[[musics...]]

Staring about at the heights, Jake notices the young, sickly-looking Dust Adder (Percy, was it?) walking away from the library into the room beside the alcove stair, several spiders and a faint trembling of the unlit chandelier high overhead. His ears tell him that if there's anything besides the folk in the kitchen talking in his immediiate area, it moves too softly to be heard.

Beads of sweat formed on the widower's brow. The quiet and the darkness cause Jake to be cautious, his eyes scanned the area about him as his ears strained to pickup anything that could be movement. He slowly began moving towards areas of the house were there weren't as many people, something in him told him this was foolish but another portion told him to keep moving, focus on the task and see what was on the other side of all the craziness going on around him.

Dave gives Jake a very odd look as the man sidles away, but his hand shifts from gun to pocket, whence he drops a clove of garlic on the boards and crushes it under his boot, still watching Jake. As the strange man continues to edge off, Dave retrieves the crushed and reeking clove and goes to see what they've found in the kitchen.

[[Heading for the dining room (nearby, dark, doors open) or the living room/study (door shut, but folk in there recently so probably lit, if devoid of people)?]]

Jake's eyes slowly adjusted to the dim as he moved towards the pitch black of the dining room. His pistol followed his eyes as he moved. Great way to get killed Jake ... just go looking for the thing trying to kill everyone, he thought as he paused at the entry. Tables, chairs, place settings slowly came into a focus as he looked inside.

Nothing appears to be moving in there. The dining furniture has been stood against the window as a barricade, placemats and silverware are scattered over the floor, and a chair lies tipped on its side near the far door back to the foyer. Everything gives an impression of haste and desperation, save for the implacable sideboard looming up the length of the wall to Jake's left.

Jake stepped into the dinning room, filing away the obvious impression of the room. His eyes shifted from each point to the next, then settled the sideboard on his left. "Hmmm... curious," he muttered to himself.

[[you, er, want to go inspect the sideboard/something specific? Or take a general Notice roll, maybe? There's not a great deal to see except dark...here is some <a href=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzQPJD_Fj8I>more music</a>, anyway.]]

Jake moves into the room, distantly hearing the clank patter over to the stairs behind him. Mostly, though, it's just the muted creak of his own steps, and when those stop, the sound of his breath. The storm outside causes the deep shadows beside the barricade to shudder and flicker, not unlike the movement of that hungry, multi-limbed darkness that had 'spoken' to him outside. The rest is silence.

Jake's curiosity got the better of him; he keeled down to inspect the sideboard properly.

OOC: SURE I'm a fan of notice! :)
17:02, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 4,2 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2. Notice.
Not overly good in the dark.

Jake inspects the lower parts of the heavy, high-backed sideboard.

[[It looks like <a href=http://www.sellingantiques.co....6946420317.jpg>my grandma's</a>]]

The cupboard nearest Jake proves quite stiff; as he tugs it open, the far cupboard door gapes blackly wide.

*creee<a href=http://youtu.be/rOn8QFxVGBE?t=...;eeeee</a>aaak*

Fumbling around in there, Jake finds what feel like the service plates, a narrow wooden box about 8" long, an intriguing little metal object with some kind of lever incorporated into its design, long smooth things that make an icy clinking when disturbed, four candles, and on the bottom shelf a somewhat greasy bottle and a  round package securely wrapped in a teatowel, greasepaper and string.

[[Jake finds Things!]]

It took a moment but Jake managed to get out a match and light one of the candles, which of course threw his night vision right out the window.

Something soft brushes the back of his neck.

Not one to jump at things in the dark, Jake turned slowly on his heels and kept his pistol level.

Velvet wings batter Jake's face like little kisses as the large black witch moth continues to circle his candle light in fluttery fascination.

[[moth friend!]]

The rather stressed Jake stared at the fluttering creature for a long moment then let out a quick sigh of relief. He set the candle atop the side board as he finished examining the contents of it.

Attended by his curious moth friend, Jake sets the candle in a nearby holder and investigates the rest of the sideboard. Lightning flashes outside, though the thunder can scarcely be heard. Jake becomes aware he's cold. Someone wearing boots walks down the stairs out in the hall and makes for the kitchen.

The metal object he found earlier seems to be some sort of lamp-lighter, the clinking things turn out to be swizzle sticks, and the box a container for dominoes. The round package and the contents of the bottle remain mysterious.

Moving on to the drawers and other cupboards, Jake finds quite a range of specialised silver dining tools, a couple of souvenir spoons, table linen, playing cards, various glassware, a large fruit bowl, a corkscrew, a strange feathered ball on a string attached to a rod, a folding wooden chess-chequers set plus some other boxes marked 'PACHISI', 'The Game of Attack!', 'FULL TAROT' and 'JUMANJI', and a small wooden duck on wheels that looks to be of considerable age.

It occurs to Jake as he examines these things that the quality of light around him seems to have changed - either his candle is brighter or everything else has got darker. His companion moth flits and flutters, making the shadows shiver at the corner of Jake's vision, at once attracted to the light and shy of the heat.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:30, Wed 16 July 2014.

Jake pondered for a moment what to do, last time he'd turned he had been battered by a rather vicious moth what would happen this time. The world wasn't a place where random seemed to happen often, so he knew that caution was the best course. Grabbing his gun from where he'd laid it to examine the side board contents, he spun on his heel and knee to see what could be causing the light to shift around him.

Jake looks out at utter blackness - someone's killed the remaining light in the foyer and the lamps upstairs are suddenly out. There may still be light in the kitchen, but looking out from his suddenly brightly-lit vicinity into the dark Jake's night vision is too hampered to tell. It's like looking out into void.

Lightning throws blue shadows over the floor and is gone. The moth lands on Jake's forehead to drink his glittering sweat.

...then, from the kitchen, the sudden

{{*CRACK*}} {{*CRACK*}}

of rifle fire.

Moth and mystery forgotten, Jake leapt toward the entry of the dinning room and put the wall to his shoulder as his eyes scanned the open foyer beyond.

OOC: basically trying to use the door way for some cover ... you know, just in case :)

The only light before him comes from the kitchen doorway, a bright slot of light. Someone in there seems to be yelling about vampires. As he watches, Dave stumbles back and hits the far doorpost, blood streaming from between his fingers where they're pressed hard to a wound near his throat.

The Dust Adder slides, buckles and half-falls half-kneels on the threshold, grimacing in pain. The intial shouting drops to urgent pleading, the words just too low to catch properly.

[[Due to Jake being prone to wandering off on his oddy through vampire territory, I don't think anyone actually knows where he is to shoot at right now, even if they were so minded...that'll only last 'til they see the candle, of course.]]

There are sounds from the stairs which suggest a decending clank.

It sounds like a woman speaking in the kitchen, Jake considers, presumably Abbie. She seems to be earnestly imploring someone not to do something, which is slightly odd since the young lady didn't seem the type to beg.

There is shortly a tremendous crash from upstairs.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:27, Wed 23 July 2014.

Jake leaned back against the sideboard and blew out the candle he'd left there ... things were getting too crazy for him to be the only person in the light, too much like a target. Once the light died he waited a few minutes to let his eyes readjust, hoping that things would calm down some.

The clank heads for the kitchen, static pulsing loud with each distant roll of thunder outside. Whoever's pleading speaks more softly: there's a dull clatter from the kitchen and someone starts crying. Alouette halts to examine Dave, who tries feebly to scoot away from it.

[[Notice roll, the Jake!]]

OOC: SURE!
16:01, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 5,10 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+4)10. Notice.

"Repent," Alouette reminds the wounded Dave, paying no heed to what's in the room beside it. Dave rolls his tormented gaze that way, then back to the clank.

"Dammit...sure. You help Al and Percy, I'll..." he trails off, staring at the clank in horror as its brass fingers gently press against those of his own clamped over the wound. "Oh. Oh hell." The clank straightens, a dim shimmer of lines shifting and meshing around it as though sunlight slid sharp as the dawn of the world down the shafts of great folded wings.

"Done."

Scanning the foyer as his eyes adjust, Jake catches movement - a woman hastens cat-footed down the stairs holding a strange-looking gun. Her precise form and features are cloaked in darkness, but Jake can see by her movements that her whole body is tense, expecting trouble. A few steps from the foyer floor, she pauses, listening.

Jake's moth friend re-alights on his head and crawls its tickly way down towards his left eyebrow. The woman leans down, shaking her hair back, and gingerly picks up the piss bucket.

Jake glanced up at the moth perched on his brow, which proved to be a difficult and the creature was mostly out of focus. After a moment of this he turned his attention back to the girl with the piss bucket. Moving as quietly as he could, Jake followed after the curiosity of a woman.

Jake can just about make out a pair of anetennae waving down at him, though the moth flits off when he starts to move.

[[Gimmie Stealth and a Notice -4 (couple of visual things to notice here), Intrepid Jake]]

OOC:
14:40, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 8,0 using 1d4-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (4+4+2)10,2. Stealth (Unskilled).
I am the night!

14:41, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 0,-1 using 1d8-4,1d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3. Notice (-4 GM).
Bah ... I'll burn a white chip and reroll.
14:41, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 10,-1 using 1d8-4,1d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of (8+6)14,3. White Chip.

Jake drifts towards the lady like a shadow as she pads alongside the stair cupboards, circling in on the kitchen from the more shadowed side. Her own feet make no sound across the floor, as though she went barefooted. Alouette retreats into the kitchen, Dave's attention following the metal angel as though the Word of God compelled him.

As he looks awat, the lady crosses the patch of light cast from the kitchen doorway, swift as a flitting bat. For the briefest instant, Jake can see her face.

It's the woman from the vision. As she passes back into darkness, Jake catches the flutter of something she didn't have before, on the stairs. A yellow something, one that seems to be made of paper. An instant later, Jake realises she's taken the prayer strip.


[[Jake continues to notice All The Things. Marina, however, failed spectacularly:

Marina Vanderholt rolled 1,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Notice? Blind as a bat. Reckon she's paying too much attention to goings-on in the kitchen.]]

Jake wanted to curse but knew better than to give up any advantage. This unknown woman had shown herself to be an enemy by releasing the creature he'd paused earlier. He paused behind a piece of furniture, crouched then leveled his Dragoon. Waiting a long moment before tapping into himself for fuel to unleash arcane fury upon this raven-colored foe. The shots came out in like blue and crimson lightning bolts which came arcing from his service pistol.

OOC: Let's see what 3x2d6 bolts can do ...
15:49, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 3,8,5,4 using 1d10,1d10,1d10,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,8,5,4. Spellcasting (Bolt 3x2d6).
Baring strangeness that's three hits ... might even have the drop as I'm so stealthy.
15:50, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 17,5,8 using 3d6,2d6,2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+4)10,3,4,1,3,5. Damage (Bolt w/ Raise, Bolt, Bolt).
That 17 is enough for 2 wounds

PP: 7/10

[[Presuming you're shooting Marina there, yes you had the Drop, which'd cancel out the Darkness penalty to aim...I'm a touch fuzzy on the mechanics of Jake's specific Bolt, but I presume his Spellcasting die off PP works the same way a ranged weapon would in the circumstances. Meanwhile, roll Agility.]]

There's a flash of stunned night-creature eyes, a shriek and the clang of the bucket hitting the floor. Dave about jumps out of his skin, throwing himself away from the pyrotechnics. "The Hell?!"

Jake cannot currently see anything clearly except the edge of the clock he's hiding behind and the afterimages scrawled across his vision, but by the smell of singed hair and flesh that was a definite hit.

OOC: Yep, the bolts were for Marina :)

16:33, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 2,5 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,5. Agility.

Suddenly, the darkness lurches at Jake's left; a heavy, open palm smacks into the side of the clock, splintering wood, then strikes Jake's face.

The impact slaps him sideways, leaving thin scratches under his jaw, but then the other claw skids over the battered huckster's coat, doing no damage but putting Jake's shoulder in range of those teeth.

There's a sensation like being punched in the gut, hard enough to wind but no centre to the blow: a diffuse feeling of being suddenly without some intangible thing needed as badly as air...


[[So, it was peacefully sitting there topping up its arcane resistance when Jake put up the aetheric equivalent of a neon sign over his head reading 'FREE BUFFET!' there...

Tao Jing, rolled 1,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. hop hop? Ha, no.
Tao Jing rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. red chippit -> 6 Burst. Ouch for Jake, but not a raise...

Tao Jing rolled 11 using 2d10, rerolling max with rolls of 8,3. damage.
1 wound Shaken for Jake, plus some other effects (yeah, this thing touching you is bad...)
Tao Jing rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. chi loss. The jiang shi has eaten 4 of Jake's PP.

Also, roll Vigour -2 and draw init.]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:47, Wed 30 July 2014.

Jake gnashed his teeth and balled his left fist so tight that he almost started to bleed all so he would to remain as quiet as possible due to his mind working for once and useful information coming forward.

OOC: EEP! Vigor at -2
08:13, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled -1,-1 using 1d6-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. Vigor (-2 GM).
08:13, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 2,-1 using 1d6-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 4,1. White Chip.
08:14, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Red Chip.
A White and Red chip later ... I get a 4.

Now to soak that wound ...
08:15, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 2,2 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Soak.
08:15, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 5,4 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4. White Chip.
Wound soaked ... so 3 white chips and a red chip in 1 round ... ugh

08:16, Today: Jake Lawrence drew the single card: 2S using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative .
And the hits just keep on coming ...

PP: 3/10

[[It's super infective! At least you get a chip back now?]]

Cloth tears; Jake slides down the wall with a stinging in his neck and shoulder breaking through the sensation of seemingly having his soul smothered whilst his heart still beat. The jiang shi is instantly at the wall and reaching stiff-armed for the sound, its talons tapping over the papered plaster.

The corpse feels the wall a moment, then shifts its attention to the clock, claws sliding and clicking over the wood. No breath passes its dead lips from the recent exertion. It taps its way up to the clockface, oblivious to Jake lying quiet and holding his breath at its feet.

[[As Jake isn't making any more sound/massive chi disruptions, Jingles is a little unsure where he is and so goes On Hold with his Joker Bonus to see whether Jake "reappears".]]

Over by the kitchen door, the lady picks herself up, wincing, looks up at the footsteps and increasing voices above, and bolts into the kitchen. Dave stares stupidly at where she passed. "Wha-?"

Similar reactions resound from within: it seems the vampire's too fast for most folk, but there's a distinct "No!" from Percy and a strange catlike hiss, followed by what sounds like a chair falling over. The jiang shi above Jake pauses to listen, mouth open and claws flexing wide.


[[Marina drops a chip to Unshake, being Invulnerable to all but her weaknesses, and legs it over Dave into the kitchen.

Marina Vanderholt, rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. fleeing! 7 squares later, y'all can't see her, but I know that puts her about level with Abbie and Percy.

I roll to see if anyone in there has the reflexes to react at all:

Abigail Bruebaker rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Agility.
Mighty Dave rolled 1,1 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2.
Percy Bradshaw rolled 1,4 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,5. Agility.
Father William O'Rourke, rolled 2,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4. Agility.
Alouette rolled 2,2 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Agility.

The priest is busy right now, but has the presence of mind to draw in next round if he likes. Percy throws himself in front of Abbie and tries to grapple Marina as she passes his melee range:

Percy Bradshaw rolled 2,3 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4. grab the vampire!
Marina Vanderholt rolled 14,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+6)14,2. be not grabbed!

It doesn't work.

Initiative!
Jingles the jiangshi BJ! (on Hold)
Marina Vanderholt KS
Bitter Waters 2S

Go, Jake, go!]]

OOC:

For next round:

15:24, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: 10C using the Deadlands system.

Also, Adrian will grab the bucket on his way downstairs, if it is still around.

There's a further static crackle from the kitchen.

[[Noted, and no, the bucket isn't where Jake left it. NB unless Adrian makes a free Notice at -4 on his action (since none of y'all stopped for a light source) or someone who knows/can see in the dark tells him, he has no way to know the jiang shi's loose.]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:05, Thu 31 July 2014.

09:32, Today: William Pierce drew the single card: KD using the Deadlands system. Initiative, Quick Edge.
09:32, Today: William Pierce drew the single card: 5C using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

Jake's eyes narrowed on the creature who'd just taken a part of his soul or so he'd think if he had time to or if the adrenaline rushing through him wasn't causing his heart to pound hard enough to sound like a big bass drum in his ears.

Got to keep this thing from getting to anyone else as long as I can ... and hopefully not get myself killed.

His Dragoon barked three times as Jake fanned the big gun's hammer, sending a trio of bullets towards the jiang shi. He pushed off the wall and clock trying to send himself sliding across the floor towards a nearby side table.

OOC: fannin' and moving ... fingers crossed.
09:41, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 2,-2,3,4 using 1d8-4,1d8-4,1d8-4,1d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2,7,(6+2)8. Fannin' the Hammer.
09:41, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled -2,0,1,-1 using 1d8-4,1d8-4,1d8-4,1d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4,5,3. White Chip.
That's a whole lot of misses ... the 4 MIGHT hit if he's not in melee range
09:42, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 13 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+3)9. Damage (AP 1).
09:42, Today: Jake Lawrence drew the single card: 3H using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative .

((OOC: 10:35, Fri 01 Aug 2014: The Amazing Evans drew the single card: 6C using the Deadlands system.))

The corpse whips round to face the source of the bullets, seemingly unhampered by the one that ricochets off its middle.

[[Give me an Agility roll, the Jake.

Y'all non-cateyed folk on the stairs can tell someone on the floor's shooting at a standing figure by the muzzle flash.]]

OOC: One agility roll
13:41, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 10,2 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+2)10,2. Agility.

[[Tao Jing rolled 4,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4. agility!
Jake moves out of easy nom range uninterrupted.]]

The jiang shi pounces on the spot where Jake had been, feeling around with those black claws. Swiftly deciding he's not there, the hopping corpse straightens stiffly and raises its head, turning it back and forth. The surrounding air seems to become slightly colder.

[[Jingles notices the chi-feel of a thing that injured him before (Evans' pistol) and decides to draw in power in case it's still a threat. (He's only got 2 points of Arcane Resistance right now and will have to start maintaining it round after next.)

Tao Jing rolled 7,6 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4. chi boost (Vigour), which nudges his Toughness to 10.

Initiative!
Tao Jing RJ! (I kid you not)
William Pierce KD
Percy Bradshaw QD
Adrian Vega 10C
Marina Vanderholt 8S
Widow Bradshaw 7D
Ambrosius Botticelli Evans 6C
Father O'Rourke 5H
Jake Lawrence 3H

Grey folk are in the kitchen.

Incidentally, I've forgotten my rationale for the extra -2 to visual Notice (I did have one, honest), so Adrian/Evans/Bradshaw can make Notice checks at the Dark penalty (-2) only if William/Jake doesn't give them a heads-up about what they're fighting. Anyway, Jingles...more superhopping, why not?]]

Another four rapid heartbeats. Just as it seems the jiang shi's failed to follow the sound of the sliding man, some fractional movement of Jake's shunts his table back the barest fraction. The undead lunges.

[[Tao Jing, rolled 6,7 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5. hop hop?
Jake the Loud, Agility vs. 7, or get nommed on!]]

((OOC: 08:52, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled -3,1 using d4-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5. Notice.

Unsurprisingly, he fails, since Evans has no Notice to speak of and had to default.))

OOC:

Notice: 5

08:59, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 5,0 using d4-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (4+3)7,2. Notice.

OOC:
10:16, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 6,5 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5. Agility vs 7.
Not quite .. so Blue Chip
10:16, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Blue Chip.
6+ 1 == 7 ... I think that's not good either.

[[I'd assume that tie'd be a Defender Wins situation - all right, so in melee with a jiang shi who has a pretty good idea of where you are isn't great, but it's better than having your face nommed, right?]]

Claws smash and splinter through the edge of the table, the back of them brushing Jake's face as he scrambles backwards.

Mostway downstairs, Adrian notices the dark blot that should mark the stationary hopping vampire isn't there.

[[go go William Pierce!]]

"Careful. Jingles ain't where I left 'im," he said.

"I know. I can see him", he replies before telling the others where the strange hopping vampire is right now: "He's a couple of paces from the hall clock and less from Lawrence."

This oriental vampire was probably as careless of bullets as all the others had been. But he still had 3 in his gun that had been blessed by the priest...

Pierce raises his pistol and squeezes off a shot, hitting Jingles square in the chest.

"They should've burned ya." he says, his tone almost apologetical.

22:43, Today: William Pierce rolled 6,4 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,4. Shooting Jingles.

22:45, Today: William Pierce rolled 16 using 3d6+5, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2,5. Damage.

Holy Bullets: 2 left

22:48, Today: William Pierce drew the single card: 8H using the Deadlands system. Initiative.


This message was last edited by the GM at 21:39, Wed 06 Aug 2014.

[[Nice shot. That hits him for 14 damage with his 2 points of Resistance, resulting in 1 wound at his current Toughness of 10. Ignore the soak on the dice roller - a real live wild jiang shi's tough enough without stringing things out (fortunately he hasn't had time to regen any, but setting him on fire really wouldn't help...though I admit the idea of y'all being chased by a flaming hopping vampire is greatly entertaining).

He's at 3 wounds, folks!]]

There's a clatter, a scrape and a muffled *BONG* as the jiang shi is blasted backwards, colliding with the hall clock. The dead thing lies on the floor half a heartbeat before flipping up again like a carelessly trodden-on rake and hopping a step, arms blindly outstretched.

[[You can't see what Percy's doing, but he's being Full Defensive in the kitchen, knowing he doesn't have the sang froid to act fast enough to aggressively press Marina (a Lady!) in a fight, the only way a mortal could last more than a few seconds (this is how she got him mind-controlled into coming up to see her, then to go shoot his mates)...

Adrian, go!]]

OOC:

I'm not exactly sure what Adrian can see right now. Can I see Jingles? Marina?

A very faint jingling sound filters from somewhere above in a moment of quiet.

[[He can't see a great deal because Marina killed the lights and only William has night vision...having heard the clocklike crash and William saying Jingles was by the clock he can probably focus on the jiangshi's head and hands quite easily, as they're paler, and see that there's someone on the floor nearby (that's Jake). He can also just about see Evans at the bottom step.

Adrian can't see into the kitchen from this angle, hence the lack of updates as to what everyone in there (including Marina) is doing. He can see Dave slumped wounded in the kitchen doorway, though, as the slot of light from in there falls over him.]]

As Adrian's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he drew hints from Pierce's directions, focusing on the pale shape that emerged from the darkness, the one that he saw go flopping as Pierce's weapon reported.

Adrian had his own gun, but when he fired, it wasn't accompanied by the same noise. Reaching into that place where he played the real high stakes games, he came down with a flush of luck that flowed into his weapon, sending three pale, ghostly bullets towards his target.

---

OOC:

• Dealing with the Devil for my Power Points for the Bolt spell.
• Pulled down a Flush: 6H, AH, 7H, 2H, 8H (Automatic success + raise)
• Rolled Spellcasting to hit: 11, 11, 8
• Total Damage: 8, 16, 11

07:23, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 5,4,3 using d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4,3. Raise.
18:28, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 3,12,8 using 2d6,2d6,2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1,(6+1)7,5,4,4. Bang, bang, bang.
18:25, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 11,8,8,11 using d8+4,d8+4,d8+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 7,4,4,(6+1)7. To Hit roll, with Flush bonus.
18:15, Today: Adrian Vega drew the 11 cards: AS, AD, QC, 6H, AH, 7H, 2H, 4D, 8H, JD, 3H using the Deadlands system.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:28, Mon 11 Aug 2014.

GMing duty!

PM
This message was last edited by the player at 18:01, Mon 11 Aug 2014.

PM

[[ Tsssht... *sweeps up PMs* All right, so situational communication/pale jiangshi bonus cancels out the darkness penalty, the hit of 16 gets him for 14 damage due to his current lower Resistance, resulting in a wound...I roll one last soak roll for this nasty on principle:

Tao Jing rolled 3,4 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4. soak roll on principle. Soaked.]]

The jiang shi sways under the force of the phantom bullets, then hops to face their source. In the darkness, the corpse's stone-black eyes look like holes in his skull.

The confusion in the kitchen doesn't seem to have let up - those on the stairs and the foyer floor can hear a sharp cry from the priest, an indistinct exclamation from the clank, and another hiss. The commotion seems to have moved rapidly to the far side of the room, however.

[[In the land of Things Y'all Cannot See, Marina tries to catch and take a chomp in passing out of the person she reads as the biggest threat.

Marina Vanderholt rolled 1,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3. *NOM*. (+2 Touch Attack, -2 MAP) Nope. Shoulda practiced Doc Brown's moves. On which note...
Marina Vanderholt rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. run away! 10 squares later, she's out of the kitchen proper.]]

"What's going on?" Widow bradshaw hisses, letting go of William to feel her way down the bannister to Evans and Adrian. The Aetheric Disturbance Indicator is going ping like crazy. The stiff corpse hop-pivots again as the noise is momentarily the loudest thing to be heard in the foyer, claws flexing. Dimly, Evans can guess that the black hole widening in the thing's face is its eager, open mouth.


[[Bradshaw moves and goes On Hold until we know what to do...

Evans, go!]]

((OOC: I'd like to know where everybody is visually, at least all the things I can make out with my device, compared to where the walls are. Can you put up a map?))

[[Ach. There's a reason I've been running everything without maps...I will see if my poor taped-together laptop can handle maptool this evening, but otherwise you'll have to rely on my Mad Paint Skillz or something. Are you going to attempt a trick shot? You could lob the Aetheric Detection Indicator into the dining room from there if you meant to distract the jiang shi with it, though it's rather useful not to have nommed...]]

OOC:

Initiative for Next Round: 2H
Also, did only one of the three bolts hit him?

09:28, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: 2H using the Deadlands system.

((OOC: MSPaint will be fine, I just want to know rough positions and where folk might have cover from a Large Burst Template. No, I want to know just where I need to throw a bomb that makes sunlight so that I hit some baddies but don't wipe out friendlies, and I want to know where the walls are so folk can take cover.))

[[O_O He who lives in wooden houses shouldn't throw grenades...scribbled map sent.

@ Adrian: They all hit, hence 'bullets' in the description, it's just that with 2 points of resistance and a Toughness boost still in effect, the others didn't do enough to Shake him and so didn't enter calculations.]]


From the depths of the kitchen comes the harsh shriek of a frustrated hawk.


[[Clearing up multiple Joker confusion:  Alouette rolled 3 using 1d2, rerolling max with rolls of (2+1)3. who's in charge? The Hawk.]]

((OOC: I am aware of that, but Evans is getting dangerously close to the "fuck all this shit, time to burn it all down" phase of burnout.))

Evans considers just throwing the makeshift grenade, consequences be damned, for a wild moment. The moment passes, but it's awfully, horribly tempting. Instead, Evans carefully places the Aetheric Disturbance Detector down on the steps, then move carefully back up them.

"Mrs. Bradshaw, there is a vampire down there, waiting for us." he says quietly. "If you happen to know any aetheric manipulations that might stun or daze it, this would be a good time to employ them. But this particular fiend seems resistant to such things, and also seems to hunger for them. It is also drawn to movement. We need to get some prayer strips from the Celestial gentleman upstairs--putting on on that creature's head will immobilize it. Or we need a mirror, which might drive it off."

[[You going on Hold/Tricking the jiang shi, or just talking there?]]

"Didn't you gentlemen bring the bathroom mirror down earlier?" the Widow Bradshaw enquires, matching his whisper though she's not entirely steady. "I could try to sap its strength, perhaps."

"It's too tough. We gotta weaken it," growled Vega. He certainly meant to help.

((OOC: That probably counts as a Smarts trick...

20:20, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 12,10 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+4)12,(6+4)10. Trick. O_O nice. Maybe I can even make it Shaken with that roll.))

[[There we go, usin' your advantages...
Tao Jing rolled 1,1 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. Smart jiang shi? Decidedly not a smart jiang shi.]]

Behind Evans, the hopping corpse beelines for the Aetheric Disturbance Indicator on the bottom step, apparently forgetting Jake's existence. The stairs shiver as the jiang shi gets caught on the sweeping lower edge of the bannister and knocks itself over in trying to hop through the obstacle.

*THUD*


[[I'll roll for what O'Rourke's doing in the kitchen later. Out here, go Jake!]]

Jake took the opportunity to line up a shot with his dragoon. The massive pistol roared in the darkness doing little to the creature, Jake was prompt about shifting his location as he hoped the jiang shi would had better things to focus on than him.

OOC:
09:58, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 1,4 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4. Shooting. Not sure I trust that 4 ... blue chip for +d6
09:58, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Blue Chip. Oh good a 5 ...
09:59, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 6 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4. Damage (AP 1). Moving on!
09:59, Today: Jake Lawrence drew the single card: 4D using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative .

This message was last edited by the player at 21:20, Fri 15 Aug 2014.

[[Jake, I refund your blue, handwave another bullet into your stash and give you the option to change that action, since Jake should have realised from his last try that normal bullets just bounce off the thing.

I realise all the gun trappings on arcane attacks 'round here may have confused the issue; if Jake is confused IC and you choose to keep his action as just doing the cop-pointlessly-shooting-zombie thing you'll get an RP chip, but on the other hand, this may be Jake's best chance to zap it if he can manage 16 damage or better, or to run over to where Marina got blasted and try to find the prayer strip (Notice -1 as it's actually in your Pace and a pale thing near the light from the kitchen).]]

The jiang shi's claws twitch, but otherwise there's no reaction.

OOC: Oops .. the player TOTALLY missed that :\

I'll take the do over :)

---

Jake levels his pistol on the creature and send part of himself into the not so happy Hunting ground for mystical fuel. The brief instant feels like an eternity as snakes and ravens fill the poor fool's vision but some how he wrestled the energy needed to unleash more mystical might upon the jiang shi .. unfortunately it isn't enough.

Not one to wait for the trouble he knew was coming, Jake moved away from his current location towards anything that might provide something resembling cover.

OOC:
17:11, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 5,8 using 1d10,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+2)8. Spellcasting (Bolt 3d6 - 2pp).
Deal with the devil
17:13, Today: Jake Lawrence drew the 10 cards: 8S, 8H, 5S, 6D, RJ!, 3H, 4D, 8D, 7C, AD using a deck of 54 cards. Deal with the Devil (2pp).
Trip-8s are good enough for 5 pps so that works
17:15, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 9,2 using 3d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2,4,2. Damage (Bolt, Raise).
But not enough damage ... ugh!
09:59, Today: Jake Lawrence drew the single card: 4D using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative .

[[Less of a fail than you thought because I'm dim, but aye...11 -2 is 9, which won't faze Jingles right now...Jake can hide behind the remnants of the clock, or nip into the dining room/one of the stair cupboards for cover, or squish under his little table again.

Over in the kitchen, O'Rourke spent his action saving Al's life from Percy's shot:

Father William O'Rourke, rolled 2,7 using d10-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+3)9. Holy healing, Batman! Chipped to bring that up to 9 and he's A-OK.]]

The jiang shi is briefly illuminated by the flash of Jake's witchery, black eyes wet and lifelike in its dead face.

There's a distant clatter and a {SLAM!} from beyond the kitchen.

From upstairs comes a sudden cawwing of little crow-things.
"Oh dear." Widow Bradshaw says. "The crows say we have visitors."


[[Initiative!
Marina - AH
O'Rourke - KS
Dust Adders - 10D
William - 8H
Evans - 8H
Alouette - 7D
Tao Jing - 5D
Abbie - 2D
Adrian - 2H
Liz - On Hold]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:23, Sat 16 Aug 2014.

"Wonderful! Fantastic!" Evans grumbles at the news. "And tyhey're right in her path...Can your crows warn them about the vampire queen about to run their way?"

((OOC: 08:55, Today: The Amazing Evans drew the single card: 8H using the Deadlands system.

sorry about that))

"...yes. I don't think they'd invite someone in unless he could hear them...birdies! Go tell our guests to avoid any pretty ladies running out of the kitchen door, would you?"

There's a presumably-assentive racket from upstairs,  then a quiet.

The folk in the kitchen still seem to be alive, at least - the priest says something quietly, then there are more running steps and low voices. Dave drags himself up, leaving the fight he can't see to limp into the kitchen and join in what's going on in there.

[[Father William O'Rourke rolled 9,4 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 9,4. Holy bullets, Batman! Percy has 12 rounds of +4 Smite (lucky fellow)

He runs after Marina with it, but hasn't reached the carriage house door yet.
Percy Bradshaw rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. running! ->7 with his current Pace of 5. Dave goes in to help and Al is still being surprised he's alive, so he doesn't do much.

William, go!]]

"If they're in the carriage house, they're either dead or belong to Marina. Or both." William remarks grimly.
"Vega! Can you handle the Oriental?"

He gives Vega a second to reply, then rushes forward towards Percy and the Carriage house.

"Stay here, you bloody fool!" he hisses after the boy.

Running, assuming I need it:
20:56, Today: William Pierce rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Running.

20:56, Today: William Pierce drew the single card: 7S using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

[[Since getting into the kitchen from his previous position above Adrian on the stairs would require vaulting the bannister, please give me an Agility roll vs. falling injury.

9 squares will put you a little in front of Dave in the kitchen. I'll PM you details, as the rest can't see in there yet. William'll also be tormented by the smell of pee, since he just booked it through the bucket contents spilt by Marina back when Jake blasted her. At least he's jiangshi proof now?]]

Pierce dramatically skids into the kitchen whilst Jingles twitches on the floor. The others hear a cheerful "Howdy, Names William Pierce!" as the man vanishes from view.



[[Evans, go!]]

23:56, Today: William Pierce rolled 1,11 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+5)11. Agility.

How far away am I from Percy?

[[William makes the jump easily and looks cool doing it.

I'd say about 6 squares, but round a little bit of a corner. Oh gods...does William think he's a vampire since he got taken by Marina? Or was he just going to shoot him anyway? ]]

Why does everybody always assume, I'm a mindless sociopathic killer? I'm a reformed killer! I want to safe the boy. Our use him as a shield, whichever is more practical.

((OOC: It's probably your charming and pleasant demeanor, William. That or every third comment from you is "I'm gonna kill something."

I have no idea what to do...))

With the jain shi momentarily distracted, Evans scoops up his Aetheric Disturbance Indicator. He fiddled with the dials, hoping to locate anything that would make the readings look strange. After all, if mirrors have some sort of repellent quality to Aetherically active creatures, perhaps there might be something he could catch in his readouts. Or perhaps he could at least find the prayer strip.

((OOC: Evans has no notice, so just looking for things isn't going to do him any good. but perhaps SCIENCE! can save the day!

13:53, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 7,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,5. Weird Science.))

Setting the gadget to detect things less active than the jiang shi helps pinpoint that weak signal lying just outside the slot of light from the kitchen, though there's still too much 'noise' to pick up the background flow of aetheric potential of the room. The area near the kitchen door (which the jiang shi has been avoiding, despite a wounded and not-entirely-quiet Dave just lying there in easy pouncing-range) has a much smoother signal, however.

By the smell of things, and to judge by that clanging noise earlier, it seems whoever stole the bucket of virgin's urine dropped it.

[[So if Evans wants to jump over the jiang shi before Jingles unshakes and go get the prayer strip, he can always stand in the pee to avoid getting et on Jingles' turn.]]

"I'll get him," he told Piece, confident that he could tangle with the undead Chinaman. At least, he was probably the least susceptible to this kinda thing, already being dead himself. Didn't seem likely he could catch the infection, upon further reflection.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:08, Mon 18 Aug 2014.

"Good grief." Evans says, and looks around for the small aetheric signal. With the monster still reeling from slamming itself into the banister, Evans decided to make a calculated risk and bolt down the stairs towards the weak signal.

((OOC: So that's action and movement...that will be my turn. What do I see now?

10:08, Today: The Amazing Evans drew the single card: 2S using the Deadlands system.))

...ping...ping...

Decending into the foyer and making rapidly for the light, Evans detects the signal nearby. Casting about, the prayer strip is likely the pale object to his left.

[[It's reachable, should he lean thattaway. Of course, he's now holding the jiang shi-bait, too...]]

From here, Evans can see into the kitchen. Everyone seems to be looking towards the little corridor leading towards the back door, at least until Alouette patters over with a "Howdy, Ambrose!"

[[since there was another Joker drawn in the interim, Alouette is not currently all that useful, but goes on Hold to see what's up...]]

Meanwhile, the hopping corpse stiffly arises and starts chasing the Aetheric Disturbance Indicator, which is apparently more interesting than the silent Jake. Evans can hear the thing coming up behind him with a steady *thump* *thump* *thump*.


[[Tao Jing rolled 6,4 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2. unshake jiangshi. Unshaken, no raise.

Tao Jing rolled 3 using 1d4, rerolling max with rolls of 3. hop  hop hophophop. 3! 3 squares of movement! Brisk walking pace, Evans: it's your only hope!]]

Abigail Bruebaker moves out of Evans' sight a little more cautiously than William did, wooden sword at the ready.

[[Abbie just moves up behind William, in case she can help/guard the rear.

Adrian, go! ...and remember, Widow Bradshaw or Alouette are on Hold but can be instructed to help. Also the coming round is the last one of Jingles' Toughness buff...]]

"Deputy Alouette!" Evans says with a sudden wild glint in his eye. He points to the oncoming jaing shi. "Please detain Mr. Toe Jingles--he is under arrest for assault with a deadly virus, attacking officers of the peace, and eating souls!"

"Mrs. Bradshaw, I'm gonna weaken 'im up. If you could try and do harm to him, I'd be much obliged," he said, pulling carefully but easily on the ethereal energy from the nether, focusing it on the undead Celestial.

"Full House, Jingles. Too bad for you," he said, staring down the man. He put himself bodily in between the jiang shi and the woman, though, so that Jingles would have to go through him to harm her.

---

OOC:

• Attempting a Hex to Lower Trait
• Deal with the Devil: Full House (9H, 9D, 9S, JD, JH); The spell goes off with an automatic raise and double duration.
• As a result, Jingles' Vigor should be lowered by two steps for six rounds

16:00, Today: Adrian Vega drew the 11 cards: AC, 9H, JD, 8S, 9D, 2S, 3C, 5D, 10D, 9S, JH using the Deadlands system.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:16, Mon 18 Aug 2014.

"Okay!" the clank chirps, and heads for the jiang shi with its hickory stick.

"Hmm..." Widow Bradshaw says, hands unconsciously making anxious washing motions. "All right..."

"Witchcraft!" Alouette exclaims, as Adrian subdues ambient chi levels, pulling in power. It then stops and looks about as the shadows thicken even further, drawing cries of surprise from the kitchen as the lights dim there as well. "...plus plus witchcraft."

"...in nomine Adumbratae, in nomine nebulis...per ligna et lapidis, per cruces et circulis..." Widow Bradshaw mutters, sweat pulling forth from her brow. A blacker dark masses at the foot of the stairs, like a dropped inkblot in reverse; there's a smell of hot metal and beast, sand and stallion sweat.

[[...]]

Something hits the bannister beside Adrian with the controlled weight of a sledgehammer: it takes him a fair bit of squinting in this dark to identify it as a massive cloven hoof, then to realise some great neck is arced above him, putting the creature's head on a level with the woman's. The thing reeks of animal masculinity; Adrian can feel the heat of it from where he's stood, just about make out the gleam of close-haired hide - or is it scale? - and the black lash of a tail, out in the dark. Long strands of warm, rough hair touch his face.

{{ {*SNORT*} }}

The jiang shi pauses. Behind the suddenly dead-still corpse, the darkness drops to all fours, tosses its head and then dances forwards. Grace outlines its movement despite its weight as the forehooves meet the floor, pushing its head forward towards the jiang shi like the fore of a locomotive.

Tao Jing's corpse is taken off its feet. Something like a spear shears the air an arm's length from Evans' shoulder, lifting the undead and throwing it hard against the stairs. The Beast rears like a coil of smoke, bringing both mighty forehooves down on the jiang shi's head.

<*crunch*>

The dark thing stomps twice more, then dissipates, its darkness lifting like so much mist. The clank patters over to the decidedly flattened remains of Tao Jing.

"Mister Toe Jingles, you are under arrest for assault with a deadly vires, attacking officers of the peace, and eating souls, which is Terrible," it informs the jiangshi-pancake, then pokes it with the hickory stick for good measure.

[[Y'all are gonna hate me for this...
Rolls, including a great deal of approximation and some blatant making-up because I couldn't find the godsdamn table:

The Widow Bradshaw rolled 1,6 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+1)7. Abracadabra! Boo.
The Widow Bradshaw rolled 6,2 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3. white chippit. That's more like it.

*much searching later, cannot find the %^*@# table* All right, d6 to determine what kind of snaky thing gets summoned. On a 1, everything is spiders, and a 6 summons a frikkin' karkadann.
The Widow Bradshaw rolled 8 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8. spirit! ...

The spirit rolled 2 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 2. spirit!
The Widow Bradshaw rolled 1,4 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,5. spirit! She wins the Test o' Will and mentally instructs it to 'damage the jiang shi', 'cause that's the only way she can short of going down there and punching it herself...

A Summoned Spirit rolled 6 using d8 rerolling max with rolls of 6. fightin'. Not quite...
A Summoned Spirit rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. red chippit. -> 11. Hit and Raise.

A Summoned Spirit rolled 5,3 using d12+1,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3. Base damage.
A Summoned Spirit rolled 3 using 1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Raise die, Champion. -> 11 damage, which is pretty rubbish, but thanks to Adrian's Toughness-lowering, it's enough to down the jiang shi. Its task completed, the spirit leaves. Y'all get your (feeble) light sources back.

Goodnight Jingles, you were a good sport.

Initiative! not sure we need it, but hey.


Marina - KS
Hank - KS
Widow Bradshaw - QD
John Wesley Hardin - QS
Milburn (if Sarah doesn't get him already) - 10C
Abbie - 10H
Dust Adders - 7D
William - 7S
Jake - 4D
Sister Sarah - 3S
O'Rourke - 3D
Adrian - 3H
Alouette - 3H
Evans - 2S  ]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:53, Tue 19 Aug 2014.

"Damn, that was a good trick, woman...Mrs. Bradshaw, I mean," he said, suitably impressed.

OOC:

Initiative: 3H

08:52, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: 3H using the Deadlands system.

"I think I met that one in my dreams, once..." Mrs. Bradshaw muses, then shakes out of it and hastens down the stairs in search of her son, gathering her petticoats to make sure they don't brush into anything nasty.

"Tally ho, gentlemen!"

---

In the kitchen, confusion mostly reigns. William takes little heed of it as he barrels through and into the laundry room, noting only that Abbie Bruebaker has jogged up to guard them from behind with that broomhandle sword. There's one hell of a thunderclap, immediately followed by a muted crash-clatter of wood and metal.

Before him, Percy tears open the carriage house door and stops dead, rifle raised.
"Where did she go?!" he demands of the person - people - outside, halted in confusion.


[[William, go! Though actually, please go on the Two Fools... thread, as you're getting involved there more than in the kitchen.

The threshold's not giving you trouble - seems once invited, you're set.]]

Though not much can be seen in the gloom, the place looks rather less reputable than previously.

[[post got et somewhere...I don't think there's any way for Jake to affect what Sarah's doing though he was technically first - Jake, go!]]

"Wish we could find that damn prayer strip," he said.

"The woman who took the prayer strip and piss bucket went into the kitchen..." Jake said to no one particular. He took the quiet moment to reload his pistol then relocate closer to the kitchen.

OOC: reload and move to another place of hiding - closer to the kitchen if possible

[[by the sounds Jake would've noticed throughout the fight, the lady also ran out of the kitchen...he can still set the clock up again and hide behind it or sneak over to the stairs/dining room doorway and take cover there if he likes, though those're further away.]]

Alert for trouble, Jake hears what might be the priest's steps in the kitchen.

[[Gimmie a Notice - there's a thing to hear here.]]

OOC:

Notice: 4

15:29, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2,4 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4. Notice.

OOC: Sure!
16:57, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 7,2 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,2. Notice.

There's a very muffled voice yapping from somewhere in the kitchen. Oddly enough, it seems to be speaking Spanish.


"Are you...talking?" the priest asks, apparently not understanding the language.

"She must have dropped it then, because it's over here by my foot." Evans says. "And from the smell, she dumped the bucket out, as well. She must have wanted Jingles to slow us down."

((OOC: Evans has no Notice, so I'm not going to bother rolling for him right now.))

"Minus Jingles," Alouette concludes, poking the flattened jiang shi. "Why did the lady make you slow? Was it Titania Queen of all the Fairies? Titania Queen of all the Fairies has a big gun with many holes that feels of plus plus witchcraft."

[[That's fine. NB You're out of combat for now.]]

"It was a lady vampire," he clarified. "She musta took the prayer strip off Jingles and then poured the piss bucket over so that we'd be too busy tryin' to fight Jingles to come after her."

---

OOC:

Can Adrian see the prayer slip?

"Were you going to arrest her?" Alouette asks.

[[if he goes over to Evans, scuffles about for it a bit and brings it into the light once he's picked it up, sure he can study it...]]

"The plan is to stake her, to keep her from being a threat to others ever again." Evans says as he heads towards the light in the kitchen.

"I thought we were gonna just tell 'er to repent," he said.

Evans raises an eyebrow at Vega, then rolls his eyes and sighs and continues on.

The clank looks from Evans to Adrian, ticking with concern. "Did the lady vampire done harm a mortal?" it asks, pattering after the Marshal into the kitchen.

Everyone seems to be gathered about the back exit, the priest's hands bloodstained from healing once more. Near him, a table is wedged into the pantry, from under the floor of which come intermittent pleas in Spanish. Widow Bradshaw is in the act of pushing past into the laundry room, which causes Dave to look back and see the approaching men.

"Bitch's clean vanished," he reports, eyeing Alouette with distinct wariness. "Don't know what they're jawing about out there, but your bearded friend seems to know 'em." He winces and clutches at his injured shoulder, cursing softly.

"Do hickory sticks work on ladies?" the clank asks the priest as the latter turns.

"Um..." Father O'Rourke turns a baffled look on the posse members in search of context.

Something catches his eye on the ground in the darkness that looked somewhat paper like. Hoping it was what he thought it was he picked it up, and then moved towards the others so that he could literally and figuratively shed some light on the situations at hand.

"Alouette, she's threatening a lot of mortals and has already caused several mortals to not be mortals anymore. A hickory stick might work, I suppose, if you sharpen the point and use it as a stake," he says, moving to join the others.

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the prayer strip, which had fortunately drifted to rest beyond the puddle o' piss - apparently Marina just took it and sneaked off.

[[looking for anything in particular about it?]]

The clank ticks a little more. "Can onions whoop the ass of a man?" it asks, then tilts its head and adds the observation: "Floor Voice thinks something is coming."

OOC:

Just want to see if the writing looks relatively intact.

The yellow copy paper is leaf-thin in Adrian's fingers.

[[It's fine and unsmudged, albeit in Chinese...though I don't recommend infecting yourself with jiang shi-dom then sticking it on your head...I have no idea what it'd do to Harrowed, but I'm guessing it wouldn't be fun.]]

O'Rourke wades the confusion across to Dave. "Let me see your wound, my son," he says gently.

Evans lets Adrian explain to the clank while he speaks with Dave. "Damn." he says. "Right." he heads over to the carriage house, following Bradshaw. "Hello!" he shouts. "Mr. Pierce! Who is that out there?"

"I don't think onions can whoop the ass of a man, unless they're alive like the watermelons. Now look, I have to go give this prayer strip to the Chinaman upstairs. We have two men up there that got cut up by Jingles and are fixin' to become Chinese vampires. With any luck, I'll be back soon. Alouette, help Marshal Evans," he said before heading back upstairs.

OOC:

Adrian wants to go upstairs so he can get a prayer strip each on Lazarus and Spades.

Jake remained quiet letting the others talk as they had a tenancy to. He stood with his dragoon casually pointing towards the floor as he looked about and listened.

OOC:
09:54, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 6,5 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5. Notice.

"All watermelons are alive until they are not, Deputy Vega," the clank replies with profundity, then patters after Evans.

[[They already have 'em, but if you want to supply that one as a spare, move on back to the Big House... thread.]]

"She came in here all right," Abbie reports as everyone crams into the laundry room, standing on an upturned basket (and contents) to stab the wooden sword onto the shelves she can't see to the back of. "When I got in here there were two tracks in that spilt flour from the kitchen floor: hers and Percy's."

[[Abigail Bruebaker rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Notice? ]]

"Howdy, Ambrose!" Alouette re-greets Evans for attention, joining the increasing press of folk in the laundry room, then notices people it hasn't seen before and people it hasn't seen for five minutes and decides to greet them, too.

"Howdy, Miss Abigail! Howdy Percy! Howdy Cake Lady! Howdy Names William Pierce! Howdy Names William Pierce's Differently Alive Friend! Howdy Magic Arms Man! Howdy Shiny Fat Lady!" it chirps, then beelines for one of the newcomers. "Beware, Magic Arms Man! You have the Devil's Boots! They are plus plus sinful boots, and also have holes in-"

Clemmons hits the doorpost, alarmed, gun already in hand and pointed at the clank. He doesn't seem to be able to cope with talky bird armour.
"What is that? What is that?!"

The clank tilts its head at him. "Self is angel," it explains. "Name value, Alouette. Fear not! Self has a hickory stick."

OOC:

Sounds good. It seemed like the Chinese dude was taking a long time to make the first one, so I figured he wouldn't be done yet. I think it's worth checking on things, even if its a quick trip.

"That damn thing," Dave opines, back out in the main kitchen, "-is gonna get shot. Again."

"Care to wager?" the other Dust Adder responds, now sitting on the pantry-wedged table. O'Rourke straightens from cleaning both sides of Dave's injury with a teatowel and holy water; somehow the bullet hole is already nothing but a healed scar, fading out even as Jake watches.

"I think we can lay off th' wagering for the night," he says, leaning back to glance at the mass of people around the edge of the pantry. "Though hopefully Evans will see to it." The priest looks across at Jake, concerned. "Are you all right?"

"¡Hijos de putas!" the voice from the floor under the table swears, "¡No me impuerta si quieros morir, pero liberame!"

"Well, damn." Evans says as he enters the carriage house. Then Alouette breezes by him. He pointedly sighs and glares at the man pointing his gun at the clank. "As she said, Alouette here is our resident metallic angel. Please do not shoot her--you will incur the wrath of god. Then I will have to arrest you for assaulting a duly deputized deputy of the Blackthorn marshal's office. Also, she might explode and kill us all."

He says this all in a dead serious voice. "I am Dr. Ambrosius Botticelli Evans, late of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, currently serving as the marshal of Blackthorn. Welcome to town. What manner of misadventure brought you folks to the middle of this?"

((OOC: Trying to calm down the gunslinger...13:05, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 13,6 using d8+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of (8+4)12,5. Persuasion.))

This message was last edited by the player at 20:15, Tue 26 Aug 2014.

"Amen," Alouette agrees.

Clemmons flattens himself against the mangle, though he does lower the gun. "You sure it ain't going to explode anyhow?" he asks.

The clank pokes about the threshold a bit, then nudges back in, does its tinny coin-rolled growl at the man's boots and walks all around the newcomers, then the floor, then sticks its head up the laundry chute before returning to Evans.

"Does Ambrose require helping?" it asks, whilst the young brown fellow from outside stares at it like it just fell from the sky.


[[William, you can give me a Smarts -2 if you like.

Evans, you also get a +2 Common Knowledge roll to see if you recognise JWH. Also, if you went past the threshold, he went past the other way, so Evans is talking to him a step away but he's inside, you are garage'd.]]
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 20:25, Tue 26 Aug 2014.

Evans looks at the man, and pauses for a moment. Huh. Well, of course. He was having just that sort of day, after all.

"She won't if you don't startle her too much, Mr. Hardin." he says, dropping the name casually. "Such as, say, shooting any snoring people because they annoy you, or any law men who happen to recognize you from the many, many wanted posters you've been on. Mr. Hardin, know that I have no interest in attempting to arrest you--I'm busy trying to help us all survive the night through vampires, evil ghost snakes, immortal Comanche, spirit-warped cattle, zombies, and whatever else decides to crawl up from Hell and wave at us. I have 99 other problems on my plate so please, pretty please, don't make yourself another one." He turns at Alouette's question. "Alouette, if this gentlemen begins shooting wildly at people, you have my permission to whup his ass with your hickory stick. "

((OOC: 13:27, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 7,7 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5. Common Knoweldge.))

A slight smile crossed Jake's lips then vanished. "I've been better, but I've been worse padre. So don't go worrying bout me just yet." The huckster's eyes shifted away from the priest and to the voices he'd just heard moment's before coming from the floor.

O'Rourke gazes at him a few seconds longer, then lets it be.

"¡Liberame!" the floor demands, hopelessly. Al, the grizzled Dust Adder, notices Jake's gaze.

"Speedy down there figured hidin' in the house from this crazy storm was a good idea," the cowpuncher tells him. "Priest saw him, not me, but he was all licking the blood off the floor, so we figured once the leprechaun hid in the cellar, best make sure he stays there."

"¡No soy 'leprechaun'! ¡y soy señora, así!"

The priest sighs. "I said that I saw something like it back home - that same half-dog, half-child movement, mostly, and the size. Not all the...Fair Ones are leprechauns. 'Leprechaun' just means one of Themselves' leatherworkers, anyway."

"¡Liberame!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:51, Tue 26 Aug 2014.

"Okay!" Alouette chirps, then straightens. " ! Should self take Mister Hardin's guns away? Then he would be minus guns, therefore minus probability of shooting men, women, children or pets."

"Wait, John Wesley Hardin?" Percy queries from behind his mother's fussing. Even Abbie on her stool is staring.

Watching Hank, meanwhile, Pierce can see the telltale tensing: that's a lad sizing up how to shoot and/or cut his way out of a room at need, who doesn't trust the present company.

"That really depends on Mr. Hardin, now, doesn't it?" Evans says smoothly. "We could certainly use another good gun in this situation, but I'd hate to take it away from those who know how to use it without cause."

23:44, Today: William Pierce rolled 12,1 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+2)14,3. red chip.
23:44, Today: William Pierce rolled -1,1 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3. Smarts.
Will I rue me blowing chips on these rolls? Probably.


"Wild Bill Hickok let Hardin keep his guns when he returned to Abilene", William offers.
"Hardin never made no fuss about it. At least, that's what Bill told me."

<small>Yeah, I can drop names, too!</small>

William keeps looking across the room.
"Wait - where's Vega?"

"Which guns are good guns?" Alouette asks.

"I...yeah, okay, you got me," Hardin sighs.

"No fuss sir, none," he adds, looking curiously at William.

Abbie has paled somewhat, wooden sword forgotten in her hand. Hank tries giving her a smile, though it doesn't come out right at all. Percy sets his shoulders back, glowering, but then has to fend his mother off far away enough to resume coughing.


"Deputy Vega went to give paper to the Chinese," the clank informs William helpfully.

"Good!" Evans says. "Glad we have that settled. Now to find that bloody vampire."

"You should be fine unless you kick a...." William starts a reply to Hardin, but then stops in his tracks as his eyes glance over something.
"Fuck", he mutters.
He points to a hole in the wall, the laundry chute.
"We just might have lost Vega."

He walks over to the chute and throws in a quick glance.
9:46, Today: William Pierce rolled 5,5 using d6+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. Super Notice.

Hmm... Snakeeyes. Do I need to spend a chip to re-roll?

The door opened, and a beefy woman in a preacher's gown stepped in.  "Land sakes, does anyone want to tell me what in tarnation is going on here?"

"A secret society of wizards made a deal with an ancient Indian snake god for reasons I don't know." Evans says to the newcomer. "They found Ghost Rock in the town's old mine and were planning to exploit it. A band of partisan Union guerrillas wandering far from home discovered this but were captured by the local gang of cowboys and forced to work the mines until they caught sick, died, and raised again as Walkers. Meanwhile, the snake god began waking up and drawing monsters to this place. It seems to get stronger the more people are frightened. Some of those monsters, a troop of vampire whores, tried to escape the town when it was attacked by Comanche who had been made immortal by a misguided scientist who took a picture that somehow captured their souls. They failed, but the queen vampire of the lot wound up here, got loose, and began eating all the farm hands. She's currently loose somewhere in the house. If that sounds like a lot to take in, oh, believe me, you don't know the half of it."

He looks at William. "Damn!" He pulls out a sunlight bomb and his flamethrower and begins heading back towards the library.

"Lot to take in?  Son, who told you how to tell a sermon?  If there's demons in need o' huntin'. I'm here to help."  Sarah rolled up her shirt sleeves.  "Sounds like there's work to be done.  What exactly are you facing, and in which order?  Y'all best get your act together if you're going to be taking on the legions of hell."

William keeps his eyes on the laundry chute.
"Not a legion. Just a very, very dangerous vampire. You'll need to be very careful around her. She will easily kill you all, even if you'd face her together.
But she's trying to takes us down, one by one."

From his tone, some might get the impression that William is admiring her tactical approach.

"Your guns won't hurt her. She will fear you, Sister, as your kind seems to have some power over theirs. But don't count on it. I saw another of her kind maul Father O'Rourke without much difficulty."
He looks from Hank to Hardin and Percy.
"Forget about your guns. Sunlight would kill her, but that's a few hours away. Fire doesn't agree with them either, but too dangerous in her. You've seen the bunkhouse. They're like kindling."

He spreads his arms. "Look around, get yourself a nice sharp stake. Or two, even better. Run a stake through her heart. It won't kill her, but it will lock her up. I'll handle the rest."

He nods at the laundry chute and asks Evans: "Marshal... could we use one of your grenades for a trap right here? If she tries to escape back down here again, a blast from one of these things would alert us to her plans and mabye even take care of her."

"Those are Bad Words and should not be used in polite company," the angel chides before Evans starts pushing his way back to the main kitchen.

The interior of the laundy chute is metallic and dark. Traces of flour from the kitchen floor sweetly outline where a lady's bare toes trod a little way up. The room above must be in darkness.

"It comes out in Ward's bedroom - there's a crucifix in there, I think, but nothing else that'd stop her...Percy, no!" Widow Bradshaw grabs for her son.

"Ma, if she does to Vega what she did to me...I was so sure her thoughts were mine, she was...right in my head. I shot Dave, almost killed Al. If Abbie hadn't stood in front of him like that, I'd have shot the priest, too...and if She can make me shoot my pals and a holy father, She's going to have no trouble getting into the goshdarn library."

"Percival Merritt Bradshaw, you are sick and if you get killed I will die of sorrow, so stay in my sight." Widow Bradshaw draws herself up to her full height to stare the young man down.

"Tarnation is not going on in here, Shiny Fat Lady," the strange metal...thing tells Sarah. "We all are done doing delaying the Apocalypse. Why does your hat feel of Satan?"


[[@William - no need, I reckon superpowers are superpowers. Also, take a red chip for very smart use of environment/resources.

wait, where'd Sarah get a gown from? Also, did she bring her shotgun, or just the cross?]]

About then, the screaming starts.

"VAMPIRE IN THE HALL!" a voice yells distantly from upstairs.

Evans nods at William's suggestion. "Could work..." Then he hears the shouting. "Go! I'll set it up! everyone, clear out!"

((OOC What would I need to roll to set up the booby trap? Weird Science?))

Sarah looks at the mechanical angel.  "Well, I'll be!  I ain't never seen nothing like you?  How is it you can smell the devil when you ain't got a nose?"

OOC: Sarah's shotgun is on a sling, so she's always got it with her. It's not being held at the moment, though.

"Alouette! There's time to talk later!"

Trusting that the clank will follow, and hoping that Hank still considers William as a friend, Pierce ascends the stairs.
Pistol and stake in hands.

"Self does not smell, Shiny Fat Lady: self contains internal quantifying aetheric sub-barometric instruments, also- ! " told to go help, the clank abruptly patters off after William.

Abbie is already loping out into the foyer. Hank, frowning, casts about for a stake.

---

As folk pass through the kitchen they begin to notice the dust shaking loose from the ceiling. "Floor vibrating!" Alouette observes.

"¡Ellos vienen!  ¡No puedes salir!" the voice under the pantry floor cries, accompanied by a frantic scraping at the boards.

[[@Evans - Sure, sounds legit.

@ Pierce - you can about make it to the bottom of the stairs; draw in for next round]]

"This might be the least strange thing I say all day, but what the dickens is under that floor?" Sarah wondered aloud, as she followed the clank up the stairs.

10:54, Today: William Pierce drew the single card: QD using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

Jake nodded to himself muttering, "Yep ... never a dull moment."

"Vaya con dios, senora." Jake said down to the thing under the floor then headed toward the direction of the shouting

[[Roll me your running die, Sarah - from where she was with her Obese-reduced Pace she won't make it onto the stairs, but I need to know if she'll be in range of the fight next round.

William, hie thyself over to the Big House thread, and fear not! I'm going to make a shiny new one for the Big Encounter soon to sweep all this mess up.]]

"One of the little people that is like a dog with pointy bits," the clank chirps. At the corner of her eye, Sarah sees a young Catholic priest with rust-brown hair and blood-streaked hands filling a jar with water from the sink.

"¿Adonde vayar? ¡Hé! ¡No me dejes ahi! ¡Hé! ¡Cabrónes!"

From the sounds of things, everyone else is heading after the vampire, too, but there's an audible and increasing rumbling sound...

Meanwhile, Evans carefully arranges his sunlight bomb in such a way as to activate when someone comes down the laundry chute.

((OOC: 13:05, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 5,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3. Weird Science.))

20:48, Today: Sister Sarah rolled 3 using 1d4, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Running.

Cunning use of socks rigs the chute against easy escape.

The foyer is dark, but Sarah can see the clank's lenses glowing faintly in their depths as it pauses, staring towards the front door, static sighing in its shell.

[[That puts you in the foyer outside the kitchen - mind the puddle of pee and the just-visible corpse on the floor that looks like it got shot, impaled then stomped on by something with massive horselike-but-cloven hooves (long story), and don't worry, there'll be plenty of action to go round presently.]]

Before Sarah can go more than a few steps, a wild-eyed Texas longhorn bursts through the door.

[[please put your next post on the upcoming brand-new thread from here.]]