Old West Group

Shadows of High Plains is a play-by-post roleplaying experience set in the historical fiction of the Old West, focused on the notorious “Hell on Wheels town of Sherman, Wyoming Territory… a place forever etched in the shadows of the High Plains.

This is where stories of heroes and villains unfold, where the eternal struggle between good and evil plays out. Set in Sherman, circa 1872, in the Laramie District of the Wyoming Territory, the group explores a time and place where outlaws could carve out their own power with the force of a gun. A time when lawmen could be gunned down in the street, and the community simply accepted it as part of the rough nature of the job.








Shadows of High Plains is a collection of tales told by our members, focused on the lives and events surrounding the infamous “Hell-on-Wheels” town of Sherman, within the rugged, yet rapidly developing Wyoming Territory, set in the 1870s. It’s a time marked by survival, courage, heroism, power struggles, corruption, self-discovery, societal clashes, adventures, hardships, and conflicts that shape the land. This era is steeped in the legend of gunslingers, notorious outlaws, ruthless judges, cowboys, cattle stampedes, fierce snowstorms, droughts, gold rushes, train robberies, and violent clashes with Native Americans.

For as long as people have existed, they have shared stories… tales of adventures, difficult times, remarkable people, terrifying encounters, and the mundane moments of life. Some stories are based in truth, while others are embellished or exaggerated over time. The most captivating stories are passed from one person to another, often growing in strength, transforming into legends, folklore, or even myths. These tales spread through songs, dances, cultures, and, in some cases, written words in Dime Novels—which often turned characters into larger-than-life figures.

Around campfires, or the warmth of hearths, the shadows of the High Plains come alive. You can hear the distant gallop of hooves, the eerie whispers of ghosts haunting deserted towns, the sound of gunshots echoing through the night, and the wind howling through ancient trees near forts, mining camps, and cowboy hideouts. Facts blur into rumors, exaggerations, and deceit, all mixed with a touch of artistic freedom, creating a tapestry of tales both true and fabricated.

This is the foundation of OUR stories… crafted by us, built around the lives we choose for our characters and the events we create in and around Sherman, which will always be known as the greatest shadows of the High Plains.

Here, the timeless battle between “good and evil” unfolds, with legendary figures battling against society’s evils. The town of Sherman, in the Laramie District of the Wyoming Territory, is a place where the Shadows of High Plains emerge—where outlaws wield guns as a source of power, and where lawmen might fall in the street, only for the town to shrug it off as the price of doing their duty.

The Hero and the Villain … they stand at opposite ends of the moral spectrum, but are they truly so different?
Have you considered their actions, traits, and motives? Are they truly so separate?


"On May 10, 1868, the first train arrived in Sherman, bringing not only respectable, law-abiding citizens, but also some of the toughest criminals from railway towns to the east. Thugs, thieves, and murderers disembarked, marking the beginning of Sherman’s notorious history. The town was alive day and night with the sound of music, dancing, and the presence of camp followers who had trailed the railroad since its start…"








Shadows of High Plains is a western roleplaying group set in the years of the 1870s, particularly 1872, centered around the growing town of Sherman, which was a Hell-on-Wheels rail settlement established during the railroad boom of the late 1860s. Situated at the base of the imposing Sherman Pass in Wyoming, this town is a product of the tumultuous days following the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.



In this land, where the lines between good and evil blur, we find figures like John T. Wesley, the lawman wearing the badge, and Jon Claridge, the notorious businessman and perceived outlaw who brings chaos wherever he goes. It's a world where the gritty and the grand collide, inspired by the struggles seen in stories like Tombstone, Hell on Wheels, and even 1883.

The rugged frontier of the High Plains offered many a fresh start after the horrors of the Civil War. The vast, untamed land promised new opportunities… endless grazing fields, rich soil, and towering mountains. For many, it seemed like an idyllic paradise. But reality was far harsher than the dream.




Would-be settlers, immigrants, and individuals of all backgrounds, creeds, colors, and nationalities, in search of a better life or the American *dream*, traveled with all their possessions and whatever money and gold they owned, headed westward in wagon trains or by the rails of the “Iron Horse”. Bringing all they owned and often whole families, found themselves, vulnerable to the dangers of the frontier. The high plains' severe weather, the threat of raiding parties from indigenous peoples defending their land, bandits preying on the weak, and the lawlessness of men driven by greed, drink, and a lack of authority all made survival an arduous task.

The tales of the High Plains are filled with hardship, isolation, and survival in a world of relentless natural forces. It is here, amid this unforgiving landscape, that the stories unfold… whether in the thriving town of Sherman, the isolated ranches dotting the wilderness, the villages of indigenous tribes, or on the endless, varied terrain.


At the heart of the narrative are the cowboys, settlers, townsfolk, lawmen, outlaws, and those who live on the fringes of society… prostitutes, gamblers, and grifters.

The overarching themes include:
• The conquest of the wild west, in all its forms.
• The cultural divide between the untamed West and the more settled East.
• The resistance to modernization and the clash between old-world values and the new frontier.
• Tensions between settlers, ranchers, indigenous peoples, and the law, as everyone struggles for their place in this harsh new world.
• The transient nature of the population, often made up of single men, many scarred by the Civil War, and often concentrated in lawless boomtowns such as Sherman, with increasingly affordable firearms bought with gold-rush cash, and fiercely protective of their land and resources.
• The rise of community justice, where townsfolk and settlers enforce their own codes of honor, forming posses to deal with outlaws or meting out harsh punishments to those who break the rules. Vigilantism and lynchings became common.
• Just behind the frontier, a unique culture evolved around the cattle industry… with ruthless men like Jonathan Claridge and Aiden Powers rising to wealth and power, fueling the derogatory term *cowboy*, which was often associated with criminality. Honest men working with cattle were called "herders," but both sides of this brutal industry lived a life of constant conflict, whether in business or with their neighbors.
• Ordinary men who, through self-defense or alliances with the wrong people, became outlaws themselves… fighting for survival and often driven by the age… old themes of jealousy, power, and greed.

In this land, where justice is often an individual pursuit, the stories reveal the complexities of morality. Heroes, driven by clear values of integrity, justice, and hard work, fight against adversaries born from a web of longstanding feuds, distrust, and societal turmoil. In the feverish atmosphere filled with booze and bullets, these battles take on a life of their own, leading to larger-than-life conflicts in the name of what is right.