Katy slapped another speed-load cylinder in her revolver and filled the air with a ton of lead. Unfortunately most of it didn't make contact with the dedders that were literally right in front of her face. A person almost had to try to miss with that many bullets at such a close range.

OOC: Katy burns a white and a red to soak.

She will fire away from where any bystanders might be hit, so toward the east of the map, I think.

She hits one of the things for 8 damage. 8C next round.

She also says a little prayer, as prayer never hurt.


08:49, Today: Catherine Hays Cox drew the single card: 8C using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative.
08:48, Today: Catherine Hays Cox rolled 8 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4.  Damage.
08:48, Today: Catherine Hays Cox rolled 1,-1,3,3,5,3,1 using d8-2,d8-2,d8-2,d8-2,d8-2,d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1,5,5,7,5,3.  Fan that hammer.
08:47, Today: Catherine Hays Cox rolled 2,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  Soak.

Trace's shot is true, and the deader falls. Likewise, Katy's rapid shots take down at least one of the dead men.

As it begins to look grim, there's suddenly a mighty roar from the darkness.

"YEEEEEEEOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWLLLLLLL!"

A tawny thunderbolt slams into the mass of undead, tearing and ripping. one of the deaders is torn clean in half.

In the space left behind, Katy sees an enormous mountain lion glaring at the ranks of the dead.

Then the creature gets up on its hind legs, and Katy realizes that this is no natural creature...

Caroline screams again, but she seems to be clear-headed enough to leap on the horse and ride like the Devil's on her tail. The deaders, meanwhile, seem to be disoriented. One makes a swing at Katy, but misses, while teo of them lurch on the giant man-cat, only to get slammed back.

There's less than half a dozen still able to lurch around, all told.

((OOC: Trace's shot takes out the deader, as does Katy's shot (thanks to the card Trace played

Going to use my Reinforcements card, but on your behalf, and bring in someone to help even the odds here. And so it is that Joseph Voice-Like-Thunder appears to tear shit up!

Joseph Pounces, getting +4 to attacks and damage, and goes for a Frenzy.

19:13, Today: Joseph Voice-Like-Thunder rolled 5,6,13 using d10+4,d10+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2,(6+3)9.  Fighting (Pounce, Frenzy).

only one hit, but it's a Raise. he gets 15 damage, which is enough to down another deader.

Going to need you two to make me a Fear check (-3 for the Fear level, + grit) at the appearance of the werecougar.

Joseph's card: 9H

I roll to see if Caroline unshakes.

19:39, Today: Caroline Johnson rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5.  Unshake.

She does, so she hops on the horse and books it.

There are actually only 5 deaders left, and all of them are Shaken, so I check to see if any unshake.

19:41, Today: Walkin' Dead rolled 4,4,3,5,3 using d4+2,d4+2,d4+2,d4+2,d4+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2,1,3,1.  Unshake. 3 do, but none of them get Raises, so they all have a -2 penalty on actions this turn.

1 attacks Katy, 2 attack the giant monster cat in their midst.

Vs. Katy: 19:44, Today: Walkin' Dead rolled 2 using 1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 4.  Fighting. Miss.

Vs. Joseph: 19:45, Today: Walkin' Dead rolled 2,2 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3.  Fighting (Gang Up). both Miss.

Card: 7C))

---

---

Turn Order
Trace: KD
Joseph Voice-Like-Thunder: 9H
Katy: 8C
Walkin' Dead: 7C

Hargrave tensed at the appearance of another monster, uncertain if the creature was friend or foe. Seeing it attack one of the dead men he assumed, at least for the moment, that it was an ally, though the wild nature of its attacks made him wonder if it might not turn on he and Cox in the blink of an eye.

Feeling a brief sense of relief at Caroline and Conner's escape, he shifted his aim to the last of the revenants attacking Cox and fired.

09:25, Today: Trace Hargrave rolled 2,2 using 1d6-1,1d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3.  Spirit (Fear Check).

I'll throw a red chip at that.

09:25, Today: Trace Hargrave rolled 1t/b] using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1.  [b]Spirit - Red Chip.

Of course. How about another?

09:27, Today: Trace Hargrave rolled 7 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+1)7.  Red Chip - Spirit.

Total : 10

Passed! And it only required the sacrificial burning of two red chips. ;)

09:30, Today: Trace Hargrave rolled 11,6 using 1d12+1,1d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 10,5.  Shooting.

09:31, Today: Trace Hargrave rolled 9 using 3d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2,4.  Damage.

09:32, Today: Trace Hargrave drew the single card: 3C using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative.

Katy took the appearance of Joseph Voice-Like-Thunder in stride, almost as if she'd expected him to show up.

06:20, Today: Catherine Hays Cox rolled 11,6 using d6+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of (6+4)10,5.  Fear.

She had whispered a little prayer for help, after all.

The pumaman ignores the pair of non-runny meat in favor of the rotten hearts, and tears into the remaining zombies. They fall at his mauling, leaving only a scattered few behind. Looks like the tide has turned.

((OOC: That shot will make a deader Shaken.

Joseph goes for another couple of deaders.

09:05, Today: Joseph Voice-Like-Thunder rolled 5,1,11 using d10,d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1,(6+5)11.  Fighting (Frenzy).

Two hits, 1 Raise.

He gets a 19 and a 22, so that's two more deaders down. Holy crap that's a lot of damage.

That leaves 3, one of which is Shaken.

Card: 4D))

---

Katy is up!

Katy went back to the partially depleted speed-load cylinder that she had previously been using, slapping it back in while changing with the spent one. She let a single bullet fly, aiming for one of those that seemed to have its guard down.

OOC: targeting a shaken zombie. 7 to hit, 9 damage. QS next round.

08:21, Today: Catherine Hays Cox drew the single card: QS using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative.
08:21, Today: Catherine Hays Cox rolled 9 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+1)7.  Damage.
08:20, Today: Catherine Hays Cox rolled 7,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,4.  Shooting.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:11, Sat 11 Feb 2017.

((OOC: So with the help of the cavalry here, it looks like the tide has turned enough that you folks aren't in danger unless the zombies get really lucky. Do you just want me to wrap this up? You can just narrate how you mop up the remaining deaders, and we can move on to you dealing with the giant puma-man and chasing after Bill.))

Ooc: fine by me. Trace?
This message was last edited by the player at 16:12, Mon 13 Feb 2017.

OOC: Sure.

Katy placed the last bullet from her current revolver neatly in the noggin of one of the remaining two dedders just as Trace took care of the other. The Ranger looked at the mass of reanimated flesh to make sure nothing else seemed a threat. One of the zombies shuddered and looked like it wanted to get up again, but Katy stomped on its skull. Hard.

Nothing else seemed to move except Katy, Trace, and the cougar that had come to join them. Katy waved an open palm toward Joseph. "Hello? Thanks fer givin' us a hand." The Ranger waited to see what sort of response the animal would give, hoping it would be peaceful at best, and departure at worst.

The puma-man looks at the pair of them...and then begins to shrink, its features melting into more human ones as it changes. Within a few moments, the nine-foot tall beast is a six-and-a-half foot tall, very naked Comanche male, who cracks his neck. He looks at Katy, his amber eyes still faintly slitted. "The man with the scar." He says. "Where is he? Which way did he go?"

After the last of the dead fell, Hargrave watched the cat creature warily, blinking as the monster transformed into a man. As the brave had addressed the ranger, he remained silent. He reloaded his pistol, returned it to its holster, then retrieved his rifle. Carefully dusting the weapon off, he glanced back at the ranch house, his heart heavy for the Johnson family's senseless loss of their home.

Katy watched the transformation with interest, though her gaze didn't linger on Joseph's lower body once the change had been completed. Instead it went to those slitted, amber eyes of the man/beast, though she was aware of his state of dress all the same. The Ranger pointed off the direction that the two brothers had gone. "They went thataway. We mean ta hunt 'em down. Are you, uh, interested in joinin' us?"

Katy had remained mounted the entire time, and looked briefly over to Trace to see if he would be ready to ride after Earl.

The big Indian reaches down towards one of the fallen riders, rips off the deader's shirt, and wraps it around his midsection. "Hunt him down. Yes. Bayou Vermillion pays him to take scalps from Apaches. He takes them from Apaches, Comanches, Yavapai, Navajo...and even Mexicans and dark-haired white folk. He is a bad man, and it is a shame he did not die the first time I killed him. The second time, he will not get up again." The man looks at the burning building. His eyes shine in the firelight. "I am Joseph, Voice-Like-Thunder."

Hargrave joined Cox and Joseph, his rifle propped on his right shoulder. He remained silent, not interrupting the conversation, ready to follow whatever course the ranger and the warrior chose. Briefly, his gaze drifted in the direction where Caroline Johnson had ridden off. Even if his horse was lost to him, he considered it a small price to pay, thankful that she and Conner had been able to escape the attack.

Katy watched the shaman as he walked and at least dressed a little bit. Not that he wasn't still flopping around under the hastily tied-on shirt, but it was better than nothing. "It's nice ta meetya, Joseph, Voice-like-thunder." Her hand briefly went to her hair when the fellow mentioned scalping dark-haired white folk "Can ya do that turnin' inta a cougar thing while we hunt down the fella? My horse can carry two faster'n we all can walk. But three's a lotta ask."

She looked over to Trace. "Ready ta go hunt 'em down, cowboy? I'm sure Caroline and Conner'r doin' fine. Hop on up and let's git."

OOC: There are only zombie horses around here in addition to Katy's one live horse, correct? Though this is a ranch - can we quickly check if there are any other potential mounts that aren't zombified?

The indian continues raiding the dead, picking up pistols, sticking a pair into the shirt, then emptying the others for extra bullets. "No." He says. "Puma and I have an understanding -- I may only assume his form for a short while, in a time of great need. You were surrounded. It seemed like a time of great need." He shrugs. "I have a horse. I will need to find him and calm him...he and Puma do not get along. He also has my weapons and spare pants."

He whistles out into the darkness. There's a whistle in reply. Joseph calls out. [Language unknown: "Traillnti Not! Tr foom mian strbleand. Ieweel ticoneica onall bleoverut tiutnd ithac resle ch, wh llss avere."]

There's a reply in the same language. [Language unknown: "Ngut encce et eenderave?"]

[Language unknown: "Redar e she, na!"] Joseph says back. [Language unknown: "Onrom ioatas!"]

Then there is the fall of hoofbeats. Joseph looks back at the pair and shrugs. "My son. He is not yet a warrior, but he will protect the woman and her child."

((OOC: If you want to take the time, sure. It shouldn't be too hard to find a horse.))

Hargrave pointed to the stable. "Let me check and see if there's a usable mount inside. I'll yell if I find one and you and Joseph can get going. I'll be right behind you. I'm more helpful at long distance anyway."

Rifle in both hands, he jogged to the stable, scanning quickly for any mounts that were unharmed.

Katy nodded at Joseph. She spoke his language fairly well, though certainly not at the level of a native-speaker. [Language unknown: "U omred insapo ul il st venmaning conec, Whethu-hasintionounstirut. Butsheous red urairo mont ion. Ek nididi rut T terestlar wilithwitast m ilure at ll cktin whe powitrouhe. Ou inna vorfi a canefo res. Hasen he stiarteen ismahi ac ratin, thi ntpr iena ec sti roove t ro uratai t."]

Katy looked off in the direction of the boy. "There might be some scared folk in town, liable to do somethin' stupid. Yer boy won't get too close, right?"

She nodded over at Trace. It would be fastest for him to jog to get another mount. Maybe not for Joseph. "Yer horse close by, Joseph? If not, ya can ride with me back ta yer mount. And my name is Katy. Katy Cox. Fella there is Trace. And we sure are glad ta have met ya."

Joseph actually looks surprised at Katy peaking to him in his own language. That grim face breaks into a grin. [Language unknown: "Ect n ma ant nti aiol stit nc us, ol E si hifiaiun ni evil."] he says back.

Joseph whistles into the darkness again. This time, there's a whinny in answer. He looks back at Katy as a tan horse with a blanket saddle trots up. "Sparrow Hawk will be fine. He is not a warrior yet, but he is still Comanche. The white folk will not even know he was there." He nods at the names, then pulls out a pair of jeans from his saddlebags and starts dressing. He then grabs a gunbelt, sticks the pistols and the extra ammo in it, and then pulls a pair of tomahawks from another saddlebag.

Trace is able to corral a horse quickly, and within a few moments, the trio is ready to go.

((OOC: Following the trail will be a Tracking check.))

Katy nodded at Joseph's response. "We'll put him down fer good. And I'm glad to hear yer boy'll be fine." She then looked over at the horse that Trace had chosen. After a brief inspection, she spurred her mount forward. "Let's go, cowboy."

They knew in which direction the pair had headed initially, but that would only help them for a little bit. But horses left tracks, and heavily-laden horses left even deeper tracks. Katy had to hop off her horse every now and then, but following the pair wasn't too difficult for the Ranger.

12:57, Today: Catherine Hays Cox rolled 4,9 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+3)9.  Tracking.

Hargrave nodded to Cox. "Yes, ma'am," he replied. Looking to Joseph, he said, "Many thanks for your help. I truly doubt that we would have survived without your assistance."

Before he followed Cox, Hargrave used his Bowie to cut part of the right sleeve free from his shirt, using the material to wrap the cut on his left arm. That done, he urged his mount forward, matching the ranger's pace.

15:21, Today: Trace Hargrave rolled 1,8 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+2)8.  Tracking.

"You are welcome." Joseph says. "I ask only that you return the favor to someone else, should it be in your power to do so."

Some mood music

The trio ride the trail, which isn't difficult since, as it turns out, it's where they'd been heading first...the hills and gulches outside of town. It gets even easier to follow the trail once the trio can hear the screaming.

Sounds like Bill Johnson was taking his time with Earl.

There's a cave up ahead, and Trace spots the flickering lantern light within.

((OOC: So how do you want to approach this?))

Katy looked at the other two and rode close so their voices wouldn't be heard. "Go in guns a-blazin'? Or does someone wanna scout it out a bit first?" There were quite a few things Katy was good at. Moving quietly wasn't one of them. It was probably the spurs - dang things always seemed to clank and jingle at the wrong time. Puma-man could probably move quietly enough, though. Not that they had a lot of time.

"I can give it a try," Hargrave said. "If I'm keeping watch on a spread, I can usually stay hidden fairly well." He shrugged. "Of course, most of the time, I'm not hunting fellas who are already dead."

He crept forward, staying low, keeping to the brush and mesquite trees as much as possible, choosing his steps carefully.

17:11, Today: Trace Hargrave rolled 5,5 using 1d8+2,1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3.  Notice.

17:10, Today: Trace Hargrave rolled 9,5 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9,5.  Stealth.