Agents of the Denver-Pacific.

[Stirling]

Bridge over La Ramie Tears Creek. Six miles north of Allerdice Springs.

5.00pm.

Alice collects her pebbles. She thinks Rourke may have lost his marbles. The creek is more than a 100'ft wide and the bridge spans the river at a height of 20'ft or more. Not a considerable height, but no telling how deep the water is or if dangerous rocks lie submerged just beneath the surface. White ripples among the slow flowing water indicate the presence of rocks here and there.

Billy directs from below pointing out where the caught geese are. "To the left a bit. Yeah, close to the side of the injuns' face."

Rourke walks across the solid wooden bridge finding he is able to climb between the barrier and stand just above the squat pillar which upholds the middle of the bridge. The geese honk below and struggle against their snares. They try to fly away but the more protest they do the more they seem entangled. The birds seem trapped by a very fine sticky filament, more like a thick silky cotton thread than a wire or rope. You notice several more strands linger along the underside of the bridge or coat the pillar heads. In the sunlight they twinkle with sticky dew drops. As you stretch forth one hand to grab a filament and haul in a goose like a fish on the end of a line you find that the dew is rather glue and you cannot immediately let go of the snare.

You have this sudden realisation that the geese have flown into a huge spider web and that you and the two geese are pulling on the web strands. Crawling from inside a dark cavity between the carved heads at the top of the pillar is a huge spider. It snaps venomous mandibles and interprets the impulses generated by the tugging threads to decide which is a juicier meal.

Initiative and actions please.

Edited following initiative draw. Rourke acts on Joker then spider acts.

Second draw to be posted soon.

[Bluetongue]

Rourke

He scales the fence to slip down closer to the pillar and begins to haul in one of the snared geese when suddenly he finds the snare is not some loose wire but spider thread and he is caught also! Lucky to be ambidextrous, he draws his revolver and fires at the spider creature hoping to kill it or cause it to hunker back in the crevice.

Rourke fires pistol: Shooting skill [1d6] = 5 wildcard [1d6] = 6
Rourke WC shooting Ace [1d6] = 5

Draw & fire penalty negated by joker card bonus.

Shooting 11

Rourke: Shooting damage +1 [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 6 Raise extra [1d6] = 6
Rourke: Shooting damage Ace [1d6] = 5 Raise Ace [1d6] = 1

Shooting damage 26

"Yeah take that critter!" I think that should kill it no trouble. If so he will.call Billy or Alice to help him with the sticky strands and bring in both geese, breaking their necks or slitting their throats abd taking the carcasses for dinner or trade as we see fit.

[Gremlin]

Alice

Alice is startled by the sudden, loud rapport of a gunshot. Knowing there are potentially hostile natives in the area, her head snaps towards the sound. However she relaxes somewhat when she hears Rourke holler about a 'critter'. Why is he yelling and shooting at geese? She starts to trot over to investigate.

Seems reasonable for a 'non-action' since Alice doesn't get an actual action until the spider(s) do something and then Billy has an action and Rourke goes again.

[Stirling]

Bridge over La Ramie Tears Creek.

Six miles north of Allerdice Springs.
5.05pm.

A huge spider, a big as a man, a monstrous aberration is simply one-shotted by 'Ace' Rourke who calmly blows the smoke away from his gun barrel.

Stuck on silky web strands, you have to be cut free but you are able to haul in the two trapped geese and two quick snaps later their carcasses are thrown across the horses.

You pick up the pace to follow the track across the plains until you near a large set of hills. They have pine forests growing on their sides and BillyTwo-Jaws points out that they form a large upside down horseshoe shape, with wings going to the left and right. "We cut through the rock over on the left. Mr Tyrone viewed that as the softest rock and the demolition crew followed the route of some old mine works. "

The track goes that way and you see as you round a bend a dark tunnel in front of you. The entrance is dark and visibility reduced to the first 30'ft so. There is no light at the end of the tunnel so you may presumed it curves slightly as it tunnels under the hillside.

The sunlight fades as afternoon sinks into early evening.

give me your actions and any trait rolls. If yiu want to enter the tunnel, camp or journey over or around the hills.

[Bluetongue]

Rourke

He realises that a lucky hit saved him from a world of fang toothed trouble. He doesn't stop to investigate any spider nest in the pillar cavity. Happy to have his own goose saved and takes a brace of fowl for later.

The tunnel seems an obvious place for danger but then is that any less so than going through a forest or a longer trip around the hills? What have we got to be afraid of?

We have lanterns so can ar least see (or be seen?) in the tunnel. Rourke discusses with Alice and Billy Two-Jaws so we make a decision we can all be happy with. How does Billy react to the tunnel? Maybe passing through it before he had issues, accidents, encounters?

Going over the hills and through the forest seems a more likely chance of contacting natives. Dark tunnels only seem scary because we can't see. At least we know no trains will speed upon us. We could go through tunnel now or find a suitable camp ( sounds really odd. A tunnel out of the wind and rain ... what us more suitable?).

Alice thoughts?

Going to the edge of the tunnel, can he hear anything?
Rourke Notice roll [1d6] = 4 Wild Card [1d6] = 5

[Gremlin]

Alice

"It's still not too late to head back to the camp and get a fresh start in the morning," Alice says to Rourke, out of earshot of Billy. "Being out here with hostiles in the area when we don't need to be doesn't sit right with me."

Alice looks at the tunnel apprehensively. If they used it for shelter tonight, at least they wouldn't be exposed out in the open. On the other hand, who knows what lurks inside? "Billy, do you know what this tunnel is?"

Checking out the tunnel [1d4] = 3,[1d6] = 6
Ace roll [1d6] = 2
Notice roll of 8

Is the tunnel large enough so it's not a tight fit for the horses?

[Stirling]

Uncas Horseshoe Tunnel.

6.30pm.


the tunnel has been cut under the hillside and has a train track laid through it. It is big and wide enough for your horses. Alice notices the train track ...

Billy Two-Jaws reminds you again that the tunnel followed some old mine works and went under the hillside and curved slightly, exiting away from the old burial or hunting grounds the native Sioux had raised as an issue.The track is being laid to Laramie which is situated inside Sioux Nations territory and in order to run the line through to there, certain reciprocal agreements were made. The raid on the labourers and camp was conducted by a tribe still hostile.

He says the tunnel is probably a quater of a mile long. "Takes but a minute or two by train. Had no problems before inside. They reckon there's a couple of barricaded entrances to the old mine shafts. Water seeps through from the rocks above in places but never heard anyone safe the tunnel was in danger of collapse or anything."

Rourke spurs Deuce, his horse forward to check the tunnel out. The horse whinnies but is calmed when you light a lantern, holding it up to shine light and assess the structure. You enter a short way.

Green moss and slime line the walls, some bracken. The deeper you go in the drier it is and each footstep echoes hollowly. You hear a pitter-patter of water dripping on one side and looking, find in the mushy earth several wet hoof prints follow alongside the track.

give me a decision on pressing on, camping or returning.

[Gremlin]

My bad, I hadn't realized this is our destination and this is the train tunnel. I thought we had come across an old mine or something. This is where the attack took place then, yes? So there should be trampled tents and such nearby as well?

[Stirling]

To the south-east I hear the Union reinforcing some old encampments. We got a new iron bridge crossing the creek ahead. Then more open country. Line goes straight until the Uncas Horseshoe, that's a curve of hills which we tunnelled through. After that ... well you'll see for yourself."

The site of the raid must be close to the other side of the tunnel or hills.

[Bluetongue]

Rourke

"I'll tell you what. The tunnel is wind and rain proof. We can light a fire in reasonable security and goose is on the menu. I'm a bit saddle sore from riding anyways. Rather not camp in the middle of the raided site. Don't see any point riding a dozen miles back to the foreman empty handed. We can make good here and press on in the morning."

He dismounts and leads his horse into the tunnel, perhaps 30 yards or so to a dry spot with some gravel not dirt for his sleeping blanket. He will pitch a lantern on dim a few feet further in so that it may radiate light and anyone sneaking up will be highlighted before they get upon us.

Then he goes starts plucking the feathers off a goose while firewood is collected.

If we station a watch I say we do 3 x 3 hours vigils between us. I will take the middle hours.

[Gremlin]

Alice

"Our goose really will be cooked," Alice mutters to herself. To Rourke she says, "You have more experience in such matters, I trust your judgement." Did she mean it? She was starting to have doubts. For all she knew the tunneling might have disturbed the burial grounds, and she didn't like ghosts. She couldn't punch a hostile ghost.

"While you prepare supper I'm going to go scout around, see if there are any trails or other signs of where the camp is."

Alice will leave Copper with Rourke and Billy while she scouts around. She won't go too far, but she's looking for trails, tracks (human or animal, not train), signs of the camp or attack, and actual observers who might be watching them. She is attempting to move quietly and if possible unnoticed. I will make a Notice roll and Stealth roll in case they are needed. If nothing interesting is found she'll settle in for the night with the others. She will take the third watch so she can also do her morning exercises.

Notice [1d4] = 4, Wild die [1d6] = 5
Ace roll [1d4] = 4, Ace roll [1d4] = 3
Notice roll: 11

Stealth roll [1d6] = 3, Wild die [1d6] = 4
Stealth roll: 4

[Stirling]

Uncas Horseshoe Tunnel.

12 miles north of Allerdice Springs.
7.30pm.

Billy Two-Jaws fetches some wood and creates a little campfire inside the tunnel. Rourke deplumes one of the geese and fillets the breast and drumstick leg bones, skewer in them on debarred stakes to cook on the rustic campfire.

The trio of horses are loosely tied and fed. A small lantern lit to shine light a little further along the tunnel. All is quite, you hear occasional water droplets and the dripping goose fat sparks in the fire, the smoke funnelling along the roof and venting through cracks in the overhead rock.

Alice vents her unspoken frustration with a little scouting while dinner cooks. There are no obvious trails or footpaths in the grassland leading up to the tunnel. There were hoof prints in the tunnel but you don't follow them through the passage. Instead you scramble up the hillside to gain some vantage points. Reaching the peak above the tunnel you take your bearings. As you do so you hear some loud snorts, twigs snapping and heavy footfall. It doesn't come near you but is enough to make you freeze. You watch and wait, finally discerning amongst the trees a huddle of huge bovine shapes. Some bison are grazing on lush berries and greens. Sheltered in the middle are several calves. You watch them for a few minutes when suddenly a bison jerks its head your way and stares at the thicket you are behind. It snorts and turns to face you sniffing the air as if catching some scent on the wind.

Alice action please.

[Gremlin]

Alice

Alice's eyes widen at the sight of the large beasts. Fighting her instinct to turn and run, she slowly backs away from the herd back down the hillside. She hopes that she will not alert the herd by moving slowly. Good thing they didn't stumble up here on their horses. When she returns to the tunnel, she will tell the others about her encounter.

Another Stealth roll? [1d6] = 2, Wild die [1d6] = 3

I hope the caution in her initial scouting and then her backing away non-threateningly helps.

[Stirling]

Uncas Horseshoe Tunnel.

12 miles north of Allerdice Springs.
Sunday May 4th 1879.
3.00am.

Alice returns safely from her scouting mission. Perhaps on the plains you may have faced a charging bull but in the forest the skittish creatures lack room to run so with your stealthy approach being unseen they retreat further into the trees away from your scent. The hump backed creatures certainly tower in size over the diminutive Alice, at least six feet tall and easily weighing over a ton. It is understandable the destruction these beasts could create in a stampede.

The goose is cooked and eaten. Very juicy and Billy Two-Jaws is pleased with the result. He burps loudly in satisfaction.

You bed down on a patch of dry gravel, the fire embers cool and dim but you have a few more logs if you need. You rotate nightwatches.

The first hours go quietly but just around the time Alice should be woken, you all hear an echo in the darkness of the tunnel. It sounds like steps on the track line, booted feet walking awkwardly, maybe a foot dragging in the gravel. Hoarse voices garble in unison. "A fire ahead." "Meat, I smell meat" "More hands to assist us." "Yes, yes more hands to help and heads."

Your horses whinny at the unseen group as they approach from deep within the tunnels bowels.

Actions please and in case you decide to shoot first and ask questions later, I have posted a new initiative.


Billy Two-Jaws acts first. He puts on his boots and attends the horses to calm them.

[Bluetongue]

Rourke

As he quickly dresses, fixing his gunbelt on he tosses a couple of the spare logs onto the fire. He looks down the tunnel to past the light shed by the lantern, which he goes to fetch.

"Who comes through?" he asks regarding the unseen group. "Sure we got a warm fire and some goose to share. Are you injured?" He asks thinking it may be the scout group that went ahead a week or so ago.

He looks to Billy Two-Jaws to see if he recognises any of the voices.

Rourke Notice roll [1d6] = 6 Wild Card [1d6] = 1
Rourke Notice Ace roll [1d6] = 3

Lifting the lantern, what or who can he see?

[Gremlin]

Alice

"I don't like the sound of that," Alice whispers to Rourke when she hears what the unseen figures are saying. She quietly gets up and without another word lightly pads over to the horses, interposing the nearest one between her and the voices. If it turns out the newcomers are harmless then she was simply attending to the horse. In the meantime, she would rather be cautious. She draws one of her swords, just in case. The horse is large and she is small, so she should be pretty well shielded.

Might as well make a Stealth roll. Since we aren't actually taking aggressive action yet, does this count as our card actions?

Stealth skill [1d6] = 5, Wild die [1d6] = 6
Ace roll [1d6] = 5

11 on the Stealth roll if it's relevant.

[Stirling]

Uncas Horseshoe Tunnel.

3.05am.

The horses whinny and buck a little as the strangers approach down the dark tunnel. Billy Two-Jaws and Alice try to rein them in.

"That you Gruber? And you Tex?" Billy shouts down the tunnel, recognising voices in the dark. "It's them Rourke. The scout group sent out out a week ago." He says reassuringly. "You boys okay? Where you been at?"

The footsteps clip closer along the rails and as they emerge at the shadows edge you can see the silhouettes of a quartet of men, leaning upon each other for support, one man seems to be dragged along. One amongst them calls back, "That you Billy Two-Jaws? Who's your pardner? We're all Two-Jaws now.". Another gravelly voice chimes in, "We've been over the hill and back again. Couldn't leave one of us behind. All come back together."

"Yes, together together." they say in unison.

Rourke reaches the dimmed lantern and turns up the oil flow so that it radiates more light, holding it up as a beacon of hope to the returning crew.

...

Coming down the tunnel you see more clearly now who or what approaches you. The four men seem grotesquely conjoined, anyone remember drunken student parties playing games of naked Twister? .

In a weird and horrid malformation, the four scout crew are 'together together' as one twisted aberration. Some limbs still wear the vestiges of torn raiment, waistcoats and shredded canvas trousers, a couple of the heads sport stetson. A malicious gleam glints in the torchlight from the feral eyes of a couple of the heads which look you way. The creature steps awkwardly towards you, several legs moving in centipede fashion, arms flail wildly or hold each each up. One head is bowed at waist level, his arms trail the floor still gripping pistols. "Nice to meat you fella's again." The mouth slobbers.

The presence of the 'united group' causes you all to get nausea and frightful. Each person needs to make a Guts check at -2.

The horses themselves buck in a frenzy and you need a Riding check also to calm your horse else it runs away panicked by the creature. Sadly Deuce looks to bolts before Rourke can reach it. (I will allow Billy or Alice an Agility check to grab his reins and calm him if you succeed with your own mount.

Failure on the Guts roll gives you the Shaken condition and if you fail to remove it, a level of fatigue also until the encounter ends. A natural 1 on your Guts roll means you get to roll also on the Fright Table at [1d20+2].

Initiative drawn. Rourke first then I will act for Billy and the creature before Alice acts.

Alice your stealth roll is enough to keep you presently unseen in the shadows

actions Rourke please

[Bluetongue]

Rourke

Rourke: Guts test vs fear 4 [1d4-2] = 2-2 = 0 Wild Card [1d6-2] = 1-2 = -1

Rourke: spirit check vs Shaken [1d4] = 3 wc [1d6] = 1 Vigour check vs fatigue [1d8] = 8 wc [ 1d6] = 1

Spends Fate chip to remove Shaken condition and acts normally.

"Crikes Billy, that is your scout crew or what is left of them."

Rourke determines to put them out of their misery and opens fire. After he runs to take cover by the side of tunnel mouth.

Rourke fires pistol: Shooting skill [1d6] = 2 wildcard [1d6] = 4
Rourke pistol damage (2d6+1): [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 5 [1d1] = 1

10 damage.

[Stirling]

Uncas Horseshoe Tunnel.

3.10am

Billy Two-Jaws seems clearly upset by what he sees of his former colleagues. He begins to stammer his words and looks distracted. Thankfully he has enough wits to steady the horse and grabs Deuce before it panics and gallops away. "Whoa, steady on. It's just Gruber and Tex. They come back. Gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay."

Billy Two-Jaws Guts roll. Spirit. [1d6-2] = 2-2 = 0
Billy Two-Jaws vigour check to remove fatigue [1d6] = 1
Billy Two-Jaws riding check to restrain horse [1d4] = 4 Agility to grab 2nd horse [1d6] = 5

Billy gets shaken and also a level of fatigue which gives him -1 to future encounter traits.


'Gruber', the conjoined twisted body of men walk forward. They stagger with an awkward gait but their many legs give them an extra yard of speed. The thick trunk of multiple torso is hit by Rourke, taking a bullet between one of the men's ribcage. A head reels in pain then looks at the wound and jabs a finger and thumb between the bones. It roots around for a minute before gripping the bullet shell and pulling it free, flicking it nonchalantly against the tunnel wall with a ping.

The dangling torso closes one eye to fix upon the fleeing Rourke but his pistol shots also ping off the tunnel rockface. As the body nears the fire, one hand grabs the skewered goose and feeds a mouth which greedily feasts. Another head speaks up,

"Billy Two-Jaws listen to me. It's your old pal Gruber. Put down your weapons and help us. We mean you no harm." "No arms, no arms." growls another as they seek to intimidate the junior.

Gruber shoots pistols [1d6-2] = 1-2 = -1 [1d6-2] = 2-2 = 0 WC [1d6] = 2

The Gruber intimidates Billy [1d6] = 5 WC [1d6] = 6 Billy resists [1d4] = 4
The Gruber intimidates Billy reroll WC ace [1d6] = 5 Billy resists

In the face of the abomination and threats, Billy Two-Jaws' resolve begins to wilt and he starts to raise his hands in surrender.

Alice, your action for this round and as you draw the highest card you also go first next round.

So two actions please.

[Gremlin]

Alice

Going to spoiler the rolls this time because they overwhelm the narrative.

Guts check [1d4] = 1, [1d6] = 2
Don't forget to add Grit to Guts rolls, by the way. Two modifiers, -2 and then +1 for Grit is still just a 1. Since the Wild die rolled a 2, that's not a critical failure, right? I would spend a Fate Chip to reroll if not doing so would mean rolling on the Fright Table. Otherwise I'll let it ride since it makes narrative sense that Alice would be terrified at her first encounter with a supernatural horror.

Vigor roll [1d6] = 2, [1d6] = 3
Didn't succeed the Vigor roll, so -1 Fatigue for the encounter. Since it is her action, she gets a roll to try to remove the Shaken at -1 due to the Fatigue, correct?

Unshake [1d6] = 6, [1d6] = 5
I don't remember if rolling to Unshake is Spirit or Vigor, but Alice has a 1d6 in both of them so for her roll it doesn't matter. I don't think getting a raise on an Unshake roll does anything, does it? So there shouldn't be a need to roll the Ace, she unshakes regardless.

Also, I forgot to make the Riding check before doing the attack. Here is the result:
Riding check [1d4] = 2, [1d6] = 1

Alice is horrified by what she sees. That abomination isn't natural! Whatever happened to those poor men, they are far beyond saving now. Alice is so distracted by the horror facing them, the spooked Copper is able to jerk the reins out of her hand and bolts out of the tunnel. Alice's first instinct is to go after her horse, but she can't leave Rourke and Billy to face that thing alone.

Despite being a swordswoman, Alice doesn't want to get any closer to that thing than she has to. She trys to steel herself she lets Stones Fly From Her Hand.

Alice isn't fooling around. 3 Bolts each with an extra die. 6 power points total, leaving her with 14/20.

Bolt #1 [1d6] = 6, Bolt #2 [1d6] = 1, Bolt #3 [1d6] = 3, Wild Die [1d6] = 2
Ace roll [1d6] = 6, Ace roll [1d6] = 2
With the -1 due to Fatigue the results are: First Bolt = 13, Second Bolt = 1 (Wild Die), Third Bolt = 2
That should be one hit with a raise.

Bolt damage [1d6] = 3[1d6] = 4[1d6] = 6, raise [1d6] = 5
Ace roll [1d6] = 1
I don't think Fatigue subtracts from damage rolls, does it? So the total should be = 19

Alice's hand has an uncharacteristic tremor as she lets the stones fly. Two clearly miss their mark but one hits the abomination solidly.

I know Alice also has the next action, but I'll need to know what happens to the meat blob when it's hit. It could be hurt, it could be defeated (unlikely) or it could be completely unharmed. The state it's in will determine what Alice does next.