Thunder Walker, Tan Xaiohan, Moses, Sky Hawk, Wanbli Luja

September 11th, 1880. Night. The Black Hills.

There don't seem to be any suitable logs for the immediate taking along the river bank, and cutting one down would take too long and be too loud, so the rescue group is forced to head overland toward the Raven's Roost.

Sky Hawk, true to his word, helps smear mud on Xiaohan's hands and face, darkening the lad up nicely.

Before Wanbli Luja flies off, he saunters over to the group. "If you would look through my eyes, I will need some piece of you. Who will sacrifice some of your hair to me, that I may have a connection to send you my vision?"

The large Lakota brave was quick to cut a small lock of his hair with a knife. A Lakota normally cut his or her hair in mourning only, though he had cause enough for mourning with those of the people killed by the Ravenites. Taking that braided lock, he held it up before Wanbli Luja. "I will," he said first in English, for the benefit of all those around him. To Wanbli Luja, though, he felt it most reverent to speak in the tongue of his people.

[Private to group Siouan: "Wanbli Luja, take this hair that you may send your vision to this humble brave."]

The Eagle preens at Thunder Walker's respectful tone, takes the hank of hair in his beak, then takes wing, leaving the group in darkness.

Now all that's left is to move into position and wait for the distraction.

((OOC: Make Stealth Checks and Notice checks for me, please. The stealth checks are Cooperative rolls...I'll take the highest roll among the group and then add +1 for each success and raise the others get. The notice roll is at -2, thanks to the darkness.))

13:52, Today: Moses rolled 4,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2. faith, white chip.
13:52, Today: Moses rolled 3,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. Faith to raise stealth.
13:55, Today: Moses rolled 3,5 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5. stealth

14:05, Today: Moses rolled -1,0 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Notice.


Moses crouched low, his shotgun banging against his lower back. His lips moved in a silent prayer, but he moved quietly, using what cover was available. Surprising, really, for a man of his size.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:05, Tue 18 Sept 2012.

Barefoot and camoflaged, the little Chinese moves almost as invisibly as the natives themselves.

[[ 12:54, Today: Tan Xiaohan rolled 7,3 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8,4. very sneaky.
12:55, Today: Tan Xiaohan rolled 0,18 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+6+6+1)19. Notice? oops, forgot the darkness...16, there]]
This message was last edited by the player at 12:00, Tue 18 Sept 2012.

The native moved quietly, and was surprised to observe that the others seemed to be doing well so far at doing the same. He felt at his coup stick, releasing it easily and moving it into his palm, taking comfort at the touch of weathered wood upon his skin. His feet felt easy in his moccasins, a feeling that helped him feel at one with nature. His eyes, though, were almost useless in the darkness. He hoped that someone around him could see better in this amount of light than he could, though it did not worry him greatly, as he would receive the sight of Wanbli Luja eventually.

---

OOC:
Notice: 3
Stealth: 7

09:32, Today: Thunder Walker rolled 4,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5. Notice.
09:32, Today: Thunder Walker rolled 3,7 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+1)7. Stealth.

This message was last edited by the player at 14:41, Tue 18 Sept 2012.

The groups glides silently through the darkness.

[Private to Thunder Walker: Thunder Walker sees and hears nothing at first, but then he feels the touch of the spirit on his mind, and the world suddenly spins and he finds himself high, high in the air, watching the ground from the eyes of the great eagle. It's disorienting at first, but he grows accustomed to the dizzying sight of the ground whirling beneath him as Wanbli Luja circles the bluffs. Through Wanbli's ears Thunder Walker hears a strange, high-pitched cry, then another. Black silhouettes like man-sized bats pass through Wanbli's gaze. Be warned. Wanbli says to him through the mental link. The Flying Death is near. Keep silent.]

[Private to Tan Xiaohan: Tan Xaiohan's eyes adapt quickly to the darkness, and her ears are keen. She hears an odd, high-pitched cry from somewhere behind them, then another. She catches a glimpse of a black silhouette against the stars, something almost, but not quite, the shape of an enormous bat...and then another, and another. They seem to be heading for the Bluffs with great purpose...and then her keen ears pick up a human voice ahead. Some fool at the hill is screaming his head off about something, though she can't make out what it is from this distance.]

((OOC: Sky Hawk rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Stealth.
Notice: Sky Hawk rolled 0 using 1d8-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Notice. had to swap out Guts for a skill, since I'm not using Guts in this campaign. Since the Brave don't have Notice but should, that's the easiest change to make.

That's a 7, a 5, a 5, and a 7 on Stealth. Adding that up gives your group a Stealth of 10 [Private to GM: Kinyan Tiwicakte rolled 7,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3. Group Notice. The Devil Bats miss them for now.]

Notice rolls: 0, 3, 16, 0

Wanbli Luja rolled 6 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 6. Spirit for the spirit. Thunder Walker, you now have an eagle's eye view of the area, and cn ignore the -2 darkness penalty. This means your Notice becomes a 5.))

Xiao grips the razor more tightly and drops back half a pace to point out the dark flickers across the stars to Sky Hawk, then stops stiff and alarmed, staring ahead.

"Hsst! You all hear? A man cry out - perhaps the Raven Men torture him?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:16, Tue 18 Sept 2012.

As the vision faded from him momentarily, likely at Wanbli Luja's will, he turned to the others and sharply held up a finger to his mouth as a universal sign for quiet. At Li's assertion, he shook his head and instead pointed upward, hoping to indicate what that sound likely was, and then moved a finger across his throat. Again, he pointed up to the sky, and then pulled a finger across his throat. Finally, he held a finger to his lips once more for silence, and then a hand to beckon that they continue onward.

[Private to Tan Xiaohan: And now I think I have some idea of what it's like to play Silent Carl]
This message was last edited by the player at 02:27, Wed 19 Sept 2012.

Xiao frowns, since the flying devils are moving away from where the yelling up ahead was, but isn't keen to be eaten, so hushes.

[Private to Thunder Walker: ecksdee Y'know, I kind of miss that? He was much more eloquent as a mute.]

Sky Hawk looks up to the stars at Thunder Walker's signs, and shivers.

[Private to Moses: ((OOC: Waiting on Moses to move this bit forward...))]

[Private to GM: You're talking about the vision I had? Had to look it up again. Scratchpad be praised! :-))]

Moses furrows his brow, looking up.
"The wind is carrying them here. The Lord has told Moses so. They will attack, and soon. The Lord did not tell me who they would attack... but Moses fears that the birds of thunder will follow the black raven, not the white calf."

Then he sees the glimmer of moonlight on Xiao's razor and nods. Slowly he reaches out with both hands and closes them around the the chinese boy's hand around the razor. Then he looks into the boy's eyes and in his deep rumbling voice recites:

"And when he vests his flashing sword,
And his hand takes hold in judgment,
He shall take vengeance upon Thine enemies,
And he shall repay those who hate Thee."
Then he raises his eyes toward the sky.
"O Lord, raise us to Thy right hand,
And count us among Thy Saints"

[Private to GM: 19:33, Today: Moses rolled 6,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5. Smite!
Adds +2 damage to that blade.
I know it's not exactly playing by the rules, but would you allow that the power activates on the first round of combat? Duration is only three rounds, after all.
]

He gently lets go of the hands. "We have to hurry. They'll be by a stand of dead wood. Look for it."

[Private to Moses: Er...not initially...that vision was of the whole campaign, not this specific point, but I can work with it. Sure, I'll allow that.]

The group slides through the night. Luckily, the Flying Death seems to have missed them, and they reach a position near the bluffs that will give them easy access to the bottom of the small valley once the distraction starts.

Of course, now they're all close enough to hear the shouting Xiaohan had head before. Some damn fool was hollering his lungs out.

[Language unknown: "O tho, Nemoas, SEACHI U NDAD IO, pa ardpa intel romev IVREEI ch houverort nares!? N ICH!? P YINOUSALLENT THUOUTCON AN EL TH OULEI HEUNLO MA VENTHEOUL! K ainonsith SANWITTHA MITI KORUS HA RATRO PEHOSE BLETHAIOU I IV TADITA ACUNUL! K ECUR TO E, OUTERERES!? N TH INTIOUAVE A ASTAVEVER UT FITHA IVE ESUSHA, LATRED'ORTSON NT POAL MESI IS VORTHIHER MASSOF OFMAN CKIL UNDUS NAUN ATEVIRENC OREBUTURE? FO E! URE LOATI ICEEWA LAT T UNDNTEIVE UGHWHIESS MEWI ERE CAHOUS, WE ON, COM EE!"]

[Private to group Tongues: Translation from crazy: The man offers a challenge to someone named Wovoka, who is in hiding in a cave. He boasts of the prowess of his fellow warriors. He explains that he intends to torture and destroy Wovoka and something called "The Ghost Dance"]

((OOC: For reference, picture you're listening to this guy))

As the noise actually does resolve itself into that of a man shouting, he turned briefly towards Li...he still thought of him as Li despite knowing the man's true name, and shrugged apologetically, though the gesture was probably lost in the darkness. There would be time enough for words later. He slipped the handle of the coup stick back into a loop on his belt and tightened it again before gingerly unlimbering the bow he wore and drawing an arrow. They would be more apt in his service this night than the other.

He held up a hand, hoping they would take the signal to wait for the distraction.

Xiaohan rabbit-froze at Moses' touch, eyes wide.[Private to Moses: Xiao has remarkably slender hands for a railroad worker.] The look Moses gets back is about as spooked as utterly confused. He did get a small nod, though - even if Moses' volume and touch alarm the youth it seems he's believed and the stray Chinese is willing to follow.

Xiao catches Thunder Walker's gesture, though not quite his meaning, tensing and trying to be ready for action.

As the man shouts, Moses nods a few times, muttering "Yes... yes..." to himself.
Still looking at the scene, he says: "He is challenging Wovoka to come out of the cave. He claims his warriors are better fighters and that he will destroy him. Him and... something called a Ghost Dance. Moses is not sure what this dance is."

"Moses is not sure if we have time to wait on the other group. Maybe he should go ahead and cause a distraction right here?"

Xiao starts making frantic little 'please don't start shouting' gestures, though whether Moses'll notice that in the dark is up for debate.

Thunder Walker puts his face in his palm for a moment, not knowing what to do as Moses does his level best to ruin their silent approach, by not only continuing to babble aloud while the others kept quiet but also to plan to make a distraction of his own. The man was marking his own grave, and theirs as well.

Taking his hand away from his face, he turned and leaned close to the man so he could speak quietly to him.
_{"Be silent, or the Raven men will take your scalp."}