Late Evening, April 11th, 1879. The Crossroads near the Grand Bull Saloon, Blackthorn, Texas. Good Friday.

some mood music

The battle for Blackthorn had begun. The Comanches were still picking themselves up from the traps laid by the Dust Adders when those same cowhands themselves popped out from hiding spots on the roofs of all the nearby buildings.

Adrian and Evans were still in the killing field. Evans was struggling to untangle himself from the wires that had tripped him up. john Smith, meanwhile, had made it behind the barricade, next to the surly Gus Shaw, who aimed his rifle.

"I sure do hope you figgered out how to hurt those fuckers." He grumbles at the martial artist. "Else this is gonna be a real short fight."

((OOC: Everyone draw Initiative! Those of you who want to play Extras or Wild Cards present in this battle, let me know and I'll send you the stats! If you want to know where everyone is, take a look at the new post on the Map thread.))

OOC:
Initiative: 4S

08:43, Yesterday: Adrian Vega drew the single card: 4S using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

Devil's Island Eddie crept up along the rooftop of the livery, his deadly sixgun ready to deal out deadliness....

Edgar turned up his nose a bit at that thought and checked his pistol again.  He could think of better.  He'd have to or his dime novels would never sell.  The Adventures of...  No...the Amazing Adventures of Devil's Island Eddie....

Don glanced over at Ed from his spot on the warehouse roof.  Dumbass's probably thinking' of how he's gonna be the hero this time...  Damn idiot...  Shoulda left him back in Boone...  Hoofbears in the distance brought his attention back as he watched the chase tear down the street.  I shoulda stayed in Boone...

Felix peered over the barricade as the very ground felt like it shook at the rider's approach.  He glanced over to Gus, a man to be feared, then back to the approaching horde.  More men to be feared.  I hope they kill Gus quick so's I can run....

OOC - 15:52, Today: Dust Adders drew the single card: 2D using the Deadlands system. Eddie, Don, and Felix.

From the rooftops of Blackthorn, members of the famed and in some circles reviled Dust Adders gang watched what was going on nervously. Comanches, and fire and their booby traps and magic. Well, they hadn't expected Evans and Vega to get caught up in that mess, but it would at least slow them down.

Better them than us, thought Felix, before he realized that something Gus said earlier might have meant that Evans and Vega might have been some of the only people that could actually do anything about all the Comanche witchery.

OOC:
22:16, Yesterday: Dust Adders drew the single card: 10D using the Deadlands system. Dust Adders Group 2.

((OOC: Unless John Smith posts today, I'll place him on hold for now.))

---

Turn Order:
John Smith: RJ!
Itza-Chu: AH
Gus: JD
Evans: 8H
Dust Adders (Vega): 10D
Adrian: 4D
Comanche Group 1: 3S
Comanche Group 2: 2H
Dust Adders (Spotswood): 2D
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:50, Sat 01 Sept 2012.

John reached the barricade and turned around to spy Evans and Adrian tumble down. "Aw shoot." he spat. A quick glance at Gus "Cover me." was all he said, and he went back out to the two ready to help or defend them as necessary, hoping the gunman would do just that. "Need to protect our secret weapons." he added, more to himself. The first Comanche to approach the fallen pair would find John ready to kick him to kingdom come. His booted feet aiming for vitals, in a battle like this, he cared not if his enemy was capable of breeding afterwards.


John Smith drew the single card: RJ! using the Deadlands system.
John Smith rolled 6,8 using d10+2,d6+2. Boot to the head, large or small.
John Smith rolled 4 using 1d6 for the raise. Total attack of 12.
John Smith rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Damge for Raise.
John Smith rolled 6,5,5 using d10+2,d6+2,d4+2. Damage Total: 20
John Smith drew the single card: 5D using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

This message was last edited by the player at 03:45, Sat 01 Sept 2012.

((OOC: 8 vs. 7 parry hits. however...that 8 should have aced. You accidentally turned off the defaults when you drew your initiative card, so none of your rolls rerolled the max. Go ahead and keep your blue...I'll count it as the roll you WOULD have gotten normally. Add an extra d6 to your damage from the Raise.

Since Superior Martial arts requires the Arcane Background, I'll say that your attacks using any of your Styles count as magical attacks and trip their Weakness to Magic. Which means you can, in fact, hurt them with your bare hands. Yay!

Oh, and draw a card for your next round, please.))

Gus knew he had to play it smart, for as long as he could remember he had never been shy of at least a handful of ways to kill a man and damned if he was going to let these dirty redskins beat him, let alone take his town. He took aim and steadied himself, fighting against the desire to give into the chaos of impending violence with with cold calm he'd of the killer he was. These Comanche's were immune to bullets, or at least they were heavily resistant, well then, it was time to test that resilience.

OOC: Gus Shaw spends his round aiming, taking a bead on any Comanche that seems a little close for comfort.

John's kung-fu kick sends the Comanche brave flying over fifteen feet into the nearest building. The brave bounces off the wooden siding and falls still.

Itza-chu, hiding behind a wall, watches the kick, impressed. That was not something he'd expected to break through his warrior's enchantment, and it might have even be enough to harm him. Best to head toward the Graveyard, so the Harbinger could work his promised magic. He slipped away, as speedily as he was stealthy.

((OOC: That kick will make the Comanche Incapacitated from the Fatigue he just took. Magic attacks won't kill them (they can only be killed by destroying the photo that holds the spell), but being knocked outputs him out of the fight.

Itza-chu attempts to sneak away from the battlefield and head toward the graveyard. he gets a -2 penalty because he's running, but anyone trying to Notice him right now has a -2 penalty because of the general noise and commotion.

22:12, Today: Itza-Chu rolled 7,2 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+1)9,4. Sneak. If anyone wants to try and figure out where he's gone, you can make a Notice check, -2, and try to beat that 7. Good luck on that.))

"Damn and blast!" Evans mutters as he and Adrian struggle with the barbed wire. They're able to get it unwound from his legs just as John streaks past, and Evans struggles to his feet. "Come, Adrian!" he says, letting the nozzle of his flame device drop and pulling out his gyromounted pistol. "We need to get to the barricade! We need to warn them about the Harbinger!"

((OOC: Evans is prone, shaken, and has 1 level of fatigue. he can't do anything about the fatigue until someone takes some time to tend to his scratches (which requires a Healing check and 10 minutes of work), but he can attempt to stand and unshake.

The Amazing Evans rolled 6,1 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 7,2. unshake. Success. He gets an action at -2. He can't use his Flamethrower with John in the middle of things, so he'll draw his gyromounted pistol (the focus for his Bolt power) and hold it ready.

Then he moves toward the barricade. Since he spent movement to stand, he can't get over the barricade this round, just to it.

Card for next round: 10H))

---

The Dust Adders under Adrian's control are up next! Because Gus is Aiming, he'll get +2 on his Shooting roll next turn.

There wasn't much left of Darla.

It didn't usually bother her: there hadn't been much left between the whoring and the laudanum anyway, so when Marina killed her and left her with an existence pared down to seduce and feed it was merely a change of state. Naturally, lacking much ability to think beyond those two objectives the girls spent a considerable amount of time pointlessly trying to seduce each other, Vincent (who could occasionally be roused to interest, but more often struck them about like skittles and stormed off to find somewhere else to rest, growling about 'fucking kine'), Marina (who tolerated their attentions like the kneading of cats), or occasionally the stage props, but normally they didn't have enough mind to, well, mind. This was different.

Darla sits on a workbench in shredded petticoats and half a top and worries at a nail left in her arm to help her focus. Something in her mind lay as slack as a dropped puppet away from Marina, but some flesh-echo of the woman she had been, some half-memory of a living, breathing self who had been somebody's daughter resents being tortured. "I didn't want them to do that to me," she states to the slaughter shack at large, then again, tasting the unfamiliar concept: "I did not want that."

Carmilla looks over from her watch of the street, clothes hanging in streamers from her body. "I felt something, with the braves-" she says with a pretty frown, kicking one of the ghost snakes that covered the floor off her leg and promptly forgetting about it. Darla briefly remembered why she was on the workbench.

"Did the earth move for you, darlin'?" Bella asks automatically, coming up streaming from a bucket of pig blood. "This is horrible."

Carmilla tries to think. "It hurt. It hurt and that was...bad."

"We should hurt them," Darla drawls, toying with the nail.

"Ooh, yes - no, wait, we should get the big one first, it was all his idea. I promised the spicy Ranger, too."

"-and he heals fast - oh, sisters, we have, like, got to see if we can get him up!" Bella giggles, jerking a thumb at the hog-killing apparatus above her and overturning the bucket on the snaky floor.

"Ooh, I love playing with rope!"

Darla grins and picks up the cleaver beside her. "Let's go get us a big red-blooded savage, girls."

Well, they all already had their irons out so they made their time count for something. They had heard bullets didn't do anything to 'em, but they had talked it out earlier and none of them really seemed to think that made much sense, witchery or no. Felix had been the most inclined to believe that nonsense, but the other two weren't having any of it. They fired, and surprisingly Felix did as well.

Felix went white as a sheet when his gun malfunctioned. The other two fired theirs off.

---

OOC:
Shooting: 1, 3, 5

On their El Cheapo gear, I believe that's a malfunction, which means their peacemakers are broken and will need repair.

12:21, Today: Dust Adders rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5.
12:21, Today: Dust Adders rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3.
11:36, Today: Dust Adders rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1.

Alright, so looks like they get two more shots - I had thought it was another one of those group rolls. In any case, I think one of them should hit with the 5. In case it does, here's the damage:

12:24, Today: Dust Adders rolled 5 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. damage.


This message was last edited by the player at 18:24, Sun 02 Sept 2012.

((OOC: You have 2 other attacks to roll yet...only one of the guns malfunctions))

(( Updated ))

The fusillade of shots goes wide, but Felix watches in horror as the bullets bounce - actually bounce - off the shirts of their intended targets! One of the Comanche actually picks up a flattened bullet and shouts gleefully, showing it off to his fellows.

((OOC: If it were a group roll, you'd have needed to roll a Wild Die in addition to the normal die. In this fight, you can choose to use either Group Attacks for your extras or separate attacks (since there's a bunch of separate targets, rather than one big one like the Uktena battle.

The guy who had his gun jam will need to switch weapons, because he'll need to spend 1d6 hours fixing his pistol to get it working again. I'm curious as to why they weren't firing their Winchesters or shotguns to begin with, though...

Sadly, the one that hit didn't do enough damage to hurt his foe, even without magical protection or the Ghost Dance shirts they're wearing.

Not that they know this. Have your boys make a Group Fear Check, + Grit (the Dust Adders have 1 Grit), -4 for the local Fear Level. This is to avoid Fear/Nausea and will make them Shaken if they fail.))

---

Draw a card for their next turn. Adrian is up next!

OOC:
I guess they weren't firing their Winchesters or shotguns because they're none too bright?  :)

Fear test:
12:53, Today: Dust Adders rolled 1,0,-2 using d6-3,d6-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3,1.

Looks like none of them passed, and one of them busted.

Next Action: You drew the single card: 7D using the Deadlands system.

As for Adrian's turn...what can he do to help Evans over the barricade, mechanically speaking?

This message was last edited by the player at 18:57, Sun 02 Sept 2012.

((OOC: Yeah, sure, blame it on the cowhands. ;)

So all three are shaken, and one has a -1 penalty to all his actions until the end of the encounter.

Nothing this round...he can get over fine himself, he just needs to take the movement to do so. You'd probably be best served flinging a bolt or two at the Comanches and thinning them out. It costs 2 squares of movement to get over the barricade.))

He took a quick glance into his hand, and before the cards vanished, he knew they looked pretty good. Not the best hand, that was for sure, but in a pinch they'd do. Just as they faded, he raised his gun at the pursuing Comanche again. If he could hold them off a little longer, he could make sure they got to safety - or relative safety to consider the matter of the Harbinger.

---

OOC:
Spending 3 power points to cast three bolts. Spellcasting, as per my last botch, is down to d6 for 24 hours. Rolled Spellcasting thrice, only one of them getting a wild die. Results, I believe are as follows:

Three hits? (4, 4, 5)

16:51, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 9,8,5 using 2d6,2d6,2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4,5,3,4,1. Damage.
16:40, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 4,4,5,1 using d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4,5,1. Spellcasting x 3 + Wild die for the 3rd.

The ghostly shots find their mark, and two of the three Comanche aimed at stumble at Adrain's marksmanship. The third feels his shirt, angered, but seems otherwise unharmed.

The two Comanche who'd fallen behind during the chase manage to make it to the far end of the trap field. They take pot shots at the Dust Adders on the rooftops, but the cowboys are too well-entrenched to be bothered by the attack.

The Comanche whom Adrian shot but didn't wound returns fire, though the bullet hits the barricade instead of him.

The other two, wounded, decide to take on John instead. They drop their rifles and charge the martial artist, whooping blood-chilling war cries as they levy wild swing after wild swing at him. However, John's training and their own injuries interfere, and the swings don't do much more than give John a bit of a dance workout.

It seems the Comacnhes are ill-equipped to fight against snipers in this killing ground. Some of the Dust Adders whoop, clearly feeling they have the momentum...

And then a church bell rings.

((OOC: That's three hits, though only two do enough damage to hurt the Comanche. They have +2 Toughness against bullets thanks to their shirts, but Adrian's soul blast is technically channeled through his gun, and doesn't use the bullets themselves. Thus, this attack is vs. Toughness 6 instead of 8. This would make the two you hit with the 9 and the 8 Shaken, but since they're already Shaken it gives them a Wound instead, which they take as Fatigue since their Invulnerability protects them.

How many PP do you have left?

The first group of Comanche get to go now. I'm counting the ones that have fallen behind as well as the batch getting beat on here. I roll two Group checks for them: The ones who aren't fatigued and the ones who are.

Comanche Raiders rolled 6,0 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 7,1. Group unshake (Fatigued). Success. They get an action at -2.

Comanche Raiders rolled 1,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. Group unshake (Not Fatigued). Er...I'm going to spend a White Chip on this...

Comanche Raiders rolled 7,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,2. white chip. There we go. Now all the Comanche in the first group can pick themselves up and start doing stuff.

First off, the stragglers from the Oriental move their Pace (8) and aim shots at the Dust Adders on the rooftops. They have Spencer Carbines, so they're well within rainge, but have -2 MAP from unshaking and -4 from the Heavy Cover the DA's have for being both prone and on higher ground.

Comanche Raiders rolled -1,-2 using d6-6,d6-6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4. shots at the rooftops. No hits.

Meanwhile, the one in the near cluster who wasn't injured decides to take a shot at Adrian in retaliation for being fired at a couple times. He has the -2 MAP from Unshaking this round.

Comanche Raiders rolled 1 using 1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Shooting! Nope.

The two injured ones are going to take it out on the nearest enemy - John. They are going to drop their guns and draw tomahawks. They have the MAP (-2), are Fatigued (-1), and another MAP for not haing quick draw (-2), but are Wild attacking (+2), so their net penalty is -3. They get no Gang-Up bonus because John knows Martial Arts.

Comanche Raiders rolled 2,0 using d8-3,d8-3, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3. Fighting! Nowhere near good enough.

John, their Parry is now 5 until their next action.

Card for this group's next round: 7H))

---

Up next: The Harbinger! Stay tuned...

some mood music

The church bell continues to toll as a dark figure strides out of the wreck of the Oriental. It's tall and lean, wrapped in a tattered long coat and a hood like an executioner's cowl pulled over its head. It reaches into it's holsters and draws forth a pair of revolvers with wicked, scythe-like blades. A thick, oily mist follows in it's wake, obscuring the being's lower legs.



The cowled stranger looks around the battlefield. A horrible, rasping scrape escapes the darkness of the thing's hood, like iron nails on slate twisted into the rough approximation of words.

"Citizens of Blackthorn! The Harbinger has returned, and the hour of your Reckoning is nigh! In my words shall the guilty find their judgement! Throw down your weapons and despair, for you shall know only death and pain and terror before the end!"

((OOC: Everyone, make a Fear Check (-4 for the fear level, -2 for The Harbinger's Fear rating, + Grit). This is versus Terror. Those of you running extras can chose to make Group Checks covering your entire band or separate checks for each of your fighters. The Dust Adders have 1 Grit. Once I've gotten all your results, I'll figure out what happens from here.))
This message was last edited by the player at 00:17, Tue 04 Sept 2012.

OOC:
I've got 9 Power Points left.

Also, my card next round:
19:57, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: KD using the Deadlands system.

  John pauses long enough to see the thing that had shaken Adrian so back in the ruins of the theater. He blanched for a moment but remembered his masters teachings. He couldn't give into the fear he felt rolling over his spirit, he supposed having two wild Comanche's trying to kill him didn't help matters.

OOC: Fear Check. John Smith rolled 2,-3 using d10-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1. Crap.
Blue Chip Spent, down to one. John Smith rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Blue Chip. Total of 4, looks like I'm good. Whew.

Gus heard, rather than saw, the presence of the Darkness that had joined the fray. He had seen it before, he had thought it destroyed, and as one might expect, he hated being proven wrong. He kept his aim, taking his shot, but as far as he was concerned he and the Dust Adders were done in this fight, next to useless, unless...If they could keep it together then maybe, just maybe, they could keep the Comanche's occupied long enough for Evans, John and that other feller to perhaps take the thing out. It was better than running, that was certain.


OOC:
Gus Shaw rolled 6,-2 using d8-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of (8+1)9,1. Gus Shaw's Fear Check.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:45, Tue 04 Sept 2012.

Some of the Dust Adders were just beginning to rise from ducking the wild shots from the raiders.  Grinning, they started to take aim.  The thought they might could win this passed over them....then that thought bolted  like a jackrabbit as the Harbinger appeared.  Eyes going wide with terror...

OOC - My 3 all failed.

07:52, Today: Dust Adders rolled 0 using 1d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 5. DA3 Fear Check.
07:52, Today: Dust Adders rolled -2 using 1d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 3. DA2 Fear Check.
07:51, Today: Dust Adders rolled 0 using 1d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 5. DA1 Fear Check.

"Well, I'll be damned," said Felix. The other two were speechless, but seemed to hold their nerve better than the rest of their gang.

---

OOC:
10:46, Today: Dust Adders rolled 4,0 using d6-5,d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9,5. Group Fear Test.

He wanted to be scared. He wanted to be shellshocked. But he was too dead on the inside to really have his heart leap up out of his chest."Well, I'm already dead. I don't see what there is to be afraid of," he muttered to himself, looking at the thing.

---

OOC:
Spirit: 8 (Success & Raise?)

10:48, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 8,1 using d12-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 10,3. Is he scart?

The Harbinger's presence sends most of the Dust Adders into a panic, but since they're on rooftops there's no place for them to go.

Evans, still struggling over the Barricade, looks up at the chill that sweeps the battlefield and turns to look at the monster.

He swallows hard, but keeps his nerve.

"So! Didn't get enough last time?" Evan says, forcing a grin and a cocky tone of voice. "Come back for a rematch, have you?"

"No." The thing whispers.

{BOOM! BOOM!}

The Harbinger's hand cannons roar, and Evans slumps down outside the barricade, a glassy stare and a shocked expression etched on his face, and two smoking holes in his chest.

---

((OOC: The Dust Adders who failed their check are all Shaken. They'd run away, but they're on rooftops and can't go anywhere.

Evans makes his Fear Check.

19:35, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 0,-1 using d8-5,d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4. Fear! I am so sick of him failing Fear checks. Let's add a Red and see what we get.

19:35, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. red chip. Gar! Let's spend yet another chip...

19:36, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 8 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8. another red chip. Finally. Final total of 10, and Evans is now out of chips and relying on the GM stash.

The Harbinger makes small talk, then points his guns at Evans and proceeds to start shooting him. He has a -2 penalty because he's a Medium range, but he's got so many combat edges that it's not really an issue. He has Marksman, but it doesn't apply because he moved this round. He has no penalties to shooting two guns Two-Fisted because he's got the edge and is Ambidextrous. He has d12+2 shooting, which mitigates the penalty for firing at medium Range, and as a special power he gets a d10 for his Wild Die when Shooting.

The Harbinger's attack: 19:48, Today: The Harbinger rolled 1,9,7 using d12,d12,d10-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,9,9. Shooting! That's two hits, one with a raise.

Damage 1: The Harbinger rolled 17 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of (6+5)11,3,2. Damage. That's a Shaken and 3 Wounds for Evans. Ow. I will be attempting to Soak it, but let's take care of the other damage first.

Damage 2: The Harbinger rolled 13 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+4)10. Damage. That's a Shaken and 2 More Wounds for Evans. Evans is in trouble.

Evans will, of course, attempt to Soak, but he's got a -1 penalty from the Fatigue already.

Soak attempt 1: The Amazing Evans rolled 4,1 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2. Well, that soaks 1 Wound. He's still facing 2, though.

Soak Attempt 2: The Amazing Evans rolled -2,-1 using d6-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Ow. That's 2 more wounds.

Evans is Down!

Incapacitation roll: The Amazing Evans rolled -3,9 using d6-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+6+1)13. Incapacitation. OMG he made it! With a Raise! He's going to be Injured until his wounds are healed, he's vulnerable to a Finishing Blow, and he's out of this fight, but he's alive. Rolling on the Injury table, I find that Evans was hit in the Guts and will have his Strength decreased 1 step. Since his Strength is already at d4, this doesn't actually affect him much.

The Harbinger draws cards, using his Improved Level Headed edge

Cards for next round: 6C, 5H, 5D))

---

As the Marshal slumps over, The Comanche whoop in triumph. The Indians scatter and begin climbing the rooftops, heading for the snipers above!

Don, shivering, listens to the bloodthirsty Comanche scrabbling up the sides of the warehouse, screaming and hollering. He wishes he were back in Boone once more, and feels a wetness in his trousers as the fear overwhelms him...

Dishonest Abe is still a bit rattled from the harbinger's sudden appearance but less scared than the others. He hadn't been in town when the harbinger had attacked Blackthorn the first time, had only heard about it second-hand. But now he saw not one but two injuns pop their heads up over the side of the house he lay on. The gray-skinned savages grinned and pulled tomahawks. And Dishonest Abe felt his adrenaline begin to kick in...

---

((OOC: The Comanche get to go next. They attempt to Unshake, and rally around the shooting of the town's sheriff.

Group Unshake: Comanche Raiders rolled 6,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1. Group unshake. Success. They get an action at -2

These Comanche are going to avoid the whole sniper business by climbing up to where the snipers are. They split into two groups. One group attempts to climb up the Warehouse walls, while the other two climb up the house opposite.

Group 1:  Comanche Raiders rolled -1,3 using d4-2,d6-2. Fail. They're beneath the Warehouse, and thus have Light Cover from the Dust Adder on top of it.

Group 2: Comanche Raiders rolled 9,0 using d4-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (4+4+3)11,2 Success and Raise. The Dust Adder on the roof of that house is now in Melee (and can't use longarms).

That's all they can do this round, though.

Card for next round: 8D))

---

Up next: The Dust Adders (Spotswood)

Eddie, his Devil's Island sobriquet forgotten in his fright, tried to get it together.  But despite all his dreams of being a deadly gunhand...he just couldn't move.  He knew the raiders were there, but maybe if he didn't move they'd give up on him....

Boone.  Don really missed Boone.  The mountains, the green.  Why had he ever come out here?  Stupid goddamn Eddie's fault....

Felix just crouched harder against the barricade and tried to at like he was just taking cover.  Hoping no one noticed that he was too scared to stand up and fight...

OOC - All remain shaken.  Next card - JH

07:44, Today: Dust Adders drew the single card: JH using the Deadlands system. Next Initiative.
07:43, Today: Dust Adders rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Unshake.
07:43, Today: Dust Adders rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. DA2 Unshake.
07:43, Today: Dust Adders rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. DA1 Unshake.

Turn Order:
Gus Shaw: AC
Adrian Vega: KD
Dust Adders (Spotswood): JD
Vampire Dance Hall Girls: 10H
Comanche Group 2: 8D
Comanche Group 1: 7H
Dust Adders (Vega): 7D
The Harbinger: 6C
John Smith: 5D
Itza-Chu: 4D
The Amazing Evans: Incapacitated

"Turn and fight you bastards!!" Gus hollered at the Dust Adders who seemed to be losing their nerve. He emphasized his call to arms by shooting the Comanche he spied closest to one of his more terrified comrades. He took aim and caught the redskin right in the head for dramatic emphasis. "Turn and fight! Show them they can still fear bullets! Let the others worry about the monster!"

OOC:
Gus uses 6D "Rally" to cause all allies to lose their shaken status.
Gus Shaw rolled 1,3 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5. Head Shot -4 penality, reduced to -2 for aiming. Only a 3, crap.
Gus Shaw rolled 9 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9. Blue Chip adding D6. Hit with a raise at 12!
Gus Shaw rolled 4 using 2d8, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. Winchester Damage AP2.
Gus Shaw rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Raise Damage.
8 damage. Less than spectacular but with AP2 perhaps he actually affects them. Oh, wait! +4 damage from the headshot. Total: 12 damage!
Note: His target was whatever Comanche was closest to reaching one of the fear stricken Dust Adders
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:55, Thu 06 Sept 2012.

The bullet caroms off the skull off one of the Indians menacing Dishonest Abe, who stumbles to his knees and swears, rubbing his temple in obvious pain. Gus could swear the Indian was saying the Comanche equivalent of "oh no, not again," though he couldn't say why...

((OOC: The Comanche Raiders have armor on their torsos that are specifically bulletproof. However since that was a headshot it bypasses the Ghost Dance shirt entirely, so I factor the damage vs. Toughness 6 instead of 8. That will certainly leave the Raider Shaken. I'll also check to see if it knocks him off the roof.

Comanche Raiders rolled 7 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 7. Agility. Nope. He's still there. But at least Dishonest Abe will have one less problem to worry about.))

---

up next: Adrian Vega! The Dust Adders are No Longer Stunned thanks to the card
This message was last edited by the player at 07:01, Thu 06 Sept 2012.

(( OOC:

I meant to ask this yesterday but I never got around to it, so sorry for the delay. Is Adrian over the barricade? Is Evans? And what could I do with my action to see that one or both of them get over? ))

((OOC: Check out the Map Thread for your relative positions. You're behind the barricade, and Evans (the big red skull) is in front of it. If you want to pull him over, make a Strength check.))

OOC: So 12 damage with 6 toughness leaves him shaken? Not incapacitated? Did he hit a wild card or did deluxe edition nerf called shots nullifying the +4 damage something?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:44, Thu 06 Sept 2012.

Adrian reached down and did his best to help pull the Marshal up and over the barricade. "Get on up here, Evans. You ain't dead yet. Ain't nobody say you could die," he growled.

---

OOC:
12:49, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 6,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,3. White Reroll.
12:49, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 1,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Strength.

12:51, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: JS using the Deadlands system.


This message was last edited by the player at 17:52, Thu 06 Sept 2012.

Evans is dead weight in Adrian's hands, but he's still breathing despite the bullet wound. He shrieks in pain as the huckster pulled him over the barricade, but the pain snaps him out of his shock. Once over the wall, he slumps over, and pushes his gyromounted pistol in Adrian's direction. "T-take th-this..." he stutters. "It...can hurt him..."

((OOC: Evan's Gyromounted Pistol can be fired as a normal double-action peacemaker (and is fully loaded), but it also has the Bolt Power that uses the wielder's Shooting skill as it's casting die. It currently has 12 pp and 6 regular bullets))

---

The Dust Adders (Spotswood) are up! Remember that they are no longer shaken thanks to Gus's card!

"Well if I was a marauding Indian, where would I go?" Carmilla muses, standing daintily on tiptoe to peer into the darkness of a house.

"Mmm...you'd want to find ponies, and booze...and of course, the best girls in town," Darla says, winding a lock of dark hair around her finger. The nail hurt, but it kept her reminded of what they were doing. Bella, traipsing along with only long knickers and a considerable amount of blood to clothe her slender frame, was already succumbing to distraction, draping herself against Carmilla.

"Well, you've found me..."
"Ooh!"

"Girls! We were looking for something...someone...someone special." Darla flicks the nail and winces, drawing looks of concern from the others, but it makes them refocus. They look vaguely around, down, and up. Bella resumes strutting swing-hipped down the middle of the street, calling out in a sing-song.

"#...Yoo-hoo! Come out come out wherever you are...#"

[[ rolls of 1,2,2. Notice for the girls. ]]

This message was last edited by the player at 21:27, Thu 06 Sept 2012.

Eddie, no Devil's Island Eddie, snapped out of his fright at Gus's call.  Ratcheting his rifle, he crawled back up to the peak of the warehouse and took aim on the Comanches down in the street trying to get trough the barricades.  The rifle barked and he quickly levered it again, ready for another shot...

The Boone Kid gritted his teeth as well.  Hunkering down wouldn't get them outta this.  Putting some big damn holes in some people.  Just like Dad always used to say...

Seeing Gus, right next to him, standing tall put some steel back in Felix's spine.  Breathing deep, he stood and spun, howling some kinda crazed battle yell.  His shotgun came up to his shoulder, a moment's aim, then....BLAM!

OOC - Eddie and Don shot the Comanche just behind John.  One hit for 7 Damage, Second (w/ Raise) for 13.  Felix blasted the Comanche just above John for 14.

Next Initiative - QH

17:07, Today: Dust Adders drew the single card: QH using the Deadlands system. Next Initiative.
16:44, Today: Dust Adders rolled 14 using 3d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9,3,2. DA3 DB Shotgun Damage.
16:44, Today: Dust Adders rolled 10,3 using 2d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,4,3. DA2 Winchester Damage w/ Raise.
16:43, Today: Dust Adders rolled 7 using 2d8, rerolling max with rolls of 2,5. DA1 Winchester Damage.
16:43, Today: Dust Adders rolled 4 using 1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2. DA3 DBShotgun.
16:42, Today: Dust Adders rolled 10 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+4)10. DA2 Winchester.
16:42, Today: Dust Adders rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. DA1 Winchester.

some mood music

The shots from the Dust Adders send the Comanche reeling, and their swings are less than effective because of it. The one shooting for the barricades thinks better of it and goes after John instead, but he fares no better than his comrades.

The braves next to the Harbinger scatter, heaqding deeper into the killing zone, whooping and firing at the Dust adders on the rooftops. They make a lot of noise, but neither hit their targets.

The braves trying to get handholds on the warehouse scramble at it for a bit, make no progress, and give up, charging past John for the barricades instead. This may be a dangerous mistake for them, as John is perfectly capable of backhanding at least one of them as the move past...

Only dishonest Abe, up on a roof facing two angry braves, finds himself in any real trouble. But trouble it is! One of the brave lunges for him, forcing him to dive to the side, right into the swing of the other. He feels the blade bite down...

((OOC: That will make both Comanche near John Shaken.

Comanche Group 1 gets to go now. The two next to the harbinger vamoose, heading closer in. They split up, one heading for the Livery, one for the house where Adrain's other Dust Adder is. Neither of them have the movement to climb the buildings, so they shoot at the Dust adders instead. Again, the Dust adders on the rooftops have Heavy Cover from the ground, so these shots are at -4.

Comanche Raiders rolled -2,1 using d6-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 2,5. Shooting! Neither is going to hit.

The Comanche there in the middle of the street is going to join his fellows attacking John. He draws his tomahawk and tries to give John a chop. He's at -2 for the MAP.

Comanche Raiders rolled 2 using 1d8-2, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Tomahawk chop! Nope.

The two braves who just got shot attempt to Unshake. Each of them is fatigued, so they have a -1 penalty to this.

Comanche Raiders rolled 4,3 using d8-1,d8-1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4. Unshake, unshake. Only one does. He tries to give John a haircut, but he's rolling at -3 because of the MAP.

Comanche Raiders rolled 1 using 1d8-3, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Tomahawk chop!  Swing and miss.

The next group gets to go. The Comanche beneath the warehouse tries to climb it again. Comanche Raiders rolled 0,0 using d4-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Climb (default). They fail it and fail it hard. At this, they decide to move on to easier prey and move toward the barricades. This puts them next to the Livery. John, you get a free attack against one because it moved in and out of your reach.

The other two already on the rooftop go after Dishonest Abe. One of them has to attempt to unshake first. Comanche Raiders rolled 6 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 6. unshake. He does, so he gets an action at -2. Unfortunately for Abe, the Comanche get a +1 Gang-up bonus against him.

Comanche Raiders rolled 6,2 using d8+1,d8-1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3. Tomahawk chop! That's 1 hit.

Damage: 10 total. That's a Shaken and 1 Wound for Dishonest Abe. Adrian, Do you wish to spend a chip to soak? Otherwise, Abe will go down.

Cards for next round: 4C, 2H))

---

Up next: Dust Adders (Vega)

"Goddammit." He swore violently and vigorously when his gun malfunctioned. Dropping his Peacemaker like it's hot, he whipped out a Winchester. Why wasn't I using the damn rifle in the first place? A fool thing to do. Like these other two. And then he squeezed the trigger. And that was his second weapon in a row that malfunctioned. "Sonuvabitch!"

At least his other two companions seemed to get their shots off, shootin' them Comanche as best as they could.

OOC:

Two of them are still using their trusty peacemakers. The guy who went to his rifle had yet another malfunction! Looks like two hits with 4s, and damage at 11 a piece.

11:57, Today: Dust Adders rolled 11 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5.
11:57, Today: Dust Adders rolled 11 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+3)9.
11:54, Today: Dust Adders rolled -1 using 1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Shooting.
11:54, Today: Dust Adders rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Shooting.
11:54, Today: Dust Adders rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Shooting.


12:00, Today: Dust Adders drew the single card: 9S using the Deadlands system.

This message was last edited by the player at 17:00, Fri 07 Sept 2012.

((OOC: Adrian, one of your trio is being attacked and is facing a Wound (which will put him out of the fight, since he's an Extra). Do you wish to try and Soak the wound?))

OOC:
Do the Dust Adders have any chips?

((OOC: Whoops! I should have mentioned that. Each group of Dust Adders has 3 white chips to divide among them. Gus Shaw has 1 Red and 1 White chip.))

OOC:
I'm going from some things I've got on my scratchpad without my books, so let me know if I need to do anything different. I rolled Spirit to eliminate a shaken condition, and looks like I used up all my luck on that roll. Then I spent 2W chips attempting to soak, with one failure and a bust.

Looks like fate just isn't with this cowpoke today. I'm going to save the next white chip for another Dust Adder.

12:56, Today: Dust Adders rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Spirit test to recover from Shaken.
12:57, Today: Dust Adders rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Chip for Soak Attempt (Vigor).
13:04, Today: Dust Adders rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Chip for Soak Attempt (Vigor).

((OOC: You don't need to spend a chip to remove the Shaken condition first...Soaking is not an action, it's a reflex, and if you succeed in getting rid of the wound you also remove the Shaken condition. If you spend a chip to unshake, then it happens automatically without a roll. The roll is only if you want to unshake during your turn without using a chip. So just roll Vigor. Start from scratch))

OOC:
So here's my Vigor roll to attempt to soak up this Dust Adder's wound:

14:45, Today: Dust Adders rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. BE MORE VIGOROUS.

No dice.

Dishonest Abe's last sight as he curses the ill luck with firearms is the warrior's blade coming down. One of the braves does a quick chop with his tomahawk and raises Abe's bloody scalp to the moon, hollering in triumph.

The ghostly monster, meanwhile, takes deadly aim at the defenders behind the barricades.

{{BOOM! BOOM!}}

The bullets rip through through the air like the thunderbolts of an angry god.

Gus feels the bullet crease his skull, carving a bloody furrow across his face and tearing his ear in half. The shock of the injury leaves him dazed.

Adrian is hit in the neck, the bullet tearing through the dead flesh of his esophagus and sending him sprawling.

((OOC: And that's one Dust Adder down. Adrian, you're down to two Dust Adders.

The Harbinger gets to go next.

The Harbinger is going to stay where he is to gain use of his Marksman Edge. He will take one shot at Gus Shaw and one shot at Adrian Vega. He has a -2 penalty from the barricade cover and a -2 penalty from the range, but his Marksman and Expert edges cancel those out.

Gus: The Harbinger rolled 1,5 using d12,d10-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,7. Shooting! Hit!

Adrian: The Harbinger rolled 10,3 using d12,d10-2, rerolling max with rolls of 10,5. Shooting! Hit And Raise!

Gus takes 8 damage and is Shaken.

Adrian takes 17 damage and is Shaken with 2 Wounds. Do you wish to Soak?

Card for next round: 9D, KC, 7D))

---

John Smith is up next! Adrian, do you wish to try and soak the wounds?

"Sonuvabitch!" he yelled as he hit the deck.

OOC:
You bet I do! I'm going to spend a White Chip to attempt to Soak. Then I'm going to spend a Red Chip to add 1d6 to that result.

Soak: 8

I believe that's a success and a raise, so it should soak both wounds and remove the shaken condition.

13:40, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 6,1 using d12+2,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,1. Vigor to Soak.

Iron Jaw gives me a +2 to Soak rolls that I forgot about till just now, so never mind that Red Chip expenditure.

Adrian will take the gun Evans is offering him on his next action, btw.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:07, Mon 10 Sept 2012.

((OOC: GM post with John's permission.))

John shifted his stance and lashed out with his fists, first at one Comanche, then at the other. He wove in between their attacks, using their own momentum against them while the only sound he made was the breathing techniques to regulate the exertion.

Another Comanche goes flying, and the other he hit is looking a little punch drunk. He still has a fresh foe to worry about, though, and the Harbinger is beginning to aim his guns John's way...

((OOC:John Smith rolled 3,10,6,-1 using d10,d6,d10-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+4)10,8,1. Kung Fu Fightin' Primary hits with a raise at 10 and Off Hand hits normally with a 6.
John Smith rolled 3,10,7 using d10,d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+4)10,(4+3)7. Hit with a raise, total of 20 damage on one Comanche.
John Smith rolled 9,3 using d10,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 9,3. regular hit. Total of 12 damage on the other Comanche.
John was using Wing Chun which allows him two attacks with no multi-action penalty. He did get a -2 off hand penalty however))

((GM's OOC: That first hit will knock the Comanche right out. The second hit adds another level of Fatigue to the already wounded and Shaken Comanche. John still has one Comanche after him, and now he's gained the attention of The Harbinger...

GM Drawn card for next round: 6H))

Itza-chu reaches the house across the road from the church. He pauses, seeing lights on there. Hmmm...perhaps someone was hiding there. Someone he could kill for a quick bit of fun. Someone that he could torture, to demoralize the town even more...

((OOC: Itza-chu attempts to run stealthily. He gets a 5 on his running die.

Itza-Chu rolled 4,5 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 6,(6+1)7. Stealth.

Vampire Girls, roll Notice to try and find him. You have to beat 5

Card for next round: AH))

---

Turn Order:
Itza-Chu: AH (waiting on the results of Vampire Gal's Notice)
The Harbinger: KC
Dust Adders (Spotswood): QH
Adrian Vega: JS
Vampire Dancehall Girls: JH
Gus Shaw: 10C
Dust Adders (Vega): 9S
John Smith: 6H
Comanche Group 1: 4C
Comanche Group 2: 2H
This message was last edited by the player at 04:02, Wed 12 Sept 2012.

[[they all rolled 4...do they have any chips?]]

((OOC: The NPC groups each have 3 White chips))

[[Vampire Dance Hall Girl rolled (6+4)10,2,3. white chippit. What are the lights on the house?
init. 9H]]

Darla stops the others, pulling Bella off the waterbutt she was craning to check behind, smacking Carmilla on the bottom with the flat of her cleaver to stop looking under the porch and pointing up the street at the figure outlined in lamplight.

some mood music

As John is showing the Comanche what a master of kung fu can do, The Harbinger watches him. He raises one of his sctyhe-tipped pistols, taking careful aim. The hammer clicks back.

{{BOOM!}}

The bullet rips through John's side, tearing a line of pain across his chest...

((OOC: The harbinger has just watched John punch some of the immortal Comanche silly, and has decided to make an example of the Martial Artist. He has a Shooting of d12+2 and the Marksman edge (for another +2) and John is well within his short range and has no cover to speak of. He has the Two-Fisted Edge, so he could get off a second shot if he wanted to, but he's trying to demoralize the defenders with just how easy it is for him to take out the strongest of their group, so he on;y fires one shot.

00:41, Today: The Harbinger rolled 7,15 using d12+4,d10+4, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(10+1)11. Shooting! ...that may be the only shot he needs, too, since that's a hit and raise on John Smith.

00:42, Today: The Harbinger rolled 17 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+5)11,3. Damage. That's a Shaken and 2 Wounds for John, unless you decide to Soak.

Card for next round: 5D, AH, JS (Improved Level-headed).))

---

Up next: Dust Adders (Spotswood)

Eddie rolled across the warehouse roof when he spotted a Comanche making a break between the buildings.  Of course, not easy to do on a roof and, distracted, he ended up jamming the lever on the rifle.  Now useless, he just threw it angrily and pointlessly off the roof.

Don spotted the Comanche too and shifted over to take a shot, but got distracted by something hitting the ground in the alley.  His rifle slug kicked up dirt near the raider, but that was about it.

Felix's luck proved to be no better as he swung his shotgun over towards the raiders trying to rush the barricade and pulled the trigger.  The lack of an earth shattering kaboom took the wind out of his sails for a moment and he drooped back down behind the barricade.

OOC - Eddie - Winchester jam.  Don - Miss.  Felix - Shotgun jam.

Next initiative - 6C

12:47, Today: Dust Adders drew the single card: 6C using the Deadlands system. Dust Adders Initiative.
12:46, Today: Dust Adders rolled 3 using 1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1. DA3 Shotgun.
12:46, Today: Dust Adders rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. DA2 Winchester.
12:45, Today: Dust Adders rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. DA1 Winchester.

((OOC. Wow. A ton of weapon jams...that sucks.))

---

Up next: Adrian Vega!

OOC: Gus Shaw drew the single card: 10C using the Deadlands system.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:00, Wed 12 Sept 2012.

Adrian grasped the weapon Evans had handed him almost reverently, though he wasted no time in pulling it up and firing. He felt almost a strange kinship with it as it touched his hand, and he aimed it at the Marshal's attacker, and it fired! "Take that, Harbinger!"

---

OOC:
As I've done it the last two times, except with Evans' Gun. Three bolts, the wild die being the fourth die and applying to the third. Leaves the gun with 9/12 PP

21:58, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 3,3,5,11 using d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3,5,(6+5)11. Evans Gun Bolt.

So it looks like that's two hits with 5 and 11.

22:08, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 3 using 2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1. Damage, one more time.
22:02, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 4 using 2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. bolt base damage.
21:58, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 3,3,5,11 using d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3,5,(6+5)11. Evans Gun Bolt.

One hit for 4 damage, one hit for 3. Let the tickling commence!

This message was last edited by the player at 04:09, Wed 12 Sept 2012.

((OOC: Actually, the gun hits twice. The Wild Die can apply to ANY of the die you roll on a multifire attack. That means the 5 you rolled also counts, though it's a normal hit and not a raise.))
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:12, Wed 12 Sept 2012.

OOC:
Updated previous post with one more doozy of a bolt!

The gyromounts on Evan's pistol swing in time to the recoil of the shots, canceling the motion out and allowing Adrian's hits to stay mostly on target. Not that it seems to matter much. The Harbinger flinches a little, but the shots don't seem to stop it in any appreciable way.

((OOC: The Harbinger is less than impressed with the tickling. In the future you might consider doing 3d6 damage bolts rather than multiple bolts, thanks to this monster's high Toughness.))

---

Up Next: Gus Shaw, then Dust Adders (Vega)

Gus takes a moment to wipe the blood from his head and smirks at the harbinger. "Just a scratch." He mutters to himself. Upon seeing Adrian firing Evan's gun his eyes widen. There was something he could use against Harbinger, there was something that could kill the unkillable! He moved towards Adrian, intent on taking the gun, then he noticed something and went for Evans flamethrower instead.

OOC: Gus Shaw drew the single card: 10C using the Deadlands system.
 Gus Shaw rolled 13,7 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+3)11,5. Soak.

Evans groans as Gus reaches for his strange pack-like contraption, but he sees what Gus is trying to do and fumbles with the straps holding the tank to his back. "Here...be careful with this." He whispers, grimacing in pain. "Don't want to...burn the whole town down, do you?" He starts giving Gus a quick instruction in how the thing works.

---

Meanwhile

Itza-chu, abandoning stealth and unaware of his pursuers, dashes across the road and kicks in the door to the church.

The preacher looks up his bible, startled, at the half-naked, tattooed and scarred Indian in the doorway. Itza-chu raises his spear and give the preacherman a wicked grin.

"Heya heya heya, Padre. Wanna know how Jesus felt, a-hangin' from the cross?"

Then he leaped at the man. The long tip of his spear slashed the Father's arms, sending him sprawling with a cry of pain.

((OOC: Itza-Chu attacks Father o'Rourke with Frenzy.

Itza-Chu rolled 2,3,7 using d10,d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3,(6+1)7. Frenzy, Wild Attack. Hit, no Raise.

Itza-Chu rolled 6,1 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1. Damage. 7 Damage total, which makes Father O'Rourke Shaken.

I'm going to deal Father O'Rourke in now, since he's now a part of this bit Struggle.

Itza-Chu: 8S
Father O'Rourke: 7H))

---

up next: Dust Adders (Vega). Also, Vampire Girls, please post your actions!

The vampires stand about and pout.

"Why'd he go in there?"
"It hurts..."

"Come on," Darla says, handing Carmilla the cleaver, "It sounds like he's killin' the plumb-righteous...I'll go distract him, you be sweethearts and jump on him when he comes out."

Carmilla nods seriously. Bella's still a bit off from the torture, her concentration shot. "Oo, a red beef sandwitch!"
Darla shakes her head and lopes into a hustle, the other two spreading out so as not to be seen from the doorway.

[[08:19, Today: Vampire Dance Hall Girl rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. *dope* run Darla, run! Her current pace is 5, so 8

The other two start sneaking, with rolls of 5 apiece]]

The savage and the priest will see a distressed and bloodied woman run up and lean in the doorway, holding a hand to the breast bared by her ripped clothing. "Sanctuary! Oh, father, the Indians..." she looks up and gives a slightly too theatrical shriek at seeing Itza-Chu. "EeeeeeeEEEEEEEEeeeeee!!! Oh, no! No, no, not here!" Darla buckles like a wounded fawn, grabbing the doorway for support.



[[07:48, Today: Vampire Dance Hall Girl rolled 10 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+4)10. eek! a savage! -2 MAP, -1 unfed -> 7 Smarts Trick
init. 3H]]

The crazed Apache takes his eyes off the preacher and on to the screaming, swooning vampire. "So. Little mosquito girl get'em free, huh? Looks like'm you need a better swattin', Darlin'."

((OOC: Does he fall for it? Itza-Chu rolled 4,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4. Smarts trick? Looks like he does. unfortunately, the Parry penalty only lasts until his next action, so Father O'Rourke can't benefit from it, but it does draw attention.))

((OOC: I'm going to be splitting this thread into two, since these fights take place in separate locations. I'm still waiting on Adrian's batch of Dust Adders, but I'll consider them On Hold for now. John, go ahead and take your action.))

Of the locally infamous Dust Adders, three of them had been over in this pocket and now one was down for the count, though that still left some bullets in the offing. That meant in this case two more bullets from two more Peacemakers, two more triggers pulled and hopefully two more dead Injuns. It was too bad only one of those guns actually fired.

---

OOC:
Two of my Dust Adders are still in the game, one down. Two shots with their Winchesters, one malfunction, and hopefully one hit. Here are my rolls for resolution. Ignore the Winchester references - I went back and saw that these two only had Peacemakers, adding yet another shootin' iron to the pile of malfunctioning weapons.

11:03, Today: Dust Adders rolled 7 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4.
10:55, Today: Dust Adders rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Dust Adder 2 Winchester.
10:55, Today: Dust Adders rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Dust Adder 1 Winchester. offering.

Frank's shot rings true. He hits the Comanche square in the chest...but the bullet actually bounces away!

"Aim for the head, or the legs!" Gus shouts as he hefts Evans' flamethrower. "They ain't as armored there! better chance o' stunnin' the bastards!"

((OOC: The shot hits, but because unaimed shots are assumed to be aimed for center of mass (the torso), that shot will hit the Ghost Dance shirt, which is specifically armor vs. bullets. That means the 7 isn't enough to hurt them.

The Dust Adders should have Winchesters and shotguns on them, so the one that broke his peacemaker is going to need to draw it. I had no idea those guns would break so fast...))

---

John Smith is up!

((OOC: Still waiting for John Smith to post...If he doesn't post by tomorrow I'll put him on hold and continue on.

Oh, and Alouette, could you draw your initiative card for the next round?))

[[init. QC]]

some mood music

As John writhes in pain, the Comanche move against the defenders.

On the rooftop where Dishonest Abe fell, one of the indians slings his rifle into play and takes a potshot at Devil's Island Eddie, though he winds up firing from the hip and blowing the shot completely. Meanwhile, two of the raiders scramble up the sides of the Livery and the Jenson house. Neither is able to get a foothold, which leaves the snipers on those positions safe for now.

The same cannot be said for the defenders at the barricades.

Three screaming warriors charge the barricade, leaping atop it and swinging down on the shootists collected there. Felix is able to avoid the blow meant for his head, but Frank is not so lucky...the tomahawk digs deep into the cowhand's neck.

Adrian finds himself the victim of a face full of whooping Comanche brave...then sees the Indian's axe flash and feels a dull pain in his shoulder as it bites deep. He's lucky. His dead flesh absorbs most of the impact. But that leaves him with the problem that his position is now being overrun...

((OOC: I'm putting John on hold. After this round, I'm just going to have the Comanche go in one group to save space. I can't even tell which group is which.

First, I'll deal with the Shaken Comanche. One has 2 Fatigue, the other was just Shaken by a gunshot.

Comanche Raiders rolled 0,2 using d8-2,d8, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Unshake, unshake. Fail for both.

The unshaken Comanche on the rooftop where poor Dishonest Abe met his end will Go Prone and take a potshot at another one of Adrian's Dust Adders. He has to draw his rifle to do this, so he's got an MAP.

Comanche Raiders rolled -1 using 1d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Shooting! Miss.

Two of the Comanche are going to try and climb the buildings where the Dust Adders are. I will count this as a Group check. One heads to the Livery, the other the house near the barricades.

Comanche Raiders rolled 1,1 using d4-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3. Neither is going to get any purchase on the buildings.

Three of the Comanche charge the barricade. They all have weapons drawn. Each is going to make an attack against the nearest defenders.

One attack is going after one of Adrian's Dust Adders, one is going against Adrian himself, and one is going against one of Spotswood's Dust Adders. All three are Wild Attacking.

Comanche Raiders rolled 27,5,4 using d8+2,d8+2,d8+2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+8+8+1)25,3,2. Wild Attack! One hit With Raise on a Dust Adder, one Hit on Adrian, one Miss against Spotswood's Dust Adder.

Damage Against Adrian's Dust Adder: Comanche Raiders rolled 10,10 using d8,2d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+2)10,3,5. 20 Damage Total . The Dust Adder is Shaken with 3 Wounds, and needs to soak them all or be incapacitated.

Damage against Adrian: Comanche Raiders rolled 1,5 using d8,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3. 6 Damage Total. Adrian barely even feels it.

These three Comanche are at Parry 5 until their next action.

Card for next round: JH))

---

Turn Order:
The Harbinger: AC
Vega's Dust Adders: KS
Alouette: QC
Comanche Raiders: JH
Adrian Vega: JC
Gus Shaw: 10H
Spotswood's Dust Adders: 6C
John Smith: On hold
This message was last edited by the player at 17:36, Thu 20 Sept 2012.

John grunted and cried out in pain as the bullet ripped through him, or so he thought, he had spun around attempting to position himself to kick one of his opponents managing to turn an otherwise deadly wound into an incredibly painful graze. He tried to play it up some before lashing out with his boot at the Comanche remaining near him and slamming into it's chest before he staggered off to the side and out of the Harbingers line of sight.

John used his last Adventure Card AC - Lucky Break “Thank God I had that silver flask in my shirt pocket!”
Play this card to completely negate the damage from one attack. The Marshal gets to draw 2 random chips from the fate pot.
Saving his ass from that last wound and giving our illustrious GM a couple of fate chips.
John Smith rolled 8,5 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 8,5. Boot to the head hitting with an 8.
John Smith rolled 6,1,3 using d10,d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1,3. 10 Damage total.
John then uses his movement to move south towards the warehouse trying to get out of Harbinger's line of sight.
John Smith drew the single card: 9S using the Deadlands system.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:09, Thu 20 Sept 2012.

The Comanche devil lets out an ungainly grunt as John's boot finds his solar plexus, and he goes flying to land in the dirt of the road some 15 feet away.

((OOC: that's enough to make the warrior Shaken, and since he's already Shaken that lands the incapacitating blow. Please draw your card for next round))

---

Up Next: Adrian still needs to resolve Damage against his Dust Adders and draw for his group's next turn. unless he beats an Ace, the Harbinger is up next.

OOC:
10:02, Today: Dust Adders rolled 8 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8. Vigor for Soak.

10:10, Today: Dust Adders drew the single card: KS using the Deadlands system. Initiative.
10:03, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: JC using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

In a freak stroke of luck, Frank is able to catch the tomahawk headed for his face with his broken gun, throwing the blade off and sending the useless and now destroyed weapon spinning away into the night.

The Harbinger looks at the group of warriors crashing the barricades, and then begins to sink slowly into the ground. Soon, a cloud of mist is all that remains of where he once stood...

((OOC: The Harbinger uses his Etheralness to sink into the ground and move where the PCs can't see him...he has plans, oh yes he does! He isn't out of this fight, so I draw initiative for him. If you want to try and figure out where he's gone, make a Notice roll (-4 for the darkness and general confusion)

Card for next round: QS, 6S, 3H))

---

Up next: Adrian's Dust Adders!

Goddammit, he thought. Two of his buddies down, and now he was all that was left. He fired at the nearest Comanche with his Peacemaker. At least his gun hadn't broken down like the other two. He fired it off, and it looked like he missed.

OOC:
So two of my Dust Adders down for the count, one to go.

12:48, Today: Dust Adders rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Dice Roller.

Shoot and miss. How did these guys take over the town again? They couldn't hit a barn door with a gatling pistol at point blank range! :)

Notice...

12:53, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 1,4 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4. Notice.
12:53, Today: Dust Adders rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Notice.

This message was last edited by the player at 17:54, Thu 20 Sept 2012.

((OOC: And it was such a nice soak, too.

Mostly it's the fact that they ARE the town...the Dust Adders are a militant worker's union made up of all the people who were once miners and then became cattle ranchers banding together to keep Ward's new ranch from exploiting them like the Wendell Mining Company did. A lot of them served in the town's militia, and until they faced the threat of immortal Comanches they did pretty well for themselves.

With the -4 penalty from the general confusion and mayhem, that's a Fail for Adrian.))

---

Alouette is up next!
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:05, Thu 20 Sept 2012.

[[what's the weather doing?]]

In reply to Alouette (msg # 78):

((OOC: It's cloudy, but only partly. The moon can be seen through gaps in the cloud cover. ))

[[just checking. You don't want this to happen on a very wet street, for instance, even if I would giggle for days at wiping out the entire present cast like a football team struck by lightning. Also affects what special effects I get to play with...]]

The restless clouds and wind-swung lanterns on the roof cause the being stalking down the main street to flicker between flame-brightness and skeletal shadow, inhuman, predatory. It approaches the barricades with the unhindered, menacing grace of a hawk gliding to roost or a woman undaunted by her own nudity. Static roars.

(the chicken held in one brass arm doesn't wake, though: it's been a long day)

"Comanches - petticoat warriors! Fearful ever-fighters, has your...water run the colour from you?" the angel calls, the voice from the static harsh and mocking. It repeats something similar in Cherokee, the scorn blistering.

<<You have not even properly become white men, rifle-clutchers! See them risk all whilst you leave your souls in mother's grass-basket - it would have more honour to hide with them there than insult...your ancestors, who fought and conquered - south unceasing, a swing of stone and muscle! ...are you so much less, that you need to grovel to the slavers' ground-crawler...beg boons of a belly-writher?>> the bright lenses glare out at the Comanche over the barriers. <<This for the carrion-birds to fling corpses' teeth upon your mothers, on your elders and your children in the black-beak feeding! Fools! If there is one real man among you, let him test my truth...and to the one who walks back on this path of tar I offer my protection from the palefaces.>>


[[King. Of. Spades.]]

The Comanches look up at the flickering specter approaching them. Some were present at the last appearance of The Hawk, out on the the Texas plain. Most had only heard the tales from the others.

The fighting grinds to a halt as the warriors look at each other and mutter among themselves. None of them seem very eager to step forward to meet the machine's challenge.

some mood music

A thick, black mist creeps out of the Grand Bull. The swinging doors creek in a wind that hadn't been there a moment ago.

Then there is the soft jangle of spurs on wood, and The Harbinger steps out of the saloon, pistols holstered. It turns it's cowled head toward the clank, pats the guns at it's side, and strolls into the street, turning it's back on the defenders at the barricade.

It watches the brass automaton and waits.

Adrian was completely and utterly non-plussed at the sight of Alouette coming up behind the barricade, and then the reappeared Harbinger. He was still trying to make out exactly what the dang thing had said. Apparently, the clank had insulted the Injuns and offered up some kind of challenge - that much was clear, though not specifically what it said. Reminded him of the Ranger and her nearly endless string of animal metaphors. "Damn," he said. He pulled out a flask of whiskey and was about to take a drink from it, when he remembered that it wouldn't do him much in the way of good.

Instead, he passed the rough whiskey to the Marshal. "S'gonna be alright, Evans. Hang in there."

The automaton tilts its head and stalks forward a few paces more, leaving Deputy Chicken on a waterbutt. It looks at the apparition through one lens, then the other, sparks crackling between brass fingertips. Then the laugh.

It's the kind of laughter that might come from a bloodied warrior who knows the torture will kill them before the enemy gets a thing they will not give, fierce as the tearing of a hooked beak, wild as a blaze of arson. The clank's head jerks as though to beckon: bring it, white boy.

[[22:19, Today: Alouette rolled 6,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5. Intimidate + white chippit of annoyance]]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:23, Fri 21 Sept 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leX9GLacmUU

The grim figure faces the automaton down.

"This is not your fight, little bird." The Harbinger whispers. "This is not your land. This is not your town. These people do not deserve your pity, your mercy, your protection, your anger. They are sin and violence and not worth saving. Turn away now. Allow the slaughter to cleanse this land of the stain of these wretches. Or draw against my hand, and be swallowed."

Its hand hovers near the guns at its side. The Hawk, however, might notice a faint quiver in that hand, almost imperceptible to human eyes.

The automaton backs as the Harbinger paces up along the street, its steps as careful and precise as those of a drunkard striving to concentrate. It stops when the Harbinger stops, head swinging back and forth like something sunblind until with a slight tilt and angling of the 'beak' it seems to gain focus.

Static hisses. Then the laughter bubbles up again.

"You mean the cow-keepers...or the men that follow you? What is the hunter, who cares nothing for the buffalo? The reaper...who calls down the hailstorm?" challenges the voice from the crackled storm. The Harbinger raises a gun, fast.

Not fast enough: a shot howls past the automaton - now charging - and another, and another, the other gun brought to bear but hitting nothing. The machine/angel leaps, impossible in its grace and power as though true sinew stretched ahead of the body of a bird, unheard thunder thudding against the souls of those present like the downsweep of some mighty wing.

Time seems almost to hang as the metal being twists slightly in the air to compensate for some unseen inbalance, one brass foot striking the Harbringer's chest an instant before the other. The spectre goes down like a thing of flesh and blood under bone-breaking talons, the flash of the clank's decending 'beak' plunging downward like lightning.

The Harbinger screams. It's a hideous sound, felt like unendurable pressure in the skull, a twisting in the gut, harmonics outside the mortal plane scraping like nails down the soul. It's the sound of something that should no longer be able to feel pain in helpless, thought-destroying agony. Several of the combattants further out are brought down, kneeling or leaning on whatever's available, head down and hand or kerchief raised to the sudden gush of nasal blood.

The Hawk ignores the noise like the squealing of a doomed rabbit, static brightness flickering a moment with the sensation of wings fluttered for balance in some other air as it pins the demon's desperate flail for a gun underfoot. The 'beak' tears down again and again. The invisible point cleaves into the spirit's substance, rending it in strips as raw as meat and intangible as shadow. The screaming stops.

The clank stamps about until happy with its balance on what's left, apparently devouring the fading remains of its opponent by the chunk. It pauses once to shriek possession at something(s?) no-one else can see, then Adrian for some reason, but otherwise has done with the fallen Harbinger quite quickly, leaving scraps reminiscent of nothing more than scattered fluff at a kill site.

It turns its attention to the bulletproof Comanches, straightening and regarding them with a tilt of the head that might be termed 'expectant'.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:31, Sun 30 Sept 2012.

The Indians stare at the pile of rags and the dropped pistols that were the sole remains of their champion.

Then one near the back of the group breaks and runs. Like a dam bursting, the others follow suit, running back into the darkness.

The Dust Adders look over the suddenly empty battle flied, and a ragged cheer erupts from the rooftops.

((OOC: Good show. Combat over, unless The Hawk wants to have a go at Gus.))

The Hawk strode and leapt up on the barricade to watch, wood scored and splintered by unseen talons...then there's a murmur of Chumash and the static fades in a long sigh.

"...local demonic activity minimised...recalibrating static loops..."

Alouette sees some Pure Blooded Comanches! One is even nearby, hesitating in the street. The angel knows just what to do here, even without a hickory stick: it flaps at the warrior like an annoyed butler.
"Shoo! Shoo! Go on, get out of here, shoo!"

The man flees like the Devil might just singe his arse. Alouette flails a bit for balance and half-jumps, half falls off the barricade with a small-girl giggle, pattering up to see what Adrian and Evans are doing. There's a brief crackle and flare of light in its lenses as it looks at Gus, but it looks down at Evans and is apparently distracted.

"Should we take Ambrose to the Shepherd? He is leaking lots..."


[[Nah, she's not going to push it and is fortunately at the wrong angle to see the scalps, though Gus should be very, very quiet, methinks.]]

Something called to Adrian near where the Harbinger lay. It was a primal and seductive calling that seemed to beckon to him. In an ancient saga the likes of which the huckster hadn't ever gotten a chance to read or hear, this would've been called a siren's song. But he wasn't an Achaean captain and had no crew to tie him down. Even as he walked, he talked to Alouette. But half his mind was somewhere else as he meandered over to the remains of the thing that died there.

"Ambrose needs a doctor," he said, looking down at the Marshal. "Shit. He said there's no doctor. Y'all got a holy man in town? Shit, you did this thing in good."

"I'm...not dead...yet." Evans mumbles from the street where he lays. "Might...go for...a walk. Don't go talking...about me...in the third person..."

"You just lay yourself down, Marshal. Don't be gettin' up. We're gonna get you some help soon. Ain't that right, Alouette?" Shiny objects had always beckoned to him. Maybe it was a coin? Or maybe somethin' better. Somethin' like that probably didn't have coins. It probably had stuff more valuable than that. He looked at the guns, and they looked good, but there was something else.

He reached into the folds of cloth to see what he might find there.

Within the folds of The Harbinger's rags, Adrian pulls forth a shiny silver marshal's star. It reminds him of the star he once saw pinned to Marshal Bentley's chest, back when he was a wild-eyed youth just getting into trouble. He remembers the time the Marshal clapped him in irons after catching him and some of the other boys drinking, in an attempt to scare him straight. It didn't really work out...Adrian's misspent youth turned into a misspent adulthood, but even then the marshal's stern countenance remained at the back of his mind.

The star seems a bit tarnished in the back, from where it had presumably touched the Harbinger's skin. Adrian could feel a bit of the power held inside the badge, power that had been wrapped around it.

What had the Harbinger been? Wrath incarnate, it seemed. Angry over some perceived injustice. He'd heard that angry spirits sometimes anchored themselves to their old homes and effects. Had The Harbinger once been Marshal Bentley? And if so...what twisted him into such a monster? There couldn't have been that much hate in the man's ghost for the town he'd served so long, could he?

Adrian took a long moment staring at the shiny badge in his hand. Marshal Bentley had been a good man in his life. He resented the law man when he was a young buck, but he knew that the things the man had done had been done with good intentions. It was a bad thing if he had turned into this thing after life, but at least Alouette had done the man's soul a favor by putting it down. He tucked it into his shirt pocket, something to remember old times back. He shivered, and hoped that he himself wouldn't come to such an end. If he did, well, he was pretty sure the clank would offer him the same courtesy. And well would he deserve it.

But for now, he could control himself as best he could and try to do the best for this town for however long he would last. Somehow he was sure that his time was coming, but before that, maybe there could be redemption. Probably not.

Reaching down, he picked up the scythe tipped guns. Strange weapons, but they were his now. To use in the defense of Blackthorne, not against them like they had once been used.

PM
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:08, Mon 01 Oct 2012.

"Yes," the clank chirps, picking the wounded Marshal up with utmost care. It'd been correcting 'angel-' to Adrian's shit-related remarks as though addressed.

[[07:46, Today: Alouette rolled 1,10 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+4)10. pickin' up guys.]]

"Y'all be excellent to each other," it tells the defenders, and makes to head for the church.

[[are there any unconscious natives still about?]]

Evans groans at being picked up. "No really...I'll be fine...just need something to dull the pain...and some ingredients...baking soda, vinegar, alcohol, laudanum...catgut thread...needles...ow..."

Gus looks at the street. "Frank, Felix, let's go bring down Abe and Elliot down. Might be able to save 'em." He says to the two Dust Adders near him. He looks over at the rooftops. "Eddy! Don! Get down here and help cover the Injuns! Gotta figger out what to do with the damn things!" He turns to Adrian. "You alright? I saw ya get winged..."

((OOC: The fleeing Comanche didn't have time to pick up the comrades for those that John knocked out, so there are three dazed and unconscious Indians in the street.))

"Y'all should arrest the Comanches and not let them go until they're sorry," Alouette instructs the assembled with Wildcat-like assurance.

"The Grand Bull has vingegar, but self does not know location of other objects," it informs Evans.

John blinked and simply watched the amazing display between Alouette and the Harbinger, the automaton, as ever, amazed him and it was clear to the man that it was much more than gears and ghost rock. When it became clear the fight was over he recalled the downed Marshall and winced, he'd only have a limited time to act before his wounds were too severe. He made his way to the barricade at a sprint, ignoring the fleeing Apache's unless one deigned to attack.

He was about to mentioned the Comanche's he had knocked out cold but it seemed Gus and the others had a handle on them, instead he went to the Marshall's side. "Hold still." he said simply. "There's more wickedness in this area for you to stress over yet." He straightened Evan's body and let his hands hover over him, sensing disruptions in his chi where the bullets had struck. He focused that energy around the tainted wounds and summoned it out. His face was one of intense concentrations as his body tensed and he seemed still until that filth had been removed. The wounds were still there, but Evan's might recover a little easier now.

OOC:
John spends 3 chi points to heal Evans.
John Smith rolled 1,5 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5. Healing.
John Smith rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Blue Chip adding D6.
Total of 7, damn, no raise. 1 wound is healed.

"Didn't hit me solid," he said, still testing the heft of his new guns. He was going to have to get special holsters made for them. He'd never seen guns like them before, and they felt kinda special. It would take some practice before he could quick draw with 'em.

"Just got grazed, that's all. You doin' alright, Gus? How many wounded we got? I think that was the craziest shit I ever done seen." Even as he talked, he began to get back over to where the dazed Comanches were. He decided to sort of strap in one of the guns into a belt loop and let it dangle there precariously for the moment until he could get a proper holster made. Holding the other one at one of the Injuns, he began to remove the weapons from one of the natives, tossing them aside. He was trying to see if he could find anything important that would tell them anything more about the attack.

---

OOC:
09:49, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 3,4 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4. Notice.

Evans stands unsteadily after John lays hands on him. "Ow...thank you. I think I can walk now..." he says, then flops over on to Alouette. "Though I may be somewhat unsteady."


The Dust Adders, meanwhile, are retrieving their fallen.

Gus looks over the men with Adrian. Abe, poor Dishonest Abe, had been hacked up good, and the skin of his scalp had been shorn clean off. Elliot, however, was still breathing when they lowered him down.

Gus leaned over him. "Hey...how you doin'?" he asks, surprisingly tenderly.

"I...I...hurts, Gus..." he gulps, looking at the wound in his side. Not directly in the guts...he'd be a dead man for sure. But it's mighty touchy.

"You think you can lend yer magic fingers to Elliot here, John-boy?"  Gus shouts at John. "We got wounded!"

The Indians Adrian examines are just as creepy up close. They have no color in them. Anywhere. It's like a horrible dime novel he'd read once at the Lady Luck Club, about an evil Voodoo wizard who'd magicked a photograph and sent the pictures out to steal and murder for him. He'd scoffed at the time - his personal experience was that Voodoo Did Not Work That Way -but this was real black magic...and real powerful magic at that. Unfortunately, he'd get no answers out of them until they woke up.

Frank jogs up to Gus. "Got a problem, boss. I spotted some tracks headin' up north...one o' them Injuns snuck away durin' the fightin'. And he's headed up for the graveyard."

"FUCK!" Gus growled. "That's just what we don't need right now! Bet you dollars to donuts he ain't aware his friends got stomped, niether..." he looks up at Adrian. "We gotta get up there. That graveyard...there's things there. The dead done rose once there, last time that big scary fucker came 'round. Ward put up some chains...said they was magic chains that would keep the dead asleep, or somethin'. If that red nigger breaks them chains..."

"Fuck. Too much shit to do, not enough time." He grunted sourly as he undid one of his newly acquired pistols that he had earlier tucked into his belt loop, carefully readying it in his hand and testing its weight. The weapon felt surprisingly well balanced despite the scythe that rested upon it. It had been remarkably well crafted.

"Alright, Gus let's go get the Injun. Frank, you mind tyin' up those Comanches so they don't get loose again? Or just plug 'em. Whatever you feel works best."

"Ain't that the fuckin' truth." Gus says, then hollers over to Evans, "Hey! Mind if'n I keep hold o' this here doodad for a bit?" He hefts the nozzle of Evans' flame thrower.

Evans blinks. "Oh dear...be careful with that! It's not a pistol or rifle...don't expect it to fire like one. And for God's sake, don't aim it near any buildings! The last thing we need is a fire on top of everything else!"

"Yeah, yeah...I got it!" Gus says.

"Shootin' 'em didn't do no good the first time 'round..." Frank grouses, but he and Devil's Island Eddie are already in the process of gathering them up and pulling barbed wire from the booby trap to keep them contained.

"Come on, Adrian...let's hoof it!" Gus says, and begins to run.

((OOC: You can reach the area around Town Hall in a round...Deal yourself a card and put it on the Duck You Sucker thread so I can put you in to the next round's initiative.))

He stopped to look back to the ghastly, billowing cloak that had surrounded the Harbinger not long ago. "Hang on just a second, Gus, I got me an idea."

Walking back over to the garments, he quickly picked them up and draped them over himself, drawing the cloak over his head. He quickly put his wrists through the armbands, and pulled on the bandolier and its gunbelt, which had the holsters he had been wanting earlier. One of the scythe tipped pistols in each hand, he said, "I bet I can fool one o' them Injuns with these here outfit" as he caught up to the Dust Adder capo.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:42, Tue 02 Oct 2012.

He had no luck trying to further patch Evan's up. He tried, he focused his energies and attempted to get his wounds to knit and mend but it was to no avail. "You're going to need to take it pretty damn easy from here on in." he said at last before looking over to Gus and Abe.

John nodded and went to Abe "I can try at least." He said as he looked at the wounds and winced. He wasn't an expert, he was working on instinct as much as knowledge from his Sifu's writings. He tried to focus the mans chi, maybe there was imbalance in his life, or maybe John was too new to all of this. "Crap." he said when he failed to work on the man. "If anyone can get me some bandages and disinfectant, or hard alcohol, I might be able to stabilize him the old fashioned way." he said. He would attempt to clean and bind the wounds as best he could, forgetting Chi and working with the simple first aid and Chinese remedies as best he could. "If he's to survive he needs rest and lots of it..." he said at last.

OOC:
Ugh, the dice roller hated me. Wasted two chips.
John Smith rolled -2,-1 using d6-3,d4-3, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Healing Evans Wounds .
John Smith rolled 3,2 using d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. Healing Check.
John Smith rolled 3,2 using d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. White chip reroll.
John Smith rolled 2,1 using d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1. White chip reroll.
John Smith rolled 5,2 using d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2. Healing Check, skill only.
So I may have stabilized him with simple first aid.

"Do you require plus fixing?" the clank asks Evans, clearly not quite caught up with processing all the running around going on nearby. It looks after the running men, then back to the Marshal.

"Priority capture of single Comanche attacking chains, location of Owl Comanche or aiding repentence of arrested Comanches?" it asks.

"Yes...yes, I believe I do, and I fear the good reverend is the only other healer in town than Mr. Smith and myself." Evans says, the frowns. "...and they would have to have taken all my weapons with them, too...honestly, you'd think Mr. Vega would have the common courtesy of at least returning my pistol after retrieving two new guns of his own before gallivanting off..." he shakes his head. "Well, such is my life. Right. Priorities." he thinks for a moment. "The last time some fool messed about with the graveyard, we had dozens of walkers roaming the streets. Of course, that was all the Harbinger's doing...without him I don't see what good opening the chains around the cemetery will do. But since the church is that direction anyway, I suppose we should put a stop to whatever our missing renegade is up to, just to be on the safe side."

"Okay!" the clank chirps, heading that way. "Weapons can hurt people, Ambrose," it points out.

"What does a hickory tree look like, resemble?"

"That is the very point of them, Alouette." Evans says. "We may need to cause injury to those who would harm us in turn." He thinks for a moment. "Though if the situation could be resolved without resort to violence, it would be preferable. But I fear that the situation may not be conducive to that outcome."

He shrugs, then winces in pain at the shrug. "Ow...I cannot help you there--I have difficulty my own self telling the various species of trees apart. Why do you ask?"

"Logic error, Ambrose," the clank asserts, helping him slowly down the street. "If mortals are in danger, plus effective to remove weapons of harming people than adding plus plus weapons. Self can tell the Comanche to shoo," it offers.

"A hickory tree is a tree that has hickory sticks: Ranger Hawkins wanted to locate one for self...if you whoop the ass of a man with a hickory stick, he stops fighting: that would make it plus easy to effect arrest of Comanche," the tin-can angel reasons. The steps it imagines between gaining a hickory stick and hardened warriors giving up can only be speculated.


(Meanwhile, Deputy Chicken, glad all the localised demonic/bird of prey activity is over for now, finds herself a nice warm spot on one of the immobilised humans, tucks her head under her wing and goes back to sleep)

[[Deputy Chicken is Guarding The Prisoners. Sort of. See dice roller.]]
This message was last edited by the player at 22:54, Sun 07 Oct 2012.

"You know...hickory is often used in axe handles. If we got you an axe, you might be intimidating enough that you wouldn't need to, er, 'whoop' any 'ass.'" Evans says.

((OOC: Evans is injured, so his pace is 3. That means it will take Alouette, Evans, and John several rounds to get to the fight at the church.))

"Angels should not spread fear alone, Ambrose...but then self would have a hickory stick to show the Comanche...where do axes live?"

[[Ach, I think they have it under control.]]