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Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof.

Posted by The StrayFor group 0
The Stray
GM, 1991 posts
The Marshal
'round these parts
Fri 24 Aug 2012
at 06:11
  • msg #1

Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

Carl Allans, Mad Irish Murphy

some mood music

Late Evening, April 11th, 1879. The bridge over Blackthorn Creek. Good Friday.

Carl and Murphy rode away from the hillock, the scenes of savagery still fresh in their minds. They had to find the rest of the war band. Or find out where they went. They needed to find the photograph, and the shaman who carried it. Following the trail of the Comanche that had attacked the Sutlers had led them here, the bridge over the swollen Blackthorn Creek.

The moon was full, but the light had to reach them through the thick clouds in the sky. A wet, chill wind blew across them from the east, carrying the scent of rain and a hint of ozone. Out over the east, clouds thickened, and jagged bolts of lightning sizzled into the ocean. The thunder was soft here, but growing louder. Another storm was coming.

They had a choice to make now. Which way would they head? Which would give them the best shot of capturing their quarry? Which way would lead them to the clues they sought to end the menace that threatened them?
Carl Allans
player, 408 posts
The Quiet One
P6 T6 Cha 0
Fri 24 Aug 2012
at 21:44
  • msg #2

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

Carl drags his gaze from the flickering horizon and the ocean vastness that always stunned something in him to snake-hypnotised rapture and looks over at Murphy.
"?"
Mad Irish Murphy
player, 126 posts
Irish Dust Adder
P6 T5 W0 F0 Cha 0 W5R2B1
Sat 25 Aug 2012
at 19:47
  • msg #3

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

The Irishman sighs and thinks for a moment.
"I don't think we have much time, Carl. The indians will be attacking soon. Hell, the might in Blackthorn already. Going to Ward, do some explaining, God knows what's going on between you and Whateley and Ward... it could get ugly. At least it'll take us time.
That scientist fellow, he took the picture. He told me he was suprised how it worked out, but it did. As long as the heathen savages are grey, they can't be killed. Church lead might hurt them, we don't know.
I know I shot a man right between the eyes and he didn't flinch. And that oughta hurt no matter if you using holy lead or not.

If we can find the camp, we may find the shaman and the picture. Destroy it, that'll make them vulnerable. Scare 'em off, most likely. Even if the shaman's not there, we might be able to get word to the indians their camp's threatened and delay the attack.

Not that I suggest killing women and young folks!"
He adds, hastily.
Carl Allans
player, 409 posts
The Quiet One
P6 T6 Cha 0
Sat 25 Aug 2012
at 20:12
  • msg #4

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

Carl listens. "Him 'scapin might've warned 'em off town," he mentions, tone low and even. If the fire and the devil-sacrifice was distraction and natives were concentrating their attack on the ranch...

He considers the latter point carefully, though. If - if - they traced the camp quickly enough, it might work, at less risk to them if not to Ward. On the other hand, Ward did have more backup than an Irishman and a couple of ponies.

Carl had an idea the Bible wasn't too hot on killin', but the rules were somewhat fuzzier on the subject of hostages. He was pretty sure heathens didn't count anyhow.


[[roll for knowledge of local terrain?]]

The Stray
GM, 1996 posts
The Marshal
'round these parts
Sun 26 Aug 2012
at 06:23
  • msg #5

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

((OOC: Sure. Make Common Knowledge checks, with a +2 bonus. Success will grant you a +2 bonus on Tracking checks made to find the camp, or +4 on a Raise. You both can roll.

Finding the camp itself will be a Tracking roll, with a +2 bonus for tracking more than 5 individuals but -4 for the recent rain, for a net -2 on the Tracking roll. Finding the trail will take an hour, or half an hour on a Raise.))

Carl Allans
player, 410 posts
The Quiet One
P6 T6 Cha 0
Sun 26 Aug 2012
at 08:09
  • msg #6

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

[[08:58, Today: Carl Allans rolled 5,6 using d6+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5. where would they go?]]

Carl gestures over in the direction of where the camp was before the Injuns got stirred up, shifting his grass stem a bit to talk. "They'll be in that hollow north-east of th' creek, or 'round what's left of 6 shaft, shelter wood an' water."

Either way, they'd be moving a little north, saving the cowboys some precious time by catching the trail above where the original camp had been.
The Stray
GM, 2001 posts
The Marshal
'round these parts
Tue 28 Aug 2012
at 06:03
  • msg #7

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

((OOC: Are ya'll waiting on me for something? I was waiting for Murphy's rolls...))
Mad Irish Murphy
player, 127 posts
Irish Dust Adder
P6 T5 W0 F0 Cha 0 W3R2B1
Tue 28 Aug 2012
at 19:51
  • msg #8

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

Sorry for the holdup!

21:45, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 17,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+8+1)17,4. Common Knowledge.

That is a raise!

21:47, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 2,15 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+6+3)15. Tracking, unskilled white chip.
21:47, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 3,3 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3. Tracking, unskilled white chip.
21:47, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 3,2 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. Tracking, unskilled.

Grmpf. Down to 3 whites now, but at least got something out of it!



"Aye, Carl, figure you're right about that." Murphy is untypically silent, it might be that Carl's silence is rubbing off on him  but really, he's just looking for signs that their assumption is correct.

After a while he stops and points:
"Look there, Carl - I'm not a trapper, but don't these look like tracks of an indian warband?"
The Stray
GM, 2005 posts
The Marshal
'round these parts
Wed 29 Aug 2012
at 02:10
  • msg #9

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

They do indeed look like the tracks of a warband...and it splits here. Splits into three parts.

One group, about fifteen or sixteen strong, is headed toward town...that would be them Carl and Murphy saw on the hill.

The second group, about the same size, looks like it's heading deeper into the ranch lands...going for the herds!

And the third tail, the largest group of all, with about 20 distinct prints, is going along the creek. They must be heading to the mine.

All the trails are several hours old...made before sundown. Before Murphy had even left the ranch the first time.

They had less time than they thought. The Indians were already on the warpath.
Carl Allans
player, 411 posts
The Quiet One
P6 T6 Cha 0
Wed 29 Aug 2012
at 20:50
  • msg #10

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

[[Carl Allans rolled 0,6 using d4-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+2)8. trackin'. Huh. Apparently Carl can track when he's not hungover...]]

Carl nods, crouching and double-checking that yes, those that passed here were all braves, or at least of a size to be men. Comanche afoot, save for the gang headed for the ranch. What were they playing at?

He points at the tracks heading for the mine, pausing very briefly then using words. "Way it was playin' Ward, Injun Snake God's after somethin' down th' mine. Shaman'll be with those, reckon?" Carl looks off at the dark. He'd sooner round up a group of hostages - or better, horses - than go anywhere near the mine, but whose task was fetching the desires of a heathen god, if not a shaman's?
Mad Irish Murphy
player, 128 posts
Irish Dust Adder
P6 T5 W0 F0 Cha 0 W3R2B1
Thu 30 Aug 2012
at 19:55
  • msg #11

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

The mine. That bloody mine. A shiver runs down Murphy's spine. Hadn't the whole thing started when they put the yankees to work there.

He nods. "Aye. Bloody hate that, but aye. Looks like you were right after all."
Carl Allans
player, 412 posts
The Quiet One
P6 T6 Cha 0
Thu 30 Aug 2012
at 21:20
  • msg #12

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

Carl makes a quick turning-over gesture with his hand, heading to remount. "..." He swings up.

The thought of actually entering the mine brings a sudden slickness across the wrangler's skin and he realises he's cold-sweating. Good thing the breeze was blowing chill against his face, taking the scent of fear away from the unfamiliar horse. (Pa sobbing in fear of the simple evening dark during a fit of black shakes, down the mine somewhere in his mind: too shit-terrified to keep the lantern he clutched to lit for fear 'They' would see him, yet flinching, whimpering, lashing out like a wounded beast at every least imagined sound in the blackness.) Carl waits only enough time to see Murphy ready and sets heels to Idjit's flanks to run as fast as is safe in the wan grey of moonlight.
The Stray
GM, 2015 posts
The Marshal
'round these parts
Fri 31 Aug 2012
at 07:03
  • msg #13

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

The Dust Adders ride, following the trail. it crosses the creek at one point...a lot sooner than Carl or Murphy would have suspected. In fact, the trail moves across the creek a good quarter mile from the main mine shaft.

((OOC: If the two of you want to follow the trail, you'll need to ford the creek, which is swollen from the recent rain. That will be a Ride check, -1. Fail, and you have to find another crossing. Crit fail, and you get swept off the horse))
Carl Allans
player, 413 posts
The Quiet One
P6 T6 Cha 0
Fri 31 Aug 2012
at 20:29
  • msg #14

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

The Ranger's horse baulks at the idea of going into the water, snorting in alarm. Carl frowns a little and 'bends' the animal almost side-on into the current with a boot held against the horse's side, using a smooth pull on the reins to turn Idjit's head upstream.

Once Idjit realises that the only way he's going to get out of the water any time soon is by trusting the creature on his back, he's more than willing to go wherever Carl directs.

[[Carl Allans rolled 3,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. fording.
Carl Allans rolled 12,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+4)12,2. white chippit.]]

Mad Irish Murphy
player, 129 posts
Irish Dust Adder
P6 T5 W0 F0 Cha 0 W3R2B1
Sun 2 Sep 2012
at 09:51
  • msg #15

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof


11:46, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 3,7 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+2)8. Riding, white chip.
11:46, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 1,3 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4. Riding.


Murphy can't help but think back to the last time he crossed the creek.
"Come, now, Embarr, be a good lad", he coerces his mount on and slowly the horse steps in, neighs, but then pushes on through the water.

On the other side, he pats the horse's neck. "Well done, lad. Uh, Carl", he looks at his fellow Adder, "with all what's going on I forgot to mention something. I ran into a dead union soldier not too long ago, was singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic and all. I tried steering him towards the Comanche. If we run into him, maybe you let me do the talking."
The Stray
GM, 2019 posts
The Marshal
'round these parts
Sun 2 Sep 2012
at 10:24
  • msg #16

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

The two cowboys manage to pick up the trail of the Comanche on the far side of the creek...until it vanishes. Looks like they started covering their tracks just after they got to shore.

((OOC: I'm sure Carl remembers that soldier quite well...;)

Make Notice checks for me, please.))

Carl Allans
player, 414 posts
The Quiet One
P6 T6 Cha 0
Sun 2 Sep 2012
at 13:01
  • msg #17

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

Carl tenses, it being his opinion that dead Yankees weren't worth talking to, but gives a brief nod. If it saved time and ammunition, Irish could talk. Otherwise he'd just rope the thing and see how well it stood up to being dragged.

The wrangler shifts his attention to the sudden strange lack of tracks and the slight nervous movements of his mount, keenly missing Hosanna.


[[Carl Allans rolled 4,0 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1. Notice ]]

The Stray
GM, 2020 posts
The Marshal
'round these parts
Sun 2 Sep 2012
at 17:26
  • msg #18

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

A Carl looks about, he notices things done to obscure trails...brush pulled through mud to obscure tracks, covering a wide area to obscure movement, and pulled in different patterns to avoid giving away directions. But why go to all this trouble? Surely anyone following them from town would be able to guess their destination...the mine's location wasn't any sort of secret, and if they'd wanted to hide their trial why wait until after leaving the creek?

Unless they knew another way in. A secret way that avoided the main mine shaft and the cave-in altogether. One that could be hidden until it was too late and they could do whatever needed to be done.
Mad Irish Murphy
player, 130 posts
Irish Dust Adder
P6 T5 W0 F0 Cha 0 W3R2B1
Sun 2 Sep 2012
at 18:30
  • msg #19

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

Just adding my notice roll here as well...
20:25, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 6,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1. Notice.


Murphy scratches his head.
"Well, this is weird."
That is quite the conundrum, my dear chap. Is what actually rolls through his head.
"We could really use some tracker now."
Carl Allans
player, 415 posts
The Quiet One
P6 T6 Cha 0
Sun 2 Sep 2012
at 21:28
  • msg #20

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

Carl frowns and nudges his mount into a walk a little downcreek, not wanting to be between Comanche warriors and whatever they feared might follow - or between the bait for an ambush and a nice place to blunder around half-blinded in the dapples under the scrubby trees.

[[Cautious is as Cautious does...]]


When Murphy's caught up he points, then fights, hard, within himself to remember speech is possible and how it is done, since Murphy was not a miner, nor a miner's son: "They're goin' deep - them all together any while'll need a draw fire t'pull air down. Git 'round up that way we'll smell it."

Carl nods at Embarr - as a cowpony the horse'd know and dislike the scent of Injuns and their unfamiliar horses, associating them with fights; approaching the area at large downwind, the horse would give away the presence of any Comanche on guard at the surface...or the whole gang of them, if they were just sending the shaman shimmying down an open fault.

[[Any better ideas?]]

Mad Irish Murphy
player, 131 posts
Irish Dust Adder
P6 T5 W0 F0 Cha 0 W3R2B1
Mon 3 Sep 2012
at 11:10
  • msg #21

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

Murphy thought about that.
"Aye, could work. Could work. If they don't have some magic for that as well."

He takes off his hat and scratches his scalp.

"Suppose...."
he starts, then trails off.
How much time do we have left?

"What if...." he starts again, to again trail off and stare into the distance.

"How would they have found another entrance? Must be known somehow. You can't just walk around and stumble across it. Well, you could, I guess. But still.
Is there a cave or some hollow or something like that about? You know, something were a man could fit into? Maybe the cavein opened a passage from that into the mine."

The Stray
GM, 2025 posts
The Marshal
'round these parts
Mon 3 Sep 2012
at 18:49
  • msg #22

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

((OOC: remembering details of the local area would be a Common Knowledge (Smarts) check, +2 for your familiarity with it.))
Mad Irish Murphy
player, 132 posts
Irish Dust Adder
P6 T5 W0 F0 Cha 0 W3R2B1
Mon 3 Sep 2012
at 19:00
  • msg #23

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

20:59, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 13,5 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+3)11,3. Common Knowledge.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:44, Mon 03 Sept 2012.
Carl Allans
player, 416 posts
The Quiet One
P6 T6 Cha 0
Mon 3 Sep 2012
at 19:07
  • msg #24

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

[[Yeah, I thought there'd be another one of those...
19:56, Today: Carl Allans rolled 3,6 using d6+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,5. local knowledge. + 8 from a compulsively-added red chippit (because he's Carl and this is his 'back garden', and also I have impulse issues *hopeless*) -> 14 ]]


Carl shifts his grass stem a bit, watching the night, and looks over at Murphy to show he's listening.
The Stray
GM, 2026 posts
The Marshal
'round these parts
Mon 3 Sep 2012
at 19:07
  • msg #25

Re: Chapter 15.1: A Sky Full of Clouds for a Roof

Not directly, but Murphy and Carl do remember who might.

Gabby Clarke, the local eccentric, was caught panning for silver around here a few times. Gabby was a sad case...he'd found the initial silver that got Blackthorn founded, only to have his claim snatched away (along with about a dozen other miners) by trickery by the Wendell Mining company. Since then, he'd been panning up and down Blackthorn creek, trying to find another place he could strike it rich. He kept panning long after the mine closed.

Both of the Dust Adders remember being part of bands sent to clear him off...he remembered the glares Gabby gave him after Gus or Nathanial told him to move along, often with one or two blows in the process.

And they remember that, just a couple weeks ago Gabby, while deep into his cups at the Grand Bull, had bragged about finding something that would "show them all," something that would "bring prosperity back to town," but that he couldn't do nothing until he'd "firmed up his claim."

And then he'd paid for his drink with small chips of Ghost Rock.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:10, Mon 03 Sept 2012.
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