Adrian kept his eyes fixed on the Chinese vampire, and his feet seemed to move after but his mind momentarily went to that dark place where he drew his power to help him with these challenges that were trying to literally trip him up.

"What the hell is with that goddamn watermelon?" he asked no one in particular.

---

OOC:

Adrian is going to cast a Hex to boost his Agility, and he's also going to be moving as much as is required not to be out of range of the jiang shi while still directing him towards the exit.

Deal with the Devil: Full House (AS, AD, AC, 9S, 9D)
Boost Trait goes off with a raise for double duration, increasing Adrian's agility by two steps (from d10 to d12+2) for the next six rounds.

16:12, Today: Adrian Vega drew the 11 cards: 9S, AD, 4D, AS, 7S, KC, 9D, 8D, 2C, AC, 6H using the Deadlands system. Deal.

This message was last edited by the player at 21:27, Thu 24 Apr 2014.

[[ *whistles* May it stand you in good stead, and draw init. for next round whilst you're lucky. Also, if you're ever inclined to run, beware of leaving the melee of a vampire watermelon/setting off its chase reflex.]]

It takes some quick movements and quick thinking, but the jiang shi is corralled off the table, flexing those long, dark claws, and backed to within a couple of hops of the kitchen doorway. The men in the kitchen watch, silent and tense.

The melon attempts to get under Adrian's feet. *zzzrl!* *zzzrl!*

[[vampire watermelon rolled 9 using 1d10.
Adrian, 9 to beat with your mighty Agility die, then Evans' turn!]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:03, Thu 24 Apr 2014.

OOC:

Agility: 13
Initiative: AH

17:36, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 13,3 using d12+2,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 11,3. Agility (boosted).
17:39, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: AH using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

This message was last edited by the player at 22:39, Thu 24 Apr 2014.

Evans decides against kicking at the watermelon...he wasn't particularly agile in fisticuffs and had no knowledge of the manly art of pugilism, so stomping at the thing was liable to do more harm than good. Instead, he kept his eye on the jiang shi, prepared to shoot it with his gyromounted gatling pistol if it came too near.

((OOC: Evans is going On Hold to try and interrupt the jiang shi if it tries to charge them. Here's hoping I can beat it in an Agility contest...))

In reply to The Widow Bradshaw (msg # 134):

"The Atlantic is mighty far from here, ma'am. " James tried to figure out all the arcane gobbledygook the widow was saying but couldn't quite recall how it all fit together.

"I'll go help 'em, no sense in y'all getting hurt. I'll be back for those pancakes though."

OOC:
08:46, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 3,1 using 1d4,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. Know (Occult).
D`oh!

"Oh, well, something with waves in, then," Bradshaw waves vaguely Eastward.

"Wait up, sir," a young woman's voice comes from behind the book-covered old man lying on the desk. "I'm nearly done with this prayer strip. You stick it to the thing's head, he'll stop."

The jiang shi seems disinclined to charge towards the mirror, which appears to be a point of perplexity to whatever sense the corpse uses to find mortals and avoid walls. It hops away again, then abruptly twitches its head up and turns its back on the men in the kitchen, bouncing with stiff determination after something in the hall.

"Oh, shit!" Evans can just about see the older Dust Adder waver for a dangerous moment of indecision, then bolt for the living room door rather than back into the dining room, hammering on the wood. "Dave! Dave, let me in!"

[[Tao Jing rolled 1 using 1d4, rerolling max with rolls of 1. hop  hop hophophop.
The jiang shi heads for the nearest mortal without that confusing patch o' repellent nothing in the way, moving 5 squares. It's about at the stairs again.]]

Meanwhile, the dapper fellow picks up a chair and tries to wedge it over the watermelon and recapture it. "Ha! Ha! Ha!" The sound of chair legs on flags cracks out with each exclamation, but the watermelon is far too agile for him: the man traps only floor.

Spades crawls to the other side of his sheltering table to keep the jiang shi in sight, frowning as he desperately tries to recall anything he might have heard about a thing like this.

[[Harry Lazarus, rolled 1,1 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. catch the melon! He does not catch the melon.

The Seven of Spades, rolled -1,1 using d4-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4. what was that?! Spades doesn't know.

Initiative!
Adrian Vega AH
Seven o' Spades 9D
Tao Jing 8C
Harry Lazarus 8D
vampire watermelon 5H
Ambrose Evans On Hold

Adrian, go!]]

Holding the mirror, Adrian continued to try and drive the jiang shi through the Foyer and out into the porch.

---

OOC:
Looking to push this sucker as far as I reasonably can this round towards the porch.
Initiative Next round: 2D

14:48, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: 2D using the Deadlands system.

This message was last edited by the player at 19:57, Sat 26 Apr 2014.

As the door to the living room slams once more, Adrian realises he'll need someone to either open the door/pull it off its damaged hinges, or worsen the hole in the wall. The jiang shi, finding the prey signature vanished and currently out of range of the mirror's immediate force, takes a sharp turn and starts rapidly hopping up the stairs again after the crowlets.

[[Seven goes on Hold, unwilling to join in this craziness whilst wounded when he has a nice table to hide under.

Tao Jing, rolled 3 using 1d4, rerolling max with rolls of 3. hop  hop hophophop. About a third of the way up the stairs.

You're going to need to box clever here, as there's lots of room for it to escape off to the sides. Feel free to talk to each other and strategise.]]

Back in the kitchen, the dapper man lowers his chair and sits on it a moment in thought, then gets up, picks up the broom, and steps out to try and lure the vampire watermelon away by shaking the head at it. The melon takes a rolling nudge at the broom, then at once loses interest and goes back to the moving mirror party, focusing its vegetable ire(?) on Adrian's ankles.

[[Harry Lazarus, rolled 3,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. trick the melon!
vampire watermelon rolled 3 using 1d4, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Resist!
Aie, outsmarted by a melon.

Target check (Adrian, Evans)
vampire watermelon rolled 1 using 1d2. Adrian it is, then.

vampire watermelon rolled 3 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 3. *zzrl!*. Adrian...try not to roll bust.

Initiative!
Ambrose Evans: On Hold, but wait up for him anyway
vampire watermelon AS
Tao Jing KS
Harry Lazarus 7S
Adrian Vega 2D
Seven On Hold]]

OOC:
Watermelon Avoidance

Agility: 5

10:05, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 3,5 using d12+2,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5. Agility, don't fail me now!

"No!" Evans shouts as the thing heads back up the stairs. "Over here, you crepuscular cretin!"

Evans cut loose with a burst from his gyromounted gatling pistol, to keep the critter focused on them. The bullets rake the monster up the back, blowing bloody chunks from the corpse.

((OOC: Evans shoots at the monster, using three shoots from his bolt power.

08:20, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 3,5,1,9 using d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5,1,(6+3)9. Shooting! 2 hits, but also a malfunction, so I'm going to spend a chip for a reroll to avoid that fate...

08:21, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 2,4,11,4 using d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4,(6+5)11,4. red chip reroll. Much better. 3 hits with my pistol.

08:23, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 13,10,5 using 2d6,2d6,2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+5)11,1,(6+3)9,4,1. Damage.

That should be a Wound and Shaken for the first hit, a Shaken result for the second that rolls into a wound if it doesn't soak, and then nothing from the third hit.

Initiative for next round: KH))

[[Y'know, purely due to my own failure to pay attention (the jiang shi had 2 points of chi armour when being mobbed by the crows, but that ran out early in the kitchen fight as I forgot to maintain it), that'll actually work...

Because it's my own idocy, though, Jingles gets a soak roll:
Tao Jing rolled 6,5 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5. soaking! He's just Shaken. On the upside, you got its attention all right!]]

The jiang shi pauses, the long burnt gouges out of its back slowly oozing dark blood. Then suddenly it's turned and launched itself, incredibly ballistic, at the source of the shots, claws sweeping directly at Evans' head before it lands, notes Adrian's presence, and slashes snake-fast for him as well.

The goddamn watermelon simultaneously nudges hard at Adrian's lower calf, seemingly trying to bite him like a dog, without the advantages of teeth, or a mouth.


[[vampire watermelons rolled 9 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 9. *zzrl!*. Adrian, you know the drill.

Tao Jing rolled 16,4 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+6)14,2. unshake jiangshi. Unshaken with raise.

Tao Jing rolled 7,5 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+1)7,5. super jumping skillz (modified Burst power)! Evans, Adrian, I need Agility vs. 7 from y'all please. Harry's just out of range and will go when this is resolved.

Also there is now a jiang shi between Evans and that shielding mirror. Brisk walking pace, laddie!]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:26, Sun 27 Apr 2014.

OOC:

Agility vs. Watermelon: 16
Agility vs. Jingles:     9

13:49, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 9,7 using d12+2,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,(6+1)7.
13:49, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 8 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8. Blue Chip.
13:48, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 8,3 using d12+2,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,3.

((OOC: 20:20, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 1,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. Agility. No, I do not think so. I'll blow a red chip for a reroll.

20:20, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 5,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2. red chip reroll. Almost there. I'll toss in a Blue.


20:20, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. blue chip.

Total of 7, which will do it.))

Evans just barely manages to avoid the heavy swipes, watching as threads from his shirt catch on the jiang shi's blackened claws. The dapper fellow does something with cards that results in a brief, howling bolt of energy passing the dead Chinaman's shoulder, but the jiang shi already has targets.

Adrian lightly steps away over the watermelon with alarcity, the claws simply tapping the frame as he swings the mirror to bear again.

[[Harry Lazarus, drew the 9 cards: AC, KH, QC, 10D, 5H, 10S, 8D, 6D, 4H using the Deadlands system. plus witchery. I see Pair, but it's enough.

Harry Lazarus, rolled 3,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. bolt!
Not going to cut it.

Adrian, go!]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:40, Mon 28 Apr 2014.

Adrian moves to position himself near where the entrance to the stairs might be, but leaves Marshal Evans enough room to get behind him, hoping to keep the jiang shi on the ground level and away from the women and children.

"Behind me, Marshal!" he called, struggling to focus on multiple things at once. This was one of those times that he had no problem wresting the power that he needed, but apparently he didn't have the focus it took to hold a mirror, steer a Chinese vampire around, give cover to his Marshal, and avoid goddamn watermelons.

OOC:
Adrian successfully deals with the Devil with a Straight 7D, 8S, 9S, 10H, JS to boost the Agility of Evans, but does not make his Spellcasting roll so the spell does not go off.

Note: Not using the Joker.

15:34, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Spellcasting (to determine raise).
15:31, Today: Adrian Vega drew the 11 cards: 2H, AH, 6C, 10H, 3C, 8S, JS, KH, RJ!, 9S, 7D using the Deadlands system. Deal.

Initiative for next round:
15:40, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: 2C using the Deadlands system.


This message was last edited by the player at 20:40, Mon 28 Apr 2014.

The hopping corpse between Evans and relative safety opens its mouth, claws stretched in front of it once more. Once the jiang shi has pinpointed where he is, it'll likely move fast again.

[[Initiative!

Ambrose Evans KH
vampire watermelon 6D
Harry Lazarus 3C
Tao Jing 3H
Adrian Vega 2C ]]

In reply to The Widow Bradshaw (msg # 140):

Jake took the prayer strip with a nod. "Just got to put it on the thing's forehead ... easy," the words rang with a false bravado which only the most naive person would miss. He looked the strip over before heading towards the door, pistol in hand.

Evans dodged back behind Adrian, his pistol rattling off a few more shots at the creature. They stitched another line of trauma up the creature, though only one of the bullets seemed to do much more than graze it.

((OOC: Shooting at the jiang shi again, while moving back behind Adrian. I'm hoping to at least make it Shaken so I can run past in safety.

09:07, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 1,4,2,5 using d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4,2,5. Shooting! Not interested in a malfunction today.

09:07, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 5,5,5,3 using d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5,5,3. white chip. That's more like it.


09:08, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 2,21,2 using 2d6,2d6,2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1,(6+6+5)17,4,1,1. Damage.

Nice, that's 3 wounds. for the jaing shi to deal with.

Card: 4C))
This message was last edited by the player at 16:15, Tue 29 Apr 2014.

The corpse doesn't react much to being shot at, despite Evans' bullets doing more than ordinary lead. The impacts throw it off just enough to run past, however.

[[Tao Jing rolled 9,1 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 9,1. soak roll. 2 wounds soaked, 1 remaining, not that that slows it down any...]]

Evans' sharp movement does, however, attract the attention of the Goddamn Watermelon.

*zzzrl!*

[[Lots o' running about...the Goddamn watermelon rolled rolls of (2+2+1)5. target check. Heads up, Evans!

The NPC Goddamn watermelon rolled 9 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 9. *zzrl!*. Evans, 9 to beat, then we'll see what Harry's at.]]

"I would do it, but my sister's already been attacked by the vampires outside...mother's been through enough," Abbie says, letting him take the prayer.

The Widow Bradshaw is already in the corridor, kneeling and holding up something invisible at the threshold of a dark room for the crowlets to let themselves out via the broken window there.

"You can take the pee if you like," she says, nodding at a bucket on the lower step of an ascending alcoved stair. "If it comes up here we'll just hole up in the library."

Evans manages to get behind Adrian just as the watermelon crashes into his legs and sends him falling to the floor with a short shout of surprise.

"Dammit!" Evans curses.

((OOC: 09:42, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 3,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. Agility. Yay. Stupid melon. that makes me Shaken.))

Seeing the Marshal's distress and the fact that Evans is about to get melon'd in the face, the dapper man raises his hands, does a little wiggle for perfect balance, and pounces.

*zzzrl!*zzzrrl!*

The watermelon is hauled into the air, all the while attempting to roll away. The jiang shi takes a hop backwards and stands, apparently confused, flexing its claws towards the mirror - clearly it knows something is there as Evans curses, but the reflective surface throws its ability to find said targets off.


[[Harry Lazarus rolled 2,7 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+1)7. catch the melon!

vampire watermelon rolled 4 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Resist! He's caught the melon, folks! Not securely, but close enough...of course, he now has an armful of angry melon, so he's not much further use unless you can get him to run out in front of the jiang shi and survive long enough to drop it over there...

Tao Jing rolled 6,6 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4. unshake jiangshi. Unshaken.

Tao Jing, rolled 1,1 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3. how proof? Fail. The jiang shi is still temporarily vulnerable to magic.

Adrian, go!]]

In reply to Abbie Bruebaker (msg # 155):

A chuckle escaped Jake's lips, "I'll see if the thing down there won't mind to take the piss bucket." Thusly did Jake go downstairs, piss bucket in one hand and prayer strip in the other.

As Jake decends the jiang shi becomes agitated, hopping still further back.

[[Draw initiative for next round, Jake, and be sure to communicate...]]