Chapter 1: Welcome to Bravado
Folks disagree as to whether or not Bravado has ever been a good or decent place, but most point out that there was at least a time in which it looked a lot more like one. Church on Sundays was loving and faithfully held, businesses functioned as you would expect, and people worked and raised families much as they would any place else in the Old West.
Those that have dared or been forced to venture just outside of town for work or adventure, swear the true nature of Bravado has always been death and rot. Much as a loaf bread appear to mold from the outside in, the outskirts are said to clearly reveal the true nature of Bravado; filth, hate, and evil. They say “it’s only a matter of time before the decay we see on the outside, spreads throughout, and it appears that Bravado’s time has come.”
Chapter 2: The Rise of the Cultists
It might be true, what some say about Bravado; that it has always been built on death and decay, but so many places are rotten to their core. At least here, the evil had stayed to itself on the outskirts of town and in rumor for generations. Now a new evil, the cultists have invited that old one into town, and now death, sadness and torment have become part of daily life for those who live here.
The cultists have overrun the church and now spend their days in unholy worship. Their singular focus seems to be the conversion at any cost, of every, last soul in Bravado. When their sermons are unsuccessful, they attempt coercion and blackmail. When those methods fail, they do not hesitate to opt for abduction and torture. Worst of all, they have brought hordes of doctors of poor repute and sinister intent to town saying, “Perhaps science can cure what religion cannot.” Since the arrival of the cultists, hundreds have gone missing only some to be found, tortured beyond repair, mindless zombies, or worst of all, converted.
While staying means certain death or conversion, sadly, there is no escape for the people of Bravado either. Bravado’s fall has only emboldened those on the outskirts of town. There, the asylum is overrun with the brainwashed and failed attempts of the cultists visiting doctors. Repulsive but opportunistic cannibals, morticians and witches have built a black-market trading in human flesh. Even some of the once well-intentioned townsfolk who left to fight the darkness plaguing Bravado, have fallen to despair, torturing and killing both friend and foe alike.
Chapter 3: Prophecies
The people of Bravado thought they had won a hard victory. While there was little joy given the rich cost of their triumph over the cultists, at least they had driven them from town. Sadly, now it is difficult to tell if the cultists fled from a determined Bravado, simply left as part of their plan, or were really gone at all. One thing is certain though, their work on the outskirts of town continues, only now unchecked.
Whispers throughout town also have it that the cultist were successful, not only in converting an army of loyal parishioners, but in something far worse, opening a portal to hell itself. It is said that through that door, and now presiding over the Church of Bravado, sits an ancient demon referring only to himself as “The Prophet”. If his name is appropriately taken, then the horrors in store for the town of Bravado have only just begun, and those that have come before will pale in comparison.
Chapter 4: The Descent
The Prophet’s brutal plan for the people of Bravado is becoming clearer every day. Each day passes more quickly than the last, and each night seems to stretch on longer. New demons are said to have appeared on the outskirts of town, tormenting the souls of friends and family taken from town and their homes. There has been no joy to speak of in the town of Bravado for some time, but now even the occasional moment of relief and contentment is quickly replaced by horror and despair.
There is nothing now but evil and death. It has bled out from between cracks and deep dark corners. It now washes over everything. Many say that The Prophet is bringing hell to earth, but a man need only pause form a moment and he can feel Bravado sinking. The Prophet is not just bringing hell to earth, he is also dragging our town down into its depths.