Gila monsters aren't good for much, but they are distinctly Western. Lately a fashion trend back East for cuffs, holsters, and hat bands. It's absurd, at least it has the potential to pay well. Harvesting their toxin might be a boon as well.

Two Crows had recently been honoured with his adult name by the tribe. With the additional freedom, such as the right to carry proper weapons, were the responsibilities that came with it. He now had to contribute to the reserves' fortunes.

The snows were still melting when the hunting party went out. Two Crows' father Wicasa, his aunt Ciquala, and his little sister Talulah bundled their gear onto a Travis pulled by their pony, Hornet. Their destination : the Amber Sea.

Wicasa and Ciquala bantered and argued the entire way. Talulah danced and ran around, when she was not fidgeting with her new knife. Caring for the ten-year-old had been placed on Two Crows' plate.

The scrubland was vast all around them. The distant peaks of the mountains were visible, glinting in the early morning light.

Eventually the two older adults decided the spot was good enough. They were one hundred kilometers north of Corarana, and the land was beginning to look like a proper desert.

"This early in the spring, they will be coming out of hibernation," says Wicasa. "But it is still too cold for their liking. Look for them sunning themselves on rocks. Their prey is crickets. Do you remember your cricket call?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:45, Tue 16 June 2020.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 1):

Two Crows nodded at Wicasa. He put his hands in front of his mouth, making a small opening. Then he used the space between his palms to act as an echo chamber for his cricket imitation. He grinned at Talulah and made the noise 'aimed' at her, so she could 'reply' with the same sound.

Talulah giggles and gives her best effort. It could be better.

"Fine, good enough. Two Crows, take Talulah and get to work. Remember: intact skins."

Wicasa and Ciquala have .38 repeaters, but only for defence. They are carrying bows and have quivers full of small-game arrows. They tie the pony to the travois with a long rope so that it can graze but not run off.

"Meet us here at the end of the day."

With that, the two older adults head off into the plains.

Make a Survival roll to track a Gila monster. For every Raise, you find another one that day.
Make an attack or stealth roll, your choice, for each one individually. If you hit the TN of 4, you kill it. If you get a Raise, the skin is undamaged.
You have the choice to decide how much attention you want to pay to keeping care of Talulah. Leaving her on her own imposes no penalty on your work. If you take -2, you are keeping an eye on her most of the time. With a -4, you never let her out of your sight and don't let her get too far away.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 3):

Two Crows had never been good with a bow...or a gun for that matter. However, with Tomahawk, spear, or his preferred hunting tool-a knife, he was deadly accurate. Of course, he tries to make sure Talulah does not get away, but he also wants to impress the elders...

ooc-22:48, Today: Two Crows rolled 6,15 using D8,d6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 6,(6+6+3)15.  Survival roll. Gets +2 from edge, -2 from watching kid.

So that's three Gilas. go ahead and describe how your hunts go. you can continue taking - 2 or change.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 5):

Two Crows manages to find two of the Lizards engaged in a mating dance. He also found a lone male which had clearly lost his chance at the female. After three quick dagger throws, he impales all three near instantly via his thrown knives. He manages to take them all via head shots, thus leaving the skin largely intact and the animal died instantly. Thus the spirit of the beasts would move into the hunting grounds without pain.

He makes quick work of skinning the animals, gesturing to the little girl and keeping her close. Now that he had gotten three, he could seek more while keeping a more careful eye on the girl.

OOC:
23:10, Today: Two Crows rolled 4,3 using 1d8-2,1d6-2, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 6,5.  Survival roll. Gets +2 from edge, -4 from watching kid.

No-one is perfect. Even the best care-givers have a hard time keeping track of fast-moving children. Two Crows is just about done skinning the last of the gilas when he realizes it's been quiet for too long. Quickly, he stands up and looks around. Talulah is nowhere in sight.

Quickly, he runs to the crest of a hill for a better look. Then he breathes a sigh of relief; she is just on the other side of it, crouched down low. He is about to say something, but then sees that she is staying very still and staring intensely at something. This is unusual enough for her that he pauses.

Talulah is looking at a bird. It is squawking pitifully and trying to clean itself, but cannot. She is watching it, arms resting on her knees. Then she looks up and sees Two Crows.

"What is that stuff on it?" she asks. The bird seems to have gotten some sort of slick black liquid on its wings.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 7):

"I dont know..." he said, approaching carefully. Was it the like the firewater the white man brings? He heard they came in different colors. He bent down carefully and tried to reach for the animal. After all, he doubted it could fly away with that stuff on its feathers...

The bird shrieks and leaps away. A droplet of the stuff falls off its wing.

It has a strong, oily smell. Two Crows thinks it smells a bit like lamp oil or coal.

Talulah has wandered off again. She is following the trail the bird made to get to this point. In its hopping and flailing, it left an irregular trail of marks.

On the other side of the hill, there is a puddle of gooey black liquid. It seems to have come up out of the ground itself.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 9):

He runs over gently but firmly picks the girl up and places her over his shoulder. Two Crows was quite strong, and could easily lug the girl around for some time before getting sore. He called her 'trouble bundle' while tickling her feet.

When he gets close to the oily pit, he uses his free hand to gather a sample of the stuff before taking the girl away from the awful smell.

The liquid absorbs the sand, turning it into a gritty mess. Larger objects end up slick, covered it in like grease. Two Crows tries to get his hands on it, and feels something wriggling. He jerks his hand away, already half-covered in the goo. There is a bug there, covered in it. It seems to be some sort of cricket. It is clearly unable to fly or function at all.

Wiping the oil off has already proven to be impossible. It seems like that bird is in trouble and this cricket is doomed.

Two Crows hears a gunshot. Then several more gunshots. Talulah's eyes go wide. She struggles free, then runs towards the sound.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 11):

Two Crows spins about and runs after the girl. Planning on holding her and covering her mouth if need be to keep her silent. Gunshots out here where not a good sign, especially that many. It suggested someone is not hunting...but shooting at soemthing that shoots back.

Two Crows grabs his sister and restrains her, but she continues to struggle. She pulls out her small belt-knife and thrusts it in the direction of the gunshots. Two Crows is having a hard time holding on to her.

The gunshots diminish. Suddenly there is only one gun firing, and then it too stops.

He looks at her, covers her mouth, and points to the ground. Telling her to stay put. Then, only when she agrees, he slowly and carefully heads in the direction of the shots, staying low to the ground.

roll an interaction skill to convince her. TN 4

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 15):

ooc-15:04, Today: Two Crows rolled 1,4 using 1d4,1d6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 1,4.  Persuasion check. Possible bonus for being big brother?

Talulah crouches on the ground, cradling her knife. Her expression is furious, but she accedes to staying put for the time being.

In your next action, roll Stealth and Notice, please.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 17):

He moves low, but not as quietly as he wished...

ooc-15:40, Today: Two Crows rolled 9,1 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of (6+3)9,1.  Notice.

15:39, Today: Two Crows rolled 3,4 using 1d6+2,1d6+2, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 1,2.  Stealth with edge bonus.

Two Crows stays low, using the sparse cover to best effect. He hears shouting, coarse laughter, and unfamiliar voices speaking in English.

He is almost close enough to see what is going on when he hears something else too. It sounds like spattering fluid. He stays low and peers out from behind a bush. There is a man there relieving himself against a rock.

The man is wearing a black hat and a black duster. He is a white man in his early twenties. Around his neck is hanging a metal mask that would cover most of his face. He is wearing a gun belt with two revolvers and a bandolier. He is at ease as he looks down at what he is doing.

Two Crows moves a different direction. He comes around a bluff to see the real trouble.

A group of six white people are surrounding his family. His aunt is tied up, hands and feet. A woman in a duster is standing behind her, covering her with her own gun.

Two Crows' father is being hog-tied by two dirty, heavily armed men. He is fighting back, but his legs are already bound. The remaining thugs watch and laugh from the backs of their horses, guns held easily in their hands.

Two Crows grits his teeth, but he is torn. What could he do? If he tries to help his family, and he is killed, his sister will die alone in the desert.

He had no choice. He memorized the faces, tried to restrain his tears, and just watched. Maybe they would let his family go. Maybe they would just rob them and humiliate them. Whites had done such before...

The two men are having a hard time getting  Wicasa tied. He grabs ones' head and tackles him down, pressing his face into the dirt. The rest of the bandits laugh as  he smothers the man. One of them raises a revolver and levels it.

Two Crows is about to do something when he hears a click behind him. It is unmistakably a revolver's hammer being cocked.

"I have never known an Indian who could resist stabbing a man while his fly was down," the man's voice says. "You either have more class or less sense. Stand up, and keep your hands away from your belt."

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 21):

Two Crows slowly raises his hands, and looks at the man's shadow. If he could estimate how far away he was, he might be able to make the distance and get to him before he could shoot. Unlikely, but worth a chance. However, an overconfident foe is an off balance one.

He raises his hands and gets up, stepping backwards. If he could see the shadow, and his foe was confident he had no weapons...he might close the distance. Maybe.

OOC-any chance of that working?

Two Crows' clever plan is mooted when the man instructs him to turn around.

About twenty feet away is the black - clad man he saw earlier. He is aiming one revolver at Two Crows, with his other hand resting on the second holster. He has a small smile on his face as he looks over Two Crows.

"You're just a kid, aren't you? But you're not as small as was expecting the smallest one to be. Where is the other one? The very small member of your group?"

Two Crows notices some movement distantly over the man's shoulder. He notices a flash of Talulah's black hair.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 23):

Two Crows spits at the man's feet. If he did something to cause the man to turn about, he might shoot his sister. Hopefully she will sneak away after the man shoots him. "I'm alone...now. You and your people saw to that." He said, wondering if he could survive enough bullets to throw one of his knives.

The man smiles with no humour, his eyes narrowing. "An altruistic deception, but I'm aware of my gang's limitations. None of those fools even saw the second trail. I assumed this noise would attract you. If you had tried to stab me, you'd be bleeding out right now. If you wish to avoid that fate entirely,  you'll tell me where I can find your... sister?"

If the man wanted to find Two Crows' sister he had only to turn his head. Talulah was creeping up on him, knife in hand. Her face is fixed and intent.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 25):

"Dont know what you are talking about." He said, keeping an eye on the man's gun hand. He wanted to tell the girl to run home, but he would turn and gun her down. All he could do now is hope the girl distracts him for a second he needed to throw a knife into his neck...

The man nods. "I suspected she might be your family. Why else bring a child along on a hunting trip? In truth, I don't really need her. I'd rather have you."

He pauses, suddenly on guard. Talulah is only a few steps away. She must have made just enough noise to catch his ear. He begins to turn, his extended gun rotating like a clock's arm. The girl rises from a spinter's crouch, knife coming up, beginning to scream.

Black-clad bandit draws a Q.
Talulah draws an 8.
Two Crows draws a 6.

The bandit turns and fires. His gunshot rings out, impossibly loud. The bullet strikes Talulah in the thigh rather than the chest, causing her to spin.

Her knife comes up wildly. It catches him across his face, dragging a bloody line up the left side, just missing his eye. He howls, clapping his free hand across it.

Talulah falls over. She tries to stand up, but her leg gives out. She looks surprised as she collapses again.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 27):

The thrown knife hits the man center mass in his back...but only because he turned and fired. Two crows then charges the man, planning on finishing him off if he's not dead...or going to help his sister if he is.

OOC-throw knife and then move to close distance.

Hit with a raise, total damage=16.

13:32, Today: Two Crows rolled 9,5,2 using 1d10,1d6,1d4, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 9,5,2.  Damage from thrown knife .


13:31, Today: Two Crows rolled 9,4 using 1d10,1d6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 9,4.  Thrown knife.

This message was last edited by the player at 17:36, Sun 28 June 2020.

The bandit gives a yelp of pain. He had meant to fire his gun at Talulah, but the spasm in his back causes him to misfire. He shoots harmlessly into the ground. He runs forward, away from Two Crows. He hides behind the bush that Two Crows used for concealment earlier.

"Get over here, you apes!" He shouts.

Two Crows quickly glances over at the bandits and his family. He gets one quick look before a hillock blocks his view.

Ciquala has risen from her seated position and has managed to get her hands on her guard's gun. They are struggling for control. Her hands and feet being tied are making it harder for her.

Wicasa slams his current victim's head into a rock. He stands up and hops over towards the other bandit on the ground, who frantically crab-walks backwards. One of the mounted ones still has his revolver in his hand. The other two jerk their reins, and start spurring their horses towards the fight.

Two Crows loses sight of all this just as a gunshot rings out. He gets to Talulah and helps her up. She grips onto his arm.

"We have to rescue Father!" she says, her voice high and tight with pain.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 29):

Two Crows emotions where at war. He wanted to thank his sister for his life...and yell at her for risking hers. He wanted to carry her away from all this, as his whole family would want. Yet he also wanted to brutally murder each and every man who had done this to them. He instead carried her to cover in case others starting sending bullets their way.

"Father would not want you to die...even if it meant his life." He said, pulling out his healer's kit and trying to stop her bleeding wound. "Then we go get father."

OOC:
21:39, Today: Two Crows rolled 11,2 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of (6+5)11,2.  Healing skill.

Two Crows and Talulah struggle to find cover on the nearly-flat badlands. They settle for a ditch that descends all of two feet. Two Crows slaps an herbal poultice on the wound which will stop the bleeding and prevent infection. It also has a numbing effect that will quiet the pain to a degree.

The two mounted bandits come over the hill, pistols in hand. They look around, trying to spot any enemies.

The black-clad man staggers out of the bush. He begins stalking away from everyone, out into the plains. He briefly takes his hand off his bleeding face to put his fingers in his mouth and give a sharp whistle.

This is your chance for Stealth.

Two Crows silently signals for his sister to be silent once again. Then he tries to get into a position where he could throw another knife without being detected. Even taking pains to aim in order to kill the black-clad man or one of his thugs.

OOC:
21:48, Today: Two Crows rolled 17,5 using 1d6+2,1d6+2, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of (6+6+3)15,3.  Stealth with edge bonus.

Two Crows no longer has a clear line of sight on the black-clad man. He is far enough away that throwing a knife would be hard. The last you see of him before having to duck your head down is climbing onto the back of a horse that responded to his whistle.

The two bandits are much closer, and much better options. They are only about six meters away. They are peering all around, trying to find whoever it was that attacked their boss.

Over the hill there are more gunshots and shouting.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 33):

Two Crows waits until the two men are looking in different directions, and not his way. Only then will he throw his knife at one of the men who hopefully will fall silently. Hopefully without his friend noticing.

ooc-16:14, Today: Two Crows rolled 6,3,7 using 1d10,1d6,1d4+4, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 6,3,3.  Damage with raise and the drop. Total damage=16

16:12, Today: Two Crows rolled 13,11 using 1d10+6,1d6+6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 7,5.  Bennie re-roll. Total to hit=13.

This message was last edited by the player at 20:17, Wed 01 July 2020.

Two Crows pops up, knife in hand. He hurls the knife, which catches his target in the side of the neck. He raises his hand to his neck, which is spouting blood. He gives off a gurgle and falls off his horse. The thud alerts his colleague, who turns and sees Two Crows attempting to duck down again.

"There he is! It's another Indian!" He shouts as he aims and fires his revolver.

Thugs draw Ace of clubs.
Two Crows draws 6 of spades.

The Dealer rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 4.  shooting.

The Dealer rolled 20 using 2d6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 4,(6+6+4)16.  damage.
2 Wounds and Shaken.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 35):

The bullet just grazes Two Crows, which makes him even angrier. Instead of having the good sense to take cover, he throws another knife and hits the man dead center.

OOC-spends a bennie to soak. Hits foe with another knife for 9 damage, and then gets to cover with my move action.

13:32, Today: Two Crows rolled 6,3 using 1d10,1d4, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 6,3.  Damage .

13:32, Today: Two Crows rolled 4,1 using 1d10,1d6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 4,1.  Throwing knife.

13:30, Today: Two Crows rolled 3,1 using 1d6,1d4, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 3,1.  Trying to unshake. edit-just checked the rules. As I soaked both wounds, I dont need to spend a bennie on unshaking.

Also, do I get two bennies for loyalty to my family and loyalty to my sister? I did put myself at risk for both...


This message was last edited by the player at 15:00, Sat 04 July 2020.

You can have 1 benny for family loyalty.

Two Crows hurls a knife and impales the second gunman in the chest. He falls off his horse and lands, hard. He spasms in the dirt for a moment before going still, then giving one last twitch.

Over the hill, where his father and aunt are, Two Crows hears some meaty blows being struck, and then another gunshot.

The man in black comes back. Most of his face is bloody, and it is seeping down his neck to his shirt. His face is calm, detached, as he looks over the scene of violence. He has a revolver in his hand. Two Crows tries to move, but before he can the man aims and fires.

The bullet catches Two Crows across the pate, narrowly avoiding a penetrating hit. He feels his vision and his senses swim for a moment, and then everything goes blank.

****

Blossoms of colour and light. Darkness. Echoes, in the distance. Voices? Sudden nausea. The world spins.

Touch!

****

Two Crows wakes up with a start, then tries to move. The nausea and pain are extreme. Despite the darkness of the night, blinding lights flash behind his eyes. He rolls on his side, tries to quiet it all. Gradually, the nausea recedes and the sensory assault fades.

"Don't try to move," comes a querulous voice.

A few meters away, an old man is crouching by a small fire. He is carefully working with a mortar and pestle. He rises partly, and crab-walks over to Two Crows. He has something gooey on his two extended fingers.

"Open your mouth," he says.

Two Crows tries to push the man away, but his vision is blurred and his head pounds. "Where...where...are they? Father...mother...my sister." He said weakly, trying to get his words straight.

"All gone. A few dead bodies, and one live one that looked dead." The old man carefully smears a bitter-tasting concoction under Two Crows' tongue. "Don't swallow," he warns. Two Crows' tongue and mouth go numb.

The old man eases back. Without rising from his crab-crouch, he shuffles over to look at Two Crows' head. "A major blow to the head. They must have thought you were dead. You nearly were. You still might be, if we can't keep the swelling down."

Two Crows' head is throbbing. The old man apologizes as he applies his fingers as gently as possible to his skull, which hurts like hot iron across bruised skin.

"They call me Grey Cloud in this land," the old man says, trying to distract Two Crows. "I'm here looking for rare plants. I heard gunfire, and like a sensible person, headed directly towards it. When I arrived, I found a few dead men, some garbage, plenty of tracks, and you."

Grey Cloud soaks a rag with cool water from a bucket and gently soaks Two Crows' head.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 39):

"Where...where..." he tired to say, but gave up given the condition of his mouth and tongue. He had failed his family. His people. Even killing two of them and wounding the man who shot his sister had not been good enough. He needed to find the bodies...to know, once and for all.

"Listen, young man: There's nothing you can do right now, except keep yourself from dying. You're no good to anyone dead. Once your brain isn't trying to burst out of your head, we can think about plans."

The medicine that Grey Cloud put under Two Crows' tongue has made him numb and sleepy. His stomach roils and his head swims, and before he knows it he is asleep.

****

In the next few months, Grey Cloud helps Two Crows recover. Any exertion endangers his life at first, because if his blood pressure rises too high it could cause a burst blood vessel in his brain. Even once the initial healing has occurred, he must be cautious. Any impact risks cracking his damaged skull.

To pass the time and distract him, Grey Cloud teaches Two Crows his ways. He knows many of the plants and their secret uses. Poisons, paints, and pain control are the most obvious uses. "Keep it up, and I will teach you to be a real medicine man," says Grey Cloud one day.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 41):

"I cant be a medicine man." Two Crows said, the bitterness in his voice quite clear. "Medicine men heal. I have to kill far too many to ever bring that sort of peace to the land."

He shook his head. "I am grateful for what you did for me. I do not wish to insult you." He looked at the old man, and seemed to hold back his seething lest he unleash it on an innocent person.

"But I will not fail my family in thier deaths like I failed them in life." He ground his teeth, knowing what Grey Cloud wanted for him was no doubt what his family would want. If they where still alive that is.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:56, Sun 05 July 2020.

Two Crows has learned that Grey Cloud suffers from a degenerative disease of his back. He cannot rise from his habitual stoop. He is usually in pain, and exertion makes it worse.

"Death and life are not the same thing, young man," says the medicine man. Truthfully he is not that old, but his wrinkled face and stooped posture make him seem so. "Once someone is dead, they can wait for ever. Living people, we are the ones with the paradox to face. Always we rush to make the most of our time. However, you do not wish to rush to the grave."

Grey Cloud looks up, a hard look in his face for once.

"You owe me your life, Two Crows. Call it fate, or fortune, or the work of some spirit. If you want to repay cruelty, you must first repay kindness. Take this time. Grow to be a man. Learn of your enemies. Come back when you are ready. You will know the time is right. It will be the same fate, or fortune, or spirit-work that guided me to you."

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 43):

"I will honor my debt to you. But I also have a debt of blood to pay. I can't leave one for the other." He said. "But for now...it will be as you say."

Two Crows did not believe in the spirits, or fortune, or fate. He had seen too many of his people suffer and perish with no response from any sort of world beyond. If there was such a place, he would be dead and his family alive.

However, Grey Cloud did believe in those things. He would not dishonor the elder by denouncing his beliefs. For now...he would wait.

No doubt the man in black would be doing awful things. To many other innocent people. Hopefully the wound Two Crows left in his back would be a constant reminder of what was coming for him.

Over the next few years, Two Crows stayed with Grey Cloud. He was a researcher, finding new uses for herbs and bringing that knowledge to different communities. He needed a strong back to help him, and so Two Crows helped.

Perhaps the old man had hoped the young man might grow out of his wrath. When he died several years later, Two Crows was still ready for revenge. The time had come to return to Cainin.

End of Solo Prologue. Gain 1 advance and $10.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:47, Mon 06 July 2020.