Chapter 1: An Ill Guest Arrives

[DM-Tareth]

Malakai Wallace

ST: 11 | DX: 11 IQ: 10 | HT: 10 | Will: 11 | PER: 11 | Speed: 5.25 | Move: 5

HP: 11/11 | FP: 10/10 | Dodge: 8 | Parry: 9 (Brawling) / 8 (Knife) | Thr: 1d-1 | Sw: 1d+1

---

Contemplating the setup a bit more, Malakai listens as the prospect of using explosives to take the bandits by surprise is outlined. He nods along in understanding. His experience with dynamite is a bit more limited, but he'd handled it a few times and could help set the charges. Thinking about the timing of it all, he contemplates the sun already making its way across the sky.

"I say we ride quick and find a spot near the ferry to hole up until it's good and dark. Maybe even wait until early morning twilight when any lookouts are tired and cold. Gives us the best chance of not being spotted and any who survive the rockfall will be that much more surprised and unprepared." He looks at his partners. "What do you say?"

 

 

[prophane]

Sloan "Sledgehand" Turlough pugilist

---

HP: 6/13 FP: 11/11

---

Sloan nagrees with the plan. "Yes, we need to get there and into position as quickly as possible, then we can make further plans. The idea of a rockslide to at least thin or scatter the herd is a good idea. As long as we can get the charges set unseen, that will give us a pretty big element of surprise!! I'm as ready as I'm gonna be, lets ride out!"

---

OOC

 

[matt_s]

The posse arrives at the ferry crossing around twilight. From a safe distance they get a view of the surroundings

The cliff and its facing direction are marked in brown. Three tents are clustered on the close side along with two watchfires or cooking fires or well something fires anyhow. A boat sits idly in the water. A fourth tent is opposite the river. You can see the occasional milling of men and horses but at this time of day, this distance, you learn nothing to confirm nor to contradict the words of the old man.

[Bobcloclimar]

"We need t'git closa t'see if'n them tents be th' bandits," Mickey notes. He trusts the old man at his word, but wanted to be sure before dropping rocks on anybody.

[prophane]

Sloan "Sledgehand" Turlough pugilist

---

HP: 6/13 FP: 11/11

---

"Ya thinking someone should go down there tonight an' take a look see? Taint a bad idea, but I ain't the one ta do no sneaking around, they'll hear me comin' a ways off, no, unless one ah you can move like a church mouse, it's best we keep an eye out from up here, see what they're about in the morning," Sloan suggests.

---

OOC

 

[DM-Tareth]

Malakai Wallace

ST: 11 | DX: 11 IQ: 10 | HT: 10 | Will: 11 | PER: 11 | Speed: 5.25 | Move: 5

HP: 11/11 | FP: 10/10 | Dodge: 8 | Parry: 9 (Brawling) / 8 (Knife) | Thr: 1d-1 | Sw: 1d+1

---

Malakai grins. "I ain't a church mouse, but with just the stars and the coyotes keeping watch at night, I reckin I can try sneakin' up a bit closer."

He rubs a bit of dirt on his face, adding to the layer of trail dust already covering his trail weary features. He does the same to any buckles, bullets, or anything else that might catch a bit of moonlight and reflect it to where one of the varmits below might catch a glimpse. Once satisfied he is as blacked out as possible he grabs his rifle, checks the load, and begins the slow creep toward the edge of the cliff and a closer look at the camp below.

Stealth (10)

Edited March 21 by DM-Tareth (see edit history)

[matt_s]

Malakai slips closer step by step in the darkness of the night.

There were shapes lounging in the darkness. A campfire rages - large, wasteful of wood, and boisterous in its intensity. The men - and they are all men - seem to have an attitude to match. Their clothing is not dirty but it is unkempt. Perhaps keeping clothing washed is easy next to the river. All of them wear guns on their hips. Rifles are also seen about the camp. One tent from a brief glimpse seems to contain chests of something, coin or trade goods maybe. Hard to tell. Anyone would wear a gun in these times, well most near anyone. Still, the swerving wagon track in the approach to the ferry bore testament to at least part of the story.

The risk does pay off with a touch of eavesdropping. How did the train job really go? asks one of the men, evidently drunk for the words were slurred and muddled. I already told you days ago curse your prodding and curse your stupid mouth and your guts too for that matter said another. Then if it went good where the blazes is Davy and where is our share? a response went --- But then stone slips free from the embankment and goes skittering with a strange percussion down the skree of the cliff. These were evidently experienced hands for the argument cut out in a moment and they turned about to look. Just a snake or something, whispers one, but a loud whisper given his evident drunkenness. Nonetheless, they drew weapons and began to fan out, at an easy walk but clearly suspicious. One has relatively keen hearing it seems and casts a look towards Malakai's position and seems to be wandering in that direction albeit circuitously given the presence of the cliff.

 

[DM-Tareth]

Malakai Wallace

ST: 11 | DX: 11 IQ: 10 | HT: 10 | Will: 11 | PER: 11 | Speed: 5.25 | Move: 5

HP: 11/11 | FP: 10/10 | Dodge: 8 | Parry: 9 (Brawling) / 8 (Knife) | Thr: 1d-1 | Sw: 1d+1

---

Cursing to himself as the betraying rock tumbles down the cliff, Malakai freezes and holds his breath waiting to see if any of the bandits below are devoted enough to investigate. Seeing that they surely seem to be, he tucks himself against the rock and starts tracking the lead man, his eye gazing down the length of his rifle.

OOC: Taking the Aim action. What's the range to the closest bandits?

[matt_s]

Basically, I have Malakai as marked on the cliff above, the rest are to the Northeast (for simplicity every map has North as up). If the rest of the party wish to be closer/farther, that's ok, just let me know. There are six bandits total. The patrolling bandit that seems to have the best sense of where the noise was from is heading around the cliff. Each square is one yard (diagonal is one yard for simplicity). You're near certain that if you hold tight he'll find you. If you shoot obviously all the bandits will see the flash and smoke and hear the noise.

 

[DM-Tareth]

Malakai Wallace

ST: 11 | DX: 11 IQ: 10 | HT: 10 | Will: 11 | PER: 11 | Speed: 5.25 | Move: 5

HP: 11/11 | FP: 10/10 | Dodge: 8 | Parry: 9 (Brawling) / 8 (Knife) | Thr: 1d-1 | Sw: 1d+1

---

Not sure if his partners were ready or in position, Malakai decides discretion is the better part of valor and does his best to try and quietly slip away in the darkness.

Stealth

Edited March 31 by DM-Tareth (see edit history)

[matt_s]

Malakai acts barely in time. When the searching bandit reaches the top of the rise, he is gone.

Cursed lobos. the man mutters, loudly.

Ain't no wolves neither. And this ain't Mexico. So they ain't lobos. A second man.

Coyoute then. Whatever. We'll double the watch until daybreak to be sure.

You take the watch then.

Confound your guts I will.

 

The voices fade in the distance and footsteps are heard heading back to the camp. Malakai has escaped discovery. Now to plan their next move...

[prophane]

Sloan "Sledgehand" Turlough pugilist

---

HP: 6/13 FP: 11/11

---

Once everyone has gotten back together, "Well, that was a close'un," Sloan says, speaking low so his voice doesn't carry. "So, what do ya think our next step is? Full on firefight, three on six, well that don't seem to bode well on us, seeing as our first shootout was 'bout them same odds, though in our favor, and, hmmmm," he says, patting the bandage on his side, "we win another fight like that an' we're done fer." The pugilist cracks his knuckles, "If we could get in a little closer, then a couple a'good right hooks would serve 'em well, but like I said a'fore, sneaking an' all that subterfuge-ery just ain't my cuppa tea. Maybe when the rest o'them git ta sleep, we do some more diverting and draw one or two of em out, then get the drop on 'em all silent like? Or we harass 'em here an' there a little bit all night and make 'em all tired out by morning, though, then again, that'll plum tire us out as well. I'll admit it, boys, I'm stumped here." Sloan shakes his head in frustration.

---

OOC

 

Edited April 11 by prophane (see edit history)

[DM-Tareth]

Malakai Wallace

ST: 11 | DX: 11 IQ: 10 | HT: 10 | Will: 11 | PER: 11 | Speed: 5.25 | Move: 5

HP: 11/11 | FP: 10/10 | Dodge: 8 | Parry: 9 (Brawling) / 8 (Knife) | Thr: 1d-1 | Sw: 1d+1

---

Malakai ponders the question for a few minutes and then shrugs his shoulders. "Reckin we had a decent enough plan to start with. Theyre all there and tucked in real snug in that narrow little gully. So we set a few charges along that slope and then pluck 'em off from the heights as they come crawlin' outta the debris or sweep down after the rocks come tumblin' down and try takin' 'em up close." He says. "Seems like the best chance we're gonna have." He glances up at the stars judging how long before the dawn light will start illuminating the eastern sky. "We've got a bit of time before morning. Best we let the hornets nest simmer down fer a bit before we try slipping back up there to set the charges." He leans back and tips his hat over his eyes. "In the meantime, we try to get a little shuteye."

OOC: Not sure what we need to roll at this point to move forward. Demolitions? Stealth again?

[Bobcloclimar]

Mickey quietly nods assent and sits back to rest for a while longer. He leaves his weapon and dynamite close by, just in case.

[matt_s]

ooc

Everyone rolls stealth. Mickey and anyone else trained in demolitions can roll demolitions. 2 out of 3 successes on stealth means that regardless of demolition roll the charges go off and cause a landslide as desired given that you have the competence and the breathing space. Fewer successes on stealth means that the demolitions roll becomes relevant to how much damage you can do in the rush.