Albert deftly leaps Brandy over a hole that seemed to come from nowhere, and continued pursuit. He hoped to pass by Bauer in this little game of cat and mouse. And dog. Since there were three of them and all.

OOC: Albert passes the initial agility (at -2) so no fatigue. He then gets 6 successes on the chase (I think that means Yahtzee! on these kinds of things?)

16:23, Today: Albert Cooper drew the 6 cards: KD, JD, 2H, 5H, 8C, 5S using a deck of 54 cards.  Chase cards (6 successes).

16:22, Today: Albert Cooper rolled 24,3 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+6+4)22,1.  Riding (chase).

16:21, Today: Albert Cooper rolled 7,0 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9,2.  Riding.

"Bauer, we need this ruffian alive."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:26, Sat 01 Sept 2018.

Allgood kneels by the young man, offering up prayers for the repose of his soul.

20:12, Today: Lena Bauer rolled 4,9 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+3)9.  Agility.

20:13, Today: Lena Bauer drew the 2 cards: 6H, 4S using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative/Chase.

20:17, Today: Marshal rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4.  Agility.

20:17, Today: Marshal drew the single card: 3H using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative/Chase.

”Innocent people don’t run, Mr. Cooper,” Bauer shouts back, struggling to keep up with Kate as the outlaw manages to swiftly maneuver through the trees.

Behind her, the heavyset deputy manages to get his shotgun loaded, but remains behind the rest of those headed into the trees.

OOC: Kate, a conundrum for you:

Based on the card draws, the initiative order should look like this (based on the highest card drawn):

AC - Kansas Kate
KD - Albert Cooper
6H - Lena Bauer
3H - Bob Olinger (the heavyset deputy)

What this means, of course, is that with you having the highest draw, you would have advantage over all the participants in the current round. Generally, this would allow you to attack any one of your pursuers, and would prevent them from attacking you.

However...

Because that Ace is a Club, if you take it, it introduces a complication that you’ll have to contend with this round. Going by the complication table, I’ll tell you up front it’s likely to be something (I’m thinking a group of low hanging pine branches) that obscures Kate’s vision and prevents her from making an attack of any kind.

Now, you can take the next lower card, which would enable you to avoid the complication but would switch the intiative order around to this:

KD - Albert Cooper
JH - Kansas Kate
6H - Lena Bauer
3H - Bob Olinger

...which would give Albert advantage where you’re concerned.

Of course, if you’re only interested in staying ahead of everyone, and not putting any fresh damage on either Bauer or Olinger, dealing with a few branches to the face will let you stay in the lead, without anyone catching you.

Just let me know.

Doc regards Lee cautiously, then nods. ”Sure. If you could take his feet, I’d ‘preciate the help.”

He shifts his hold on the limp form of the fallen man, allowing the Ranger to take hold of his legs. Together, the pair start down the street, bearing the burden. Desiree Thornton falls in with them, with the blonde deputy trailing a few steps behind. When the group meets William Brady, the sheriff sighs heavily, then walks along with them the rest of the way to Ike Ellis’ store.

When the gathering reach the Ellis store, the owner meets them up front, his face falling as he sees them bearing a body. ”Oh hell...Tom O’Folliard.” He looks up at Doc. ”I’m real sorry, Josiah.”

He looks back and forth between Brady and Lee, his gaze finally settling on the Ranger. ”There’s a basement under the store. Stays cool down there. I can have a coffin built by this afternoon.”

“The law going to need some kind of guard on him? Need to look him over for an inquest before we can have a service for him?”

As Ellis is speaking, those gathered at the store notice a group of four riders approaching the store from the east. Among them are Quinn Murdock, the stage driver, and the scout, Jacinta Castillo.

The name of the game was making this look good, and murderers flee like cowards.

Kate pressed on.

Yeah I'll keep the high card, I've no actual desire to "attack" since anything I could do short of actually attacking wouldn't be terribly effective at stopping pursuit anyway.

Albert shook his head at Bauer. "In this town, they just might."

Albert had his lasso in hand, but the trees were making it difficult to get a toss off.

OOC: I think Albert is now closer than Bauer? He's going to look like he's trying to lasso KK, but he's going to keep his horse and himself generally between Bauer and Kate so the Deputy can't take another shot without (likely) hitting Albert.

Earnest says "Amen" as the body of Tom O'Folliard is lifted. He watches them carry it to the store, noting that the doctor doesn't join the party. He catches sight of Jefferey Slaight.

"Doctor, I'll join you at your office to discuss Mr. Kibbee's injuries in a few minutes."

He walks down to the Methodist Church and greets Jeffrey.

"Did you know the young man who was killed?"

"I think the basement for now is the right answer, Mr. Ellis. As far as a guard and whatnot, that's up to the local constabulary, unless this proves to be within the purview of my own investigations. I'm still not quite sure what was happening. I was just finishing up breakfast when I heard the gunshots."

He set the body down. "I figure you can handle this from here, Josiah. After you've done so, I'd appreciate a word on the circumstances of your friend's untimely passing and the nature of whatever the dispute was that resulted in him being shot."

He looked up at the approaching folks, waving a hand to Murdock and the others. He smiled at the sight of Castillo as she approached, and looked to see if he could identify the other two folks. He wondered if they had gone, as promised, to retrieve the body of the fellow who had fallen on their wagon ride.

"Mornin, Jacinta. Mr. Murdock. How are things?"

"A bit shaky, amigo," she replied to Bryan.  "Was out scouting the trail Mr. Murdock's stage and saw some disturbing things.  Hustled back at the sound of gunshots, though."

She looked to the body and tilted her head as she leaned on her saddle horn.  "Looks like some disturbing things happened here.  You know what happened?"

"This young man, by the name of Tom O'Folliard, has been shot by an unknown assailant, a woman I believe. I believe I saw Albert Cooper go after the shooter, along with one of the deputies. This fellow here is Josiah, a friend of the deceased. I helped him move the body here to Mr. Ellis's place until a coffin can be made. That's about the sum of what I know about the situation. I haven't been told who the shooter was, what the conflict was about, or really much of anything else."

He took a handkerchief and wiped a trace of sweat from his brow, folding it into a back pocket afterward.

"But after things calm down a mite, I'm interested in hearing about what you saw on that trail if you got some time for an old friend. Where can I find you, if you aren't near at hand?"

Winding through the trunks of the tall piñons with sure footed agility, Kate manages to largely elude Bauer, almost losing the deputy completely as she moves through a narrow stand of pines. Cooper guides his mount skillfully through the increasingly dense forest, maneuvering Brandy between Bauer and the fleeing outlaw.

OOC By my count, this is Round 4 of the chase. If Kate makes it to the end of Round 5 without anyone halting her, she’ll have effectively given her pursuers the slip.

Kate and Albert, give me an Agility and Riding roll respectively, please, along with any resulting card draws.

17:41, Today: Lena Bauer rolled 4,11 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+5)11.  Agility.
17:41, Today: Lena Bauer drew the 2 cards: 2D, 2S using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative/Chase.

17:43, Today: Marshal rolled 11 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+5)11.  Agility.
17:43, Today: Marshal drew the 2 cards: 4H, KH using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative/Chase.

”Yes, sir. I can do that,” Doc tells Lee. Following Ellis, the pair walk slowly toward the back of the liveryman’s store.

Desiree Thornton takes William Brady and his deputy to one side, quietly giving the sheriff an account of what transpired in the saloon.

Earl Wood nods at Allgood. Giving a last look at the retreating forms of Ellis and Doc, the physician begins the walk back to his residence.

Jefferey Slaight blinks in surprise when he sees Reverend Allgood approach. At the minister’s question, his face falls and he nods slowly.

A moment later, Dena Slaight emerges from the front door of the church. Her husband motions her to join him and Allgood. She descends the steps, pausing to regard the gathering at the Ellis Store.

”Did I hear that it was Tom O’Folliard who was shot?” she asks. Jefferey nods in the affirmative. She sighs. Looking at Allgood she says, ”We’ve both known Tom since he was young. He grew up here in the valley. He seemed a decent, hard working young man. Not always wise in his choice of friends, though.” She shakes her head regretfully. ”So young.”

Kate did her best and hoped for the best, moving as fast as she could, but her dogs were barkin'.

18:06, Today: Kansas Kate drew the single card: 10D using a deck of 54 cards.

18:06, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 5,4 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4.  Agility.

Albert and Brandy continued through the trees.

OOC:
16:21, Today: Albert Cooper drew the 3 cards: 9S, 7D, 3D using a deck of 54 cards.  Chase cards (3 successes).

16:21, Today: Albert Cooper rolled 12,4 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (6+4)10,2.  Riding (chase).

Chase Order

KH - Bob Olinger
10D - Kansas Kate
9S - Albert Cooper
2S - Lena Bauer

Olinger manages to reach the conifers, getting a glimpse of the fleeing outlaw as he does. He shoulders his shotgun, ready to take a shot, but is stymied by Cooper and his mount blocking his line of fire. ”Damn it, son!” he barks, ”Get out of the way!”

Kate pushes through the copse of trees, finding herself on the edge of a sharp slope that leads down to a dry creek bed. On the opposite bank of the vacant waterway, the pine forest grows deep, the canopy close enough that it is dark, even at mid morning.

OOC: Kate, you’re next. If there’s any action you wish to take, in addition to running feel free.

Albert, you can jump in after she’s done.

Both of you go ahead and give me another Agility/Riding roll and a card draw for the next round.

Kate opted to use an old Indian trick that was, well okay it was old, but it likely had nothing to do with Indians, be they misnamed Native Americans or residents of the famous subcontinent.

As she ran, she grabbed a few large stones and threw them.  It would sound like footsteps and make branches shake and in the confusion it might send a pursuer the wrong way.  It wasn't much, but it was what she had to work with.

Old coots with shotguns are bad m'kay.  Smarts Trick!

19:07, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 3,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4.  Smarts.

Meh, not high enough to matter.  Oh well.

19:07, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 5,5 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5.  Agility.

19:08, Today: Kansas Kate drew the single card: 3S using a deck of 54 cards.

well poo, least it's not a Club knock on wood

"Ain't planned on going far.  Don't fancy another trip out on the trail just now unless I've got several armed bodies with me.  I think the fallen are going to have to wait a while, if the wolves ain't already gotten to them."  She glanced at the others in their quiet conversations, trying to get a sense of what happened.  "Cooper went after 'em, eh?  You intended to join in the hunt, as well?"

He shook his head in the negative when she asked if he intended to give chase.

"Until I learn different, I consider this a matter for the locals. One or two of the deputies and for some reason, Cooper, gave chase. Cooper was on horseback, so I don't give the runner great odds unless she's particularly cagey, which she might be. Somebody shot somebody else, and I haven't yet managed to discern the particulars of who the shooter was and what the conflict was about. I'm fixin' to go over to Desiree Thornton's, where the shooting took place, to see what I could find out about it."

To Slaight, he simply nodded. "You heard correctly, ma'am. If I might ask, who made up Tom's unwise choice of friends?"

Albert looked over in the direction of the created sound by Kate. "Right, I think they're over there, I'll circle around so you can get a shot off." Of course, Albert 'circled around' so that he was keeping himself between guns and Kate. But shots toward the sound Kate created would be wide open.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:11, Tue 11 Sept 2018.

21:57, Today: Marshal, on behalf of Albert Cooper, rolled 4,11 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+5)11.  Smarts - Cooperative.

OOC: With Cooper’s assistance, Kate can add +2 to her Smarts Trick, for a total of 6.

21:57, Today: Marshal rolled 2 using 1d4, rerolling max with rolls of 2.  Smarts. (Olinger)

22:09, Today: Lena Bauer rolled 4,3 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3.  Smarts.

The heavyset man shifts his gaze in the direction of the noise of Kate’s thrown stones, tightening his weapon against his shoulder as Cooper circles his mount. Once the young man is clear, the deputy fires, blasting at a shadow within the trees that apparently resembles a fleeing outlaw. Not hesitating, he moves in the direction he shot in.

Bauer spins at the sounds of the rocks and the subsequent shotgun fire, turning to follow her fellow deputy deeper into the pine forest.

OOC: Olinger and Bauer have effectively “lost the trail” and are out of the chase.

The remaining intiative order is:

KS - Albert Cooper
3S - Kansas Kate

So the decision rests with you Albert, whether you want to pursue Kate or allow her to escape (or anything in between).

---

Dena Slaight regards Bryan Lee somberly. ”Sir, Tom used to work for John Tunstall. And Mr. Tunstall...he was a kind hearted man. Believed in giving people second chances. No matter what they’d done before.”

“Some of his hands...well, it’s not for me to judge, sir. But I’m not sure they were worthy of all that John offered them. Billy. Charlie Bowdre. Jose Chavez y Chavez. They never left their bad ways behind, and I think they pointed Tom down the wrong path. It caught up to him. Just as I fear it will catch up to all of the rest of them.”

Desiree Thornton’s conversation with Sheriff Brady comes to a close. The saloon keeper begins the walk back to the Thornton-Curry, while Brady and his deputy step over to Ike Ellis’ store.

As promised, Albert circled around toward the direction the deputies were firing. "Didja get 'em?" He paused and squinted into the gloom and then looked back toward the deputies to see if they might have anything to say. He stayed out of the line of fire of the Deputies and the fake Kate.

OOC: Let her escape. Though she's got some 'splanin to do...

"I'm sorry for the loss of this young man's life. This may be a local matter, but I'll see if I can assist in seeing that justice is done by him."

He wasn't sure anymore that it was a local matter; it all depended on why O'Folliard had been killed. As to why Kansas Kate had presumably shot and killed one of John Tunstall's ranch hands, he was mighty curious. He didn't know the woman aside from a baseline level morality that objected to the kidnapping of children and a skill with firearms.

He looked to Jacinta to see if she'd be joining him at the Thornton-Curry, and looked in the direction of that saloon.

"I'll stick around and see how things pan out," Jacinta said, giving Bryan a nod.  "Always good to have someone watching your back, chino."  Gesturing to the saloon, she moved to follow him.