Alouette, typically, has already got moving in entirely the wrong direction after handing the old man over. Whilst everyone else was involved in frantic movement, it quietly ambled off towards the sound of the enemy, presumably to tell them to 'cease' and be nice.

It tries to climb a low rock to see further, but can't quite cope with the wet surface and so moves around it. Anyone observing the clank might note an abrupt shift in its deportment: its awkwardness suddenly has more of the grounded bird than the clumsy child to it. It raises its brass 'beak' to the clouds, seems to listen as though for something half-heard.

The cry of some vast hawk rends the damp air - not angry this time, though hurt, but calling.

In reply to Alouette (msg #23):

There's an answering call to Alouette's screech, high up in the air. It's not a hawk's cry of greeting...it's a owl's cry of warning, a cry meant to scare off one imposing upon another's territory. A cry that promises violence if not heeded.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:18, Wed 24 Nov 2010.

Alouette bobs its head and twitches it to watch the sky in a strangely lifelike fashion, static sparking between brass fingertips, then seems to decide the brawl isn't worth it and hops aside...though its head swings towards the approaching riders with a certainty of more than sight and the hawk gives a warcry as it's backing off.

It's a wild sound, grief-shot, inhuman and furious, enough to chill any predator-fearing blood.

The automaton backs a few steps towards the coach (or at least where it was a minute ago) before it shakes itself. "Static error." It proceeds to just stand there unless yelled at to do otherwise.

"Howdy Pure-Blooded Comanches!"

The oncoming horses waver a bit at the screech, but the riders are experts at urging their horses on.

"Friend Alouette!" comes a call from Ward. "Would you kindly get inside the coach? We need to be leaving now!"

Flashing red eyes catch a glimpse of the approaching Comanches finally, along with the wayward machine.  Joining in Dr. Ward entreaties, Augustus yells, "Alouette!  Come back here at once, we need you!" The scientist then hefts his sonic gun to his shoulder and begins taking aim at the riders; silently cursing his weapon's short range.

entering the wagon, John kept Zhang where he would be comfortable, the fellows helped lug him up the road. The gunners taking their places, she spared a light nudge to Gus' arm as she made her way inside. Staying down a bit on the floor, leaning against the seat with the sheathed blade closer to her.  She heard the shouting for Alouette and she leaned out the window.

" Hurry up and get o'er 'ere." She barked, it was like trying to get a dog out of the crow field, but unfortunately, she didn't want it to get lost. It held too much information..

Alouette trots over and does its best to get in, inquiring of the occupants: "Why are we going away?"

"The Pure Blooded Comanches aren't happy to see us, they want to hurt us unless we leave, fast." he said to Alouette, if their is sarcasm in his tone it doesn't show, he peered out the open window of the car. No need to provide them with a target just yet. He turned his attention back out to the oncoming enemy and assumes the driver doesn't need him to tell him to get a move on.

Some mood music

Abraham does, indeed, know when to move without being told. As soon as the door closes he snaps the reigns, sending the coach into motion. however, given how heavy the coach is, along with all the passengers within it, it takes a while getting up to speed.

Which is bad, because the Comanches, whooping and hollering and firing shots into the air, have just crested the hill...

[[OOC: Remember that you have a -2 penalty when firing from the coach, and a -1 penalty from the dim light. This applies to any arcane attacks.]]

Initiative:

John Smith: AD
Abraham: KS
Comanches: 10C
Augustus Spotswood: 8H
Gus Shaw: 6C
Others inside (Gangatsu, Alouette, Dr. Ward): On hold (unless you can think of an action that can get you invovled in the running fight)

John Smith is up first!

Alouette ticks a bit, then recalls what Mr.Mickelthwait said about taking things from the ground and how that made one liable to be exploded by those who claimed it.
"A legal dispute," it confirms, and leans to see what it can out of the windows without getting in the way, crouched on a seat and holding onto it.

As the coach jolts along, static sounds from the clank increase in volume like gathering clouds until it speaks, pointing across at a distant Comanche: "They wear the sound of the song that makes men bulletproof; horse folk fear a threat to horses." It looks up and onward. "If the death-owl gorges on the rattlesnake a spread wing over the Drowned One may suffice."

John smith peers out the window cautiously waiting for the Comanches to get closer before he places his hands together and and mutters something in Cantonese taking a breath and then expelling it when he opens his eyes as he focuses his mind on his surroundings giving him a faint bit of precognition as to where attacks may strike.

Abraham lashes the reigns, urging the horses into a full gallop. However, moving the coach is no easy task, and the Comanches begin to gain ground.

[[OOC: Using the Chase Rules to abstract the chase a bit.

Abraham attempts to pull ahead.

Abraham rolled 7 using 1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Drive faster! Success...he gets to move 1 Range Increment further from the charging horsemen.

The Comanches have a +1 bonus to their Ride roll for being slightly faster than the coach is, and they make their roll as a group, so it gets a wild die.

Comanche Raiders rolled 7,5 using d8+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 6,4

Comanche Raiders rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. red chip.

The comanches get to move 2 Range increments closer. They are now 20 squares (5 range increments) behind the coach.

Next round: Comanche Raiders 10H, Abraham 10D]]

Augustus is next.

Augustus' eyes widen at the sight of the onrushing Comanches.  His mind whirls, calculating speeds and distances.  Still arriving at the same answer.  His sonic rifle is simply ineffective at these ranges...  But there must be something...  "Ha!" shouts the scientist in elation at his inspiration.  He reaches down to take up his box device in a hand, his rifle left to hang from its sling.  The box is directed back towards the indians.  Fingers quickly adjust dials and switches as he attempts to tune in on the onrushing horses.  As he dials, he shouts, "Hello!  To any Comanche horse!  This coach is dangerous!  If you wish to not be harmed and save your rider, turn away!"

OOC - Mad Science 6 to gain control of a Comanche Horse for 10 minutes.

Initiative Draw - 9D

[[OOC: Nice use of powers, Augustus. That costs you 7 pp from that device (base 3 + 4 for the size), and one of the Comanches is really, really confused right now. You've certainly been getting you points worth out of that power, haven't you?]]

One of the horsemen suddenly wheels around and rides off in the opposite direction at Augustus' plea.

Gus gives him a confused look, obviously trying to figure out how that just worked. Coming up empty, he shakes his head and pops off a shot at the nearest Comanche. Or rather, that Comanche's horse.

The shot strikes true, if only causing a flesh wound. The horse rears up, forcing it's rider to scramble to hold on. While he does, he falls further and further behind the others.

[[OOC: Gus Shaw takes a shot at the horse. he has Darkvision, so he ignores the dim light penalty, but he still has the Unstable Platform and Distance penalties to deal with, for a total of -4

Gus Shaw rolled 3,-1 using d8-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3. Shooting! Not quite enough, thanks to penalties. Gus spends one of his personal Red Ships to improve his roll.

Gus Shaw rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. red chip. That's enough to hit.

Gus Shaw rolled 10 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4. Damage. that's high enough to make the Warhorse Shaken. The Comanche has to make a Riding check or be thrown off, and drops back 10 squares (2 Range increments).

Comanche Raiders rolled 4 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Ride to avoid bucking. He succeeds, but now has a Shaken mount and no way of catching up until his Mount unshakes. With the Mind Whammy Augustus put on the other horse, that means two riders effectively out of the fight.

Next round: Gus Shaw drew the single card: AH]]

---

Next round:

Gus Shaw: AH
Comanche Raiders: 10H
Abraham: 10D
Augustus: 9D
John Smith: 4C
Others inside the coach: Still on hold
This message was last edited by the player at 15:32, Fri 26 Nov 2010.

PM

"Ha HA! Gotcha, ya red nigger!" Gus shouts as the Comanche drops back, but there's still ten more indians, who whoop and holler and get even closer.

And even the one Gus shot at is not out of the fight just yet. He steadies him horse, then aims his rifle. Gus howls as the bullet rips though his shoulder, and slumps over. It seems the coach has just lost one of it's defenders.

Abraham tries to spur the horses on, but the unholy howling of Gus breaks his concentration some, and he has to scramble to keep hold of the reigns. Looks like it's up to the other defenders to keep the Comanches back.

[[OOC: Gus Holds his action to fire at the Comanches when they draw closer.

The Comanches try to Push their mounts to get closer.

Comanche Raiders rolled 5,0 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1. riding up like demons! That moves them 10 squares closer (2 range increments), putting them 10 squares away.

The Comanche with the Shaken horse attempts to unshake his horse and take a shot at Gus. The Comanche has -2 range, -1 dim light, -2 cover, but no Unstable Platform thanks to Steady hands. And since the horse is the one doing the unshake action, no Multi-Action penalty.

Comanche Raiders rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Unshake. Success, but he gets even further behind this round.

Comanche Raiders rolled 14 using 1d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+6+1)19. Shooting! Lucky shot. That's a hit and raise.

08:48, Today: Comanche Raiders rolled 27,9 using 2d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+7)15,(8+4)12,(6+3)9. Damage. Total of 36!!! That's 7 wounds for Gus, but since the max is 4, all extra wounds are lost.

Gus burns a chip and attempts a soak.

Gus Shaw rolled 2,10 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+4)10. soak roll. That's 2 wounds, leaving Gus with 2 wounds and Shaken.

Gus uses his held action to attempt to Unshake. Gus Shaw rolled 2,3 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Unshake. Fail. Gus remains Shaken this turn.

After this, Abraham tries to pull ahead. Abraham rolled 3 using 1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Drive! Fail. The coach stays where it is relative to the Comanches.

Next round:

Comanches: 7H
Gus: 10S
Abraham: 10C  ]]

Augustus is up next

Gus' holler of pain comes down through the roof, causing the automaton's head to jerk upward. There's a soft, pleased-sounding noise from the clank before the static cuts out, like some bird of prey that's just gulped down a mouse.

OOC: To move things along, I'm placing Augustus on hold.

---

John Smith, you're up next

John finishes gathering his chi, his vision blurs for a moment before his mind gets used to seeing everything in slow motion, he fishes out his riverstones and readies three in his hand preparing to pop out the window and launch them at the pursuing enemy. Hearing Gus's cry of pain he gives a grimace, he was not keen on how ready the man was to shoot up Alouette but he was even less keen on losing a defender of the carriage.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:33, Sat 27 Nov 2010.

Ward also seems to be concentrating on something. He's pulled off his tophat, and is muttering something in Latin. There's a small silver charm in one of his hands.

Up on top, while Augustus is still making the other Comanche's horse dance away, Abraham beings cursing. "Oh Lord..." he mutters, then shouts down to the people inside. "Hold on, everyone! Brace yourselves! There's a culvert up ahead...I'm going to try and steer clear!"

---

Initiative:

John Smith: RJ! (+2 to actions and damage)
Gus: 10S
Abraham: 10C
Comanches: 7H
Dr. Ward: 2D
Augustus: On hold
Others inside: On Hold

This was queer. She was beside the unconscious Zhang, John was hanging out the window, the Machine was click around with some weird words she was mentally keeping note of while Doctor Ward sat in silence as the carriage shook on the dirt trail. It was a slow start, but they were picking up a little speed, yet not enough. She could hear the whooping getting louder and the gun fire from above.. A strange sound, must have been Augustus' queer invention. Horses neigh, the drumming of hooves still approaching.

Above, she heard the howl of the gun men and a heavy thunk.. The bird thing cooed  in delight and she suddenly felt uncomfortable with that. Uncomfortable with concern, really. She shouldn't feel anything at all. Dammit. She's getting too soft. She push that dark thought and pride away to fish the dynamite from her bag, three cylinder scarlet sticks bound together. The fuse was too short to light it up. She placed the candle like things into the blanket and started to roll it up in a firm bundle, unhilted the blade from it's yaiba to slit the material and cut off the excess.  Tying it shut, she doused a little funny smelling fluid.. Oil.. To help the fabric burn quickly. She fitted the loop under the tethering knot into the wooden scabard.

" Doc, got a light?" She started, talking over the noisey road, abraham was a quick second coming. Damn, she really was starting to miss traveling on foot.


Gangatsu pulls 10C

Augustus, pleased with the success of his invention, continues to broadcast his warning to the Comanche's horses.  In many ways, the horses were far more sensible and reasonable.  The Indian's /know/ we are a danger.  The horses, once informed, choose to give up the chase.  Dumb animals indeed... Gus' shooting seems to only reinforce the scientists warning as well.  "Please!" implores Augustus again, thumbing the transmitter, "Save yourselves and your riders!  Run away and you will remain unharmed!"  He could tell though that the charge on his invention was fading out more quickly than he had guessed.  Still, there was hope that the message would get through.

As Gus is shot and slumps onto the roof, the Scientist feels a momentary bit of glee.  Serves him right...   But then the realization comes that Gus was quite necessary to the defense of the coach.  Abraham's warning reaches him and he gives up his calls to the wild and grabs onto the coach's rails...

OOC - Enough PPs for one more control attempt.  Mad Science 8.  I'm quite pleased with the idea myself and I really do like this invention.

KD Initiative Draw
This message was last edited by the player at 18:04, Sun 28 Nov 2010.

[[OOC: Placing John On Hold, as it's been 24 hours between combat posts from him]]

Gus groans, but he's holding on. Yeah, the shoulder injury hurt, but he'd been injured worse this very day.

Abraham yanked hard on the reins, coaxing the animals away from the ditch and the certain disaster it portended. The coached swayed sickeningly at the sudden turn, shedding speed and rolling on two wheels for a heart-stopping moment before straightening out with a jolt that rattled bones.

The Comanches took advantage of the slowing carriage. A group of five warriors spur their mounts, circling around the right side of the coach, pulling parallel.

"Goddamn it!" Gus shouts. "We're gettin' surrounded here! Do something in there!"

The other Comanches, hanging back, begin taking shots at the coach itself. One slug punches a tiny hole in the cabin, missing Alouette by a hair's breadth. The coach jolts as another bullet strikes the metal binding of the rear axle, screeching as it ricochets away. There's a whoop of triumph from the Comanches as a whole at the damage.

"We'll just see about that." Ward mutters as he finishes his incantation. He holds his top hat out the lefthand window.

From out of the hat bursts a dark, squawking, semi-transparent bird with cruel talons and glowing, blood-red eyes. It is swiftly followed by a dozen companions, then a score, soaring out of the hat into the moon-lit sky. The murder sweeps across the battlefield towards the indians in the rear, then descends on the warriors. Shrieks of pain and terror erupt from the cloud of corbies as the birds take down one of the braves, tearing into his flesh and plucking out his eyes. Another brave turns his rose about and runs.

Ward nods in satisfaction and turns to answer Gangatsu, then suddenly convulses. He seizes his chest as his body begins to spasm and jerk...

[[OOC: Gus attempts to recover from Shaken.

Gus Shaw rolled 4,4 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5. recover from shaken attempt. Success, but not a raise. He's unshaken, but has no action this turn.

Abraham has to roll to try to avoid collision. The obstacles in this area are Light, so there's no penalty to his roll.

Abraham rolled 9 using 1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (6+1)7. Avoid Collision! Success and Raise.

Abraham tries to Push his team to go faster (-2, 1 extra Range Increment). Abraham rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. push the horses! Fail.

The Comanches split into two groups.

One group attempts to close on the coach, while the other shoots at the wheels, trying to damage it.

Comanche group 1: Comanche Raiders rolled 08 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+4)10. push the horses! Success and raise. That's three range increments for them.

Comanche Group 2: Comanche Raiders rolled 8,1,0,5 using d8-1,d8-1,d8-1,d8-1, rerolling max with rolls of (8+1)9,2,1,6. Shooting! two hits, one with a Raise.

Damage with Raise: 8
Damage without Raise: 4

Abraham only has to make one Drive check. Abraham rolled 5 using 1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Keep control! Success.

Dr. Ward summons a flock of Spirit Ravens to fight against the Comanches.
Dr. Dexter Ward rolled 2,3 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3. spellcasting. Hmm. spending a White Chip on this.

Dr. Dexter Ward rolled 1,11 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+5)11. white chip. Success and Raise, but is also Shaken from the Backlash.

The Ravens go to work, dealing their Automatic Damage to the Comanches caught in the template. One Comanche takes 3 damage, the other 13 and is downed. The one who wasn't hurt still has to make a Guts roll at the sudden appearance of hundreds of spectral ravens, and rolls a Guts check. He rolls 3 (6 +1 grit -4 for the fear level) and panics at the Bad Medicine being called forth.]]

---

Initiative:
John Smith: On Hold with that RJ!
Augustus Spotswood: KD
Dr. Ward: JS
Gangatsu: 10C
Comanche Group 1: 10C
Abraham: 7H
Comanche Group 2: 7C
Gus: 4C
Alouette: On Hold

John takes a breath, the waiting was killing him but he needed patience to focus, Xhang always spouted about the merits of waiting for that one strike that brought the enemy low while over the thirteen strikes in the hopes that one would hit. Sure there were times when more was better but he had to make these shots count. Finally he felt the time was right and rose out of that window as grim as death, he sited three targets near him and his thumb flashed twice launching two of the river stones, the third one he decided to try something and tossing it in the air he punched it toward the third comanche with an open palm strike extending his chi with the stone using the theory Xhang had taught him about the ghost punch instead of using the chi to launch the stone itself. When he saw all three connect with their targets he resisted the urge to whoop and ducked back into the safety of the carriage.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:12, Mon 29 Nov 2010.

In reply to John Smith (msg #46):

The three stones fly true, and three riders fall.

"Yeah! Good shot!" Gus crows from the top of the coach.

[[OOC: You cannot spend a white chip to reroll just one of the dice...you have to reroll all of them and take the overall better result. So I'll charge you a Red Chip instead and count that as a bonus. If you want to avoid giving me a chip, it'll be a blue instead.

"page 58 of the explorers edition on Bennies":

You can use bennies to reroll any Trait test. Make the entire roll from scratch. if you're firing three shots on full auto and don't like the results, pick up all three dice and your Wild Die and roll again. You can keep spending bennies and rerolling as long as you like, and take the best of the attempts

Their base toughness is 6, and their shirts provide +2 armor, but only against bullets. A bullet is defined as a projectile fired from a gun, sling,

The trapping of your bolt is river stones charged with Chi, so I don't know if those will technically count. So I'll flip a coin...odds. Your sling stones do NOT count as bullets for this.

Most of the Comanches are facing two wounds, except one, who will spend a chip from my pool and attempt to soak. Comanche Raiders rolled 3 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 3. soak attempt. Fail.

That's three Comanches down]]

Augustus is up next!