The Devil Dancer re-entered the saloon, and made his way up to the girl's room to stand in the doorway.

"Tha' no good polecat what tried tah hurt yah, where's he go?"

The serving girl was curled up on her couch, being comforted by the neighbour woman who Ranford had seen run out earlier. They were both now clothed, though not 'done-up'. The serving girl answered, "He pushed past me and broke the window open, then climbed out. I didn't see where he went."

The Devil Dancer grumbled to himself as he made his way to the aforementioned window; he'd wanted a brief break, but it seemed the wicked refused to let him rest. Ranford knew the man hadn't tried to escape on horseback, there were no tracks to indicate he'd even reached the ground, and a flight pack seemed highly unlikely.

The grizzled man was going to look over the sill and self-repairing glass while calling on all his skill, because if he failed to pick up some trace or clue as to what happened to his quarry the stinking polecat would have slipped away from a legendary bounty hunter.

The first thing DD noticed was a single drop of blood on the window that was being self-repaired.

Next he noticed dust that was disturbed along the window ledge that went around the circumference of the building. The ledge was just big enough for him, so more than big enough for the refugee.

EDIT: For clarity, the ledge went around the outside of the saloon, and the dust was disturbed in the same direction as the room that the well dressed lady came out from.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:44, Thu 26 Dec 2019.

Ranford walked back to the two women one more time, tipping his hat as he did so.

"Powerful sorry ta keep being a bother, but it seems tha snake slithered inta tha next room. Would it be chance be locked, and would you happen ta have tha key about ya?"

OOC: The dice liked you, so...
IC:
There are short muscular contractions that reveal a person's gut reaction, and if the person is hiding something, these micro-expressions usually reveal reality. Most people miss these all together and others pick up on them subconsciously without knowing what they're doing. DD somehow picks up on the fact that the well dressed lady secretly feels extreme disgust (and anger) when she looks at him. Something tells him it's more than his face. She says, "He did slither into my room, and you didn't ask in time, because he waited until you were gone and snuck out in disguise. You'll find his clothes in my room and one of my dresses missing. I was under threat of death to stay silent, but if you catch him I won't have to worry about that."

The other lady looked deeply into his eyes and seemed lost in silent awe at the bounty hunter. "I saw murder in his eyes. I thought I was dead."

"WHEN I catch him, keepin' scaring helpless ladies 'ill be tha least of his worries. An' ya very likely did see Death Itself in his eyes, as a foretellin' of his own future...

"This dress he stole off ya, I need ya to explain it in as good a detail as ya cna muster. I also need ta know iffin he had tiny feet, because if not I'll know it's him iffin I see a woman leaving behind a man's boot prints in tha dust..."

DD remembers that the man had normal-sized men's feet.

"I'll do one better and show you the dress."
She leads him into her room where the man's clothes and boots are laying in a pile on the bed. She points to one of her dresses hanging on a rack, "It's just like the one hanging up here, except this bit here is red instead of blue." The outfit is easy to remember, so DD will have no problem spotting it if he sees it.

The other lady had followed the two of them. She says, "Mister, what is your name?"

The big man spent a moment studying the dress, committing it to memory before he gave a nod. Then he turned to what the man had left behind, and began feeling in the pockets to see if he could find something that might prove useful. This fellow had been in a hurry, might just have left something behind to give a clue about himself or where he might go if in trouble. Ranford had let the man slip from him once because the grizzled man had fallen into a familiar rut, and he was loath to be bitten the same way twice.

He continued his investigations as he answered the second woman's question.

"Some people say they like ta have a face ta put a name ta, I guess by that logic ya could say I lost one when I lost tha other. Folks tend ta' call me tha' Devil Dancer nowadays, works better than nothin' an' it's a sight better over what some are called I reckon."

The lady who asked says, "Waterfalls! I've heard of you! My name is Anna, and this is Lady Robin Fugam. I am honored to meet you."

EDIT: OOC: "Waterfalls!" is an explicative here because no one who grew up on this world can even imagine a waterfall, and using Portals is still a new thing, and too expensive for most people here.

Lady Fugam doesn't seem impressed.


DD finds a corner of a ticket. There's just enough information left to know that it was a ticket off-world. Unfortunately neither the location of departure nor the destination are visible.

Lady Fugam notices DD's conundrum and says, "I know where he's going. He couldn't get there in one Portal jump anyway. No public Portals have access to that world. He's going to the Old World. The planet that has been inhabited by our ancestors longer than any other known world. I can get you there before he gets there, but it isn't cheap. I don't need money, but I will hire you to bring me a certain treasure from that world. There is a man living in Ermulja known as the Digger. Bring him to me, and I'll compensate you handsomely."
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:15, Mon 30 Dec 2019.

The Devil Dancer pocketed his bit of evidence, then turned his attention to the richer of the two ladies.

"Lots of men have nicknames, might be hard fer me ta track him down by that alone. Also I'm not in tha habit of breakin' tha' law, such as it is, so iffin this 'Digger' fella ain't done no harm I don't cotton ta' kidnapping him."

Lady Fugam coldly replies, "Digger is the treasure. It's a rescue. Digger is an archeological clockwork cyborg programmed to unearth historical treasures. He discovered tales of the Old World, and followed the clues until he disappeared. Recently, a message from the man found its way back to this world. All it said was, 'Massive treasure confirmed. Request assistance to extract.' That man overheard me talking about Digger, and decided the treasure would be his. That's why I know where he's going. Is that morally good enough for ya?"

Anna says, "Lady Fugam, don't be so rude! The Devil Dancer is practically a celebrity! Mister Dancer, I'd be honored to buy you a drink."
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:39, Tue 31 Dec 2019.

"So it's ah' race ta treasure, an' I'mma yer horse. Fine by me, iffin I'm gonna be there anyway, so see no harm in taking take of two things at once.

"Since normal means won't get me there, ya no doubt need a little time ta set things up. Suits me just fine, I've got ah meal awaiting me downstairs anyhow."

The malformed man turned to the other woman.

"I fear your offer comes too late as I bought ah bottle for myself right before all this happened, but I wouldn't say no ta some company ta share it with."

Most of the towns in Alfheim are too small to afford a Portal, but this town was one of the exceptions. Lady Fugam says, "Meet me by the Town Portal tomorrow morning at 10, and I'll be ready."

Anna replies to DD, "Why I'd be overjoyed to join ya!" She stood up, caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror and suddenly became aware that she was a mess. "You go on ahead, I'll be right behind you."

After a few minutes, Anna the serving girl came downstairs dressed finer and looking more beautiful than any serving girl had a right to dress or look. Once she saw Devil Dancer, her heart sped up and her eyes dilated a little. His perceptive eyes picked up on the subtle hints of arousal. She came over beside DD, "Why don't we talk in that booth for a little privacy?"

Wherever they sat, Anna displayed remarkable restraint even though DD could tell she was into him. Anna was prepared to let this go as far as DD would pursue her. But she had enough self respect to make him work for it.

The Devil Dancer gave a nod of consent, then stopped by the bar to gather up the things he'd left there. He also took the time to order a spare glass and another steak, joining his new companion after he'd paid in advance for the latter.

Ranford made his way to the booth, setting down the items he'd brought before sliding in opposite Anna. Then he topped off his own glass and poured some whiskey in hers, before sliding it over.

"Took tha' liberty ah ordering ya a steak too, figured if we're having a drink might as well have some food along with it.

"Since ya' know about me, or at least some bloated fictional rumor, let's start with ya'; ya' seem a nice, smart girl. How'd ya' end up serving drinks ta' low lifes like him?"

Anna was happy to talk to DD about anything, and talking about herself gave her the opportunity to earn some respect. "Oh, I'm not that interesting. I was born on here Alfheim, and raised on a ranch. When my dad died, my sisters and I had to move out and my older brothers inherited the ranch. My little sister and I... well, we didn't do so well on our own. We were tricked alot in the beginning, but after I got away, I made my way to this town. Cragmine sounded as good a place as any to stay. Plus the tips are fairly good.

"You're famous and all, but I'm more interested in the bits you aren't famous for. Do you have any family?"

When the food arrives, Anna eats slowly and deliberately, enjoying every moment of her impromptu date.

OOC: Whenever you're ready to move on to the Portal, let me know.

As the question was asked, the Devil Dancer stopped eating and stared in silence at his food. Time stretched on, and when it seemed that no answer would be forthcoming he finally looked up at Anna.

"A man like me is made, not born. There's always a cost involved, and you're never asked iffin you're willin' ta' pay it. Man born of woman once had a family, but he's dead as them now. Me, I'm married ta' tha' fire and Earth that pulses in ma' veins."

While DD was silent, Anna began to worry that she had said something wrong, and was becoming mortified at the thought she had insulted him. When he revealed that his family had died, her heart broke for him and she fell a little in love with him - something she didn't allow herself to do since the troubles. "Maybe there's healing to be had yet. Let me sing for you." Anna tells the dentist who happens to be a concert pianist as well, to start playing a certain song. Once the first chord is struck, DD knows it to be one of his favourites. Past or present favourites. Does he enjoy the subtle new-love song she sings for him?

The big man was silent as the song started, and remained so as it progressed; for one who had fire itself burning within him, there were still parts of Ranford that were cold. Now at long last, in one such, a tiny spark tried vainly to ignite. Anna's efforts caused a weak feeble flame to start, but a flame nonetheless.

Cragmine had plenty of odd folk with a variety of skills and talents. Once the saloon took on the air of merry-making, others wanted in on the fun, and before long 2 fiddlers, an accordion player, and a guitarist joined in. The guitarist had a deep bass voice, and the accordion player was a phenomenal alto. Once the dentist started harmonizing, Anna felt free to step away from the centre of everyone else's attention, and went back to Devil Dancer.

"So, do you live up to your name, or do I have to dare you dance with me?"

Ranford knew it might be dangerous to fan the weak flame within himself, to pretend he was nothing more than a killer for hire with a future that didn't end with someone faster or luckier on the draw. Yet he had seen so much death and pain, some of which was admittedly by him, that he decided just this once to lie to himself for a night. He heaved his bulk up, and moved toward Anna. It had been a very long time since he'd danced, and his body was not conductive to such activities after the gems transformed it. However he tried his best, to step on the woman's toes as little as possible.

Anna and Ranford danced with minimal injuries, and Anna certainly had fun.

After the 3rd or 4th song, a Gunslinger who had recently walked into the saloon walked up to Anna, grabbed her by the hand and swung her around. "This yer gurl, Devil Dancer? Yeah, Ah nose who ewe are. Wail, she's mahn naioo! Watchu gonna do 'bout it?"

When you're thinking of starting a fight, it is best to assess the threat level first. In this case, you would find that he is a Gunslinger (4/4) which means he would roll 4d6. Most NPCs are single cliche enemies. You only have to get them to 0 to win the battle. I usually play minor NPCs with bad strategy so that you are virtually guaranteed to win, so feel free to experiment.

In the first round, you'd both roll with your chosen cliche according to your current health level. So you have:
*Dare Devil Bounty Hunter (4/4)
*Magmamancer [3/3]
*Old West bad ass (3/3)

You can use any of these cliches to fight, and you can switch which one you use whenever you like. If your roll is higher than the NPC's, they lose one health point. You don't have to use violence, if you like you could use one of your cliches to talk him down or whatever you like. The result would be the same - you would roll with your cliche and if you win the roll, he loses one health.

In round 2, if you won the first round, he would be Gunslinger (3/4) and would roll 3d6.

I don't mind if you roll for the unimportant NPCs to speed up the fight if you want.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:37, Thu 30 Jan 2020.

Before the man had even finished his taunt, Randford's boot flew hard and true to the promised land. His opponent's face registered shock as his eyes grew big and his mouth hung open.

"Close yer worthless mouth in tha' presence of a lady, ya' stinkin' polecat..."

A big fist aided the stranger in correcting his behavior, by connecting with his jaw in an uppercut. The upstart's teeth clacked together so hard, the noise was audible over the last dying strands of music.

"Can't say as I really blame ya' though, ah' pretty girl can take yer breath away."

So saying, Collins grabbed the man by the shoulders and shoved his upper half down, forcing an unprotected stomach to meet and unforgiving knee. Air rushed from the fellow's lungs, straining with a wheeze like a broken bellows.

The stranger lifted his head to look wordlessly at the legend, blood dripping out from between broken teeth as shocked lungs struggled for breath.

"Ya' said ya' knew who I was, then asked me what I was goin' ta do about ya' messin' up my dance. Thing is son, iffin ya' really did know who I was, ya'd have known tha' answer ta' yer own question..."

Faster than one would think a man of such girth could move, the Devil Dancer turned to the side and lashed out with an upward-angled snap kick. The Gunslinger flew up into the air and back, landing with a thunderous crash on a table so hard the impact broke the wood in two.

Ranford than calmly walked over to the unconscious fellow while those about him let out a collective gasp, but he only unbuckled the stranger's gunbelt and stuck a hand in available pockets. When he was done, the Bounty Hunter made his way over to the counter and dropped his finds in front of the bartender.

"Here, our friend will pay for the damages. Sell that gun and belt for what you can get, and iffin there's any left over ya' can give it ta' whatever sawbones decides ta' tend ta' him. It'll be a time 'fore he can handle a gun again anyhow, long enough ta' learn a lesson from this and decide ta' take up a more borin' but longer lived life. Iffin not, he'll either get another one somewhere or just find another way ta' get his fool hide killed."

That bit of business done, the Devil Dancer returned to Anne. He did not look ashamed of his actions, and there was no tone of regret in his harsh voice.

"Ya' said I was practically a celebrity, now ya' got an idea just what fer. I hurt and kill people fer a livin', bad ones that do bad things but people all tha' same. I'd take 'em back alive and whole iffin they'd let me, but I've never yet met a wanted man nor woman who'd walk willingly inta a cell fer years or a noose.

"When I ain't paid ta' do it, when I try ta' eat in peace or have a drink, or enjoy a dance with a pretty girl, some yahoo hear's mah' name and comes a'runnin' cause they know they'll be tha' one ta' kill tha' Devil Dancer. Never crosses their mind that maybe they ain't tha' first ta' try, and there's a reason they ain't ever heard of that other fella or gal before. This one's lucky in that he'll live, and maybe everything will mend right. But they ain't afixin' ta' stop, they swarm me like flies on rotted meat.

"I am what I am, there's no other life and no way out even iffin I wanted ta' quit. I could move far out, build a little ranch, live a quiet life, and one day some gunslick would show up wantin' tha' glory of my death. Or tha' sibling of someone a killed, or tha' widowed husband or wife, or parent. Iffin I did risk such, I couldn't have anyone with me cause what happens when a bullet meant ta' pierce mah' heart hits theirs instead?

"I'mah killer, I make my living on tha' lives of others. I'm dangerous ta' be around, not just fer what I can do but what happens around me like ya' just saw. Now tha' yah' know tha' nature ah' things, ya' still want ta' finish our socialising?"

(Devil Dancer {Old West bad ass} rolled 14, Gunslinger rolled 13)
(Devil Dancer {Old West bad ass} rolled 13, Gunslinger rolled 12)
(Devil Dancer {Old West bad ass} rolled 9, Gunslinger rolled 2)
(Devil Dancer {Old West bad ass} rolled 6, Gunslinger rolled 1)
(OOC: I hope I did that correctly:))
This message was last edited by the player at 07:14, Sun 02 Feb 2020.

OOC: That was beautiful and perfectly done! Just what I had always imagined it might be. I really enjoyed that. I've awarded a few extra advancement credits for that. Whenever you want to roll for advancement, I'll help with that.

IC:
Anne jumped and straddled Ranford and planted a bold kiss on him. After whatever happened that night, be it tame or not, Anne would've been happy, the morning rolled around and Anne was up and in his room, all dressed and made up for the day. "Good morning, my Dancer. Ready for breakfast? You've still got two hours to get to the Town Portals." The Portals were only a 5 minute walk from the Saloon, and the smell of perfectly cooked bacon and eggs mixed with cedar smoke was wafting up from downstairs.