April 8th, 1879. South Texas, CSA

The day was dying, slowly but surely. A bitter wind whipped in from the coast, pushing dark purple thunderclouds west across the Texas plains. The light from the setting sun lit the bottoms of the dark clouds a brilliant orange. The smell of rain was heavy in the air.

A storm was coming. It would be here soon.

The wind tugs at the clothes of Jack Twofeather and Charging Bear as they ride the trail south. After a chance meeting in Houston, the two decided that riding together would be safer than each trying to ride alone.

Safer, perhaps. But while catching up on old times, they'd somehow managed to make a wrong turn, and now they were lost. They should have been at the Trail House hours ago. Instead they'd wandered into the path of a growing storm. Sure, they'd passed a sign proclaiming "Blackthorn--4 miles" a little while ago, but neither of them had ever head of such a place, and ghost towns were depressingly common these days. Still, if it was standing, it would provide shelter for the night.

The two, however, had a feeling. It was a bad one, like something was just ever-so-slightly off. The world felt slightly twisted and the feeling seeped into their bones...

[[OOC: Go ahead and interact for a bit before I spring the next thing on you.]]

Jack runs his fingers through his hair as he reads the sign... " Well, we've been turned around somewhere on the trail, so do we seek directions here or turn back and waste a day's ride?" Jack adjusts the quiver strap on his shoulder and pats the horse's neck affectionately.

"This reminds me of when I was in Kansas a few years back and a pair of twisters were brewing." Taking a look into the sky, Charging Bear frowns. "Almost got caught out when they hit, got lucky and found a root cellar of an abandoned house. But, to the situation at hand, I'd say we should see if we can make it to this Blackthorn and before this storm hits. Hopefully folks are still living there so we can find out where we actually are."

The scent of rain grows stronger as the sun slips lower on the horizon. The threat of rain becomes very real as a few wayward drops find the pair. It's a brief shower, but it bears the threat of more. A flicker of lighting lights the clouds, followed almost immediately by the thunder. Loud, and close. It's going to be a bad night.

"I guess this is why some people take trains." Charging Bear looks into the distance, hoping to see some signs of a place to stop for the night and get out of the rain.

"You have to have faith. The Spirits and our Ancestors will guide us." Jack looks over to Charging bear piously, then grins. "Plus, I beieve if we ride hard in the saddle we'll make it." Jack snaps the reins and clicks through his teeth urging the horse onward.

"I've faith Two Feathers, but I've always taken the stance that they also help those that help themselves." with that he gently nudges his horse into a gallop.

The pair gallop as the rain begins to start in earnest. Not quite a downpour yet, but the threat is there. The two ride hard, and the miles seem to melt away. In the distance, buildings become visible in the gathering gloom. And, invitingly, there are lights in them. Someone is up ahead, at least.

[[OOC: Make notice checks for me, at -2 due to the weather and the speed you're traveling at.]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:23, Mon 09 Nov 2009.

Charging Bear is oblivious.

OOC
16:31, Today: Charging Bear rolled -1,-1 using 1d6-2,1d6-2, rerolling max. Notice.

Critical fail for me... man do I know how to start off a game!

15:30, Today: Jack Twofeather rolled -1 using 1d6-2. notice check.

Jack's barely able to see the town's lights due to the rain in his eyes.

OOC
Don't forget your wild die!!!!!!

In reply to Jack Twofeather (msg #10):

[[OOC: Remember that, when defaulting, you roll d4-2 and your Wild Die at -2, and you have the extra penalty on top of that. So you'd be rolling d4-4 and d6-4, not just the wild die on it's own]]

[[OOC: Given that it would be a miracle if Jack saw anything thanks to his penalties, I'll just continue on with the assumption neither of you two succeeded.]]

The two are so focused on the lights of town that neither of them notice the body until Charging Bear's horse suddenly rears in fright as it's about to run over it. Charging Bear Manages to keep from being thrown, just, but the horse refuses to move.

Given there's a body laying in the middle of the road, clad in a blue union army uniform, the horse's reluctance to continue is understandable.

Charging Bear slips off the side of his horse, petting the animal gently to calm him. "There there, Swift Wind." Once the horse is at ease, Charging Bear will take a closer look at the dead body.

08:43, Today: Charging Bear rolled 3,5 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max. Notice.
08:43, Today: Charging Bear rolled 2,2 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max. Common Knowledge.

The man wears the uniform of a union private, and he hasn't been dead that long--rigor hasn't set in. But how he managed to get out here, you can't tell...there's no way he walked here on his own, not with his ankle broken. He also looks like he's been ill, with ashen skin and sunken eyes. Aside from the broken ankle, there are other signs of mistreatment, from bruises and abrasions and poorly-healed cuts. All in all, the poor sod looks like a refugee from some sort of prison camp, who tried to escape and died of exposure.

Jack looks down as Charging Bear examines the body and slips off of his own horse, "What happened to him? He looks beaten." Jack looks up at the town ahead, " Do you think he came from this town? or was he abandoned hre by someone on their way there?"

Charging Bear looks up at Two Feathers from where he's been kneeling over the body, his face is grim. "He's been physically dead only a short time but mentally and spiritually I'd guess much longer. He's been beaten yes, but he didn't walk here... his ankle won't get him very far." Looking towards the town, "I'm sure we'll find answers there but won't like them much."

Answers may be coming sooner than either of them thought. As Charging Bear looks up towards the town, he notices figures on horseback, coming fast.

"And here are probably those that caused this poor soul to be in his present state," muses Charging Bear as he see the riders. He steps back to his horse and puts an hand on the beast to steady him.

"Should we ready for a fight, or give them the benefit of the doubt? For all we know this man was a murderer? but...I'd rather not be caught unarmed..." Jack looks over to Charging Bea and shrugs, he reaches back to his horse and removes his bow, but does not go for the arrows just yet.

Five riders trot up. They look like cowhands, all dusty and rough. The leader is dressed in black, with a thin face sporting a mustache and goatee. Silver caps on the edges of his clothes sparkle in the flash of lightning that heralds them. All five have pistols drawn, though the guns are currently not pointed in a hostile fashion.

"Well, well." The leader says in a spicy Cajun accent. "What have we here, boys? Two injuns and a dead man? I think we done come across the scene of a crime."

The other riders chuckle unpleasantly.

"Well, Injun? Got anythin' to say for yerself? Or should we fill you and yer friend full o' holes right now?"

"I believe you have this all wrong neighbor. We have arrived, here same as you and came upon this poor soul who appears to have died of mistreatment rather than a bullet or arrow." Charging Bear says all of this calmly, meeting the leader's gaze with his own.

"You hear that, boys?" The rider in black calls back to his posse. "Our Injun friend here claims he just found this here dead Yank! That they just happened upon the corpse o' the very varmint we've been looking for!" He gives a cold smile to Charging Bear, before turning back to his friends. "Well, do that sound particularly likely to any of you?"

One of the other riders, a stocky, red-faced man in a black Stetson hat, pipes up, "Well, Nathaniel, I might believe it. Then again, I'd sooner believe pigs will be flying out my rosy derriere! I think we need to teach these savages a lesson about murderin' folk."

There's some general murmur of gleeful accent from the riders, and the sound of pistols being cocked...

[[OOC: Time to either bluff your way out, intimidate them, or start a fight. You can try Persuasion to improve their attitudes, Intimidate to get them to back off, or just start fighting by drawing Initiative cards.]]

Charging Bear pulls the pair of tomahawks from around his saddle and rushes at the lead rider (aka Mr Frost).

OOC:
12:48, Today: Charging Bear drew the single card: BJ! using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative.
13:00, Today: Charging Bear rolled 4,3,6,2 using 1d8+2,1d6+2,1d8,1d6, rerolling max. Fighting x2 (Main, Wild, Off, Wild).
13:00, Today: Charging Bear rolled 11 using 2d6+2, rerolling max. Damage.

Results
Initiative: Black Joker ! +2 to all trait/damage rolls
Fighting: 4,6 (One Hit)
Damage: 11 (1 Wounds)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:31, Wed 11 Nov 2009.

[[OOC: Nathaniel will spend a White Chip to attempt to soak: 10:10, Today: Nathaniel Frost rolled 2,5 using d6,d6. Frost's Soak Roll. So he soaks the wound, but you've caught him by surprise.]]

Nathaniel curses in shock as Charging Bear lives up to his name and comes at him with a pair of tomahawks. He shifts away as the hatchets tear at his leg, ripping his nice black pants and slicing his boot open.

Beside him, the red-faced thug raises his Colt Dragoon and snaps off a shot at Charging Bear, tagging him hard.

[[OOC: Gus Shaw rolled 4,0,14 using d8-2,d6-2,2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2,(6+5)11,2. shootin' at Charging Bear. That's a success and 2 raises on damage, for Shaken and 2 wounds unless you soak. Ouch.]]

The other ruffians start snapping off shots at Charging Bear and Jack Twofeather, yipping and howling like hounds. They're too busy snapping off shots and looking intimidating to hit the broad side of a barn, though.

[[OOC: 10:46, Today: The Stray rolled 0-1,-1 using d6-2,d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1,1. Dust Adders shoot. 1 at CB, 2 at JT. Wow that Unstable Platform penalty is a killer. Not that they would have hit you anyway, not with those rolls]]

Meanwhile, moving away from the belligerent Indian brave, Nathaniel pulls a small, silver charm shaped like a pentagram inside a circle with a ruby eye at the center and mutters something under his breath, making odd hand motions. Charging Bear clips him as he passes by, though, and Nathaniel hisses in pain.

[[OOC: With the Opportunity attack, Nathaniel suffers 2 wounds and is Shaken. He spends one of the White Chips from the pool to soak: 14:15, Today: Nathaniel Frost rolled 3,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4. Soak. One wound soaked, so he still has a wound and is Shaken. That means he loses his action, which is spent failing to recover from shaken: 14:23, Today: Nathaniel Frost rolled 2,2 using d6-1,d6-1. Roll to recover from Shaken.]]

[[Initiative:

*Gus: Queen of Clubs (P5, T7)
3 Dust Adders: Jack of Spades (P5, T5)
*Nathaniel Frost: 2 of Spades (P5, T5)]]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:24, Wed 11 Nov 2009.

ooc: I get an attack on Frost for him leaving melee.

[[OOC: Ah, the Attack of Opportunity. What did you roll?]]

Lashing out with his tomahawk, Charging Bear clips Frost.

OOC:
16:57, Today: Charging Bear rolled 7,12 using 1d8+2,1d6+2, rerolling max. Fighting (+2 Joker).
16:57, Today: Charging Bear rolled 10,3 using 2d6+2,1d6, rerolling max. Damage (+2 Joker, Raise).

Results
Fighting: 12 (hit w/ raise)
Damage: 13 (2 Wounds)

[[OOC: Retcon actions taken into account on previous post. Now waiting for Twofeather to get in the action]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:25, Wed 11 Nov 2009.

[[OOC: If Twofeather hasn't posted by 2 pm, we'll just put him on hold and continue on to the next round.]]

[[OOC: since we seem to have lost Twofeather for the moment, I'm putting him on Hold for now and continuing on. New Round! Draw initiative cards!]]

[Initiative:
3 Dust Adders: King of Clubs (Parry 5, Toughness 5)
*Nathaniel Frost: Queen of Clubs (Parry 5, Toughness 5, 1 Wound, Currently Shaken)
[Private to GM: Undead Soldier: Jack of Daimonds (Parry 5, Toughness 7)]
*Gus Shaw: 8 of hearts (Parry 5, Toughness 7)
*Charging Bear: 2 of Spades
*Jack Twofeather: On Hold

I'll post actions once I know when everyone is going.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:37, Thu 12 Nov 2009.

OOC: Looks like I'm last
15:35, Today: Charging Bear drew the single card: 2S using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative.

I'll start drawing initiative at the end of my action to keep things flowing.

The thugs decide to take it to the ground instead of wasting bullets. They leap off their horses and rush Charigin Bear. One of them tries to grab him, while the others settle for trying to pistol whip him in the face. Charging Bear is able to slip out of the thug's grip and fend off the pair of Colt Dragoons to his face.

[[OOC: Multiaction penalty canceled out by Gang up bonus, so they're at their straight rolls. The Grabber: rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. The pistol whippers: rolled 1,5 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5.]]

"Idiots." Nathaniel grunts as he nurses his wounded leg and recovers his wits. He glares murder at Charging Bear.

[[OOC: Nathaniel rolls to recover from being shaken. He has a +1 bonus from his Command edge, which is negated by his wound penalty. He rolled 6,2. He recovers, but it takes his whole action to do so.]]

They continue to try to gang-beat Charging Bear, but suddenly the red-faced man shouts out "What in the HOLY HELL!?"

[[OOC: To be continued in my next post...]]

The dead Union Soldier suddenly starts moving, rising slowly to it's feet. It gazes at the melee with glowing red eyes. It's broken ankle flops around as it begins hobbling towards the nearest thug, mouth open for a bite. The two thugs who had been whipping on Charing Bear turn tail and run as their companion screams in pain, the dead man's teeth clamped firmly on his throat...

[[OOC: And welcome the newest complication to this fight. Roll Guts, + your Grit but -3 for the area's fear level. If you fail, you are Shaken and must make a Vigor roll or suffer a -1 penalty to all further.

Results for NPCS:

Nathaniel Frost: 0, 4. Passed.
Gus Shaw: 2, 4. Passed.
Dust Adders: 4, 0, 1. One passed, 2 failed and are Panicked.

Attack against Dust Adder: 5, with a damage of 6. The Dust Adder it attacked is now Shaken]]

[[OOC: One last initiative to take care of before your action, CB}}

Ignoring the pair of Indians, the red-faced rider whirls his horse around and aims a shot at the dead Yankee. He clips it in the shoulder, but the thing doesn't even seem to feel the bullet as it continues to maul it's prey.

[[OOC: Attack:rolled 5,3 using d8-2,d6-2; Damage: Rolled 3 using 2d6+1. Halved for being a bullet against an undead means he did jack crap with his bullet.]]

[[OOC: You're up, CB]]

Charging Bear looks at the risen Union solider. Gritting his teeth the Indian brave rushes forwards his two tomahawks swinging at the newly risen creature.

OOC:
16:13, Today: Charging Bear rolled -1,5 using 1d4-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+1)7. Guts!.
16:17, Today: Charging Bear rolled 14,1,4,6 using 1d8,1d6,1d8-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+6)14,1,6,(6+2)8. Fighting x2 (Main, Wild, Off, Wild).
16:17, Today: Charging Bear rolled 15,5,4,5 using 2d6,1d6,2d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+5)11,5,2,2,5. Damage.
16:19, Today: Charging Bear drew the single card: 5D using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative.

Results
Guts: 5
Fighting: 14, 6 (assuming 2 hits 1 w/ raise)
Damage: 20, 4
Initiative: 5D

The tomahawks find purchase, and the thing's head goes flying off. The thug it had been munching on takes one look at Charging Bear, and collapses into a quivering heap, pleading "Oh god oh god oh god please don't kill me Mary Joseph and Jesus watch over me I'll never sin again if I live through this day..."

"What the HELL!?" shouts the red-faced rider. "What the HELL!?"

"I don't see what you're all surprised about, given what you an' yer brother do." Nathaniel grunts.

"It ain't the same Goddamned thing! That man were dead! The dead don't just get up and walk like that!"

"What're we going to do about them?" Nathaniel points at Charging Bear, who still has blood dripping from his tomahawks.

"Forget the Injuns! This one just saved our lives! I ain't got no more beef with him. We got somethin' worse goin' on. Live and let live, I say."

Nathaniel sighs. "Fuck." He looks at Charging Bear. "Well, what do you say? There's people what gots to know about this dead man walkin'. A mite more important than any brawl between us...for now. Truce?"

[[OOC: They spend their cards talking about the events, effectively On Hold.]]

Charging Bear nods slightly at Nathaniel and smiles a sly smile, as though he knows the two of them will have it out someday. "Truce." A quick flick of the two tomahawks sprays blood over the newly re-dead, solider.

The thugs collect themselves and their horses and cautiously ride off, back towards the lights of town. All that is left is the headless corpse, Twofeather, and Charging Bear.

[[OOC: And take a Red Fate Chip for being Made of Awesome. Charging Bear is a combat machine...he took on two Wild Cards and a pack of extras just about by himself, and beheaded a Walkin' Dead in one swipe. I've got another pair of characters in another thread who've been struggling to take down a single Zombie for the last 4 or 5 rounds now.]]

Charging Bear looks over the dead man again, frowning as he does so. "May you find peace in the hunting ground now." His hand drifts to the small rag doll around his neck, as though a habit he's not aware of. "Let us see about getting to town, Two Feathers... I've no desire to be out in the weather that is coming." With that he mounts up and heads towards the lights ahead.


OOC: Thanks boss, luck of the dice roller as she can be a cruel mistress. Charging Bear is built for combat, both ranged and melee which helps out when you have critters that take 1/2 damage from bullets.

[[OOC: I'm going to wait and see if Twofeather is going to show up. If he doesn't appear by tomorrow, I'll just run him as an NPC so you can get to town.]]

It takes another 15 minutes for the pair to reach the town. By then it's dark, and lanterns have been hung on the buildings. There isn't much to Main Street, just a few shops, the local stagecoach office, a general store, a livery, and a "Grand Bull Saloon," which proclaims itself with a longhorn steer skull over the entrance. The smell of bourbon mixes with southern cooking, and a sprightly piano tune filters into the air. The rain is steady, and the sky is lit with the occasional jagged bolt of lightning.

Charging Bear ties off his horse then pulls his hair back into a makeshift pony tail. Reaching into his small pack of things he retrieves a beaten up CSA coat, with a rank of Sergeant on the arm. He lightly dust off the coat before slipping it on. "In we go? and with little else he enters the Grand Bull Saloon

Let's hope this goes well... Charging Bull thinks as he crosses the threshold of the building.