In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 1):

ENS was concentrating on Jake and Lu's initial exchange when he suddenly noticed Cole's offer. Damn this ringing! He thought as he took the vials and briefly examined them. ENS points to the vials and then to one of the dead BHD in askance of Cole, all while trying to keep an eye on Jake and Lu's continuing conversation.


09:14, Today: E.N.S. Ringgenberg rolled 15 using 1d20+6.  Hearing Fort Save.
09:15, Today: E.N.S. Ringgenberg rolled 6 using 2d6, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 6,6.  AP for Fort Save.
Total: 21

OOC: 10% perm loss for ENS

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 1):

JEB holsters the reloaded pistol and moves closer to the men communicating with paper and pencil. He peers at the notebook and nods to acknowledge his understanding of the next task. He moves towards Carson who is gesturing something.

Now that Jake was no longer having to concentrate on fighting and staying alive, he was starting to feel some pain from the various wounds that he had suffered. However, he judged that he had not suffered anything serious enough to incapacitate him -- well, not unless gangrene or something of that nature set in. But that was a concern for another time, once they had finished up with the job at hand.

The continued quiet was a little unnatural and eerie, but the rifleman hoped that the condition was a temporary one. Seemingly his pards suffered from the same ailment, and the Perfesser's notebook and pencil had proven to be a good way to communicate, given the circumstances.

Jake greeted JEB with a nod, glad to see that the Missourian had also come through the dust-up mostly in one piece, and like the Texan, seemed to still be functional and able to fight, if that proved to be necessary.

Once Mr. Xu's man (the rifleman couldn't remember his name, although he supposed that Mr. Xu had introduced him) finished writing his response to Jake's question, the Texan read it and nodded his agreement.

The rifleman pointed to his own chest and then to the heathen's, and made a motion with two fingers like a person walking. Just to be certain that he was understood, he took the pencil and wrote, "Let's us look."

OOC: Tweaked the punctuation a little; no substantive changes.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:27, Mon 01 Jan 2018.

In reply to Artemus Carson (msg # 4):

Once JEB reaches the outlander, he motions to have Carson follow down the tunnel where the nbd had fled.

In reply to Jake Richardson (msg # 10):

Travis maintains his watch.

In reply to Jake Richardson (msg # 10):

Lu Heng Bo nods in agreement, patting himself near his heart with his right hand, in response to Richardson's gesticulation. He then points with a sweeping motion to indicate the area north of the platform. Believing he has communicated his intent to the rifleman, Xu's highbinder moves directly towards the western wall in order to begin his search area as per Jake's suggested course of action.

In reply to E.N.S. Ringgenberg (msg # 8):

Cole nods in response to ENS, clearly grateful the professor relieved him of the vials. The wrangler quickly returns to working on his busted weapon.

In reply to James E. Beauregard (msg # 11):

Ears ringing, art stuffs a cleaning patch in each ear, and follows JEB.

In reply to Artemus Carson (msg # 15) and James E. Beauregard (msg # 11):

OOC: The Judge needs more information from the two players. Confirm that JEB is first, state movement rate, distance between the men, etc.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 16):

Art is attempting to walk about three paces behind and slightly to the right of JEB. That should provide a line of fire should it become necessary.

In reply to Lu Heng Bo (msg # 13):

Jake nodded in response to the heathen's gestures, then headed over to search the opposite side of the cave from the one that was being looked over by Mr. Xu's man.

OOC:

17:06, Today: Jake Richardson rolled 18 using 1d20. Search Check.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 16):

1x movement, rifle ready.

In reply to Cole Trayne (msg # 14):

Satisfied that he knows the origin of the vials, ENS takes a moment to ensure they are well stoppered, wraps them in a piece of gauze, then places them in an inside vest pocket.

Seeing Lu and Jake move in opposite directions, he retrieves his notebook to read what's going on, once done he thinks We don't have time for this...

He writes the following:
"We should use the rabbit hole and take the girls to our room at the brewery until Lu can arrange transport."

He motions Cole over to Travis and shows the note to the both of them to see if they concur.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:24, Thu 04 Jan 2018.

In reply to E.N.S. Ringgenberg (msg # 20):

Travis walks over, reads the note, and nods.

Lu and Richardson complete their search of the north end of the cavern. Neither finds anything of note.

Xu's highbinder completes the stretch of cavern wall that he was searching once he reaches the west end of the curtain. He goes behind the curtain, resuming his interaction with the captives, without having noticed the professor's gathering of pards.

In reply to Cole Trayne (msg # 14):

With a visible look of relief on his face, Cole manages to  clear the jam in his weapon. After grunting in satisfaction, he proceeds to reload it.

When the professor approaches with the note, he gestures towards Travis as if to say "he is on board with whatever they decide"

After spending a little time searching, Jake turned away from the side of the cavern where he had been directing his attention. If any of his pards looked in his direction, he shook his head negatively.

Seeing Mr. Xu's man move to join the previously-captive women, Jake surmised that the man had not found anything of interest, either.

Noting that some of the rescuers were gathering around the Perfesser, Jake walked over to join them. He nodded amiably to Travis and Cole, glad to see that the two men were not to much the worse for wear after the battle . . . well, other than still not being able to hear much of anything.

Sheriff Beauregard enters the east tunnel, as indicated by Carson's pantomime, carbine at the ready. The survivalist himself stays a few steps behind, attempting to maintain a line of sight beyond JEB should he need to fire his carbine.

At first, that proves easy, as the tunnel remains relatively wide. Just ahead, the lawman begins to navigate a turn where the tunnel narrows and the light from the cavern diminishes. Artemus loses sight of JEB for a step or two, then picks him up again as the passage takes another tight turn to the right.

As the survivalist makes the turn, he spies a shape of a man moving out of the shadows to the right -- just behind JEB who has walked past the dark-garbed shape as the passage bends back to the left. The shape is moving rapidly towards Carson and is just a step or two away.

At the last second, JEB hears something behind him, but he has no opportunity to act in that moment.

OOC: Carson may take a single action (one move or one attack attack). JEB cannot act in this round, but will be able to next round.

We must resume round-by-round here (which means we can't get too far ahead with the others still in the main cavern. Those PCs should free to post narrative, with intentions or specific actions or attempts to converse without sound, as long as no one jumps ahead too far relative to the activity in the tunnel.

The Judge will post an updated map for JEB and Art, soon, but for the moment, it isn't relevant to the "fast-draw" round that is occurring now.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:18, Fri 05 Jan 2018.

In reply to Jake Richardson (msg # 24):

After Cole and Travis see his note, ENS looks for the others. He sees Lu head for the curtain and Jake heading for their gathering, so he waits for Jake to join them and then shows him the note as well.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 25):

In no mood for this, and ears still ringing, Carson fires.

15:05, Today: Artemus Carson rolled 15 using 2d10+7.  Carbine Damage.
15:04, Today: Artemus Carson rolled 17 using 1d20+7.  Fire carbine.

OOC: Please disregard the +7 to damage.

The highbinder, having eluded JEB by hiding in a crevice near the tunnel's turn, leaps in front of Artemus. Perhaps he thought there was only one pursuer, perhaps he was simply desperate.

Carson levels his carbine with the intent to fire at the running opponent. The boo how doy nearly collides with Art before that happens, barely squeezing past instead. moving towards the main cavern. The survivalist puts his back to the wall, bumping his head slightly as he makes space to keep his aim at the passing highbinder. JEB sees the muzzle flash from his old pard's Spencer, aimed at a previously unseen enemy.

The highbinder's momentum carries him several feet forward, sprawling to the tunnel floor as a result of Carson's accurate blast. He appears to be down for good this time, although that's what the survivalist thought less than a minute ago.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 28):

Art again moves to take him by foot and again attempts to drag him into the cavern.

Free action: seize foot
Move action: to the cavern
Attack action: none

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 28):

JEB observes the quick deadly exchange between Art and the chinamen, grunts and follows his pard dragging the dead man.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 28):

Travis walks to the entrance of the tunnel leading to the rabbit hole and awaits the arrival of the girls when he will direct them to the surface.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 25):

It occurred to Jake that he since the fighting had died down, he had seen all of the rescuers moving around except that new fella . . . what was his name? ~I recall that it was sumpthin' kinda odd . . . Artemus, that's it.~

The Texan borrowed the Perfesser's notebook and pencil again, and printed "Artemus?"

OOC:

Full Round Action: Print is ENS's notebook.