Chapter 1 - Part 3: Aftermath of New Beginnings
Pete's body lays unmoving on the ground with the bodies of the other monsters equally immobile. The townsfolk start to edge out of their homes and businesses, many still in their nightly attire. They whisper to one another and point toward Cal standing above the dead man below him. Cal recognizes a man walking up the street, the local Marshal and interim Sherriff, Norbert Young. With him was Deputy John Marsters.
Marshal Young has a serious look in his eye, "Cal... let's you and I walk inside Harold's while Deputy Marsters here talks to a few people and gets to having this mess cleaned up eh?"
The voice of Deputy Marsters rises above the whispered voices and all can hear him asking some of the villagers to give their view of what went down and if anyone would volunteer to help bury the dead while Cal heads inside with the Marshal. Once inside Marshal Young looks around at the men and Agatha. "Now then, just what in the Hell's is going on here? Did Pete Jenkins have some sort of twin I don't know about? Cuz' I'd swear on a Bible it were him I just saw shot down and I know for a fact Cal and I put a noose around that man's neck not long ago!"
Marshal Norbert Young
Prairie's Edge Map again
Deputy Marsters appears to be a surly sort with barely restrained hatred for his superior, Marshal Young.
Deputy Marsters
Agatha once again brings out the map where she feels the confluences of power are coming from after Marshal Young finally gets what's going on.
Deputy Marsters appears to be a surly sort with barely restrained hatred for his superior, Marshal Young.
After the run in with the quick tempered Deputy Marsters, Marshal Young gives the men full clearance to investigate the goings on in the area. Cal, Jed, and Teddy head north of town to the burial site Cal recalled putting Pete and his boys in. Tony and Doc Fitzroy decided to research both the bodies and the strange famine-like phenomenon.
What Cal, Teddy, and Jed found at the burial site terrified the men, it appeared a horde of undead creatures had pulled up roots and headed north. Meanwhile, Tony discovered similarities of Prairie's Edge's phenomenon in a story regarding an odd triangle shaped area of activity in the Bermudas. Doc spent enough time with the bodies to discover a few weaknesses.
With a goal to head north decided on they all slept fitfully through the night.
Naught but open graves met our heroes at the cemetery
[GM]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
(Agatha, Shaken)
"Hello Marshall," Agatha says as she strides from upstairs. "I don't know a thing or two about this Pete Jenkins fella but that man and his...posse attacked us here in this Saloon. Cal, and the rest of these men did us all a service in protecting Harold and I." Harold nods in agreement
(Marshal Young, Agitated)
"Thank you Ms. but I heard tell Cal strode out the front of them doors and put some buckshot into that Jenkins lookalike 'afore the man had even pulled a weapon!" The Marshal turns to Cal "Boy, you and I have seen eye to eye for many years now. I have a lot o' respect for you. Now, what went down here?"
[Teddy, coming down from above]
ReplyDeleteTeddy wonders whether or not the Marshal could see how zombidied the villains had become. But if he hadn't, like some of the other townsfolk, he worries that he might be in for some lengthy questioning that he ain't at all interested in. He wants to find out what's wrong with his town, and why they're the only ones who can see the truth.
He says, "It happened just like Agatha said, Marshal. At least, I saw Pete draw on Cal from that there window, minding my own. Cal was shocked that Pete wadnt dead - that is Pete after all I'm sure of it. Cal was just defending himself and we came to his aid"
[Crunch]
Impulsive hinderance, Persuasion d6+Wild to make him believe it went down as Teddy claims.
[Jed, doing his best to stay composed]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
Jed slips his Peacemaker back into its holster and looks to the Marshal and Teddy as each of them speaks. Jed is well aware that he's more than likely suspect due to the fact he's a stranger in town. Not wanting to upset the situation any more than it already is, Jed takes out his deck of cards and shuffles them absently, waiting for Cal's reply.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete[Calvin Dalton, at a relative loss for words.]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
"Welp," Cal started matter-of-factly. "Ain't a whole lot been makin much sense today, Marshall. Yer right, you an I've never had a reason to be at odds. I find anythin less than honesty is just to much a pain in the ass to deal with. I like things simple. Easy. Today just ain't that kinda day, I reckon."
Calvin Dalton sat at a round table and gestured for the constable to do the same. "Somethin's up, Marshall. Somethin evil. Someone's pulled the wool over our eyes, and it's taken this fine lady to pull it back off. Might want to sit to hear the rest, but the short story is: that was Pete come back for more."
[GM]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
Marshal Young looks back and forth between Teddy and Cal then sits as well.
“Ms. They say you know more than them, tell me what this nonsense is all about then”
Agatha looks wary but sits across from the Marshal, she tells the same story she told the group earlier and all of them standing there literally see when the scales fall off his eyes.
Agatha breathes easier “Seems you are a man of strong mind Marshal, not everyone would be able to accept the truth when it was laid bare”
The Marshal looks shaken “I can’t believe I didn’t notice it before now…but I don’t see the rest of the folk in this town buyin’ it. Maybe a few but more than likely they’ll just start thinking we’re all crazy! So you’re sayin’ there appears to be three uhhh… focal points?.. that this strange power is commin’ from then?
Agatha nods “Yes, here is the map again” She notes the locations again -The top mark somewhere in the Ozarks, the western mark lay near the Kansas City-Little Rock rail line, and the Eastern one located in the woodlands to the east. “It’s my belief that these men are meant to investigate these locations and disrupt whatever is causing the confluence of power. I can’t be certain but I think these places will likely be as dry and barren as Prairie’s Edge is. I don’t know what the cause of this power is either. I… Damnation! All I know and this power I have still limits me!”
The Marshal looks up at the group “And you all have agreed to do this?”
[CRUNCH]
Teddy Parlor has received a Fate Chip for using his Hindrance in a manner that could have made things interesting.
[Calvin, resigned to the task]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
Calvin shrugged. "Needs doin."
He looked around at the other men in the room. "Aint gone nothin better to do, anyway."
[Doc Fitzroy, Distracted]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
Doc, likely still in shock following the fierce gunfight and the near-death experience, only partially listens to the exchange between the Marshall and the rest of the group. Instead, he focuses on his medical knowledge and faith in order to help calm his nerves as well as make sense of what has occurred. He kneels down next to the body of Pete Jenkins and begins examining the rotting flesh of the formerly undead dead man.
"What manner of devilry could create such a horrible abomination..." he mutters to himself.
[Crunch]
Notice D8 + D6 Wild Die to examine the bodies of Pete and his posse for any clues as to his origin.
[Tony, still in shock after the fight]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
Tony tries to stop his hands shaking so that the others won't see how rattled he is. Although he rushed into the fight, now that it's over he realises how scared he really was.
Although his head is full of knowledge, Tony now understands that things are very different in the real world.
He listens to the Marshall, but doesn't say anything, simply nodding his head to the Marshall's question.
[Jed, slightly calmed down]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
Still shuffling the deck in his hands, Jed walks over to where Doc Fitzroy is inspecting Pete's decayed remains. On hearing Marshal Young's question and Cal's reply, Jed looks to their table and adds, "Yep, Marshal, I aim to learn what's what here and put a stop to it. Too many folks are in jeopardy."
Returning his attention to Doc looking over Pete's body, Jed says to himself, "Now, I wonder where these varmints came from?" His curiosity piqued, Jed steps outside, grabs a lantern from the wall, and walks in the direction he saw Pete and his brothers come from, searching the ground for their footprints in the dust.
[Crunch]
Notice: d4-2/Wild Die
[OOC]
Jed's looking for the tracks Pete and his gang left as they came into town. If he finds it, he plans to retrace their steps. It may be the dead of night, and he may be going it alone, but Jed has to satisfy his curiosity.
[GM]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
Everyone in the Saloon is too focused on the conversation being had to notice Doc slip outside to look at the remains of Pete, the morning light hurts his tired eyes. He approaches the corpse and spends a bit of time looking it over. From what he can tell it appears to look like any rotted corpse he had ever seen, and there had been many. The bullet holes left by the guns shot at Pete bled no blood. Suddenly, Deputy Marsters walks up.
"Hey you! Didja come from inside the Saloon? I have a few question for you!"
At that time Jed appears in the doorway as well and starts looking for the tracks left by Pete and his gang but the deputy puts a stop to that as well.
"Both of ya, come over here."
"Now, I knows our "Sheriff" (barely hiding a tone of contempt) is in there interviewin' Cal and the rest of em' but from what I cain tell Cal instigated this lil' rumble an' you two may o' been a part o' it. Heard tell there was lots o' shootin' comin' from tha Saloon. You may wanna mind me and hand over yer pistols fer inspection!"
[CRUNCH]
DOC's Notice D8 & Wild Die D6
Notice D8 = 6 (Success)
Wild Die D6 = 3 (Failure)
JED's Notice D4-2 and Wild Die D6-2
Notice D4-2 = 3-2 = 1 (Failure)
Wild Die D6-2 = 1-2 = -1 (Failure)
[Jed, wary]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
Jed sees in the deputy's eyes that he's looking for trouble. Jed's been in worse situations, though - Hell, his new companions and he have done that just now. But Jed's not one to pick a fight, especially with a badged man. To his tired mind, Jed thinks he may be able to talk to the man - if he won't calm down, maybe he can stall him long enough.
"Well, Deputy, I'm just as eager to get to the bottom o' this as you are. Now, you can see as well as me that Pete here is dead. You also know that he was hanged, too, right? Don't make much sense to me that a man can be killed twice, now does it? So, I was fixin' to find where these dead men came from. But in doin' that, I may also find trouble, so I'll be needin' my gun. So, I ain't partial to handin' it over to you, especially as inspection won't help this investigation. However, Marshal Young is just inside. So how about we just ask him his opinion, seeing as he's your boss and all?"
[OOC]
Jed may think this is a Persuasion check, but the way it's come out makes it seem more of a Taunt check. You know what, Jed's going on no sleep after a long ride - Taunt it is. (What am I doing here?!) :-D
[Crunch]
Taunt: d8/Wild Die
[GM]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
Deputy Marsters turns a shade of purple so deep he matched the skyline of the rising sun behind him. He tries to talk and spittle flies from his mouth when he stutters out some string of obscenities.
He immediately throws a haymaker punch that Jed sees from a mile away, loses his balance and lands face first in a pile of horse manure, thankfully dried out for the Deputy’s sake.
He tries to stand back up, kicking up dust while he does it and then pulls his gun.
“Yer… yer commin’ with me! NOW!”
The people on the street gather round and go silent.
[CRUNCH]
Jed using Taunt D8 & Wild Die D6 with a +2 for pushing the exact button to affect Deputy Marsters.
Taunt D8+2 & Wild Die D6+2 vs. Deputy Marsters Smarts D4 & Wild Die D6
ROLLS
JED:
Taunt D8+2 = 3+2 = 5
Wild Die D6+2 = 6(ACE!)+5+2 = 13 (SUCCESS WITH RAISE)
DEPUTY MARSTERS:
Smarts D4 = 4(ACE!)+1 = 5
Wild Die D6 = 5
Deputy Marsters trying to punch Jed with Fighting D8-2 & Wild Die D6-2 vs. Jed’s Parry 4
ROLL:
Fighting D8-2 = 1-2 = -1 (FAILURE)
Wild Die D6-2 = 3-2 = 1 (FAILURE)
[GM]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
Inside the Saloon the yelling of Deputy Marsters is noticeable even if intelligible. Marshal Young looks up from the map he was perusing.
"That sounded like my idiot of a deputy... The Hell is that God Damned fool up to now!?"
He starts to make his way to the door.
[Jed, alarmed but more collected]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
No longer absently shuffling his cards, Jed slowly backs up a step. "Hey, Deputy, let's be reasonable - I ain't broke no laws here. In fact, the good townsfolk here are witness to me tellin' ya I want to help. There's no need to pull your gun on me unprovoked. Now, how about we calm down and talk - there's no need for either of us to look foolish here."
No sooner did those last words leave his mouth when Jed realized what he said. Lord knows he needs his sleep. Jed prayed that the deputy was too angry to realize he'd just been called a fool. He didn't think he heard any snickering from the townsfolk around him. Jed held his breath while he waited for the deputy's response, calling to mind the arcane manipulations of a spell just in case.
[Crunch]
It's a long shot, but a little Persuasion seems to be called for here:
Persuasion: d4-2/Wild Die
[Doc Fitzroy, Growing increasingly concerned]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
When the deputy first approached Jed and himself, Doc Fitzroy fully intended to surrender his pistol and let reason and enlightened discussion resolve the issue of violence at hand, despite the less than reasonable approach and accusations made by the deputy. However, seeing as Jed seems hell-bent on agitating the already excitable man, who just took a swing at Jed!!
This situation is spiraling out of control, rapidly, especially once the furious deputy drops his hand to the handle of his gun. Doc, hands held up in a defensive manner, slowly and deliberately backs away from the two men, his pistol hanging from his index finger by the trigger guard...
"Now, now gentleman, surely there is a misunderstanding here. I'm sure we can work things out if we all keep calm and remember Ecclesiastes 9:18 - 'Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.'"
[Crunch]
Persuade (Untrained) - D4-2 + D6 Wild Die
[Calvin Dalton, a little exasperated]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
"What in the hell is going on out there now?" He stands to peer out the window, shaking his head.
[Tony, worried where this is heading]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
Growing up in Boston, Tony saw his fair share of trouble with the law, but he's never seen any police officer act like this.
After what they've just been through Tony has no desire to be killed by an irate deputy. He makes sure to keep his hands well away from his weapons, so as not to tempt fate.
[GM]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
Deputy Marsters is obviously very agitated, and the crowd around them thought his tumble into manure was quite humorous. Well, until a gun was drawn. Now everyone cringes wondering what's to become of these men who got on the wrong side of Marsters. Everyone knows he's a hothead, but he's been worse than ever since he was passed up for Sheriff.
Deputy Marsters draws down on Jed. "Naw see, imma done bein' reasonable I gave y'all a derect order to hand over yer weapons. NOW DO EET!"
[CRUNCH]
Jed rolls Persuasion D4-2 & Wild Die -2
Persuasion D4-2 = 2-2 = 0 (Failure)
Wild Die D6-2 = 1-2 = -1 (Failure)
Doc attempts Persuasion D4-2 & Wild Die -2
Persuasion D4-2 = 3-2 = 1 (Failure)
Wild Die D6-2 = 2-2 = 0 (Failure)
[Jed, Cautious]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
In this round of poker, Jed had been dealt a pair of deuces. Up until now, the stakes were his gun and words, but the deputy just raised his wager by a bullet or two. Jed's options were to raise the stakes again and call on his magic, call the deputy's bluff and draw his gun, or fold his hand and surrender his gun. Well, Jed sure wasn't about to draw his gun on a lawman - not like this, and not with Marsters's gun pointed at him already; and using his magic would just mean his being chased out of another town by an angry mob again. Nope, Jed knew when to fold - this hand may be lost, but there may be another to be dealt yet.
"OK, Deputy," Jed replied as he slowly withdrew his gun from its holster. "Don't shoot - I'm handin' over my gun right here." Jed extends his gun slowly toward Deputy Marsters, handle first. Still not trusting the deputy, Jed keeps alert for any sign of danger.
[CRUNCH]
Notice(Untrained): d4-2/Wild Die
[GM]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
Marsters looks almost hungry, and somewhat feral as he reaches out and takes Jed’s Pistol.
“Tha’ss right mister, yer’ gunna spend some time in the cell block if I’mma havin’ mah way!”
Before Jed is forced to comply or respond to the wild Deputy, Marshal Young’s voice rings out like a bell over the hushed crowd.
“MARSTERS! Put yer’ gall’damned gun down this instant and get back to the station! I’ll question these men.”
Deputy Marsters looks like he’s just been told to swallow a cactus but he eventually returns to a color more befitting a man and speaks up in an even, reasoned tone.
“Absolut’leh Sherriff Marshal Young. I’ll git back ta’ the office an’ start on meh report. Were jus’ about done here anyhow.”
Before leaving though Marsters gives a look of pure hatred to Jed as he hands Jed his gun. That look is telling Jed that this may not be over, not by a long shot. He turns and heads down the street. Inexplicably people start about their daily lives like nothing happened.
[CRUNCH]
Rolls negated, none necessary
Fate Chip earned: pulled White
[Teddy, not surprised]
ReplyDeleteSeeing as how Teddy's been part of the town for quite some time, he's no stranger to Marsters' antics. He thinks he's all bark and no bite, and that's why he voted Marshal Young to sheriff along with the majority of the other townsfolk.
Teddy, a bit slower than most due to his age, walks out of the saloon after the commotion has settled down, chewing on a bit of his tobacco and he spits a wad into the arid dirt.
"So what now Sheriff? It seems like we've got a gang set for good and I'd love yer permission to get going on it before more of these dead start sproutin' their heads out the mulberry bush they lie under."
[Crunch]
Persuasion if necessary
[GM]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
Marshal Young looks at Teddy. He’d always considered the man was a nice fella, albeit a mite strange. Honestly though, who wouldn’t be after some of the hardships that had been put upon the man. He’d never had occasion to witness the steel spine being showed right now though.
“You sure you’re up for this old timer? I mean, you were safe enough up in that window and I know you have a sturdy aim with Kate there, I’ve seen it at the local festivals. This though… bound to be a rather dangerous journey. Some of ye might not come back at all iffin’ this little showdown be any precursor to the action that might be against ya.”
The marshal chewed his lip and raised his voice so the men and Agatha could hear him.
“As fer permission, I think it best I jus’ get out of yer way and pretend I don’t know what I do. The law isn’t the best sort of thing to handle a mess like this. I can’t be leavin’ Prairie’s Edge anyhow. Can’t leave that fool of a Deputy in charge, who’s anger is likely bein’ stoked by whatever the Hell is affecting us all. Who knows what he’d get up to with me out of the picture. I gotta protect these folks even if they don’t know they need it, seems I need to stick close to town.”
Agatha speaks up.
“You men are free to choose whether you help or not. I’ve given you the general locations of where I think you might meet the source of our problems head on so you are free to head that way if you wish. I sincerely hope you do so. I intend to stay here as well, hopefully I can contact you in some manner if I feel your attention needs to return to this town or if I get information that may assist. I’m… not a fighter, much to my shame. I feel I may also just get in the way.”
[Doc Fitzroy, relieved]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
Doc lets out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He lowers his hands and holsters his pistol as the volatile deputy storms off. He quickly says the Lord's Prayer under his breath, thanking God for the Marshal's timely intervention.
"Mr. Dalton, where was it that you last saw the newly re-deceased Mr. Jenkins at? Perhaps that would be a good place to start and to figure out how he came about his peculiar... condition?"
Doc looks at the rest of the group and just sort of shrugs, feeling completely out of his element.
[Tony, very much relieved]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
"Docs right boys. We need to trace this thing back to its source. If we can find out what turned those men into walking corpses then maybe we can find a way to stop it".
Tony turns and nods to Doc.
[Jed, relieved]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
Not particularly happy at making another enemy, but used to the experience, Jed holsters his weapon and steps out of the Deputy's way, not breaking eye contact until the Deputy does - there's certainly no need to be yellow now.
Listening to the others, Jed's attention turns back to Pete's decaying form. Jed looks off in the direction he figures Pete had come from, squinting as if he might see the upturned earth he had emerged from in the distance. Not one to let a mystery go unsolved, Jed speaks when the others pause.
"Well, Miss Agatha, Marshal Young, I aim to find out just what's going on here, and how to put a stop to it, if I can. Gentlemen, what do y'all say?"
[Doc, curious]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
"Ms. Agatha, Marshall, is there some place we can take these bodies so that I may examine them more thoroughly? This is quite a medical mystery and I believe any information is good information." Doc looks over his companions, noting their adrenaline beginning to recede and weariness setting in. "I think we could all use a rest, however, and perhaps set out at dawn tomorrow?"
[GM]
ReplyDeleteHarold steps out onto the porch, he looks weary but relieved.
“Bring them into my cellar around back if you wish to examine them Doctor. I’ve a few older tables down there and some of my dental implements that may assist you in your look over of the bodies. I’ll even help you carry them. I do need to set up for the midday crowd, so if you all wish to rest please make your way upstairs and I’ll arrange some extra bedding to be laid out.”
Agatha’s excitement level seems to vanish immediately at the concept of rest. She speaks up.
“Yes, as much as the idea of you all rushing off in a blind race to “save us” intrigues me it makes sense for you to rest up and perhaps make some arrangements before you leave. Let’s help Doc transport these bodies and then I plan to sleep for a few hours.”
[CRUNCH]
Please use today through Sunday October 13 th for anything you wish to accomplish in town before moving on to whatever destination you all agree on. There are three general spots Agatha has suggested and it has been mentioned that some may wish to go to the burial site of Pete Jenkins’ first burial. Just let me know where you wish to go next and what you want to do in town, you can utilize Twitter or Email for Out of Character discussion of your next location if you wish.
[OOC]
DeleteSounds good to me!
[Calvin Dalton, irritated and lookin for answers]
ReplyDelete[fluff]
"Ain't no rest in these parts it seems, not even for the dead," he said. "Don't reckon I'll sleep much tonight anyway. I'm fixin to head over to the grave site. I dunno why, but I think I need to see the holes I filled with them boys."
Calvin's tone made it clear he was going shortly with, or without company.
"I'll wet my throat first if I may, Mr. Harold?"
[Doc, contemplative]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
Doc helps Harold move the more intact bodies down to the cellar, his medical bag and Tony in tow, and proceeds to spend a few hours performing something akin to an autopsy on Pete and some of his cronies. He takes detailed notes, though a lot of what he's seeing doesn't make sense.
[Crunch]
Notice OR Smarts (general medical knowledge) D8 + D6 Wild Die to find any clues beyond the obvious undeadedness...
[Tony, excited to get started]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
Tony follows Doc down into the cellar and removes his text books from his bag. Taking note of what Doc discovers during his autopsy, Tony searches through his books for any information that can help the group.
[Crunch]
Knowledge or Smarts D8 to see if Tony can find any information on how the Jenkins Boys could have been brought back to life
[Jed, tired but willing to push on]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
Jed hears the conviction in Cal's voice and, despite his own weariness, wants to learn what's what. "You know, Cal, I think you have the right idea - I'm with you." Shaking his head to try to loose the bonds of exhaustion, but only succeeding in making his head spin a little, Jed steadies himself and steps toward Cal, ready to push on. "Let's see these graves that couldn't hold these fellas."
[CRUNCH]
Jed's all too tired to go on, really, but his Curiosity is too strong. We'll see if it's strong enough to overcome his Heavy Sleeper hindrance. :-D
[Cal, Rethinking the booze he just asked for]
ReplyDelete[fluff]
Cal noticed Jed's weariness, and it tugged on his own eyelids.
"On second though, maybe some Coffee before we go instead?" he asked Harold.
[Teddy, returning from his short hike to his apartment]
ReplyDelete[fluff]
Teddy dusts off his hands as if to say "that's that" and has his large bag swung over his shoulder.
"All my earthly possessions accounted for."
What most don't understand is that Teddy has been waiting for this moment all of his life, he believes this has got to lead him to some answers about where in the future he came from, and how. He wont admit that, not just to anyone, at least.
"Closed my rent at the apartment. Where's Doc and the youngin'?"
After hearing that they're down examining the bodies, and some are headed to the grave sight, Teddy decides he ain't no doctor, so he'd be better help with a shovel than a scalpel.
He pulls out his own personal whiskey, sits on a stump, and begins to take casual pulls from the flask until the party is ready to move out.
[GM]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
After grabbing a bite to eat and some of the coffee Harold brewed up, Doc and Tony descend into the cellar where the bodies had been laid out. One of the first things Doc notices is something missing, the smell of rot. The level of decay on these bodies should be producing that sickly sweet smell he is all too accustomed too. While it is a welcomed absence, he is very much unsettled by it. It’s as if these bodies have somehow simply stopped their natural decay into naught but bone and instead entered a stasis of sorts. He wonders aloud to Tony whether these bodies would rot any further if left alone now. Something tells him they wouldn’t. As to what brought these foul wretches back to life, he could only guess. He is quite certain the head, specifically the brain, appears to be the creatures weak spot.
Using Doc’s analysis and his own studies Tony comes across a portion in his textbooks that certainly seems a likely candidate for what is going on. On instinct he remembers a passage about an odd area of the Bermudas where the crew of an entire ship disappeared. Disappearance had little to do with their matter at hand but it was Paranormal Explorer Frederick Gadsly’s summation of his research on the area that intrigued him. Namely, because Gadsly’s notes of this odd occurrence maintain that he assumes the problematic area to be the shape of a triangle. Even amongst the teachers and students of the Paranormal Gadsly was considered something of a blowhard and prone to exaggeration so many hadn’t followed up on his studies. What little Tony looks at only mentions Gadsly stating he had found a way to “destroy the sources of what generated the field of activity”. Sadly there is little else to note as Gadsly himself disappeared when he embarked on his journey to do just that.
[CRUNCH]
Doc F rolls Notice D8 and Smarts D8 while looking over the bodies of the undead with a +2 bonus for taking his time & bouncing ideas off Tony.
Notice D8 = 4+2 = 6 (Success)
Wild Die D6 = 2+2 = 4 (Success)
Smarts D8 = 3+2 = 5 (Success)
Wild Die D6 = 1+2 = 3 (Failure)
Tony Rolls Knowledge (Science) D8 & Smarts D8 in his research of the situation with a +2 bonus for taking his time & bouncing ideas off Doc F.
Knowledge (Science) D8 = 6+2 = 8 (Success with a Raise)
Wild Die D6 = 5+2 = 7 (Success)
Smarts D8 = 7+2 = 9 (Success with a raise)
Wild Die D6 = 6(Ace!)+1+2 = 9 (Success with a raise)
[GM]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
Cal remembers the way to the burial site where criminals are put to rest (or at least the ones where kin folk had no say in their burial) like the back of his hand, so after coffee and grub they head out. He’d always felt some small duty to oversee the “puttin’ in the dirt” of whatever would-be rustler came after his cargos. It was just a short jaunt but the horses lent to him, Jed, and Teddy by Marshal Young were welcomed.
Soon upon arriving they were met with an ominous sight, by their reckoning there wasn’t a grave left undisturbed. Hole after hole had been opened in the earth. Even holes in spots where there weren’t an indication a body had been buried there before. Cal & Teddy were aware that this had been a burial spot for generations before the town of Prairie’s Edge but weren’t aware of just how many may have been buried here. Their count of holes put it at roughly 50 grave sites. If there were any bodies left in the ground, they were unmarked graves.
While the others are taken aback Jed gets the idea to look for tracks and easily finds the trail of the pestilence that they fought with that day leading back to town. The other trail he finds frightens him, it seems every other print heads due north towards about the area Agatha pinpointed the northern tip of the triangle. Seems Pete and his boys were the only ones who felt they had someplace else to be. The remainder of the horde however… well, Jed just prayed there weren’t any folk in that direction.
Cal suddenly notices something he missed, there was one gravesite undisturbed. They get to work digging and when they finally reach the casket it is with no small trepidation that they open it up. Inside lay the skeleton of a man, unmoving, with a cross on a chain around his neck.
[CRUNCH]
All three men roll Notice
CAL
Notice D6 = 6+2 = 8 (Success with a Raise)
Wild Die D6 = 4 (Success)
JED
Notice D4-2 = 4(Ace!)+4(Ace!)+1-2 = 7 (Success)
Wild Die = 2 (Failure)
TED
Notice D4 = 3 (Failure)
Wild Die D6 = 3 (Failure)
[Jed, Tired, Cautious, & Mildly Nervous]
ReplyDelete[Fluff]
Jed shivers a little when his tired mind puts the pieces together and he realizes just how much his compadres and him are up against. He shivers again when he thinks about how many other graves may be out there. He reaches inside his vest, pulls out his deck of cards, and shuffles them in his hands as he considers their next steps.
"Well, then, gents, it seems our next step is to go North, wouldn't you say? We should go back to town to get Doc and Tony." Jed looks down at the undisturbed corpse, then adds, "While we're there, maybe we should get our own blessed cross necklaces." Jed draws a card from his deck at random, and grimaces when he sees the devil's bedpost. "At least it beats deuces and treys," Jed mutters to himself, then puts the deck back in his pocket.
[Teddy, pensive]
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"Time ... Seems to be of the essence," says Teddy as he palms the shovel and heaves his old body up onto the horseback, kicking dirt off from the soles of his shoes.
"We can try to visit the Priest in town and see if he can bless us or provide us with the necklaces. I ain't ever been one for jewelry but I am one for staying dead if that just so happens."
Teddy looks over the desert land as the sun begins to fall lower in the sky and says, "Well, let's report back and get the necklaces, a good night's rest - then in the morning, ride north following these tracks."
[GM]
ReplyDelete[FLUFF]
After the day’s events, one wouldn’t expect the town of Prairie’s Edge to sleep so well, but sleep It did. Almost no one walked the streets when Cal, Jed, and Teddy made their way into town, constantly looking over their shoulders expecting some undead horde to saunter from the shadows behind them.
Once they reached the tavern they found Tony and Doc Fitzroy huddled with Agatha and Harold, their looks were grim. Tony spoke first about his findings, and that they bore a similarity with an area in the Bermudas. The information was tantalizing, but ultimately it taught them little other than someone else never made it back from his expedition to destroy the root of the cause. At least it seems like there may be a way to do it.
Patrick went next and explained something everyone could get behind, information on how to better harm these creatures. A shot to the head hurts them a lot, and damage to the body does work to end their life as well. Good news for some of the less “sharp shots” in the bunch.
Lastly, the ill news from the three who made the trip out of town was shared. No one took that well. Remembering the savagery with which one of the beasts went after his throat with his teeth Doc found himself absently rubbing the slight nick he took there. The mention of the cross necklace sent Doc F into some biblical quotations which honestly no one took much mind to, seems something kept that man in his grave, might have been the cross. Harold left to see if he could rouse Father Henry, to see about fashioning some for the men. With little else to do, the group of weary folk fell into troubled sleep. Nightmares came on far too easily that eve.
[GM]
ReplyDelete[CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER ONE - CRUNCH]
As a play by post blog by nature takes a lengthy amount of time I am awarding everyone 5 Experience points to spend prior to the start of Chapter 2.
Experience points may be spent thusly:
Every 5 points accumulated grants a hero an Advance. An Advance lets a character do one of the following:
• Gain a new Edge.
• Increase a skill that is equal to or greater than its linked
attribute by one die type.
• Increase two skills that are lower than their linked
attributes by one die type each.
• Buy a new skill at d4.
• Increase one attribute by a die type.*
*You may only choose this option once per Rank.
No Trait may be raised above a d12 (but see
the Professional and Expert Legendary Edges).
Legendary characters may raise an attribute every
other Advance.