"Are we moseying?" Alouette asks.

"Something like that," the priest sighs, hesitant to run after the dead man into the line of fire but compelled by conscience to set off jogging, the light swinging with his movements. "I wonder how many other guns he's got back there..."

The clank hisses and crackles with static, odd drops of rain picking up luminescence as it lopes along with the priest.

[[Hey, William - going to run straight in, or be more cautious here? Also, Jokers. So many. I think Adrian must have a sleeve device.]]

Caution is what kept William alive. That and his fast draw and deadly aim.

William dives to the left, then creeps along the barn's wall until he's next to the entrance.
Pity the vampires attacking the girls aren't close by... they'd be perfect distractions.

He looks away from the barn at four figures standing in the shadows.
He almost talks out loud, but catches his tongue.
Seeing anybody in there?

The ghosts don't reply, although William thinks he sees one of them sneer. Helpful as always.
He grabs a sizeable stone from the ground and waits for the Father and the clank to come closer.

Then he flings the stone inside, listening for any reactions from whoever might be inside.

(Any roll required? Smarts Trick?)

[[Aren't your ghost friends in the gun? Not that I can't provide you with some shadowy figures if you like...as for the rock, sure, roll it as Smarts.]]

The clank zigzaggs over to the barn then just stands in front of the doorway to talk to Pierce, somewhat missing the point. "Why are you casting stones in the barn, Names William Pierce?" it asks.

"Alouette, please...just come over here," the wounded priest pants, trying to flatten himself to the wall on the other side of the barn door.

Sure, they're in the gun. Still, they're William's ghost friends, he can imagine them where he wants!

21:19, Today: William Pierce rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. red chip.
21:19, Today: William Pierce rolled 1,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3. Smarts Trick.

Total of 6.

[[Vampires! rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Resist!  You get +2 to your next action against him.]]

There's a very odd rumbling sound from some hard-to-pinpoint source near the door as something shifts sharply, then quiets at the realisation that wasn't a bomb.

10:28, Today: William Pierce rolled 15,6 using d6+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of (6+5)11,2. Super-Notice!

With his left hand on the door frame, William wheels around, into the door. His glowing red eyes scan the area where he heard the movement. A split second later, his gun is in his hand and barks, once, the bullet screaming bloody murder at his target.

He rolls back out of sight, the crouches low and takes two, three more steps.
Standing in exactly the same spot would be stupid, after all.

10:30, Today: William Pierce rolled 4,5 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5. Shooting!
Let me know if I needto chip that...


10:31, Today: William Pierce rolled 8 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3,3. No mercy.
Well, looks like the dice god want it this way...

10:31, Today: William Pierce rolled 8 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2,4. damage.


10:33, Today: William Pierce drew the single card: JD using the Deadlands system. Initiative, again, due to Quick edge.
10:32, Today: William Pierce drew the single card: 4D using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

"...thunder, lightning, or in rain..." the clank murmurs, static hissing as the flames reflect wetly on its casing.

[[Give me a Smarts roll and I'll know if that was a hit - you forgot your +4 of Smite, by the way.]]

Ah, ok... 12's not too bad then. Can I re-tract the red chip in that case?

10:05, Today: William Pierce rolled 3,5 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5. Smarts.

William shoots something in the pitchy shadows above the doorway, dropping it. The thing swoops and flails heavily to the ground with a sound that echoes the thunder outside, eventually spreading and settling in ripples. It's a canvas tarpaulin.

The vampire that was up there seems to have moved away sharpish.


[[You may - remember to mark the colour of chips, though.

vampire Nick attempts a soak:
Vampires! rolled 4 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 4. soak attempt. Soaked.

He drew lower init, though, so you can go ahead and try to shoot him if you can find him again. Which may render me temporarily out of vampires. *chargrined*]]

Quick one.

"You can come out now. I'm not promising any quarter, but we got us a priest here. He'll pray for your soul and I'll end you quick and easy. This wasn't your choice, after all. I can relate."
A light flickers across his Ghost Gun as he half-turns around the doorframe, looking inside.
"But if you give me or my friends any more trouble, there will be nothing left of you or your soul when I'm done with you. I'm William Pierce. If you've heard of me, you know I won't stop with you, but I'll go after everyone you hold dear as well." He adds, his voice cold as ice.

That wasn't true, of course. But he did have a rather bad reputation up North. Wonder how much of that'll help me now...

18:00, Today: William Pierce rolled 9,5 using d6+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1. Intimidate.

18:01, Today: William Pierce drew the single card: KC using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

There's a long pause; it takes even William a moment to catch the dim red gleam high up over the doorway. "..."

Then, soft and rasped in a deeper tone, the same rote words he'd heard from Darla's throat: "We must not let harm come to the Mistress: the Mistress is as our Mother and our Light. We will end gladly for the Mistress if she so...commands..." Abruptly, the vampire claws up the catch on the winch hatch and darts out, spidering up onto the roof too fast to be focused on. The priest catches the movement and sighs, realising he has nothing to throw.

"I'm here if you come down, my son," O'Rourke calls to the roof, re-testing the heft of the crowbar, then sighing again.

"Should self fetch a ladder?" Alouette asks.


[[Vampires! rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Resist! Plus failure. Nick is Shaken.

Vampires! rolled 3 using 1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1. unshake Nick. Fail. He can still move -2 of his Pace, though, and uses that to get on the roof.

init. JC - William, go!]]

19:57, Today: William Pierce rolled 8,12 using d6+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+2)8. Notice.

"Shh" William replies. "Quiet now."

He strains his eyes and ears, looking for a tell-tale sign where his target might be.




(I guess I'm at -6 for not knowing where he is... any chance to lower that? I do have +2 against him, too.)

Straining his ears as he steps into the dark of the barn, the vampire vampire hunter tunes out the incessant patter of the rain, the murmur of the wind through planking, even the distant crackle of the bunkhouse flames. Faint as the memory of a prayer, Pierce catches the scrape and shift of movement on the roof. There.

[[It's -4 with the sucessful Notice, you already have the +2, and I'll waive the cover bonus of the roof, since it's the Ghost Gun with a bunch of Smite on.]]

William aligns the gun and squeezes the trigger, softly. It barks, the bullet screaming through the dark barn, hits the roof with a very audible *thud* .. and then there's a yelp of surprise and pain.

How many more are there...?

William dashes outside and moves around the corner where he thinks the body will fall down... if it does.
Don't give him time to come to his senses.

I'll figure out the modifier's later. Single shot, since I already wasted a holy bullet..
20:56, Today: William Pierce rolled 1,3 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3. Shooting.
Well, that won't do in any case.
Spending a red chip for a re-roll.
20:57, Today: William Pierce rolled 8,1 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 8,1. Red chip.
Better!
Let's see...
+2 Intimidation, -4 Hidden, so that's 6. Hit!

20:58, Today: William Pierce rolled 34 using 3d6+5, rerolling max with rolls of (6+4)10,(6+6+5)17,2. Ghost Gun damage, Smite.

Holy fuck and halleluja!
Holy Bullets: 3/6

[[O_o Bloody hell. You got him all right. That is one ex-vampire. O'Rourke can prod him in a holy fashion for sheer decoration. Wow.]]

The priest is already kneeling by the casualty as William rounds the building: the vampire keeps reflexively trying to breathe, his gasps too far apart and rasped through a chest too damaged by the fall to sound like anything alive. The ghost bullet seems to have entered low on his side and left in a bloody bloom of flesh near the creature's heart. The once-man makes a broken, mewling sound; O'Rourke hushes him, taking and gripping the hand pawed at him and belatedly murmuring the rites, drawing a stake with his free hand.

The vampire relaxes shortly before the priest drives the stake home.

"Anyone else set t'be shooting at us?" O'Rourke asks, weary.

"Everybody apparently." Pierce replies.
"Let's see. Vinnie, but wasn' part of the crew here. Them two fellas going after the girls. The one guy I staked to the barn door. This fella. His friend."

He shrugs. "Not sure how many are left. There's at least the mustache who greeted us and ran away. He didn't seem to be aware what he was... he might be willing to give himself up if Marins hasn't her full pull over him."

How many could she have turned?

The priest makes to scratch his face, remembers that the itching is scabbing wounds, and just frowns at the blood on his fingertips a moment instead. "I'm a tad concerned about whatever they were doin with the horses...the Comanche might have taken them, but that one on the road..." The frown deepens. "We know the cows are infected with whatever makes tings walk, and everyone who eats them, but that doesn't explain that horse on the road. It could be nothing, of course. It's just...nagging at me."

He rises with an old man grunt, reclaiming his crowbar. "Perhaps, though I doubt he'll be keen on you or Evans, poor man...if he shows up again, let me try and talk to him. Meanwhile...inside?"

The clank does not add to this suggestion, ghost-staring in the direction of the track as static flows and ebbs softly somewhere within.

"One thing at a time, Father. But you're right, let's get into the house. Take a look at that oriental vampire."

The priest nods. After a little coaxing, the clank stops staring at the darkness and squelches back across the increasingly muddy yard with the others. Seeing the priest hesitate by the carriage house door, it straightens and patters over.

O'Rourke puts the hand with the crowbar gently against its casing. "This isn't the kind of door for knocking on," he says quietly, in case something in the carriage house might react to his voice, then looks to William, who has a hand free to open doors with.

William nods and readies his pistol.
He nods his chin at the priest and when O'Rourke responds with a nod himself, opens the door with his left, immediately pointing the gun inside.

((Not moving in yet... don't want to give anybody the option of pulling me in or disarming me.

Notice?
20:20, Today: William Pierce rolled 6,15 using d6+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+5)11. Super-Notice!

20:21, Today: William Pierce drew the single card: JC using the Deadlands system. Initiative. Just in case.

))

William notices the lack of a carriage, several complicated agricultural impliments, a slightly charred workbench, a patch of blood on the floor that smells several hours old, lots of muddy tracks from this door to the one presumably leading into the kitchen (including at least two men, three women, a small dog and an odd, broad track like something rolling rather than walking), and a small spider that happened to be descending from the ceiling at that precise moment level with his gun. It waves its forelegs uncertainly at the draft, as though trying to surrender.

Behind him, William hears the clank asking "should self do nodding also?"

"If you want to, Alouette. Looks like the room is clear. Still, careful now."

He dashes into the room, turning left and right, checking the corners.
Once satisfied, he waves O'Rourke and Alouette inside.

"You can knock on that door, if you want, Alouette."
He indicates the door to the kitchen.

Alouette patters in and touches the walls, but reasons that if they look clear, they must look dark because it's dark outside, too. "Okay!" it chirps, and pootles up to the inner door.

*knoknok*

There's a long wait. Just as the clank is about to turn and suggest fetching a ladder, Adrian cautiously opens the door.

"Howdy, Deputy vega!" Alouette chirps, craning to see the kitchen beyond. "Did you done do rearrange My Man Abraham's world?"

[[Move on over to the Big House thread, William!]]