Ward motions the Dust Adders around him to head into the tunnel and help. Spanish Joe nods and hustles up behind Heavy Henry, Rifle at the ready. He sees shapes swirling in the light, offers a song to the spirits, and takes aim at the monster attacking Murphy.

The rifle shot echoes down the corridor, and the rock head of the skeleton explodes into fine powder. The thing collapses.

Heavy Henry whoops at the sight. "Yeah! That's the way ya do it!" he says, then hustles up next to Mike. "Stand aside, and let a pro take over here!" he grins at his friend, and takes aim at the dead miner ripping in to Dr. Spotswood.

The skeleton looks up at him, and for an instant, Henry hesitates. "John?" He mutters, a catch in his throat. Then he frowns. "Sorry, John."

The blast sends the thing reeling, but it stands, still a threat. Henry curses at his hesitation.

Ned, meanwhile, doesn't look forward to creeping into the tunnel of death he'd just left, but Ward's orders were orders, so he did so. He stopped next to Spanish Joe, and squeezed off a round. The bullet ricocheted off a wall, doing nothing more than making noise. Ned shrugged. Wasn't his problem.


((OOC: Since we've lost Augustus's player, I'll get to rolling for the Dust Adders.

Spanish Joe moves and takes a shot with his El Cheapo Winchester. He's well within rifle range of the Dead Miners. Innocent Bystander rules apply, though.

10:56, Today: Dust Adders rolled 9 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9. Shooting! Hit and Raise!

10:57, Today: Dust Adders rolled 14,3 using 2d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(8+2)10,3. damage (with Raise). Total of 17 damage which is enough to put the skeleton out of commission.

Heavy Henry hustles closer to the skeleton and takes aim with his scattergun.

11:03, Today: Dust Adders rolled 4 using 1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Shooting! Hit.

11:04, Today: Dust Adders rolled 11 using 3d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2,5. Damage. 11 Damage will make this one Shaken, just like the last one.

Ned moves up as far as he can, up behind Spanish Joe. He's just out of Short Range for his pistol, so he has a penalty on his shot.

11:07, Today: Dust Adders rolled 1 using 1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Shooting! That's a clean miss. Since it's not a natural 1, though, he doesn't hit any innocent bystanders.

I work on Augustus' post after I get home from work tonight.))

"Vile ossified miscreant!" The scientist grumbles, favoring his wounded side and bringing his trumpet-gun thing to bear on the skeleton called "John." "Have at you!" He fingered the trigger...

...but rather than a burst of focused sound, the trumpet-bell of the device only shoots a dazzling display of sparks.

"Oh." Spotswood whimpers. "No...that was the new functionality...yes, I checked all the damn variables..." He staggers away from the skeleton, backing up behind Mike as he checks his device over. "Um...give me a moment...I think I can fix this..."

((OOC: With the Skeleton nearest to him Shaken, Augustus can use his device fairly freely. He's going to use Pummel. The cone template will also hit the two dead miners he had previously entangled. To affect them, he's going to need to roll Shooting. he has a -1 penalty from his wound.

10:58, Today: Augustus Spotswood rolled 0,1 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Shooting! Um...going to spend a Red Chip for a reroll, because otherwise that's a Malfunction.

10:59, Today: Augustus Spotswood rolled 0,3 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4. red chip. That's on;y slightly better, still a failure, and still a Malfunction. Alrighty, then.

11:01, Today: Augustus Spotswood drew the single card: 7D using the Deadlands system. Mad Science Malfunction!

That's a Minor Malfunction, so his device is going to conk out until he can make a Repair roll at -2 to fix it.

Taking advantage of the dead miner being Shaken (and thus unable to attack him), Augustus retreats behind Mike.

Cards for next round
Dust Adders: 5C
Augustus: 5S))

---

Up Next: Dead Miners!

The skeletal thing near Murphy recovers its equilibrium, and lurches at the Irishman. Bone claws rake across his shirt, but the thing still seems weakened by the shotgun blast.

Meanwhile, one of the skeletons hit by Augustus' sonic cannon stops vibrating, and staggers back into the pile of bones near the cave mouth. It tumbles into the pile, collapsing into its constituent parts. Whether that means it's gone for good or is just resting, none can say.

The dead miner above Carl leans over and begins picking the stricken cowboy off the ground. "Come with me, boy. It's too loud here. Gonna take you someplace privite-like to finish you off," it whispers.


((OOC: There's 5 Dead Miners left. One is hidden from the group, one is focused on Carl, one is next to Murphy but is Shaken, and two are still entangled from Augustus' device.

Roll to unshake: 11:18, Today: Dead Miners rolled 7 using 1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Recover from Shaken. That will do it. The skeleton can take an action at -2.

The two entangled skeletons try to escape their hindering.

11:20, Today: Dead Miners rolled 18,3 using d10,d10, rerolling max with rolls of (10+8)18,3. Escape! One manages to make it with a Raise, so it's free and can move and take actions. The other is still stuck.

The free skeleton moves into the bone pile and Burrows into it, so that it can spring from hiding again at some future point.

The Skeleton facing Murphy makes it's Frenzy attack, though it has -2 from the MAP of unshaking this action.

11:25, Today: Dead Miners rolled 2,-1 using d10-2,d10-2, rerolling max with rolls of 4,1. Frenzy! No hits.

The Skeleton facing Carl attempts a Grapple. 11:32, Today: Dead Miners rolled 4 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Grapple! Carl, make an opposed Grapple check to avoid being picked up and carried by the thing.

Dead miners: 3C))

---

Up Next: Carl!

Vision blurred and head ringing from the crack against the floor, Carl hears but does not process the hissing above him. Then Murphy yelps at a close shave and at once he's on his front trying to rise, teeth bared and the blood streaming hot down his face.

The skeleton catches his leg and hauls back, laughing; Carl is temporarily dropped into a shock of black pain as he crashes down on his right side.

[[19:14, Today: Carl Allans rolled 9,0 using d8-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of (8+4)12,3. unshake? (without phobia penalties) He unshaketh! With a raise, no less...
19:15, Today: Carl Allans rolled -2,0 using d8-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3. fightin'. Nope.
init. 2S]]

The tunnel twists like a serpent's belly, and soon Charging Bear, Jeb, and Itza-chu are lost in darkness. From ahead, they can hear the sounds of battle...gunfire, shouting, and a strange triple-toned blare that sounds like a badly-tuned trombone.

Sounds like we got trouble. Jeb says. His voice is strangely weak and distant. What d'you think we should do?

A smile forms on Charging Bear's lips as he takes in the sounds - attempting to discern what's going on beyond. "See what's going on of course."

Charging Bear can see the glimmer of lamp light from ahead, and make out vague movement. There's gunfire, shouts of surprise and horror, and a strange rattling, like bones being shaken in a sack. He can barely make out a very thin thing picking up a man, though it's too dim for details.

((OOC: Charging Bear is up! It's Dark in here, so all melee attacks are going to be at -2 for you.))

Charging Bear isn't quite sure WHAT is going on but a bag a bones is probably the best thing to shoot which is what he does. "Keep close Jeb and keep that murderous bastard with you," the native son says and moves closer. The big iron feels warm in his hand but he doesn't let that distract him as he levels the massive pistol on the creature.

OOC: Going to shoot first and ask questions... eventually.
13:33, Today: Charging Bear rolled 6,3 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,3. Shooting.
That might hit... right? Forgot the +2 for being Stone's gun...so that's an 8.
Damage!
13:35, Today: Charging Bear rolled 16 using 2d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+2)8. Damage (+1 Gun, +2 Magic, +1 Grim, AP1).
If its undead then that's actually an 18.

13:38, Today: Charging Bear drew the single card: 10C using a deck of 54 cards. Card.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:38, Thu 28 Feb 2013.

I'll watch him. Jeb says, distantly. That's about all I can do, though...

The roar of the pistol seems even louder in the cramped confines of the chamber. Charging Bear's ears ring.

The effect on the skeletal thing is much more impressive. The bullet shatters it into tiny pieces. Carl drops as the thing collapses.

Back in the tunnel, Ward and Ned hurry toward Murphy. "Hold on!" He shouts. "We're coming!"

((OOC: That will be 2 wounds to the bag of bones, which is more than enough to put it down. Ward's action is just moving closer. I'll post an updated round map and initiative order when I get home from work.))

---

Turn Order:
Charging Bear: 10C
Mad Irish Murphy and Tex: 7H
Augustus: 5S
Dust Adders: 5C
Dead Miners: 3C
Carl: 2S
Dr. Ward: 2S
Mike Bennett: 2D

OOC: Going on hold to see what's going on!

Hold on?! Hold on?! What the fuck are they thinking, that's I'm just going to have a nice drink and get me skull bashed in?

OOC:
Attacking the skeleton with the rock in my hand...

20:43, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 14,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+6)14,4. Fighting with rock.
Woo-hoo! A hit! With a raise!
20:44, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 8,1,4 using d6,d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8,1,4. Damage (Str, rock, bonus).
That would be a total of 13.

20:45, Today: Mad Irish Murphy drew the 2 cards: 4H, 2D using the Deadlands system. Initiative, Level headed.
Next round initiative: 4H.


Tex moves closer to Murphy this round, if I still control him.

21:30, Today: Tex rolled 3,9 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+3)9. Notice, blue chip to re-roll.

21:30, Today: Tex rolled 1,1 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. Notice.

The huge, scarred giant angrily digs through the bones, scattering them here and there, looking for that black skull...

Charging Bears decides that he'd best start moving before he gets shot.

OOC: Heading south towards Carl, then I'll probably do something silly like shoot something

Tex trundles past Murphy and into the chamber. He begins tossing the big pile of bones, seeking the black skull. And he finds it. He lifts it triumphantly into the air...and then bellows in pain as a hundred sharp spikes of bone stab his arms. A ribcage snaps shut around the skull, and a dozen more bones leap and join into the monster's body as the bone 'glom begins to reform...

((OOC: Make a Fear check, folks! -6 for the Deadland, -2 for the monster's fear rating, + Grit!

Charging Bear, assuming you're not terrified out of your wits, you can use your Held action to shoot at it. Hitting the ebony skull before it's completely packed in bones in the thing's chest will require a Called Shot with a -4 penalty (since it's a head shot).))

[[Carl Allans rolled -6, -10 using d8-13,d6-13, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3. fear! It's just not Carl's day.

23:04, Today: Mike Bennett rolled 5,-5 using 2d6-8, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+1)13,3. fear!
Murphy got the last visible miner, right?]]

Mike steps in towards Murphy when the little Dust Adder knocks the skeleton away with what sounded like an incapacitating crunch, reaching out, but falters at the scraping, rattling sound of bones drawing together. Tex's very human howls drew his attention to the mass, and the great dim giant clutching something at the centre.
"Aw, hell...TEX! THROW IT! THROW IT HARD!!"

---

The shock to Carl's nerves seems to do something to his chest: he can feel his heart beating like hammer blows and he's breathing fast, too fast, yet still not seeming to draw enough air. A wave of dizziness and nausea breaks over him as he tries once more to rise, teeth bared at the floor, but even though his nails scrape hard against the rock his good arm can't hold him. He's barely aware of his body's attempts to curl away from the phantom pressure, aware only that he can't breathe and wants to live- then, darkness.

[[reckon I'll go with 'panic attack', then. I was wondering if I'd have to get Mike to punch him out. Silly wolf.]]
This message was last edited by the player at 23:14, Thu 02 May 2013.

Carl's mind can't handle the strain. His wounds, the danger, and the last few days without rest all catch up with him, and his mind shuts down. Carl, strongest of the strong, faints dead away.

((OOC: Fear effect for Carl: 8. That's a Shaken, which he already was. I'll rule that he's not Incapacitated and unconscious.

There's the miner that's still under the influence of Augustus's Entangle effect.))

Murphy fails... only a matter of time, I s'pose...

12:56, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled -2,-3 using d10-5,d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. Fear check, red chip.

12:56, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled -2,-2 using d10-5,d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3. Fear check.

12:58, Today: Tex rolled -4,0 using d6-5,d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5. Fear check.

((OOC: So this is what it takes to have almost every PC present actually fail a Fear check, hmm? *scribbles notes*

Charging Bear fails. I roll 6 on the fear table, so Charing Bear is Shaken and loses his Held Action (please draw for next round).

Murphy fails. I roll a 13 on the fear table. ooo, looks like Murphy has picked up a Minor Phobia! Since he's been fighting awful, horrible skeletal critters, let's say he's picked up a phobia for bones.

Tex fails...this is bad for everyone involved. Tex responds to fear by going Berserk. He is no longer under Murphy's control.

I'll work on the other NPCs who are involved in this when I get home from work.))

OOC: Did my post get eaten?

OOC: Umm 6 + 2 = 8 total fear mod for this baddie ... so yeah this is BAD
07:37, Today: Charging Bear rolled -2,-2 using 1d6-5,1d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3. Spirit (-8 Fear +3 Grit).
Red chip for +d6
07:37, Today: Charging Bear rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Red Chip.
-2+1 = -1 ... so fail
Red chip to re-roll the whole thing
07:37, Today: Charging Bear rolled -3,-4,5 using 1d6-5,1d6-5,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1,5. Red Chip re-roll.
So -3 +5 = 2... so still a fail.

Oh forgot my fatigue so add -1 to that total X_x
This message was last edited by the player at 11:21, Mon 06 May 2013.

In reply to Charging Bear (msg # 127):

((OOC: Yup. It got sent as a PM to Arthur Whateley. I was wondering why you'd sent the message there...))

There's screams and shouts of panic from back in the tunnel as the Dust Adders react to the monster getting back together again.

Heavy Henry books it toward the tunnel mouth, back behind Ward and his friends. "Come on! We gotta get outta here!" he shouts. "Run! RUN!"

Augustus, too, shrieks like a little girl as the bone thing reconstitutes itself, and cowers in a niche in the wall. "no...it's not possible...how can we...Oh? well, yes, I haven't tried that function yet...could work..." He gulps, and steps back into the tunnel, aiming his trumpet-like device at the beast.

"HAVE AT YOU!" he shouts and then there's just a cacophonous {{BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAART!!!}} for his weapon.

Murphy, sadly directly in the path of this noise, feels a wave of pressure blast past him, trying to knock him off of his feet...

((OOC: Continuing on with Fear Checks and Actions:

Augustus and Heavy Henry also need to make Fear Checks. Ward, Ned, and Spanish Joe do not.

15:59, Today: Augustus Spotswood rolled -4,-4 using d6-5,d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. Fear! Critical Failure! I'm just going to make him Panicked to save time.

16:02, Today: Dust Adders rolled -5 using 1d6-7, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Fear! Fail. not that Henry had much chance of making this roll, anyway. He's panicked, too.

Both Spotswood and Heavy Henry retreat back behind Ward's position.

On Augustus' turn, he attempts to Unshake.

16:07, Today: Augustus Spotswood rolled 2,9 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+4)10. unshake. nice. He gets an action without an MAP.

He moves back over to that little niche there in the wall and attempts to use his trumpet gun's Pummel feature. Tex and the Bone 'Glom are caught in the cone template...but so is Mad Irish Murphy!

16:19, Today: Augustus Spotswood rolled 5,4 using d10-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5. Weird Science! That's a success.

16:22, Today: Tex rolled 20,15 using d12+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of (12+7)19,(6+6+2)14. Strength! He's not going anywhere.

16:23, Today: Bone 'Glom rolled 12,3 using d12+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 10,1. Strength! He's not going anywhere etiher.

That only leaves Mad Irish Murphy. Murphy, make a Strength check (just a regular one, not an opposed check) or get blasted 2d6 squares forward and knocked. And, if you happen to hit a solid object in the way (such as, say, Tex or the Bone 'Glom), you'll be Shaken as well.

The Dust Adders are on Hold. Henry has to roll to Unkshake. He does, and so has an action, which he will also hold. I'll continue posting once Murphy makes his roll to see if he goes flying into danger...))

Looks like Murphy's luck is running out... The dice-roller had much more love for our wee Irish lad before the break!
09:36, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 2,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Strength.

Mad Irish Murphy flet his feet give way and he was airborne, sailing end over end across the cavern, past the pile of bones, past Tex and the Bone 'Glom, past the still body of Carl and an Indian he'd never seen before...and right into the opposite wall, the impact driving his breath from him.

((OOC: That's why they call it "The luck of the Irish." ;)

12:33, Today: The Stray rolled 10 using 2d6. How far does Murphy fly? Wow. Ten squares will put Murphy on the opposite side of the cavern. Far past Carl and Charging Bear. heck, it's far enough to put him on the opposite wall...whcih means he's struck a solid object and is Shaken.))

---

It's Carl's turn...the Dead Miners are on hold

Carl continues to be a small half-curled heap of bloodied flesh on the cavern floor.

Henry, meanwhile, barrels into Joe and Ward, the former making his best attempt to catch him and prevent collision with the latter. "No! The Bone Walker! We've gotta-"

Henry realises Mike and Murphy haven't followed him. "Shit!" Shaking, the big man checks his ammunition, constantly looking back up the tunnel.

"C'n you voodoo it somewhow, Doc?" he pleads with Ward, clearly reluctant to go back down the passage.


[[I suppose HH holds, too, since I can't think of a thing to do with him back there. How many bullets does he have at present?]]

"I'm afraid most of my 'voodoo,' as it were, will not be helpful." Ward says. "The spirits I usually contact to enact my...voodoo...are currently opposed to our endeavor, making most of my tricks difficult at best and actively hostile to us at worst." He considers for a moment. "However, I think I might have a plan."

He reaches into his satchel and withdraws several sticks of dynamite. "Dico autem vobis ligula levius!" he intones in a grave voice over the dynamite sticks. "There. Now they are enchanted. If you can get these into the piles of bones and blow them up, they will surely rend whatever spirits are causing the bones to rise. Be careful to keep them well away from the Ghost Rock seams and our companions."

He hands the four enchanted sticks to Henry. "Have Mr. Bennet rescue Mr. Allans and Mr. Muprhy while you and Ned set the charges."

"Hey, why does it have to be me?" Ned squawks.

"Because you're the one who has been cringing while your friends have put themselves in danger. now go!"

"Alright, Henry." Ned mutters. "Lead the way."

((OOC: Ward hands Henry four sticks of dynamite after some dog latin doggerel, and gives orders to Henry. It's now Henry and Mike's turn, with Ned moving with Henry.

As for ammo, I've updated the character sheets of Mike and HH with that info.))