Seeker's Deadlands: Blood Drive

Game Master seekerofshadowlight

Also here.

Sorry folk, dropped the ball there. So what is the plan here?

I think the PCs need to come to some agreement as to what to do about the jars. Flying Eagle has been pushing to come back tomorrow night to blow up the jars and their contents with dynamite.

Agreed, I think the debate stalled as to what to do. I am leaning to using part of Flying Eagles plan, but take the wagon or jars out to the desert, in case something bad comes out of them.

We should probably be doing this in-character...

"That would probably require killing the entire troupe (and the evil entity behind them), who would undoubtedly try to stop us from moving the wagons, and I'm not sure the three of us could win that fight. It's easier to sneak dynamite in than all the wagons out. I still think an explosion would destroy whatever's in the containers, and if we sneak back tomorrow night, we won't have to fight anyone..."

And blowing them up in town puts the whole town at risk if the entity survives.
Would it not be easier to try and figure out a way to knock the troupe out, and then move all the jars to a wagon of our own outside the rail yard.

Rufus blinks for a second.

Actually, can we get the dynamite, and then move the jars to a box car, and using a train engine move the car out of the railyards and into the desert.
We then set the fuse and jump letting the dynamite deal with it.

He then glances at Wynona

What do you think

"I think I'm gonna have a lot of explaining to do..." she grumbles.

I'm torn, because I don't like taking this kind of massively unilateral action on incomplete information, and not opening the jars to see what's in them is incomplete information, but since Flying Eagle refuses to let us open the jars, I'm now leaning toward just walking away and doing nothing and ignoring the adventure.

Dynamiting an entire camp seems like a good way to get a lot of collateral damage of innocent people.

I agree, blowing up their camp in the railyards, is a severe risk for collateral damage.
This is why I have been arguing over getting them out in the desert to wreck the jars.
Now in my opinion, how we get them out of the city to wreck them, works for me, but I want to get them out of the city.

You all didn't experience what Flying Eagle experienced in his vision. He is SCARED TO DEATH of the entity behind all this - something that sucks people's life-energy from them, and stores it for future feasting. That's why he's been so adamant about killing it.

To my mind, we won't be able to move the pots without making some noise (just look at our Stealths), and I assume that a fight with the troop would draw out the creature to fight as well, which could possibly suck out our life-force. Not to mention, I don't know how many people are in the troop, but maybe...6-8? More, if you include stage hands. Even if we're Wild Cards, that's a lot of people to fight. That's why he doesn't want to try to move the pots AT ALL.

Why would blowing up a few wagons necessarily blow up their entire camp, or even the entire railyard?

But, if the PC's can't agree, then I would also suggest that we just walk away, but Flying Eagle will be REALLY bothered, knowing that a creature like that is on the loose... (which isn't your's or your PCs' problem).

Trust me, I do understand where you are coming from. But I don't want to dynamite it in town, if the risk of the entity surviving and attacking the town.
I know that we have crappy stealth, but IMO we need to move the jars out of town before we blow them up. How, I don't really care if it is by horse, rail, or wagon.
A thought would be to figure out how to knock them out, then move the jars. I am sure we can figure out chloroform. (Which isn't as effective as movies make it out to be.)
Honestly, I think the KO'ing of the troupe, might be the best option.
From the description of this threat, my character will not walk away from the problem, because he doesn't want others less suited for it to try and fight it.

Just keep in mind, any attack on the troupe might draw the entity into the fight, and we don't know how many people are in the troupe...

Keeper - how many different actors were there in the play we watched?

We could what if it until the cows came home. Lets do the dynamite, but I will still argue not in town. I don't want the risk of the entity appearing to attack the town.
As I said, how we get the jars out of the city, I don't care.

Walking away is an option, if y'all want to you can fully do that

You know from the signage the troupe is only in town for two more days, before their play run is done. Blowing up the wagons, may make a fire, but the trainyard may be mostly fine, depending on how the jars react to being exploded. This is the most isolated part of the city for trying this, but fire could spread.

Taking out the troupe and driving the wagons might be doable as well. In fact, if you act during the play most of the troupe will be elsewhere. But you also know it likely not all jars are here either. Based off the number you guess and you saw "Moved" during last show, you guess they may have 20 elsewhere. Or in another wagon, perhaps close to the theater or in it.

Actually GM, according to my code of honour, and stubborn I really cannot.
I am not really trying to make it difficult for the rest of the group, but I am playing to my hinderances.

Keeper - how many jars fit in a wagon, and how many wagons are right here?

There are two Jar wagons, both hold about 40 each. One is full and another is half full. There is also third wagon, but its more a traveling home than a cargo wagon.

I'm just frustrated because it seems like there is no valid course of action. We can't open the jars to investigate, because Flying Eagle has a bad premonition about it. We can't just blow up the jars, because we risk hurting people in town and causing a riot and a fire. We have no way to get the jars out of town and destroy them, and we don't even know how the jars are important.

My suspicion (purely based on my own read of mythology) is that this is leaning on vrykolakas-style Greek stories of vampires, and the traveling troupe is bringing the performing ladies from town to town, who are all blood- or spirit-suckers that prey upon the men who come to see their shows, but I have no way to test this theory and no idea of what to do if it is correct. (That's also why I bought the garlic.)

Grand theft wagon ?? maybe the breakage of each jar will weaken the entity that has Flying Eagle so terrified.
Myself, I want to open the jar to see whats in it.

-Well, we could start smashing jars, maybe whatever's in them dissipates or loses its potency. But there's 20 jars that aren't here...
-We could bite the bullet and start attacking the troupe members, but are they all right here? Anyone not right here could just leave town. What if they flee instead of fight? Some could get away, just to start all over again...
-And, we'd have a hard time justifying killing (or even just knocking out) a whole troupe of "innocent" actors based on Flying Eagle's vision...
----Altho Winona could pull the "I'm a Marshal" card (BTW, what's a "Ranger"? Same as a Marshal?)
-What if opening a jar releases the life-force the creature has taken, and that somehow the creature knows that it's been lost, alerting it to our presence?
-I'm beginning to agree that this is a no-win situation...

GM, how close is the theatre to other buildings?
@Flying Eagle - I agree, that smashing the jars would alert the entity, which is why I want to do all of them at once, which would make it lose a lot of its power. I just don't want to break them in town forcing it to attack the innocents in town.
As for the troupe, what proof do we have that they themselves are not under thrall, and if they run off, I say let them go. It is the entity that is the problem, and not the troupe.
I think they are unwitting pawns, and if we disable the entity, they will break free of its charm.

The Theater is down down and takes up much of the block, but a fire in it could spread to other buildings. The train yard is a bit away from things, you have some shacks and buildings near by, but the wagons are in a corner of the yard and you likely can contain damage.
At this point you have a few options:
1: You can attack or damage the wagons here, only two guys are awake
2: You can sneak into the theater after hour's and search for the jars.
3: you can wait until they leave town and ambush em.
4: You could damage the wagons or the jars without attacking the troupe
5: This is a larger city and you can actually order something like knockout gas from Smith and Robards. They have a Wearhouse in the city with lots of weird science things

I am going to assume that the gas is transported via cylinder.
Would a wagon be able to carry all the jars, so long as we have a good team of horses?
1. Theatre, that kills my idea, but we will still need to search it for jars.
2. I would prefer not to ambush, because that will entail that this city is dead, and they are relocating to another city.
3. Damaging Wagons and Jars right now, is pointless unless we can get them all.
4. Knockout gas, or Liquids, might be better, as we can administer, and then search without worry of a firefight.

Going by Keeper's points :
1. Doing anything now alerts the humans and the creature that we're onto them. Pass.
2. That's a good idea. OTOH, if we're going to ambush them, they will already have all the jars with them...
3. How many people in the town have *died* since the troupe got here, and how many shows have they put on so far?
4. I agree with Rufus on this one.
5. Thanks for letting us know about knockout gas, that's the way we should go! Maybe use it in an ambush after they've left town (to avoid having to explain our actions to the townsfolk).

I think a plan is coming together...

"Let's leave everything here as-is, and get some knockout gas tomorrow. If two more performances won't kill the entire town, then we wait to follow them out of town, so they'll have all the jars together. Then use the knockout gas to ambush them, so we don't have to kill the troupe if they're being unwillingly or unknowingly used by the entity. I say we also pick up some dynamite, and just blow all the jars up once the troupe's been taken care of. What does everyone think?"

I forget about the Smith and Robards stuff at times. I need to make a list and put it up.
As for the dead, you don't know.

You do recall some comments about bad dreams and a few people being sick or unwell in the Hotel. But you don't recall any talk of new deaths or no more than normal for a town this size.

"All right. But we also bring a little dynamite, just in case things go really wrong."

Flying Eagle did suggest dynamite in his last post...

"No, *lots* of dynamite, to blow those jars and their contents into very, very, very tiny pieces!"

I'm sick of arguing and doing nothing. Just do whatever. I don't care anymore.

If anyone wants to add/change this, feel free...

So, we leave the wagons as we found them, leave the shipyards, go back to our hotel, and sleep.

The next day, we go to the general store, buy some knockout gas and dynamite.

We wait until the troupe finishes their run, and watch them carefully (round-the-clock, in shifts) to know exactly when they leave town, so we can follow them.

Rufus and Flying Eagle give me a spirts rolls

Rufus and flying Eagle had nightmares' as they slept, Horrid things that left them drenched in sweat and waking with shouts and screams. A few folks at the hotel seem to have had rough nights and the breakfast near the theater seems to have an atmosphere is dreariness.

You are able to find a Smith and Robards store, they have so many things here. From elixirs, to automations, Gatling weapons and even Auto Gyros, everything modern science has to offer. The clerk has a few items that might fit what you need.

"We have slumber gas, only $30 a dose, that should knock out anyone in 3 to 4 yards. Well depending on the wind" He says, finishing with a disclaimer. If you need a distraction, we have choke gas, same price but it will leave your opponents chocking and gasping for breath"

You know they have two days left in the Show, and Rufus knows where the lady and at lest two of the troupe stay. Most seem to make due with the train yard. Although you could try to stay after a show and tail the group and see how many go where.

Winona idly mumbles, "Y'know, I feel like there oughta be a law regulating the sale of this kinda stuff."

Spirit & Wild: 1d8 ⇒ 31d6 ⇒ 5 = Success

Flying Eagle is in awe of the range of goods available in this store, never having been in one before. He spends a long time just wandering around, looking at stuff.

The Saleman Looks at Winona "Well, why would you do something like that? " he shakes his head "Seems a good way to stifle innovation!" He clearly thinks Winona is talking utter nonsense.

I have the smith and Robards catalog from last edition. Never got around to writing a list, but I'll write up a list sat or Sunday, we can always retcon yall buying what you want.

Keeper - how much is dynamite per stick? And do we have any idea how the troupe travels (in their own covered wagon, or each on their own horse, etc.)? To determine how many gas bombs we'll need.

[ooc]PCs - how much money do we have between us? I have $94, but I don't know how current that number is. How about 6 sticks of dynamite, 2 per wagon? I figure one should blow one up, but I want to be *sure* the jars and their contents are destroyed...

I have $11 on record, but I dunno if we got paid for anything or if I should have cash from pawning enemy firearms or whatnot.

"I can think of some less-than-savory uses of knockout gas. I'd rather not elucidate further," says Winona wryly in response to the shopkeeper.

"In any case, it'll make a nice party trick."

It's a good thing that all of this is magi-tech, because using aerosolized anaesthetics on people is a great way to wind up with a lot of dead people.

Y'all should have a good bit of money, I'll see if I can find out all the awards. An yeah magic tech is rather good foe ignoring issues like that lol

You know they have two wagons for the jars, a 3rd for other gear and a forth as a kind of mobile home. The troupe has about 18 people all told, and they got here by train. They seem to have about 20 horses, from what you saw around the wagons and in make shift stables. They seem to plan to hit some smaller towns, so will not be using the train as they head into the southwest.

So basically we are going to be using pepperballs, but filled with a sleeping agent. :)

Left off the cost of dynamite, its $3 per stick

Any update on our actual amount of cash?

You guys have a lot, with the loot, money and reward for the gang each of you has $1,246.66. You have money

WOW!!! Can I ret-con Flying Eagle's spending spree in the Smith and Robards store once you post the list? :)

ALL - 18 people could be pretty spread out, I'd suggest we get maybe 10 sleep gas balls (I'd rather have them asleep than awake and choking), and 6 sticks of dynamite to blow up the wagons.
If that sounds good, that'd be $318 total, or $106 each.
If anyone has different ideas for the quantities of each, I'm open to alternatives...

Sounds good

Let's do it!

Sorry guys I'll try to get that list up by this weekend, we can always retcon.

So, you buy the items, when do you plan to hit them?

Keeper - it's been over a year IRL since we've had an Advancement (and I just discovered I never applied my last one!), I'd like to up a couple of Skills (Survival, Stealth) before we start the next part. Is that ok?

"So, if we can track them, we can stay out of sight of them as they travel. Otherwise, we run the risk of being seen by them. I suggest we follow them for a day or two to get well away from the town, then sneak into their camp at night and set off the sleep bombs. Any suggestions?"

"Didn't realize they were leaving town."

You know they have two days left in the Show

(here in this town).

They seem to have about 20 horses, from what you saw around the wagons and in make shift stables. They seem to plan to hit some smaller towns, so will not be using the train as they head into the southwest.

Keeper - what about an Advancement?

Keeper?