In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 6):

Seeing him start to come around, Earnest speaks gently.

What has happened Daniel? How did you end up like this?

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 6):

Now that the pards had gotten the Knight lad down off of his horse and the Perfesser was tending to him, Jake straightened up and glanced around. Then he moved over to where his horse was standing, rummaged around in his saddle-bags for a moment, then pulled out his field glasses.

Picking out the highest elevation that would give him a good view of the direction that Daniel Knight had come from, the Texican put his field glasses to his eyes and took himself a look-see.

~I'd feel plumb tetched in the head if whosomever shot up that lad has some men a-ridin' his back-trail, an' they was able to catch us with our britches down . . . all a'cause I din't have the sense to look ah-round a mite.~

---

OOC:
10:06, Today: Jacob Richardsen rolled 4,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4.  Notice Check: Watching Daniel Knight's Back-Trail.

In reply to Jacob Richardsen (msg # 8):

Tracy notices Jake remove his field glasses, dismounts, and joins him. He hoped to add his survival expertise to the Texican's observation. The investigator removes his spyglass and surveys the area as well.

OOC:

12:17, Today: Tracy Windham rolled 9,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+1)9,1.  Survival, survey with Jake.

In reply to Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg (msg # 7):

"Professor Ringennberg! Thank the Lord, it is you. I thought maybe I was dreaming."

The young man gathers himself, groaning a mite as he sits up.

"It's bandits," he starts, unleashing a torrent of scattered thoughts in between deep breaths. It's evident Daniel is parched, but he continues, his words as dry as dust.

"They took Grafton, killed the sheriff ... moved on to Rockville, that's where I was. We tried to do something about it. We failed," he says, looking at his wounded arm as if to remind himself of it, as his voice cracks. "I got away, and borrowed Mr. Flynn's mare. Rode to warn ... Springdale, kept going. Been praying I would find you ..." he says, now coughing and swallowing hard.

It looks like Daniel wants to say more. As he shows further signs of fatigue, swooning momentarily, he gets out only one word. "Water?"

EDIT: Fixing misspelling
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:18, Mon 12 June 2023.

In reply to Jacob Richardsen (msg # 8) and Tracy Windham (msg #9):

The rifleman and the investigator fetch their devices and find a good vantage point to scan the area to the south, from whence Daniel Knight came.

They see some drifting and lingering dust from the lad's ride, but neither of them see any signs of anyone following the young Knight. As far as they can tell, there's no immediate danger. Windham does notice one additional thing: a nearly dispersed cloud of dust to the southwest, drifting over a bluff up a sandy hill. The bluff appears to provide a good place to watch over the trail towards the rim. The Californian wagers that's where Daniel came from, once he focuses on what looks like a short switchback trail from the bluff down towards the mesa where the six pards pulled up.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 11):

Padre pulls a canteen off of Genny's saddle and opens it.

Easy, son. Here. Breathe.

Padre nears the canteen to Mr Knight's mouth and begins to slowly tip it in. Pulling back so as not to drown the injured man but letting Mr Knight indicate when he was ready for more.

Steady yourself, son.

How many were there?


OOC
Unsure if a roll was necessary for this, judge to adjudicate. Also happy to burn a benny if necessary to "find a full canteen", assumed restock happened when we met and camped with RS.

In reply to Albert (Padre) Juhasz (msg # 12):

The young Knight drinks greedily from the canteen. "Thank you, sir."

After a few breaths, he answers the question posed by Juhasz.

"How many? I cannot say, all told. We fought roughly a dozen in Rockville."

OOC: It's a good question, in general. In the Judge's view, there's no need to spend a Benny unless you want to have an "extra" canteen beyond what you would normally carry. If Padre wanted give the canteen to Daniel, for example, as opposed to letting the lad drink from Padre's own canteen, then spending a Benny is appropriate here. And since we're about to reset Bennies, why not?

Under the current circumstances, the men left the dale two days ago and there was a spring there (documented in earlier descriptions), so they definitely refilled canteens before setting out. So it's really a matter of flavor here.

In reply to Daniel Knight (msg # 13):

"Don't see nobody doggin' your back-trail, Daniel," the Texican called down.

"Ree-gardin' these hard-cases, they warn't wearin' yaller bandannas, was they?"

In reply to Jacob Richardsen (msg # 14):

"Not that I saw, Mr. Richardsen."

He takes another drink from the canteen and offers it to Padre.

Keep it, son. I've got another.

Padre reached into his saddle and slipped out a Bible. More tattered than the now incinerated one. Smaller too. It was frayed round the binding. It was so well worn it seemed to open itself to a page somewhere in the middle as though it knew what was needed.

Padre looked down into the pages. He looked back at Mr Knight.

O Lord the oil of your healing flows through me like a living stream. I choose to bathe in these clear waters each day. I will keep my eyes on you, and trust in you that I will fully recover. I give you all that I am, and rest in your peace.

Padre lifted his head, scanned the faces of his Pards, looked back down at Mr Knight.

Amen.

OOC
In what I'm sure will happen many times over the life of Padre, he burns a Benny to find that one last bible he had tucked somewhere.

In reply to Albert (Padre) Juhasz (msg # 16):

Earnest listens to the conversation until Padre concludes.

Amen

He looks at Daniel.

So they've taken both Grafton and Rockville at least? Do you have any idea what they are after?

In reply to Albert (Padre) Juhasz (msg # 16) and Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg (msg # 17):

"Amen." The young Knight nods a thank you towards Padre and takes one more sip before securing the top. Hearing the professor's question, Daniel shrugs. He replies are more composed, now, having had time to catch his breath and quench his thirst.

"Never had a chance to ask them. But yes, I reckon they took Rockville after we failed to stop them. I hope my warning to the folks in Springdale gave them time to ready themselves ... or flee. What can we do now?" he asks.

The question doesn't sound like a rhetorical one. The men can see the conviction in the young Knight's eyes. Now that he has located the local heroes, and heard Padre's words, he seems inspired and ready to rejoin the battle against the invaders.

EDIT: fixing misspelling
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:18, Mon 12 June 2023.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 18):

Padre sensing a kindred spirit says

Him Who is Above minces no words about this... 'For those who seek to defile and destroy his brothers, I will lay my vengeance upon him'

Padre scans the horizon..

I think Mr Richardsen is right and we have some time.

Padre starts to fiddle with the handles of his revolvers absent mindedly, and, continuing to stare into the horizon says

The only thing better than Righteous Fury is well-prepared Righteous Fury.

We need to save the fine folk but more  importantly we need to
Padre pauses for the briefest of moments.. seemingly to savor..something
burn. Burn these bandits out of this world.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 18):

"You said that you was in Rockville when the raiders struck," the Texican said, addressing Daniel.

"You got any idea what the situ-aeshunn might be, out at y'all's ranch? Reckon they would still be a-holdin' out, thaere?"

In reply to Jacob Richardsen (msg # 20):

Richardsen's question reminds the young Knight of the dire nature of the situation. It's not something he's forgotten about, but he seems quite focused on the moment, having finally located the local heroes.

"I do not know, Mr, Richardsen, but I appreciate you thinking of our family. I pray for their safety."

In reply to Daniel Knight (msg # 21):

The Texican scratched at his chin-whiskers thoughtfully. "Seems to me we oughtta try an' figure out whaere folks are most likely to be a-holdin' out against these banditos, and go thaere first an' try to help turn the tiede against these hard-cases."

"Also seems to me that Springdale an' y'all's ranch," here Jake paused for a moment and glanced at Daniel Knight, "are whaere folks have the best odds to still be holdin' out."

"Now, I know that Grafton -- an' mayhap the Four Oh'Clock -- was hit first, but if the town got hit afore the ranch, it could be that your folks an' the ranch hands got some ad-vance warnin' of what was goin' on, an' was able to get forted up. They'd be a right tough nut to crack if'n that was the case. An' the banditos might've moved on after gettin' a bloody nose thaere, an' went a-lookin' for easier pickin's."

Jacob held up a hand. "Now, I'm jest supposin', here. But it could've happened that waey."

Or, the Texican knew well, the people at the ranch could've been surprised and gunned down before they knew what hit them. There was no way of knowing without going there for a look-see.

"An', thanks to your warnin', Daniel, the folks at Springdale could've got forted up their ownselves, an' might still be holdin' out thaere."

Jake pulled off his Stetson and wiped some sweat from his forehead, then replaced the headgear. "Everything else bein' e-qual, I'd saey we go an' check on the Four Oh'Clock first. But from whaere we're at now, that's a hard road . . . a mighty hard road. Why, I'd reckon it might taeke us . . ." here the rifleman took a moment to count on his fingers, ". . . a week -- or thaereabouts -- to git thaere from here. An' a week in this situae-shunn -- hell, if we was to taeke that long, they might've e-lected a new presy-dent by the tieme we was to git thaere."

The Texican looked at the young man and shook his head in an understanding sort of way. "I know it ain't what you want to hear, Daniel, but I think that we gotta start with Springdale. At least go thaere first, an' see what's what."

---

OOC: Edited the spelling of Springdale. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:47, Mon 12 June 2023.

In reply to Jacob Richardsen (msg # 22):

Earnest listens to Jake and nods.

I agree, Springdale is the most expedient course of action right now... If we can cross the North Fork and get up on the bluff west of the town, we should be able to observe what's going on there.

OOC: Judge, is this a feasible course of action?
This message was last edited by the player at 16:29, Tue 13 June 2023.

In reply to Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg (msg # 23):

OOC: Going directly to Springdale is the most expedient option. (My apologies for mis-typing it as 'Springfield' in recent posts; fixing those on my posts as I go. Feel free to fix yours or let them slide.)

However, the professor's suggestion about crossing the North Fork is questionable, assuming he means to do it stealthily. The men will need to hike up a ways to avoid being noticed crossing the river, which is also wider closer to Springdale. Crossing the river and staying out of sight of folks in the town is easier said than done. So it's possible, yes. Feasible? That's a judgement call.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:20, Mon 12 June 2023.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 24):

Tommy listens to Jake's assessment and ponders aloud

"Agreed, I think Springdale makes the most sense. I like the professor's idea of not going straight in on the main road. If we could get to a point close enough to see what's what in Sprindale with our field glasses we'll know our options better. If the townsfolk are bunkered down then they'll surely help us across and would make it less risky than sneaking over"

In reply to Thomas Pearce (msg # 25):

Yes, perhaps we could use the bluff north of the Virgin River to get some altitude while we look.

OOC: Other than the recon part, I'm going to ignore what Earnest said in msg #23 since, per the conversation thread, I was completely off about how we are approaching the towns. Added a slight correction above.

OOC: It sounds as if there is a consensus to head directly toward Springdale, with a fledgling plan to hike up a ways into the hills somewhere on the approach to attempt to surveil the area before moving all the way to the town. Or, at least, to attempt to scout ahead somehow with field glasses, even if not climbing up to achieve a view from elevation, before getting too close to town.

If the Judge's read is accurate, for now we can assume the characters are resuming their ride southward to the river and then turning west. You can continue to discuss ideas and plans (etc.) and make any other rolls you want to make as you approach the river and before you turn. As long as players are posting and coordinating, the Judge will give some time for such IC discussion and rolling. If things start to drag, the Judge will move ahead as needed.

Again, if all of this rings true, the Judge asks the players to give a little more information, such as who might be do the scouting vs. who is staying with the horses, for example, if you choose to climb for a better view. Moving up the hills on horseback is extremely difficult in this area, even walking them up would be difficult. Also, please give general information such as: who is riding at the point and who is at the rear, whether everyone is staying together or if anyone is riding ahead, if you are doing anything in particular from the point of turning west along the river/road to the point where you pause to scope out the situation.

The Judge also asks the players to give a rough distance from the town for the point where they intend to pause and do their scouting. The map shows the scale (1/2 inch = .6 miles), which is for usage of the map as printed on 8.5 x 11 inch paper. From Springdale icon to the edge of where the hills east of town meet the river is very nearly .6 miles (or one inch on the map), as a point of reference. So you can say about .6 miles away, or about 1 mile away, or whatever, using that benchmark when confirming the heroes' intended plan of action while approaching the town.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 27):

Tracy listens to Daniel recount his battle with the bandits and to his pards discuss a potential plan to recon Springdale. He could feel his desire to rush right into town as fast as possible, but he knows that would put his pards in danger. He shakes off that urge and nods to the Professor and Pearce's scouting suggestions.

"We'll have to split up if we want to scout from the bluff. At least a few of us will have to find a safe spot to take care of the horses. I'll join the party that ascends the hills. How close should our scouting party get to the town?"

Unless anyone objects, Tracy takes point by force of habit.

In reply to Tracy Windham (msg # 28):

Tommy pulled his hat down low and got settled in the saddle. His shotgun was now tied to his pack and he kept the loaded Spencer at his side.

He followed Tracy's lead and manuevered his mount right in line behind the investigator's.

"Daniel why don't you ride in the middle, just follow along and save your strength, we'll keep an eye out for you"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:16, Sun 18 June 2023.

In reply to Thomas Pearce (msg # 29):

Earnest will ride alongside Daniel and, as the young man's energy allows, question him about the attackers. Things like did they look anything like the Yellow-Bandana gang, did they look like a Mexican group, how well armed were they, how well organized were they, did they specifically go for certain targets like the sheriff or deputies, etc.

OOC: This is basically a fishing question... let me know if I should roll anything.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:06, Mon 19 June 2023.

In reply to Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg (msg # 30):

Jacob heard the Wool-verine speak to the pards needing to divide their forces -- some to do the look-see scouting and take the measure of what was going on in Springdale, and somebody to hold the horses.

"Don't matter none to me whaere I end up. I can either join the scouts or hold on to the horses."

"Ah'm ver-sah-tile thatawaeys," the Texican concluded with a grin.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:42, Mon 19 June 2023.