Seeker's Deadlands: Blood Drive

Game Master seekerofshadowlight

Rodan that edge totally counts here

Rodan

Rodan has no issues circling around and following the men, they are very loud and not all that stealthy. In the dark he can blind in and follow a bit. He will want to brake off before first light but he can get close enough to maybe hear them.

Give me a notice roll

Winona

Unable to find the others or the camp. You wander most of the night before finding a small patch of brush to wait for dawn. Luckily no one finds you, but you are not totally sure how far you are off from the camp and no longer see the river.

You can try another roll to find the camp and you have a level of fatigue

Rufus and Flying Eagle

Flying Eagle manages to find a clump of boulders to hunker down behind, it gives you a place to rest a little in shifts, if a little cold. The Boulders do offer a wind break so you could sleep maybe try and sleep.

You can try another roll to find the camp. You can try a vigor or spirit roll to catch some sleep, you have a level of fatigue if you failed the roll

Spirit & Wild: 1d8 ⇒ 81d6 ⇒ 3
Spirit ACE!: 1d8 ⇒ 6 = 14

Despite having to take part of the night on watch, Flying Eagle sleeps very soundly for a short time and wakes up refreshed. He's used to camping without luxuries.

Notice & Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 31d6 ⇒ 4 = Success

"Hmmm...I think camp is back...thataway" he says, pointing in a direction across the plains.

Survival, fatigued: 1d4 - 2 ⇒ (3) - 2 = 1
Survival wild die, fatigued: 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (2) - 2 = 0

Tired from terrible sleep, Winona is unable to find her way back to camp and wanders off lost in the desert.

NOTICE (Smarts): 1d8 ⇒ 8
Wild Card: 1d6 ⇒ 3

NOTICE, explode (Smarts): 1d8 ⇒ 7 +8 = 15

During his time on shift, Rufus takes the time to wipe down his guns, and put them back in their holsters.

After he wakes Flying Eagle up for his shift, he covers up with his horse blanket, and tries to catch some sleep.

Vigor: 1d6 ⇒ 3
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 6
wild Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 3 = 9 Raise

He also wakes up in the cold camp refreshed, and ready to face the day.

While Flying Eagle takes a look around, he saddles both horses up, and covers up the cold camp as much as he can.

In that case, lets go

Winona - please note that a "level of Fatigue" is -1, not -2. And this would be a very good time to spend a Bennie (or maybe even 2) for a re-roll, so you can re-join the group.

Rodan

You get pretty close to the men, you can hear someone likely the captain shouting orders. It seems they are looking for a spy and seem to think you are part of whatever that dead fella was involved with. They seem determined to scout the area for you and and a few hours before sunrise they spot the camp. Your hear the captain send off two riders to "bring the troops in" as six men watch the camp under the cover of darkness

As you stayed up all night give me a vigor roll to fight off fatigue.

Flying eagle and Rufus

You both manage to actually sleep and wake up well rested. It only take you a little while to find your way back and in under and hour you have the camp in sight.

Winona

You seem totally lost. But sometime after dawn can see a mass dust trail headed somewhere. Its not a small one.

Vigor: 1d6 ⇒ 1
WildCard: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Can I use a bennie or more to do a reroll? If so...
Vigor: 1d6 ⇒ 3 Bennie #1

Vigor: 1d6 ⇒ 6 Bennie #2
Vigor, explode: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 Bennie #2

"Dust cloud trail that size has to be a herd," Winona reasons. Taking a cautious swig of water she pulls herself back into the saddle with a groan and heads at a route to intercept it.

Rodan - spending a Bennie for a re-roll includes the Wild die on all re-rolls. So on your first Bennie you rolled a 3 and a 6 (the first d6 on your second re-roll became your Wild die on the first re-roll), so you only have to spend 1 Bennie to get the Success.

Thank you Flying Eagle, still learning this system. One bennie used.

Rodan that is more than good enough lol

Rodan

Even though he stayed up all-night, Rodan feels fine as he watches a few troops break off on whatever mission their leader sent them.

Winona

As you get closer, you can see the trail of dust is not cattle. You see soldiers, a damned lot of bluecoats. And unless you are mistaken they are riding hell for leather toward the camp.

Keeper, Winona apparently doesn't have internet access. Perhaps some of the other characters could see this as they approach the camp, to keep the game moving?

Winona mutters under her breath and makes for the Union formation as best she can.

Though knowing some of the writers for Deadlands, the Union troops may well be cast as bad guys.

I was waiting for other folks to post, as we are split into three groups with three times here. Flying Eagle and Rufus are near the camp, you just never said if you went in. Roden, is about an Hour earlier and can see the camp and the men watching. winona is about and Hour or two behind Behind Flying Eagle and Rufus and Away from the camp.

As Winona rides toward the formation, a few soldiers split off and ride toward her. She can see they have riles out as they near her and one shouts "Halt where you are!"

Rufus, makes the suggestion to Flying eagle that we wait outside the herd, until we have the full lay of the land and that we are not riding into an ambush.

Winona pulls up short and, without going for the guns on her saddle, she reaches into her coat and pulls out her Territorial Marshal's badge and holds it up as the troops come closer.

How close is "near"? Can we see people at the campsite? Do we recognize them as ours?

For Rufus and Flying Eagle, you don't see anything out of the ordinary. The camp is waking up and getting active.

Winona
The troops ride closer, keeping their rifles on you as someone with what Looks to be sergeant strips on their arm approaches. "Marshal? We have not heard of any Marshals in the area. What Business are you about?"

Going about the normal business of getting breakfast, etc.

"Hey boss, what do we do now?"

It's been so long IRL that I can't remember what happened to us recently in the game...

For Rufus and Flying Eagle, you don't see anything out of the ordinary. The camp is waking up and getting active.

Winona
The troops ride closer, keeping their rifles on you as someone with what Looks to be sergeant strips on their arm approaches. "Marshal? We have not heard of any Marshals in the area. What Business are you about?"

"I'm following up on reports of strange events in the region. There's a large cattle drive going on and I want to make sure that the local ranchers aren't being impacted by problems like harassment, sabotage, or outlaw attacks. As a matter of fact we had an outlaw attack at night, which is how I got separated from the rest of the drive team," says Winona.

Well Flying Eagle, shall we head into the drive?

Rufus takes the time to ensure the horses are saddled up proper after our rest.

"Best wait until everyone gets back. They know where we are, if we start moving it'll make it harder for them to find us."

You guys went to investigate the "shooting star" found a dead man dressed in union blues with a rocket pack. He had Bills from the nation of Dessert on him and some kind of papers with weird Science like notes. You then got chased by union troops and got split up

Rufus and Flying Eagle

You make it back to the camp, everyone is starting to get up for the morning and you can already smell breakfast being cooked. A few folks wave at you and it does not take long for Luke to come find you "I expected you back last night. You find Trouble?

Winona

The Sargent nods "We are heading for that same drive, there is a spy near and we are damned well going to find them!' You can guess by the look of all those soldiers riding, there is is a whole company riding for the camp or damned near it.

I'm playing my information close to my chest for now because I don't know who I can trust.

"Well darn it to hell. Them hostiles are between me and the camp" Rodan says to himself.
"Well old girl, if them boys starts trouble with our friends. We will just have to put them in a nice crossfire." He says patting his horse and then checks all his weapons to make sure they are fully loaded.

Sorry, I am on a business trip so my post may be slow coming.

"Yeah, some Union troops started chasing us and we got split up. Are we the first ones back?"

However, I think they are going to be coming along soon enough, so we were here all night.

Rufus dismounts, and stows the papers, and cash under a loose board in the chuck wagon.

After he does that, he grabs a bite, after which, he gets ready to ride out to take his post in the herd.

Flying Eagle and Rufus

Luke raises an eyebrow "Why in tarnation would union troops be chasing Y'all? and Yes you are the first ones to make it back" He does seem to look a bit worried now.

Rufus is able to find a spot in the chuck wagon to stash the items. A few of the guys wave at you as you find your food and settle down for breakfast.

A few hours after dawn you can see a dust trail coming toward the camp.

Roden

You can watch the men, who are watching the camp. In a bit over and hour you can see a massive dust trail. The Solders mount back up heading toward the trail.

Winona

Seeing that you don't seem to be any trouble the Sargent Nods to you " You are welcome to ride with and talk to the captain or head on over to the fort. Nothing much else in the area and we need to get back" You can see the other solders still riding hard toward the camp.

Any actions before the Union troops hit the camp?

Having saddled up Abacus, Rufus looks over, as he quickly eats.

Hey boss!!, we got riders incoming.

Flying Eagle takes Luke aside and quickly tells him of what the team found last night. He beckons to Rufus, and once he joins them he says quietly "Rufus, these troops may be after that flying gizmo. We could tell them where it is, but if it's top-secret they may not like us even knowing about it. I think it's best if we play dumb and say we haven't found anything."

Agreed, they can have the gizmo, i intend to play dumb

Rufus finishes his breakfast, then rinses his stuff off, loosens his guns in thier holsters and waits to see what develops,

Rodan looks for a nice place to lay low.

Roden finds a nice spot to lay low, watching the Union troops descend on the camp like ants on a bit of meat left in the dirt. From what he can tell that is a full company or near enough to it not the matter. He might have been right to lay low as no one in that camp is escaping

The Camp

With the thundering of hooves, scores of Calvary men descend on the camp. Rifles in hand , shooting off a few warning shots and pinning every cowhand in, leaving them no where to run. There is a dark headed man, with a neatly trimmed beard that seems to be giving commands "No one leaves!, Round em up boys and tear this place apart! Find me those spies!

Flying Eagle waits to see what Luke has to say about this. Being an Indian, he figures his voice wouldn't count much.

Standing behind Luke, Rufus states What spies are you talking about

The Captain rounds on you "We caught a spy last night, shot the bastard down. But someone meet him and took what the bastard stole and I'll find it!" The man looks fired up and under the guns of the Calvary you are rounded up and heled as you watch the solders rip though your camp and belongings. Clothing is scattered, barrels knocked over, cooking supplies slashed into and cut. Nothing is left untouched.

Its not long before everyone is split up and questioned as asked."Why are you here? where where you hired? did anyone leave last night? Oh they did, when did they come back?' It does not take long for them to separate Rufu and Flying Eagle as people who left the night before. And not long after that are Rufus Flying Eagle, Luke and Jarvis are all roughly lead to the Captain.

You see him hold up a journal "seems to me we may have found our spies." He looks at Luke " Are you in on it or just stupid?'

Luke looks at you then back to the Captain "I don't have a clue what the hell you are talking about"

In on what? Rufus plasters an expression of confusion on his face

Having arrived with the army unit, Winona is apparently not a suspect, but she also knows that speaking up before she's spoken to may be a good way to draw the captain's ire. She glances from Flying Eagle to Rufus, trying to work out some way to get a word in edgewise that won't immediately be dismissed, but so far has no useful thoughts in that regard.

Flying Eagle decides that since they have been correctly singled out, the truth would be the best thing at this point. Or at least some of it...

"Sir, we saw a shooting star last night that landed far away with an explosion. Naturally, we wanted to go see what it was. When we got there, there was a burned corpse in a Union uniform and some twisted metal. We had not been there long when we were approached by another gang...er, group...of white men, shooting at us. We rode away on our horses, getting split up in the process. That's all we know."

The Captain leans in to look at Rufu "I spying! We have the papers here" He holds the journal and wade of cash Rufus had hidden in the wagon up. Then looks to flying Eagle "Why do you have this if you where not there long? Wwhy hide it?"

Luke and Jarvis both proclaim innocents but the captain Cleary is not buying what they are trying to sell, Jarvis is sweating, knowing the items were in his wagon.

Winona can walk around the camp or try to intervene. Its clear the captain feels like he has found his spies as he has found what was stolen, in your camp.

Well, riding for the brand.

Spying, hell no

Rufus looks at the captain.

We saw something fly over our herd, which scared the hell out of them.
We went there to see what it was.
I grabbed the papers to see if I could identify the person. Before I could do anything, the 2 of us were chased and shot at so we ran.
If there was something addressed to someone, I was going to try to get their stuff back to them.

He pauses.

Maybe this could have been sorted out where the fellow was, but I didn't feel like hanging around when I was getting shot at and chased.

I am no spy, hell, I don't even know what it was he was strapped into. just found a burned up fellow in a ring of fire.

Keeper - I didn't get the reference to "You see him hold up a journal" as being the papers and cash that Rufus had taken. You originally called it "a folded piece of paper" (in page 14, I don't know how to link to individual posts). Had I (the player) understood that, Flying Eagle would have included finding those in his description of the events as well. Just FWIW.

Winona chews on her lower lip a moment, then says, "If'n these papers were for the grays, why head west with 'em into the territories? Spy-papers would need to go back to Virginia to be of any use to the rebel states. And riding an entire herd like this would be a bit much just to cover for one drop. Doesn't fit."

Persuasion: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Persuasion wild die: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Wow. Ok, bennie.

Persuasion: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Persuasion wild die: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

For f&%%'s sake. I give up. Someone else do this.

A few things here. @Flying Eagle, I did not check my own wording. So I understand the confusion and have no issue with Retconning you bringing it up. @Winona, In this version of DL, the south lost the war. There is no Confederates states thanks to the Morgana effect.

The Captain looks at Winona, "True using a whole Herd makes no sense. But those two are new the men say. And there is a stack of Desert bills right here!"He says throwing down the paper money of the young Mormon nation. 'Maybe those two are the spys!

Luke, seeming to be out of the Captains crosshairs speaks up{b]"I sent those boys out to check on that shooting star. It spooked the cattle"[/b] That seems to give the captain pause.

I forgot that I have Persuasion. After I tell the Captain my story, let's see what effect it has on him :

Persuasion & Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 31d6 ⇒ 3

Spending a Benny :

Persuasion & Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 31d6 ⇒ 4

The Captain has to roll Spirit against Winona's and my TN=4.

The captain waves off all your arguments "Maybe you boys will talk after a few days in a cell!" He nods and a few of his men grab Flying Eagle and Roden and start to shackled them. He points to luke "You may want to get moving, your herd isn't welcome around here."

Luke tries to reason with the captain, telling him the boss isn't here yet and this is all a misunderstanding. But he will hear nothing of it and has every intention of taking the two men to the fort for more questioning.

"Wait! What if we take you to the crash site? The horses' tracks should be clear, and show you that another large group of men approached it from a different direction than we did, and our tracks will show that we ran away and split up."

Please see Discussion...

The Captain seems to think on this. And nods and walks over to speak with a few men. They mount up and had out and he leaves you two under guard for a few hours as him and his men keep the camp under guard. He seems a bit more civilized with Abigail and seems to hold a civil conversation with her and Luke as you wait in the morning sun.

A few hours pass before the scouts return and talk with the captain. He looks disgruntled but soon after you are uncuffed. You can hear him tell Luke "As soon as your man gets back, I want you gone. Ans with that the solders seems to start clearing out of camp. Leaving dust and a mess behind them.