Harry, meanwhile, stands near Kelly while resting his one-handed shotgun casually on his shoulder, ready to swing around and fire at a moment's notice. He scowled at the music...these jerks didn't need to be ruining good things like that song.

He said nothing at Kelly's prayer...he just nodded along. "Amen." he said quietly.

((OOC: 19:16, Today: Rusty Harry rolled 2,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  Notice. The Dice roller has failed me again. :P))

Dean took a few minutes to orientate himself and figure out a couple places to shift between with good sight lines.  He settled in to wait for the first subtle signs of attacking raiders.  Turns out it wasn't subtle.  He supposed there was some benefit to the whole shock and awe approach...he just didn't think they were doing it right.  Good taste in music though he thought as he sighted Dow nth3 crossbow.

OOC
Notice
23:22, Today: Dean Mitchel rolled 3,4 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max ((3,4)).

The weird chanting continued to accompany the light-wisps as they drew closer to the farmyard.  Through the dark branches and scrub of the forest, the lights resolved into man shapes.  Or rather, what must be dazzlingly multicolored varieties of electric lights strapped onto and around man shapes.  Troublingly, they blink in and out as they edge closer.  They zig.  They zag.  Between the erratic movement and the lights cutting on and off again, it is very difficult to determine just how many there might be or exactly where they are.  They could just come straight on....but its clear they are enjoying drawing it out as the chanting grows in gleeful volume until....

"THUNDER!!"

The word is howled with manic joy.  As it the word is shouted to the skies, for a split second, every one of the Weirdoes' "lightsuits" switches on and their truer numbers can be seen.  Somewhere between ten....fifteen...  It was only for a split second, but it was enough to know the Dogs and Farmers were outnumbered.  The lights went out again, but the crashing and chanting could still be heard as they rampaged through the woods.

"THUNDER!!"

Again, they lit up all at once at the word.  Having scattered and moved quickly in the dark interval, they seemed to have moved impossibly farther than they should have been able to.  Its unnerving, watching targets blink into and out of existence.  Tantalizing glimpses of your enemy.  And knowing that they /want/ you to see it.  To fear it.

A new solo voice, scratchy and quavering, joined the warsong...amplified and distorted...

"YOU ARE CAUGHT!  IN THE MIDDLE OF A RAILROAD TRACK!"

"THUNDER!!"

"LOOK AROUND!  YOU KNOW THERE IS NO TURNING BACK!"

"THUNDER!!"

The lightshow continued to scitter and scatter through the woods...closing in...but taking their damn sweet time about it.  The show must go on.

In the farmyard, Harrison and his farmhand looked to be getting mighty spooked by the song and dance.  Up in the blockhouse, Dean could see the farm folk getting very nervey at it all.  One, no more than fifteen by the look of her, set her rifle on the window sill and started to try and draw a bead on the flickering forms in the woods.    She was obviously intent on offering a large caliber critque of their performance.  But, Dean would also know there was little to no chance of her hitting anything she aimed out there.  Ammo is a precious thing.

Harry smirked from his position over by. Oh, they were messing with the song's lyrics to intimidate them? Well, two could play at that game.

He kicked his chainsaw arm on, gunning it in time with the music.

"~My mind raced!~" He sang at the top of his lungs. "~And I thought, what could I do-oo? But then I knew! There was no threat! No threat from YOU!~" And he raised his chainsaw arm at the advancing weirdos.

"~Sound of the drums! Beating in my heart! The thunder of guns! Will tear you apart! You'll be...THUNDERSTRU~UCK!~"

{{Gun!}}

{{Gun!}}

{{GUNNNNNNNNNNNN!}}

((OOC: Attempting an Intimidation check to Support Kelly's attempt to get them to back off.

01:00, Today: Rusty Harry rolled 6,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1.  Intimidation.

Should be good enough for a +1.))

Well, Kelly could hear all that, but they hadn't approached yet.  One of two things was going to happen.  This was going to work or they'd just start mowing them down.

The plan was simple, stand there looking strange and alone (save for Harry) until they approached.  But this was probably a good time to slip the goggles on.  She'd wanted to avoid their use to not betray that she had them, but if they were going to come up like this she needed to be able to see them.

"Easy folks," Dean said calmly.  "They're just trying to shake you, scare you.  Let it roll over you and shake it off.  Reminds me of some annoying old military tactics really," he said dryly.  "Hold your fire for now.  Not going to get a good shot.  Make it count.  The first shot you want to be flawless.  Shock the shit out of them by not being fazed by this nonsense and getting a kill shot."

The wild Weirdos did seem to pause for a moment as Harry's voice (amplified thanks to his police riot control modifications).  For at least one blink of the lights, most of the force stayed in the same position for a moment.  The weirdo's own singer skips a few beats, the rhythm momentarily thrown off.  It forced the warsinger to rush to catch back up, but whoever it was managed to do it with a bit of guitar flourish.

The Weirdos chanted and sang back at Harry, shouting louder.  Whatever amplified the singer and the guitar was turned up too.  Possibly to 11.  They roared their "true" lyrics back in the face of Harry's heresy.

"NO HELP!  NO HELP FOR YOU!"

"THUN-DER!"

"SOUND OF THE DRUMS!  BEATING IN MY HEART!  THE THUNDER OF GUNS!!!!"

"YOU'LL BE......THUNDER-STRUCK!"

Harry, the Warsinger, and the Weirdos all shouted the main refrain of the ancient song.  The Cyborg hefted his chainsaw to accent it, revving the engine as he did.  And in that same moment, as though perfectly timed to coincide with Harry's lifting of the revving saw to the sky...  The sky above the blockhouse and farmyard, behind Harry and Kelly, suddenly exploded in chaotic bursts of spiraling hissing color and light.  Old-school fireworks and pyrotechnics were being blasted above and around the farmhouse in a blinding, frightening display.

---

UPPER FLOOR OF THE BLOCKHOUSE

Dean had just managed to get the nervous farmers under a bit of control.  His solid, soldierly demeanor going a long way to help ease them.  After all, Dean was /very/ reminiscent of another bald veteran that had likely trained them and helped them in the first place.

But when the song reached its crescendo and the fireworks went off, the farmers nerve broke.  They dove for the floor or the walls, getting low and covering.  Assuming the barrage to be much more lethal munitions.

(Dean! - Smarts roll to avoid being blinded by the sudden display AND Notice!)

---

AT THE FARM GATEWAY - Harry, Kelly, Fletcher, NPCs

The skyfire display exploded behind them, so Harry, Kelly, Harrison, and Farmer Bow didn't really catch the blinding effect of the sudden light.  So busy looking into those deep dark woods.  After the first few though, Harrison and Farmer Bow do look back at the house; obviously afraid that their home was being blown all to hell.

For Harry, Kelly, and Fletcher, though, they saw the whole force of wild cavorting light-up weirdos suddenly stop their zig-zagging ways.  All of them were rushing as hard as they could for the farmhouse.  The lights still blinked off and on, making them look like stop-motion ghosts flickering toward the farmyard between frames.

On the track in the woods, two very bright lights of a particularly headlight sort of configuration suddenly came on.  Those twin beams began rushing straight at the wooden, pointy-stick obstruction that served as a gate.  Behind which, a certain distance back, stood the Cyborg and The Templar....right in whatever-it-was' path!

(Harry, Kelly, and Fletcher! - The whole group is heading for the farmyard, but they are not all focused on your position....just 6 of them are.  And whatever is behind those headlights of course!  Notice!

Also, Harry!  You did in fact unnerve the Warsinger and will get a free +2 when/if you face him...especially with that chainsaw.  How dare you sing the Sacred Song!?
 For which, take a chip!)
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:37, Tue 02 July 2019.

Fletcher stayed where he was.  Rather than trying to do anything just yet, he instead turned his focus towards the oncoming weirdo hoard, trying to judge when the best time to trigger his surprise was, and exactly what the heck they had those lights mounted on.

A vehicle would be bad news, but he wouldn't put it past them with all their choreography to have them rigged up to just look like it was a vehicle.  He tried to figure out the truth of things amongst all the lights and noise.

Fletcher rolled 5,5 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5.  Notice, Wild

OOC

Notice
07:23, Today: Secret Roll: Dean Mitchel rolled 1,1 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1.

Smarts
07:22, Today: Secret Roll: Dean Mitchel rolled 2,5 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,5.

Tanked the notice but think I made the smarts?  Not sure about penalties and what it means/if its more than just knowing it's fireworks.

Harry smirked. Interesting light show they had going on. But they had a surprise coming...before Harry had parked The Dog, he'd set a little something up. He wasn't sure if he could get the Dog's speakers quite as loud as these guys, but he had a song all cued up and ready to deploy. Again, two could play the rock music psychological warfare game.

He did wonder if he needed to grab Kelly, though, and get her out of the way of that...whatever it was that was coming...

((OOC: I'm going to hold my position, though I would like to say I've kept my link up with The Dog in order to set up a counter-blast of music to their music that I can trigger through my mental link at some point in the future, potentially as another Intimidation Test.

My Notice roll: 09:33, Today: Rusty Harry rolled 4,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2.  Notice.

Also, rolled a 17 for the chip, so I got a new White Chip. Which will be handy, since I was down to a single fate chip before this.))

Now that they were visible, Kelly, sword in hand, walked calmly to them.

"Stop your advance!  You have slain my sworn brother Al Dickson.  I demand parley."

Fight at the Gate! Harry, Kelly, Fletcher, Harrison, and Longbow...also a small horde of frenzied christmas light ravers
The Warsong of the Weirdos thundered through the darkling woods as they raced towards their prey.  "THUNDER!".  The guitar screeched as the lead singer belted out the driving song.  Louder now to overcome Harry's attempt to subvert the holy words.  These were not honorable warriors.  They did not care for the challenge offered or the chance to parley.  Their ears were filled with the divine song of war that had lead them to victory after victory.

"THUNDER!"

The first four screamed out of the darkness of the trees, their outlining colorful lightshow blinking out the rhythm.  That weird eerie stop-motion quality as they blinked into and out of existence in the darkness.  Their arms cocked back and one by one they threw whirling black somethings at Harry and Kelly...

The somethings turned out to be scrounged metal bars whipped with energetic glee through the night.  This was found out as they connected painfully and suddenly....

The Blinkers drew the Black Joker and thus went first!

Two came charging out of the woods on either side of the track (Total of Four).  As they exited the woods, they whipped scrap metal throwing sticks at Kelly and Harry.

Kelly! - Two Hits - First: 8 Damage, Second: 9 Damage.  First will Shake, Second will Wound.  If you Chip the First (UnShake), the second will only Shake

Harry! - Two Hits - First: 6, Second: 9 TINK! SPANG! Nada!

The Four Blinkers are in easy Move and Hit distance after you deal with Damage and get to your action!




At the Blockhouse - Delilah (Outside the Front Door), Dean (Upstairs with the other NPC Farm Fighters)

Del had started to look up when she heard the first whistling rocket....then something told her to /not/ do that.  She managed to shut her eyes and duck her head against the first blasts, preserving her vision.  For now.  Cracking her eyes again, she spotted the blinking weirdoes charging out of the woodline.  Some were heading for Kelly and Harry, but the rest were angling for the blockhouse.

The Gun filled her hand without her ever needing to think much about drawing it.  Both she and The Gun were pretty clear on what needed doing.  Long shots for a pistol and their fun light-bright antics didn't help either.  Her arms extended and she quickly sighted anyway...  Need to thin the herd...

The Gun barked and spat fire.  One of the blinking weirdoes, between blinks, stumbled as he was winged by....a ghost?  Delilah, of course, being (hopefully) invisible to these psychos.  She thumbed the hammer again and began tracking another...

Initiative Order
Round 1 - Farmhouse Fight!

Blinkers - BLACK JOKER! (Four Currently at the Gate.  Two more running to the Gate.  A group of three to the "left" of the farmyard headed for the Blockhouse.  Another group of three doing the same on the "right) Right Group - 1 Shaken

Del (Gm'd for Now) - QS

"Secrets" - JS Stuff Happened.  But it was SECRET.  Shhhhhh.

Fletcher - 10C

Kelly (Longbow Farmer) - 9C

Dean (Upstairs NPCs) - 6C

Harry (Harrison) - 5S

"Headlights" - 5H

Warsinger -  2H

Fletcher, Kelly, Dean, and Harry are all up before any more Bad Guys!

Fletcher put his hand on the trigger, and pressed it as the four weirdos closed on Harry and Kelly.

The device fountained liquid all over the attackers, though to most observers it was fairly mundane looking.  To anyone with the goggles, the substance shined like liquid sunlight.

Fletcher rolled 7,4 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,4.  WS, WD.

The quartet need to make agility rolls at -2 or suffer the effects of the Blind power.

Well that didn't work.  At all.  Oh well.  She really hadn't expected anything else.

So drop a White to avoid the first Shaken result.  Let's see if Kelly can resolve the other Shaken result without burning more chips (I doubt it).

Also, how much time has passed for PP recovery purposes?  I think the last use of Kelly's PP was the lay on hands.

Assuming goggles don't effect Spirit rolls because logic

14:10, Today: Kelly MacLeod rolled 1,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3.  Spirit.

That's a fail.  Well, down 2 whites in total, off to a great start.

Kelly invoked her prayer with a moment of concentration.

So let's use Simon's Gift and cast a quickened Deflection.  Again not applying Goggles to this roll because logic.

14:13, Today: Kelly MacLeod rolled 4,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5.  Faith.

This, I will take, a success is this.

"So be it.  This was completely unnecessary."

And with those words Kelly ran to close the distance, Connor already in hand to do what must be done.

Right, so Signature Weapon +2, -1 for Goggles, nets to +1

14:17, Today: Kelly MacLeod rolled 10,4 using d10+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 9,3.  Fighting with Modifiers.

10 beats 5 by 5, that's a Raise

14:18, Today: Kelly MacLeod rolled 7,6,17 using d8,d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,6,(6+6+5)17.  Strength, Sword, Raise.

Total damage is Dead.  He dead.  He all the dead.

It was textbook.  The strike was at the perfect angle, it went across the Weirdo's torso, biting deep.  Kelly's follow through came down and sheared his arm off, and the final stroke sent the tip of the blade through his shocked expression.  He was dead and not in one piece before he hit the ground.

14:20, Today: Kelly MacLeod drew the single card: JD using the Deadlands system.

For Next round!  We do it that way right I forget.

Just after the metal hurley sticks flew, Fletcher's odd device popped up and blew a spray of yellow-green "paintball" goo towards the Weirdos!  Three were caught completely by surprise by the trap splattering a blinding glow across their goggle lenses.  They jerked to a stop, shaking their heads wildly and howling with surprise.  One's howl was cut very short as Connor took his arm then stabbed into his face.  The one Weirdo with the reflexes to turn away from the goo blast no found himself facing down a Templar...  Wearing Goggles...

1 Weirdo Down.  1 Up Facing Kelly. We'll say on the Right of the gate.

1 Left Gate Weirdo is Partially Blind (Shaken, -2 Parry), Other LGW is Blinded! (Shaken, -6 to Everything till Unshaken) 

"COVER," he yelled as the flares went off, trying to warn everyone to avert their eyes in time.  It kept him from being blinded but it caused him to look away for a brief moment.  The rest of the crowd up in the bunker dove for cover but only one managed to clamber back to their feat.

"Target their leader," he shouted to the one person who managed to stand up again.  "Take him out and maybe we'll demoralize the rest."  He risked a glance down at the rest cowering on the floor.  "Get the hell up; we've got raiders coming from both sides!  Fight damn you!"

Using the goggles, Dean didn't waste any more time, spinning away and sighting on one of the blinking raiders.  With a soft thrum, lost in the fireworks and gunfire, he launched the bolt into one of the charging weirdos...


OOC:

The one rifleman not cowering, shoots! (now has 8 shots remaining)

20:48, Today: Dean Mitchel rolled 9 using 1d4, rerolling max (((4+4+1)9)).
I forgot the blinking penalty (-4, so a 5) but it's still a hit!

Dam w/ AP 2
20:50, Today: Dean Mitchel rolled 16 using 2d8, rerolling max (((8+2)10,6)).

Hopefully he'll be wounded/messed up to make it easier for Harry to finish him off easily and/or get us a morale test or something!


Dean shoots at one of the chargers:
20:52, Today: Dean Mitchel rolled 3,3 using 1d8-1,1d6-1, rerolling max ((4,4)).

Miss...but going to spend a red to reroll

20:53, Today: Dean Mitchel rolled 5,4 using 1d8-1,1d6-1, rerolling max ((6,5)).

Dam: 2d6, AP 2
20:55, Today: Dean Mitchel rolled 7 using 2d6, rerolling max ((4,3)).

(As the longbow wielding farmer)

Daryl took a breath.  Know what yer aimin' at.  Focus.

He takes the Aim action.

Harry, revving his chainsaw arm and limbering up his shotgun, took a look at the situation. The blinking was distracting, but if he could get close enough, a face full of buckshot would cover for any deficiencies in his aim. But only if he could get close enough. He began heading towards the closest weirdo he could find.

((OOC: Heading for the nearest Weirdo with my mighty Pace of 4...I have a question about who is still up, who is down after Dean's shot, and if I can reach any of the weirdos enough to get into melee range.))

Harry rushed at one of the weirdos caught by Fletcher's trap. He waited until he got right up to the blinker and shoved his shotgun almost right into the man's belly before firing off a round.

---

Harrison, meanwhile, sighted along his crossbow, seeking a good shot, timing the blinks so he could hit one juuuust right...

((OOC: Making my way to one of the blinded blinkers. Once I get in melee range, I'm going to blast him with my Shotgun...the +2 Buckshot bonus should cancel out the -2 Melee penalty, I just need to hit his Parry.

11:40, Today: Rusty Harry rolled 4,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4.  Shooting. Yarg. Fine, I'll also spend a Red Chip for a bonus.

11:40, Today: Rusty Harry rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4.  Red Chip bonus.

That puts me at a total of 8, which is more than enough.

11:54, Today: Rusty Harry rolled 21 using 3d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2,(6+6+2)14.  Damage.

For my next round's card, I got: QH

Harrison will be taking an aim action.))

Harry charged the other pair of light-up Weirdos.  He ignored their fancy, distracting light gear and taught a rather violent lesson in the value of a shotgun's scatterfire at point blank range.  The blinker was blown back into the woods, his lights fritzing wildly wildly as the wiring and control systems were shredded.

Away in the farmyard, the Blinker who had stumbled from Del's pistol shot started to regain his footing during one blink.  Then, by the next blink he was on the ground, balling up.  It would take a very keen eye to see the crossbow bolt sticking out of him with all the darkness and lights.

The woman with the rifle next to Dean quickly ran the bolt action of her rifle with trained practice, "I think I got one...  I think I got him!  Was that the leader?!"  One of the blinking figures in the farmyard had seemed to have stopped and fallen to the ground.  Eerily still blinking in time to the music.

---

The "Headlights" continued to charge forward at the wooden barricade as the Cyborg and the Templar tore into the Blinker vanguard.  Then...impossibly, the headlights...split away from each other to the ends of the spiky obstacle.  Huge hands appeared in the light as they reached out and picked it up with almost no effort.  For a moment, they illuminated each other in the headlights strapped to their chests.  Monstrously tall; giving Harry a run for his money on size and weight.  Once human, now those proportions have been twisted...strained...stretched...and bloated under the most horrifying manipulations of ghost-rock radiation.  Green-yellow skin covered in tumors, scars, and boils.  Mouths filled with far too many fangs and a pair of tusks.  Too large eyes...solid black.  They roar like beasts doing their best to make it wound like "ThUnDAR!!!"  Trogs.

The pair of Trogs heft the barricade up and throw the entire thing whirling end over end at Harry...and the poor unfortunate Blinker near the Cyborg....  It mostly hit the weirdo, but Harry did get showered with splinters and debris as it smashed past him..

Fear Checks for Harry, Kelly, Harrison, Longbow, and Fletcher at the sight of the mutant monsters! This check is a -4 (Fear Level), add your Rank (+2 for Seasoned), and Harry adds +2 because he is already dead and doesn't mind so much.  Harrison gets a +1 because he's a little more grizzled.

Blinker next to Harry gets creamed because....its fitting.  Harry gets hit...but a 5 is not going to get through his armor /at all/.

Fear check responses!  I ran out of time and will have to do the warchanter post tonight.

((OOC: 11:44, Today: Rusty Harry rolled 12,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+4)12,1.  Fear!

I ain't scared of no Trog))

Fletcher rolled 2,1 using 1d6-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3.

Dropping a red chip


Fletcher rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4.  Red chip

18:55, Today: Kelly MacLeod rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4.  red or dead.

18:54, Today: Kelly MacLeod rolled 2,0 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2.  Fear.

Fletcher did it I have to too

18:56, Today: Kelly MacLeod rolled -3 using 1d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 1.  Longbow Wielding Farmer.

Figures!

"Nice shot," he said without looking.  "Keep it up; concentrate on the ones getting close to our position," he called before turning to see how the front was holding up, pulling the cocking lever for the crossbow as he did so. "Big mothers," he muttered unfazed by the monsters before firing a bolt into one them.



OOC:
Riflewoman - AIMs as the -4 penalty is just not going to work short of a miracle with the d4 skill!

Spirit for Fear
21:46, Today: Dean Mitchel rolled 9,2 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max (((6+3)9,2)).

Shooting at mutant
22:04, Today: Dean Mitchel rolled 5,3 using 1d8-1,1d6-1, rerolling max ((6,4)).

Dam: 2d6, AP 2
22:07, Today: Dean Mitchel rolled 13 using 2d6, rerolling max (((6+4)10,3)).

This message was last edited by the GM at 18:15, Wed 10 July 2019.

Just after the trogs go charging in, another set of lights switches on behind them.  This figure's light strips are arranged to suggest the outline of a red uniform jacket, shorts, and a blue tie.  There is even the outline of blue tennis-shoes carefully arranged where his feet should be.  Yellow lights dangle from his head suggesting stringy blonde hair.  His goggles have red lights surrounding the lenses giving him a weird, hellish gaze.  More lights outline the thing in his hands.  He holds it in the manner of a guitar, but the outline suggests something, more literally, ax-like.

His arm circles through a crashing chord across the strings of his axe before he points the pick at Kelly, "THE TEMPLAR IS MINE!  CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!"  Somehow he managed to fit the words into the song in a crazy sing-song fashion without missing a beat. He then turned and aimed the the lit headstock of the "ax" at said Templar, charging with an athletic leap and a shredding guitar riff.

He tries to Taunt Kelly.....but manages a 4 after two chips.  The Roller does not feel he's Taunty!

Kelly - Smarts vs. 4!

---

Round 2 - Farmhouse Fight!

Harry (Harrison) - QH

"Secrets" - JS

Kelly (Longbow Farmer) - JD

Blinkers - 10H

Trogs - 8D

Fletcher - 7H

Del (Gm'd for Now) - 5S

Dean (Upstairs NPCs) - 2H

At the Gate
-Harry (Harrison is Shaken from Fear)
-Kelly (Longbow is Shaken from Fear)
-Fletcher
-Trog 1 and Trog 2(Focused on Harry at the moment)
-Young Angus - Charging Kelly
-1 Blinker on Harry (Previously smashed by the Trogs), 1 Blinker on Kelly

In the Yard
-Delilah
-4 Blinkers in two groups

In the Blockhouse
-Dean (Riflewoman)

HARRY STARTS US OFF IN ROUND 2!  GOOOOOOOO!!
This message was last edited by the player at 04:49, Sat 13 July 2019.