Clemmons gives her an odd look but adds nothing, hefting the workbox once more and loosening one of his pistols with his free hand. "Gotta go, Lou."

Meet-On-The-Road tugs his hatbrim and sets back to work, loosening lumps of road with his pitchfork. "I'll catch up with you sooner or later," he assures the gunslinger.

Clemmons walks close to Sarah as they head on down the road, making sure she's truly all right.

Hank tarries a little, trying to work out what just happened, then realises he's getting left behind. It's distorted through the long sigh of rain, but about thirty paces on, Sarah catches the exchange: "Well...see ya, Mister Devil," and the response "Smartass." Hank shortly catches up looking pleased with himself.

"He threw me a silver dollar!" The young man considers, then bites it out of habit. "A real silver dollar," he concludes, even more pleased, then looks up ahead to where those ominous darker lumps on the road have become visible, dim, green fire playing between the odd pair of horns or exposed flank. "Sss...I still say they're ghosts," he opines.

"We got any plan if they do get up?" Clemmons asks.

"Keep shooting, cowboy, keep shooting.  It should at least buy you time to beat a retreat.  Once they're disabled enough, we'll burn them with the wrath of a thousand lost souls."

"You ain't really any kind of preacher, are you?" Clemmons observes. "You're one of them critter-hunters that go off looking for el chupacabra."

Hank has automatically spread out to cover their left flank, alert for trouble.

"May you be forgiven!  I am all kinds of preacher, the kind that not only preaches 'gainst evil, but kicks it's tail when the flock needs saving.  Now keep a sharp eye out, I have a feeling something big is in the area and we might need to plan carefully."

"Uh-huh," Clemmons says, staring warily at the night.

"I could about eat a steer right now," Hank remarks, drawing his gun.  The intrepid if thoroughly soggy trio creep up on the dead cattle, poised and alert.

[[Notice roll time, -2 for the dark...]]

Is an 11 good enough?

23:54, Today: Sister Sarah rolled 1,11 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+5)11. Notice.

[[That 9 with the darkness is sufficient to prevent any nasties getting the Drop on you, yes. Apologies for vanishing - bit of a steep weekend and I've had so much Monday I keep thinking it's Tuesday. Anyway.

Hank Miller rolled 1,18 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+6+6+1)19. Notice? 16 with the dark. Hank is observant! Wes isn't, because he just muffed his Spellcasting and is Shaken...]]

Clemmons growls uneasily at the sight of the dead steers, trying to watch all the corpses at once. Lightning cracks the sky. Clemmons suddenly jerks back from a flash of dark, stumbling over some scrub and cursing. "Augh! Damn bird..."

As the strength of the True Sight fades from her, Sarah notices a golden serpent writhe its way out of the mouth of one of the once-more-recumbent cattle as thunder booms out, a green flame burning between its slender horns. Other dead mouths gape empty, but there's another green-lit shimmer of scale from a bull's wrecked skull off to the left, and one further into the distance. Hank turns to point his pistol at something beyond the others' vision, on the ground.

"Ghost! Snake ghost! ...I think there may be more of them!"

[[All right, time to run like hell or draw init.]]

11:08, Today: Sister Sarah drew the single card: 3S using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

There's a distinct crunch of brushwood as Hank braces himself, the barrel of his pistol tracking the movement of the nearest snake. Hank swallows and quietly cocks his pistol.

The serpent directly before Sister Sarah looks over and makes a seemingly leisurely meander towards her. Its golden coils melt into smoke as it advances, the fire between its horns a dim green ember until suddenly it is close and solid again, crouched in a menacing spring-coil, watching.

Clemmons backs a step from the one on their left, watching Sarah's flank. His serpentine stalker also becomes nigh-invisible and ethereal, but stays that way, its spirit flame tracking through the scrub like a lazy glowworm.

The far-off snake fades from view, though its green spark remains still and visible.


[[Hank, noticing how hard it is to hit things which are Small in Darkness (-4 to hit) takes the Aim maneuvre, tracking the beastie closest to him.

John Wesley Hardin rolled 6,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2. unshake? Wes unshakes, but he's already had backlash and doesn't want to cast things at a penalty, so he leaves it there.


Initiative!

Hank JH
JWH 3H
Sarah 3S
Snakes 2D (they drew lower on their Quick card)]]

Sarah raises her cross high.  "By the names of Aaron and Moses, I call forth the miracle of the staff!  Let snakes fight snakes!"  She plunged her cross into the ground, where it suddenly transformed into a mass of pure white snakes.  They quickly swarmed the other three demon snakes, sinking their fangs into them and holding them fast.

OOC: Going for an Entangle in a Medium Burst template, hopefully centered so it can get all three of them without getting us.  I got a 14; they get an opposed agility roll to escape.

23:42, Today: Sister Sarah rolled 14,1 using d12-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (12+4)16,3. Entangle.

The caught snakes hiss angrily and writhe, the one nearest Sarah shimmering into visibility under the white serpents' attack, rolling and attempting to twist far enough to bite its attackers.

Clemmons shakes his boots as the pale snakes lay into them with a will, apparently not piercing the leather but certainly tangling his legs in their coils. "Gah!"

The holy reptiles over by Hank don't seem to be doing so well, judging by the youth's commentary and occasional crunching sounds. "Shit, more sn-...oh, ow, ew. Ew."

*sssssssssssssssshhhhhikashikashikashika*

"Uh-huh," Hank responds to that chilling rattle, aiming and waiting for the spirit to become solid in preparation to strike.


[[Righto. Minus aunt now, going to group-roll for the area effect, since the snakes have the same stats. Nice miracle you got there, by the way.
Mirror Serpent's Brood rolled 2,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Resist! They're Caught.
John Wesley Hardin, rolled 4,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5. Resist! So's Wes.

The caught snakes use their action to try and get away.
Mirror Serpent's Brood rolled rolls of (8+8+2)18,5,1. Resist! Two extract themselves, the one nearest Hank with a raise, which gives it its action. It decides to express the fact that it is no longer curious, but actively pissed off:

Mirror Serpent's Brood rolled 10 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of (8+2)10. *rattlerattlerattle*
Hank Miller rolled 14,4 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of (8+7)15,5. Resist! Hank doesn't care.

Initiative, please!]]

21:11, Today: Sister Sarah drew the single card: BJ! using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

I'll wait and see what order people are going in before I make my action.

The snake-flame in the distance slides off into the scrub.

[[Remind me to note that in the chip thread.

Initiative!
Sister Sarah BJ! (or whenever)
Sinister serpents AD
John Wesley Hardin QD
Hank Miller 10S ]]

Note it in the chip thread! =P

[[Been and did, preacher...if you don't want to go first there, do let me know either where you'd like to go in the round or that you're on Hold...]]

I want to see what the snakes do first.  If need be, I'll use my Joker to interrupt them. 

The snake in front of Sarah rolls over in its captors' coils; a rock loosens the grip of one and it abruptly discorporates under the gold serpent's bite. The horned snake turns on the remaining pearly reptile, which twitches as it gets bitten and rapidly devoured by the larger snake.

[[of Mirror Serpent's Brood rolled 7 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 7. Sarah's snake. It doth unshake. It raiseth not, so that's the lot.]]

Hank startles a little and steps back, shaking a whip of heavy green-fired gold off his boot.

[[Mirror Serpent's Brood rolled 9 using 1d8+4, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Snakebite! Hit and Raise. (+2 Small vs. human target, +2 touch attack, darkness penalty doesn't effect 'em 'cause even if they weren't magic, rattlesnakes have extra senses for that...)
Mirror Serpent's Brood rolled 2,2 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. damage can has? a 4 does not faze Hank.]]

The snake beside Clemmons decides not to tangle with the pale snakes or the clearly-snakeproof boots they've taken against, phasing out and back into visibility like smoke through sunlight a lot nearer Sarah. It coils into a deadly spring with the barest *shika-shik* of a warning rattle, cold turquoise eyes fixed on the preacher.

[[This one plans to bite Sarah, if you mean to interrupt them here.]]

The distant snake must be somewhere in the underbrush - odd glimpses of its glow suggest it's getting nearer the action.

[[This one is on Hold]]

Sarah raises her hands, and calls down the thunder.

Took me two white chips, but they have to make a Vigor roll at -2 or be Stunned.

16:21, Today: Sister Sarah rolled 11,13 using d12+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 9,(6+5)11. White Chip 2.
16:19, Today: Sister Sarah rolled 5,6 using d12+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4. White Chip.
16:18, Today: Sister Sarah rolled 5,4 using d12+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. Stun!

Brandishing her shotgun at the sky seems to do the trick - both men jump and the coiled snake is thrown to the ground as lightning strikes nearby, splitting a dead tree to its root.

{{ {{{*BARADUBOOOM*}}} }}

The dry insides of the tree start to burn, casting a bright if hellish light over the sodden combattants.


[[For the extra raise, I'll give you a free light source. (the snakes remain Small and thus -2 to hit, but if you're packing buckshot...well, that's what it's there for.)

Mirror Serpent's Brood rolled rolls of 1,1,2. Resist! With the penalty on, that is even more fail. Shaken snakes are Shaken. Or at least three of them are - were you aiming to catch Hank's snake or the one currently somewhere in the foliage?

John Wesley Hardin rolled 8,3 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+2)10,5. Resist! Wes isn't! Excuse me whilst I rule-wrangle for a bit...]]

I was hoping to pull a Pokemon.  Gotta catch them all!

[[Well, you could increase the area of effect with that roll, but the rain'd put the fire out.

Also, to get Hank's snake you'd risk Shaking Hank, which'd cost him his Aim manoeuvre and leave the rest of the round as your allies all trying to Unshake rather than doing useful things like shooting snakes...person'ly I'd go with what you've got, bonus light source and Shaking the snake in the undergrowth, but it's up to you.]]

Yeah, let's keep it safe for now. 

The light of the burning tree sends Clemmons' shadow flickering over the scrub, demon-dancing with the shadows of the holy serpents trying to bind his boots. Clemmons growls and curses into his moustache, too distracted to note the green flickers between imself and Sarah.

[[Mirror Serpent's Brood rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. unshake snake. Interrupted Snake is still Shaken.

John Wesley Hardin rolled 1,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. unshake? Oh, for...if he doesn't unshake and disentangle himself next round, I'll throw a chip at him.]]

Hank shoots at the snake nearest him - though Sarah hears a sharp recoil from a ricochet, angry rattling arises once more from the scrub, indicating the critter's still dangerous.


[[Hank Miller rolled 5,0 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1. shootin' (+2 Aim, -2 Small target, -1 injury). Which'd be fine, but since it bit him he's in melee with the damn thing, so he needs to hit its parry...
Hank Miller rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. red chippit. Hit.
Hank Miller rolled 5 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3. damage can has? That...shakes his snake, so to speak.


Initiative!
Snakes KC
John Wesley Hardin 10S
Hank Miller 6S
Sister Sarah NOT DRAWN YET]]

17:02, Today: Sister Sarah drew the single card: 6H using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

The snake near Sarah's left ankle coils around in confusion, apparently dazed by the lightning. Intermittent, half-hearted rattling from Hank's snake suggests that reptile is in a similar condition.

The snake a couple of paces before Sarah continues to ignore Clemmons' thoroughly snakeproof boots with their holy foelaces, fading from view with a dull, ominous rattling noise.

*shikashikashikashika*

Abruptly as the lightning, the snake from the scrub launches itself at Sarah's right calf, jaws wide.

[[Mirror Serpent's Brood rolled rolls of 3,1,4,5. unshake snakes. The one slightly away from/directly ahead of Sarah/behind Wes and the snake in the scrub to the right Unshake and opt to take actions at -2 to speed things the hell up:

ahead snake: Mirror Serpent's Brood, rolled 4 using 1d8-2, rerolling max with rolls of 6. *rattlerattlerattle* Sister Sarah, beat 4 or be Shaken!
scrub snake: Mirror Serpent's Brood, rolled 9 using 1d8+2, rerolling max with rolls of 7. Snakebite! (+2 Touch, +2 size difference, -2 unshaking) Hit, Raise.
Mirror Serpent's Brood rolled 1,9 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+3)9. damage can has? 10 damage. That's 1 Wound for Sarah, and a roll vs. poison if she fails her soak.]]

Clemmons hops about, trying to shake off the holy snakes coiling about his ankles without getting bitten.

[[John Wesley Hardin rolled 3,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. unshake? *swears and throws a chip at him* Right.

John Wesley Hardin, rolled 2,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3. Resist!
...he's Unshaken, but still Caught.

Sister Sarah, go!]]