some mood music

September 13th, 1880. Mid-afternoon. House of Heavenly Delights, Celestial Alley, Deadwood, Sioux Nations

The House of Heavenly Delights is easy to find...the burning opium can be smelled a block away. The place is busy...east and west put aside their differences in the haze of scented smoke from pipes held over oil lamps. Men and a few women recline on plush blankets as attendants move about. From back rooms come the clink of tiles and the snap of cards, with the occasional excited yell or disappointed groan.

Black Jack is ushered into the main room, the ones covered in mats and pillows, by a faintly hollow-eyed young Chinese woman who gives him a half-hearted smile and asks him in broken English what his pleasure would be.

Fang Lau and his goons escort Janet and Mr. Sebastian to the rear door, out of sight of the main body of smokers and gamblers. They are ushered up a flight of stairs to a wide, flat room that has all the trappings of a throne room. Silken tapestries and engraved columns line the room, and in the center is a high chair where a stocky Chinese man with a trim Van Dyke beard and hair cropped in a western fashion but wearing traditional robes sits. The man motions Janet and Sebastian forward.

"Please, forgive the abrupt summons." He says, his voice low and faintly gravelly. "I apologize if you were put to any inconvenience." Something in his tone implies that he couldn't actually care less about any inconvenience he caused, and he may, in fact, have been eager to inflict as much inconvenience as possible and was faintly disappointing no one was injured in the process of the abrupt summons. It's an interesting trick for him to imply all that with a few simple words, gestures, and body language. "I am the Most August Haung Li, Vanguard of the Lion's Roar Triad and Head Operations Officer of the Iron Dragon railyard here in Deadwood."

There's a pause, then he says, "It is customary to bow, when one is in such a presence. Unless one wishes to give disrespect."
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:14, Sat 15 June 2013.

Jack smiles broadly "I was thinking a little feminine company would be right nice. But you ladies are so little .. I think I might desire the company of two of you."

01:16, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 7,6 using 1d6+2,1d10+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4. persuasion . Just turning on the charm.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:16, Tue 11 June 2013.

Janet put on a dimpled smile.  "Where I come from, it is customary for a lady to curtsey.  To bow would be a sign of disrespect."  With that, she made a small and dainty curtsey.

Huang Li remains impassive. "Ah, what is that American saying? 'When in Rome, do as Romans do?' When you are south of the train tracks, you are in America. North of the train tracks, you are in China. Unless you wish to cause offense?"

---

The girl's face flickers, and for a moment, just a tiny moment, Black Jack can see her shudder with shame and terror. Then the hollow smile is back.

"Of course, sir." She says. "Whatever sir desires."

"Ah yes, but what is the old Chinese proverb?  'The slender reed yields to the strong wind, but the mighty tree is uprooted'?  It would be offensive for me to do anything but curtsey.  You may consider it an American version of the bow, if you will."

Persuasion to convince him this is acceptable:

11:56, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 8,6 using d8+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2. Persuasion.

"Perhaps it is. Or perhaps you merely need to learn the technique." Huang Li says, and motions to Fang Lau. "Please, instruct her."

Fang Lau bows, then heads to a nearby rack that has a dizzing array of weapons on it. He selects a straight wooden club and begins to advance on her.

Haung Li smiles lazily. "Let us test the truth of that proverb. Are you the reed, Mrs. Weiss? Or the tree?"

((OOC: Huang Li sees your Persuasion roll and raises with an Intimidate check. He's not actually interested in making nice with her right now.

19:37, Today: Huang Li rolled 2,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,5. Intimidate. Please roll Spirit to resist.))

Janet looks unimpressed.  "I am gwailo, Huang Li.  I am neither.  And if you want gwailo help, you need gwailo ways."  She turned to Roger.  "Wouldn't you agree that adaptability is a good trait in everyone?"


20:22, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 7,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+1)7,4. Spirit.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:28, Wed 12 June 2013.

"You dare!" Huang Li growls, and makes a curt gesture.

Roger looks alarmed. "Janet, don't--"

But whatever he was going to say is wiped out as the group of thugs gang-tackle him. He goes down as one of them kicks him in the gut, driving him to his knees. Another kicks him in the face, and he goes all the way to the ground, held securely by the goons.

Fang Lau leaps in, his body blurring as that blue nimbus flares to life around him. The club whistles through the air, striking Janet's knee, causing it to buckle and send her to the ground.

"You are indeed gweilo, and arrogant ones at that!" Huang Li continues ranting from his throne. "You came to me for help with your plan to unseat the Marshal! Then you turned around and stole my property! And when, in the interests of mutual reciprocity, I magnanimously agree to overlook your transgression in exchange for a small favor, you insult me in my own seat of power by refusing to do as you are asked! Your disrespect knows no bounds! Kneel and grovel for your lives, worms! Kneel and pray that I take pity and spare one of you!"

((OOC: And it's on. Roger is seized by four of the enforcers (a Group Grapple attack with +3 Gang-up bonus) while Fang Lau lashes out with the club.

22:26, Today: Iron Dragon Enforcers rolled 29,7 using d8+3,d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of (8+8+8+2)26,4. Grapple! That's...impressive. Roger has an excellent Fighting, but I think that's a bit out of his league.

22:27, Today: Roger Whateley rolled 8,1 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 8,1. Opposed Grapple! Yup. Roger goes down, Restrained and Shaken.

Fang Lau activates his Quickness power. 22:32, Today: Fang Lau rolled 6,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,3. Quickness.

That gives him 2 actions on each of his cards. He uses his second action this round to try and wallop Janet.

22:33, Today: Fang Lau rolled 5,1 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1. Fighting! That's a hit.

22:35, Today: Fang Lau rolled 5,8 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+2)8. Damage. that's 13 damage total, which is a Shaken and 2 Wounds for Janet unless she soaks. Janet, take your action, and then draw a card.

Cards:
Haung Li: On Hold
Fang Lau and the enforcers: 5H))
This message was last edited by the player at 05:50, Wed 12 June 2013.

Janet stumbles, but does not fall.  "If Roger wants me to bow, he only has to ask."  With that, she made a curt bow at Huang Li.

Spending a white chip to soak:

22:49, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 5,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2. Soak roll.

That's one wound, I'll spend a second white chip to eliminate the shaken.

Janet then goes on full defense:

22:56, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 0,3 using d4-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4. Full Defense.

Which takes my parry to a 7. 

"Not low enough." Huang Li says at the bow. "Fang Lau, continue."

((OOC: Er...a Full Defense is a Fighting Roll at +2 that replaces your Parry...you don't add your roll to your Parry. That means your Parry is 5 (4 from the roll, +2 Fighting, -1 wound), not 7. Unless you spend a Chip on it that I didn't see.

Also, please draw your card for your next action.))

23:27, Today: Janet Weiss drew the single card: JD using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

((OOC: Roger has an 8H, so Janet's up before anyone else in the round (unless Huang Li gets involved).))

Janet bows, significantly deeper.


23:51, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 2,6 using d4+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5. Full Defense.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:55, Wed 12 June 2013.

"Are you ladies not on the menu?" Black Jack asked the seemingly shaken girl.


00:23, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 5,2 using d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2. notice. To hear the beatings.

"Much better." Huang Li says, and holds up a hand. Fang Lau nods, and retreats. He does not stop glowing, however.

"Now, on to business. The last few days have been...trying. You were not the first person to brazenly rob me, and that has strained my face with the community. Some of my enforcers are getting...restless, and I need to repair the damage you have caused my reputation. A whore stole some important documents from me. Documents I need to recover, as they are vital to the railroad's business."

"But the girl is beyond our reach." Sebastian says from his position on the floor. "I told you that when I did that reading for you earlier. Unless you have a way of getting through the Sioux Nations unmolested and traveling to their holiest site to apprehend her."

Huang Li waves a and, and one of the enforcers clamps a fist over Sebastian's mouth. "Do not interrupt me. I do not intend for you to go after this girl, in any case. But I wonder if perhaps your talents in finding things might not be put to use finding other people I need found."

((OOC: There's a -2 circumstance penalty to hear things upstairs, due to the general commotion down in the parlor below. That winds up being a 3.))

Another woman interposes herself between the first girl and Jack, making an odd approximation of a Western-style bow that makes it rather obvious there's nothing under the sashed robe she's wearing. She grins broadly, her dark eyes bright and knowing. "She flighten of foreign devil - vely big! Frightening!" She giggles. "You looking for good time?"

Janet shrugs.  "It would have been easier to just ask.  Tell me what you need, and I'll see what is within my power to do."

"I certainly hope it is within your power. Because the alternative is that I carry out the necessary steps to restore my face to the community after your theft." he doesn't say it, but manages to imply that such steps would involve Janet's slow, lingering, and very painful death. "One of my underlings, a man by the name of Zhao Chen, has missed some of his reports. He seems to have been missing for a week. Since then, the protection monies have not been collected, and there have been a number of disappearances. Fei Ya-Hung, another of my subordinates, has been aggressive in seeking to add Zhao Chen's holdings to his own. I would not like to take this step until I know for sure what Zhao Chen's fate has been."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but why me?  Surely you'd want someone who speaks Chinese, and wouldn't accidentally make gaffes."

Huang Li smiles. "I would prefer someone closer to myself, yes, but certain recent events have diverted my attention from these matters." His icy gaze leaves no question as to what "recent events" he's referring to. "I would send Fang Lau, but he is more of my blunt instrument than someone with finesse, as I am sure you have realized, and I need him to maintain order at the rail depot. Fei Ya-Huang is much too interested in taking over Zhao Chang's territory--his interests are in conflict. The same goes for Wong Fee Lee. I could not trust an unbiased report from either. Your friend Maddox is preparing to chase down the other irritant I have to deal with this week, and so he is unavailable for this. So for why you, it is because Mr. Sebastian asked if there was anything I needed doing that would make up for the the trouble you have caused me. This is something I need doing. It will make up for the trouble you have caused me."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:08, Fri 14 June 2013.

Janet shrugged.  "Well, since you're asking, I'd be glad to help.  However, I would need a translator, and more information on Zhao Chen.  Where did he live, where was he seen last, who he spent time with, that sort of thing."

"A translator I can provide." Huang Li says. "As well as some information on the neighborhood he organizes protection for. As for his last whereabouts and whom he spends time with, that you will have to discover. I did not socialize with him above the payments he sent me--he had yet to impress me beyond mere loyalty and efficiency. You may want to begin your search with Je Hou, who runs a laundry with his wife in Zhao Chen's area of town. Je Hou speaks excellent English, and can serve as a translator."

Boudreaux looked at the girl with a feigned look of sadness on his face.

"So she says no boom boom with black man?" Black Jack asked.

The prostitute bows more formally. "We can no refuse honorlable customer," she says. Her smile is odd, tight. "But you no want ugry little mui tsai-" she flicks dismissively at the girl's hair, "-breast like chicken! [Language unknown: E fi, ithan bela as chmene eeuspr ar ughhouand!"]

Peach Blossom insinuates her way onto Jack's arm as the girl scurries away, pulling him off to the side. Other similarly-attired women watch them from the shadowy corners of the building like cats, one resting on a bench, another leaning on the wall, and another languidly drawing on a pipe. There's a real cat on the bench, too, belly-up for scratching; yellow eyes catch the light as it looks over through the smoky haze.

"Me show you real good time girl," Blossom promises, and more is promised by the easy sway of her hips and the flush in her cheeks. "Boom boom then opium, yes? Opium make good time stay long!"

"May a gentlemen have the privilege of knowing your name?" jack asked the more experienced of the two ladies.

"Well then, give me the information you can, and I'll get started.  Oh, and you'll need to release Roger, as I am in his employ, and I can't do any of this without his permission.  You wouldn't want one of your underlings taking on a task without your permission, after all."

The gangster gives a disgusted snort, and snaps his fingers.

The goons holding Roger to the floor relent, and the gambler picks himself up and dusts his coat off. "Thank you." he says, tipping his hat to Janet.

"There. The neighborhood Zhao Chen was responsible for provides many services for the miners of Asian descent. Zhao Chen oversaw the protection of the various businesses there. The businesses on his side of the creek were numerous and varied. Several shops of various goods, the laundry, a Jiàochē or two, and a warehouse near the railyard. Nothing overly profitable, but a steady and reliable source of income. Up until the disappearances, I gave that section of the alley little mind. But this last week has been...troubling. Zhao Chen was an unremarkable, efficient man, but his holdings were a check against Fei Ya-Haung's ambitions. He kept the rascal penned in, given his position on the edge of town. Fei Ya-Haung can not expand past him, which pleased me. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

"Yes.  Could you show me on a map where Chen's holdings ended, and where Fei Ya-Huang's began?"

The lady of the evening looks confused, like she didn't quite understand the question. She hides her uncertainty behind her sleeve and giggles. "Me Peach Blossom."

Her look at Jack is curious, but clearly the girls are trained not to ask names. Blossom leans out to the girl in green leaning against the wall as they pass, catching her hand. "Opium after, yes?" she asks, looking back at Jack. "Opium and China girl, cost less than white woman! One dollar, me and long time smoke. Vely good!"
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 16:21, Sat 15 June 2013.

"Peach Blossom I'll pay two bucks. For you and her. Now let's get down to business." Jack said.

The girls exchange a look, then break into eager giggles. The one in green steps forward and peels Jack's outer clothing from him as Blossom hauls him towards a curtain.

"You take off shoes," Blossom instructs, then pulls him through into the crib. The room is pretty basic, with a pallet, a stool and a waxed paper lantern that casts a warm red light over the interior. Peach Blossom's agile fingers flit over Jack's shirt and pants, leaving him half-undone whilst she goes and kneels on the pallet, pulling the pin from her hair.

"You can use robe here," she says, gesturing at one hanging on the side wall. Green Robe Girl takes Jack's shirt and puts it on the stool with his other clothing. "If want go out, smoke...come back in."

Peach Blossom demonstrates how easily the garment opens to permit the touch of skin to skin, slipping the knot of her sash. Cloth slides from her shoulders, baring a strip of pale flesh from chest to belly and highlighting the dark V of shadow between her parted thighs. She looks up at him, inviting. Behind Jack, the soft fall of a robe and the press of flesh and hair to his backside hint the whore smoothing his pants from his hips is already naked.

House of Heavenly Delights indeed.



((OOC: ...aaaand Fade to Black, before this game winds up rated Adult.

All right, you've paid for the girls twice over (or once and enough opium to be off your face for several hours) - approximately how long will Jack spend whoring here?

Also, give me a couple of Vigor rolls, please.))

Huang Li nods, and motions for on of the goons to do so. The rascal returns with a map of Deadwood, and holds it to Haung-Li, who marks on it. The goon brings over the map.

From the markings, it seems that Zhao Chen's territory extends about a block, following Crescent Street along the hill. The edge of his territory and Fei Ya-Huang's territory along The Street of Sparking Spring is the Malevolent Fortress Road. Huang Li has circled the warehouse he mentioned...it's where Malevolent Fortress Road meets the train yard. The laundry house of Je Hou is further up Crescent.

((OOC: I don't actually have a map of Celestial Alley, and only modern maps to go by, so you'll have to excuse the largely text-based navigation of this place.))

Janet nods.  "All right then.  Unless Roger has any questions, we shall take our leave."  She turns to Roger and looks questioningly.

"I'm simply eager to take my leave, if it's all the same to you." Roger says, with a curt bow.

Huang Li flicks his hand dismissively towards the door.

Janet takes Roger by the arm, and heads out the door.  "Do you speak Chinese?" She asked.  "If not, I think we'd best start with the translator."

10:25, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 2,3 using d6,d8, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.



10:26, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 6 using 1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 4.


Jack Boudreaux has no interest in opium, he needs to stay sharp, but it has been to long since he has had the company of a women .. much less two. A bit out of practice but he is spurred on by his company. Jack lays on the charm a bit.

"I am so intoxicated by your beauty and that passion of our lovemaking I feel no desire to sample the indulge in the pipe. But you ladies are welcome to induldge in my balls .. of opium if you desire."


10:33, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 7,3 using d6+2,d10+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1. persuasion.

In reply to Janet Weiss (msg # 35):

Roger frowns, looks around, then leads Janet away from prying ears. He leads her into the back room where cards snap and dice clink. "I do not speak Chinese, no. But I have a grave concern." he says, keeping his voice low enough that it seems to melt into the background noise.

"I am beginning to find myself very skeptical of our friend Huang Li. His manner when we met earlier gave no indication of the brutality he displayed here. He assured me that all was forgiven, but the manner in which he summoned us and the treatment we received point otherwise. I think he's nursing a grudge, and my gambling instincts tell me the dack is stacked against us."

"Do you speak Creole?  Or French?"

[Language unknown: "Fi Sineiv er thntel, mi p Waweal po rutresshe at."] Roger says. [Language unknown: "E ecad icalesnte set, St proessave ine."]

Janet nodded.  [Language unknown: "Ek, I proeaustr sanar stierelar Toioos on.  Fowit t ill ilnt wh riadte wilerehat u, on il antonsthi.  Viroresti in ounicheen er saati se ingorelinomerom?"]

One of the girls - it's hard to tell them apart naked, with the low light - rises, throws on a robe and slips through the curtain. She comes back with a pipe, causing the whore still beside Jack to shift and sit up with a tiny mewling sound of desire.

A brief slant of light from outside plays over the girl's torso and thighs as the curtain falls to and she approaches, dropping her sash. There are bruises there that don't show up under the lantern's glow. She pauses, slightly dubious, and speaks rapidly to the other whore in Cantonese.

"We...trouble, if take opium, no workee," the one beside Jack translates. It must be Peach Blossom, the other one doesn't seem to speak English. She bites her lip. "-you...smoke little-little, for us say 'he share'? Pretty prease?"

Her voice drops, becomes sultry as she trails a finger over Jack's chest. "Sure Mister no get tired...he vely strong, love long time..." Peach Blossom giggles, then kneels over him and takes the pipe from the other girl, leaning down. "Here, me make good. You say...canglóng."

She inhales deeply, then settles on Jack's chest, her hair imprisoning the pungent coils of smoke as she breathes gently into his face.



((OOC: The girls probably appreciate the use of the 'Extra Effort' card. Please mark it in the Adventure Cards thread.

As a result, Jack makes it out of the encounter without any VDs. This isn't one of your better-class brothels and the girls don't get much choice, after all. I'll assume you've taken up at least 45 minutes by now. Were you persuading them to smoke?))

Jack does his best to avoid looking like he is smoking and suggests a bit more lovemaking.


Than after a few more moments he stands "Oh my I have forgotten an appointment I must keep."

Going through his wallet his makes sure his money is there and then tips each of girls another dollar. "He is a show of my satisfaction."

He check his other possessions as he dresses.

In reply to Janet Weiss (msg # 40):

[Language unknown: "O, T ivaiev u ecver stiie a me n und anyourtha m usseof ounstromelarredugh, iewa t streenbutart ove er rom manhisect, pe naivll ictoitwa, o I ndtriv ratou u rom u omhoil lo nteectastres ntioulwas ort nc liulicte lo i io anour."] Roger says. he's careful to avoid mentioning any names that might get recognized by listening ears. [Language unknown: "Ckpo...is landom staratill reilutwh, ekta loevro li ntistrastlar amendeven thostrrut p res resndeles we ro wimaul fi iebut i il esrisass. Stnaon oun onsiar lolena p po ouronsmenset ck di wi ti usweuric thonha ugh ndone Osacheetnc Wheurethi iv ho ic al routil nceverhou tio itaninfout p reaestrediouate. I honeli, llei ous t nti teure hisshewilset avethound noisof a ugh ear ineha t lar eau vor Venwhisom Mo, po theavewitlatset i his andconbut ol venainich o outro Naicin. Utleec m t nendom iouredevelin. Ca forineter...al es ica. Being of mosewand ec virtheine m."]

The girls make a great show of disappointment and attempt to persuade Jack otherwise, to no avail. They trail him back into the main room, vaguely dressed and urging him to come visit them soon.

Peach Blossom stops at the doorway, smoking, and tries to re-coil and arrange her disordered hair. Half-gone on opium, her eyes glimmer with sorrow when she can't find her ribbon, probably the only thing she owns.

The green-robed girl picks up the cat as it rubs against her ankles and gives Jack one last glance over its fur before sauntering off to talk to some of the bored hardcases hanging around the joint, making a great show of her legs. One of the men wanders over to where Peach Blossom has gently slid into a heap outside the crib and picks her up. She pushes vaguely at his chest, more annoyed than attempting to fight, and then is gone. The curtain is twitched closed.

Opium fumes swirl, dreamers dream, and the House of Heavenly Delights murmurs with a soft hum of Cantonese in the deepened night. Jack has had about all the luck a man could ask for. What next?


((OOC: *secret rolls* roll Notice, please. How much did Jack have on him?))

PM

In reply to Roger Whateley (msg # 43):

Janet nodded again.  [Language unknown: "Est isss to tinhouall n ut n st.  Ble inghasore ca en, iv e ur ai ri.  Ei ck as ol ectio il is, o ekprnd ch n ted.  St int betaic et ca amethaesswhi pe ne sifiek un omeartall, un ulloleus i strol weroercon ticbuthas."]

Switching back to English: "We should start with Je Hou.  We'll need a translator.  I believe it was this way?"

Roger nods. [Language unknown: "Retr, one erailltio unee ectanyive m omect whble an eares blein mohadiillo adac."] He nudges Janet as he switches back to English. "It seems as if we're wearing out out welcome," he says, indicating a pair of thugs starting to eye them more than a little suspiciously, "So let us make haste."

Meanwhile, Jack notices the hardcases are watching him with less than friendly stares. It might be time to depart...

Janet started heading for Je Hou's place, with Roger in tow.

Jack noticed the heavies and decided it was time to go. Tipping his hat to the ladies Jack walked out the door.

Seeing as it was getting late and he was on his own he decided to get back on the trail and find Calamity Jane.

Janet and Roger step through the streets, away from the House of Heavenly Delights.

((OOC: Janet, are you going to try to get your wound looked at before things happen? You're still within the Golden Hour.))

OOC: Yeah, let's go to a doctor first.

15:06, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 5,1 using d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1.

15:05, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 3,1 using d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. streetwise.


Jack spends the next hour wandering Deadwood looking for Calamity Jane. Although the Cajun is a stranger to the town, he is no stranger to finding his way through the underbelly the shadier parts of the mining town..
This message was last edited by the player at 04:29, Thu 20 June 2013.

Janet stops along the way to the doctor, and buys ten skewers of meat from a nearby vendor.  "Forgive me, Roger, but I'm inexplicably hungry right now."

It's not difficult to find Calamity Jane--just time consuming. There are an awful lot of saloons in town, and the impression Jack gets as he hunts for the famous drunk is that she doesn't spend much time at any one of them, to keep from wearing out her welcome too quickly.

He finally finds her outside a place called "The Wooly Buffalo," sharing a bottle of rotgut with a black man waring a patchwork Union army uniform with a bizarre array of patches and tags on it that Black jack can't begin to decipher.

"Well, lookie here!" Jane says bitterly as she spots Black Jack walking up. "Took your sweet-ass time findin' me, didn't ya? What, you have to blow through McCall's reward money afore you came to find me?"

"'Tis a terrible thing, to be sure." Her drinking companion says as he takes a gulp from the bottle they're passing back and forth. "Why, I was just telling my friend here that a man in my command would be whipped, whipped I say, were he to break his word to me in the manner you have done to my friend."

"Amen to that!" Jane says as she takes the offered bottle and sips from it. "Well, you done pinched McCall. Word's all over town. Congratulations. What the fuck do you want from me?"

((OOC: Janet, in the interests of speeding things along, the trip to the doctor will cost you $3, and the skewers of meat will cost 15 cents.))

"The plan wasn't to hand him over but the Marshall showed up and left no option. I still need help finding that other fella and was hoping we could find a way to still aid one another."

"I'd like to see McCall get his justice." Jack said surprised by his own desire to see Jack McCall have his reckoning.

The work at the doctor done, Janet and Roger headed off to Je Hou's place.

"Well, if you've got some suggestions, I'm listin'." Jane says.

"Maybe this chat should be somewhere a bit more private." Jack suggested not wanting to be overheard, even by people who would likely not remember anything tomorrow.

Janet and Roger return to the streets of Celestial Alley. It's quite a walk back from the doctor's office and Janet's new stitches are complaining by the time they reach Crescent street...or what they assume is Crescent Street (as all the street names are in Cantonese). But Hou's Laundry has a big sign written in English and Chinese, so it's easy to find. It's even easier to spot because there's a band of thugs tearing the place up.

The launderer stands to one side, yelling in dismay, as the rascals heave bricks through his windows. They ignore his protests. A young boy runs out of the shop and begins tugging at one of the men, who promptly throws the child into the muddy streets. Another thug emerges, pulling a middle-aged woman by the hair and making comments that--while in Chinese--are clearly lewd and threatening.

In reply to Black Jack Boudreaux (msg # 58):

"Are you seriously sayin' that my friend the General here ain't good enough for you?" Jane slurs.

The drunk in the Union outfit shakes his head sadly. "For sure, it's a sad day when a man cannot trust a fellow of his own race, and a veteran at that, to keep a secret in confidence." He takes a swig from the bottle. "Is this the sort of man I fought to give a chance at freedom for?"

Janet pulls out the McCall's Gatling pistol.  She fires one shot into the air.  "Freeze!" she shouts, as loud as she can.

The rascals do not freeze. They turn, glare at the interloper, and then the one holding the woman makes a gesture and barks a command to the other three, who draw machetes and hatchets. The rascals advance on the intruders.

((OOC: Draw a card for initiative, please. The Rascals have 4H, so if you get higher, you get an action in which to try and dissuade them.))

"Just find that secrets a'int so secret when everyone knows 'em." Jack replied.

"But as is a friend of yours." Jack extended his hand "I am Black Jack Boudreaux. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"You don't want to do that.  We're on a mission for Huang Li.  Do you really want to mess with him?"


12:10, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 13,5 using d10+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 9,1. Persuasion.

11:31, Today: Janet Weiss drew the single card: 6D using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

The rascals either don't speak English or do, in fact, want to mess with Huang Li. Either way, they aren't inclined to talk to a pair of Gwielo interrupting their shakedown. They converge on Janet and Roger, blades flashing.

"Oh, I say!" Roger gasps as two of the thugs leap at him. He brings his cane up to block, whipping it about like a fencing foil to parry the slashes from the rascals.

Janet is not so lucky. The gatling pistol is poor protection against the cleaver-like blade the thug swings at her, and as she moves to dodge the rascal swings about and kicks her in the chest, driving the breath from her.

((OOC: Make a Smarts roll for me, please. You need to do this before you roll any sort of attack with the pistol.

The enforcers ignore Janet's warning and attack. 2 of them go after Roger (who is armed with his cane, which is actually designed to be a hidden weapon) and one goes after Janet (who only has the Gatling Pistol, which is an improvised weapon and thus lowers her Parry by 1). The two thungs going after Roger each get a +1 Gang-Up bonus.

22:18, Today: Iron Dragon Enforcers rolled 2,2,5 using d8+1,d8+1,d8, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1,5. Fighting! Roger blocks both the strikes, but Janet is Hit.

22:21, Today: Iron Dragon Enforcers rolled 2,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3. Damage.  5 Damage total, which will make Janet Shaken.

Janet, draw a card for your next round. Mr. Sebastian will act after you.

Card for the thugs: 5C.))

"General Samuel Fields, Retired, at your service." The drunk man says, shaking the hand with a grip that is clammy and a bit shaky. His claim to the title is dubious...Jack's sure he'd have heard of a colored general serving on either side of the Mason Dixon line.

"What the fuck are we tryin' to keep secret?" Calamity Jane says.

"Bringing a known rascal to his well deserved judgement at the hands of him who was wronged, I think." The Negro General replies. "Though I don't know how you expect to get one to meet the other."

"Shouldn't be a problem, unless Bullock fucking moves him." Jane slurs back. "I'll just tell Bill where he's at. That should solve the problem."

"And what if yon reverent is still mad at the institution of justice that let McCall walk in the first instance?" The General asks. "Bullock wasn't even Marshal when the shooting happened. It would sure be a shame if the angry ghost took out his rage on more than just the wrongdoer. Didn't all the jurors who tired McCall wind up deceased?"

Jane doesn't reply to that. She just grabs the bottle, scowls, and takes a long, long pull.

"Well maybe we can set up a distraction and lure Bill and his Deputies from the jail long enough for justice to be served." Jack replied.

Janet pulled back and leveled the gatling pistol.



Got a 7 on the smarts check.

09:00, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling ones. Smarts ace.

09:00, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 6,6 using d8,d6. Smarts.

08:59, Today: Janet Weiss drew the single card: 5H using a deck of 54 cards. Initiaitive.

Calamity Jane rubs her chin. "I reckon that might work. I'll run it by him." She takes a drink. "You want to come with?"

"No thank you." The General says. "I have no wish to meet the martyred ghosts of dead gunslingers in my current state. Or in any state."

Jane shrugs. "Suit yourself." She looks over at Jack. "What about you?"

---

Janet levels her acquired pistol at the thug...then realizes it's not going to do any good. She fired a burst into the air...but Jack McCall had been firing this thing already, so by the time she'd got her hands on it, there had only been a single burst remaining. A burst she'd used getting the the thugs attention. Her pistol is empty.

((OOC: Your action is first.))

The gun roars anyway, spitting a gout of flame that hits the lead thug squarely.  She then pulls the speed loader she got off of Jack McCall and reloads.

OOC: Hit with raise for 19 damage.  The speed loader is from the Hidden Stash card.


13:19, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 19 using 4d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9,1,4,5. Hit with raise.

13:17, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 4,12 using d10-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 6,(6+6+2)14. White chip!

13:17, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 1,3 using d10-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5. Spellcasting.

"I'm in. Please lead the way Miss Canary." Jack said.

"Pleasure to meet you General." Jack said. "I hope I see you again."

The rascal screams as the eldritch fire engulfs him, and he collapses in a burning heap. The thugs trying to strike at Roger gape at the sudden flash of fire. This proves to be a mistake, as Roger uses the distraction to whip his cane into the face of one of them, cracking bone and sending the poor man reeling to the ground.

The remaining thug takes the hint and runs for it, with Roger letting him past with only an outstretched foot to send the panicked man stumbling.

The thug holding the woman, realizing that the tide has turned, spits something in Chinese at the pair (swearing vengeance, no doubt), flings the poor woman to the ground, and runs off himself.

The launderer cautiously approaches the pair and bows low. "A thousand humble words of gratitude, o valiant ones!" He says.

((OOC: That's going to take the goon down, right enough. Meanwhile, Roger takes his cane to town on the thugs attacking him.

23:44, Today: Roger Whateley rolled 1,3 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3. Fighting! Spending a white chip.

23:44, Today: Roger Whateley rolled 18,1 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (10+8)18,1. white chip. Hit, Raise.

23:46, Today: Roger Whateley rolled 5,28 using d8,2d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+6+6+4)22,4. Damage. 33 damage total, which will also drop the thug he's fighting.

The other two thugs, realizing the tide has turned, break and run. Roger allows the other thugs to leave his space without taking the attack he'd normally get, as he was most interested in a show of force, which they have accomplished handily.))

"I'll be right here." The general says, waving towards the Wooly Buffalo. "Except when I am not."

Calamity Jane doesn't say anything more...she just staggers to her feet and waves for Jack to follow her.

She leads him out of town and up the mountain that overlooks Deadwood. Even just following the trail, it's a bit of a climb, and Jack is feeling it in his limbs by the time they make it to the cemetery. It's late afternoon now, and a wind whistles through the pines around the lonely graves up here on the clearing. It's bright and clear, but there's a cold and bitter wind pushing clouds over the hills. It looks like it might rain not long after sundown. Once or twice, Jack fancies he can hear something in that wind...a stray word of phrase, no doubt carried up from the town.

It still sends a chill up Jack's spine.

Jane pulls off her hat, and motions for Jack to do the same. She silently motions him toward one of the graves in the center of the cemetery. There's a wrought-iron fence around the grave, but the headboard looks to have been vandalized anyway--chunks of it are missing, and it's weathered and faded to boot. But the inscription is still legible:

Wild Bill – J.B. Hickok. Killed by the assassin Jack McCall in Deadwood Black Hills August 2nd 1876. Pard we will meet again in the Happy Hunting Ground to part no more. Good Bye – Colorado Charley C.H. Utter.

That chill up Jack's spine hasn't gone away.

In reply to Roger Whateley (msg # 72):


"It was nothing, good sir.  Believe it or not, we're here seeking your help.  Huang Li said you could help us, by translating and telling us about Zhen Chao?"

The little man cocks his head to the side quizzically. "A thousand pardons, but it is not 'nothing.' Not to me, my wife, and my son. But it is good that the mighty Huang Li has sent someone to check on Zhao Chen...he has not been seen here in some days, and Fei Ya-Hunag is growing bolder. Those were his men you fought. Zhao Chen is very powerful--some whisper he can summon demons to do his bidding! Ya-Huang would never move against him like this if he were about. What would you like to know?"

"We've been sent to ascertain what has happened to Zhao Chen.  We would like you to help us with our inquiries, by acting as a translator.  When was the last time anyone has seen Zhao Chen?"

The little old man bows. "Certainly." he says. "I cannot speak for some others, but the last time I recall seeing Zhao Chen was over a week ago. He was collecting tribute for Huang Li, which we pay him every month for his protection. That was the last I saw of him, but Chen Yi, the apothecary, said to me that Zhao Chen came to his shop looking for certain herbs and tinctures with known mystical effects, and that he spoke of a plan to remove Fei Ya-Huang from his list of 99 problems. I know nothing of sorcery...we can start with Chen Yi, who dealt with him often."

Janet nodded.  "Can you take us there now?"

((OOC: In order to sum up several hours of investigation, please roll me a Streetwise roll, with a -4 penalty due to unfamiliarity with the culture and having to deal through an intermediary. Since your Charisma balances this out, it's a straight roll.))

I got a 7:


12:10, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 3,7 using 1d4-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (4+1)5,(6+3)9. Streetwise.

The next couple of hours are an exe4rcise in frustration and cultural suspicion for Janet, Roger, and their interpreter. Chin Yi is just the first of many locals whose first reaction to Janet is to slam the door, and even when she can get a foot in, or get Je Hou to do the fast-talking, the answers are taciturn and not particularly helpful. It quickly becomes clear that while Je Hou is sanguine about having gweilo around, most of his neighbors aren't.

But as the trio endure the troublesome task and the sun sinks lower and lower on the horizon, a picture begins to emerge, and Janet learns a few key facts.

• Zhao Chen styled himself a sorcerer, as does his rival Fei Ya-Huang. Most everyone in the territory want to keep the eyes of the sorcerers off them.
• Not only is Zhao Chen missing, most of his hired muscle is gone, as well. It's been roughly a week since any of Zhao Chen's muscle has been spotted around town. This is not considered particularly odd by the residents--they usually only see Zhao Chen's goons when he comes by to collect Huang Li's protection money. But Zhao Chen himself was fairly popular in the area...unlike his rival, he was considered a fair and just gangster, and got to know most of the folks he took money from. He seemed genuinely interested in providing protection for the residents, rather than just extorting money from them.
• Zhao Chen had recently been boasting of having found a way to deal with his rival "once and for all." Most folk speculate he was planning to call up some spirit or demon to sic on Fei Ya-Huang...and most further speculate that Ya-Huang caught wind of this, which is why his goons have been pushing so hard into this territory.
• Most folks who speak of Zhao Chen at all mention the warehouse at the edge of his territory, near the rail yard, as a likely place to find him or his men.

Well then... off to the warehouse we go!

"Is this where we will me Mister Hickok?" Jack Boudreaux asked.

In reply to Janet Weiss (msg # 82):

The warehouse on the edge of the trainyard is a dark and apparently lifeless two-story building with boarded-up windows. A pair of large sliding doors provides access to the main floor, but it's closed. There's a smaller door on the southwest coerner of the building...and someone is kneeling next to it, trying to pick the lock.

some mood music

As Jack speaks, breaking the silence of the graveyard, a chill mist begins to seep from the gravesite. A figure rises from the ground, ghostly and transparent, a tall, handsome man with piercing eyes and wavy auburn hair that flows to his shoulders. He glares at jack from beneath his wide-brimmed hat, and a snarl curls the lips beneath his drooping mustache.

"Who. The fuck. Are you?" the apparition growls, his hands reaching down towards the handles of a pair of Colt Navy revolvers tucked butt-forward in his waistband.

((OOC: Make a Fear check for me, -4 for the local Fear level, + grit))
This message was last edited by the player at 06:04, Sun 14 July 2013.

In reply to Shanghai Reggie (msg # 84):

Janet levels her gun at the figure.  "Hold it right there!  I don't want any trouble, so turn around slowly with your hands up."  She nods at Je Hou to translate her message for her.

21:42, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled -3 using 1d10-4, rerolling max with rolls of 1. spirit. 21:41, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 5 using 1d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9. wild. So one success. If that is not enough I will blow a chip.

Standing in a cemetery, meeting a man who was known to be dead would put a scare into most men. But Black Jack Boudreaux was unshaken. But having no desire to have a showdown with Wild Bill, Jack made a show that his hands were clear of his weapons.

"The name is Jack Boudreaux. I made the acquaintance of Miss Canary, and I am trying to help you gain your revenge on Jack McCall." Jack said in reply to the legendary gunman.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:34, Tue 16 July 2013.

Je Hou begins to translate, but the man in the conical hat is already moving. Apparently, he understands English. He stands, hands held away from his body (though not exactly "up") and regards Janet, Roger, and their translator. He's a tall man, lean and athletic. Half his face is covered with a leather mask. There's a sword across his back, and a pair of pistols are tucked into holsters at his waist. Janet notices a pair of spiked gauntlets resting against the door...he must have taken them off to access the lock.

"I do not wish any trouble either." The man says, in surprisingly good English. His voice not so much cold as completely devoid of emotion, laconic and matter-of-fact. "Should you simply turn around and walk away, there will be none. This does not concern you."

Janet tilted the gun slightly upwards.  "We're looking for Zhao Chen.  As long as you don't intend to stop us, I don't see why we can't work together.  For example, we can cover your back while you open this door.  You never know when some stranger might sneak up on you, after all."  Janet flashes him a dimpled grin.

The man in the wide hat lowers his hands. "A fortuitous coincidence, then. I am looking for him as well." He flushes a bit. "Er...yes." He says, chagrined. "It would seem so."

"Forgive me for asking," Roger says, "But why are you looking for Mr. Chen?"

"I could ask the same of you." The man says as he turns back to the lock. "But I expect the reply would be vague and unhelpful. Since that is the sort of answer you would receive from me, let us both be content with the knowledge that we are seeking this man, or what has become of him, for our own reasons."

"Ah. Very well, then." Roger sighs.

The stranger spends a few minutes tinkering with the lock before sighing, standing, and concentrating for a few moments, one hand clasped in the other. Then he let out a short, sharp "HAI!" and rips at the lock, with his fingers curled like a tiger's claw. The lock shatters and falls off. The stranger sighs. "Of course, now anyone beyond is aware of our presence." He looks over at Janet, Roger, and Je Hou. "After you."

Je Hou swallows nervously. He bows at Janet. "If you have no further need of my services, I would like very much to return home."

Janet looked at Reggie.  "If you wouldn't mind translating for us, we can let him go."

"I suppose I can do that." The man says. "Though I strongly doubt there will be much to translate, if my suspicions about what has happened here bear out. But I would not wish to see someone who is not ready for it travel into danger." He gives Janet a quizzical look...the unasked question of whether Janet is ready hangs in the air.

"You are, huh?" The undead gunslinger says, eyes still locked on Jack, though he's no longer reaching for his guns.

"They're sayin' he's bin caught." Calamity Jane says. "McCall's in jail after tryin' to shoot some poor fucker in the back, just like he done to you."

"Is he, now?" Wild Bill says, a thoughtful look on his partially rotted face. "I see."

"What're you gonna do, Bill?" Jane asks, digging her toe into the dirt near the grave. "You gonna go after him?"

"Reckon I will. But he ain't foremost on my mind, truth be told."

Startled, Jane looks up. "What do you mean, he ain't foremost on your mind? I bin lookin' after you for four years now. I've heard the way you done talked about him. Hell, It's why you left town, to hunt him down!"

"And if it were only a matter of finding that cunt and bringing him down, I'd have killed him in Laramie. Don't get me wrong, I got unfinished business with McCall, but if he's in jail, then that yellow son of a bitch can wait. I want the organ grinder, not the monkey. McCall spilled the beans on who put him up to shootin' me, and who paid that fella to take my chair that night at Nuttal & Mann's. It's time I settled this account. Put the king on the king rat bastard where it belongs. Can I count on you?"

"Til the end o' days, Bill." She says.

The dead man turns his gaze on Black Jack. "What about you? I reckon that when I make my move, a lot of people are going to try to stop me. I could use a good posse backing my play, if you're of a mind to help me. Otherwise I’d be much obliged if you stay the Hell out of my way."

Janet nods to Je Hou.  "You may go home."  With that, she pushes the door open, gun at the ready.

"If the fellow deserves a reckoning I will stand with you Wild Bill. But before I can agree I think I fair I know who we are going against." Jack said. He was not usually a man for vengeance for some reason it seemed to appeal to him now.

"I don't give a good goddamn what you think is fair." Wild Bill snorts. "Your opinion on who does and does not deserve a reckoning ain't a factor here. And I ain't taking any chances on you. McCall was paid to put me in the ground. Twelve people were paid to let him walk scott free. I got no illusions that the fella I'm goin' after wouldn't pay someone else to ferret me out and mislead me, especially since Jack McCall's already seen him and probably let him know I'm back, and I don't know you from Adam. So no, I do not think I will be telling you where we're headed until it's time to do the deed. If that don't suit you, then walk away, and you can learn who it is when you read tomorrow's obituaries."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:42, Wed 17 July 2013.

The diminutive Launderer bows, and scuttles off into the fading light.

The office is not large, as things go. It's simply a room with a table, chair, and shelves stacked with dozens of ledgers, all in Chinese. There's another door that leads deeper into the warehouse.

The tall stranger wrinkles his nose. So does Roger, and he removes a handkerchief from his waistcoat to cover his face. It's not hard for Janet to smell why...the stink of rotting meat and blood fills the office, as if it were a badly kept slaughterhouse instead of a warehouse. The stink is thickest near the door leading further in.

"I told Jane I'd back your play and since I don't go back on my word you can deal me in Mister Hickok." Jack replied.

The dead gunslinger smiles, as best he can with his rotted lips. "That's just what I wanted to hear."

He reaches behind the tombstone and pulls out a metal can. "Why settle for low standards?" The legend on the can reads. "Try Premium Oil--the best there is!" Something sloshes in the can as he hands it to Jane, and then he pulls another can and hands it to Jack. He retrieves a third can, and looks at them. "Now. Let's go smoke out a rat."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:10, Wed 17 July 2013.

Jack took the can from Wild Bill with a nod. This was not exactly the day he had expected when he woke up, but that was how the fates worked. It seemed likely that Wild Bill was leading them some place dangerous, Jack hoped that the fates would be with him and followed Wild Bill.

Janet holds a handkerchief to her nose, and listens at the door.

OOC: Got an 11 on Notice.  If I don't hear anything, I'll open the door.


03:41, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 1,11 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+5)11. Notice.

There's a strange sound...a kind of buzzing, thwom...ZWOM noise...it sounds a bit like the warehouse is breathing.

Then Janet realizes it's the buzz of flies. Thousands and thousands of flies.

Janet explains the situation to the others.  "Do either of you have a way of dealing with a swarm of flies?"

The stranger shrugs. Roger, on the other hand, frowns. "Are we expecting the flies to be dangerous, or merely a bother?" He says, and pulls out a pack of playing cards. He shuffles absently. "I think I'd like to go into this with a little more foreknowledge. This Zhao Chen was supposedly dealing with some sort of dark sorcery. I'd hate to open that door and find out we're walking into, say, a storehouse for the walking dead, which is what that infernal stench puts me in mind of."

The stranger frowns at that. "Zhao Chen was said to be summoning something. Perhaps we are smelling the remains of human sacrifices to call up whatever waits beyond."

"Just so. Or perhaps whatever was called up slipped the sorcerer's control." Roger peers around the office. "Perhaps there's something in here? Some occult tome that might hint at just what it was he was up to?"

Bill was adamant about not moving against...whatever he was going to move against until sunset. "The better to get around Goldilocks's pickets." He says, motioning to the occasional band of blue-coated men that can be seen milling about the town from the hilltop. Bill was also adamant about not letting Jack leave his sight until it was time to move. Jane suggested a round of poker to pass the time, but one look from Bill's scowl killed the idea in the cradle, so Jack spent the next few hours watching the sun set in the disquieting presence of the living dead. Jane uncorked a bottle of something strong (God only knows where she'd gotten it from) and passed it around.

((OOC: Are you partaking? If so, how much? The answer will determine just how smashed you are at the start of this little venture.))

Finally, once the sun slipped below the mountains, Wild Bill stood up. "Time to finish this." He says, and begins striding down the mountainside.

Black Jack raised the bottle high but did not drink that much. He would need his wits to get out of this alive.


How dark is it?

((OOC: Make a vigor check for me, then. It's currently sunset, so Dim but not Dark))

Janet pulled out a deck of cards, shuffled it and dealt herself a card as well.  She looked at it without showing it to anyone.  "Interesting." is all she said.

Detect Arcana, got a 5.  Do I pick up any active magic in that room?


00:45, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 5,3 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3. Detect Arcana.

Figure a shot or two. But rolled a 3 1. Will blow a chip if needed.

There's nothing magical inside the office. If Zhao Chen had any occult tomes, they don't radiate any auras she can detect. There's a faint magical beat...but it's from further inside the warehouse.

((OOC: If you want to search for potential Occult texts in here, make a Notice check (-2) around the office. There's active magic, but it's out in the warehouse.))

---

((OOC: Jack, you'll need to spend a chip. 3 is not enough))

Janet opens the door to move further into the warehouse.  "There's something in there... faint, but definite."

OOC: Nope, don't find a thing.


04:35, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 0,2 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4. Notice.

Blew a red chip rolled a 10

((OOC: Alrighty. Then make a Stealth check, no penalty, to sneak into town without alerting the patrols of soldiers.))

The door rumbles open. The smell and the buzzing of the flies grows worse...the warehouse looms like a tomb. There is no light past the office, so all that can be discerned from the doorway are stacks of crates rising ten or more feet into the gloom, turning the warehouse into a black maze. There's a ladder next to the office that leads up to a suspended walkway that hugs the walls of the storeroom.

20:20, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 10,4 using d6,d4-2, rerolling max with rolls of (6+4)10,(4+2)6.

Following Bill and Jane, Jack did his best to avoid being spotted by the soldiers.

Wild Bill, Calamity Jane, and Black Jack sneak through the night like ghosts. The terrible trio with the dangerous names evade the clumsy pickets with ease, and in the gathering gloom it's easy to avoid notice in the crowds.

Wild Bill leads the trio through back alleys and narrows, keeping to the shadows when he can. It seems to Jack and Jane that they're heading northward, towards the railway depot, but Eventually Bill halts.

Jack and Jane know where they are immediately...they're out behind Nuttal & Mann's #10 Saloon, where they first met each other.

"Limber those coal oil canisters." Bill whispers, uncapping the can of kerosene in his hand. "We're here. Time to cause a distraction." Then he begins splashing the kerosene on the wall of the building next to Nuttal & Mann's...the infamous Gem Theater!

((OOC: Penalties (including the penalty for defaulting) apply to both dice, so your total is an 8. Still more than enough to evade the guards.

Now that you seem to be at the place, what do the two of you do? Make Common Knowledge checks, please))

"What the fuck are you trying to do, Bill?  Set the whole damn town on fire?"  Nevertheless, Jane starts to pour kerosene on the wall of the building.


OOC: 22:12, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 1,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4. Common Knowledge.

Janet takes down a lantern and hands it to Reggie, then grabs one for herself.  "Roger, I assume your friend works best in darkness?  Take the left.  You, go right.  I'll go up and see what I can see."

"Yes, because splitting up always ends so well when you are traveling into dangerous ground." Roger remarks.

"Friend?" The stranger says, looking at Roger quizzically. His face beneath the half-mask twists, probably from raising an eyebrow.

Roger's shadow lengthen and seems to slide away from him, moving away from the torchlight and into the gloom to the left. "No friends here." Roger says distantly. "Just me and my shadow." His eyes are unfocused, a thousand-yard stare that seems to look through both the stranger and Janet.

The stranger's path to the right is blocked by crates, so Janet and the stranger proceed together to the next junction. And that's where things get bad.



The inside of the building resembles a slaughterhouse more than a warehouse--and a badly kept one, at that. The stench of rotten meat fills the room so thickly it's almost tangible. Splotches of blood are spattered on the floor, crates, and even up to the walkway above. Piles of viscera and body parts lie haphazardly around the floor--and most of them look gnawed.

And everywhere there are flies. Thousands of flies buzz about Janet and the stranger, attracted to the lamplight. They get in her hair, crawl across her skin, and even try to climb in her ears and down the seams of her clothes...

((OOC: Fear check time! Make a Fear check (-4 local Fear level, + grit) vs. Nausea))

Took me two white chips, but I made it.


23:30, Today: Janet Weiss rolled -1,9 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+5)11. Another white chip.

23:30, Today: Janet Weiss rolled -1,1 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3. White Chip.

23:30, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 0,3 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,5. Fear check.

((OOC: Alrighty...so what now? Which way do you head, now that you're knee-deep in the dead?))

23:34, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 4,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4. ck.

Jack could see the danger, but he also understood Bill's need for vengeance.

"This town could use a purge." Bill mutters as he flicks a match. "Get ready. When it goes up, we storm the back."

Jane and Jack realize that his target, the mysterious figure that has Bill so riled, must be Al Swearengen, owner of the Gem, a nasty piece of work and a bad man to cross. They had better hope they get Swearengen in this attack, because if he survives this, he will come after them as wrecked his joint. And he plays for keeps.

Bill tosses the match. The little flame arcs across the sky, lands in a pool of kerosene, then {WOOSH!} A brilliant flame begins to crawl up the side of the building.

"What in..." Says someone behind them. Tom Nuttal, the owner of the saloon behind them, had just stepped out the back door.

Wild Bill doesn't blink. He moves...and Jack realizes why this man was a legend. He doesn't see Wild Bill draw, exactly, just a blur of motion, and suddenly there's a crack! of gunpowder, and Tom Nuttal's surprised gaze as he goes crosseyed trying to look at the hole between his eyes. He slumps back, revealing a spatter of blood, brains, and bits of skull on the doorframe behind him.

"Well, that's done it." Bill says, turning a stone-cold gaze on his two companions--as well as his still-smoking hogleg. "Get going. We ain't leaving witnesses."

Back by the door, Tom Nuttal finally finishes collapsing to the ground, a look of shock etched forever into his dead face.

Janet turns to Roger.  "Find anything?"

In reply to Wild Bill Hickok (msg # 123):

"God damn fucking hell, Bill!  Y'all could have warned a body!"  Calamity Jane drew her peacemaker and drew a bead on the door of the Gem.

In reply to Janet Weiss (msg # 124):

Roger is staring off into space when Janet turns to him. "I see boxes." He says, a strange, distant quality in his voice. "Boxes. Shadows. Blood. Flies. There is a space in the boxes. A man died there, beneath the boxes. He did not die well. He hid, thinking the boxes would protect him. They did not. Crates are shattered, tossed like leaves in the wind. They were full of rifles. He died surrounded by weapons. There are tracks in the floor. Bloody, clawed, giant. There was once a man here. Now all that is left is blood and the fear."

Black Jack pulled out a handkerchief, tied it and pulled it up to cover his face. Taking off his hat he pushed the crown out of his hat to change its shape. Like many men he wore a duster, he hoped that his attempts to alter and conceal his appearance might throw any dangerous foes off his trail.

Then  Jack drew the peacemaker from his belt, but kept it low and by his side.

Bill doesn't answer her. As soon as Jack's finished tying off his bandana and drawing his gun, the gunslinger kicks the door open.

some mood music

Two bouncers look up in surprise, but don't even have the time to scream as Wild Bill flicks out his other pistol. With guns in both hands blazing, Wild Bill strides into the back corridor of the Gem, leaving two corpses in his wake.



((OOC: Combat time!

Wild Bill kicks off the fight by getting The Drop on the two guards inside the back door. He has Quick Draw, so he can easily fill both his hands for this, and he's got both Ambidextrous and Two-Fisted (and Two-Gun Kid, but since he's moving this round, it doesn't apply).

23:29, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 8,4 using d12+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2. Shooting! Hit and Raise.
23:29, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 4,5 using d12+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3. Shooting! Hit.

23:30, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 22 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+6+3)15,1. damage (with Raise).
23:30, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 9 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3. Damage.

Even before I take The Drop into account, Wild Bill's got wounds on both his targets. With the drop, that's two dead hombres.

Wild Bill is down to four shots in his right gun, five in his left.

The fire is in it's first round, so I won't check for spreading until the next round.

Draw initiative, folks!

Wild's Bill's card: 6S
Card for Al and his guards: AC
Dan Doherty: 6S
Extras go last in the round))

OOC:
00:42, Today: Calamity Jane Canary drew the single card: KH using a deck of 54 cards. Init

"Can you take us to where this all happened?  The blood and the fear?"

00:16, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux drew the single card: 9D using a deck of 54 cards. init.


Black Jack following behind Wild Bill and Calamity Jane. Pistol in hand touched his lucky dollar gold piece.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:36, Sun 28 July 2013.

Al Swearengen was in his office, doing paperwork, when the sound of gunfire in his joint roused him.

Gunfire was not uncommon here at the gem, but it was always fucking trouble. The saloon keeper stormed out of his office and leaned over the railing. He could see confusion and fear spreading across the faces of the patrons. That was bad for business.

"Hey!" he shouted at the guards standing watch outside his door. "What the fuck am I paying you cocksuckers for? Find out what the fuck is going on! NOW!"

The guards began running toward the stairwell in the back. Good. He glared out at the guards at the front of his joint and pointed to the back. They also began rushing to find the disturbance.

But one of the guards, on the balcony outside, didn't run immediately. He saw something that looked like...no, it couldn't be...

And the panic began in earnest when the guard started shouting the last words anyone inside a wooden, booze-soaked building ever wanted to hear...

"FIRE! FIRE! OH MIGHTY CHRIST, WE GOT A BLAZE OUT BACK!"

(OOC: Al is alerted to the gunfire and proceeds to the balcony, where he starts shouting at his guards to find out what is going on. his guards run, but they aren't going to be able to get either down the stairs or through that corridor this round, though one of them gets pretty far.

Al's card for next round: AC))

---

Turn Order
Al Swearengen and his guards: AC
Calamity Jane: KH
Black Jack: 9D
Wild Bill: 6S
Dan Doherty: 6S
Extras go last in the round, will check for spreading fire then.

In reply to Janet Weiss (msg # 130):

"I can." Roger says irritably, "But why would I need to? It's only half a dozen yards from where I'm standing, in the direction you indicated. My shadow can see you from where you're standing now. Just walk north past the boxes."


This message was last edited by the player at 08:31, Thu 25 July 2013.

Janet nods and heads in the direction indicated.

Jane's gun was already aiming as the guard came into sight.  She tagged him with a glancing shot.  "Fucking smoke is throwing off my aim!" she grumbled to herself.


Hit for 6 damage, probably not enough.  Next round: 3H

01:45, Today: Calamity Jane Canary drew the single card: 3H using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

01:44, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 6 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3. Damage.

01:41, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 1,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5. Shooting.

21:08, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 3,3 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3. shootin.

Jack takes a hot but his shot as well as he follows Jane into the Gem.

While the smoke might be tossing off Calamity Jane's aim, it's still true enough to send the thug peeking around the corner groans in pain and staggers back as her pistol wings him.

Wild Bill frowns. "Hold 'em off. I'll take a shortcut." He says...and then goes transparent and walks through the nearest wall!

The dead man strides through the kitchen, ignoring the heat from the stove he walks through. He emerges in the bar, just below Al's room. A sea of terrified faces turn towards the figure that just strode out of the wall.

The dead man smiled a twisted, malevolent grin that tore through his rotted lips like a scar. Perfect.

"AL SWEARENGEN!" Wild Bill shouts, his hoarse voice rising above the muttered commotion around him. "Come face me, you son of a bitch! You and I have unfinished business, and I swear on my grave that no man nor woman will leave this place alive until it's done!"

Not that he was planning to leave any of them alive afterward, either...but fear was always the sweetest when tinged with hope.

Up above, Al Swearengen, a man who'd thought himself above surprise and terror, felt an icy chill settle into his spine. He could see smoke curling up from behind the bar, and he knew that voice. It couldn't be possible...but thin his thoughts turned to the mummified but still animate head he kept on his desk. Yes. Yes, this was possible. Al Swearengen was many things, but a fighter of monsters he was not, and the thought of facing down a dead Wild Bill Hickok shook him to the core.

Down behind the bar, Dan Doherty, Al's right hand man, grabbed the shotgun that was kept there for emergencies. He took aim and snapped of a shot at the long-haired, rotted-faced gunglinger who'd just emeged from solid pine. The blast ripped a hole, neat as you please, in the wood planks directly behind the dead man. It didn't look like it had affected him in any way at all.

At that moment, the dam broke, and the staring, terrified girls and miners who had been watching the eerie scene lost their nerve. The panic began in earnest as gunmun, miners, and whores ran for the nearest exits.

((OOC: Actually, these thugs only have a Toughness of 5, so that will make the dude you shot at Shaken.

Bill goes incorporeal with his Ghost power and walks through a wall, using his movement to make a very dramatic entrance after striding through the kitchen. He uses his Action to call out Al Swearengen with a Test of Wills.

01:23, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 13,3 using d12+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 11,1. I'm Calling You Out.

01:24, Today: Al Swearengen rolled 4,6 using d10+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4. Resisting ToW. Despite Al's impressive Spirit and Strong Willed edge, he fails. Al is Shaken.

Dan Doherty, the barkeep, tries to take a shot at the dead man, but since Bill's ethereal right now, all it does is blow a hole in the wall behind him.

This is going to provoke a Fear check from the whole floor. (Fear Level 4)

Dan passes, Al passes, but all the other extras (including most of the guards) fail. Some take cover where they can, others try to head to the nearest door. A bunch of guards make for the back exit...heading right for Jane and Jack! But they're all going to be Shaken.

Meanwhile, I check the patches of fire to see if they spread. The wood-soaked Kerosene is Very Flammable, so it spreads on a roll of 4 or higher on a d6.

01:38, Today: The Stray rolled 1,5,2,1,8 using d6,d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5,2,1,(6+2)8. Fuego! That's 2 patches that spread. That means the fire is now inside the Gem. The place is going to start filling up with smoke pretty soon.))

---

Turn Order:
Al & Guards: AC
Dan Doherty: JD
Black Jack: 5D
Calamity Jane: 3H
Wild Bill: 3H
Extras & Fire: last in the round
This message was last edited by the player at 04:23, Sat 27 July 2013.

The area is as described...a lot of flies buzz around a group of crates that have been knocked over and splashed with blood. one of the crates smashed open, and a dozen rifles are scattered around the area. Bloody, clawed footprints prance around the area.

Do I sense any magic nearby?

((OOC: The magic you sense seems to be coming from off to the right, down the path though the crates where Shangahi Reggie is.))

Janet indicates the right path.  "Let's check down there."

The trio proceed through the winding boxes, and find themselves in a large cleared area at the center of the warehouse. The flies are specially thick here, as are the bodyparts...it looks like whatever happened started right here first.

The cleared area is lined with paper scrawled with Chinese pictographs. Within the area bounded by the symbols is a broken length of chain attached to an eyebolt on the floor. The center of the magical aura Janet's been detecting is right here.

((OOC: Knowledge (Occult) time!))

"Roger, what is that?"


I don't suppose this counts as a common knowledge roll for me?

14:09, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 1,0 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. Knowledge.

The shadow sliding around the edges of the light peers at the pictographs. "I know a little bit of Chinese." It says. "This looks like it was meant to be a warding circle of some kind. Whoever made it was a great galloping idiot, however...this wouldn't have held for more than a few minutes at best. It's disastrously flawed and incomplete. I would hazard a guess that whoever drew it was working from memory instead of having an actual diagram to reference. That's a amateurish mistake...and look what it cost them. Warding circles are not something you fool around with."

The shadow shudders. "Wait a moment..." It says, and then the pinprick yellow eyes look at Janet. "Something's wrong. Roger's withdrawn his connection. I heard something squeak near him, like a door being opened."

((OOC: Nope. Might be something to pick up later.

14:14, Today: Roger Whateley rolled 6,9 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,(6+3)9. Knowledge (Occult).))

Janet hurried back towards Roger, gun at the ready.

Janet runs, but it's immediately clear what happened to Roger, as she spies him surrounded by nearly a dozen Chinese men, who have the gambler surrounded, hatchets raised to his throat.

Standing in front of him, clearly pleased with himself, is a white-haired Chinese man with a Fu Manchu mustache and expensive robes. Next to him is a dour, shirtless man whose chest and face are heavily scarred. He looks over at Janet and Shangahi Reggie as they appear.

"So! You are all here, then. I did not think to see you interlopers so soon, nor that you were working together. My luck is indeed great today, for now I may kill two birds with one stone! I will have Zhao Chen's secrets, and make examples of all those who would meddle with my affairs!"

Janet lowers her gun ever so slightly.  "You want Zhao Chen's secrets?  If that's all you want, I'll show you the ritual he was attempting.  He made a mistake with his warding circle, but Roger and I know how to fix it.  Think about it: your Chinese sorcery combined with our Western conjury!  That was what Zhao Chen was after, and we can give it to you."


15:38, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 11,8 using d8+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 7,4. Persuasion roll, don't fail me now!

Fei Ya-Haung strokes his beard and considers this. Then he whips his beard to the side and laughs. "Ha ha ha! So, you think I am an utter fool? I know Huang Li sent you...the man you attacked said you invoked his name. You think I would trust you to show me this ritual the correct way? Ha! You would have me summon up something to tear me to pieces, as seems to have happened to that fool Zhao! And why would I need your Western Conjury in any case? I am not unschooled in the matters of magic! Where Zhao Chen failed, I can succeed...once I have his texts. Where have you hidden them?"

At least he's talking and not sending his goons at you en masse...

Janet grins herself.  "You think Zhao Chen would have entrusted his darkest secrets to paper?  We carry the deepest secrets of his rituals in our heads.  You are clearly no fool: would you entrust your secret conjuries to paper, where any underling could find it?  Or would you keep is confined to the minds of your tutors in the ways of Western magic, knowing they could not act on it without your power added to their own?"

The sorcerer considers this. "Zhao Chen is--or was--quite foolish. Perhaps he would pass his secrets on to unworthies such as yourself. I know how to code my works so the unworthy could not understand them. And why would I keep secrets with Western dogs? I would not be able to act without them, either. But show me this ritual. I will judge it for myself." He narrows his gaze. "And know that if you attempt to betray me, all three of you will be dead before you can blink. Do we understand each other?"

Janet nods.  "Roger, let's take them to the circle."  She takes him by the hand, and leads them off into the warehouse.

11:52, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 2,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. shootin.
11:53, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux drew the single card: QS using a deck of 54 cards. init.


Jack fired another shot and for the moment held his ground waiting for Jane to lead the way.

Al Swearengen was in a bind. He wasn't a gunfighter. He was, in fact, a terrible shot--he worked better closer in. He wasn't even sure he could kill a dead man even if he did. The long and short of it was that he'd need to beat a fucking retreat if there was any chance of him living to rebuild, because the way that smoke was curling from the back of the bar the Gem was already going down in flames.

So he crept along the boards of the balcony, hoping not to give away any clues to his position that the dead man might use to shoot at him from below. He was nearly at the stairs. He watched a couple of his guards take aim with their rifles. From the grimaces they made, their shots weren't any more effective than Dan's had been.

So Al stood straight. He leaned over the rail and let loose with his sharpened tongue. "Hey! What the fuck took you so long gettin' here, anyhow? What happened, Wild Bill? You finally get tired of fuckin' that ugly half-man cunt and decide to nut up and face me? You know you could have made a fuckin' appointment like anyone else in this goddamned town..but no, not you. Not Wild Bill fuckin' Hickock! No, you had to come busrtin' in to my joint like you owned the place! Well, tell me, Wild Bill, how the fuck do you expect to survive now that you've pulled yourself out from your cozy grave and revealed yourself to the world? You think you can shoot up a place and ain't no one gonna notice? You'll be a wanted man, Hickok. Wanted by forces that will move heaven and earth to put you back under the ground where you fuckin' belong!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the dead man stew at that. He saw red boil up on the rotted features. Yeah. That was good. Get him mad, too mad to think straight.

---

The corridor had turned into a shooting gallery, and now Calamity Jane and Black Jack were caught in the middle. Two guards had made it down the stairs and were popping off shots at them, though the bad angle made them miss badly. The goons gathered at the doorway were now scrambling for cover. One dived into a nearby bedroom, and took a shot at Black Jack, though it went wide.

Another pair of goons just took up positions on either side of the doorway, using the wall for cover as they popped off shots at Calamity Jane. One of the bullets winged her in the side, knocking the air from her in a tight ball of pain.

---

Kate Hillary had been at the Gem for a couple of days, trying to catch up to Jack McCall. It had been one of the roughest weeks of her life. Al Swearengen was a harsh man, prone to be free with his fists when he thought a girl was getting out of line (or if he was just in a bad mood, which was often).

She'd been dancing on the stage with some of the other girls when the commotion started. There had been smoke, gunfire from the back, then someone had shouted about a fire and the fear began. Then the long-haired man walked out of the wall, and everyone had just lost their minds. People had run every which way, and smoke was filling the room.

The ghost man called out Al Swearengen, and the barkeep had unloaded a shotgun blast at him. The buckshot had ripped up the wall, but hadn't seemed to harm the ghost as all. And now she could hear Al from upstairs, yelling curses at the man...and calling him Wild Bill Hickok. Wild Bill, the legendary gunfighter! Killed in '76, or so it had seemed.

This was a job for her special skills. This was her time to shine.

---

((OOC: Jack, are you using McCall's pistol? I ask because it might be important later to know.

Al is Shaken from Bill's ToW, so he has to roll to see if he unshakes.

12:17, Today: Al Swearengen rolled 9,16 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 9,(6+6+4)16. unshake. Yeah, I think that does it.

I also roll for the guards to Unshake.

13:44, Today: DMA Thug rolled 2,8,5,5 using d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+2)8,5,5. Mass Unshake. 3 unshake. One has a Raise.

The thugs on the Second Floor didn't need to roll any Fear checks, so they're just fine.

2 of the thugs on the balcony move to where they can take shots at Bill with their rifles.  They have Range penalties, but it really doesn't matter because Bill is still Ethereal and can't be hurt by mundane weapons.

The other two guards on the second floor make it to the stairwell. They take cover and start shooting at Jack and Jane. They are separated by a stairwell, so Jack and Jane have Cover from them (and vice versa). They are close enough to be considered firing into melee, so they have to hit Parry.

14:02, Today: DMA Thug rolled -1,2 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4. Shooting! (into Melee). Neither hit.

Meanwhile, the thugs who unshake scramble to use the doorways as Cover. They take shots at Jack and Jane...2 at Jane, 1 at Jack. The two firing at Jane Unshook but without a raise, so they have a -2 MAP. The one firing at Jack unshook with a Raise, so he has no penalties except Jack's Deflection power.

14:05, Today: DMA Thug rolled 2,9,-1 using d6-2,d6-2,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+5)11,3. Shooting!

Calamity Jane is hit with a Raise.

Damage: 14:06, Today: DMA Thug rolled 10 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3,2. damage (with Raise). Jane has a high Toughness, so she's only Shaken.

Al himself moves towards the stairs. He attempts to Taunt Hickock as he moves.

14:27, Today: Al Swearengen rolled 4,12 using d10+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+4)10. Taunt.

14:35, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 4,5 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3. Resisting ToW. Wild Bill Fails, and thus Al gets a +2 bonus on his next action vs. Bill, and Bill is Shaken.

Card for next round: 7D))

---

Up next: Kate Hillary, our new PC!

Jane swore as she recovered from the hit.  "Fuck you!  And fuck you for trying to kill Calamity Jane!"

I don't know what their Parry is, but I hope a 5 hits.  I unshook, but no raise, so I took the -2 penalty.


17:05, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 6 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. Damage.

17:04, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 5,-1 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 7,1. Shooting.

16:59, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 5,7 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5. Unshake.

Kate took in all that was going on, she didn't have her weapons with her as she had been on stage, quickly she spied around to see if there was anything nearby to hurt the creature with.

20:50, Today: Kate Hillary drew the single card: AH using the Deadlands system. for initiative.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:51, Mon 29 July 2013.

((OOC: Kate, make a Notice check and a Knowledge (Occult) check for me, if you please.))

In reply to The Stray (msg # 156):

Notice:
21:12, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 4 using 2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2.

Kn: Occult:
21:14, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 6 using 2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:14, Mon 29 July 2013.

Jane's shot buries itself into the stairwell, forcing the scumbag shooting at her to take cover but otherwise leaving him unharmed. This is bad...

---

Wild Bill, face twisted in rage at Al's taunts, manages to keep his calm. Instead of retorting, he strides out into the Gem's main hall, casually steps up on one of the tables, and aims his guns at the fleeing whorses and drunkards rushing to the main exit. His guns blaze, and the two people who had just cleared the bat doors of the saloon fall dead.

"If any of you sons or daughters o' bitches make another Goddamn step towards that fucking door, you'll all get the same!" He roars.

The crowd headed for the door instantly scatters, diving behind the stage or cowering beneath tables.

Dan Doherty hops out from behind the bar, takes a few tentative steps towards the dead man on the table, and lets him have it with the other barrel.

Wild Bill staggers slightly as the buckshot rips through him, then stands and turns to give the barkeep a look of utter contempt. "You feel better now, son? You just ain't too bright, are you?"

The repartee is interrupted by screams from behind the bar. The wall with all the booze is now completely ablaze. One of the miners, who'd cowered behind the bar when the fight started, had gotten covered in a shower of molten alcohol as the bottles began to burst from the heat. A terrible smoke began to drift through the Gem, choking alcohol fumes and wood ash searing the lungs of all who breathed the air.

---

((OOC: Given that all the guards have Medium Cover, Jane's shot hits the wood instead of the jerk on the stairwell.

Wild Bill spends one of his white chips to Unshake. He turns solid again and wades out into the main building. He stands up on a table and begins shooting at the fleeing Extras.

21:40, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 13,6 using d12+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 11,4. Shooting!
21:39, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 13,7 using d12+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 11,5. Shooting!

Both hit with raises. He easily slaughters one of the girls and one of the miners, since all the extras are Shaken. He has three bullets in his right gun, four in his left.

He then makes a threat.

Dan Doherty, who had been holding his action, runs up as close as he can and unloads his second barrel at Wild Bill.

21:52, Today: Dan Doherty rolled 5,5 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3. Shooting! (buckshot). That will hit.

21:52, Today: Dan Doherty rolled 12 using 3d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4,5. Damage.

That's an impressive load of damage...but unfortunately for Dan, Wild Bill just shrugs it off. The blast will only make him Shaken.

The Extras are in a real bind now. Two are dead, and Bill's just promised to slaughter anyone who follows them out the main door. Two of them run upstairs, where there's a door to the balcony. The two girls nearest the door scatter, one running to hide under a table, and one running to hide beneath the stage.

Meanwhile, the fire spreads. It's still eating the kerosene, so it's still Very Flammable. The fact that the fire is just about to hit the alcohol behind the bar won't help.

21:48, Today: The Stray rolled 5,4,1,17,5 using d6,d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4,1,(6+6+5)17,5. Fuego! That's 4 flames that get larger this time. The smallest flame gets absorbed into the one that's now eating up the bar. One of the miners gets caught in the blaze and dies screaming.

Wild Bill and Dan Doherty draw for initiative.))

---

Turn Order: (please remember not to post out of order this time around...)
Smoke! Everyone needs to make a Vigor roll or suffer a level of Fatigue (Jack gets a +2 bonus because he had the foresight of covering his face)
Kate Hillary: AH
Dan Doherty: AD
Calamity Jane: KS
Black Jack: QS
Wild Bill: 8S
Al Swearengen & Guards: 7D
Extras and Fire: Last in the Round

---

Calamity Jane, draw a card so I know where you're at!


This message was last edited by the player at 08:20, Mon 29 July 2013.

Knew I forgot something:

00:40, Today: Calamity Jane Canary drew the single card: KS using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

00:45, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 9 using 1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (6+5)11.

00:45, Today: Kate Hillary rolled -1 using 1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Vigor.

"Hey Bill! What's up? What's your bitch? It ain't Al that kilt ya!" Kate yelled at him.  She was trying to draw his attention, maybe find out what the deal was.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:39, Mon 29 July 2013.

The dead gunfighter glanced over at Kate, then turned his attention back towards the balcony where Al was.

"You hear that, Al?" The dead man rasped. "These people want to know why they got to die. Why don't you tell them, Al?"

The saloon keeper swallowed. "I ain't got no fucking notion."

A scowl twisted Bill's face. "No notion? No notion?" He spat. "Of course not. It's a day etched pretty fucking firmly in my mind, what little was left when your hired man McCall blew my brains out, but I reckon for you it was just another Monday. Just another problem to be swept away. I was angling to be Marshal, to bring a little law and order to this place, and you couldn't have that, could you? You had to protect your interests. So you gave Sharpton a little stake money for a poker game, knowing he'd take my favorite seat at Nuttal & Mann's, and force me to sit with my back to the door. Then you put a gun in Jack McCall's hands and sent him my way. And then, the crowning indignity, you stuffed the jury against McCall with your goddamn business partners and sycophants, so they'd let the bastard loose! You could have just let McCall swing, but you had to make a mockery of all that was decent and just! You had to spit in the face of justice, Al, so I'm here to remind you and all your whores and drunken sinners that Justice will NOT be denied!"

While Bill rants, the Bartender creeps over to Kate, craking his gun and replacing the shells. "What are you doing?" he whispers, urgent and scared. "Don't get him riled!"

((OOC: Kate says her action is just to get him talking, so Wild Bill talks. Dan Doherty uses his action to move over to Kate and reload his shotgun.

Dan's next card: 4D

Kate, are you planning anything else this round? If not, draw a card for your next turn.))

---

Meanwhile, it's Calamity Jane's turn!

Kate just listened to the specter, and she got an idea.  To the man next to her, she asked, "Where's McCall?"

14:15, Today: Kate Hillary drew the single card: 10D using the Deadlands system. Next rd position.

Jane swore, and brought her pistol down on the thug's head.

OOC: even with cover, an 11 should be enough for a hit with a raise, for 19 damage.


20:10, Today: Calamity Jane Canary drew the single card: 3C using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

20:09, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 19 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+5)11,3. Pistol Whip Damage, correct.

20:07, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 11,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+3)11,1. Fighting.

21:56, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux drew the single card: 5H using a deck of 54 cards. init.

21:55, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 3,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3. shootin'.

21:53, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 3,7 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5. vigor.


Jack fired again hoping to finally hit someone in this fight. He also looked for a chance to make it upstairs so he could avoid walking into what sounded like a death trap.

The thug Jane hit crumples, leaving only one of the thugs remaining on the stairwell. The only way to get upstairs is to clear the other thug from it, though.

Jack runs up to the stairwell, though the thug at the top takes a potshot at him that actually manages to put a hole in his hat. But the fire has finally reached the stairs, and Jack found it leaping at him, the wood warping from the heat.

Calamity Jane is pinned down in the corridor, and two of the thugs manage to wing her...one of the bullets scores a pretty deep hit...

---

Back in the dining hall, Dan Doherty frowns at Kate's question. "I don't rightly know. He was supposed to be staying here, but I haven't seen him since Al sent him out this morning. I heard he might have bee arrested, so he might be cooling his heels at the jail."

Wild Bill continues his rampage. He hops off the table, then walks over to another, one where three of the bar patrons had taken refuge. He kicked the table over, and leveled his pistols at the women cowering below.

"Please!" One of them whimpers. "Please, don't..."

But whatever she was going to say is drowned out by the roar of Wild Bill's pistols. Two more bodies flop to the ground. The dead man strides towards the stairs.

Al Swearengen is ready for him, though. he charges down the stairs, knife glittering as he tries to carve up Wild Bill. The dead man is hard-pressed to keep the smaller man off, but doesn't look two concerned. Guards from the balcony take pot shots at the pair, but neither finds it's mark.

((OOC: Jane, make Vigor rolls to avoid fatigue from smoke inhalation.

Jane takes out one of the dudes on the stairwell (though a pistol whip is only str+d4 damage, for future reference.)

Jack, you need to take out the guy on the stairwell to get up it. I'll move you to the foot of the stairs, but you need to actually get rid of the dude bliocking the way to get any further up the stairs.

Wild Bill attempts to Unshake from the shotgun blast.

17:16, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 1,10 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+4)10. unshake. Success and Raise.

He's going to kick away the cover from a group of Extras and start blowing them away. He succeeds in hitting both of them, then continues moving towards the stairs.

Al Swearengen is going head down the stairs and try to engage Wild Bill in a knife fight.

17:23, Today: Al Swearengen rolled 4,4 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4. Fighting! No, that's not going to hit Bill.

Meanwhile, his thugs shoot at the dead man.

17:25, Today: DMA Thug rolled 2,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Shooting! Neither hit.

Back in the corridor, the thugs take more shots. 2 fire at Jane, 2 fire at Jack

Attacks (Jane): 17:28, Today: DMA Thug rolled 15,5 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+3)15,5. Shooting! 2 hits, one with a Raise.

Damage 1: 12. Shaken and 1 Wound unless you soak
Damage 2: 6. no effects

Attacks (Jack): 17:28, Today: DMA Thug rolled -1,5 using d6-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+3)9. Shooting! One hit

Damage: 4. No effects

I check for Fire growth: 17:34, Tue 30 July 2013: The Stray rolled 4,3,4,10 using d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max ((4,3,4,(6+4)10)).

That's going to make almost all the fires grow...and one of them starts growing up the stair where Jack is!

Jack, make an Agility check or take 2d10 fire damage.))

---

Turn Order:
Kate Hillary: 10D (make a Vigor roll to avoid smoke)
Wild Bill: 10C
Black Jack: 5H (Make a Vigor roll to avoid smoke, make an Agility roll to avoid catching fire)
Dan Doherty: 4D
Calamity Jane: 3C (Must soak 1 wound, make a Vigor roll to avoid smoke)
Al & Guards: 2D
Extras and fire: Last in round.

18:08, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Vigor.

18:07, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Vigor.

((OOC: Kate will suffer a -1 penalty to all actions from fatigue from the smoke. It's her action, so what is she planning to do?))

22:00, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 2,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4. shootin'.
21:57, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 3,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4. agility.
21:56, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 13,4 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (6+5)11,2. Vigor.
22:07, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux rolled 7 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5. damage.
18:48, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux drew the single card: 2C using a deck of 54 cards.
Please blow a blue chip for me if I can to do enough damage to put this fella down.



Jack heads up the stairs blastin' away to clear the man in front of him out of the way. As the man atop the stairs went down, Boudreaux continued towards him.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:51, Fri 02 Aug 2013.

Getting no answer from the Bartendar, she does a notice, looking for McCall.

22:12, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Wild Dice - Notice.

22:12, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Notice.

Where had she seen him go? (those should both be 0, forgot the -1)
This message was last edited by the player at 05:14, Wed 31 July 2013.

Wild Bill takes shots at the pudgy but dangerous saloon owner. His first shot goes wide, the other creases him across the brow. But for once, it looks like the dead man's guns aren't automatically fatal.

---

Kate has no idea where McCall went...he hadn't been seen in the Gem all day. Taking into account the Barkeep's words, it's possible McCall is actually in the local jail.

---

Jack wings the thug at the top of the stairs. The shot isn't fatal, but it allows the Creole an opportunity to escape up the stairwell, and into the relatively quiet corridor beyond.

((OOC: Actually, Kate, look up in the body of the last Wild Bill post, looking for the guy talking in dark blue. The Barkeep did, in fact, answer you...it's just that I folded a lot of things into that post.

Jack, The damage is enough to make the guy Shaken, which means you can get past him with no trouble. That will put out in the hallway at the top of the stairs.

Wild Bill, in the meantime, has Al Swearengen right next to him. Of course, the dead man has to hit his Parry, but he's got marksman and Two-Gun Kid, as well as his Expert Shooting score, so it shouldn't be hard for him to hit Al's Parry of 7.

22:20, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 5,5 using d12+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. Shooting! (into Melee). Miss.

22:20, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 14,9 using d12+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 10,5. Shooting! Hit and Raise.

22:21, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 8 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2,3. damage (with Raise).

That will make Al Shaken.

Wild Bill's next card: 3H

Dan Dorherty is On Hold))

---

Calamity Jane is up next!

Jane coughed and tried to bring down her pistol on the other one's head, but missed.  "Fuck this," she muttered, as she tried to step away from the fire.

Soaked the wound, unshook the shake, but whiffed my Fighting roll.

22:46, Today: Calamity Jane Canary drew the single card: 2H using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

22:42, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 4,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2. Fighting.

22:40, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 4,6 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4. Unshake.

22:40, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 17,5 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (10+7)17,5. Vigor check.

22:39, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 5,2 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2. Soak roll.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:47, Wed 31 July 2013.

((OOC: Soaking the wound automatically took care of the Shaken status, actually.

The other one is currently Shaken from Jack's attack in any case. Do you want to try getting up the stairs with Jack?

Oh, and I haven't forgotten Janet's predicament...it's just that I want to deal with this combat first before I get to that.))

In reply to Wild Bill Hickok (msg # 170):

(ooc: Sorry GM missed that.)

Yes, please.  Whichever way takes me away from the fire without involving more enemies.

((OOC: Unfortunately, to get up the stairs, Jane's going to have to brave the fire, because it's spread far enough to be dangerous to her if she attempts to make it up the stairs. See the map there for places where the fire's touching.))

In that case, I'm leaving Black Jack to his fate, and moving as far away from the fire as I can without provoking.

For Init

13:33, Today: Kate Hillary drew the single card: 9D using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

A thought occurs to Kate as the battle rages. Jack McCall did have a room here, and if he was arrested, that means he likely didn't pack up. There might be something of McCall's she can use...if she can get to the room. The trouble is, it's upstairs, and right now Al and Wild Bill are fighting it out on the main stairwell. There's a back stairwell, but it might be on fire. Either way, it means crossing the main floor, and possibly drawing the attention of the murderous revenant.

---

Calamity Jane dodges into the nearest room, a whore's bedroom from the sad, dingy look of it, only occupied by the half hour. It's unoccu0pied now, and there's a window to freedom on the far side.

---

"Damn it, she's gettin' away!" one of the hired guns curses as Calamity Jane dodges into a nearby bedroom.

"I'll deal with her." The dude holed up in the doorway growls. "You go help Al."

The other two retreat, leaving their wounded comrade quivering in the hall. The thug giving commands ran across the room, unlatched the window, and rolled out into the alley. "Come on, bitch." He says to himself. "Show yer ugly face out that window there."

---

Black Jack makes it into the hallway above, but he hears a cry from behind him. "Oh, Jesus!" Says the wounded guard, who was crawling up the stairs towards the Creole. "Please Jesus don't let me burn! Don't let me burn!"

---

Kate Hillary watches a pair of guards storm out of the corridor heading to the back room. They and the guards on the railings take shots at the immortal gunslinger, raking him with a volley of lead that would fell a normal man. Bill just snarls in annoyance, but it's enough to distract him just long enough for Al to tuck under him and draw his knife over the dead man's throat.

Al's snarl of triumph is short lived, as his knife proves no more effective than the bullets had been.

"Is that the best you got?" Bill whispers, his severed windpipe knitting together in the space of seconds. "Because, truth be told, I'm really not that impressed."

"Fuck." Al says...then runs for the door. "Come and catch me, then!" He shouts. "Everyone, GET THE FUCK OUTTA MY JOINT!"

The saloon-keepers shout seems to have snapped the panic of the survivors of the attack. There was a stampede to the door, which would certainly serve as good cover for Al to disappear in.

The barkeep nudges Kate. "Come on, Ma'am." He says polite. "It's time we vamoosed."

((OOC: So in the general confusion, I have Jack upstairs, Jane in the nearest room that won't get her shot at and is away from the fire, and Kate in the main hall watching the fight. Is this right?

It's Al and the Guards' turn. The guards who are currently injured attempt to Unshake.

02:08, Today: DMA Thug rolled 3,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. unshake. Neither do, which will be bad for the guy on the stairwell. still, he's Shake, not Incapacitated, so he can at least crawl up the stairwell.

The thug taking cover in the room realizes what Calamity Jane is trying to pull and attempts to beat her to the punch. He moves through the room and, since he's closer, is able to exit the room and lie in wait for Jane there. The other two Unshaken guards are ordered back into the main room to deal with Bill.

4 guards take shots at Bill. 2 of them hit, one with a raise, and both have Shaken results for Bill. That doesn't do anything more than annoy him, though.

The guard Jack wounded is going to crawl up the stairs and plead for help.

Al will spend a white chip to unshake, and then will spend a chip to activate his Really Dirty Fighter edge, which allows him to get the Drop on someone once per combat.

02:29, Today: Al Swearengen rolled 9,5 using d10+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1. Fighting! (with The Drop). Hit.

02:36, Today: Al Swearengen rolled 2,7 using d8,d4+4, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3. Damage. 9 total damage, which would be a nice roll if it weren't for the fact he's fighting something he can't hurt with normal weapons.

So he decides he's had enough, and flees out the doors. Since Wild Bill is Shaken, Al doesn't provoke a free attack.

Meanwhile, I check to see how the fire spreads. The two closest to the Bar do, so the bar is now completely on fire. Al's command to "Run for your lives!" spurs most of the extras remaining into motion and most all of them run for the doors.))

---

Turn Order:
Al and the Guards: 10D
Kate Hillary: 9D
Wild Bill: 3H
Calamity Jane: 2H
Black Jack: 2C
Dan Doherty: On Hold
Extras and Fire: last in round

On Kate's Turn:

She'll turn and run for the back stairs....

Jane felt the heat, even through the wooden walls.  "Well, fuck this!" she muttered, then jumped through the window.

I think that's all I can do, right?


12:09, Today: Calamity Jane Canary drew the single card: AS using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

Jane dives out the window, and immediately hears throaty laughter from the ally. "Surprise, you ugly cunt!"

She sees the the figure in the alley raising it's arm...she has seconds to react...

((OOC: Kate, roll a d6 for me. Ignore any Aces. This is added to your pace to see how far you move this round. Dan is going to use his held action to move with you.

Jane, opening the window just costs movement, not an action, so you can fire at the guy laying in wait for you in the ally. But since he used his action to go On Hold to wait for you, you'll need to beat him in an opposed Agility roll to get your shot off before he does.

12:17, Today: DMA Thug rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3...that's not going to be terribly hard to beat.))
This message was last edited by the player at 19:20, Fri 02 Aug 2013.

In reply to DMA Thug (msg # 181):

12:25, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6. Movement.  not sure if the -1 applies.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:34, Sat 03 Aug 2013.

Jane's peacemaker barked twice, slamming into the thug.


Beat his agility, made the shot, did low damage.

21:45, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 6 using 2d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Double Tap damage.

21:44, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 7,4 using d8+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 6,3. Double Tap.

21:42, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 2,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4. Agility.

Jack was at war with himself but with his free hand reached for the guard. "No way to get out that way we got to get out this way."

As he pulled the guard up Jack yelled "Fire!!!"   

For Kate:

P 5 + 6 = 11 -1 = 10 We are running up the back steps.

Actually, Kate, Wild Bill might have something of an argument about that...just wait for me to post the next Turn Order post before taking any actions.

In reply to The Stray (msg # 186):

No worries.  Let me know it's time for me to do anything.

Well, as it turns out, I need a card for your next action.

Bullets continue to rip into Wild Bill, but the man doesn't seem to care. He DOES watch as Al Swearengen gets further and further out of his sight. Anger boils within him.

"grrrrrrRAAAAAAAAGH!"

He sees Kate and the barkeep running towards the back door...and follows them!

"Did NO ONE hear a DAMN THING I said!?" he screams as he fires his guns as the fleeing pair. "NO ONE! GETS OUT! ALIVE!!!"

Kate sees the barkeep next to her stumble, though he recovers and keeps going...then discovers that her legs just don't want to move right about the time a horrific pain begins to spread from her back...

---

The man takes Jack's hand, then stumbles and grabs for the man Jane pistol-whipped, pulling him up the steps as well. soon the trio are in the in the hall, though the fire is creeping slowly but steadily up the stairs.

The man Jack shot, then helped, looks out towards the yelling. "Oh sweet Jesus." He says. "It's a massacre." he looks at the masked man. "Why are you helpin' this guy? He sounds like he's gone totally off his rocker! He's like a rabid dog with guns!"

---

Jane fires first. The thug staggers back, his own bullet kicking up dirt. Jane has a chance to escape.

"You'll hang for this, bitch!" The thug shots at her. "There ain't gonna be nowhere in Deadwood that's gonna be safe for Calamity Jane Canary! That's right! I know your ugly face, and I swear to God I will watch you swing for what you done tonight!"

He's shouting plenty loud enough for anyone passing by to hear, and between the fire and the disturbance, there's plenty of passersby who might soon catch his words.

((OOC: Al spends his action running, the guards shoot, but since they can't do any more damage to him right now I'm not going to bother rolling.

15:05, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 5,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5. unshake.

He goes after Kate and Dan, one shot for each. Since he only just made his unshake roll, he has a -2 penalty on his actions (which is canceled by his Expert edge), and since he has to move to hit the corridor that Kate ran down he doesn't get his Marksman edge, either, so it's just a flat roll of his skill die and wild die. Which is still a d12.

Attack vs. Kate: 15:19, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 3,17 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+6+5)17. Shooting! Hit and Raise

Attack vs Dan: 15:19, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 6,17 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,(6+6+5)17. Shooting! Exact same Hit and Raise.

Damage (Kate): 15 Damage, which will make you Shaken with 2 wounds unless you spend a chip to try to soak.
Damage (Dan): 10 Damage. Shaken with 1 Wound, which will put Dan down (he's a henchman) if he doesn't soak.

Dan spends his single henchman chip to soak. 15:25, Today: Dan Doherty rolled 4,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4. That will do it. He's able to keep going.

Wild Bill's next card: 7D.
Guards (as Al is no longer in the picture): 3H

Last thing to check on is the spread of the fire. three patches grow, one doesn't, and thus the smaller one gets swallowed into the larger ones, leaving three very huger bonfires raging. Only Jack is in any danger from future spreading, but the guy he shot is no longer Shaken, so movement can be faster now.))

---

Turn Order:
Calamity Jane: AS
Kate Hillary: QS
Black Jack: JC
Wild Bill: 7D
Guards: 3H
Fire: end of the round
This message was last edited by the player at 05:30, Sun 04 Aug 2013.

16:33, Today: Kate Hillary drew the single card: QS using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

Will use a chip to soak.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:36, Sat 03 Aug 2013.

((OOC: Roll Vigor, then. Each success allows you to soak one wound.))

In reply to The Stray (msg # 191):


17:13, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Vigor.

17:12, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Vigor.

((OOC: That will soak 1 wound, leaving Shaken with 1 wound. You can take free actions (like movment and talking), but can't take normal actions (running is considered an action) until you Unshake. I have a house rule on the Shaken status: Normally, you have to spend your whole action to unshake with a Spirit roll, and only get your normal action if you get a raise. With my house rule, when you roll Spirit to unshake, if you roll a success, you get an action, but with a -2 penalty (for multiple actions). Getting a raise lets you take your action as normal with no penalty. I find this helps avoid stunlocks and unfun stuff like that. Keep in mind, you're wounded, so all your actions have a -1 penalty until you get someone to treat it.

Also, I request that you color-code all your OOC content (die rolls, questions, and so on) when you post in an IC thread. Or shrink them. Something to differentiate them from the IC part.))

(OOC: Okay on the color, does a shaken stay with me until I can roll out of it?)

((OOC: Shaken lasts until you roll out of it, spend a chip to remove it, or combat ends.))

(OOC: okay second chip spent to soak the wound please)

20:05, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 16 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+4)16. Spirit/shaken.

20:04, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 6 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 6. Spirit/shaken.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:06, Sun 04 Aug 2013.

Fei Ya-Huang sends his soldiers along with Janet, Roger, and the stranger. They stick closer than absolutely necessary, and it seems more like Janet and her companions are prisoners. Janet can't spot Roger's shadow anywhere...it didn't follow with her, and Roger himself doesn't cast a shadow whenever the light falls on him, so it might not have linked back with him yet.

The sorcerer wrinkles his nose as he examines the center of the warehouse. "Feh!" he sniffs. "What amateurish work this is? Not even an apprentice would miss the 易 rune! I am beginning to see why he has failed...and coming to doubt you are anything more than a pretty liar!"

He motions to his minions, who immediately seize all three of them. Fei Ya-Haung laughs. "Tell me, why shouldn't I just kill you for your attempt at deception?"

((OOC: 19:57, Today: Fei Ya-Huang rolled 7,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,4. Knowledge (Occult).

He spends a Red chip for the raise, which I don't roll for because I don't need to. He knows plenty about this, and Janet's story is falling apart.

Each of the three Wild Cards in Janet's party has three minions who can grab them. That's 3 group grapple checks with +2 gang-up bonuses.

20:09, Today: Iron Dragon Enforcers rolled 7,4 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2. Seize them!
20:09, Today: Iron Dragon Enforcers rolled 9,7 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 7,5. Seize them!
20:09, Today: Iron Dragon Enforcers rolled 3,6 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4. Seize them!

Janet, you're facing the 7. Roll Fighting if you want to squirm free of the grapple.

20:12, Today: Shanghai Reggie rolled 2,1 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1. Grapple!
20:12, Today: Roger Whateley rolled 2,1 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1. Grapple!

...I have no words. Both of them utterly fail and are Shaken as well as held.))

((OOC: Actually, you only get one attempt to soak per wounding attack. You can spend chips on that attempt, but that opportunity is past. I refund the chip.))

((OCC: okay. Hopefully someone will save my pretty butt))

"He claimed to be after a man who had done him wrong, I am trying to make sure no innocents get killed. Help me make sure no one is in the rooms before the place burns to the ground!" Jack said as he motioned to the man to go ahead and clear the rooms. "Best they get out the windows!"


22:11, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux drew the single card: JC using a deck of 54 cards.

"Any more, you mean." the man says. "Sounds like there might be a mountain o' corpses out in the middle of the hall already. That bastard has to be stopped somehow. Look, most o' this floor belongs to Al and the staff anyhow, and we were all working on the floor when the shooting started. Shouldn't BE anyone up here except those doin' patrols, and I heard the guy stayin' in the spare one got himself jailed today. There's a balcony that looks out over the road...I'll meet you there when you put a stop to that madman!" The man opens a door and drags his friend inside.

---

Looks like Calamity Jane is up first!
This message was last edited by the player at 05:31, Sun 04 Aug 2013.

In reply to Fei Ya-Huang (msg # 197):

Janet manages to wriggle free, and dodges into the darkness, scattering cards behind her.  "That's because he tried to divide the aleph rune by zero first!  I thought you knew all about our western conjuring!"

OOC: First, I somehow manage to get free with a raise:

14:50, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 2,17 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+6+5)17. Fighting.

Second, I cast a spell at a -2 MAP (I know the fighting roll is free, but I intend to do more):

14:55, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 7,1 using d10-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 9,3. Boost Trait.

Third, I try a persuasion attempt:

14:56, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 17,5 using d10+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (10+5)15,3. Persuasion.

If that doesn't succeed with a raise, I'm in trouble.

Calamity Jane puts two rounds into the thug.  "You won't fucking see anything."  Then, she calmly started to reload her gun, calling out: "Al Swearnagain!  Where the fuck did you go?  Scared of a woman?"

05:34, Today: Calamity Jane Canary drew the single card: QS using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

15:04, Sun 04 Aug: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 11 using 3d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3,5. Shooting damage.

15:03, Sun 04 Aug: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 16,5 using d8+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of (8+7)15,4. Shooting the thug (DT).
This message was last edited by the player at 12:35, Tue 06 Aug 2013.

((OOC: Rolls? Card for next turn?)

In reply to The Stray (msg # 204):

01:14, Today: Kate Hillary drew the single card: 8C using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

((OOC: What else is Kate doing for her action? It's her turn, after all. She needs to Unshake first (either with a successful Spirit roll, -1 due to wound; or by spending a chip), but if she does unshake, she can act.))

In reply to Janet Weiss (msg # 202):

"Enough!" The sorcerer bellows. He looks at his men. [Language unknown: "Ek ta!"]

((OOC: Fei gets a notice check to see through the lie.

01:08, Today: Fei Ya-Huang rolled 1,17 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+6+5)17. Notice (to see through lie). That's a tie. Fei isn't sure if Janet's telling the truth or not. But at this point, he's had enough of her.

Draw cards for initiative!))

---

Turn Order:
Mr. Sebastian and Shadow: KC
Fei Ya-Haung & Yan the Bodyguard: QS
Triad Rascals group 2 (5): QH
Shanghai Reggie: 8D
Janet: 2H
Triad Rascals group 1 (4): 2D
This message was last edited by the player at 07:38, Tue 06 Aug 2013.

In reply to The Stray (msg # 206):


04:10, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 7 using 1d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8. Spirit/shaken.

04:09, Today: Kate Hillary rolled 1 using 1d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Spirit/shaken.

If unshaken she will continue to run up the stairs.

13:17, Today: Janet Weiss drew the single card: 2H using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

Kate turns the corner to the back stairs....but finds the whole back room is on fire!

"Shit!" Dan says. "We're never going to get out this way!"

He grabs her arm and moves towards one of the bedrooms. "Out the window in the alley, girl! Go!" he shouts.

((OOC: If you want to continue trying to get up stairs anyway, you're going to need to run into the fire. To get upstairs without getting burned will take an Agility roll (-2 for the difficulty, -1 from your wounds, so -3 in total).))

---

There's no answer to Jane's challenge. Too many people are running around. Someone is trying to organize a bucket brigade. Al Swearengen is probably long gone.

((OOC: Jane, you didn't post any of your rolls for your action, nor did you post initiative for your next round. Please do so.))

In reply to Dan Doherty (msg # 210):

(OOC: Re Kate, nope not in love with the fire thing, she'll get out, stopping to help Dan, but she is still wounded.)

I edited them in, but I'll repeat them here for you:

05:34, Today: Calamity Jane Canary drew the single card: QS using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

15:04, Sun 04 Aug: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 11 using 3d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3,5. Shooting damage.

15:03, Sun 04 Aug: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 16,5 using d8+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of (8+7)15,4. Shooting the thug (DT).

In reply to Janet Weiss (msg # 151):

(OOC: Roger or Reggie?)
This message was last edited by the player at 22:13, Tue 06 Aug 2013.

OOC: What for?  if it's for whom to help, it's always going to be Roger.

In reply to Janet Weiss (msg # 214):

Sorry was confused by a post, but I'm clear now.

Jack, pistol in hand reloaded the weapon and moved toward the sound of chaos and destruction.

As the thugs raise their weapons, a shadow oozes from the boxes behind Roger. "Now, this won't do at all." It says, growing more three-dimensional, skeletal, spiky, horrid. As the frightened and superstitious rascals watch, the demon thing falls on one of them, attempting to tear out the man's throat with it's claws.

Roger attempted to use the distraction to escape, but barring the guards running in panic from his shadow, he wasn't going anywhere.

Fei Ya-Huang, noticing the resistance, mutters some incantation and tosses a handful of paper slips inked with Chinese characters into the air. The strips whirl around him, as if caught in some invisible breeze, then burst into blue flame. The little fires orbit the sorcerer. Beside him, the scarred-up thus lets out a terrific shout, and his skin seems to thicken.

The thugs charge. Reggie is able to narrowly avoid a whack from the thug's cleaver, but the rascals holding him squeeze, attempting to strangle him.

Janet, on the other hand, is savaged. The first blow clips a long, painful strip of skin from her arm. The second thug lands a serious blow to her leg, sending her staggering.

It's the last thug, the man that Janet had humiliated earlier that day, who does the most damage. He gives her a sick grin as he force her to her knees, then raises the hatchet up high to drive deep into her chest...

((OOC: It's Roger at the top of the round. He's Shaken and Restrained, so his shadow is going to act first, coming out of hiding to get The Drop on one of the Rascals holding him.

20:53, Today: Mr. Sebastian's Shadow rolled 6 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 6. Fighting! That's 10 with The Drop, which will be a Hit and Raise

Damage: 11 (Shaken and 1 Wound for the thug unless it soaks)

Roger's shadow might also spook anyone not ready for it. The thugs nearest to Roger  need to make a Fear check (-4 Fear level, -1 Critter ability, + Grit)

Meanwhile, Roger himself attempts to Unshake.

21:02, Today: Roger Whateley rolled 7,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,2. unshake.

That will do it. He'll try to escape his captors, though he has a -2 penalty and it's an opposed roll, so he's unlikely to get free unless all the guys holding him break and run.

21:08, Today: Roger Whateley rolled -1,1 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3. Escape! (corrected). Yeah, no. He's not escaping.

Card: 7C

Fei Ya-Huang's up next. He's going to start by casting Deflection on himself while his bodyguard collects his chi for magical armor.

Deflection: 21:12, Today: Fei Ya-Huang rolled 5,5 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5. Spellcasting. Success. (-2 to all attacks vs. him for 3 rounds)

Armor: 21:14, Today: Fei Ya-Huang rolled 5,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4. Bodyguard armor. Success. (+2 armor for 3 rounds)

Card: 5S

Now I have a ton of rascals going. I've split them up into 2 groups and given one of those groups ot aonther PC to run against you.

Janet is facing 3 guards. none of them have a grip, so all of them are going to hack at her with their machetes. All of them have a +2 gang-up bonus.

21:20, Today: The Stray, on behalf of Triad Rascals, rolled 9,15,15 using d8+2,d8+2,d8+2, rerolling max with rolls of 7,(8+5)13,(8+5)13. Fighting! That's 3 hits with raises(!)

Damage 1: 7 (Shaken)
Damage 2: 13 (Shaken and 2 wounds)
Damage 3: 27 (!) (Shaken and 5 wounds)

Janet is in a world of hurt. Aren't you glad you have all those chips?

2 rascals are going to deal with Reggie (there's actually 3, but one of them is in the other group)

One of them is currently grappling him, so he's just going to attempt damage. This is an Opposed Strength or Agility roll. The Rascal is using Strength.

21:28, Today: The Stray, on behalf of Triad Rascals, rolled 4 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Grapple for damage! Roll Strength or Agility to resist, Reggie.

The other one is going to take advantage of his +2 Gang-up bonus for an attack.

21:30, Today: The Stray, on behalf of Triad Rascals, rolled 8 using 1d8+2, rerolling max with rolls of 6. Fighting! That will Miss Reggie, who has a high Parry.

Card: AS))

---

Turn Summary:
Roger sends his shadow to attack a rascal, but can't escape the grapple himself. His Shadow might scare some of the thugs.
Fei Ya-Huang and his bodyguard buff themselves.
The rascals attack
Janet takes a huge amount of damage (One of the attacks is enough to flat out Incapacitate her).
Reggie is attacked, but missed. The guy holding him attempts to squeeze him, which he needs to resist

---

Shanghai Reggie is up!

In reply to Black Jack Boudreaux (msg # 216):

some mood music

It's like walking into Hell. Smoke curls from the bar that's completely ablaze. Fire creeps along the floor and ceiling.

Wild Bill himself stands in a room filled with corpses. The bodies of miners and whores lie scattered about, bloody holes shot right through them. The dead man isn't paying attention to the balcony over the main floor...instead he sights at a pair of people Jack can't see, but who seem to be beneath him. It looks like he's about to murder again.

((OOC: Jack, see the PM.))

Janet spends a white chip to soak the first one.  Doesn't quite make it, so she spends a Blue chip for the bonus, which successfully soaks with a total of 9.


22:23, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Blue Chip bonus.

22:21, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 5,5 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5. Soak Roll 1.

Janet then spends a white chip to soak the second wound (ouchie!) After spending a Blue chip, I get a total of 14, for 3 wounds soaked.  That leaves me at 2 wounds and shaken.


22:27, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Blue Chip.

22:25, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 2,9 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+3)9. Soak 2.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:29, Wed 07 Aug 2013.

Hot arterial blood spatters the gangsters, triggering them to scatter. They flee blindly, stumbling away from the thing with no heed for the foreign devil or the giant peasant.

One comes to his senses within a couple of steps. He turns and faces the shadow-beast with his axe raised and feet planted. [Language unknown: "In i evee set k st ersousearrut! Ce beic er, ro she io ounandoer!"]


[[07:25, Today: Triad Rascals rolled -4,3,-1,-5. using 4d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+2)8,4,1. extra fear! erm, I forgot their Grit, so: -3,4,0,-4 The first one is the one being attacked, so he freezes in terror.

07:28, Today: Triad Rascals rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. soak attempt. ...and gets deaded.]]

Reggie uses a claw like motion to rake the arm of his assailant.

23:53, Today: Shanghai Reggie rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Eagle Claw attack.

23:53, Today: Shanghai Reggie rolled 7 using 1d12, rerolling max with rolls of 7. Eagle Claw attack.

Attn Reggie:

--To begin with, I need you to make a Strength or Agility, check (your choice), because one of the thugs has you in a vice grip and is trying to harm you. You need to meet 4 or better.

--Second off, you're starting this combat Shaken and Restrained from a grapple, when means you need to deal with the Shaken before you can do anything else on your turn, either by spending a chip or succeeding on a Spirit check.

--Third, taking any action while being Grappled that doesn't involve either trying to escape or hold tighter suffers a -4 penalty. This is to encourage those being grappled to actually deal with being grabbed.

--Fourth, I warned you about all this repeatedly when I handed the character over to you, and I'm mildly annoyed that you failed to take this situation into account before you rolled an Eagle Claw attack. Please make sure you are actually reading the OOC text when your character gets mentioned by name. It's usually important status information for you to take into account on your next action. I'm not making up those big long posts just to fill space.

((OOC: So it looks like Reggie is back under my control. Alrighty...roll time.

Agility vs. Grapple: 01:12, Today: Shanghai Reggie rolled 11,2 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 11,2. Opposed Grapple! Pass with flying colors.

Unshake: 01:13, Today: Shanghai Reggie rolled 7,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,2. unshake. Unshakes, one action at -2 penalty.

Escape:

01:15, Today: Shanghai Reggie rolled 8,0 using d12-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 10,2. Escape!
01:15, Today: The Stray, on behalf of Triad Rascals, rolled 5 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Hold!

He escapes the grapple, but the attempt eats up his action.

Card: 6C))

---

Here's an updated map. Rascals, it's your action. 2 of them are Shaken from failing the Fear roll (and have run as far as they can get to). One is down, and one is unharmed.

To make things clear (and if I've made a mistake, let me know), here's is what's going on at the Gem theater:

* I've replied to Black Jack's query--waiting for Black Jack to get back to me.

* Calamity Jane is running for the main street, yes? The action wasn't quite clear on my end.

* Kate is using her action to escape outside via the windows of the room. If Jane is running to the main street, then they might cross paths

* Some of the NPCs still have actions in the queue. Wild Bill hasn't taken his action for the round, and neither have the guards.

quote:

* Calamity Jane is running for the main street, yes? The action wasn't quite clear on my end.

Basically, yeah.  I'm Loyal to Wild Bill, but I'm not suicidal.  I'm betting that a dead man can survive the fire he started. 

Those sons of bitches do not come back. The remaining rascal snarls and suddenly lashes out with his axe, but his dicipline is shaken.

[[13:01, Today: Triad Rascals rolled 1,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Unshake rascals.

13:02, Today: Triad Rascals rolled 3 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 3. fightin. +1 with their blue ->4 Sang ain't hittin' nothin.

init.QH
shouldn't Janet be over in a dark square, as she moved to provoke hack attacks?]]

Jack decided that reloading was to slow, holstered his weapon and drew the revolver he had picked up from McCall from his waist.

18:52, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux drew the single card: 3S using a deck of 54 cards.

((OOC: Janet didn't move. She hasn't taken any actions at all this fight except to escape a grapple. It's Janet's action in the big fight in the warehouse...))

Wild Bill snaps off a pair of shots as Black Jack loads his weapons and draws McCall's pistol. He still doesn't seem to have seen the creole. Jack hears a shriek and and a groan, and the nerve of the last two guards fail. They run toward the door to the balcony, leaving Black Jack all alone in the Gem with the madman, who is now calmly but super-humanly quickly reloading his weapons, sending spent cartridges falling like rain on the booze-and-blood-soaked floor for the saloon.

---

Kate Hillary and the barkeep make it to the window to freedom...just as a squat lady with a pistol and a rifle runs by, shouting for Al Swearengen! Another desperado?

((OOC: Wild Bill takes shots at the two guards who are still on the first floor. Because he doesn't move this round, he can use his Marksman and Two-Gun Kid edges on them. Both his attacks hit with Raises. He Shakes one and kills the other.

Also, realizing he's empty on his guns, also uses his action to load. However, he has the Speed Load edge, which allows him to load as a free action. He loads both his guns just after finishing off the guards.

The remaining 2 guards on the second floor run for their lives, leaving Black Jack and Wild Bill the only remaining people in the Gem except for the wounded guard and a pair of miners hiding underneath the stairs.

Only one of the fires gets any bigger this round.))

---

Turn Order:
Calamity Jane: QS
Wild Bill: 8D
Kate Hillary: 8C
Black Jack: 3S
Fire: end of the round

Just to clarify: Did the thugs holding me run off?

Jane holsters her peacemaker and draws her Winchester, taking a bead on the front door of the Gem.

OOC: Going on Hold, if I can, to take a shot at the next enemy to come out of the Gem.

[[You're the thing with two lines on surrounded by gangsters on the map. The red-shaded thugs way over on the right are the ones that got chased off.]]

Janet's gun spits fire at the sorceror.

Three bolts, three hits.

05:37, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 6,7,4 using 2d6,2d6,2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2,2,5,2,2. Bolt damage.

05:36, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 5,-1,4,2,5,2 using d10-2,d6-2,d10-2,d6-2,d10-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 7,1,6,4,7,4. Triple Bolt at Fei Ya Huang.

deleted and reposted in order
This message was last edited by the player at 15:30, Sun 11 Aug 2013.

The fiery bolts blaze towards the sorcerer, who gestures...and the bolts are interdicted one at a time by the burning magical wards surrounding him. "Was that the best your touted Western Magic could conjure?" he cackles. "I'm afraid it will not be good enough to stop me."

((OOC: Three misses, actually. Fei's Deflection power lowers all attacks directed at him by -2, and you have 2 wounds. That's a total penalty of -4, not -2.

Also, please note that firing multiple bolts works like an autofire attack, which means you only get 1 Wild Die per batch of bolts, no matter how many you're shooting.

Please draw a card for your next round.))

---

Turn Order:
Group o' Thugs 2: AS
Group o' Thugs 1: QH
Janet: JD
Mr. Sebastian: 7C
Shanghai Reggie: 6C
Fei Ya-Haung & Bodyguard: 5S
This message was last edited by the player at 19:46, Mon 12 Aug 2013.

In reply to Black Jack Boudreaux (msg # 234):

As Jack prepares to move, Wild Bill looks around the room. He frowns, points his gun at the guard he'd only winged, and finishes him off.

"Well, it's been fun." He says, looking at the two cowering miners beneath the stairs, "But I have unfinished business over at the jail before I take down Swearengen. You remember this day for a good, long time, you hear? This was the wages of your drinking and whoring ways."

With that, he turns and strides back towards the bar, into the flames.

((OOC: Wild Bill goes before Jack this round, so the question of where the guard is will shortly be rendered moot. But he was below Jack's position, underneath the balcony where Jack is.

But since Wild Bill is an expert shot, his attack will end the poor, wounded guard before Jack can do anything about it.

23:57, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 6,12 using d12+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+2)8. Shooting! (Marksman).
23:58, Today: Wild Bill Hickok rolled 17 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4,(6+5)11. damage (with Raise).

His card: 4C. That means Jack will get to go before him next round. But because of the smoke around Bill, any shots against him will be at -2.))

---

Up next: Kate Hillary! Also, Calamity Jane, I need a Stealth check from you.

Bill's voice boomed through the building, Kate could hear his declaration.  Her back was burning, and she had trouble moving but she had to get to the graveyard, she cast around to see if there were anyone that she could press into service.

(OOC: looking to grab some others and head to the graveyard and to Bill's grave.)

09:06, Today: Black Jack Boudreaux drew the single card: AC using a deck of 54 cards.

Wild Bill had come back from the dead and looking about he had brought hell with him. The gunslinger had said they were here for vengeance against the man who had been behind his killing. But Hickok seemed hell bent on murder and destruction. The Gem seemed like it would surely burn to the ground.

With Wild Bill leaving the building, Jack had kept his word. Now he had to decide what to do about Bill Hickok. Following him to the jail seemed like a place to start, but what to do when he got there .. that was the question.

That and how to get out of this inferno without getting shot.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:35, Sun 11 Aug 2013.

00:46, Today: Janet Weiss drew the single card: JD using a deck of 54 cards. Init.

00:47, Today: Calamity Jane Canary rolled 7,5 using d8,d6. Stealth roll.

Heartened by their master's chortle of glee, the thugs converge on Janet and the mysterious martial artist.

The thugs after Janet are particularly brutal. The one who she'd thwarted takes particular glee in hacking at her with his hatchet, and the other two don't seem to have much in the way of compunctions when it came to striking women. Janet feels her blood flow almost as freely as it did that time in Denton, when the agents took shot after shot at her...

The mysterious stranger, meanwhile, has to dodge and weave out of the grasp of the attacking rascals, who seem more interested in grabbing him and holding him than overt attacks. He can see their plan plainly--they will hold him down while their compatriots do the dirty work.

((OOC: 3 thugs go after Janet, while 2 gang up with the unshaken thug from the second group against Reggie.

The thugs after Janet have a clear goal: she attacked the boss, so she must die. They each have a +2 gang-up bonus.

12:51, Today: Iron Dragon Enforcers rolled 9,7,8 using d8+2,d8+2,d8+2, rerolling max with rolls of 7,5,6. Fighting! Because of Janet's low Parry, all 3 are hits, and 2 are hits with raises.

Damage 1: 10 (Shaken and 1 Wound)
Damage 2: 15 (Shaken and 2 Wounds)
Damage 3: 17 (Shaken and 3 wounds)

Janet, unless you can soak all those wounds (and remember that you currently have a -2 wound penalty on all your rolls, including soak rolls), You've going to be incapacitated at the very least.

the two thugs attacking Reggie decide to grapple him instead of going against his high Parry score. They're counting on the third guy there to do the actual attacking once Reggie is held. They combine their efforts into a single Group Roll, which has a +2 Gang-Up bonus for Reggie having three baddies adjacent to him.

13:02, Today: Iron Dragon Enforcers rolled 5,4 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2. Grapple!

Reggie, roll Fighting to avoid being grappled. You need to beat 5.

Card for this group's next turn: 8D))

---

Turn Order:
Group o' Thugs 2: AS
Group o' Thugs 1: QH
Janet: JD
Mr. Sebastian: 7C
Shanghai Reggie: 6C
Fei Ya-Haung & Bodyguard: 5S

I can't soak that many wounds.  I'm down.

((OOC: Roll for Incapacitation, then.))

No permanent injury, but strength is reduced to d4 until all wounds are healed.


13:58, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 5 using 1d6 with rolls of 5. Injury subtype.

13:56, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 16 using 2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+6+3)15. Injury. (Should have been a 7, Injury rolls don't Ace)

13:55, Today: Janet Weiss rolled 7,1 using d6-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of (6+4)10,4. Incap.

The thug in front of Roger tries to get himself centred again. [Language unknown: "Itchpa sa saarmo, Ll osevul but u ennoatar ncin der naprat estterlat tr are!"] he calls to his comrades, doing a little dance to mask his movements before the hatchet blade sings through the air again, its arc passing Roger's neck. The man's eyes flick warily to the shadow-beast, but he stands his ground, squared up and stance supple.

His friends seem to be having less luck, one having stumbled into the darkness and the other shrieking at the local wildlife, still scared out of his wits.

[Language unknown: "Sonan an nc n trtin? Li mosi, set heno wh...Ch strconwas ekeve manho whi ch o pr foil yinessred A Theell. Le m. T, na, li caunni, k enc rat, teat mo oer t weiefi ateerahat u ta ad ti. Bleol. Llut hiear ad outundble, Houng ho earioucondin wiioar ineatiwhi en evand ardainven ourut tra nihick wa, ntsini dider no..."]

[Language unknown: "Leure ainheroer anderaect! Inghashat, undanyons ou m undi! Dihiwi t nd ith!!! Undateshe fiilil i andsanted, ch day sti thouha!"]

[[22:28, Today: Triad Rascals rolled 1,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. Unshake Zhou, Chong.

22:30, Today: Triad Rascals rolled 4 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 4. fightin'. Not even close.

init. RJ! using a deck of 54 cards.
Whoo! Now to keep the boys alive 'til I can use that bonus...]]

The only person near Kate was Dan Doherty, the barkeep who'd been shadowing her and was now looking around the alley with her.

"Shit." He says. "The fire's spreading. Nuttal and Mann's is starting to go." He points to the saloon next to the Gem, which has flames starting to spread across the wall. "You got any good ideas about what to do next?"

---

Calamity Jane creeps through the crowd, unseen. The trouble is, she can't seem to see Al Swearengen, either. He seems to have made good his escape.

((OOC: Make a Tracking check, -4 for the chaos surrounding the Gem, to see if Calamity Jane can find a trail.))

---

Jack feels the loa smile on him. Their protection settles over him. He can confront Wild bill without worrying about breathing smoke or the heat of the flames. And he'd better do it soon, as it looked like Bill was about to get away.

((OOC: I'm ending combat rounds for now, except for Jack and Wild Bill.))

---

Turn Order:
Black Jack: AC
Wild Bill: 4C

The Gem was aflame but Jack like Wild Bill walked into the flames. The young Creole had followed the undead gunslinger on what he had been told was a mission of vengeance. But Bill had crossed him and gone on what appeared to have been a murder spree.

Jack had to stop Bill before more innocents were slain. It was clear his was no longer the same man he had been and was a tool of ruinous powers.

Jack knew he was no match for the killing machine that was Wild Bill Hickok in a fair fight. But there was no such thing as a fair fight against the walking dead.

Wild Bill puases at the flaming bar to pick up a discarded drink. He gulps it down with relish.

Kate looks to Dan, "We have to stop Wild Bill.  We're gonna need something to dig with and something to burn him!"

Dan looks at Kate incredulously. "He took two shotgun blasts and half a dozen bullets without flinching! What good is fire going to do against him?"