Black lays down his cards. "Aces and eights."

Nate approaches Fairchild's Boarding House, pocket filled with a little coin after a quick trip to the bank to cash his check from selling his gear. As he got closer, however, he began to have doubts about the place.

Fairchild's Boarding House is large, three-story American Gothic house. A large turret occupies the right corner of the front of the house, and a covered porch runs from the turret around the left. The paint is a dreary gray with shingles to match. A sense of brooding malevolence oozes from the edifice, and its windows almost seem like eyes that glow from within.

Nate can feel a darkness from the place, as if it was watching him approach...and didn't like what it saw.

Still, every place else in town was full up with soldiers. It was here or nothing.

Nate looked the big, looming house over slowly.  He started to weigh his options...then realized he had none and sighed heavily.  Shaking his head ruefully, the former prospector ascends the porch steps and knocks at the front door politely.  As an afterthought, he drags off his hat and tries to smooth down his hair.  Its at least an attempt at looking presentable for the landlady.

Mrs. Fairchild breaks of speaking with The Professor at the knock on the door. "...oh, pardon me..." she says, and glides over to the door.

Nate watches the door open, and cringes at the long creek the hinges make. Standing before him is a handsome middle-aged woman in a long white dress, who gives him a curious look, almost as if she were trying to divine the secrets of his soul. The quizzical look passes, and she smiles. "...so many new faces..." her voice is breathy and ethereal. It sends tingles up Nate's spine. "...won't you come in? Always room for one more..."

Janet put down her cards breathlessly.  "I only have two pairs as well.  See?  A pair of queens, and another pair of queens!"  She turns over her cards to reveal four queens.  They appear to be smiling merrily.

Roger coughs politely. "Now now, Mrs. Weiss. It's considered bad form to slow roll your opponent. In certain circles it's considered rude enough to spark an argument. The kind that ends in gun play. Remember that one must be gracious in both triumph and defeat."

Nate takes a long moment after Mrs. Fairchild's invitation.  Perhaps again trying to weigh his options.....or maybe its just been a long while since he's been spoke to by a respectable lady.  "Thank you, ma'am.  That's very kind of ya.  Most everywhere else in town can't say the same."  Stepping in, he grips dthe brim of his hat a little tighter and looking around, "Army didn't try to buy up your rooms too?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:11, Wed 19 Dec 2012.

Inside, Nate notices a group of familiar people. Black Jack is playing cards with a pretty young lady and a gentleman in a grey suit. The Professor and Zach O' Conner are sharing drinks off to the side.

The lady shrugs. "...they have not approached me, no...and should they attempt to do so, I plan to have a discussion with Mr. Custer concerning our Third Amendment rights..."

Nate looks over his aquaintances, smiling a bit at the surprise of finding them all there.  But, they can wait.  The lady of the house was still speaking with him.   To her politely indignant assertion, he notes, "Well, I don't know about that, but from what I have heard of Custer, the only rights he much cares about are his own.  But, I'm just glad you still have room now and I do thank you.  Again.  It also looks like a few travelling aquaintances have found your doorstep."   The trio are so indicated by a motioning of his hat.

She smiles. "...oh, I do not think that will be a problem. I find men can be quite reasonable...when the request is placed in the proper context. He will...see reason. But enough of my problems. I feel dreadfully awkward...I haven't even introduced myself yet. I am the widow Elaine Fairchild. And yes, it does seem we shall have a good number of guests. How long were you intending to stay, and were you going to be wanting full board, half board, or breakfasts only?"

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Fairchild.   I'm Nate, ma'am.   Nate Wheeler."  Said with all the eloquence of a young man still learning to sound like a real adult. "And half board would be great, Mrs. Fairchild.  Dunno quite where I'll be for the day....on account of looking  for work."  Before she can look him askance, he adds, "But I do have ready money right now, so don't worry.  As for how long...well....I'm not too sure at the moment...."

"I see five Queens from where I am sitting." Boudreaux smiled.

"Well you can't win them all." Jack shrugged slightly. "Perhaps I am lucky at love."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:02, Wed 19 Dec 2012.

Zac watched the game silently for a moment. Despite the impropriety of it, he laughed at Janet's "slow roll" of Jack. He turned his attention back to the professor, "So Professor, what do you think of ghosts," he asked casually but earnestly enough.

Seeing the prospector enter the salon, Zac waved "Mr Williams, So good to see you, I was wondering where you'd gotten off to..."

Mrs. Fairchild nods. "...we have several options available here...we rent by the day, week, fortnight, or month. It's $3 per the day, $15 for a week, $45 for a fortnight, and $75 per month." She looks over at Zach an arches an eyebrow. "...ghosts, sir? Whatever do you mean?"

Meanwhile, Roger is also showing a bit of mirth at the roll and Jack's smoothness in playing it off. "Perhaps so. I am given to understand that Negros are particularly well endowed in that area."

"Well m'am, since coming to Deadwood, we've heard quite a bit of ghost stories as it were. Why, folk even said this place haunted," he said with a laugh as if dismissing the notion as silly, though truth be told he was still unsure. "The Professor here is a man of science, so I was curious as to what the scientific explain is for ghosts and the like as opposed to the usual spiritual one."

Jack hearing the conversation with Miss fairchild and his friends excused himself from the game for a moment.

"Please excuse Zachary's exuberance. I think tales such as that are associated with many of the finest establishments in N'Orleans. It merely adds to their cache."

Nate nods politely back to Zach, but leaves his attention with the landlady as she eplains the rates.  To which, he returns, "Well, for the week then might be best.   Thank you, ma'am."  Though he figured paying right now would seem rude, so he'll wait till the right time.  The conversation seems to be opening up so he steps further into the sitting room.  The notion of ghosts and hauntings catches his attention though and he looks around the room as though trying to spot the ghosts in question.

"...haunted. really..." Mrs. Fairchild says, a touch of scorn creeping into her voice. "...you mustn't believe everything you hear, young man. particularly in deadwood..."

"Oh, I wouldn't dismiss the possibility out of hand, Mrs. Fairchild." Roger says. "I've had a number of strange experiences here, experiences that didn't seem to have rational explanation. In fact..." He trials off, then stares at a corner of the room, eyes bulging in shock. "LOOK!" He shouts, and stands half out of his chair, pointing at...something.

Nate sees it first, as he's the one looking around when Roger shouts. But soon they can all see it, the shadowy thing stepping out from behind the curtain, a patch of darkness shaped like some unholy skeletal shadow, claw stretching out to grab the prospector...



((OOC: Everyone make a Fear check, -5 for the local Fear Level, -1 for the creature's Fear penalty, + Grit))
This message was last edited by the player at 00:37, Sun 23 Dec 2012.

Janet screams and drops her cards.


11:21, Today: Janet Weiss rolled -3,3 using d6-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+1)7. Fear check.

Jack Boudreaux, having grown up in N'Orleans, has seen some wild things in his life. He stands his ground, unshaken without so much as a flutter.

"Mrs Fairchild it does appear another guest has made its arrival."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:38, Sat 29 Dec 2012.

"My Stars!" The Professor exclaims, the brandy snifter in his hand crashing to the ground as the man gawks at the shadowy figure stepping out from behind the curtain.

OOC -
21:34, Today: The Professor rolled -2,-3 using d6-5,d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. Fear check.

Zac is about to apologize to Mrs. Fairchild when the  he catches site of the skeleton thing moving towards Nate. A cry is caught in his throat as he can't remember the prospector's name, He stands from his chair, knocking it over in the process. He wants to run, but his legs are frozen to the spot. HIs eyes are wide, "Jeepers..." he whispers.

[OOC: Rolled 0,-2 using d6-5,d6-5, rerolling max ((5,3)).]

((OOC: GM Puppeting, so the rest of you can respond))

The miner's eyes bulge a bit at the shadowy apparition, but he holds his ground. One hand lowers towards his pack as the thing advances on him.

((OOC: 11:10, Today: The Stray, on behalf of Nate Williams, rolled 4,0 using d8-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3. Fear!

That's a success.

This was a roll for Fear/Nausea, so those of you that failed (Janet Weiss, The Professor, Zach O'Connor) are Shaken and need to roll Vigor to avoid suffering a level of Fatigue (and if you roll a 1 on t he Vigor die, you also suffer the effects of Terror). Those of you not Shaken (Black Jack and Nate) can act as you see fit.))

13:21, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 5,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1.

Shaken, but not sick.

20:08, Today: The Professor rolled 2,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. vigor roll.

Rerolling by spending a white chip...


20:10, Today: The Professor rolled 2,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2.

Spending a second white chip...


20:12, Today: The Professor rolled 5,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3.

Better...Shaken but not sick as well.