Now free from the press of the crowd, Adrian popped into the door ahead of him intent on finding the Mayor.

((OOC: I'm going to have us drop out of combat rounds now. This fight is effectively over...any new entanglements will be handled as they come up. Jake is still being attacked, but he's free to act out of initiative order))

Adrian can't remember a time when he'd walked in Blackthorn's city hall...this was the sort of place a miner's son just didn't have the need to visit that often.

As his eyes adjust to the light, he sees a man in a red shirt leaning against the wall at the far end of the reception room. The man lights up a cigarette, then pats the shotgun leaning against the wall next to him.

"That's far enough, now." He says. "You come any further, things are liable to get a mite messy."

Wildcat seems Deputy Lawrence being pummeled, but she has to deal with the dead Yank before he runs awry again.

Ah'm sorry Mr. Lawrence, but ah'll be there right directly.

There seemed to be only one singular expert on the care and feeding of these creature.

"Ya'll 'r under control - fer th' moment.  We will swap words about this hombre.  Fer now th' best thin' ta do is get you fixed 'n corralled.  Damn if you didn't take a plug out of me boy, and no tellin' who all ya done kilt.  Deputy Clank!"

Wildcat calls the metal angel and advances on the man, but at least she sheathes her Bowie knife first.  She does however draw her knuckle duster.  As she does, she finally sees the silent Dust Adder upon her.  There's a certain measured frantic-ness to the Ranger's pose and speech and a thick lock of her blonde hair is matted with her own blood.

"You again?  Th' Mayor.. we gotta find th' mayor! He done started this slobberknocker.  But we gotta get this here feller collared first, an' we gotta peel them off th' Deputy over there 'fore they kill a man who tried ta save 'em.  Ah think you'll need the story, but it's gonna hafta come later, we got crazies and Comanches ta deal with first!  Con sarn it we don't need all this right now wit' a bunch of angry redskins knockin' at our door!"

There's a "Howdy!" from the clank's direction as Carl lets the horse go a step closer (John may recognise said horse as the one he just rode in on).

The Dust Adder gives the Ranger a look like she's explaining Abraham Lincoln materialised in a puff of brimstone and wrought general destruction, but it's only brief. Since she's not actively trying to kill anyone else he turns his attention to the damage, frowning. He rubs at his temples in an attempt to concentrate as his mind throws up the words Thirst, Red and Mirror. Normally Carl can prioritise as swiftly as a swordstroke, but pain makes it difficult.

He unties himself and dismounts, re-shouldering the rope and trailing the reins so that Stride doesn't wander. Catching Wildcat's eye, he mimes shooting Danny in passing before turning his attention to grabbing and hauling back on Dutch's shoulder, his gaze easily matching the angered miner's ferocity. "?"

Since no-one is actively fighting at present, Alouette patters over to Wildcat. It helpfully points the newcomer out to the other angel, since she didn't seem to know his name.

"That is Carl, he has nuts and can make them go *CRUNCH* with just his fingers," it informs her. It seems to consider going back and likewise introducing Carl to Ranger Hawkins, but then decides the man is probably Busy and looks to Wildcat for instruction. It's a bit dinged up but seems as chirpy and alert as ever.

Adrian holstered his weapon quickly, and just put his a hand on his waist so that it remained nearby, leaning the other on a wall with a casual pose, catching his breath. "No trouble, just lookin' for the Mayor," he said. "Thought he might be in here. Town's whipped up in some kinda frenzy. Might be he could calm 'em down. I'm Adrian Vega, by the way. Don't believe we've met." He flashed a smile at the man, though in honesty he wasn't sure about the fellas intentions. More than that, he suspected the man was up to no good. Probably in league with the Mayor in his nonsense.

Wildcat gestures to the recumbent Yankee with the hand free of the knuckle duster.  It seems the Adder was apt to stop the brawl with the Deputy without the Ranger having to pick a fight with the locals, that was something she'd leave to him.

"We gotta get him fixed up, but it's gotta wait.  We hafta see if'n we can find that mayor, it's his damn fault this feller flared up, he was fine b'fer that.  Ah reckon he needs fishes.  But ah need this feller collared, he can't be left alone never again.  Can ya do that Deputy Clank?"

Alouette tilts its head at her a bit. "Self can collar Danny Albatross...but it is not safe to take him near the Mayor, who is a witch: plus plus negative energies. Also, the people attempted untrained disassembly of self: cannot fix mortals minus risk of scalding, sparks, shrapnel, or failure to awake, alone...should self drag them into the church where the shepherd is?"

"Good idea, you mind him ah'll done see if'n ah cain't find that Mayor."  Wildcat responds.

"Yes," Alouette chirps, and will attempt to grab Danny by the nearest limb and drag him churchwards first so as not to have him and his blood near mortals carried about at the same time.


[[d'you want a grapple on that, t'Stray?]]

In reply to Adrian Vega (msg #243):

"Don't believe we have." the man says, blowing a ring of smoke. "Don't care to make your acquaintance, neither. I know why you're here. You're working for that devil-spawned Ranger." He slowly picks up the shotgun, and rests it on his shoulder. "I suggest y'all turn back now. Ain't gonna give you any more warnin's. Just turn 'round and walk back out that door. And if'n you see that Yankee Evans, tell him the mayor expects his letter of resignation on his desk in the mornin' for lettin' the town go to hell like this."

Dutch looks around at the suddenly furious glare he's facing. "Let me go, Allans." He says. "We've got a witch to hang. Don't need you or any other Dust Adders getting in our way on this."

Then he looks around and realizes that he's the only one of his friends still standing.

"Though perhaps I can be convinced to reconsider..."

Meanwhile, Danny is too beat up to consider struggling, so he lets Alouette drag him towards the church.

In the meanwhile, Evans limps into the area, looking at the carnage and cursing. "What in God's name has been going on here?"

There's a moment of tension as Dutch questions Carl's motives, but it lapses when the ex-miner submits. Carl stops snarling silently and nods towards Jake, slackening his grip and shaking diluted blood off his hand as he looks up at the man, clearly intent on finding out why the witch needs hanging. "?"

Alouette, apparently able to hear requests in the Name of the Lord over just about anything, pauses on the church steps and addresses the Marshal:

"In God's name self, Ranger Hawkins, John John Smith and Ranger Hawkins' handsome differently alive friend attempted to stop the witches killing everyone," it informs him, then drags on into the church.

[[18:44, Today: Alouette's hilarious Notice rolls rolled 7,3 using d4-4,d6-4]]

Notice roll to notice Deputy Vega is not among us any more?  Wildcat is looking to figure out where the mayor went for the moment.

((OOC: Go ahead. A success means she notices Vega is missing, a raise means Wildcat will remember seeing him by the door of City Hall.))

[[notice roll to notice Evans whilst wandering in the other direction whilst it's raining hard - it noticed Adrian didn't look mortal whilst generally looking around arcanely earlier. It knows the Mayor went indoors and the general direction he went in, if you want to ask...Wildcat might've noticed Adrian shouting - Carl did, but thought he was running away.]]

13:39, Today: Wildcat Hawkins rolled 15,9 using 1d4,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (4+4+4+3)15,(6+3)9. Notice roll.

The Ranger takes stock of the situation.  As odd as it was, she was trusting the Dust Adder to help Deputy Lawrence.  She'd have to trust the deputy to know what best to do with himself, but he seemed to work better without direct orders so far anyway.  Some men were just like that.  Well some men and some overeager blonde women...

She wasn't thrilled with Deputy Clank being left to care for the abomination which tried to kill the town, but there was clearly something more to this clank than he let on, or perhaps could let on.  He seemed to be the singular expert in the care and feeding of the risen dead at least.

Everyone seemed accounted for more or less except... where was Deputy Vega?  They'd been separated in the confusion, Wildcat had managed to escape and press forward, he'd been caught behind and the last time she remembered him...

City Hall.

Of course.  Where else would the Mayor be?  Of course with the undead Yankee now in the church the people wouldn't go there, and the Comanche were still coming, they needed City Hall.  Never mind the problem the people were scattered and petrified now, but now was not the time to try to alleviate that.

Evan's cry and the tin angel's response spurred her to action.  Opening the loading gate of her Colt Wildcat carefully rotated the cylinder to the spent brass and ejected it.

"It'd take a long spell to jaw it all at ya Marshal, but ah reckon what ya'll need to hear upon yer ears right presently is th' Mayor's got some kinda power he done turned loose on th' town, tried to get 'em to riot.... ta kill me naturally, an' everyone else too it seems.  There's a fat wad more to it than just that, but that snake in the grass done started it an' ah reckon he done got a lot more ta do wit' the rest of this mess."

Wildcat reloaded the Colt, and then retrieved the scattergun, breaking it open to check it was ready to go.

"If'n you'll pardon me, I got me a Mayor ta go arrest."

Wildcat, so distracted, had in fact completely forgotten about the utterly bizarre thing which had just happened to her.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:50, Sun 04 Dec 2011.

"Glenn Bruebaker is a witch?" Evans says. "Oh, this day just keeps getting better..."

He limps along, trying to ascertain the damage.

((OOC: Rolling Aftermath for the two people who were hit by Danny's lighting bolts.

13:26, Today: The Stray rolled 3,5 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5. Aftermath. Looks like there was one fatality.))

PM

PM

((OOC: Well, since I'm waiting on a reply from Jake before calling the combat well and truly over, I'll allow you to try. Just one check, though.))

Static murmurs as the clank steps onto the bloody threshold - it halts, makes sure at least the priest is in there with Danny, and turns back, unsure why it does so.
"Stay," it tells him, then walks out, crackling softly.

There's a storm-sound of static like blown dust as it looks at John, then crouches briefly and thumps one of the injured townsfolk in the chest, staring upward a good three seconds.

[[20:49, Today: Alouette rolled 1,1 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Just One Check.

@#£$%! No boom! No boom!

20:50, Today: Alouette rolled 1,8 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+3)9. red chippit.
I accidentally used the red to reroll rather than a white, but since I declared it, call it used...white chips are nice too. Right, I'm not doing any more of this 'til someone fixes the clank - the dice roller is determined to make it explode. Um. It was all right to chip the One Roll not to explode, right? Please?]]

In reply to Alouette (msg #259):

The man on the ground looks up and coughs as Alouette thumps him, looking surprised to be doing so.

((OOC: You can use red chips to get rerolls, just like white chips, so no problems there. And it's only a boom is it's a Natural 1 on the skill die (that means you rolled a 1 before modifiers). And yes, chips are allowed...Alouette has just saved a life. Of course, the only person who can repair the clank right now it Evans, and he's in need of patching up, too...))

There's a soft, avian sound from the static-ridden clank, then it looks down at the man, taking its golden hand from his chest. "For all His judgments were before me: and as for His statutes, I did not depart from them," it says, straightening, though at least half of this seems to be to John Smith.

"And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down," it tells Wildcat, then stands a second, the static subsiding, and ambles back into the church.


[[Ah, all right. Still.
No! The priest can fix Evans, then Evans can fix the clank, then the clank can fix Evans if he breaks again. ...and thank JohnJohn for whoever that is on the floor there - had he not set the example and also refrained from attacking Danny, the Hawk would've devoured the man instead.]]