Tale #1: The Camel Train

[jemmus]

Walking along the hallway, Brother Brimston sees all kinds of images in the wall planks. A flying hawk, but with only one wing. A wailing ghost rising from the ground. A gila monster with a flaming head. A ham, complete with center bone, fat, rind, and some slices lying before it. And... a bindle bag hanging from a stick.

Reaching the slightly ajar door, Brimston stamps his feet and clears his throat. The way you would in rattlesnake-y ground, so no one gets startled and does something drastic. The point is to see what happened to Ned, not to lose your head due to buckshot. He pushes the door open and looks into the room.

[Samwell Turleton]

At the stamping of Brimston’s feet the snoring behind the closed door turns to some sputtering sounds and then stops.

As you clear your throat and stamp outside the room with the slightly open door you also hear a window open hurriedly, some cursing followed by scraping (shingles coming loose, perhaps?), and then a thud like a sack of potatoes being thrown from a moving wagon.

The door swings open with the creak of a hinge and as you look into the room there is an unmade bed, a muslin shirt caught on a loose nail by an open window, and an otherwise empty room.

[jemmus]

Brimston runs to the window as fast as his one good leg and one partially good leg will carry him. He looks out to see if he can spot a shirtless person running around. He takes the muslin shirt, folds it, and tucks it in his belt. He then takes a look around the room, wondering why someone would run off like that.
Assess [2d6-1] = 5-1 = 4 Seems like Brimston's lucky coin flip hasn't kicked in yet.

[Samwell Turleton]

this might be Casketlands good luck it gets taken from someone else.

Are you talking about the assess roll or the person falling off the roof? I was thinking the latter

[jemmus]

The assess roll. The past three rolls have all been in the 4-5 range.

[Samwell Turleton]

Brimston looks out the window and sees where some wood shingles came loose. He doesn’t see a shirtless person outside but there is some moaning going on out there in the street below

Ooh...ow, ow, ow...ohhh

You look around the room and there is a little dish with a bundle of burning leaves in it giving the room a strong smell, a small stack of coins, and a stack of dirty papers.

[jemmus]

Brimston doesn't like the smell of this room. Thinks, Somebody here has been doing woojy. Trying to call up things, for good or for bad. Probably their own good, and for the rest of us's bad, from the way they ran off. He spots the coins, raises an eyebrow, and thinks for just a second. If I don't take them, that snoring fella who suddenly got quiet probably will. And as the B.O.B. said, "If you don't need it for yourself, give it to somebody who does." Some decent person is bound to need that money, if not me or Trigger. And as my bully cousin Francis always said, "Finders keepers." That coin toss luck is kicking in. Retrieves the coins, pulls up his dingy cassock, and puts them in his jeans pocket.

Brimston goes to the window and starts to hitch his good leg onto the sill. But sees the missing shingles and thinks better of it. A shingle loose for that woojy man (or woman) might be just as loose for me. Hurries down the hallway and stairs and out of the establishment to see who busted arse into the dirt.

[Samwell Turleton]

Brimston takes a stack of coins from the floor next to the bowl of smoking leaves. You hold your breath as you get close to the acrid smoke but you are breathing it in as you move through the room. You are hurrying through the hallway past the flying hawk with only one wing; past the wailing ghost rising from the ground; past a gila monster with a flaming head; past a ham, complete with center bone, fat, rind, and some slices lying before it; and past a bindle bag hanging from a stick.

You take the stairs carefully, remembering catching your toe on the way up, and feel the uneven stair beneath your feet as you go back down.

You hurry out the door and look in the street. You see wood shingles littered on the ground but you don't see a person. You hear some pained grunting sounds coming from around the corner.

You add 7 gold to your collection.

[jemmus]

Brimston self-assuredly heads around the corner toward the sound of the moaning and groaning, like he knows what he's doing. Because he does know what he's doing. Heading toward moaning and groaning is a fairly common occurrence in Casketlands.

[Samwell Turleton]

Brimston sees a man without a shirt, dusty and sweating with exertion, climbing up the side of the building on a lattice. He is still within arm’s reach but getting higher on the wall.

[jemmus]

Brimson calls out, Whoa! You there, climbing! Cease and desist, if you want your shirt back! Pulls the shirt from his belt and dangles it before him. I'd just like to ask you a couple of questions. Then you can continue climbing up that wall and I'll just be on my way.

Thinks, That fella looks a lot like Mr. Bojangles, that rich cuss what prints the newspaper. Why would he be doing woojy? But I can't tell for sure. Is it him? Bojangles seems more spry on his feet than this cuss. ?

[Samwell Turleton]

The man pauses for a moment and looks down towards you. You notice that his pupils are dilated so that you only see a sliver of blue, that is until he falls from the lattice back into the dust of the street. He puts his hands up to his face, covering his eyes, as he rolls around in discomfort on his back so that you can't see much of his face at all.

Oof, oh...oh...oh...Ned's going to kill me.

[jemmus]

Thinks, Hmm, don't think I know this fella after all. Well, I'm sorry for your misfortune, seems today's your day for falling from heights. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions. I'm trying to find Ned and/or Festus, both of whom are missing. More forcefully then, First, what do you know about Ned? Second, what was the point of that burning you were doing up in your room? One more-- why would Ned want to kill you? Finally-- where's Ned?
Trick [2d6+1] = 7+1 = 8

[Samwell Turleton]

The man rolls onto his side and you can see that he is chuckling a little, Ned's missing?, the man seems to be thrilled by the news.

Maybe things will turn out alright after all!, he rolls onto his belly so that the sun isn't in his eyes.

First question, I know that Ned can have a mean temper and he likes to collect on his debts.

He sits up on his knees and brushes some of the dust off his chest.

Second question, I was trying to keep the evil spirits away - you haven't seen that Undertaker around have you? He is just as likely to have a conversation with a living thing as he is with what remains of a creature after its dead and buried. It seems like the salesman that sold me those leaves was right - ward off the evil spirits he says!

The man stands up and he isn't as tall as you are but has broad shoulders.

I don't know where Ned is but I am glad for it!

The name's Kurt and I build some of the buildings around here. This here's my blood, sweat, and tears..., he says as he slaps the siding of the Bent Nail.

[jemmus]

Brimson recalls the weird wall planking and the uneven stairs in the Bent Nail. You did a fine job on it, Kurt. Here's your shirt. Gives him the muslin shirt. My name's Brother Brimson, good to meet you. I'm a priest of the Bearer of Burdens, the B.OB., and I'm here to share his teachings. I'll be doing that tomorrow morning at the wagon in front of the general store. You're very welcome to attend. Has an idea. There'll be refreshments.
Trick (Manipulate) [2d6+1] = 7+1 = 8

So you jumped out of the winda because you thought Ned was after you? Was that it? He closely watches Kurt's reaction, checking for any eye shifting or thinking before replying.
Smooth (Assess) [2d6-1] = 11-1 = 10

Well, I'm headed back in to see what I can find out. He goes back into the Bent Nail, puts on his best smile and tips his hat to Molly, climbs the stairs and this time turns down the right-hand hallway. Looks at the wall planks and again sees images. A bat with one-and-a-half heads hanging upside down. A derringer with a skull demon shooting out of the barrel. A dung beetle rolling an 8-ball. A jackelope taking a shot of tequila. Thinks, I'm not so sure about that Kurt fella's taste in wall planks. But at least no bindle on this side.

He reaches the end of the hallway and there it is in planks, as plain as the nose on your face. Dang... that bindle jasper's scrunched-up scowling face....

[Samwell Turleton]

You made such a sound as would scare the feathers off of a buzzard, stamping your foot and clearing your throat like that, out in that hallway. The open window seemed like my best option - you sure coulda been a Ned.

Kurt puts his hands on his hips and sucks in a cheek.

Welp, I bet I owe Molly a few repairs to that roof. If you are headed inside, I’ll join ya.

You walk into the Bent Nail together.

Didja say refreshments?

You climb the stairs together and hear a stumble and a curse behind you part way up.

I’ll be seeing ya! , Kurt says as you go your separate ways and he walks off down the left hallway, to the open door at the end, swinging a shirt in his hand.

Down the right corridor all the doors, three of them, are closed.

[jemmus]

Brinston goes to the first door and politely knocks.

[Samwell Turleton]

There is no answer.

You hear in the distance, ”Hey, where’d my money go?”

There is one more door on this side of the hallway and one door on the opposite side.

You are welcome to knock on all the doors but as a reminder the last door on this side was Ned’s room.

[jemmus]

Brimston thinks to himself, No use jumping out of windas and leaving money lying around in Casketlands. Besides, that was money owed to Ned, which he won't know it but he'll donate to the church in gratitude for me finding him. Either in the cloud of the living or in the other one. He goes to the last room on this side of the hallway, briefly knocks on the door, and enters.

[jemmus]

Brimston thinks to himself, Jumping out of windas and leaving money laying around might be a smart thing to do in other places, but not in Casketlands. Besides, that was money owed to Ned, which he won't know it but he'll donate to the church in gratitude for me finding him. Or at least looking for him. He practices his blank "Huh? What are you talking about?" face, in case he's confronted by Kurt. He goes to the Ned's room at the end of the hallway, briefly knocks on the door, enters and looks around.