The Dust Adders gather round the map, but they seem to have less idea than Murphy where North has got to. Carl keeps looking back up the tunnel, frowning at Mike's lack of re-appearance.

[[18:50, Today: Heavy Henry rolled 3,1 using d6-2,d6-2 Navigatin': Henry, Ned.

18:51, Today: Carl Allans rolled 2,2 using d6-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5. ditto. Yarr...

The Dust Adders continue to be useless and out of chips. At least Murphs got a couple of raises to start with.]]

"Seems that way." Jeb's voice replies. "I can move through spaces, but not walls--leastways, not the ones with Ghost Rock in 'em. They scream at me somethin' awful, and the seams feel like they's tryin' to suck me in...anyways, I tried tocuhin' things, but I can't seem to get a grip. So I might be able to help you find things, but it looks like I can't do much more 'n scout. And...I get the feelin' that there's things in these tunnels. Things that could hurt even a ghost like me. Ya'll be careful."

It's Augustus' action next, if all Mike's doing is running and getting exposition.

In reply to Heavy Henry (msg # 39):

Ward also takes a turn examining the map. "Hmmm..." he looks around. "Well. Let's think this through logically. The ghost rock wasn't found until right up near the accident, I'd assume, because if there was a motherlode, then the Wendall company wouldn't have abandoned the place. I'd gather that the seams of ghost rock were revealed by the explosion that caused the collapse." he looks over at the rail. "That means the rail is going off into the older parts of the mine, which were getting played out. The ghost rock would be around the newer tunnels. I would hazard that if we followed the rail until the ghost rock seam diverged from it, we would find our way to this 'motherlode.'"

((OOC: Yay uselessness! Murphy still has to roll, and rest assured that even if all of you fail, you'll at least get somewhere. It's just that failing the roll means you get to a random destination instead of the one you were aiming for. There are also clues around that might be helpful to notice.

Tex, Ward, and Spanish Joe will attempt rolls. Ward has an extra circumstance penalty, because he's not good at navigating underground like this. unlike the rest of you, Joe actually has Tracking, but it's the same as his Smarts, and he's an Extra. Tex...well, the best that can be said for Tex is that he can try.

15:11, Today: The Stray, for the NPC Spanish Joe, rolled 3 using 1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Tracking. Nope.

15:18, Today: Tex rolled 3,1 using d4-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (4+1)5,3. Smarts. I am so smart! I am so smart! S M R T! I mean, S M A R T!

15:20, Today: Dr. Dexter Ward rolled 7,-3 using d10-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of (10+1)11,1. Smarts. huh. Better direction sense than I would have guessed.))

[[22:56, Today: Carl Allans rolled 4,2 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3. Notice? ecksdee high Carl is observant. ]]

Augustus raises his scattergun.  "Take this, you!  No, not you, them."  The sounds of battle are blown away as waves of sonic energy blast out of his gun, at the Indians.  The sheer force of the wall of sound sends them reeling.

Got a 21 to hit:

21:04, Today: Augustus Spotswood rolled 19,21 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+6+1)19,(6+6+6+3)21. Shooting (Pummel).
This message was last edited by the player at 04:05, Tue 03 Dec 2013.

The roaring, discordant triple trombone blare of the device catches the Comanche completely off-guard, and they're sent hurtling into the pile of rubble blocking the passage from the rest of the tunnels.

((OOC: 21 is a raise and then some. All the targets in the pummel range need to make a Strength check (-2) or be sent flying.

21:14, Today: Comanche Raiders rolled -1,0 using d8-2,d8-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Strength! Yeah, they go flying.

Since the nearest wall is right next to them, they don't move much. They get knocked into it and are Shaken and Prone.

Card for next round, Augustus?))

---

Charging Bear, you need to make a Strength check (-2) to avoid being sent flying as well. Then it's your turn.

Oops:
22:30, Today: Augustus Spotswood drew the single card: 2D using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

"Aye, doc, sounds reasonable. Plus, Carl and me know they're not hiding out there."
He points to the areas the two of them had "explored".
As another shot rings out, Murphy swears under his breath.
"Jesus, Mary and bloody Joseph! Haven't we put them all down yet? We have to find that bloody shaman with that bloody picture! And Carl could use a bandage or two, too, doc."

OOC: CB's counter attack
10:50, Today: Charging Bear rolled 6,3 using 1d10-1,1d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 7,4. Fighting (+1TMW, +1Flou, -2 Counter -1 F).
Misses and now CB vs Pummel
10:15, Today: Charging Bear rolled -1,3 using 1d8-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5. Strength.
Yeah that ain't cool ... red chip to reroll
10:16, Today: Charging Bear rolled 2,8 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+2)8. Strength - Red Chip reroll +2 from Elan Edge.

---

Batting away the Raider's attack leaves an opening for Charging Bear's attack, but he doesn't manage to connect. Then the sudden and deafening noise and blast of air threatens to send Charging Bear spinning , but the native son keeps his wits about him. Using his twin tomahawks he anchors himself to the wall. Once the thunderous cacophony of music ends, Charging Bear sees his foes fallen to the ground he pounces at the chance to end the current fight.

OOC: Attacking each of the prone Raiders
11:17, Today: Charging Bear rolled 8,10,11,3 using 1d10+1,1d6+1,1d10-1,1d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 7,(6+3)9,(10+2)12,4. Fighting (+1TMW+1Flou-2 Offhand,-1Fati).
Those both should be hits w/ raises as being prone is -2 to parry
11:19, Today: Charging Bear rolled 6,4,5,10,2,2 using 1d8+3,1d6,1d6,1d8+3,1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4,5,7,2,2. Damage (Str,Tomahawk,Rise,+2Weapon +1 Grim.
First is 10(15 if raise) second is 12 (14 if raise)

11:20, Today: Charging Bear drew the single card: QS using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative .

The warriors scream as Charging Bear attacks them. His enchanted blades slice into their grey flesh. Dark grey blood flows.

<"Enough!"> one shouts. <"Please! I surrender I surrender!">

((OOC: Those are both Raises for CB, because of being Prone, so that's 2 wounds apiece. It doesn't kill them, because they're immortal unless the picture is destroyed, but since wounds against them are converted to Fatigue, they both wind up Exhausted. They aren't incapacitated, but the one who has been Shaken this whole fight has had enough.))

Charging Bear eyes the pair, not sure if their cries are genuine or not. He takes a step away from where the noise and wind came from attempting to see who or what is coming towards them.

OOC: Ending my turn with a little movement to size up the situation, if I can anyways.

Mike breaks into a grin and claps Augustus on the back, a little awkwardly since finding some back free of gadgetry is a challenge at present. "Good shot!"

He steps forward a pace with the light. "We can only die..." he murmurs to the ghost, or possibly himself, before raising his voice, stance and tone wary. "You finished 'em, Bear?"

[[Talking! Are we out of combat?]]
This message was last edited by the player at 19:37, Tue 03 Dec 2013.

"Bok bok bok?" Heavy Henry gently mocks Murphy's mother-henning, but looks to Ward. "All right, lead on boss, I guess."

Carl picks up a rock, stares at it a while trying to get his brain to understand the connection between object and action, then scratches a trail-mark on the wall, prepared to move on presently if not keen to leave Mike way back.


[[did that notice roll show up anything useful, Stray?]]

<"Coward."> The other Comanche growls.

<"No. No more."> The first one babbles. <"We cannot fight this medicine! We could not fight the Dead Men, we could not fight the sound that made our horses run screaming away! Pale Moon is wrong! Wrong about everything! And it will be our deaths if we continue this! No more! I fight no more!"> He looks wildly at Charging Bear. <"Spare me! No more!">

((OOC: There's a time differential going on for the different groups on this thread. CB's fight with the Comanche is now over, but it didn't take all that long, so before Ward suggests going anywhere, I want to finish up with Mike, Augustus, and CB, because then I'll know where THEY are headed. Navigating the maze will take half an hour at the least.

As for whether CB & The Gang are out of combat, well, that's up to them.

Carl, were you trying to look for anything specific? What were you focusing your Notice on?

It's too bad Augustus doesn't understand Comanche...he was the one who caused "the sound that made the horses run" and might be pleased to know how hell his impromptu invention worked.

Since Charging Bear speaks Shoshonean, he does, in fact, understand the Comanche.))

Charging Bear's hands begin to shake as the adrenalin in his body ebbs away. < "There is too much death here for you not to have reasoned what comes next. The serpent that your shaman deals with will kill us all if it is not stopped." >

OOC: He's got to try and reason with 'em ... right?

<"You are wrong."> the defiant one says. <"It will not harm the people...Mirror Serpent was imprisoned by those who wanted the Comanche weak! Mirror Serpent is our birthright! It will kill the whites, drive them from our lands! The Comanche Nation will rise again!">

<"That is what Pale Moon said."> The other one sobs. <"But He said the Ghost Dance shirts would stop bullets. He said the magic painting would keep us from all harm! He said the white man's cattle would be driven before us, and that we would have their women and their horses before the night's middle! And he was wrong! Wrong!">

Augustus stared at Charging Bear and the raiders in bewilderment.  He raised his scattergun's parabolic disk.  "What are they saying?  Do we have to shoot them again?  No, three times would be overkill.  I have a lethal setting, if you care for me to demonstrate it."  The gun barrel weaved wildly about as Augustus began to fiddle with the settings on the stock.

< "The serpent and hawk shall fight... I have seen it. This storm is the hawk's coming ... the dead rising are the serpent's work. We must stop the serpent or die in the conflict of the spirits." >

The native son glances up to Augustus and simply raises a hand before shifting his eyes back on the pair of raiders.

Mike nudges Augustus' weapon down with the barrel of his gun, frowning at the scientist's newfound eagerness to kill but watching the group of natives all the while. The younger of the Comanches seems to have broken down like a man caught in sparse cover under fire too long. Strange, to think that savages could also be brought to the point of tears. "Hell, I don't want to see this..." he mutters, and calls out to Charging Bear, still alert for any sudden moves.

"Y'can't fight the shaman and watch prisoners - c'mon, knock 'em in the head an' leave them if you ain't gon' kill them warrior-like with the blade...they ain't gon' turn on their kinsfolk and it ain't right to make 'em beg." An unwelcome memory flickers; Mike swallows and pushes it back to that part of his mind reserved for the war, trying not to think.

The Comanche seem a bit confused by Charging Bear's pronouncement.

<"You are a shaman?"> The younger one replies.

<"Pah! Look at how he is dressed."> The meaner one says. <"He is more white than red. Do not listen to him."> He glares defiantly at Charging Bear. <"Do your worst, traitor.">

<"No!."> the other cries. <"Please! Do you not see? The storms, the rising dead...Pale Moon was wise once, but his hate has grown! Look at us now! I will not die for his hate."> So saying, the younger one beings stripping off the patterned buckskin shirt he wears.

With an inarticulate scream of rage, the older one leaps at the younger...

Augustus jumps and pulls the trigger.  A blast of goop comes out of his gun,spraying down the three indians.  "Oh dear, we didn't mean to do that.  Luckily, I hadn't changed the setting to lethal yet."


23:06, Today: Augustus Spotswood rolled 1,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4. Entangle.

((OOC: Actually, his Entangle power comes in the form of another blast of sound, one that affects the central nervous system. It's not a spray so much as another sonic wave that just hurts.

Incidentally, which one of those die you rolled was your Wild Science die?))

Neither, it uses shooting.  I'll spend a white chip, though, just to make it fair.  From here on, the first die will be the skill die.


03:01, Today: Augustus Spotswood rolled 15,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+3)15,4. White Chip.

Charging Bear moves to pull the two commanche apart but is interrupted by Augustus and his contraption.

OOC: Agility vs 15?

The two grey-skinned Comanche scream and spasm as the device's neurological blare messes with their nervous system...

((OOC: Fair enough. It's still a Weird Science device, which means that rolling a 1 on the skill die (whatever skill is used to activate it) will trigger a malfunction, so I need to know which is the skill die and which is the wild die when you roll for a Gizmo.

The Comanche roll to resist: 00:12, Today: Comanche Raiders rolled 4,9 using d8,d8, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(8+1)9. Resisting Entangle. Nope. They're hit.

Charging Bear, It's either Agility or Smarts.))