[[You can have a duel without Adventure cards...you still need to draw initiative to see if you're faster than him, though.]]


Oddly enough, for someone with such a clear mastery of martial arts, Tao Jing's counters are sloppy, constantly an instant too slow: the kick almost makes contact, leaving him slightly off-balance when John follows up.

The blow ploughs straight through the man's defenses with the force of a bullet, landing high on the ribs; John feels bone give and crack under the heel of his hand as he draws it back, feels the body before him brace hard not to fall and looks up to see Tao Jing simply grinning past his left ear.

Tao smashes away the blow heading for his guts but keeps in close, pressing John's guard with heavy, mauling swipes before a feint for the white man's elbow suddenly becomes a hooked jab for the base of his throat.


[[3 wounds Shaken for Tao Jing. He's disinclined to soak, so simply drops his white to remove the Shaken and comes straight back atcha:

Tao Jing, rolled -5,4 using d10-7,d6-7, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+5)11. kung fu fightin'. I'm...really impressed he got a positive number there, so I'm going to give him a red chip on that.
Tao Jing, rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. red chippit. -> 9. Hit!

Tao Jing, rolled 7,3 using d12,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3. Eagle claw attack! -> 10 damage, that's 1 Wound for John Smith.

init. BJ! Wow. Dice roller likes Tao today.]]

"Into the library it is. Let's get this shit over with, Honest Abe. We have a vampire on the loose in here. No time for dawdling." With that he moved to help heave the fat man into the library with Abraham.

"At once, sir," Abraham rejoins, picking up one of Bruebaker's feet with his good arm to haul as best he can. A very soggy woman of indeterminate Oriental origin comes up and wordlessly takes the other foot, scowling at the crowlets as Widow Bradshaw lets them disperse around the upper level to take an arm alongside Adrian.

"Percy, door!"

The door is opened from within and between the lot of them they manage to get the portly mayor situated on the hearth rug. There's a fire going, a teapot and copper coffee pot on the flags, and, indeed, some pancakes. A corpse - no, a sleeping old man - is lying wrapped up on the room's impressive desk, and Ginny pokes her head out from a blanketed-off corner presumably arranged as an emergency bed for the young ladies, shrinking back when Adrian looks over at her. Georgia goes to join her.

The sick-looking young man with a rifle that opened the door gives Adrian that confused look that says he recognises the deputy, but can't think why.

"Is Miss Abigail in?" Abraham asks the wet woman as they straighten.

"Yeah - she ain't even hurt, jus' banged up a bit by them...demon fruits. fucken witches...you got som'fin dry 'round here?"

"My shirts are in the drawers of the room we just passed, ma'am, and I'm sure you could roll up a pair of my pants to fit," Abraham replies with relief. "Do you know what on Earth is going on downstairs? They're not about to start shooting, are they?"

"Nah, jus' John fighten that crazy blind guy." She squints at Adrian, palming water off her face. "Who're you, den? Some'un with sense or jus' another Moonie?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:53, Tue 01 Apr 2014.

"Well, look who done grown up. Howdy, Percy," he said as he made his way in. After setting down the body, he paused to observe the other participants in the conversation.

"I'm Adrian Vega," he answered the wet woman politely, not sure if that answer was sufficient for what she was looking for, but not really caring overmuch. There were more pressing concerns.

"I'm gonna go see what I can do to help the situation with John and Evans. We're gonna need more help sooner than later, and we don't need them fightin' that angry Chinaman for the next two hours." With that, he wandered off to get a good vantage point on the fight.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:02, Tue 01 Apr 2014.

"Howdy," Percy says, somewhat uncertainly.

"Mrs. Vega's son," Widow Bradshaw prompts, heading for the corner to check on Ginny. "You remember Irene? Geography."

"Oh yeah..." Recognition dawns on Percy's face, though there's a little of the shyness that comes of talking to the bigger boys in his smile. "Glad you came back. It's like hardly anyone cares for this town any more."

The soggy woman looks bemused, but just holds the door for him a moment as she goes out to get clothes.

"I'm back, and I care," he said to the youth with what he hoped was a reassuring smile as he passed through the door on the way to check out what he might do to speed up the situation with John and the angry Chinaman.

Out of the room, he drew his weapon again and peered about the place, reaching out to that source of power that he tapped on so well. He thought he could make it about half way down the stairs and get a good shot, but wanted to make sure the coast was clear.

OOC: Triple 8's is more than enough to power the hex to boost his notice back up (it would have faded since he last did this). He makes his Spellcasting roll with a 6 so that boosts him up one step to d6.

Notice: 6

16:41, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2,2 using d6,d6. Notice. (Pathetic)
16:41, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 1 using 1d6. (Blue Chip...still quite sad)
16:41, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 4,1,2 using d6,d6,d6. white chip to reroll it all.

16:39, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 6,4 using d8,d6.
16:32, Today: Adrian Vega drew the 10 cards: 8H, 9D, 2S, KH, RJ!, 8D, 10C, QD, 8S, JC using the Deadlands system. DwtD Boost.

Partway down the stairs, Adrian spots a soggy little white Peke next to the hall clock. It's trying to pick up a pair of pale and ladylike shoes, presumably on the assumption they're slippers. There are scuffs of blood visible on the soles.


[[Yeah...I'll believe you. Go announce thy Joker loudly upon ye chip thread, for I am halfway asleep, yea verily.

edit: Yep, definitely asleep. Sorry, no idea how that happened, I didn't mean to gaslamp-post you. O_o Really going sleeps now.]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:40, Tue 01 Apr 2014.

John had survived poisoning, survived the wasting of his once muscular form, a hit like that wasn't going to phase him none.

OOC: Forgot, just after I chided my own players about it.
Drew a white benny. Spending it since I've quite a few.
John Smith rolled 6,3 using 1d8,1d6. Soak.
John Smith drew the single card: 10S using the Deadlands system. Initiative!

Despite his sickness and the likely gravity of his wound, Tao Jing throws himself after John's parry. His clawing upward stroke is truly fearsome and a wonder of execution, save that it is performed on thin air.

Tao Jing snarls and concentrates, listening for John's breathing.


[[Tao Jing, rolled 4,0 using d10-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3. fightin'. (+2 Joker, +2 Wild attack) Tao's parry is down by 2.

Initiative!
Tao Jing BJ!
John Smith 10S   You're up!
Adrian Vega 3H
Ambrose Evans Oh Hold ]]

Adrian looked at the ridiculous looking white dog that he spotted there on his way to see what he couldn't do to help hurry up the situation with Evans and John. "Hey there, little guy," he said quietly. "You wanna go up there," he said.

Adrian pointed towards the hallway, hoping the dog would go. He remembered he had a dog growing up - a basset hound his daddy had named Agosto. They'd all just called him Aggy. He'd try to see that the thing made it, but he had priorities right now.

[[No worries - I figured it was on account of sleepiness, not that it would have bothered me in any case]]

The soggy dog halts at being talked to, ears pricking somewhere under the sodden fluff. It bounds past the combattants and up the stairs with one of the shoes, wagging its great brush of a tail, at least until it catches Adrian's scent. The Peke stops dead. "rrrrRRRRRRRRrrrr..."

He was curious about the animal's reaction for just a moment - he usually got on well with 'em. Then he remembered. You're dead now, Adrian, he thought. Even the dog don't want nothin' to do with you.

The Peke drops the shoe on the same tread as Adrian and tries to scare him away from where its humans are by barking and running around his feet, occasionally feinting at making a bite without getting overly close. It's sort of like being intimidated by a toilet brush.

"waf! waf waf waf waf waf waf! waf waf wao wao woa waf! wao waf! waf waf!"

The deputy sighed, and just shook his head at the ridiculous sight, but focused in on the fight ahead of him, ignoring the dog.

John gave Tao Jing a look of resignation, he pitied him, but he did not let the foul sick man know. "There is no honor in this fight." He said as he dodged the angry martial artists strike. "But there is more dire things afoot." He said as he struck. His blow was strong, but the intention was not to kill, rather than incapacitate.

OOC:
John Smith rolled 2,3,13 using d10,d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3,(6+6+1)13. 13 hits with a raise. Fighting, wing chun.
John Smith rolled 1,4,7 using d10,d6,d4+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4,(4+1)5. 12 Damage. If possible, he's aiming to knock him out. Couldn't find rules for Savage Worlds equivalent of 'subdual damage'.

[[Just declaring an unarmed strike non-lethal makes it nigh-impossible to kill someone with it.]]

Even though it has slowly dawned on John and the spectators that the man is completely blind, Tao Jing manages to block and turn away John's first salvo of punches, keeping up with bared teeth and fierce determination. The third blow strikes true, however, batting away his guard and opening him up for a kick that sends him skidding across the hall floor. Tao Jing lies still.

Two heartbeats pass. Tao Jing stirs and tries to get up again. "Coward dog..." he growls. Slowly, he pushes himself to one knee, the right leg seemingly locked and refusing to bend properly.

Blood drips to the floor from where he's bitten through his lip on landing and his arms tremble with the effort; he looks about to get up again. Tao Jing half-rises, tries to drag his useless leg into supporting him...and can't do it. He falls back to his palms, his laboured breathing for a moment the only sound in the room. "You staled man of flour," he tells the floor. "You law-fawning weather-bitten pignut, how dare you talk of honour? Wretch!"

"Look at this marked Triad head - for your sake, this hair is gone. For your sake, I am cast out among righteous and held in low regard among the wicked. You have taken China from me, you miserable botch of nature," he coughs, and suddenly it's clear that the shaking of his shoulders is not purely the strain of staying off the ground: the man is actually weeping with frustrated rage. "Taken my family from me, and my chances of marriage...and it is nothing to you: you do not even remember. I hate you, Sutton."

"My soul will hate you past death and be damned through all the Hells, as I have sworn vengeance... vengeance...and now how is chance come, that I am dying before I find you!" He thumps the boards with his fist. "Kill me, Sutton! Kill me, you barrel-scraped thug! Would you make me beg? Hgggh-" he curls over in pain.

The Dust Adders shift uncomfortably, disturbed. Tao Tao remembers he's seeing Adrian off and starts half-heartedly yapping at him again.


[[Tao Jing, rolled 6,-2 using d8-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of (8+1)9,1. stayin' up. almost there, so he drops his red on it.
Tao Jing, rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. red chippit.

...to 1 less than a raise, so I throw him one of mine from pity.
Alouette, on behalf of Tao Jing, rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. ditto. There we go. 10 on the incap. roll.
He's out of combat and can't move unaided, but conscious.]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:39, Thu 03 Apr 2014.

Adrian sighed. He'd had enough of the ridiculous rants. This fight and whatever else was going on here...it was taking up valuable time. Maybe he could convince the crazy Chinaman to relax.

"Look, Chinatown, we got vampires and big bad things outside and maybe inside too. Actually, looks like Bruebaker got attacked in here, so there's a vampire cooped up in here with us somewhere. In other words, we got bigger fish to fry than you. So I'm gonna ask you not in my authority as a Deputy of Blackthorn but as a citizen of the god damn world to stop bein' such a ..." What was it he'd heard the Chinaman call John? "...weather-bitten pignut. You wanted a piece of John? Well you got it, and it looks like you bit off more than you could chew. Maybe you wanna try again later. Put this shit aside for now and let's take care of the vampires first and whatever else we gotta put down. And then you can go about doing whatever the hell you want."

OOC:
Persuade: 5

Rolled the worst I possibly could, spent a White chip to reroll it.
12:38, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 3,5 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5. White Chip Reroll.
12:38, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 1,1 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:06, Thu 03 Apr 2014.

Tao Jing doesn't respond, curling in on himself where he's knelt like a dog in the last post-raging paralysis of rabid fits, cheeks sheened with tears. Although he makes no sound and Adrian's words seem to have blunted his rage a little, he's still weeping. It's a strange sight, particularly since the man doesn't look like the type to show pain at all, let alone cry over a couple of broken ribs, yet it seems to be sheer pain that's bringing this water to his eyes.

The Peke starts growling at him, then looks at Adrian and remembers he's there, so growls at Adrian, too.

"What is this all about?" asks a well-educated voice, shortly before a glorious warhorse of a woman hoves into view, towing a slightly shorter and definitely wetter version who's mostly plastered with mud.

Dave rubs the back of his neck. "Uh...Jingles opened the door to this lot, ma'am, then started picking fights. Er..." he looks to Al for help, not quite knowing how to break it to the ladies about the casualty upstairs.

"Mrs. Bruebaker, Abbie," he said, nodding to them, but ultimately speaking to the older woman.

"Ma'am, there's been something of an unfortunate incident upstairs. It seems that the Mayor has been hurt and is in a bad way. I helped Abraham move him into the library, but what we need now is a doctor to tend to his wounds," he said.

"We're also suspecting that mayhaps there's a vamp in the house. Mrs. Bradshaw and Ginny are upstairs, as are Percy, Abraham, and a soggy lookin' woman with a wooden sword."

Mrs. Bruebaker's lips compress for a second, but she quickly puts her personal feelings on finding and decking that vampire to one side, finding and squeezing her daughter's hand when the young lady lets out a soft whimper.

"I see. Thank you, Mr.Vega. At least we are well-supplied with garlic and sharpened wooden objects, and Su - the soggy one - is extremely good with a sword. We shall get all non-combattants to the library with adequate supplies for the night, then go room by room as necessary until the break in the warding is located and the creature eradicated. Evans, are you capable of offering medical assistance? Yes, there is coffee and probably some manner of brandy upstairs, so you may warm yourselves," she nods to John and Jake for the first time, acknowledging the strangers.

"-but please, we would be grateful if you would move as swiftly as possi-" Mrs. Bruebaker pauses and squints up at the mass of crowlets rimming the upstairs railing. "What are the birds doing in? Don't touch him, Abbie."

Abbie stops reaching for Tao Jing's shoulder, uncertain. "He's all but insensible with sickness, mother," she half-protests, but does back off and scoop up the Peke in coming up the stairs, giving Adrian a weak and slightly sheepish smile.

"Birds are in here cause they were scared o' whatever was out there. The big bad thing from the barn. Mrs. Bradshaw let 'em in, I think," he said, providing the woman with a bit more information.

"Alright, I'm gonna go upstairs and start checkin' the other rooms for vamps. Will I have anyone else for backup?" He looked around at the others - the Dust Adders, John, Jake and the Marshal. "I'm going either way, but I just wanted to check."

"Thing...?" Mrs. Bruebaker arches a noble brow. "You will have backup enough if you but wait, sir. It does neither you nor us any good for you to go off on your own, get killed and turned into another vampire. My husband is not an inactive or untalented man when it comes to fighting or matters occult - if the thing could best him, it would suggest the vampire is of unusual cunning and should not be faced by any one of us alone. Whitver, would you kindly go and inform the men in the kitchen of this development?"

Al nods and goes, warily.

Abbie remains paused and dripping on the stairs, baffled by the shoe. She picks it up, stares at it a bit, then decides it's probably Widow Bradshaw's and takes it upstairs to ask the same about. Adrian can half-hear some words between her and the surly Su up on the landing as she heads for the library.

The soundproof walls mute all the nightmares that might be going on outside; for a few instants all that can be heard is the slow tick of the clock and Tao Jing's ragged breathing, at least until that catches in agony. "...aaaah...augh..nn..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:38, Thu 03 Apr 2014.

"Fair enough," he responded. "I'll be waiting in the library where the womenfolk are at right now. Figure I'll help to see 'em safe for the time bein'," he responded.

"When the search starts, lemme know," he added before ducking upstairs after Abbie.

Mrs. Bruebaker nods. "I'll be up shortly." She sets to asking Evans some brief and pertinent questions as to the state of the town. Dave havers, uneasy and unsure what to do about getting the beaten man on the floor outside or locked back in the living room or at least anywhere but here.

---

The library is much as Adrian left it, save that Su (good with a sword) has taken up a place near the hearth with a blanket over her small shoulders and a mug of coffee, dressed more or less like a butler. Widow Bradshaw standing and holding up an additional sheet around the girls' nest suggests Abbie's probably changing back there. Indeed, Abraham is in the process of setting down a recently-warmed basin of water by Widow Bradshaw's feet, presumably to help deal with the mud.

"Reckon the lady vampire's hiding downstairs?" Percy asks over the medical book on his lap, holding up the shoe with its traces of blood. His hands are a little shaky and he looks sick, but seems to be coping all right. The old man on the desk doesn't wake.

As Tao Jing rants John simply stares at the man, pity in his eyes. He wasn't sure what wrongs Jacob Sutton did to the man, or even what crimes this Jingles had done himself, but he couldn't help but feel for him. It was a cruel act of fate to hate so much and find oneself blind and near death when confronted with the object of such rage. Not only that, but to find that they are utterly ignorant of your passion.

"The hell is wrong with him?" he said, more to himself. He knelt down over him, hands hovering above his shuddering body as he tried to sense the flow of his chi, tried to figure out what was wrong with the man.

OOC: John Smith rolled 3,8 using 1d4,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+2)8. Heal check.