Fossil Creek

Last Stop Before the Frontier

Hey, you made it! Welcome to Fossil Creek! Beyond here, you'll be in the Western Frontier. It's full of danger and excitement, but before you venture off into the wilderness, you best spend a few days here getting prepared. And don't be too surprised by all the dinos you see! They're much more common here than back east. The law is that no raptors are allowed within the town limits, so you don't need to worry about bandits here. Grab your bags and follow me! I'll show you around.

— A tour guide?

Places to Be, Things to Do

Train Station

You're here! This is your ticket in and out of Fossil Creek. You can buy a ticket from the station clerk, and you can wait inside for the train. It comes twice a day, and your ticket will only be good for the train time you purchased it for, so best not be late. The Transcon prides itself on punctuality, so they won't be too forgiving if you decide to show up late.

Hotel

If you need a place to stay, you'll want to stop by the hotel. Mrs. Granger runs it, and don't let her tough demeanor get to you! She's almost always got rooms, and you best head over there sooner rather than later. Secure a place to stay for a few nights and then explore the town. Since you're not from around here, you won't want to deal with the locals when it comes to a place to lay your head.

Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Kistler mostly runs the town and the surrounding area. He does the best he can with his deputies, but they're stretched thin. Really, most of the law out here gets handled the old fashioned way. If you've got a problem with someone, deal with it yourself. They're right next to the bank for protection reasons.

Bank

Don't mind the construction! The railway is funding a new façade for the bank. It's the safest place in town to store your money or your valuables if you've got any. Have there been any robberies? None that were successful. The vaults are guarded by dilos, but you didn't hear that from me. Anyone who tries to break in ends up paralyzed and easy to arrest. So take it from me, your money is plenty safe here.

Doctor

Unless you're bleeding out dying, you might want to avoid the doctor. He's good at what he does, don't get me wrong. And if your friend is three sheets to the wind, he's got a tonic that'll knock a diplo herd sober. But he can be a bit happy with the saw. He lives near the center of town just across from the gunsmith. Just look for the mortar and pestle sign hanging over the door.

Saloon

Jim O'Hara is the best man in town. He's got a wicked sharp memory, a kind smile, and he's good to his girls. He runs the saloon, and you'll know it by the doors and the noise. Don't cause trouble and none will be had to you, that's my advice. He's also an excellent cook and serves lunch and dinner if you ever need a hot meal and some company. Just keep in mind, his usual clientele are the locals, and it's one of the few places they can complain about this recent influx of Easterners.

General Store

If there's anything you need, stop by the general store. Morton Quinn runs it with his assistant, Charlie. And if there's anything you want but don't see, it never hurts to ask. Mr. Quinn is real good about finding things no matter how difficult they are to find. Within reason, of course. The general store is in the center of town, so you can't miss it. Worst case, look for the giant barrel of apple barley cakes out front for the haddies. A penny for one, nickel for a bag of six, and all the dinos love them.

Town Hall

The mayor...well, we don't really talk about him. You don't need to worry about the mayor. The town hall isn't used too often. If there's a big event like the yearly roundup, it gets plenty of use. The rest of the time, the building is just there. It's a community center of sorts for anyone who isn't hanging out in the saloon. But, if you ever get lost in town, it's a good place to look for. You can see nearly the entirety of Fossil Cross from the second floor balcony.

Stables

If you're in need of a haddie, the easiest place to get one is from the stables. Ask for Hoagy Junior, but you best be on your guard. He talks big, but that don't mean nothing. The stable hand is Benedict Miller. Swell lad, and I hope he straightens Hoagy out. If you've got a haddie that needs to be stabled in town, well, the stables is your best bet, too. Hoagy keeps a few stalls open just for travelers by, and so long as you don't let him pull one over on you, it's good service.

Butcher

If you're ever in the mood for high quality meat, stop by the local butcher. Raymond is a good sort, and I feel bad for him with how his son turned out. Alice is a much better lass, and she'll do well when she's older to take over for her pa. He's getting up in the years, but he knows his trade like no one else. He has a deal with some of the local ranchers to get their prized steers. It keeps the best meat local. Just keep in mind, his stock varies pretty regularly. And if there's anything special you're looking for, you'll need to ask about a week in advance.

Blacksmith

Located next to the butcher, the blacksmith is the best place in town to get things made, repaired, or if you just want to hear stories. Billy has the best stories by far. I won't say anything about how truthful he is, but he's a frontiersman through and through. Oh, and he's handy with leather if you're in need of tack repairs. Figure that's also worth mentioning. Like I said, Billy is a frontiersman.

Gunsmith

Frank Richards makes and repairs guns. And he sells them from other manufacturers. Anything you brought from out east won't pack a big enough punch on the frontier. A trike will shrug off hits from a derringer without even flinching. And if you think a pistol means anything to a T-Rex, you'd be dead wrong. And dead. Frank has a workshop in the back of his store, but sometimes, I like going in just to look at all his display cases. Beautiful pieces of work, all of them. And he knows more about guns than anyone else this side of the mountains.

Mortician

I won't lie to you, life out here on the frontier is rough. Most of us don't get the privilege to know a long cheerful life. Rest assured, no matter where you come from, you'll be treated right after you stop caring. Miss Sanger and her son Andy live near the edge of town. It's a quaint little place they got. I don't know how they do it living so close to dead people all the time, but they do. And there's a nice little space to hold a memorial with flowers and your pick of a coffin. Miss Sanger is a dear, though, and hardly anyone can find fault with her.

Lumberyard

Across the river, Mr. Whitmore runs the lumberyard with his trikes. If you're looking for bona fide Fossil Creek lumber, that's where you'll want to go. He pulls the logs out of the river, cuts them into boards, and if you've got some funky size, he'll even do them custom for you. Just don't get any weird ideas. Trikes are mighty territorial, and those horns mean business.

Stockyards

Ranching is a big deal round these parts, and if you're looking for animals, the stockyards is the place to go. Mind, these aren't really your riding dinos. Sometimes there are good auctions for that, but mostly, this is for meat and hides. I know, not really a pleasant business, but there's good demand out east. Outside of auctions, the stockyards are pretty quiet and at the edge of town.

The Surrounding Area

Fossil Creek sits along the White River, and all around it flat, fertile soil. The river slows here making it easy to pull the famous logs out of the water. The calcified wood is what supports this town. You can find the woods east of town and upriver. Follow the river downstream and you'll reach most of the ranches. Out in the distance, you can see Morris Buttes. The big lone one is Temple Butte. If you go straight west, you'll reach Dry Canyon. A river used to flow through there, but not anymore. The Black Talon Gang have made their home there. The Sawtooth Mountains are way in the distance beyond the Canyon. You'll pass Three Mesas and the Trading Post before reaching them. And you'll want a trusty haddie before you head out exploring. If you don't want to deal with Hoagy Junior at the stables, and I don't blame you if you don't, ride up to Dan Ellis' ranch. He'll cost a bit more, but he knows quality and how to train.

Founding Date

1810

Type

Town

Population

900

Where Did You Come From?

By Train

Most people coming into Fossil Creek come by train. The Transcontinental Railway is the only train that comes through here, and you can find their schedule at the train station. There's one more stop at Tourmaline for the mines, and they're building out to the Trading Post next.

By Caravan

Most everyone looking to head across the mountains to New Paraiso travel by caravan. A good team of Stegos is worth their weight in water, but you'll be safer in a Paddy caravan if you can afford it. Much better view of the landscape, too, if you ask me. You'll find people looking to join a caravan out by the stockyards.

Where Did You Go?

Ranches

All around Fossil Creek are ranches. Most of them are haddie ranches, but there are a few others. They're good people who live out there. Fossil Creek wouldn't be half of what it is without them. The yearly haddie roundup sure does bring a lot of business into town, and now that the railway is here, I reckon the roundups will get even bigger. Just, a word of warning, stay away from the Dobbs ranch. You don't want to get mixed up with the raptors and those kinds of folk.

Tourmaline

The coal mine in Tourmaline may not be glamorous or get you rich off gold, but it's key to the operations of the railway. If you're looking for work, Tourmaline isn't the worst place to end up. Assuming you're not opposed to hard work or nothin. Oh, but if you do go up there, steer clear of Vaughn. He's from here, but a right nasty piece of work if you ask me. But, stop by Sister Mag's. Best food out there for pennies on the buck.

Little Fletcher

It's a shame what happened to Little Fletcher. Nice little logging town, once. But then the Black Talon Gang started harassing them. They torched the place near enough to the ground. Now, it's a shell of its former self. A few people still live there. You don't hear much from Little Fletcher these days, but it's in gang territory. You don't want to be seen round those parts, believe me. Not unless you're up to no good.

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Other Places in Town

Telegraph Office

Sometimes, you need to send a message back home, and the post just isn't quick enough. The telegraph office was built alongside the train station. It can be expensive if you're sending long messages, so I suggest keeping them short. The railway made a promise to lay telegraph lines down alongside all their tracks to help connect the east and west beyond just physically.

Veterinarian

Sometimes, the dinos get sick or injured. The vet, Luke Davis, lives just outside of the edge of town. He needs the space to manage the large creatures, and while I disagree with the practice, he also treats injured raptors. If you can't find him at the clinic, then he's probably out at the ranches. And if you've got questions about how to best care for your dinosaur, he's also the person to ask.

Horizon

If you're ever missing food from home, Horizon does a bang up job at catering to an Eastern palate. Don't mind the wooden entrance, the owners have done the place up nice with covered tables and leather chairs. The food is a bit too fancy for my tastes, but I hear their steaks are perfect, and they get fresh ingredients as often as they can. The menu is a bit strange, though. Every few months, it'll change, so each visit is something new. That's one way to keep people coming back more than once. 

Local Housing

Most of the people here work and live in the same place. Any two story homes you see have living quarters on the second floor. And that fancy white house at the edge of town? That's where Mr. Tolleson lives. He's the railway agent. The man keeps to himself most of the time, and we're just fine with that arrangement. The number of houses in town grows every year, and people just build where they're able and isn't obstructing anyone else.