Charging Bear presses what little advantage he has, his twin blades slicing the air in measured arcs attempting to find their target.

OOC: Sorry for holding everyone else up.
08:36, Today: Charging Bear rolled 3,2,8,4 using 1d10+1,1d6+1,1d10-1,1d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1,9,5. Fighting (+1TMW+1Flou-2 Offhand,-1Fati).
That 8 will hit I believe
08:38, Today: Charging Bear rolled 4,2 using 1d8+3,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Damage (Str,Tomahawk, +2weapon +1 Grim).
my 6 vs their 8 ... not enough to even shake 'em.

08:40, Today: Charging Bear drew the single card: QC using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative .

Carl stares at his grabbed arm as though momentarily failing to connect its sudden desire to be elsewhere with Murphy holding on to it. Murphy...he'd had a dream with Murphy in, hadn't he? No, this was the dream with Murphy in, this nightmare about a mine, maybe he should tell him...

Carl's rational mind hammers on the barrier of morphine-induced vagueness with about as much effect as a man screaming through a five-deep barricade of cotton bales. Instinct does better, managing to form a few raw outlines of ideas: Don't die.

Fair enough. What else? Keep moving. Carl realises again he's being dragged, considers biting that hand, realises it's Murphy and that they're going away from something. Comanches. Carl grips the cold anger that comes with the thought, focusing. His free hand flicks in a sharp series of gestures, pain sparking in distant needles from his fractured clavicle. "..."

In reply to Charging Bear (msg # 14):

The raider hisses in pain...those fancy shirts of theirs only protect against the white man's weapons, not the blades of the native son.

The pair of Comanches charge him again, but Charging Bear is ready for them. his blades whirl and sing as he blocks their blows and counters their attacks with ease.

((OOC: Actually, the 8 toughness only applies vs guns. For all other attacks, their toughness is 6. Than means you got the guy Shaken.

The Comanche roll to unshake: 11:32, Today: Comanche Raiders rolled 4,4 using d8,d8, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4. unshake. That gives them an action, but at -2.

They charge CB again (they're Overconfident, after all). 11:33, Today: Comanche Raiders rolled 5,4 using d8,d8, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4. Fighting! CB fends them off with ease.

Card: 8D))

---

CB, you're up!

Charging Bear smiles as the pair charge him, foolishness that it was. He ducks under one attack and lands a strike of his own, only to over reach and miss the pair with his own attacks.

OOC: Don't forget my counter attack :)
14:48, Today: Charging Bear rolled 9,4 using 1d10,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 9,4. Fighting (+1TMW, +1Flou, -2 Counter).
Forgot my -1 for fatigue but that's a hit.
14:51, Today: Charging Bear rolled 6,1 using 1D8+3,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. Damage (Str,Tomahawk,+2 weapon +1 Grim).
7 damage is shaken!

Time for more two handed fighting goodness!
14:55, Today: Charging Bear rolled 6,6,5,1 using 1d10+1,1d6+1,1d10-1,1d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5,6,2. Fighting (+1TMW+1Flou-2 Offhand,-1Fati).
Cursed fatigue doing me in! With only 2 chips ... I'm going to let that go.

15:00, Today: Charging Bear drew the single card: 5D using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative.
Looks like they go first.

The one hit by Charging Bear's counterattack falls back, still a bit surprised at the native Son's ability to hurt him. The other one throws himself into a fury, slashing and chopping with wild abandon against Charging Bear.

((OOC: 19:03, Today: Comanche Raiders rolled 3 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 3. unshake. Nope. He remains Shaken.

The remaining Comanche attacks, this time with a Wild Attack 9lowering his Parry by 2)

19:04, Today: Comanche Raiders rolled 11 using 1d8+2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+1)9. Fighting! (with Wild Attack). hit, no Raise.

Damage: 17. Shaken and 2 wounds

Card: AC. Yeah, they'll go first, but resolve the wounds first.))

As the group proceeds into the tunnels, following the rail car tracks, Ward frowns. "The sounds do not seem to be getting closer...do you think it's possible that someone else is down here?"

"Hell yes... Looks like everybody else is, too." Murphy mutters.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:25, Thu 12 Sept 2013.

OOC: Sure ... burn a red chip to soak
09:34, Today: Charging Bear rolled 8,4 using 1d8+1,1d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3. Soak (+2 Elan, -1 Fatigue).
That should soak both!

---

Charging Bear shifts his weight and hips to avoid what appeared to be a most impressive attack by the Comanche. The native son feels a rather stiff breeze as his foe's weapon misses him by the smallest of margins.

Mike, hanging back with the crazy tinhorn scientist, looks anxiously into the dark, then back, catching Ward's suggestion. "Them Enlightn'd Masons were told to stay put...could be Gabby, I guess...hell of a time to be sneakin' Rock..."

He looks to Augustus. "Most like they're but fighting among themselves, but could be there's a townsman back there, or someone they've captured got away - want t'go look an' test out that blastative gun o' your'n on some grey Comanch'?"

"Well, I suppose one test subject is as good as another.  My last test subject was very cooperative.  No, don't tell them it was my mother's dressmaking dummy!  They might think we're crazy!  Oh, but don't worry, I'm sure it'll work this time.  Let's go!"  Augustus started to follow Mike, his gun wavering in all directions.

"Uh...sure..." Mike leads on towards the sound of fighting, pistol leading and light held low behind him.

((OOC: Mike, Augustus, draw cards so I know where to place you in initiative order.

Murphy, Carl,various Dust Adders: you guys are moving into an area of twisty, difficult-to-navigate tunnels. Even with Heavy Henry and the other Dust Adders who once mined there to help, it's not going to be easy to pick a route. One of you will need to roll Tracking (-2). This is a Cooperative check, so one guy does the main roll. The others can roll to assist. Ned and Heavy Henry have been here before, so they take no penalty on the roll (though they're defaulting). Ward has never been this deep, so he's not likely to be much help (and he has no Tracking besides). Tex has been here, and does, in fact, have some Tracking.

So, who wants to be the main roller, and who wants to just assist?))

02:30, Today: Augustus Spotswood drew the single card: 7C using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

Murpphy might be able to assist, but he's no talent for tracking.

[[Tex can do the main roll, since he has the skill. Round of failure from my fellas:
12:17, Today: Carl Allans rolled -2,2 using d4-5,d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+1)7. getting very lost.

12:17, Today: Heavy Henry rolled -1 using 1d4-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1. more navigation!

12:16, Today: Ned rolled 3 using 1d4-2, rerolling max with rolls of (4+1)5. navigation!

I threw their Joker white at it to no effect, but my notes are confused as to whether they have any other chips, so. General failure, I'm afraid.

12:13, Today: Mike Bennett drew the single card: 7D using a deck of 54 cards. init.]]

Turn Order:
Comanche Raiders: AC
Mike Bennett: 7D
Augustus Spotswood: 7C
Charging Bear: 5D

Looks like the Comanches go first, so I'll go for their actions in a bit. Murph, were you going to try to assist the Tracking roll, even with a Default penalty?

Carl notes a pale scrap on the tunnel floor and lifts it, absently curious.

[[All right, to make you happy I threw Carl's last, blue chip at that roll for a 2 that nets the Adders 1 sucess. we'll call it a sketch map, since he has no reason to know his way about.]]

The piece of paper Carl picked up seems to be some sort of crude map of the tunnels. It's poorly drawn, probably inaccurate as hell, dirty and bloodstained. Carl can't make out the writing, either. But at least it's a clue.

The wounded Comanche continues to stare at the mild injury inflicted by Charging Bear's blades. <"This is not possible! Pale Moon said we could not be hurt!">
he babbles.

<"Cannot be hurt by the white man."> His companion growls. <"This blood traitor may have betrayed his people by working with the palefaces, but he is as red as us."> his eyes blaze as he comes at Charging Bear again. <"And I will see you dead for your betrayal! YEEEEEEEEAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!">

he swings wildly at Charging Bear, but The Native son is grwoing used to this one's movements, and easily parries the blows.

As Mike grows closer, he hears a familiar voice. "Mike? Hot damn! It's good to see you, man!" It's Jeb! His voice is faint, but it's definitely him. "We got trouble. Comanche up in here plannin' the end o' the world or somethin'. Remember the Injun from town? Well, turns out, he's on our side. He's fightin' some o' them Comanche right now. They're all grey...seems to make 'em immune to bullets somehow. Chargin' Bear...that's the guy fightin', not the guy under the rubble, that one was the bad one that was doin' all that rapin' that folk riled...anyhow, the good Chargin' Bear got these blades that had some Injun Magic done to 'em, so they can hurt the Comanche."

((OOC: The turn starts with a raider attempting to unshake.

21:46, Today: Comanche Raiders rolled 3 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 3. unshake. Again, he fails.

The other comanche Wild Attacks. 21:57, Today: Comanche Raiders rolled 4 using 1d8+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Fighting! (with Wild Attack). No hitter.))

---

It's Mike's turn!

Mike startles, first at the bloodcurdling yell from down the tunnel, then Jeb seeming to speak nearby. "Jeb?! Jeb, where are you? We thought you were dead, Carl-"

He frowns and strains to listen as Jeb goes on. "Yeah, we were headin' up towards y'all anyhow. Is the other Chargin' Bear gonna stay down?" Motioning the scientist along, Mike sets into a jog, light still low at his side to illuminate without making a target of themselves.

The movement fails to bring them level with a whispering Dust Adder, though. "Where the Hell are you, Jeb?" he hisses softly, aware they're about to come up on the fight.

[[Running:
18:14, Today: Mike Bennett rolled 14 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+2)14. running! ...I take that's a 6? Can we see CB now?
init: 7H]]

"Actually...you weren't wrong." Jeb's sounds a bit bashful. "Looks like I done got myself kilt. But Charging Bear, he done saved my immortal soul from Perdition, and I helped him get his Name back. I dunno how long I got before I move on to the Great Beyond, but I reckon I can at least give ya some advice and guidance afore I go." The voice sighs. "I dunno. I saw him get buried by the rock slide. I seen him survive worse, but Charging Bear took his Name back so he can actually hurt the fucker, and he had done. Fella was fair crawling to begin with. So I think he's out o' the fight for now, but I ain't 100% for sure."

((OOC: Yes, and with that roll, you can get close enough to attack, as well, albiet with a -2 MAP))

Mike is silent a while, a dozen emotions burning through him in a heartbeat.

"You...you're a ghost? A real...?" He licks his lips and concentrates his senses ahead, getting a grip if not really understanding all the name buisness. "Shit, man...well, I guess if he saved your soul somehow we owe him one...you, you take care, y'hear? All kinds o' black magic goin' down. Bad enough you're...yeah. Don't lose your chance at Heaven. If you're here. Fuck it, I hope I ain't crackin' up...can you...walk through walls? Move stuff? There's some shaman right down deep with the photograph that turns these bastards bulletproof, if you can get at him."

[[Hell no, not aiming for melee with 'em, Mike's just the scientist's light source/not-entirely-effective backup.]]

Carl stares at the scrap of paper, but the words evade him and the tunnel-ends just try to develop writhing snake heads if he squints, so he hands it to Murphy. "?"


[[care for a helpful direction-finding roll?]]

"You think I can make heads and tails of this?"
Murphy scratches his forehead.
"Well, let's see..."

Smarts?

22:03, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 14,10 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+6)14,(6+4)10. White chip.
22:03, Today: Mad Irish Murphy rolled 2,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1. Map-figuring-out.

The map looks like it might have been made by one of the miners who wound up in this pit, probably an exploration of the tunnels made by the men in a desperate attempt to find another way out. The writing is large enough to be seen in low light.

If the map is to be believed, the spot marked "Injun Artifacts" is probably the crack in the ground where Carl and he entered the mines in the first place. The place marked "Out" is likely the main mineshaft. The space marked "Death!" is the cave-in--that would have been fresh in the mind of the miners. The Central Hub is where they are right now. The passage marked "unstable" is where they heard the rocks fall and the sounds of battle--knowing miners have a healthy respect for unstable areas, they probably wouldn't have explored that system of tunnels until they got desperate. The branching tunnels probably represent the silver mines. There seem to be two caverns ahead--one that was the main silver vein, and that area marked "Motherlode" is probably the recently-discovered Ghost Rock lode, the one the miners found just before the Cave-in. The note about "No Way Out Except Death!" is probably desperation talking.

This map might be helpful getting through the tunnels to either lode. If Murphy were a betting man, he'd lay odds that the trouble centers on the motherlode. This map should be helpful getting through the warren of tunnels to the lode.

((OOC: The map will aid in navigation. Instead of making Tracking rolls to find your way, you may make Smarts checks. Any penalties that would apply to Tracking rolls apply to the Smarts roll instead.))