Deadlands - Lost Colony - Sand Ledge

2025-09-12 · Blog · #deadlands #lost colony #ttrpg #location #relic

I created Sand Ledge many years ago when Lost Colony for Deadlands Classic was first released. It used to be hosted on this site before it closed its doors many years ago. Here it is once more for your enjoyment.

Sand Ledge is a mining community on the northeast edge of the Great Wastes. They have regular run-ins with both the Azeel Clan and the Reapers. They do their best to survive though and are a hardy people.

Sand Ledge: Vital Statistics

Population: 1,828
Major imports: food, weapons, and machinery
Major exports: salt and ghostrock

Defences

A high stone wall surrounds Sand Ledge with watchtowers at each corner and a heavy wooden gate. Each tower has two militiamen at all times and floodlights. The militia consists of 20 men, split into two shifts—day and night.

While 8 take up their posts at the guard towers, 2 patrol the city. In addition to this there is the town sheriff and the Colonial Ranger. If the town is attacked, everyone who can fight takes up arms. Everyone carries their weapons at all times, so things can get a little unfriendly, but they are welcoming enough to strangers.

Miners

There are two types of miner at Sand Ledge: ghostrock and salt. All of the mines are outside the village, so they stick together in groups of 6–20 people depending on the size of their claim. The greedy ones who didn’t want to share got killed long ago. They wear light armour and are armed with a variety of pistols, shotguns, and the odd rifle.

Places of Interest

Town Hall

The Mayor of Sand Ledge is Reginald Berwick. He used to be a miner before he lost an arm in a mining accident. After that he formed a union to fight for better conditions for the workers. When the Tunnel closed the union was the closest thing to a government Sand Ledge had, and he took up the reins as mayor. Now in his late fifties, he handles day-to-day administration and acts as diplomat to other settlements.

General Store

Paul Andrews owns the general store. It sells dried food, tools, ammo, a few guns, mining equipment, and survival gear. Other odds and ends can be found here too, but nothing too specialised.

Andrews is a short, balding man with long black hair where he still has it, usually wearing a rough white shirt and leather jacket. He listens to classic rock while at work and smokes pot constantly. Despite appearances, he’s sharp and catches thieves easily. He knows a lot of trivia and loves to gossip.

The Blacksmiths and Stables

Run by brothers Jesse and Jeremiah Pitt. Jesse is the blacksmith with the size advantage, while Jeremiah, the eldest, tries to railroad decisions. They often get drunk and fistfight, sometimes dragging others in.

They sell or hire Baroukas and horses, as well as handcrafted tools and weapons (mostly axes and knives, but custom orders possible). Jesse can also re-case bullets.

The Fuel Stop Café

A combination gas station and diner run by Cathy Eisner, a striking thirty-something with charm and a mean right hook. The miners stop here daily to refuel and gossip. Trouble rarely breaks out — Cathy can knock out a horse if needed. She’s in an on-again, off-again relationship with Ranger Grace. Staff include a cook, a waitress, a mechanic, and a pump boy.

Jacob Dix’s Saloon

The local watering hole and cathouse. Jacob Dix sees himself as an entrepreneur, though Sheriff McKinnon would call him slippery. He gives militia discounts on his saloon girls, which keeps him safe. This is the place for drinking, gambling, and less wholesome entertainment.

The Cupped Hand Hotel

Named after the Wahkreek Clan’s watering-hole symbol. Owned by Katie Franklin, a sassy young woman who inherited it after her parents died in the World Storm.

School

Two teachers: Margaret Wise and James Hamilton.

Margaret teaches the young children, writes children’s stories, and is beloved by the town. She lives alone despite many suitors.
James once worked for HI as a scientist on Earth. He became a teacher after the Gate closed, respected for balancing academics with practical knowledge. Still, he longs for his old life and is trying to find a way back into HI, using contacts like Lithia at Temptation.

Law

Colonial Ranger Adam Grace: Tall, scarred, tortured by Reapers but never broke. Stern but fair, seen as honourable. Helps defend the town and enforces law across settlements. Possesses the Badge of Alistaire Sutherland (see below).
Sheriff Ian McKinnon: A tough, hard-ass who doesn’t like strangers and doesn’t see eye to eye with Grace. Good at organising defences, but unpopular with his own militia, who often cover for friends instead of following his orders.

The Doctor’s Office

Run by Dr Henry Grey and Nurse Audrey Grey. Dr Grey is eccentric, loud, and prone to yelling mid-diagnosis. Audrey is the only one who can calm him down. Despite the chaos, they are devoted to each other. Their son Rees Grey is also a doctor, practicing in Temptation.

Power Station

The town’s “power station” is actually the fusion reactor of the original colony ship. It’s well protected, with a sentry gun covering the entrance and guards hired by the owner. The militia do not control it, and the guards stay even during attacks to prevent sabotage.

Relics

The Badge of Alistair Sutherland

The Marshal’s Badge of Alistair Sutherland has been handed down through the family of Adam Grace, many of whom became lawmen like its original owner.

Sutherland was a dedicated sheriff of the town of Little Rock near Tombstone. He was an upstanding lawman who followed the code of the Old West religiously.

He was most famous for taking down a cult that formed in Tombstone. They worshiped the black arts and tried to stir up trouble between the locals and the Apache. One of their chief collaborators was the owner of a buffalo company operating out of the town of Little Rock.

He was helped by a mysterious group of strangers who wandered into town one day wearing bizarre clothing. They disappeared shortly after, but rumoured sightings cropped up from time to time for years to come.

Powers

The wearer of the badge gets +2 to overawe checks.
They gain an extra benny.
If the character dies while wearing the badge, they may draw two extra cards for their Harrowed/Guardian draw.

It’s tough to keep a good lawman down!

Taint

Not so much a taint as a side effect: the bearer gains the Law of the West hindrance. The badge only works if the hindrance is played.

Sand Ledge is one of the rougher gems of the Great Wastes, a place where survival, gossip, and grit collide.