed by hard working people... Though perhaps we should try to get the hands to behave a bit more calmly in town on payday." A chuckle follows, though she sounds serious enough "I thank you all for your support, and I hope together we can make this town safe, prosperous, and most of all caring."

Misc Facts:

• Devout Roman Catholic and devout Christian in general. The former makes not all of the protestant latter as enthusiastic toward her as they'd otherwise be, though for the Catholic minority it's the reverse.
• One of Brimstone's first settlers
• Vice president of the Brimstone Temperance Society
• Women's Rights activist
• Is known to support the needy and generally show sympathy to the good-natured but unlucky
• Beloved by most of Brimstone's Mexican community... Though not all.

Colonel Vincent Whitaker

Occupation: Station Master of Brimstone’s Lone Star station.

Gun Control: “I am for stronger control on guns. The recent acts of violence within our town has made one thing clear. This town needs laws governing who can carry weapons in the streets. We cannot allow just anyone to have access to a firearm or explosives in the town proper. If I am elected mayor we will pass an ordinance limiting carried firearms in the streets to law Enforcement and Lone Star Rail employees. Given the recent incursions on our town from Black River Rail I do not feel like this will be controversial. Ownership will be restricted to keeping your firearms at home.

Alcohol: I will keep Liquor laws of the town the same. Only limiting its sale on Sunday. In which case sale of alcohol will be limited to starting at 5pm.

Law Enforcement: My first move as mayor will be to make sure that the office of town marshal and sheriff are separated after that. I will make sure more funds are made available to hire more deputies for the town and for the county, to help keep the law and order. Deputies have at times been the only thing standing between a lawless frontier free for fall and civilization.

Business: I am pro business, and from my experience running several Lone Star stations in several towns I can tell you one thing: a rail line is the life blood of business and of this town. While an airship is nice for quick and expensive transport. The rail line is the primary means of transport for your average person, and it is the only means of transporting bulk goods such as cattle and ghost rock which the constant flow of is essential to growth of this town. If elected mayor I intend on expanding Lone Stars presents in the town by expanding the rail station in the area.

The Future: Brimstone future lies with balancing profits vs long term growth of the community. Brimstone needs law so that we can attract more settlers. These settlers will attract new businesses who will in turn attract more settlers. Businesses need to feel safe so that they will invest money in the town.

Regulation of New Science: Science is fantastic and it has brought us many conveniences to our modern life, but like a gun, it depends on who is wielding it. If elected mayor I will enact and ordinance requiring any new scientist in town to register themselves as such, and procure a license at a fee of $50. I will also make it illegal to demonstrate or use any new science in a public setting or hostile manner unless pre-arranged ahead of time with the authorities.

Approaching Rail Spur: “This seems like an open and shut conversation. Why would Brimstone ever trust a company that has on several occasions directly attacked the town? Black River Rail sent several ghost rock bombs on a rail car to blow up the town. It was only thanks to the brave actions of the town deputy and several citizens that prevented the tragedy. Alleged additional accomplices of Black River Rail, the Wichita Witches have murdered members of this very community, and you ask me what do I think of an additional Black River Rail spur!? I do not have a problem with healthy competition, but any town the Black River Rail occupies with another rail line always lives in a shadow of violence. I do not want that for Brimstone.

Ranches: Ranchers and ranches are the lifeblood of this country and this county. I will continue to ensure that the trains run on time for Brimstone and her Ranchers so that we can continue to grow and prosper. Ranching is going to allow for this town to live beyond the Ghostrock boom. Ranchers will also allow for the sustained growth of our town's population.

Misc Facts: #Law&Order

County Sheriff & Town Marshal Candidates

Vance Rogers

Occupation: Businessman, Investor

Gun Control: I have heard a lot of ideas bandied about. Lots of towns have laws on carrying guns in town. To my mind this is a Town Marshall and City council issue. As a County Sheriff I would not be in favor of any restrictions over and above the laws of the Territory already in place outside of Brimstone Proper. My opinion of the laws in towns like Dodge City is that it has cut down on the drunken violence and damage to property and that is a good thing. But I do not see why good hard working, god fearing people have to take off their legally owned firearms when they come into town to do business. I say there should be a way to give permits to taxpayers that have not and likely will not cause the kind of drunken violence a boomtown attracts. Mr Blakeley and I differ on this subject slightly but I respect his viewpoint as he is looking at the issue as the mayor of the largest town in the county and I am looking at it as a Sheriff of the whole county.

Duels are different story in my book. Duels are seldom fair or honorable. Usually one person gets the drop on the other and kills the poor man. If shots are exchanged those bullets go somewhere if they do not hit their target. Our streets are to busy with folk just trying to do business to have bullets flying wildly because two hot heads decided to kill each other in a “fair fight.” I believe Acting Sheriff Tanning called a female prisoner out to duel in the street of the town he was hired to protect. I heard Ranger Rockwell had to intervene and that several people ended up injured. I am not sure I trust him to do the right thing when he has had a few drinks or gotten angry at someone. I definitely do not trust his reasoning for throwing his support in for Ara Vasquez. Too many odd things happen around those two for my liking. Alcohol: I say a man that works hard for his money should be able to spend it how he wants! It is not illegal to consume alcohol. It is already illegal to be drunk and disorderly. I say provide funds for more City deputies to enforce the existing laws. Although I am interested in hearing Ara’s viewpoints on this subject given her recent drunken escapades with Acting Sheriff Tanning.

Law Enforcement: First off I want point out the levels of Law enforcement in the Territory. First off are the Town Marshalls and their constables or Deputies. They are empowered within the borders of the town they are employed by to enforce the laws. It is a tough job. Then there is the Sheriff and his deputies. They are empowered to enforce the laws with in the county they were elected. They are usually in charge of a county Jail. They can often for Posses to chase after criminals that flee the county. They enforce a host of laws including property disputes, water rights etc. It is a big job with a whole bunch more involved than strapping on gun and tearing off to god knows where after an “outlaw”. As our population grows so does the responsibilities of the Sheriff. Creating and staying within budgets, building a jail and courthouse hiring dependable and trustworthy deputies not drinking and protecting outlaw brothers is the job. Then there are the Territorial Rangers and Federal marshals. Everyone has read stories about them so little has to be said. In summation being sheriff is more than riding a horse and shooting a gun. It is complicated and political at times getting more so as outside interests begin to take notice of our town and County.

The Future: As Sheriff I see my role as a facilitator for business to flourish in the County. Maintaining law and order, enforcing the laws to protect land/claim owners and to deal with outsiders of unscrupulous sorts; to let everyone have a chance at the American dream New Science: While new fangled machines and devices can be dangerous they have also been instrumental in improving many people lives and livelihoods. My personal opinion is that they should be watched and kept away from homes of taxpayers if possible so if they do have a problem they will not hurt anyone. But as for regulating them that is up to people much smarter than me to decide at the county, territory and Federal level. I will enforce whatever is decided.

Ranchers vs Farmers vs Miners: Our county is big enough for all professions to thrive alongside each other. I am from St Louis and we love our Beef! But we also like the vegetables and fruit that goes with it. Without Ghost Rock we would be back to using just plain steam and muscle power. Where people tend to get rubbed the wrong way is access to market, grazing rights and water. I have a lot of experience with getting things negotiated and compromises made. It is not my job to make sure everyone is completely happy all the time…not even God can do that. My job is to make sure things run smoothly and fairly in the county and that takes a lo more effort than falling off a bar stool.

Misc facts:

• Originally from St Louis.
• Started off as a working man in Warehouses, docks and Bars doing odd jobs. Eventually took on bigger and bigger security jobs…not afraid of danger or guns.
• Rose up to be a wealthy investor with a well-diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds.
• Has given generously to various causes throughout the Midwest before moving to Brimstone to give back to the community of this great town and County
• Sponsor of Friday Bar Crawl with Vance- Free Drinks until your have to crawl home. You should be able to get drunk…not just watch your sheriff and deputies do it.