Wayland's attention whipped around at the Ranger's mention of a strange, crackly device.  Leaving Kate with the Sheriff and, eventually, Tamsin as back up, he moved quickly back down the stairs, "In general, Ah am not very keen on unknown devices in operation in my general vicinity..."  He moved for the room, and the contraption box in question.  As he stepped in, he did pause to check the doors and corners for any lingering n'er-do-wells.

So long as he finds none, Dr. Wayland will approach the box for a look over....

”Much obliged to you, Miz River,” Bauer tells the herbalist gratefully as River expertly binds up her wound. Garrett offers similar words of thanks when River arrives at the top of the stairs to tend to him. ”You’re plenty brave, ma’am. Rushing over to help us in the middle of that storm of lead.”

OOC: Both Bauer and Garrett are able to recover from the single wounds they were carrying.

Joining Bauer at the closed door beneath the stairs, Lee pauses to listen for any sounds beyond it. After a moment of focus, the ranger is able to pick up on the muffled sounds of a terse conversation. He can identify two male voices, along with one female, but none are loud enough for him to be able to understand what they are saying. Glancing at the deputy, he sees Bauer give him a nod, confirming that the deputy hears the same thing.

Finding no one lurking nearby, Dr. Wayland examines the strange device on the table with great care. Peering through the grate, the inventor is able to gain a clear idea of the mechanism’s purpose.


Upstairs, Kansas Kate, River, and Garrett see a group of wolves, the undead creatures that stalk the Capitan Mountains, come charging into the yard in front of the ranch house. At least a dozen are visible, the group wheeling about to make a run toward the open front door.

OOC: It will require a move action for the wolves to reach the ranch house porch, so any shooters are able to act now. The wolves are currently right at medium range for rifles and the Gatling gun. Hitting one with a pistol is a long range shot.

Each wolf has a toughness of 4.

Lee pops the door open a crack, gun still in hand, peering into the darkness hopefully aided by any ambient light from their room and any light source that may be below.

OOC:

Notice 10. What does Lee see down below?

16:22, Today: Bryan Lee rolled 10,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max.  Notice.

Dr. Wayland became far more interested in the gizmo than the onrushing horde of wolves or whatever terrible things must be hiding in the unchecked sections of the house.  Here was a thing to be studied, understood.  A puzzle.  Far more interesting than all those potentially lethal things.  He had never let threat of death and harm stop a scientific pursuit before...

"Tones...  Tones....  Can't heah?  Who can..  Ah....  You'ah right..."

Whistling quietly, Dr. Wayland began making adjustments...

"Woooh!"  Kansas Kate was like a kid with a new toy, despite herself.  She trained the massive weapon into the herd of oncoming wolves and opened up.

18:45, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 0,-1,-1,7 using d12-2,d12-2,d12-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1,1,(6+3)9.  Rat a Tat Tat.

Hmmm, yeah let's not put it out of commission right away huh

18:45, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 5,9,1,2 using d12-2,d12-2,d12-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 7,11,3,4.  white cheep.

There we go

18:46, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 8 using 2d8, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5.  Damage.
18:47, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 19,1 using 2d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,(8+5)13,1.  Damage with Raise.

OOC: Before I resolve things, Dr. Wayland, kindly give me another Weird Science roll.

Dr. Wayland continued his quiet, happy, tuneless whistle while he manipulated the device...

1:45, Today: Dr. Ezekiel Q. Wayland rolled 5,10 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+4)10.  Plastic tubes and pots and pans..

Garrett shoulders his rifle as the Gatling gun roars to life, squeezing off a shot at one of the advancing wolves.

14:38, Today: Patrick Garrett rolled 6,2 using 1d10-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 8,4.  Shooting.

14:39, Today: Patrick Garrett rolled 27 using 2d8, rerolling max with rolls of (8+8+5)21,6.  Damage.

A stream of lead storms into the yard in front of Murphy’s home, blasting three of the undead wolves into pieces, reducing them to fragments of bone and rotted fur. The remaining canines spread out across the open ground, instinctively seeking to avoid the sudden destruction visited on their number.

A moment later, Dr. Wayland finishes his adjustments to the inscrutable device atop the dining table. The mechanism whirs with an increased speed, the blue crackles of electricity becoming more frequent within it. A brief, but audible, whine sounds from inside the metal box as it begins to follow the new parameters the bounty hunter has set.

The effect of the machine’s alteration becomes plain a few moments later. A chorus of agonized howls sound from the gathering of wolves outside of the house, the tone of their calls making it plain that they have been seized by a tremendous pain. Although their movements are suddenly clumsy, the undead creatures manage to turn about and begin fleeing the grounds of the ranch, scurrying for the open country as quickly as their legs can carry them there.

Behind the staircase, Lee eases open the door. He finds himself peering into what is clearly a study, the far end of the chamber dominated by a large mahogany desk. A square table occupies the room’s center, a pair of of maps spread out across its surface. Lee also notes the presence of a liquor cabinet and a lawyer’s bookcase.

Two doors provide exits from the room, one on the right, another on the left. The right hand door is closed, but the leftmost one is open. Gathered near it are two men and a woman, all dressed in the manner of range hands. Each is armed with a pistol, which is holstered in a gun belt. The small group appear to be focused on the adjacent room, where Lee can hear a conversation taking place, the same discussion he was able to pick up on while listening alongside Bauer.

15:52, Today: Marshal rolled 1,8,1 using 1d6-2,1d6-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+4)10,3.  Notice - Outlaws.

As the ranger watches, the woman’s gaze snaps to the door and her eyes widen as she recognizes it is open, and that she and her companions are being watched. Her hand moves for her holster as her mouth opens to call out.

OOC: Ranger, if you’re going to take any action except slamming the door closed, I’ll need you to give me an initiative draw.

At the attention, followed by the blast of automatic fire coming from within the house itself, Lee slammed the door shut and moved to the side of the door.

He held up three fingers and pointed at the door to Bauer and any others that could see him.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:20, Fri 05 Mar 2021.

Bauer just has time to nod at Lee’s gesture before three shots ring out, each one blasting a hole in the door, scattering splinters through the gun smoke scented air. The sharp reports ring out through the now quiet hall.

There is a momentary pause, and though his hearing is slightly muffled by the gunfire, the Ranger hears a voice, a female voice, whispering in what he is almost certain is Spanish.

21:01, Today: Marshal drew the 8 cards: QH, 5S, QC, 6S, 2S, 2C, 4H, KH using a deck of 54 cards.

Two Pair/4 Power Points

21:10, Today: Marshal rolled 8,3 using 1d10,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 8,3.  Spellcasting.

A pale mist suddenly emerges from beneath the closed door, sliding across the floor and swirling into the air with surprising swiftness. The gray fumes seem to carry an unnatural chill with them, and Lee finds his thoughts filled with images of horror, twisted, nightmarish remembrances of things past, and visions of what yet might be.

OOC: Ranger, I need you to give me a Spirit roll at -2. Should you fail, you’ll need to give me a roll on the Fear Table.

Note that should those on the balcony remain where they are, the mist will reach them within the equivalent of a round. Dr. Wayland, you can see the mist, but it has not spread far enough to reach you inside the dining room.

Bryan gulped as he looked out at the mist that floated from the door, but he centered his chi and held himself together in the face of whatever dark powers were being unleashed from behind the door. He remains quiet, and waits out of immediate sight to fall upon whoever emerges from behind it.

OOC:

Spirit: 5

I'm assuming that his Grit applies to this role as you mentioned Fear, so I've added it in.

12:44, Today: Bryan Lee rolled 5,5 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max.  Spirit (-2 + 4 Grit).
This message was last edited by the player at 18:49, Thu 10 Dec 2020.

Dr. Wayland's whistling died away and his actually smiled a bit, "Mahvelous... Fascinating concept..."  Straightening back up, he took up the lightning gun again and looked through the window at the retreating wolves.  Appreciatively.

The door slam caught his attention.  The gunfire was expected.  The wolves retreating was welcome.  The door slam just somehow stood out.  The bounty hunter looked across to the other room in time to see yet more gunfire ripping through Lee's door...followed by the strange mist...

By and large, strange, creeping mists were /never/ good...

"Ah hell."

Kansas Kate wasn't sure at all what was going on, but she was pretty sure they were going to have to either run from that or charge right through it.  Most likely the latter.

But a certain discipline asserted itself.  This Gatling gun was a trap.  It was powerful and therefore tempting to stick to, but its location being fixed meant it was also severely limited.  She didn't want to leave it at her back though, her enemies might use it against her if it were left in place.

She quickly removed the feed case and carefully turned the crank to align the plates and pulled out one of the locks and threw it as far as she could, ideally outside if she could toss it that far.  That would effectively leave the gun unloaded and deactivated.

Most people probably wouldn't care about such a particular risk in this particular situation, but most people weren't her either.

The task was a quick one but it precluded other actions for the moment.  "Th' hell's goin' on here!?"

08:11, Today: Lena Bauer rolled 3,1 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1.  Spirit (-2/+2).

08:11, Today: Lena Bauer rolled 8 using 1d20, rerolling max with rolls of 8.  Fear Table.

Bauer is shaken.

Lee sees Bauer’s expression become pinched, her breathing rapid. The deputy closes her eyes tightly, muttering under her breath in an apparent effort to remain calm.

A moment later, the door bursts open, the trio of gunfighters that the Ranger spotted moments ago rushing into the hall, guns drawn.

08:41, Today: Lena Bauer drew the single card: 5D using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative.

08:42, Today: Marshal drew the single card: 8S using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative - Gunfighters.

08:43, Today: Marshal drew the single card: 8D using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative - ????

08:44, Today: Marshal drew the single card: 7S using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative - ????

08:47, Today: Patrick Garrett drew the single card: 10S using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative.

OOC: Everyone, including those on the upper floor landing, please give me an initiative draw.

06:51, Today: Tamsin River drew the single card: 10D using the Deadlands system.

Tamsin draws her Colt Lightning as she carefully leans over the railing to see what’s going on.

11:27, Today: Kansas Kate drew the single card: BJ! using the Deadlands system.

OOC:

Initiative: 3S

Questions:

1. Bryan was waiting by the door ready to attack as soon as it opened. Does that have any weight to this potentially being a Surprise situation? They might have been expecting opposition on this side, but maybe not his positioning and readiness - so I thought it worth asking.
   
2. If the answer to the above is affirmative, would his positioning give him The Drop?

12:37, Today: Bryan Lee drew the single card: 3S using a deck of 54 cards.

Dr. Wayland lifted his lightning gun to his shoulder as the trio came through...

Initiative: Black Joker

00:19, Today: Dr. Ezekiel Q. Wayland drew the 2 cards: BJ!, 4H using a deck of 54 cards.  Level Headed Initiative.

Initiative Order

BJ! - Kansas Kate
BJ! - Dr. Ezekiel Wayland
10S - Patrick Garrett
10D - Tamsin River
8S - Gunfighters
8D - ????
7S - ????
5D - Lena Bauer
3S - Bryan Lee

Anyone that remains on the landing will be able to see and fire at any enemies below. Because of the somewhat awkward positioning and the presence of the staircase, targets should be treated as though they are in light cover (-1 to shooting rolls).

The mist is still present, so anyone besides Lee and Bauer who moves into melee range of the enemy gunfighters will need to make a Spirit roll, modified positively by your Grit score.

Kansas Kate and Dr. Wayland, you may each take your actions.

Dr. Wayland quickly calculated that, once again, there were too many allies in the line of fire to justify loosing the lightning.  He held the emitter with his left hand and let it fall away to the side and kept moving forward.  His gun-hand fell to the gatling pistol and jerked it free.   He thumbed the safety on the clockworks as he brought it to bear on the gunmen...  Crackcrackcrackcrack...

Move to the closest spot providing the clearest field of fire on the gunmen.

Gatling Pistol - Autofire: One Hit ( No Innocent Bystanders!), Damage 13 to a Gunman

Next Initiative - 7H

23:15, Today: Dr. Ezekiel Q. Wayland drew the 2 cards: 2C, 7H using a deck of 54 cards.  Level Headed - Initiative Draw.

23:14, Today: Dr. Ezekiel Q. Wayland rolled 13 using 3d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2,3.  One Hit w/ Raise + Joker Bonus.

23:13, Today: Dr. Ezekiel Q. Wayland rolled 3,9,3 using d10,d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,9,3.  Gatling Pistol - RoF 2 - (-2 Draw, +2 Joker) .

19:21, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 11,3 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 11,3.  Vault over Stair (Agility).

Forgot the +2, but it doesn't matter lol

In a flash, the quick reflexes of the outlaw took over and she was over the bannister after a running start, landing with relative grace.  With one smooth action she drew and served a .44 lead salad.

Quick draw to pull the Schofield and fire in the same round with no penalty

So Joker cancels out the -2 for Fanning the Hammer (Hip Shooting) making this a straight shooting roll.

19:26, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 7,20,11,4,9,7,8 using d12,d12,d12,d12,d12,d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,(12+8)20,11,4,9,7,(6+2)8.  Fan the Hammer!

I will replace the 4 with the 8 from the wild die.

Right, so let's give two targets 3 hits each since the good doctor just killed one in all probability.

First target:

Hit 12 damage - 19:28, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 12 using 2d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5.  Hit 1.
Hit with Raise 11 damage - 19:29, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 11 using 3d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2,3.  Hit 2.
Hit with Raise 16 damage - 19:30, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 16 using 3d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3,(6+2)8.  Hit 3.

Second target:

Hit with Raise 11 damage - 19:30, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 11 using 3d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2,4.  Hit 4.
Hit with Raise 30 damage - 19:31, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 30 using 3d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+3)15,(6+5)11,1.  Hit 5.

If we were playing in person I'd stop rolling

Hit 11 damage - 19:32, Today: Kansas Kate rolled 11 using 2d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3.  Hit 6.

Reflexively she broke the action of the Schofield open and had the fresh rounds in before the casings hit the floorboards.

And Speed Reload

and inititiative

19:34, Today: Kansas Kate drew the single card: 5C using the Deadlands system.

The burst of fire from Dr. Wayland’s Gatling pistol virtually shreds the torso of the lead gunfighter, the woman toppling to the floor before she has even registered the attack. As the pair of gunmen behind her focus their attention on the bounty hunter, Kansas Kate vaults the banister of the staircase, landing in their line of sight just as she opens fire. The outlaw puts a pair of shots just left of the first hired gun’s breastbone, killing him before he can fall. The second is hit in the throat and the right eye, the latter wound blasting open the back of the gunslinger’s skull, and sending his corpse tumbling backwards toward the door he emerged from.

OOC: All three gunfighters are dead.

Initiative Order

BJ! - Kansas Kate
BJ! - Dr. Ezekiel Wayland
10S - Patrick Garrett - Holding
10D - Tamsin River
8S - Gunfighters
8D - ????
7S - ????
5D - Lena Bauer
3S - Bryan Lee

Pat Garrett will hold his action.

Miss Winter, it’s your turn.

Tamsin peers over the balcony, blinking down at spattered blood and rended bodies. She sees no one but her companions moving and hesitates,

Tamsin will hold.

A tall woman with an olive complexion emerges from the study. She is clad in an elegant black dress which appears to be of Spanish design. Only a red velvet pouch hanging near her waist provides any contrasting color. In her left hand, she carries a deck of cards. In her right, she holds a single card between two fingers. A broad shouldered, well dressed man in a dark blue tailored suit follows her.

OOC: Ranger Lee, you may make a melee attack against one of the individuals exiting the study.