((OOC: So here is all the different conversation threads for the Woolly Buffalo crew. I'm just waiting on active motions to action, rather than statements of intent))

"In custody," he scoffed once it had become apparent that Jackie had been listening in to their conversation, despite his attempts to speak quietly to Katy, turning to Jackie.

"Miss Wells, it's clear that you've got a code, and I respect that. But if it can't recognize the difference between what it means to hold an ordinary man or woman in custody, and holding a person that can walk through walls in custody, then it's an outdated code that ain't made for the different times we live in. If you're not willin' to exercise judgment independent from that code, maybe you should consider applyin' that code to the protection of the folks Elmira Whateley kills without thought, and leave me and Katy to our own devices far as the criminal herself is concerned." Of course, he had no idea how he was gonna take down someone that could walk through walls, but he'd figure that part out later.

To Katy he responded, "Yeah, I've heard somethin' about this Wild Bunch. I'll keep my ear to the ground as far as they're concerned and clue you in on anything I find. And if we need, I reckon' we can scrounge up a posse to deal with 'em."

He waited to listen to anything that they had to say, fully expecting Jackie Wells to upbraid him for his take on her approach to the situation. He wasn't about to get into an argument with her over it, so he planned to let her say his piece and then excuse himself. 

"If y'all will pardon me a moment, I'd like to have a word with a couple of these gentleman," he said, taking a couple of glasses of whiskey with him.

He stepped up to Wilder and Lonefeather, and gave them a nod. He put the whiskey down in front of them, clearly an offering. "U.S. Marshal Logan West," he said, introducing himself. He looked at Lonefeather. "I met John Turley when I was down in Colorado. Good man," he said, then looking between Lonefeather and Wilder. "I heard you gentlemen talking about Carter. If there was a posse being put together to bring him in, would either of you be interested in taking part? Not saying there is quite yet, but there might be. I'd prefer to do this proper, and it's likely that Carter will rear his ugly head again and I might have to take him down, and I'd like as not rather have you," he referred plainly here to Wilder, "attempting shoot me for doin' my duty. As far as Carter is concerned, our cause is the same, though our motivations may differ."

Katy nodded at Logan's response and his excusing himself to chat with the others. There were a few more things they needed to discuss. Quite a few more, in fact. But they didn't really have time at the moment. Catching up for real would have to wait until later. There was business to attend. But she did add a warning. "Logan, if the Wild Bunch're as well armed as this Epitaph article suggests, well, Carter's only a fraction o' our problem. Bill Doolin, Arkansas Tom, and the resta their merry gang o' hoodlums are trouble with a capital T. Any plans fer Carter better consider the possible involvement o' these folks."

When Logan excused himself, Katy finished the rest of the drink he had given her. "And thanks again fer the drink." The Ranger stood and walked over by Jackie, though kept her ears open for what Logan was discussing with the others. "Ya ain't fully seein' eye ta eye with the Marshal, eh? So what're we gonna find at this Mint?" Katy hadn't even been in town a day, so she had some catching up to do. Fortunately Jackie had filled her in on many of the major players.

James looked the lawman up and down, much as a one might a side of beef at the butcher. "I have no desire to bring him in Marshal, I desire to put him in the ground... well given that many folks don't seems to stay dead these days I'll probably do more than that. You see Carter and his gang killed my father and my brother over there, raped and killed both my mother and sister." He sets a roughly treated coat on the table and lets it fall open to reveal Carter's pistol to all who care to look. He folds the coat back over the pistol, not wanting to advertise it's to those around him. "Now, as you can see I have the bastard's pistol which if you know anything about him, is rather important to him."

Well, now Katy had to throw her two cents worth in. "That pistol ain't zactly an heirloom. Carter took it off Tornado Tom, presumably after killin' the fella. That thing's some kinda relic, but not all o' Carter's impressive power comes from that weapon. Though he's a bit less potent without it. 'Less I miss my guess 'bout that weapon, it'll take 'im at least two days, an' likely a bit more, ta bond with another weapon. That means that the resta today and tomorra are when he's gonna be at his weakest."

Jackie shrugs. "As far as I can tell, Elmira was jailed for conspiracy, theft of government documents, espionage, and some sort of confidential thing by the Texas Rangers and Bayou Vermillion. Don't seem to be any hangin' offenses among that. Nor attempting escape, and you don't dress up like a maid to try and sneak out of a buildin' if you can walk through walls. You find out otherwise, I suppose that changes things, but right now Wild Bill here's the only one I can think of who's that dangerous."


Jackie sighs at Katy. "I reckon we ain't, no." She shrugs. "Exposition, most like. Coot has a story to tell that I reckon all y'all need to hear -- includin' that other marshal and the bounty hunter. Then I tell everyone else what I've told you, and more things I didn't, and then I reckon we figure out which o' the many fires this motley group's going to aim to put out."

She watches the conversation, then looks at the pistol James shows around. She whistles. "Well, damn. That's one o' The Six, ain't it? That explains a few things about that fight."

((OOC: Knowledge (Occult) to know more about The Six.))

OOC: Katy knows everything about The Six...

12:24, Today: Catherine Hays Cox rolled 17,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+5)17,3.  Know (Occult).

Katy nodded. "That there's supposedly the First Gun if Carter's tellin' it true."

"The First Gun? Damn." Coot says. "Guess what I heard 'bout Tornado Tom was true, and it seems like once again Ol' Fate has placed me square in the middle o' somethin' big." Coot looks at Wilder. "Let me give you some advice, friend. Once you've put this Carter down, don't touch that gun. Bury it in the deepest pit you can find. 'Cause the way I hear it, anyone who binds themselves to one o' The Six is fated to a short life, a violent death, and a hot shower in Hell."

((OOC: Because of course Coot would make his Knowledge roll on this...))

James nods at Logan. "Good man, indeed. Any friend of his is a friend of mine." Then he quiets, and listens as the conversation turns to the legends of The First Gun. He listens quite intently.

James sat and quietly listened to the mystical mumbo jumbo the other spouted. "Hadn't planned on keepin' the blasted thing, now I feel I will have to find a ole shaft to toss it in... after I kill Carter."

In reply to James Wilder (msg # 4):

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Wilder, honestly," he said genuinely. "That havin' been said, now that Carter has openly declared his intention to kill me, I'm permitted to shoot him at need, so while I'd prefer to hang him under the color o' law, I don't think that's the way it's gonna to play out. But if Carter and the Wild Bunch are all mixed up together, thirty guns strong as they are, I might be lookin' to form a posse. And seein' as you got that gun there, I wanted to let you know that when the time comes, I might come to call on you and your friend here."

He turned to Lonefeather. "I didn't catch your name, by the way," he said, offering a hand to the bounty hunter.

---

When Coot spoke up and they started talking about the First Gun and the Six, he perked up. Logan had always really taken to stories like these. He looked between Katy and the old man. "The First Gun? The Six?"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:58, Thu 23 Feb 2017.

Katy nodded at Logan's query. "Yup, the six. If that there's one of 'em, Coot's warnin' is a good one."

She looked over at the old man and then continued. "Supposedly The Six were made by men ages ago, in response to the depredations of unfathomable monsters. They was forged from mankind's pain, suffering, and desperation. And supposedly, they contained the power ta remake the world. Accordin' ta rumor, at first they appeared as primitive clubs, marked with red and black magic runes. As the world changed, The Six changed with it. They manifested in new and often more advanced forms, from the bludgeonin' weapons of old ta Templar swords and then ta primitive guns. In any form, it's said they possess unbelievable power and double as keys ta rewrite Creation. Currently, as you can see, they appear as finely-crafted .44 caliber single-action Colt Dragoons with pearl grips, each blessed with unimaginable abilities, includin' unlimited ammo. 'Course they're also cursed. All Six are bound ta their wielders until that person dies, and they burn the hands of an unworthy wielder."

She looked over at the weapon again, then back to Logan.

"According to what I heard:

The First Gun strikes with ungodly force.
The Second Gun spreads the very flames of Perdition.
The Third Gun spreads the flesh-rottin' plagues of ole.
The Fourth Gun calls up and commands the spirits o' the men and women it has slain.
The Fifth Gun grants eternal youth and the ability ta heal from even a fatal wound.
The Sixth Gun speaks ta its wielder, revealin' the past and the future.

But here's the rub. They was forged by hatred and oiled in betrayal, and disaster always follows in their wake. The Rangers consider any of The Six showing up to be a high priority. They've tried to lock The Six away, but it always seems as if those damned weapons find a way back inta the world again, as if they had a will o' their own. And here's one now."

Lonefeather takes the offered hand. It's...rather colder than normal. "James." The bounty hunter says. "James Lonefeather." he frowns. "That's a bit of a tall tale, inn'it? Six guns, no matter how powerful, ain't enough to affect a whole planet. I mean, 'the unholy force of a cannon' ain't more than any other artillery, and Hell, Ghost Rock burns with the flames of Perdition if you believe the rumors, and we use it in all manner of machines."

"Carter had scales growin' out o; his skin." Jackie says. "And even when we started aimin' for his head, he didn't go down. It was only after Katy gummed it up with jelly-jam that he even considered retreatin'. Besides, the rumors don't need to be true. Folk just have to beleive in 'em, and they gain power." She grimaces. "And dammit, now I'm startin' to spout the standard Ranger line."

"So Carter's gun is as evil as he is." Michael says. "Good to know."

"I don't know about the rest o' you." Wild Bill says. "But I reckon we oughta not keep the others waitin'. Zeke might need backup."

"I reckon you're right." Coot says. He hoists his gatling shotgun and heads for the door, then looks at Kingsnake. "Send Winona down when her watch ends."

"You reckon you'll be alright?" The brawny man asks.

Coot gives a significant look at Lonefeather and Wild Bill. "I reckon I will. You two owe me at least that much, right?"

Wild Bill and Lonefeather both nod.

Coot grins. "Well, alrighty then! On we go!"

((OOC: Unless there's anything else that really needs to be discussed here, I'd like to move the group on now.))
This message was last edited by the player at 12:22, Thu 23 Feb 2017.

Katy nodded at Lonefeather's commentary. "Sure, and knowledge 'bout th' past an' future can't be used ta shape things, eh? But I didn't say them powers're what affects the planet. Said they double as keys. And given the bad mojo 'round 'em, prolly best if we keep that one outta the hands o' any sorta troublemaker."

Katy smirked at Jackie. "Ye'd make a good Ranger. I keep thinkin' you an' I gotta get ta Austin sometime." Katy knew it might be a while before that happened.

When the group seemed ready to move, Katy put her sombrero back on her head. She lifted a hand to give the Kingsnake a little wave. "See ya round, Jericho. Think 'bout what I said, eh? Lotta folk down south'd appreciate hearin' from ya 'gain."

OOC: I don't think there's anything else that needs to be discussed that can't be discussed at the Mint.

Jackie smirks at Katy's "Past and Future" comment.

"I was trainin' to be a Ranger," she says, "And then the world went to Hell. Like I told you before, I ain't got a problem with what the Rangers do during a problem, only what comes after."

"I rather doubt that." Cantrell says. "There's more'n a few who'd be happy to finish what them Jayhawkers started."

(((OOC: Logan? Anything to weigh in on here before I move you all to the Mint?))

"Good to meet you, Mr. Lonefeather. I'm with Miss Wells on this one. It don't matter much whether them guns are as the legends say, and I always do love a good story. Main thing is, if folks believe that, that might could be enough to be a problem," he said.

"But...let's get on to the Mint and get this talkin' over with, shall we?"

Coot nods, and the assembled group heads down the rainy street.

((OOC: This thread is now closed. Look for the game to resume on the Chapter 6.3: There Will Come A Reckoning thread.))