[[3 for t'other shot, and a grand total of 9 damage...that...makes it pissed off?]]

"! Use fighting sticks, John John Smith - vampire vegetation can cause skin to become irritated, also people." Alouette hastily patters over, presumably to help.


[[4 agility, somehow...]]

In reply to Carl (msg #37):

The buckshot slams into the cougar, sending it crashing into the window of the undertaker's shop.

Molly staggers away, blood dripping from the bite in her arm. It looks like she's more terrified than injured.

There's a sound from the shop. The dead cougar apparently isn't finished moving just yet...

---

((OOC: That makes it Shaken. Draw a card for next round...it will spend this action trying to Unshake.

01:29, Today: Harrow Kitty rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Roll to unshake. Hmm. That means it's still Shaken.

01:30, Today: Harrow Kitty drew the single card: 8C using the Deadlands system. Initiative.))

Carl hauls up and paces over there, reloading.

[[does that take his entire action? If not, I'd like to roll Notice to see if HK's broken/rammed into any jars of embalming fluid.
Init: 7C]]

"What in the sam hell?!" John exclaims as he whips out his dragon staff and lashes out at the... tumbleweed? He wasn't keen on punching something covered in thorns but for all the damage his staff seemed to do he was wondering if a kick with a good ol' leather boot might prove a better tactic.

John Smith rolled 2,4,2 using d10,d6,2d4, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4,1,1. dragon staff attack.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:41, Fri 21 Oct 2011.

Alouette tries to get hold of the tumbleweed, but only manages to grab a handful of little dry bits of twig. "Hmmm."

[[grapple: 2!]]

The whipping thorns of the tumbleweed thing thrash about John, trying to dig it's thorns beneath his skin and sip his tasty, tasty blood. John's skill in evading attacks, however, keep him from getting more than a couple surface scratches.

((OOC: 11:46, Today: The Stray rolled 5 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Fighting. Nothing.

I should point out that the creature is Small sized, so there's a -1 penalty to hit it))

John lashes out once more with his dragon staff, this time his attack connects and he makes a fairly solid hit.

In reply to Carl (msg #40):

There's a low growl from inside the store, and the sound of something stepping on broken glass. It looks like Harrow Kitty is up and about again.

((OOC: 16:27, Today: Harrow Kitty rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Roll to unshake. That's a success, but not a raise, so it doesn't get an action. It does take the time to stand and move a bit, though.

Next round: 7S))

In reply to John Smith (msg #44):

The staff whacks off some more twigs, enough for John to see some sort of fibrous mass in the center of the bramble.

((OOC: It has a Toughness of 3, so that will make it Shaken. it will spend it's turn attempting to become Unshaken: 16:36, Today: The Stray rolled 5 using 1d4, rerolling max with rolls of (4+1)5. Roll to unshake. That will make it unshaken, but won't give it an action this turn.

If you want to target the mass, it's a -4 penalty to hit. And while it has a -1 size, in rereading the description I find that it DOESN'T benefit from the Small special ability, so no penalties on attack rolls, so ignore my comment about the -1 to hit from earlier.

Jake and Alouette, you're up. I'm not drawing cards for this combat, as it's just a little bit of one.))

Alouette keeps trying, and failing, to get hold of the thing. "Hmmm."

Carl squints into the darker shop, his own heartbeat loud enough to be distracting. He fires a single shot, but soon realises he's shooting the thing's shadow and braces himself against the corner to be ready for it when it leaps. Reaching into his duster pocket as he watches the dark, it feels like about the only thing left is slugs for slaughter, casings slick under the fingers of his red right hand.

A thought starts to trouble him: Why aren't the bells ringing?


[[Not that Carl's ever heard of Milton. Shooting 3, but keeping those precious chips against injury. As for ammo, I can no longer see Carl's character sheet for some reason, but I think he's down to maybe two slug shells, possibly one buckshot additional to what's in the gun. I'm half-surprised Wildcat hasn't remarked on his appauling firearms safety yet...
init: 5S]]
This message was last edited by the player at 08:08, Mon 24 Oct 2011.

Jacob was getting tired of this, while the thing had thorns he figured he'd rely on his trusty boots to protect him from the worst of it so he brought on down on the bunch of brambles... hard. If the thing ceased moving, John would continue running towards the bell rope.

The thing falls to pieces at John's furious attack. It twitches for a few seconds, then falls still. There's a clear path to the bell rope.

In reply to Carl (msg #48):

There's a crash from the rear of the shop. Sounds like another window...

((OOC: Harrow Kitty takes the opportunity to smash through the back and hide in the alleyway.

Next card for Harrow Kitty: 01:33, Today: Harrow Kitty drew the single card: JC using the Deadlands system. Initiative. Oddly, it hasn't had to use it's Quick edge all this fight.))

Carl's shoulders slump in a silent sigh. He leans his forehead against the wall he's propped against for a moment to think. The catamount was smart for a deadder, which made it unpredictable. He might have already lost it: certainly he couldn't outrun it in this state. On the other hand, chances were he'd hit a limb and it would be slowed a little, though he was pretty sure deadders didn't feel pain.

Carl mentally calculates the relative distances to the end of the alley out back of the shop and to the Lodge and sets off rapidly for the former, cursing Ward for sending him alone, cursing himself because he knew he would do it or die - end, rather, since he was already dead - then curses Ward again for knowing that.

It made him smirk slightly as he winced, fending himself off the side of the building and leaving bloody prints, since the thought reminded him of something Charlie'd said about route marches in the rain: Y'get a bit wet, you cuss the weather...then it soaks through an' you cuss the army - cuss the gen'rals, cuss your CO, cuss your sergeant, cuss your damn fool self, signin' up...then you set to cussin' the enemy an' by then you're jes' so wet it don't matter no more, an' you're a good fightin' Confederate again. Guess the same went for trouble.

Carl keeps his gun under his arm and draws his knife to have it ready. Well, the thing could surely smell he was hurt...hopefully that would keep it here a little longer. Long enough to get a good shot at its head, with luck. Here kitty kitty kitty...

[[Carl tries to get round there, conserving energy because he knows if it's going to outrun him it already has...ha! I wonder why that is...
init: 4C ]]

Alouette picks up as much of the ex-tumblebleed as possible and wanders over to dump it in the font.

OOC: In case it wasn't clear...
John runs forward and rings the bell.

In reply to Carl Allans (msg #52):

The alley was familiar ground. This was where he'd chased that smiling killer with the scarf last time. The one that got away. At least it's not raining right now...

And at that moment, Carl feels a drop of water down his neck, followed by another splattering on his arm. Wonderful.

As he looks about, trying to pick out a trail, the church bells begin to ring.

((OOC: Make a Notice check, please))

Carl tries not to think about the last time he was here. He fails to spot any vanishing cougars, but even through the confusion and the thud of his blood he hears that harsh ringing sound. The stranger had got there.

A little of the tension leaves Carl's body in relief.

[[Notice 3. cue cougar?]]

And, like a gift from Heaven itself, Carl also spots the cougar slinking towards the open door at the back of the Mining Office. It's already halfway through by the time Carl spots it, the tail of the beast rapidly

((OOC: Harrow Kitty is attempting to sneak in to the makeshift jail to hide, not knowing the place is occupied.

But it rolled horribly on its Stealth check, so Carl actually managed to spot it.

Carl, you get your action for this turn. Kitty's at the edge of Short range for your gun, so no range penalty yet.

13:07, Today: Harrow Kitty drew the single card: AD using the Deadlands system. Quick. EEK. Remember what I said about not having to use Quick? Well, Now I have. Twice. Fun.))

Carl raises his gun swiftly if a little awkwardly and takes the shot given to him.


[[4 shootin' - does that hit? [never sure on that point] Willing to chip if not...
init: QH]]
This message was last edited by the player at 20:59, Mon 24 Oct 2011.

In reply to Carl Allans (msg #58):

((OOC: 4 on a Shootin' roll hits (it's melee that uses the Parry score...or firing a gun while in melee). Most of the challenge on Shooting rolls come from things like cover, range, and dim lighting, which are penalties, rather than from a higher target number.

Since you're at Short range, the shotgun deals 3d6 damage.))

[['k. I will try to remember that.
13 damage.]]

The shot rips through the kitty's side, smashing the pelvis and sending it sprawling. It's down.

((OOC: But not out. It's Incapacitated but not dead. Carl will have to go over and manually finish it off))