Chapter 2 - Cash Dollars on the Hoof

[Rex]

Charlie

Charlie positions himself between the back door and the horses, behind some cover if there is any. If no cover is available he will kneel ready to shoulder his carbine.

[ateno]

Doos will position himself near Charlie, now and arrow out.

[redwarrior]

william follows Charlie and Doos as quietly as possible, looking for any available cover close to the back door.

[cybersavant]

Andreas Larson eases up to the east side, whichever corner is farthest from the lighted window, and then sidles along the wall toward the window, staying back out of the light for now.

[Grognardsw]

“Give me one chance to get the jump on them before all your hell breaks loose,” Paladin said to the posse before they took positions. “Maybe we can avoid gunplay. If not, you’ll hear my signal to charge in.”

Paladin went up to the front door, knocked firmly and said: “Open up. Harvey Alder sent me. I got news.”

[Bluetongue]

Sebastian

Mounted still but behind Mr Paladin.

[jemmus]

Gideon McLaury dismounts and says, I betcha the bay is probably mine, the one the Wiley boys robbed from me. Either way, I'm takin it. He dismounts and hands the reins of his old horse to the youngest Tonkawa. Young fella, please keep it in yer mind that that ole nag ain't worth the trouble of stealin. He draws his old cap and ball Navy Colt pistol, holds it upright, and moves with exaggerated stealthy care down the gradual slope toward the house. He takes a position in the dark, 30 feet or so from the east window, and peers through it.

Every open square on the map is prairie grass, ranging from a foot to two feet high. The ground slopes downward a little toward the north. I arbitrarily have Charlie and Doos in the toolshed, William behind the tree trunk, and Andreas south of the lit window on the east side of the house. Please feel free to change your char's position. Paladin is at the front door, of course.

The half moon is to the east, so the west side of structures are darker (in case that comes up). Need Sebastian's position, when you're ready.

[Bluetongue]

Sebastian.

I cannot see any map but my description would put me on my horse in the yard in front of the house, somewhere a few yards behind Paladin at the door.

[Rex]

Charlie

Charlie is good with that location.

[redwarrior]

William is good with his location. He has an angle on 2 windows and a door. That also means that two windows and a door have an angle on him, but the tree should be somewhat decent cover.

[jemmus]

GM post above was edited a little later after the initial posting. (I forgot Gideon McLaury's action). Please re-read.

While the various travelers approach the house via more circuitous routes, Sebastian rides his filmy-eyed old Army horse down the slope toward the front door. He stops it a little behind Paladin. In the quiet night in this lonely, isolated place, all of the men can hear the conversation of the three men inside.

Voice 1: Well, ya ain't the first one to lose yer head over... [indistinct] I raise ya a nickel.
Voice 2: I'll call. Yeah, she does... [indistinct]
Voice 3: You take that back, Ferdie! Ya ain't seen no dimples!

It's silent for a while.
Voice 1: [Indistinct] ...raise, call, er fold. Time's a-wastin.

Paladin knocks at the door and says that he has a message from Harvey Adler.
Voice 2: Whut the heck...?!
There's the sound of wooden crates suddenly scuffing along a hollow wood floor and boots thumping back and forth across it.
Voice 2: Dammit, Davidson! Don't stand there lookin dumb! Git yer datgum shotgun! Oh yeah, and make sure ya got a shell in the chamber! Ya horse's butt!

The front door of the house swings open, audible to everyone who is positioned around the house. Paladin and Sebastian see a crate in the middle of the room with a coal oil lamp with a sooty glass chimney and small denomination coins sitting on it. Behind, a man with a carbine and a shorter and younger man with a heavy gauge shotgun stand, weapons leveled and aimed at chest height at the front entrance.

From the east side of the outside the house, there's an excited and gleeful whoop. But it quickly stifles itself and cuts short to silence. The men with rifle and shotgun glance left, to the dimly-moonlit rider behind Paladin. Both adjust their aims toward the black-clad man's chest. Or in the case of the baby-faced shorter and younger of the two, lower. Toward the gun for hire's midsection.

[jemmus]

The tree trunk is around 2 feet wide, and it's shaded from the moonlight by the canopy of branches and leaves. At the moment, William has partial line of sight through the back window to the man with the leveled carbine rifle. 1/3rd obscured by the right frame of the window, and another 1/3rd obscured by the lower frame of the window. In other words, William has sight of 2/3rds of the man's left side, and 2/3rds of his body from head to foot. Rolled shots that go to ( for example) right shoulder or lower leg may be ineffective or at reduced damage.

[Grognardsw]

“You boys best put down those guns unless you want Harvey Alder to put a price on your heads,” said Paladin. ”I’m here to talk about those horses the Wiley brothers stole.”

Paladin remained calm in the face of the guns, hoping that would help convince them. Knowing that the bluff could collapse at any moment.

[ateno]

Doos would like to be just outside the tool shed on the southwest corner, the darkness providing some cover and room to use his bow or move behind the shed if needed.

[jemmus]

Noted about Doos's position. Need a hornswoggling Luck roll for Paladin.

[Grognardsw]

Paladin Luck - 9 [1d20]=9

By the skin of his teeth?

[jemmus]

Per the rules, that's a successful roll. Going to PM Paladin and Sebastian about what they see.

Andreas, Charlie, Doos and William hear a voice say, Harvey Adler, huh. Who's that fella behind ya setting on a horse? And who are you? And who was that yippin out there? Andreas glances at Gideon McLaury, who is standing in the dark, long old Navy pistol drawn, brow knitted, and keenly observing happenings on the other side of the eastern window.

I should have mentioned more clearly before. The cut-off chortle was distinctly in McLaury's voice.

[Grognardsw]

"These parts are dangerous, so I'm not about to travel alone. I've got company all around," said Paladin. "I'm Richard Boone. The yipper is laughin Larry, a bit happy on the trigger. So it's best not to start firing. Now let's put the damn guns down, sit and talk. You have any whiskey in here?"

Paladin strode in toward the gambling table.

[Bluetongue]

Sebastian

"Shotgun Davidson.

If you wanna save your soul from hell, a-riding on our range. Then, cowboy, change your ways today
Or with ghosts you will ride. Trying to catch the devil's herd, across these endless skies."

He speaks lyrically to the shotgun wielder, trying to intimidate him a little into lowering his weapon or pointing it elsewhere.

Sebastian: Luck roll vs 8 [1d20]=3 Stature vs 7 [1d20]=13

[jemmus]

PMs were sent to Paladin and Sebastian, who are inside the house. PCs outside the house, you can only hear voices only. It's nightfall, but it's still damn hot here in the night of Texas June. The Moon and stars raise above a beautiful clear night sky.

The men outside the house hear this in response to Sebastian.

A voice they haven't heard before: Feller, yer kind of a wiseass [indistinct] bandaged up and ridin half sloppy-saddle, ain't ya? Come on in, we got pretty women with [indistinct] caresses out here. You take yer pick of em. There's a chuckle.

There's the stamp of a boot on the floorboards, and the men watching the lit windows see a rather short young man on the chubby side back toward the northeast corner of the room. He's holding a 10-gauge single-shot shotgun.

The voice of the rustler who's been doing the speaking: Ya know Harvey, and ya somehow managed to find this dog-ass piece a sh*t place. Whut's up? Guverment? Time to move? By the way, [indistinct] eight-ball people to ride with. Ya down on yer luck? [Indistinct] them new clothes.

I got it. They're onto Harvey. He sent you bushwhackers to git rid of us. That the man says loud and with emphasis, so that every word is distinct.

Sebastian's voice, from inside the house: Heavy heels and itchy fingers don't make a [indistinct]. Unless we want a last dance each, can you be civil about this? Gentle caresses right?

Paladin's voice: For the last time, holster the gun or you'll be in a world of trouble. I was in a rush, so I took what people I could. You should be grateful for the extra numbers. We may need them. Your guess is close. We do need to move the horses. A pain-in-the-ass I know, but there's extra money out there for each of you for the trouble.

The apparent leader's voice: I expect I'll hang onto this piece fer a while. Might be a rattlesnake [indistinct]. In the dark or in the light. Speakin of which, ya never did say how you [indistinct]. It ain't like it's on a crossroads on the highway from New Orleens to San Antone, is it? I don't know if Harvey Adler even knows about it.

How long you known Harvey [indistinct] knowed Rick? [indistinct] I never heard nothin about you. Er you either, Mr. Poet. He looks at Sebastian. Though I'm more inclined to put faith in a shot-up cowpunch [indistinct].

Some seconds pass. Mr. Boone, yer signal yer yipper and them other boys outside thet if they set hand on them horses, both of y'all will [indistinct] corpses faster than grease through a goose. And then git ready to fight em all. Lights out, and them boys git [indistinct] this dark ole house however they choose to.

I'd invite ya to play a hand a poker, but this ole boy don't know how to play it standin up. [Indistinct] By the way, how did ya find this old place?

The watchers outside listen and watch. Andreas on the east wall sees Gideon McLaury, hunched over, eyes wide, pistol up, start moving stealth-wise toward the eastern window.
The half moon creeps more and more toward straight overhead. And the June night out on the prairie grasslands starts getting a little bearably cool.

To summarize, the situation is:
-Charlie, Doos and William are at the back of the house, weapons waiting, and undetected. Doos with his bow shifted position to his optimal.
-Andreas is along the east side of the house, unobserved. With Gideon McLaury on the broad side of the house, audibly detected.
-Sebastian and Paladin are inside the house. Paladin is successfully slinging b.s., so far. Sebasian is a wild card, as yet. But it seems that he's an assigned target.

Need an Observation roll for every PC. (A lot of Obersvation skill is currently in play) .PCs with Scouting skill, if outside the house, at +2.