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You head back to the herd and move on. In a few days you move into Colorado. The trip though most of the state moves swiftly with little real trouble. Sutter sets up camp half a days ride from Denver. Luke tells you "The old man is gonna give folks a few days of rest in a real city. Just half a days ride, so if you want some down time its yours"
With that chilling idea from Winona, you are only left with the choice of heading back to the heard or trying to pick up a week dead trail. Either ay it seems you will leave the dead to the vultures and their belongings to the elements.
Rufus Notices some legions and sores across the bodies of the dead, its a bit had to make out with most of the exposed flesh picked over, but he sees it. Maybe some kind of illness, but as Winona said, why are they not all hunkered down. To Rufus it seems like they died fast, some folks just sitting. The layout of the bodies looks very much like an evening camp. Some kettles still lay with rotted food sitting on a long dead cold firepits. It does look like a few bodies are all looking in the same direction, to the north west. But what ever happened here was a week gone or there abouts.
Winona sees no real clues as to why they just sit here and died, some are in their beds and others just sitting near the wagons or kneeled over. They are simply to badly damaged for her to get anything.
Some of the vultures take the the sky as you near while other, who have eaten far to much to take flight, hop away as you near, but staying close and wait for you to leave so they can consume more dead flesh. The smell hits you first, week dead but something more, sickly and thick with flies blowing across the dead. And death is all yo see here, the horses well picked over lay dead but not as many as you think should pull four covered wagons. Around the camp the dead lay on the ground, laying against the wagons or inside. You make out 15 bodies, all badly worn by time, insects and the vultures. Nine adults and the rest children of varying ages. Inside the wagons you find some of the bodies, the ruins of decay and house goods, travel supplies and other goods needed by pioneers looking to settle new lands. You would guess this was four families on there way from the east to new homesteads they would never see. You can likely find a good bit of valuables in here if you are willing to move the bodies and root though the wagons, there are four families worth of supplies, memories and possessions. You don't see any signs of violence.
Rufus spends some time getting the lay of the land. The weather has been pretty constant with little rain and the wind not to fierce. He spots the tracks, running back east. You don't move that many wagons, or even one really, across the plains without leaving a trail of bent and broken grass behind you. He would guess this caravan passed this way about 5 days ago, a week at best. He doesnt see any other trails moving toward the camp, but then Rufus knows a good scout and many predators' wouldn't leave much in the way of a trail as they moved though the tall native grasses. So to Rufus it looked like about a week about, four wagons and a passel of horses, and maybe a mule or two he thinks, rambled across the plains. Made camp it looked like and something happened. Without getting closer to the camp itself he can't be sure, but he saw no sign of anyone running away from the camp.
The plains spread out around you with tall grass, limiting what you can see on the ground near the caravan, but you can see the flapping of feathers and the screeches of vultures. You might be able to circle around and see if you can pick of a trail going to or from the wagons, you don't move four wagons across a plain without leaving some kind of trail.
You cover the distance across the plains , watching the flock of vultures growing closer. You see a number of wagons, three to four it seems from a distance. The vultures cover the ground and their screeches fill the air as the weed slowly blows the canvas wagon tarps. Even from a a thousand yards you know nothing but the carrion feeders lives, you even see dead horses being feasted upon.
You settle back into the rhythm of the trail. Long days, and nights of deep sleep on the ground with the new hands, everything seems to be a bit back to normal. You are just heading into Colorado when you spot the vultures. They seem to have found something to eat in the distance and there seems to be a lot of them.
I posted up you guys moving out. Was giving yall time to roleplay if you wanted or add something as the adventure just kinda jumps from one spot to the other with little in between and that felt a bit awkward here.
Are we dead here folks?
You spend a few days in town, Long enough for Bill to fill out some new hands. All told Bill managed to wrangle up ten new hands and with them in tow you head back to the camp. Some of the Surviving hands had taken shifts hitting the town so everyone had some down time and were well ready to scaddale out of New Mexico. You have a pretty easy ride north into Colorado and time to learn the new hands if you want as the nights are mostly easy with little risk to the herd and the days long and trying as you ever march northward.
Another fun fact, Major Scofield 's brother was the head of the army ordinance board. I am sure that had nothing to do with the Army ordering them .
The Clerk walk over and Selects a can "Just got a shipment in from Denver. Good quality Tanners leather, only 5 cents. There is a Seamstress up the way Mrs. Godwin, she does good work on getting those cloths all fit up for you.'
The .45 LC were a bit long, which cased issues with the Scofield's the army bought, which were modified Smith & Wesson model 3's. They used a cartilage that was shorter than the .45LC. And the Army discovered the Scofield could not fit a colt round, but the colts could fire the shorter .45 Scofield. So they tended to just use the colts.
Deadlands count .45 rifle rounds as large caliber rifle. So its both depending on what you are buying it for. They just don't call it a long colt just "Rifle .45". The amount of calibers in the old west was a bit wild.
The Clerk rings up your purchases. "You folks staying in town?'
Sorry had a long weekend and missed this. He does not have any Ghost steel but can order it, the .44-40 is a small rifle round. The frontier is chambered for the round, but it was created by Winchester in the 1870's as a rifle round. Why yes, I know too much useless information about 19th century firearms.
Yeah, I just pulled the prices out of the Smith and Robards 1880 book. So the prices are as listed, as they are a bit higher than the core prices.
The clerk shakes his head "No Mam, They are from Smith and Robards out of Denver. They seem to have been popular orders for the Black river folks. So I just keep them on hand in place or ordering them." He says pointing to the catalogs.
You can order stuff and you have the money to pay for air shipping if needed. This weekend I am gonna post up and see if I can scare up some more players. You guys need not follow the trail of the two bandit brothers. You can simply consider them not your issue and hang around town.
The man behind the counter of this well stocked store seems to take a long look at you."I reckon I do, a few nice ones I had some nice embroidery and sticking added to. The Blackriver ladies like that kind of thing,' He points over to a stack of catalogs "If you're gonna be in town a bit, I can order what's in those catalogs as well.' The catalogs are a 1880, Smith and Robards, containing all kinds of gadgets and the latest high science. The other is a 1882 Montgomery ward, covering all your needs from firearms, clothing and stoves to housewear. Among the store are a few interesting items. De-Inebriating tonic $10,Healing Unguent 80$, Metabolic elevation tonic $50,Palliataive balm $25, revitalizing tonic $10, and boxes of Magnums Ammunitions' $5 a box for pistol sizes , $10 for rifle calibers.
Not sure if he is being talked to " Yes, its right down the street there. Next to the telegraph office, But Hamilton's is down past the Silver Dollar. He is the towns Gunsmith"
"Well, mam, I heard the Gregor boys didn't seem to be among those in the ground. I reckoned they snuck on back towards their Maws place." He says rubbing his neck "I figured if you were looking to grab that bounty the location might be worth something to you."
The baths go by with no interruption. Rufus watches the goings on as he sits in front of her bathhouse. The town seems in a good mood. Bill may have fond Luke finding new hires. Afterwards, you make your way to "Milli's". It seems a popular location, you see town folk and a few of the Black River folks enjoying meals. The food is basic, but not over priced and is both filling and tasty. Midway though your meal a man approaches you. He is middling hight with long mutton chops, a brown suit and a bower hat. " Afternoon, Charlie's who runs the telegram said you might be looking for some of Gualts fellers that escaped? "
I thought about trying to recruiting some more folk. But my posting has been so slow over the last six months I am not sure it will work. I am trying to post more often and get my RL issues a bit more controlled. To be honest I am supposed you three stuck around this long as I got my RL stuff a bit more in order, much appreciated.
The man behind the counter sends Laura with your dusty cloths. The men take a bath, no one in there but the water is warm and their are clean towels and soap. Winona can watch the street and see the town is still a bit rowdy and in celebration mode. Once the men get done, she can slip into the room on the left, three tubs are in here as well, with warm clean water. One of the black river shooters from earlier is relaxing in the tub, she almost looks asleep, though Winona is sure she knows she is there and her gunbelt seems in easy reach om top her boots.
"You lot involved in taking that ones out? Its been allover town. One of the Black river ladies is taking a dip now' The counterman says. " Never had any trouble in here, the ladies like their clean baths and tend to look unkindly on being disturbed"
The man nods "Mrs. Hamilton down the street does a fine job, launders my own towels. Don't reckon they will be dry by the time you get out of the bath. But if ya have spare's I'll send your cloths by Laura here to have them started.' He says nodding toward a young woman coming out of the women's room. " She charges .5 cents a pound'
The guy behind the desk leads you to a room. One room for men another for women. Each room has five metal tubs, a few have people bathing in them, one just relaxing. In the men's a younger boy fills the tubs with steaming water, in the ladies a young women fills the water. There is a basket with clean towels and a line hanging with "used" towels. Windows are open to let in a nice breeze and you can hear the bussal and hustle of the town as you bath.
You can choose to cut them in, both yeah the two folks got paid and the Hired guns from Black river took a big cut of the reward before you even got back to town.
The bathhouse is a single story plank building, a single door, two windows and a simple sign that reads "BATH HOUSE" above the door. Inside a counter and three doors are the only features. A sign on the counter reads "Baths : First water- .50 cents. 2nd water- 25 cents. Soap and towel .20 cents." A middle aged man walks though the door behind the desk. "Well, I can see the trail dust on you folks, looking for a bath I take it. We have nice hot water, good soup and clean towels too. Fresh just came from the laundry"
I need to redo it and make more links with less spoiler stuff.I'll move those to the top when I tinker with it
The Telegraph man nods "Happy to be of service Marshal. You part of the crew that put Gault down? Good work there, man's been a thorn in the side of honest folks for a bit." He looks at your message, takes payment and starts to tap out the message.
A few things. 1: I will add those two NPCs 2: While I appreciate all the typing, and that was a lot of work. If you look on the campaign Page, at the very bottom are two hyper links, one is a gear list the 2nd is the weapons list. Those are both from the weird west rulebook and I made them at the start of the game for folks without access to the book. 3: You can find two peacemakers, they are very common guns.
The town is busy, the Black river folks beat you into town so its in a festive mood. Gault and his men are dead, some of that reward money is making it way into the saloons, the towns whores wave at you from the top deck of the saloon as you ride though the main street. The town is only a few streets built near the rail station and bunk houses. At the mainstreet you see two saloons, a theater, gunsmith, laundry, telegraph office, a general store a restaurant that reads "Millie's" and what looks to be a Barber and bathhouse. At the fair end of the street is a church and a stable and blacksmith.
On town size, its a railhead town, it has rail workers , Black river Guards, a telegraph office, Hotel, general stores and other small businesses. Page 26 of the Weird west book has rules on reselling. If the town is big enough (this one is) you cant sell them for 25% of the value with a persuasion roll. You get 50% with a rise. In this case as folks know where they come from, so they have a bit of "Legend" to them. I'll give you an extra 5 % per raise above 1. For fun, Bill is gonna hire some more hands, Between 8 and 12 at lest. So why not shoot me some names, descriptions and the like for the new NPCs
Yall also got some cash I forgot to list. $1500 in bills and coins, $400 in gold dust, you can split that with the other rescuers or not. Back in town you get another $400
The Blackriver crew head out long before you are done. Burying the dead takes a while and Luke and Bill talked a few of the towns folks to hang around and help you herd the cattle. Bill makes his way back over to you "I am having most the boys, what few we have left camp here and I am gonna head back to town to recruit. A Farmer among the townfolk you brought said I might be able to pick a few hands up who are tired of dealing with the Black river folks. " Bill rides back into Exposition. While the Gault did have money on his head, the Black Rover folks who beat you to town claimed most of it. The Sheriff held $400 back for you.
At this point take another advance and reset bennies. I am gonna keep better track of those and reset them at lest once every few weeks. You will likely also have a few days down time in town as Bill will need to recruit.
Luke and Bill make their way over to the group "We'll take it all back to town" Nill says " They'll have a doctor, maybe a lawman" he says doughtfuly looking at the gunwomen picking though the dead."Luke you and a few of the boys take hold of those cattle" He Nods toward flying Eagle, Rufus and Winona "That is some fine work you have done, I won't forget it. How was Abby? I don't see her with you but she has a good head on her shoulders and I reckon she may have aimed you in this direction. When we get back to town Drinks, meals and a good bath are on me!" It takes a few Hours to round up the cattle, Bill Insists on burying the dead saying "even cutthroats deserves a decent burial" but those graves are pretty shallow and hastily done. The Gun women hang around to escort you back to town. [ooc}Anything else before you move back to town?[/ooc]
In the camp below, you can see some of the prisoners' start to move about, now that the shooting has stopped. You see Javier cutting his ropes with a deadman's spurs by the fire and Luke and Bill trying to stand after crawling out of a pit. The other three men seem to be doing the same. As you approach the cook looks up "Te tomo basrante tiemoi" he says in a low tone then yells "My wagon, did the batardas leave the wagon?" Winona sees the camp is well appointed. Gault is dead with his Lemat in his hands. Around the camp are horses, firearms , tents and other gear you need on the range. Some of it likely belongs to your outfit.
Its all good man, I have had a lot of those recently so totally understand.
If no one stops them the ladies do not stop until no one moves below. The cattle are emptying out the canyon with the firefight and two of the bosses seems to have slipped into the canyon, but below only bodies lay with the sound of cattle rumbling and dirt clouds drifting over the bodies and the ruined camp.
Hope yall had a good holiday
If given the chance the bandits break for it, but the gun ladies you have with you seem happy to just keep shooting. "Its like hunting fish in a barrel" One of them say as she takes aim on a running bandit and puts him down.
Ugh back issues are so bad. I hope you get mobile man.
Round 6 Rufus hits LT 4, making the man stagger . The one hidden by the wall, still creeps toward freedom and cover or something like it in the cattle line . Down in the canyon only a hand full of bandits are left standing most seem to be trying for cover and more desperate than anything. Rounds:
Round6 Winona (KD) Lt 4 (QH)( went) Lt 1 (JD)( went) Rufus (QD)(went) Lt 2 (6D}(went) Flying Eagle (4D) Round 7
rolls:
foes and cover: Lt 1 = in the open(2 wound)
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