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Inactive [Play-by-post] Three Lonely Graves

Major_Blackhart

Codexia Lord Sodom
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Well that won't be believed. We can't talk our way out of a burning bag.
 

Stella Brando

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Messages
9,067
We have some bandit heads, we could show them those.

Isaac (or I) could talk to the Mexican sheriff's deputy, as I think we're both Latino.

If I talk to him, I think I will only lose one point (for being a woman,) putting me on 6 CHR -- still better than you other two guys.
 
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ERYFKRAD

Barbarian
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Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
We have some bandit heads, we could show them those.

Me or Isaac could talk to the Mexican sheriff's deputy.

If I talk to him, I think I will only lose one point (for being a woman,) putting me on 6 CHR -- still better than you other two guys.
Yeah that'll end well too. Strangers out of nowhere randomly toss decapitated heads into a gathering of scared citizenry.

However it does corroborate our claim of fighting bandidos if the Sheriff or his deputies can identify them. Even better if they count as marauders. Might as well throw it in.
 

SoupNazi

Guest
As always, a well written explanation of what exactly you wanna do and say, who says it, etc., can potentially mean you don't need to roll, or you get a bonus to the reaction roll, etc. Even if your characters seem like they can't lie convincingly due to their stats, I won't let that stand between a good plan coming from the players.
 

Major_Blackhart

Codexia Lord Sodom
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I'll do the talking here with words. Nothing is better than the truth, or at least part of it. I'll just explain that we were waylaid and set out on foot nearby that graveyard, and from there we were ambushed by some varmints, and claimed their goods as spoils by right, and come to claim any bounty that certainly exists on these bastards. I'll do it in as polite a way as possible for a mountain man with few manners that hates nigs.
 

SoupNazi

Guest
The Sheriff stops himself mid-response to the crowd when the arriving trio is pointed out. As all three can't seem to come up with what to say first, after a moment of surprised silence and murmurs from the crowd, Sheriff Weller again raises his hand - seems to be kind of his shtick - but this time, in your direction. He doesn't smile and definitely doesn't seem happy to see you, especially as you've made him look bad in front of the town, but he probably understands you didn't intend that.

"Howdy, strangers! Y'all seem to have had a rough time of it, 'tleast where I'm standin' it looks a bit like that..."

He looks past Bill in the first wagon and raises his eyebrow at Isaac and Adelita, who seem in an even rougher shape. He then turns to the crowd.

"Well, as y'all folks know, we only found out about that gabberwocky happenin' down south this morn'. The patrols ain't out yet. For now, the screenin' will happen -- but here, now. Now if y'all can get back to doin' what you're normally doin' and we'll keep doin' our job?"

The crowd doesn't seem to reassured, but starts dispersing pretty quickly when it's clear they won't get more out of the Sheriff. The man then turns his attention to you - and the two deputies next to him not-so-subtly place their hands on their revolvers.

"As y'all may have overheard, we've got the folks quite nervous 'round here due to some trouble down south. Before Santa Fe offers you its full hospitality, I'm sure you wouldn't mind steppin' into my office for a few minutes to talk?"

He beckons the trio into the office.

"Y'all can tie the animals out front hea', and step inside then."

Once in the office, the Sheriff offers Bill a chair (the only one), sits down behind his table, and nods. "So, mind tellin' me who y'all are, where do you come from and what's yer business here in Santa Fe?"
 

Major_Blackhart

Codexia Lord Sodom
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Bill Williamson spits as the folk in town turn and stare at them. He ignores them as he dismounts the wagon, leaving his rifle in the seat. He then walks back to the wagon and hops in, quickly picking up the severed heads one after the other and throwing them onto the nearest wood panel sidewalk. He pockets the hand with the tattoo on the wrist, before jumping out. His bloodied tomahawk is clearly visible on his deer-hide belt. One by one, he picks the heads back up and walks into the office, unceremoniously dropping them on the floor.

"You be the Sherf in these here parts?" Bill picks up the head of Knut the berserker, the leader of the gang that waylaid the party. "Well, we's here ta claim the bounty on these here skunks. An' if'n there taint no bounty on em, there outta be. Now you look right here at this here boy, a feller named Knut, who done waylaid me an' mine out by that ol' battlefield a few days past here. Now you look me in the eye, Sharf, an' you tell me right quick thar ain' no bounty on this here ruffian! This polecat done an' gone murdered in cold blood, IN COLD BLOOD, our frien'. An' if'n thar ain' no bounty, you tell us right quick who might know this here skunk, an I'll go an ast me an' mine some questions right quick."

Bill is visibly angry right now. He's not attempting to intimidate anyone, but rather the fury of the ambush is just washing over him now, the loss of their partner, the near death of them all. A pregnant pause follows Bill's words before he finishes up.

"What say you Sharf? You on the side a' righteousness or air you sidin' with them blackhearted bandits that done an' gone kilt decent folk."
 

Stella Brando

Arcane
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Posting '
cool_story_bro.png
cool story bro' without irony.
 

SoupNazi

Guest
Despite Bill's efforts not to intimidate anyone, the Sheriff is, in fact, visibly intimidated. Heis visibly shocked by the decapitated heads. Takes him a bit before he speaks and comprehends the full message.

"I ain't ever seen that fellow," he says after looking at Knut's bloody head briefly, "and I can't help y'all with a bounty if it's out of my jurisdiction. "Where did ya say y'all ran into them folks?"

Adelita and Bill both notice that there's something off about the Sheriff when he claims he has never seen Knut as he looks at the severed head. Perhaps he's not telling the whole truth?

Bill said:
Bill spits on the Sherrif's hardwood floor, declining a seat out of sheer cussedness more than anything.
"Out a yer joorisdictshun eh? OUTTA YER JOORIDSICTSHUN MY FOOT! They was in these here pairts at one point I reckon. You's represent law an' order! Sharf, I hails from Bleedin' Kansas, whar I saw good boys die on account a niggers, an' I done took up in the rockies some til it got too damn polluted with folk, not countin' them Blackfoot an' Crow savages. I don' know much, but I tells you what I's know. I's a man that knows you taint even looked this here dead feller in the eyes afore you ses you don'ts know his hide none. You takes it up an' looks at it, an' you looks at me then an' tells me you don' know this nigger lovin' polecat none! An' I'll smile an' say 'Far thee well Sharf', an' jes mosey on down to the next buildin' over, an ast them the same! An' I'll keep on astin' til I gets the truth! I knows he done come through here. Ain' nowheres else he coulda come from. An' if'n you's wantsta stick her head in a praire dog hol, well so be it, but don't keep yer ass in our way none neither. I'll have my justice, thankee much!"

The Sheriff jumps up at Bill's tirade and starts getting red in the face.
"Why, ye scruffy-bearded, vile, rude..."
Fortunately, he seems to calm down straight away and takes a deep breath. His knuckles are alabaster white as he clenches his fists, though.
"Listen fella, I have arrested spittin' and yellin' fools for less. Just ask the kid in lockup if he still thinks mouthin' off to the Sheriff of these parts here is a good idea."
He jerks his head at Hardtack.
"Now, if yer's all calmed down havin' spat all that bile out, sir, I'll repeat my question one more time and y'all - any one of y'alls - best answer: Where did you come upon these fellas?"
There's again a deep sigh, and Weller rubs his eyes.
"And then we can talk'bout a possible reward of gettin' the region rid of some bandits, I guess."

Bill said:
"We come up on these skunks out a few days from here. Out past a resting post. Was a cemetary ah 'spose. Ol' battlefield. I tain't from these here parts, so's ah don't reckon I knows the name of it none. Thar looked like an ambush a' settlers done already taken place, so what was once four of us," Bill holds up four fingers for emphasis, "heads down inta the rooins ta see what's worth what. From thar, we got waylaid Sharf, waylaid I says, by this'n here, them two dead thar, an' three more who done fled like yellow bellied cowards on horseback. They was waitin' fer us, but lost thar nerve once this biggun here on yer desk done kicked the dirt. From what I's can tells, they was waylain folks already. But we had ta tend ta our dearly departed, ya understen, so's needless ta say we's wasn't in too big of a mood ta investeegate none."

The Sheriff visibly calms down:
"Alright, now we're gettin' somewhere. Now, as I said, there ain't no bounty on these fellas 'far as I know, but let me look into my expense box..."
He opens a drawer in his table and rummages through some coins, then tosses 15 dollars on the table in front of Bill.
"But we do have a reward for gettin' rid of potential dangers. Now, normally, I'd send out the deputies to confirm y'all's story, but we've got our hands full over 'ere."
Seeing as the situation, and Bill, has calmed down, the Sheriff also seems to relax a bit. He takes a set of iron keys out of the drawer and walks over to Hardtack's cell.
"Y'all's free to go. Y'too, kid, but I don't wanna see yer ass sleepin' on the ground no more, ya hear? Either get a bed, or get out."

Bill said:
Bill Williamson takes off his bearskin cap an' holds it over his chest in a solemn way. Breathing deeply, he speaks proudly.
"Sharf, I thankee fer the coin, an' fer tellin' us a' the sichea-situa- jackpot yer finds yerself in. Me an' mine, well we's always been on the side a law an' order, an' I's pologiz fer my temper afore, on account a my murdered hermano. Ta make up fer my cussedness, I offer ta take this here feller inta our group, and turn him on the path a' righteousness. I swears it upon my hearty bosom Sharf, that you be seein' a changed feller, an' a decent member tha' commoonity that don' sleep in public nowhares. In addition, after we's rested, we'll come back this way an' offee air services some, an' seein' ifn' we can help yer town an' all tha decent folk in it."

Weller looks Bill up and down, then glares at Adelita, and Isaac, he doesn't seem to believe Bill's claim of them being holier than angels too much, but eventually simply shrugs, mostly convinced that at least, they don't have bad intentions.

"Right. Go rest up and if y'alls really lookin' for work, drop by my office on the morrow. I might have somethin' for y'all."

With that, the now-four-man posse is released, and they exchange quick pleasantries as Hardtack introduces himself on the way to the saloon. However, first, they smartly move their wagons and animals to the stables, away from the Sheriff's prying eyes. Once in the saloon, they quickly discover that the feeling of Weller possibly lying was very accurate - Hardtack reveals that he himself had seen Knut passing through the town, along with 19 other men who looked up to no good. They spent a night in the casino and then moved on about 6 days ago. The posse decides not to discuss more, feeling the town's corrupt and might turn against them if they speak too openly about their plans. Hardtack arm wrestles, betting a few dollars he borrows from his new compadres, while Adelita takes a bath and Bill briefly considers hiring a prostitute, but ends up settling for a bath only himself. Eventually, they settle in for the night...
 

SoupNazi

Guest
The night at the saloon is uneventful. Everyone's fairly comfortable in the tiny, but comfortable rooms except for Hardtack, who felt more comfortable sleeping under the starts, and managed to convince the saloon keeper, Jack "Eight-Fingers" Trivett to let him do so. Before they retire to their rooms, Bill relates an idea for a plan for the next few days: the posse will go to the casino to ask for a job as guards or enforcers, spend a few days in Santa Fe making small cash here and there, and wait for an opportunity to ambush, kidnap, and interrogate the Sheriff of one of his deputies, who they believe are connected to Knut's gang, and, therefore, to Carter.

The gang seems to agree and the next morning, the foursome heads straight to the casino to ask about. There's a charming middle-aged man playing honky-tonk on the piano with one of the local girls by his side, a few early-morning gamblers, a few beautiful looking women with heavy makeup who are obviously both waitresses and prostitutes and last but not least, you count at least 6 guards around the place. Probably going to be tough landing a job.

Behind the bar is Lady Annabelle, the proprietor of the casino, who addresses the posse as soon as they take a few steps inside.

upload_2021-7-12_18-4-53.png
: "Welcome! Aren't you the group that came from the north yesterday? I'm sorry to see you spent the night at that ratty saloon, but you're very welcome to lose some of your dollars here. Hard-earned, I'm sure..."
 

SoupNazi

Guest
Oh yeah, and you guys (except Hardtack) get 5XP each for the 15 dollars the Sheriff rewarded you with...
 

ERYFKRAD

Barbarian
Patron
Joined
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Messages
28,421
Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Hardtack looks around the casino in apparent surprise. "Sands, this place is in good shape! I done heard the posse of 20 something men done tore it up."
 

Major_Blackhart

Codexia Lord Sodom
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Jersey for now
Bill Williamson takes off his bear skin cap and holds it in his hands, seemingly turned much polite and respectful towards the fairer sex.

"Ma'am, yer kind werds is more'n welcome. Air family here, well we done suffered a loss that's hard ta overcome. But overcome we did, I's can assure you. An' we be more'n happy ta spend ever' penny an' gold dollar we got in this here fine, fine estaybl-esta- gamblin hall a yers. Believe you me. At the same time, we's folk with sets a' skills, an' gots some luck ta our hides no doubt. An' as sech, I'd like ta know if the lady is the owner a' this fine place a' good, honest folk." Bill gives a quick wink at that last turn of the phrase, emphasizing a bit of sarcasm he hopes is not lost on the young lady.

"If'n you ain't, or you air an' ain't got no werk for folks such as us, well we'd be much abliged if'n ya could find it in yer heart ta point us to folks who could certainly use men an' women sech as us."

At this, Bill pulls from his pocket the severed, rotting hand of Knut the berserker, the tattoo visible on the wrist. He puts the hat in the dead man's hand and clenches it into a fist, and uses it to dab his forehead. From there, he puts the hand back in his pocket and the hat back on his head.

"Might warm in these here parts this time a year, ain't it?"

He turns to the guards to see if they saw what he done, smiling warmly and broadly at them, before turning back to the bartender Lady Anabelle.
 

SoupNazi

Guest
Lady Annabelle twirls one of her curls with her left index finger as she listens to Bill's tirade and as soon as she finishes playing with her hair, she looks sideways at one of the security guards, a Mexican looking, well-dressed man with a wide, teethy smile on his face. As soon as their eyes meet, the man's smile disappears from his mouth, and he shrugs. He is standing on Annabelle's right, at the opposite side of the bar counter.

upload_2021-7-12_18-37-11.png


The lady of the house then turns back to Bill, completely non-reactive to his severed-hand theatrics, and nods. "In fact, I might have a job *just exactly* suitable for a group of ... goodyshoes like you lot. I lost my kitten, I think she's probably stuck in a tree somewhere. Would you care to go and find it?"
 

SoupNazi

Guest
Bill Williamson has none of it. Clearly pissed off at Lady Annabelle toying around, he again withdraws the disembodied hand from his pocket and tosses it at Sanchez, the head of the casino guards. As the hand flies in an arc towards the well-dressed Mexican, time as if it slowed down, everyone spots Lady Annabelle leaning under her counter and then a bit of a handle of a sawn-off shotgun... but the posse is even faster. The first shot rings out from Bill's Hawken rifle, aimed at the most dangerous-looking guard next to Annabelle, but barely misses due to Bill slightly fumbling as he had to draw and immediately fire it. The honky-tonk music stops as the piano player is interrupted by the gunshot.

The new addition, Hardtack, shows excellent initiative and quick thinking when he leaps across the bar counter and before Annabelle can ready her shotgun, he strong-arms her violently, bending the woman back as he places the sabre against her porcelain-like skin. Getting so close to her, Hardtack is briefly assaulted on the senses by her strong perfume, and then by another shot ringing out as Sanchez takes a pot shot at Bill - and misses - but Hardtack doesn't let that distract him and the man easily recomposes himself.

"Now now gents, haste don't help none. I gots a sword in my hands, but tell you the truth Ah don't need it to snap her all twiglike."

It's all happened so fast, the patrons and employees only just start noticing what's happening. Sanchez saw right away and lowers his weapon, regretting taking the shot at Bill slightly. All the civilians immediately - but not very loudly, as if it wasn't such a big surprise that a gunfight broke out - jolt for the door, while the dealers hide under their respective game tables. The two working girls yeep a little and run for the main stairwell that leads to the second floor.

In a learned military fashion, Hardtack barks out some well-directed orders: "Adelita, follow the girls up and see they don't do nothin stupid." He then looks around the room at the other guards who have meanwhile lowered their guns about half-way as they see they can't get a clear shot at Hardtack. Those, he addresses next: "The rest of you gents, why don't you put your guns down and kick them away? Bill, be so kind as to cut down anyone that don't feel pattikuler gentlemanlike."

And finally, he turns to Isaac:
"Isaac, shoot anyone who is of a mind to argy about this."

Everyone seems to instinctively follow Hardtack's orders, even the guards start bending over to gingerly place their pistols on the ground, before Lady Annabelle interrupts them:

"No, you fools!" she yells as she still struggles against Hardtack's grip, "What guarantee do my men have that you won't just gun us all down as soon as they lower their guns, huh? What's the point?"
 
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ERYFKRAD

Barbarian
Patron
Joined
Sep 25, 2012
Messages
28,421
Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Hardtack laughs with the warmth of many winters. "We didn't start this, woman!" He growls. "You want this to play out the way Nature intended, go right ahead. You'll be breathing from a whole new set if holes from it, and THAT, is a guarantee. Let your men behave and you could just as well walk out alive. Have them lower arms and you will walk. That too, is a guarantee."
 

SoupNazi

Guest
Annabelle relaxes and rests her sawn-off on the countertop, then she raises her arms up in the air and addresses the bodyguards.

"Alright, boys, put them down, but don't kick'em over. I'd rather my throat's cut then avenged than giving it all up and you all gettin' put down like dogs. Strongman and his circus here are just gonna have to make a decision, there."

Hesitantly, the sentries gently place their weapons in front of them on the floor, then raise up and straighten their shoulders. They seem pacified, but also oddly ready to drop down and pick their guns up again any second.

Lady Annabelle turns her head over her shoulder to look Hardtack in the eye, then she shifts her attention to the rest. "So, what is it exactly you expect to get here?"
 

Major_Blackhart

Codexia Lord Sodom
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Joined
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Messages
18,330
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Jersey for now
Bill Williamson spits on the floor and looks to the Mexican. His rifle is primed and ready. He's smiling but there's not an ounce of friendliness behind it. He cocks the hammer noisily to make a point.

"You know who that thar hand belongs to? You know that markin'?" He stops and turns to the rest of the crowd. "Each feller here, I wantcha ta show yer wrists. No matter who got the mark, or who ain't, ya gots my werd ya won' be shot nor sculped none if'n ya don't make a move fer yer guns. Now show's em. An' fer any feller that don't, well thar's a lessen ta be had, I'm sure of it. Yer Sharf is a no-good liar an' cow'rd, an we's know'd it whun we showed em Knut's scalp, still 'ttached ta his head. No kneck though. We got's a bone ta pick wit a few fellers, but right now you's all ain' part a that posse none. An' ya won' be none if'n ya jes' behaive all mannerly an' don' rech fer them smoke irons."

He looks back to the Mexican guard. "You first Sanchez. An' then you 'n yors ken tell us who own's this here shit hole."
 

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