[Language unknown: "HOSAIO ACTIO NOTNTEEEN AL SET THA, TINTHATER," oun olen ect ad elitck, "Of CAIVE OUTER Lo WHESONILL! P N ONTOAS CKEIOS FOR SARUT INTINTWAS THU PA SHEEAUREA THEANYDER, P PAVIR VERBLEARD EL US ROCOM WE ULSTHE EC HI ATIOUNINE, VORLE ITH N, tewipl VORTERING NE! COMND AVEUNDERS ARTAVESTR! ROMVORYIN U K NOTTHIMEN UL LIN! ILNESE EC OUTMO SSNE ANT LI COM ITWIEN M WE AIESIL!a WI PE IT ratfornde PARI WHPAIL VEN LATSA MAN ERSORETIO PR NIAC! PLOER IL TH HOOL TERROMING AD HIS SAISPE! THWI U EI EC EC IO OUNOULEEN M AT P STAORTNTI AS MITI LESANYMANWERUND!a"]

[Private to group Tongues: Translation from crazy - "While you cower, let me share a vision from the spirits I had while high on peyote. They told me there would be no escape for you. I have dynamite, and I'm just crazy enough to use it!"]

And with that, the shouting man raises a hand. He's got something clutched within.

((OOC: Make a Notice roll to see what, exactly, the shouty man has in his grip.))

Thunder Walker looked up at the man holding something up. He couldn't make out what it was. He held his eyes on this object, but in his mind he prayed to the spirit of Wanbli Luja, that perhaps the Eagle Eyes of the most powerful brother eagle would lend to him that sight to see it.

---

OOC:
13:24, Today: Thunder Walker rolled 3,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. Notice.

Xiao hisses a word that would make even the men from Thunder Walker's time among the rail gangs blush.

[[19:25, Today: Tan Xiaohan rolled 6,3 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 7,4. Notice?]]

Moses smiles at the Indian Brave. Quietly, he replies: "You believe they can hear anything but his shouts?" Then he looks troubled.
"He says he has dynamite. That's probably what he holds."

In reply to Tan Xiaohan (msg # 21):

[Private to Tan Xiaohan: Xiaohan can see some sort of tube in the shouting man's hand, with something like string sticking out from one end...]

[Private to GM: she does know it's not a firecracker...]

Xiao glances at Moses, wondering if his Lakota is better than the truly coarse stuff learnt around Deadwood, which deals mostly with whoring, drinking and..mines. "It not lit yet...but he also have Ghost Rock, maybe lots, I not see..." Xiaohan cautiously touches Thunder Walker's elbow lightly for attention and points up. "You have eagle sight? Perhaps they all run off this place for crazy..." English fails to supply a better word than 'boom' here.

[Language unknown: "...nd onseauany m ektrpooswi miilolch."] Xiao squints at the darkness. "No see them all."

"No...they are still around." Sky Hawk whispers, and points around the bluffs. The Ravenites are scattered between the two cliffs, rifles pointed toward the center and down into the valley. From this vantage point, it's difficult to spot more than one or two of them. "He may be speaking untruly. Perhaps he is simply tying to scare them into revealing themselves."

---

[Private to Thunder Walker: Here's a map of the local area, as Wanbli Luja sees it. There's more Ravenites than there are R points on the map...some are hidden by the foliage. the shouting man is in the middle of theat cluster of R's near the top of the left-most bluff. From this distance, Wanbli sees the man holding something, but he's too far away to make out the details.

]

16:42, Today: Moses rolled 3,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. white chip.
16:42, Today: Moses rolled 2,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Notice.

Moses squints his eyes. "How many are there? We are running out of time. The prophet must be saved.".
He keeps his voice down to tread easy on the brave's nerves. But he makes up for lesser volume with stronger sense of urgency.

Thunder Walker is quiet for a moment, lost in the vision of Wanbli Luja, attempting to regain his composure so that he may again speak and relate to them what it is that he sees, trying to gauge his relative position to the sights and events around them.

[Private to GM: Where are we on that map, roughly?]

"...if no go boom, they have better luck to wait for day," Xiao points out, speech low and rapid, worried.

"What are we to do? There are many of them, only a few of us." Sky Hawk mutters.

[Private to Thunder Walker: You're down at the corner that says "to Deadwood Stage trail"]

Moses strokes his chin.
"I can imagine their feelings toward the white man. But are do your people feel about the black man?"
He asks of the indians.

"There by the river, Wanbli Luja shows those of the Ghost Dance. Some one hundred yards from here. On either side of the river, there are those of the Raven. I cannot say how many, but I think equal numbers on both sides. They are greater in number than we, but on our side we have the Spirits. The sight of the Eagle, the courage of the Bear, the fury of the Horned Owl, the cunning of the Coyote. We can kill them one by one, slowly, without revealing ourselves openly. Those first on this side of the river. We will thin their numbers until they are no more."

He paused, and thought about it. "We go around the one that is shouting. His noise will cover any noise we might make, so we let him keep shouting while we kill the rest of the Ravenites on this side of the river. By every stand of trees there are those of the Raven. If we can kill them quickly enough...perhaps..." He faltered. If one group gave the alert, this plan was doomed. And there were no more to help. He fell into silence for a moment.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:43, Fri 21 Sept 2012.

some mood music

Suddenly the shouting man stops ranting. He looks over to the north as a bugle call breaks through the night.

The earth rumbles from the drumbeat of a score of hooves, and some of the Ravenites from the far end of the valley shout in fear.

"To arms, men! To arms!" shouts an unearthly voice. "For the Little Big Horn! For Custer! For REVEEEEEEEENGE! Slaughter them! Slaughter them ALLLLLLLL!"

The bugle calls again, the lone horn chilling as it sound the beat of war.

((OOC: The Cavalry is here...and yet, you're still totally boned. }:D

I'm going to run the fight between the two forces as a Mass Battle.))

---

Battle Actors:

Sky Hawk: see PM [Private to Thunder Walker: Would you like to control this character for this fight?]
Wanbli Luja: see PM [Private to Tan Xiaohan: Would you like to control this character for this fight?]
Moses: KD
Col. Tom Custer: QS
Hoarse from Roaring: QH
Tan Xiaohan: 3H
Danielle Blood Rain: 3C
Thunder Walker: 2H

Mass Battle Stats:

Black Regiment: 19 troops (10 tokens)
Col. Tom Custer: Black Regiment Leader (Knowledge (Battle) d6)
The PCs: This is technically your side, so I put you here.

Ravenites: 14 braves (7 tokens)
Hoarse from Roaring: Ravenite leader (Knowledge (battle) default)
Danielle Blood Rain: Shaman
This message was last edited by the player at 20:32, Sun 23 Sept 2012.

Xiaohan stares at the dark, ears straining over that way. "Raven Men kill any not their own, but there no lights here, they cannot count each other well - we go fast, we go through confusion, reach Wovoka before bluecoats, run. Yes?"

[[Xiao's used to that. Init. 3H]]
[Private to GM: Don't think I know enough about local spirit interactions to do that, though I'd like to. Does the Smite on Xiao's razor still work, and if so, how?]

09:24, Today: Moses drew the single card: KD using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

---

OOC:
14:13, Today: Thunder Walker drew the single card: 2H using the Deadlands system.
[Private to GM: And yeah, I'll take control of Sky Hawk gladly.]

Looks like Moses is up first! Rounds in a Mass Battle are fuzzy and cover more time than a standard round. You can attempt to sneak to where the Ghost Dancers are camped, or try to influence the battle.

If you just want to sneak to Wovoka and his band, roll Sneak. You get +2 for the Darkness and +2 for the general commotion. If you succeed, you make it to Wovoka's hideout, but you'll take a few stray rounds in the process. If you score a raise, you get there with no trouble at all. If you roll a Snake eyes, then no matter what your totals are you get spotted and shot at muchly.

If you want to have an effect on the battle, you can attempt to sway the outcome with a Fighting, Shooting, or Arcane Skill check. If you decide to aid the Ravenites, you have a -3 penalty to your check. If you try to aid the Black Regiment, you get +3. Success means you aid the battle effort, though you take some damage in the process. Failure means you get shot at a lot and don't do any good. A raise means you do well and add greatly to the side you chose to aid, though you still take a bit of damage. Two raises means you do extremely well and come through unscathed.

20:07, Today: Moses rolled 10,21 using d4+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of (4+2)6,(6+6+5)17. Stealth.
Hoo-HAH!

Moses looks up to the sky and nods. "Thank you, Lord. Let the snakes and vipers quarrel among themselves."
He turns to the others.
"I shall go to the prophet."

He creeps away, his bare feet not making any noise, his dark figure almost blending into the night.

((OOC: Card for next round, Moses?))

Moses creeps along the riverbank, dark and silent, angling for the small stand of dead trees in the center of the valley, where a group of caves sink into the cliff walls. He can see some figures huddled within. He's made it without attracting any attention...now what?

Above him, the battle rages. The commander of the Union troops charges into the fray, his cavalry saber flashing as the Ravenites on his side of the hill scream in panic. The fetid stench of rot washes over the Indians, and they realize the man attacking them is dead, half his face lost to decay, the top of his head gone from a scalping.

"Die, you damn dirty Indians!" the dead man shouts as his blade flashes among the panicked and terrified warriors. Several shots find their mark, and the dead man oozes black blood over his stained uniform, but the rotten man just laughs.

Across the gap, on the other clifftop, Hoarse from Roaring watches the unfolding battle with mounting fury. This was not how it was supposed to be! He was here to kill the Ghost Dancers, not re-fight the Little Big Horn!

He looked at the dynamite in his hand, then made a decision. He dipped the end of the fuse into the lit coal box at his feet, then hurled the lit bomb across the chasm and into the path of the oncoming riders.

[Language unknown: "NA MA URELATICHFOR NTIWE AI NAALRI IE ESSTE BECEIE!"] he screams as the dynamite lands among the black-clad deaders.  [Language unknown: "P LINPA ERE T TAES SICHSA UL HERNCEOME MIRI O SIREAN TE EEEE ILHER! ISART Di UN UGHPA EE ANMODI ng CH HINIAI ATIUR ERE ATIDINPRO! SIPL WE RUT, ITH AI CKTE! URE P ATE RUTAD OMTA M NT! WE ANY TERONSBLE SI ELFOR ARTASTOUS SE WITTEDICAOULITH LLPLWA OLRINA ERNOT TEELAN ENC TA U ANDST WHIINEEEN THUDI ION ITROPO HIHAWA EEOMPO VENDI USAD IV TI LEAS RONCTH UN LI LATUREERA! Ur EAR ANDTHEHIS MA WA NCEOERONS, ENEI CHAT ND ONSWH P UNHO LINEAR-ONSVER IL IOPR MENEREIOUSAN OER, RIRAT INEITHTHO I SAEK ICAANYTHE ONSARTSAN NTMOBE ESWAS UR!"]

[Private to Moses: Translation from Crazy: "You are no match for me! I was gifted with power by The Raven, and I will crush you with that power! You cannot stop me before I destroy you all!"]

{{BOOM!}} goes the dynamite, sending flesh and blood and bones flying.

((OOC: Tom Custer attempts to influence the battle with a Fighting check. Because his side has 3 more tokens than the Revenites, he gets a +3 bonus to his roll. He gets no bonus for Rank, though.

The Black Regiment rolled 8,8 using d10+3,d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5. Fighting! That's a Success and Raise, so he grants his side +2 to their Battle roll but takes 2d6 damage.

He takes 15 damage total, which will make him Shaken with 1 Wound. He attempts to soak: The Black Regiment rolled 2,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3. Soak! That's a fail.

Hoarse from Roaring goes next. He will attempt a Shooting check (though he's really throwing Dynamite). He has a -3 penalty to his roll because his side has fewer tokens, but gets a +1 Rank bonus because he's Seasoned, so his final penalty is -2.

Hoarse From Roaring rolled 8,0 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+2)10,2. Shooting! Well, I'll be. Success and Raise. His side also gets +2 to their Battle roll. Hoarse takes 2d6 damage.

He takes 9 damage total, which only makes him Shaken.

Cards for next round:
Col. Tom Custer: QH
Hoarse From Roaring: 8C))

---

Tan Xiaohan and Wanbli Luja are up next!
This message was last edited by the player at 20:11, Mon 24 Sept 2012.

Xiao hastens after, knuckles pale on the handle of the razor, moving rather than thinking.

[[20:36, Today: Tan Xiaohan rolled 6,7 using d6+3,d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4. sneakin'. So...is a soak roll needed here? Or what happens?
init. KD]]

Up above, the Swiftest and Most Mighty of Eagles just about restrains himself from falling upon the undead and circles, watching, in case Wovoka's rescuers encounter a threat.

[[He's on Hold.]]

[Private to GM: Oh, and *points* remember that Moses can't see Roaring's speech at all if you put it in Private rather than Language.]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:05, Mon 24 Sept 2012.

22:08, Today: Moses drew the single card: JS using the Deadlands system. Initiative

Quick and quiet as a cat, the Chinese laborer creeps along the stream behind Moses, but a stray round from the battle above ricochets off a stone and hits him in the shoulder...

((OOC: You aren't seen, and you get to the cave alright, but you take a round of stray gunfire. The Stray rolled 10 using 2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5. stray bullet damage. That's a Shaken and One Wound for Xiao, unless you Soak.))

Up on the ridge, the shamaness watches the undead soldiers tear into her frightened fellows. She begins to sing and dance, calling the spirits to war for the braves under her protection. The war song echoes off the valley walls, sinks into the bones of the listeners, bolsters their resolve and grants power to their blows. Though several of the undead take shots at her, none of them come even close to the whirling, crying dervish among the Ravenite band.

((OOC: Danielle Blood Rain will be using magic to bolster her troops, as she's on the cliffside where the cavalry is charging. She uses her Arcane skill and will lose 2d6 Power Points for her actions.

She has a -3 from her side having fewer tokens, but she has +2 because of her Rank 9she's Veteran rank), so her final score is only -1.

Danielle Blood Rain rolled 7,1 using d10-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 8,2. Tribal Medicine. That's almost enough for a Raise, so she spends her Red Chip for a bonus.

Danielle Blood Rain rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. red chip. Just shy of two raises, which means she wouldn't take any damage at all this fight. She'll spend her Blue.

Danielle Blood Rain rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. blue chip. That will net her a total of 15, which is a success and two raises. She adds +2 to the Ravenite's roll, and she also gets to avoid taking any damage at all. Over the course of the turn she expends 7 Power Points on Boosts and Smites for her side.

Card for next round: 3H))

---

Thunder Walker and Sky Hawk are up! If you want them to sneak together, you can make a group roll to cover the pair of them.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 20:12, Mon 24 Sept 2012.

Xiao is smashed into the bank by the stray round, but gets up and legs it all the swifter for the caves, spurred by the flood of adrenalin - fortunately the round was spent by the time it struck.

[[21:16, Today: Tan Xiaohan rolled 9,1 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of (6+4)10,2. soak attempt.]]

Bolting into relative cover, Xiao crouches a moment and massages the bruised shoulder, then jumps to find Moses already there, blending with the darkness.
"Ahh!" Xiaohan turns the wide-eyed startled look down into the depths of the cave system at a movement, belatedly thinking to call out:

[Language unknown: "Herhation! Proromwhe, anderaart i Plpa Ore semath ti, p, ulnti om] Moses, [Language unknown: Nisend Perend, tanipa Diwausha Entaveati se in ne. Os iowa chpa es red?"]

Even if it meant an attack by the white man on the Ravenites, he did not question the wisdom of the spirits in the intervention that they sent to help them. It was meet that these two bloody handed folk should have to face each other in battle, that they may do to one another what each deserved. He kept his mind focused firmly on Wovoka and the Ghost Dance, gesturing to Sky Hawk.

With a silence that not many could match, the two Lakota braves kept low to the ground and crept through the area, trying to keep their eyes open for any threats that should come to them. He could hear something up ahead, in the midst of the battle, and he thought they were shouts of the Chinese man Li that they had rescued earlier. He continued to hold bow ready and the arrow knocked, though he had not yet drawn and would not until he needed to.

---

OOC:
Group Sneak: 12

16:24, Today: Thunder Walker rolled 12 using 1d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8. Group Sneak.