Welcome to the Frontier
Where bullets fly and the Veil bleeds thin
The frontier ain't right. Ain't been right for longer than any soul can say. This is a land where the sky hangs wrong, where rivers crawl uphill to spite nature's laws, and where a man can fire bullets wrought from pure thought—if he's willing to pay the price in blood and memory.
Out here, the rails scream as they carry their cargo, Riders in Pale herald disasters on skeletal horses, and something beneath the world—something called the Veil—presses against reality like fingers testing rotten cloth. Every settlement clings to survival by salt and iron, every night brings new terrors, and every gunshot echoes across a landscape that remembers violence like scars remember blades.
Each bullet's a memory, each shot a piece of his soul.
He'll walk till nothing's left of him, just guns and smoke and a trail of graves.
So pray you never hear the crack of his Colts in the dark,
for if he draws, it's already too late."
About This Codex
This repository chronicles the life and legend of Duncan Maddox—the Psi-Slinger—and the twisted frontier he walks. Here you'll find details on the settlements that dot the wasteland, the factions bleeding the land dry, the supernatural forces seeping through reality's cracks, and the people brave or foolish enough to call this place home.
Quick Facts About the Frontier
- The Veil separates our world from primordial chaos—and it's tearing
- Psionics draw power from the Current beneath the Veil, but every use costs them dearly
- Five major factions vie for control: Consortium, Dust Vultures, Redeemers, Circle of Ash, and Ironbrands
- Settlements rise and fall with storms, bandits, and supernatural threats
- The Psi-Slinger walks between legend and damnation, neither hero nor villain
- Every town has superstitions to ward off the Veil's touch—salt, iron, and prayer
- Ley lines scar the landscape where reality has been wounded by violence and trauma
- Death doesn't always stick—the Veil sometimes gives back what it takes, twisted
Explore the World
Notable Locations
Rustwater Basin
The Crossroads of the Damned
Neutral ground where all roads meet. If you're headed anywhere on the frontier, you pass through Rustwater. The water runs red with iron, and the town runs red with blood when deals go sour. No faction truly controls it, making it the last free town—or the first to burn.
Ojo del Diablo
The Devil's Eye
A circular sinkhole lake said to be "the Devil's Eye." At night, its waters reflect stars that don't match the sky. Locals throw offerings into it, hoping the Devil blinks elsewhere. Some say it's a tear in the Veil that never healed.
Brimstead
Where Honest Work Dies Hard
A rough mining town that never sleeps, just twitches and mutters like a drunk with fever. Dogs bark until their throats give out, miners cough themselves to death on black dust, and the Lanterns tavern serves as both saloon and impromptu courthouse. When law fails, they send for men like the Psi-Slinger.
The Frontier's Rules
Three Rules to Live By
- Don't travel alone
- Don't trust strangers with empty hands
- Don't look too long into the dark
Common Sayings
- "Every coin's got a shadow" — There's always a hidden cost
- "Fen's got your face" — You look cursed, sick, or half-dead
- "Don't hitch your horse to a ghost" — Don't trust impossible promises
- "Current-sick" — Someone drained or hollowed by psionics
- "Dust-born" — Unlucky from birth, touched by storms
Begin Your Journey
Whether you're here to learn about the man who fires pieces of his soul, the settlements clinging to survival, or the dark powers that bleed through the Veil, this codex holds the truths—and lies—of the frontier. Choose your path carefully. Out here, knowledge costs as much as bullets, and both can kill you just as dead.