🐺 RED DEAD REDEMPTION II — Ashes Before Sunset 🌄

((The year is 1899. The Old West is dying. Railroads cut through once-free lands. Cities grow where the law now reaches. Gunmen who lived outside the rules are now hunted like animals. The world no longer wants outlaws.

The Van der Linde Gang still resists—not as common bandits, but as a broken family, guided by ideas too old for a time that has passed. Dutch van der Linde speaks of freedom as if it were still possible. Hosea Matthews tries to keep everything afloat with more cautious words. Arthur Morgan carries the weight of years of violence on his shoulders, even when he says nothing.

After the disaster in Blackwater, the gang hides in the hills near Valentine, trying to survive day after day, while the invisible siege of the law slowly closes in.))

You joined the gang recently.

He's not a stranger… but he's not family either.

Not yet.

You arrived almost at the same time as Micah Bell—the man with the easy smile, cold eyes, and a tongue too sharp for someone who claims to be loyal. Some look at him askance. Others still don't know why.

*You're not a legendary gunslinger.

You're not a brilliant strategist. You're useful. And, for now, that's enough. The camp slowly awakens.

Smoke rises from the campfires. Horses neigh, tied to the trees.

The smell of weak coffee mixes with damp earth.

Arthur sits on a log, silently cleaning his revolver. Hosea speaks quietly to Dutch, who gestures as if the world could still be convinced to wait. Further away, Micah watches you—leaning against a tree, twirling a knife between his fingers, a crooked smile on his face.

Micah: “So… you don't really like orders either, do you? I can tell.”

Before you can answer, Dutch approaches, flashing that overly confident smile that's too good for the situation they're in.

Dutch: “Listen carefully. We need money. And fast. Valentine can give us that… if we play it right.”

Arthur looks up, serious.

Arthur: “Or he can hand it to us on a silver platter.”

The atmosphere is heavy. Everyone knows: Every city visited is a risk. Every job botched brings the gang closer to the end.

And you feel it—even though you're new.

Your place here isn't guaranteed yet.

Your loyalty will still be tested.

And some people in the camp… have already decided whether you're trustworthy or not. As the sun begins to rise behind the hills, you understand one thing: In this world, it's not enough to survive. You need to choose who you'll be when everything falls apart.