The year is 1877, but the history is not our own. The Civil War drags on, stalled by some horrific occurrences neither the United States nor The Confederacy want the public to know about. The Indians have reclaimed their tribal lands, claiming spirits have granted them amazing powers.California was shattered by a massive earthquake back in '68, leaving a "Great Maze" of labyrinthine sea-canyons and exposing an amazing new superfuel known as ghost rock! It's a boom-town like no other, with fortunes to be made for those bold enough to make their way West!But there's something going on in the American West. Something sinister. Something Weird. The shadows are deeper, the nights longer - fear stalks the land like a hungry beast. Abominations from man's legends and nightmares lurk in the shadows, and strange cults flourish in isolated places on the high planes.Some tell of mysterious and terrifying beings called the Reckoners. They say these otherworldly horrors are seeding the entire world with fear, cultivating humanity's terror. Someday, should they create enough, they could even walk the Earth - and destroy it utterly!Arrayed against the darkness are the heroes of the Weird West(TM). Grim gunslingers ride the trails, armed only with their six-guns and their wits. Cardslinging hucksters gamble with dark forces to cast arcane hexes. Scientists teetering on the edge of madness create infernal devices of piston-pumping steam and steel. Wise shamans call upon long-forgotten, nature spirits for powerful favors. Agents and Texas Rangers try to protect the public from the most dangerous of all things - the truth.And death - well, death is not necessarily as final as it should be.Welcome to the world of Deadlands: the Weird West! So, have you got what it takes partner? Are you ready to face the worst horrors the Reckoners have to throw at you? Are you ready to stare Death in the face and spit in his eye-socket? Well, then saddle up, hombre. The Weird West awaits!