OOC:
16:32, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 0,3 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,5. Vigor (-2 GM mod).
16:32, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 1,-1 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. White Chip.
16:32, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled -1,2 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4. White Chip.
16:33, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 3,-1 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1. White Chip.
16:34, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Blue chip.
3 white chips and 1 blue later ... 4 ... a whopping 1.

And hello there Exhausted aka -2 to all rolls ... cause Jake really needs that in his life.

The serpent opens his mouth slightly and tilts his head a bit to resemble a human grin as the wild gusts in the darkness blow sparks and roiling clumps of smoke from the fires around. "Th̛é wi̡nd̸,͞ Lítt͢l͜e ͜Ṕa͟l̸e ̨o͏n͏é,͠ ̨o̷nly͡ t̵he͢ wind.͜"

He looks down at a blank patch of ground as though at someone there, tongue whipping the tense air. "You͡ won'́t ͏be ab̶lę t̸o ͠bre̶a̧k t̢h҉em̷,̧ ̶yoų ͢kn̶o̸w, ̕i̕f ̀th͢at'̵s y͡ou͜r̴ pl̷an," he tells thin air...or fat air, as it seems, since the billowing smoke strikes and bends around some large man-sized mass, briefly obvious before the smoke tears away like shredded silk out over the hills. Deeming the Mayor little worthy of attention, the serpent takes just a few seconds more to play at riddles, head high above the inner ring of flames.

"Ah̢...̧à ̢f͏ace͢ ̸for ́f̀riends, ͟a ̸f҉àc͟e ̧f͞o̴r ̴stran̸g̕e͞rs,̛ t͜hè ͞o̴nè ̧w̢h͏ich ̢s͡tańds͡ 't̢wixt̷ fire and daņge͜rs͏," he rasps, attention partly on the light.


[[The Mayor tries some super-sneaking, becoming invisible:
Mayor Bruebaker rolled 4,5 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 6,(6+1)7. casting.
Mayor Bruebaker, rolled 9,7 using d12+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3. sneakin'. (+2 smoke/dim, +4 invisible)
Omitetlcoatl, rolled 9,9 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 9,(6+3)9. Notice? Even half-distracted, Omi still notices the Mayor.]]

"Great Master, your wisdom is great and mine is small. Pray give me a moment to ponder," he said, wondering what was taking Adrian so long.

Some Mood Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvKjpGP6P5Y

The hissing serpentine speech carried across the open space and seemed to leave a lingering chill in the air that Adrian was certain sure was just his imagination, but it caused a shiver to run down the length of his spine nonetheless. It was part the seriousness of the barrel he was staring down, and it was part the thrill of the hunt. When he was a boy, he had gone hunting with his father. Not the sort where you sat up in a treehouse waiting to ambush a buck coming to sniff around. Bowhunting. They had to track game till they got within maybe thirty yards of it. He hadn't done that sorta thing in years, but it was funny how it all started to come back to him as he quietly crept along, waiting to pounce on that serpent.

His hand tightened around the handle of the strange scythe-adorned gun he had picked up earlier. It wasn't sweaty; dead men didn't sweat. At least, he thought they didn't. He couldn't remember sweating anytime recently. Adrian tried to keep his mind focused during his approach. They didn't have much time to save the priest from what it seemed might be imminent death, and they had some kind of snake demon in their midst masquerading as only God knew what.

He watched with silent admiration as Harry Lazarus offered the brandy and mounted the head of the serpent. His own part would be just as risky, but being already dead he had less to lose. He continued to creep closer to the scene of the action as the great serpent leaned down to speak to the priest and tensed at the proximity. It was time.

With a silent, snarling expression he hurled himself at the snake, stabbing into where he remembered its venom gland would be. On a snake this large, it would be a large gland, and if his scythe should pierce the serpent's flesh and puncture the gland, it would poison the snake itself at the same time. The mysterious and strange scythe tipped gun forward he moved for a piercing blow and perhaps a bullet as well if he could.

---

OOC:

Adrian Deals with the Devil for 2 Power Points. He draws a Full House, which grants him an automatic success with a raise for double the normal duration of the spell. He uses this to Boost his Fightin' trait from d4 to d8.

Moving swiftly in, Adrian takes advantage of having the Drop (+4) and makes a Fightin' attack with his Gun of the Hanging Judge scythe blade, operating from memory (-2) stabbing into where he knows the venom sac should be (-4), he seeks Payback (+2) for the injustice he believes this serpent wizard has committed (+4 Relic).

Fightin: 12 (Including Blue Chip)
Damage: 22 (Strength 7, Weapon Damage 5, Relic, The Drop, Payback)
Note: His weapon can affect creatures only affected by Magic damage, for whatever it is worth

Because he made a successful attack with the Gun of the Hanging Judge, he gets to shoot as a free action. Might as well. Since he's not aiming for aything specifically and doesn't need his memory, I assume no penalties on those counts. He will keep the bonuses from Payback, the Relic badge, and The Drop presumably for a bonus of +10, which will overcome his poor shooting roll.

Shootin': 12 (Shooting +2, Relic, The Drop, Payback)
Damage: 14 (Weapon Damage ,Relic, The Drop, Payback)
Note: His weapon can affect creatures only affected by Magic damage, for whatever it is worth

09:59, Today: Adrian Vega drew the 11 cards: 6D, 8S, 6S, 6H, 9C, 9H, H, QH, JH, 3S, 7H using the Deadlands system. Boost/Lower Trait.

10:15, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 8,7 using d8+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3. Fightin' [-4 (Venom Sac) -2 (Memory) +2 (Payback) +4 (The Drop) +4 (Relic)].
10:15, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Blue Chip.

10:20, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 15 using 1d6+10, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Weapon Damage [+4 (The Drop) +4 (Relic) +2 (Payback)].
10:20, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 7 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 7. Strength.

10:22, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1. Shootin' (Free Action - Gun Relic).

10:34, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 14 using 2d6+11, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1. Weapon Damage [+4 (The Drop) +4 (Relic) +2 (Payback)].

"Òh̢,̛ ̵w̢ell,̢ l͡et̷ me give ̶y͝ou ͜a͢ ̸c̶l͞u͝e.́.́." the serpent says amicably, and of a sudden is leaning down, gape wide...

...and then Adrian explodes up from the ground and the altar boulder, his entire momentum behind a killing blow. Even snake reflexes only allow so much flinch when taken by surprise; the blade cuts a bloody gash along the serpent's jaw as he twitches his head away, causing the following shot to enter at the soft of the hinge and exit through the meat of the neck, showering Adrian in ichor.

"H͏HHH͏SSSSSSSS̶S͜s͝s͢sss̶sśs͘s̛s͞sssss̛ss҉ssśs̸ss!"

The serpent rears back on high, Harry temporarily forgotten as the furious turquoise eyes seek to focus on Adrian, blood pouring across golden scales until they gleam like molten copper. The priest tries to get his head far back enough to see what's going on without being blinded, renewing his efforts to free his rubbed-raw wrists and forearms from the unforgiving bone.

"̷I̡nso͟le͡n͘t̢ corp͞s͜e!" Omitetlcoatl hisses, a sound like ten thousand frying cicadas beginning to grate the air as his rattle blurs into motion.

[[ That 12 is a Raise both times -

22:50, Today: Alouette, on behalf of Adrian Vega, rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. raise die...no difference on the stab there. Still 2 Wounds for Omitetlcoatl, with some Shaken thrown in.
22:53, Today: Alouette, on behalf of Adrian Vega, rolled 10 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+4)10. raise die, shot. Brings the shot up to 24 and 2/3 Wounds for Omitetlcoatl, though.

He'll attempt to soak the first, because instinct tends to be keenest around vulnerabilities:
22:48, Today: Alouette, on behalf of Omitetlcoatl, rolled 2,9 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+3)9. soak attempt. That'll do.

He'll keep his red chip and the damage from the shot for now, though, which leaves him at Shaken and 2 Wounds for now.

Omitetlcoatl drew the single card: JS using the Deadlands system. init.

Adrian, please draw initiative.

Harry, give me a Ride roll to stay seated on a Shaken mount, then draw in if desired]]

---

The ordinary rattlesnake Jake nearly sat on continues to rattle, taking an ignored bite at the leather of his coat as the man curls in pain and rolls off the rock. Seeing as the big scary thing is defeated, the small reptile slithers back over the other side of the rock, either to hide under it or vanish into the scrub.

A fresh pain begins to pulse up Jake's stiffened tendons, his fingers feeling puffed and tender against the outline of every single pebble, twig and clod of earth. His cards spill in clumps over his side from his pocket, and though he doesn't recall himself or Adrian replacing it there, amongst the dark shapes of eights and aces that blow face-up before his eyes is that one card that's not for playing with.

For the first time, Jake notices a pencil scrawl on the back, just one word: Reconsider?

Jake laughed, it had a wet cough sound to it but he laughed as best he could. The huckster slowly stood, his bitten hand clutched to his chest, with obvious pain on his face. He leveled the borrowed weapon in his other hand and waited.

17:53, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: 5C using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

Question: As an alternative to riding, what might I need to roll to have him jump off and make a non-injurious landing? Or slide down its neck like a firepole?

18:07, Today: Harry Lazarus drew the single card: AH using the Deadlands system.

The harsh buzz of the rattle sets teeth on edge.

[[Agility -3 for the height and obstacles. Considering Omi's blood-slippery and liable to curve any which way, sliding's about the same as falling.

Jake, draw in if you want, or let me know what you're waiting on. Tez would offer to help, but out of everything in the world there's nothing he can do about rattlesnake bite.]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:58, Wed 06 May 2015.

OOC:

Riding: 3 (5-2)

07:54, Today: Harry Lazarus rolled 5,2 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (4+1)5,2.

OOC:
13:58, Today: Jake Lawrence drew the single card: 6S using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative.

Harry loses his grip with the serpent's pained flinching and for a brief, rushing moment finds himself clawing at air. Then the serpent's coils shift about, catching him and dumping him on the ground whilst the creature's attention is elsewhere.

[[He takes 2d6 falling damage:
17:27, Today: Alouette, on behalf of Harry Lazarus, rolled rolls of 1,4. -> 5 falling damage. Harry's fine, and it's his turn!

Initiative
Harry Lazarus AH
Omitetlcoatl JS
Mayor Bruebaker JH
Father O'Rourke 7D
Jake Lawrence 6S
John Wesley Hardin 6D
Adrian Vega 5C ]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:33, Thu 07 May 2015.

Harry attempted an acrobatic maneuver as he fell from the serpent's head but ended up hitting the ground harder than he had imagined. The adrenaline in his system seemed to allow him to ignore whatever the shock was, and he bolted towards the altar to see what he could do about freeing the priest. Recalling the serpent's warning that they wouldn't be able to break the priest out, he grabbed onto the bone-looking things that seemed to be holding him in with a hand, and in his other hand he studied a few cards that he had secreted away in his pocket.

"Don't worry father, we're getting out you," he said very quietly.

OOC:

Casting: Hunch

Spellcasting: 4
Deal with the Devil: Straight


13:53, Today: Harry Lazarus rolled 4,3 using d8,d6. Spellcasting.
13:50, Today: Harry Lazarus drew the 9 cards: 4C, QH, AS, 9H, JD, 7D, 10D, KD, JS using the Deadlands system.

PS: I don't suppose there's a chance that the good priest is a Blessed is there, and that he might be dealt in?

"Be carful," the priest responds, his accent thick in his whisper, almost lost under the serpent's rattling. "He's got some kind of diabolical protection to himself against spiritual attack, an' he threatened t'skin me to get Sarah's compliance...have you found her? is she safe?"

"Some are on that errand. Others on this. Vega is fighting the serpent. Bruebaker, Bitter Waters, and Hardin are nearby also and may help soon with luck. Evans and William Pierce went to save a woman from a vampire, but may join us after if any of us live that long," he said.

"If you can't curse the snake, perhaps you could exorcise these bones. Or bless us with the power of the Lord that we do His work in slaying this demon."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:45, Thu 07 May 2015.

"I don't actually bleed host an' holy water y'know," O'Rourke responds a little techily, watching the serpent, but darts a glance across. "All right - get your head under my fingertips there an' I will channel the Lord's blessing to you t' best I can."

"I'm guessing the bones are held as they are by one o' the skulls back on the snake's side o' the rock there, like the head of a craeture...which I don't know, though."

Above him, the snake towers, green light blazing on his brow. The serpent's flat and predatory gaze fixes on Adrian like a pin through an insect, sapping his will to move. The wizard-beast leans closer, his turquoise eyes the still centre of the world, even the universe. A word of command drops into that timeles lull:

"ŚL͘E͜E̸P.҉"


[[Omitetlcoatl rolled 4,0 using d12-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2. Unshake?
He unshakes, though even if I'd remembered his +2 that's not a raise.

Omitetlcoatl rolled 5,3 using d10-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 7,5. Regen. check. One sucess, leaving him at 1 wound.

Since he can't hurt Adrian directly, he opts to make him conk out instead:
Omitetlcoatl rolled 8,3 using d12-1,d12-1, rerolling max with rolls of 9,4. Hypnosis (+2 versus differently alive, -2 Unshaking, -1 wound)
He's even willing to chip it:
Omitetlcoatl rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. red chippit.

...meaning Adrian has to beat 9 or take a nap!

 ]]

OOC:

What do I roll to beat the Sleep spell? Is it Spirit? And does it count for the manitou stuff as well or do I need to make separate rolls?

[[Spirit and separate rolls - the latter is just being opportunist with the ability to cause trouble in the course of getting something you both need.]]

As forces both within and without threatened to overwhelm him at a critical moment, Adrian forced himself to concentrate on the current situation and what would happen if he let himself be overcome.

OOC:
Spirit: 7 vs. Manitou
Spirit: 9 vs. Omi-don't-play-that

12:51, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Blue Chip.
12:50, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Blue Chip.
12:50, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 1,5 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5.
12:50, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 7,7 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,(6+1)7. Spirit.

This message was last edited by the player at 18:40, Fri 08 May 2015.

Harry moved his head into the position indicated by the Priest, not knowing what to expect.

Thunder rolls. The abscence amongst the smoke raises unseen arms to the sky, calling out in grim stentorian tones: "Quake and lie low, O serpent: the wings of thunder are upon us!"

[[Mayor Bruebaker rolled 8,6 using d12,d10-2, rerolling max with rolls of 8,8. snakeoilin'.]]

Omitetlcoatl pauses his rattling to look at him, then the sky, tongue flickering briefly to taste the electric air. "I t͜h҉ink̡ not͢," he responds.

[[Omitetlcoatl rolled 12,17 using d12+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 11,(6+6+4)16. resist! Yeah...not impressed.]]

"O Lord I ask that the strength of spirit we find in You may shift itself to strength of body in this man; that he should find in You a fortress and act without fear for mortal flesh - amen." O'Rourke murmurs.

It feels odd, but then Harry does feel stronger, along with a kind of youthful elation and lack of fear of harm. At one with the world, he has a sense that if he put his will to it, perhaps he could move mountains.

[[Father William O'Rourke rolled 3,8 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+2)8. plus plus Jesus! Harry's Strength is boosted 2 steps.]]

The serpent notes some shift in the aether, but before he can look down he's struck by a hail of hot lead. Bullets ping off his scales, knocking a chip off his left horn.

"S̵t̵o͡p̢ ͡t̵h̵a͘t͢!́"

One last, badly-aimed bullet pings a lucky shot off his nose. The god-serpent's crown of fire explodes to cover halfway down his neck, incandescent and bonfire-fierce as his rattling starts up again, the pitch heading for something both physically and spiritually painful.


"̶H̨SSSŚS͟SS͝S͡SSSSS!!̢!͏"

[[Jake goes On Hold to see what's up, swaying as he is.
Hardin, not being one for fancy plans, tries shooting the snake a lot.

John Wesley Hardin rolled 5,6 using d10+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4. shootin'. Hit.
John Wesley Hardin rolled 5 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. damage.

John Wesley Hardin, rolled 14,6 using d10+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (10+2)12,4. shootin'. Hit, Raise.
John Wesley Hardin rolled 13 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8,2,2. damage.

Side arms!

John Wesley Hardin rolled 15,7 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (10+5)15,(6+1)7. shootin'. Hit, Raise.
John Wesley Hardin rolled 8 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4,2. damage.

John Wesley Hardin, rolled 6,2 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2. shootin'. Hit.
20:37, Today: Alouette, on behalf of John Wesley Hardin, rolled 8 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3. damage.

...Hardin suceeds in making Omitetlcoatl annoyed.

Jake, encouraged to at least try, somehow manages not to hit any bystanders.

20:53, Today: Alouette, on behalf of Jake Lawrence, rolled 4,1 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 6,3. shootin'. Actually a 6 since he has +2 to hit a big snake and no MAP for extra arms, but still just a hit.
20:56, Today: Alouette, on behalf of Jake Lawrence rolled 6 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. damage.

Omitetlcoatl is more annoyed. Adrian, go!]]

OOC:

Question before the Next Attack:

Since the gun was fired after a successful strike into the venom sac (where the scythe, hence the gun was necessarily pointing) and the scythe blow was soaked but not the venom sac, does that mean the venom sac was punctured successfully by the bullet fired when the gun was pointed into it?

*SHIKASHIKASHIKASHIKASSHIKASHIKASHIKA...*

[[since soaking a wound negates it as more than surface damage, I played it as shallow injury from the blade throwing off the shot, resulting in a hit lower on the skull, with the brunt of the force taken on the neck (hence all the blood).

Since the hit raised last time, though, I'd say Adrian is pretty clear on where he needs to hit and so doesn't take the -2 for working from memory.]]

With a roar he tried to do the same thing with a little bit of a clearer idea of what he was about this time around. Taking aim, he punched upward into where he knew the venom sac would be, and as he scored it he pulled the trigger again, preparing himself for the beast to  evade and focusing on aiming the weapon at the location regardless.

OOC:

Adrian is going to make another attempt to punch through the venom gland with the scythe blade on his gun, stabbing into where he knows the venom sac should be (-4), he seeks Payback (+2) for the injustice he believes this serpent wizard has committed (+4 Relic). After spending a Blue Chip for a +2 and including his base roll of 11 on the Wild Die he got the following:

Fightin': 15
Damage: 19 (Strength 6, Weapon Damage 5, Relic 4, Payback 2, Raise 2)

Because he made a successful attack with the Gun of the Hanging Judge, he gets to shoot as a free action. Might as well. He's going to aim for the venom sac, taking a -4 penalty. He will keep the bonuses from Payback and the Relic badge for a bonus of +6.

Shootin': 6
Damage: 16 (Weapon Damage 9, Relic 4, Payback 2, Raise 1)


19:01, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 5,11,2 using d8,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+5)11,2. Red as white to reroll.
19:08, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Weapon Damage.
19:08, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 6 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 6. Strength.
19:10, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Raise.

19:11, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4. Shootin' (Free Action - Gun Relic).
22:02, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 9 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5. Damage.