The Lady of Death
A witch of whispered legend, Esmedora walks the shadowed line between life and the grave. With her three spectral wolfhounds ever at her side, she tends the dead with ritual precision and an unearthly grace. Feared and respected, she is a keeper of secrets and a mistress of embalming—her presence an omen, her touch a final mercy.
The mysterious leader of a gang of upstarts. Once a snake oil selling charlatan and professional Liar with a tendency to take in strays, Deacon found his way to Never, drawn by the influx of tourists just waiting to be fleeced. He settled there, built up a little family of strays stitched together by his enigmatic charm and propensity make young disenfranchised minds mistake him for a mentor.
Then a man named Cathal Keary came to town. He and Deacon Black became fast friends, Deacon having the charm and the ambition to make big plans and get people on board, and Cathal having the realism and critical mind to put those plans into motion. Together they opened the Buffalo Heart and sculpted their small gang of strays into a well oiled train robbing machine.
Greedy, ambitious, and ruthless. He is kind only to those who are loyal to him, and brutal to those who prove otherwise. He lets Cathal handle the business side of things while he happily reaps the rewards and pulls the strings from the background, usually for his own entertainment.
Cunning, playful, and all kinds of Daring. Galo is one of the Lynch pins for The Bad Hand. Galo often finds himself chosen to lead small crews out to rob trains and the occasional stage coach beyond the limits of Never, as he, with his talent for improvisation and intimidation, is considered the most talented one for the job.
He and Alasdair met when Ally was just a teen. They hated each other at first. Butted heads over just about everything with Ally having no notion of boundaries and Galo not appreciating having a lost puppy all up in his business, but they discovered to both their chagrin that their messiness matched in just the right ways that made them a force to be reckoned with. Their instincts matched so completely in tense life-threatening situations, they didn’t need to speak. Glances and body language was more than enough to function as a well oiled machine.
They were wild and they were unstoppable. And it didn’t take long for them to become close friends. Though they probably still butt heads.
The Bad Hand are a gang of train robbers that operate outside of Never, New Mexico. Controlled by a mysterious figure by the name of Deacon Black. Their rules are simple. Obey Deacon, keep the Buffalo Heart gambling house running smooth and clean, no criminal activity within the town limits, and the gang always gets a cut, no matter what their side hustle might be.
Loyalty is everything, and disloyalty, even in small amounts, is severely, ruthlessly punished.
Their headquarters, the Buffalo Heart in the sketchier part of Never called Mystic, is run by the former, presumed dead bandit outlaw Cathal under his new surname Keary. As Deacon’s right hand man, he’s the one most of the boys deal with day-to-day, and the one that usually hands out Deacon’s orders to those that Deacon doesn’t care to handle himself.
Life on the road without any true sustenance has made Teddy weak in terms of power; his one saving grace is that he’s skilled enough with the inner turmoils of man, and made enough at the progression of society that he can find himself an in anywhere a hired hand is needed.
Having found himself running with the Bad Hand Gang, better known as those schmucks around the Buffalo Heart gambling din; Teddy’s mood has hit an all time high. That is, since the destruction of his original home. To most people, he’s a man of mystery and secrets, never giving his real name and constantly changing the topic away from where he came.
Fannie Taylor is the youngest of the Taylor siblings, daughter to Roy Taylor and last lady in their family line. Fannie came with her family to never 15 years ago in an attempt to get further west. Not that she remembers much of this time. While she is of age to be socializing amongst her peers, she often (much to the dismay of her father) spends more time on the ranch nagging her father and brother.
Fannie, like most of the Taylor family, has a little bit of a wild streak. Having learned how to ride a horse long before she could walk and managing to keep her dresses intact! Now Fannie has to figure out how to navigate getting out of her father’s own scrutinizing grasp. Getting a chaperone so late in her socialization? Is Roy trying to send her off to any man he deems worthy (no he’s not but she doesn’t know what to think.)
Eli Frey is a lesser demon, and the former thrall of one more powerful. He started in his demon’s service as a wooden puppet carved from a blood-soaked tree. He was willful, wild and disobedient, but a horrific rebellion cost him everything, from his wooden body to his sense of self. His punishment was to be carved into a new kind of puppet, one made of flesh and desperate servitude. And so, he comes to Never weak and alone, and looking for a new master to kneel to.
Siddhartha “Sid” Ahmad’s family fled Bengal during the devastating famine of 1770, and since then, they’ve been on the move — Never quite nomadic, but never putting down permanent roots. By the time Sid turned 20, he had already lived in four different countries, constantly in search of opportunity and a place that might finally feel like home. His family, close-knit and resilient, has always adapted, but the longing for stability remains.
Trained by his grandfather in the ancient art of silversmithing enhanced by magic, Sid grew up surrounded by the delicate balance of craft and spellwork. A few years ago, he heard whispers of a town in the American West where witches like him might find a place to belong. Sid, driven by the hope of a fresh start, journeyed west to see if the rumors were true.
Now, as one of the town’s most respected artisans, Sid’s silverwork has made him a sought-after craftsman, known for his intricate designs and mysterious, almost otherworldly quality. He can also change shape at will, a talent that gives him a certain edge in his dealings, though he rarely uses it outside of his private moments. Whether Never will finally be the home his family has been searching for remains uncertain, but Sid feels something stirring in the town — Something both exciting and ominous — that might just hold the key to their future.
Mateo Lux runs a portrait studio on the edge of Never’s Chinatown, where his enchanted camera captures more than just the living. Known for offering comfort to the grieving and stirring desire in the lonely, he trades in moments that blur the line between heaven and something far more human.
An angel with roots in ancient Latin American divinity, Mateo walks the line between miracle and temptation. He is equal parts sacred and indulgent — Granting blessings, stirring hearts, and keeping his deeper truths well hidden.
Proprietor of Midas Antiques & Oddities — where you will find what you didn’t even know you were seeking, be it rarities, materials, or secrets long forgotten. An ancient witch whose deal with a demon stole from them their ability to cast, leaving them with an excess of time to accrue knowledge that they themselves can scarcely use. They have come to Never to be among the magic they have long since been deprived of.
