OOC: At least it’s more legible than my usual efforts. :)

Buildings with a slash through them are constructed from adobe. Unmarked structures are built from lumber and are in varying states of decay. The building where Dr. Wayland noted movement is marked with an X. The X marked building is crafted from adobe.

All of the buildings are one story structures.

Texas was a bit far to get him back to, but with his Ranger connections, he could probably arrange something if he needed to. It would probably mean cutting someone else in on the profits, but they could get to that later."

Lee sketched some figures out in the dirt roughly approximating the layout of the place in front of them.

"Doc thinks that the fella he's after is hereabouts. He's a threat from long range, so we'll want as much cover as we can get movin' in. Jacinta can hang back a spell, maybe, as she's a pretty good threat from long range, let the rest of us get in a bit closer. "

Wayland tucked away the costume pieces in a packbag on the mule and set about retrieving other things, "A real pleasuah to meet you all."  Jacinta's question knits his brow thoughtfully while he buckles on his heavily laden gunbelt, "Well... I suppose the last one, though I do hope I'm not obnoxious about it, of coahse..."  His voice dropped away to a mumble as he deftly checked the clockwork ammo cylinder of the gatling pistol, "Obnoxious?  Noxious....  Nox....  To harm....  Well, I do harm...  Hmm..."  Now a top hat, decked out with a strange pair of goggles wrapped around them.  Almost like some sort of wearable binoculars with large lenses surrounded by bowl-shaped mirrors.  He snapped his attention back again, trying to catch up to questions posed, "The bounty is redeemable whether he chooses to surrendah alive or fight to the death.  As for justice..."  Wayland now drew out a some sort of gun-like gizmo, covered in tight coils of wire with a shiny copper toroid at the muzzle end.  Bubbling cylinders of....something...are secured along the breech end.  He begins winding a flat, circular mechanism that sits on top, "I've brought that with me."  Finally, he returned his attention to Bryan again, "I should also mention he is known to be rathah skillful with knives as well....  I was hoping to overwhelm him at an intermediate range.  Perhaps we could approach from a variety of directions?"  Propping his now whirring gadget on his shoulder, he checked a pocket watch and glanced at the sky....

What time is it anyway?  Which direction are we in relation to the map?  How much ground do we have to cover between the ridge and the town?  Any cover in that ground or just open?
This message was last edited by the player at 08:35, Wed 08 May 2019.

Albert raised his hat slightly off his head at the greeting. "And you, Doc."

The ranch hand raised an eyebrow at the stated terms of the bounty. It wasn't so common that a bounty was spelled out that way, but there were certainly exceptions. "Mind if we see the bounty poster? Not that I don't trust ya, it's that I don't go pullin' triggers without good cause no more."

He tilted his head side-to-side while considering the tactics. "As fer gettin' him...variety of directions makes some sense, so long as those what don't get pinned down hustle toward the fella when lead starts ta fly. One lone fella's at a tactical disadvantage in that case."

Albert's brow furrowed. "You're sure he's alone? Cuz if he ain't...the math changes a bit."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 22:36, Sat 11 May 2019.

OOC: It is around 10 in the morning.

The top edge of the map is north. The posse is currently positioned south of Angus. The ghost town sits within a bowl like valley, so any approach would necessitate a short descent down a slope, unless the group were to circle around and enter from the north, where the terrain is primarily level.

From any direction besides the north, it is approximately 40 to 50 yards from the top of the ridge to the nearest building. Approaching from the south, there are enough boulders and brush for a group to make it to the town under relative cover, provided they made the short trek one at a time.

To the west, there are a couple of collections of spruce shrubs which would allow a group to teach the edge of Angus together primarily under concealment, though the small trees would likely not serve as any kind of usable cover in a firefight.

To the east, midway down the slope is a large group of boulders that could serve as a defensive wall for purposes of cover, but aside from those rocks, the rest of the descent is primarily barren, so remaining unseen could prove extremely difficult.

The northern approach is along a road, the same road that Lee, Cooper, and Castillo just used to reach Angus, which follows the eastern side of the ridge. There is some short overgrowth at spots on the road, but the route is essentially fully exposed.

At the request, Wayland tugged a leather wallet from within his jacket and offered it up to Cooper, "Of course, sah.  I find it best to keep such papers handy while engaging in this sort of work.  I understand if my word holds no sway, being a stranger to you, but Stanton is truly a devil from what I have heard."  While his papers are being perused, he looked back in the general direction of the town on the other side of the ridge, "And I am not sure of anything, including his being theah at awl.  I have seen sign of movement in this empty place and his trail has lead me heah. From what I have heard, he does not generally work with partners.  Thus, I assume him to still be alone."

Albert looked at the depiction and the wording. "Seems so. Bounties fer dead men aint' zactly common." He passed the paperwork over to Bryan as he was the ranking lawman in the group. Bauer'd likely want to see it as well.

Albert nodded at the assumption, then looked over the lay of the land again. "Mebbe we split three and two. Group wit three comin' from the west, spread a little, usin' cover ta keep outta sight. Groupa two comin' from south, usin' rocks fer cover comin' in and possibly in case of firefight. North and East seem too exposed."

He looked around. "Just throwin' out first thing that comes ta mind, y'all feel free ta suggest otherwise."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:06, Thu 16 May 2019.

Bauer climbs down from her mount. She draws a double barreled shotgun from a scabbard cinched to her saddle and opens the weapon, loading a pair of shells into it. ”Sounds reasonable. I don’t mind bein’ one of the folks that comes in from the south.”

Dr. Wayland shrugged softly at Cooper's thoughts on dead or alive bounties, noting, "Sometimes it is safah for all to simply put the bad dog down."  He turned his attention to his complicated weapon, having noted something requiring adjustment, "This voltaic pile is out of balance again...  Again.... Gain.... Ain...rain....cats and dogs.... bad dogs..."  He looked up again catching up to the general outline of the plan; perhaps having fixed whatever it was...or perhaps he's just willing to risk it anyway.  He gave Bauer a nod, resettling his contraption, "I shall join you in the south then, if you don't mind."  Back to Cooper and the others, "We'll begin once you reach your position?"

While they spoke, Jacinta crept up to the ridge to have a look herself, eyeing the terrain.  When she returned, she shouldered her rifle.  "Thinkin' that I'm goin' in from the south, as well.  Will post up on one of those boulders and provide some cover from a distance to those creepin' in from the west.  I think we got ourselves a plan.  Ready to execute?" 

OOC: Based on what I’ve gathered from the conversation thus far, this is the plan:

• Dr. Wayland and Bauer will enter the ghost town from the south, moving to converge on the building where the good doctor saw movement.
• Cooper and Lee will also enter the town, coming in from the western side.
• Castillo will find a position of cover midway down the southern approach and cover the rest of the posse as they move into the abandoned settlement.

If I don’t receive any comments to the contrary within the next day or so, I’ll move ahead with the outlined course of action.

OOC: Looks good to me, I think we just need Bryan to weigh in if he's so inclined.

"Alrighty, it looks like it's you an' me from the West, General." Albert looked over to Bryan with a nod to see if the Ranger had anything to add.

OOC: Sorry for being dilatory; being a twin dad is pretty draining. I'll post more when able - for now trying not to hold things up.

"A good a plan as any," he said in agreement, giving a nod.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:12, Tue 21 May 2019.

Cooper and Lee circle along the edge of the ridge, keeping low to avoid being spotted against the horizon. Once the two men reach the stands of blue spruce, they make their descent, careful to keep to the foliage. They reach the edge of the ghost town without incident, moving between two vacant buildings, both weathered clapboard structures, one that has withstood the elements well, missing only a portion of its roof, the other close to collapse, its walls sagging inward. A short distance away, they can see the adobe building where Dr. Wayland spotted movement, a shingle hanging over the door proclaiming it to have once been the Tienda Trujillo.

Lena Bauer leads the way down from the north, Dr. Wayland following close behind her. Castillo takes up the rear. Like Cooper and Lee, the group takes pains to remain unseen, moving carefully from cover to cover. Midway down the gentle slope, Castillo locates an eroded triangle of granite, just over waist high, which provides her both concealment and protection from gunfire, as well as a sound vantage point where she can see most of Angus. The deputy and bounty hunter continue down, finally reaching a clapboard house which sits directly south of Tienda Trujillo. The walls of the empty building remain intact, but its doors and windows have long since fallen away.

A gust of wind swoops down into Angus, carrying a haze of dust through the lifeless streets.

OOC: Everyone give me a Notice and Stealth roll.

Notice: 9  (or 11, if avoiding a surprise attack)
Stealth: 22


00:38, Today: Jacinta Castillo rolled 9,9 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 7,(6+1)7.  Notice.
00:37, Today: Jacinta Castillo rolled 22,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+8+6)22,4.  Stealth.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:40, Wed 22 May 2019.

Lee took a moment to steady his breathing and center his qi, the harmony and rhythm of his energy flow coming into a balance as he sought oneness with the universe around him. He looked toward the Tienda Trujillo, but also scanned the avenue of approach and locations where he would be least exposed when moving toward that building.

OOC:

Notice: 5
Stealth: 5

11:00, Today: Bryan Lee rolled 5,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max.  Notice.
11:00, Today: Bryan Lee rolled 5,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max.  Stealth.

Albert moved parallel to Bryan, though used a different set of foliage to hide his approach. His gun was in hand, though kept out of sight against the back of his leg as he slid toward the town proper.

He came to a stop at the same distance from town as Lee, trying to move in tandem with the other man.


OOC:
Stealth: 6
Notice: 4

10:26, Today: Albert Cooper rolled 2,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4.  Notice.

10:26, Today: Albert Cooper rolled 6,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2.  Stealth.

Notice - 8
Stealth - 3!

13:34, Today: Dr. Ezekiel Q. Wayland rolled 3,3 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3.  Stealth!
13:34, Today: Dr. Ezekiel Q. Wayland rolled 3,8 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+2)8.  Notice!

21:01, Today: Lena Bauer rolled 5,3 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3.  Stealth.

As he and Bauer round the corner of the vacant building to get a closer look at the Tienda Trujillo, Dr. Wayland’s foot strikes a loose pile of caliche, scattering the pale rocks with a clatter. Within the silence that pervades Angus, the noise can be heard clearly throughout the vacant streets, but nothing within the abandoned buildings moves in response. The quiet returns as quickly as it is broken.

From their vantage point, Cooper and Lee can see that Tienda Trujillo only has a single door, and no windows, on the wall that faces their approach. The southern wall has another door and a square window, roughly half the size of the doorway. Ragged curtains, once colorful, their hues bleached by the sun, hang behind the broken glass and, after a moment, one of the cloth hangings shifts to one side, a motion that is slow and deliberate, definitely not a disturbance of the wind, which has grown still. Perhaps a minute passes, and the curtain falls back into place.

Dr. Wayland is able to see the movement from his place of hiding with Bauer in the shadows of the empty house. From her position on the slope of the ridge, Castillo, virtually invisible behind her cover, sights it as well.

Albert stood stock still in his hiding place among the shrubbery as whatever observer was indoors looked about. Once it seemed that there was no one keeping an eye on the approach, Albert used hand signals to indicate intent to move toward the door and cover it.

He tried to convey the same to those coming in from the south, then started to move into position.

Dr. Wayland stood stock still after disturbing the rocks; waiting to see any response to his accidental racket.  When he was not immediately shot, he settled slowly and carefully into the post of observation with Bauer.  His eyes narrowing on the movement in the window.  Then his attention was caught by the movement and signal of the gunhand...Cooper?...as he shifted into position on the north side of the Tienda  Voice very low, he whispered to Bauer, "Think I'll try to get his attention...  Excuse me..."

Barring the sheriff stopping him, Wayland will make a quick, unquiet dash across the street to the adobe building southeast of Tienda Trujillo.  Stealth is not his aim at the moment.  In fact, he really wanted whoever might be there to get a very good idea where he was...so they might focus on him and not notice the others.  Assuming he made it to the "cover" of the corner of the adobe building without being shot in the street, the scientist called out, "Obadiah Stanton!  Be so kind as to step out into the street with your hands raised or I will be foahced to obliterate your domicile, sah!"

A heartbeat passes as Wayland’s words fade into the quiet of the foothills. Then another. The ragged curtains stir within the empty adobe store, then the door opens.

A man steps into the doorway. His stained, buckskin clothing and wide brimmed hat give him the look of a trapper. He is unshaven, his dark eyes slowly surveying the street before his gaze settles on Wayland. The bounty hunter immediately recognizes the figure as his prey: Obadiah Stanton. But Wayland notices that Stanton is much more gaunt than his picture suggested, his attire fitting him loosely, hanging on his slender frame.

A Colt Army is holstered at his right hip. A Bowie knife tied down in a scabbard on his left thigh. Stanton’s hands are not raised, but they are empty. Squinting at Wayland, he cocks his head to one side and says, ”They never came. Not one of ‘em. Much too late now, I reckon.”

Well, it was a direct approach, and there was some more sense to it than just banging on a door.

He turned to Cooper and mouthed the words 'cover me,' miming a gun for effect, before moving out ahead as quietly as he could manage, hoping that Wayland's ultimatum would distract the man from his maneuver.

"I'd raise your hands as the man suggested, or else expect consequences," Lee said, approaching from behind and to the side.

OOC:

Stealth: 3 (unless there's any bonus from Wayland's ultimatum distracting him)

Lee doesn't know he failed his Stealth check, so he'll move forward and do as stated above thinking that he's quiet as can be.

20:54, Today: Bryan Lee rolled 2,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  White Chip Reroll.
20:53, Today: Bryan Lee rolled 2,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max.  Stealth.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:00, Sun 26 May 2019.

Dr. Wayland perked up a little straighter as his quarry helpfully stepped out.  That usually never worked.  He raised up his odd rifle contraption to his shoulder and settled the weapon's discharge end towards Stanton.  Keeping him so covered, Dr. Wayland began stepping slowly and carefully towards his quarry.  As Lee joined in, the scientist added, "Consequences indeed, sah.  Do be so kind as to raise youah hands now.  I would be happy to furthah discuss who may or may not be late arriving once you do so."

Stanton doesn’t comply with Lee or Wayland’s request, instead looking from one to the other with a confused expression. ”You mean to take me?” he asks, his voice tinged with resignation, ”Don’t you see? You can’t. Not now. Not ever. I’ve got to stay put.”