THE NEW VANGUARD! HAUNT Issue #9 with Special Guest Star STEEPLEJACK!

Admin wrote:Steeplejack was concerned about where the other three of the hunting party were. In the darkness they could be anywhere. Their power, their technology, gave them a distinct advantage. The boy would need constant medical attention to save his life. He could be the one they'd been sent back to save, there was no way of telling at the moment. The sound of blasts from under the earth reminded the hero that time was of the essence...

Nodding to the lad he added quickly, "Get the horses and get something for Dick, he can ride with me, I've a...friends out here, need to get him and then I'll join you."

With that Steeplejack caught up Haunt and said in a low voice, "I've stopped three of them for a while, the others, those slimy looking bone-thin things, are out there. But we've got to get out. Any idea where Scalphunter is. I hate to leave him?"

And with that Steeplejack took Haunt's arm to help him up, noting that the hadn't seen him look in such worse shape as this before. Whatever these beings had, by way of weapons they were not messing about.

OOC: Ok get Haunt, get Scalphunter if poss and get out to get Dick some help. I'll have him ride with me so I can try and take care of his wound in the saddle, as best I can clearly no social distancing going on here.

Sj

And with that Steeplejack took Haunt's arm to help him up, noting that the hadn't seen him look in such worse shape as this before. Whatever these beings had, by way of weapons they were not messing about.

"Let's get these men to some kind of safety and find a place where we can ambush our foes," the Haunt grunts. "Preferably in the daytime so we can see them coming."

Haunt recovered his senses and knew he'd heal up given a short time. Whether he'd actually get that time though...

Both heroes turned and heard a loud THWUMP! somewhere in the darkness as the aliens were blasting/digging the way out of the hole Steeplejack had put them in! Steeplejack looked about. though he had no superhuman powers (as far as Steeplejack knew) Scalphunter was as good as anyone at using the terrain and not being seen. As to where he was...? He didn't know, but in the short time he'd known the Native American he knew the man to be brave and loyal, and he wouldn't run out on friends.

Mounting up and helping get the injured cowboy on Steeplejacks horse, the heroes kicked the fire out and heard increasingly louder blasts until they saw lasers lance into the night sky high up!

"Jumpin jehosephat!" spluttered Henry Antrim aka William Bonny aka Billy the kid. "What in tarnation are them boys usin'? Cannons?"

'Doc' Scurlock muttered "Billy... just ride!" he spun to Haunt and Steeplejack. "If we don't get outta this alive, ah just want you both ta know ah'm mighty grateful fer your help fellas! Ya!" he said, kicking into the horse and charging off into the darkness.

OOC Haunt tagging along or travelling by a different method? Riding headlong into the darkness on horseback never seemed the safest way to travel...

Haunt will move ahead, summoning the Fog and turning into a large white cougar. That ought to help hide him in the fog, staying far enough ahead not to block the view of the riders.

DavidMcMahon wrote:Haunt will move ahead, summoning the Fog and turning into a large white cougar.  That ought to help hide him in the fog, staying far enough ahead not to block the view of the riders.

Turning to the others, speaking now as Doc, Steeplejack encouraged the group to stay within sight of one another. He then spoke up whilst he tried to make sure his patient was comfortable and safe as one could be under these present circumstances.

"So we're riding but where were you fellas heading to, what is out here? I've got to get this man some serious attention if he isn't going to be another sad story of tonight's misadventures."

Doc, kept an eye out for Haunt, noticing the fog spring up around him he cheerfully commented, "Well look at that, some cover, gotta love small miracles like this, right!"

He was aware that the group was barely holding it together and he didn't need them to jeopardise the rescue - such as it was, as they weren't done yet.

Sj

Doc Scurlock seemed to be the cowboy with the coolest head on his shoulders, and even he was spooked by what he'd seen and was still seeing. Still...

"We were makin' ta hole up in that farmhouse. It belonged to our dear departed former employer Mr John Tunstall of England. Unfortunately he was gunned down by no good varmints and the sheriff was in on it! I'm guessin' the Governer or whoever hired these guys to get after us but ah ain't never seen no one so tall or so ugly as they appear ta be. First they was like regular folks, but creepy. Then they changed, and didn't care none that they would spook regular folks inta their graves early if they just as looked at em!"

He shook his head then spoke as he rode. "From here? Well they shot Dick an' unless we gets him help he's not gonna last the night! Round here there's Albuquerque back thataway, or the mine up in the hills yonder a couple hours ride. They'll have a doctor I'm reckonin, on accounts that them fellas don't want to wait long if there's cave ins an the like. Or... the injuns are a little closer, but they'd just as soon scalp us as let their medicine man look at our friend."

The options seemed limited. A hard ride to the cave and stop to treat the boy as best he could, the Indian camp nearer but more hostile or back the way they came, either through or around the Alien hunters. Around would take a long time, and there was no way the boy would last the trip.

"Pa?" he murmured. "That you pa? Ah'm comin, Pa, after all these years. Ah miss ya, and now ah'm comin back ta ya pa, all them years after that steer kicked you an took ya from us." The cowboy was feverish and barely holding on to Steeplejack any more...

Up ahead Haunt trailed fog and circled about to obscure the galloping cowboys. He wasn't sure if the Aliens could see through the fog but they'd done a great job of that so far and he knew he needed to avoid getting blasted again! Those Thin Men with their blasted de-powering rays were the ones to watch though, and they were smarter than the big ones. He'd taken one out, but where was the other...?

Admin wrote:Up ahead Haunt trailed fog and circled about to obscure the galloping cowboys. He wasn't sure if the Aliens could see through the fog but they'd done a great job of that so far and he knew he needed to avoid getting blasted again! Those Thin Men with their blasted de-powering rays were the ones to watch though, and they were smarter than the big ones. He'd taken one out, but where was the other...?

Steeplejack didn't fancy the ride to Albuquerque, the Indians might have medicine, but would a delay there help the mine might be a choice, but not unless the boy could be stabilised, something that Steeplejack might be able to do, but with Alien's no doubt hard after them, would he even get the chance?

OOC: Ok once we get to the farmhouse, I do the best I can for Dick. If I or the others leave to go to the mine, there is no telling that they will be safe nor indeed that we'd be able to hold them off long enough to make a difference here. But since the farm is close, I will do what I can to stabilise Dick and see if we can get him into some sort of shape. When we get to the farm I'll see if there is anything we can make use off, either to bandage and dress the wound or to help with any infection. I guess once that is done, we wait to see what these aliens will do next. When is dawn?

Sj

Admin wrote:OOC the farmhouse is the one the boys had holed up in, and you two + scalphunter checked out. That leaves the Mine, The Injun Camp or the long way round to the town.

You could circle back to the farmhouse (which is the same way as back to the town) but the baddies would catch up with you in no time. So, those choices:

1) Turn and fight
2) head to the mine and the doctor there (several hours away)
3) head to the injun camp and hope they don't give you the worlds shortest haircut (an hour or so away)
4) ride a long way round the bad guys and go to the farmhouse (a couple of hours) or the town (with the cowboys in tow a full night of riding)

OOC: It looks like we are going to wake up some Indians and hope that Scalp hunter if he's following is in with this crew and not mortal enemies and nor are we for that matter. Don't want shoot first and ask questions later type. But before we get going, if we're in for a hour's ride. Steeplejack will bring Dick down to the ground and see if there isn't anything he can do to help him survive till we get to the camp and then get on and ride on...

Sj

Slowing to a halt Steepljack lowered the boy to the ground. Doc Scurlock rode up first. "How is he? Do we make fer the mine or the injun camp? Where did your friend go?"

Billy the kid dragged his horse to a halt. "We can't stop! They'll be right behind us! Ah ain't sittin here waitin' ta die!"

"We don't leave anyone! Dicks a friend an he wouldn't leave you!" argued Scurlock.

"Well he's nigh on dead so there's a choice as ah see it Doc. We all die with him or we ride on and get as far as we can away from here and mourn our friend in th' mornin. It ain't right, but life ain't right sometimes, an ya gotta go with the cards that get dealt. Damn if it don't taste like defeat, an ah hate losin." said the young gunman and he looked away. Scurlock's anger faded and he turned to Steeplejack. "Mister, we ain't got no right ta ask this, but you gotta make the call fer us. Is Dick gonna die?"

OOC Let's see.

Int 9 + medicine three dice + Roll(5d12)+0: 8,10,7,8,10,+0 Total:20 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 3,4,+0 Total:27 (36) vs
OV5 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,8,+0 Total:10 (15)

+6 EV (to 11) vs RV5= 6 RAPs. Bought yerselves 4 minutes before he needs stabilising. I can do a whole bunch of checks but the ride to the injun camp will need longer time. Still, so long as those varmints ain't catchin ya up, we can do it...

"Ah ain't dead yet..." mumbled Dick. "This here stranger is keepin' me alive. Ah thank the blessed lord he came along when he did!" he muttered. Scurlock ran his hand through his hair and turned to Billy. "Well?"

The Kid chewed his lip. He looked across at the others where they waited on horseback. "I ain't one fer runnin. I ain't one fer dyin neither, not yet anyhow. Regulators! Listen up!"

The others trotted in to listen. "This here man is keepin' Dick alive, and while he lives n breathes I say we give him the best chance he needs ta help our friend. My intentions are ta ride out an lay in wait fer them varmints an bushwhack em. Ya see..."

He reached into his saddlebags and fished out a couple of sticks... of dynamite!

"That there is Bart Hodgsons horse you stole Billy! He always rode with dynamite handy, in case he wanted ta rob a train or such!" said one of the cowboys. "Bart'll go plumb crazy if he finds out!"

"Ah hush. He was drunk when he won the horse, he was drunk when I stole it. He'll still be drunk, somewhere." said Billy. "Now who's with me?"

=========

Haunt looked back, and stopped. The group had stopped riding and his fog was drifting apart. He could maintain it but it would stick out like a sore thumb when the clouds parted and the moon shone down.

What were these boys waiting for? And where was Scalphunter?

Admin wrote:"That there is Bart Hodgsons horse you stole Billy! He always rode with dynamite handy, in case he wanted ta rob a train or such!" said one of the cowboys.  "Bart'll go plumb crazy if he finds out!"

"Ah hush. He was drunk when he won the horse, he was drunk when I stole it. He'll still be drunk, somewhere." said Billy. "Now who's with me?"

"Son..." Steeplejack said looking down at the kid. "There may come a time to blow them critters to kingdom come, but right now, we've got to stick together and I can't be putting you back together and look after Dick here. Do you see? So we ride on them things can't keep up with horses, so we can get clear of em, and see what daylight brings then we can reassess. Right now it's taking all I can to keep this kid alive or do we go on to tell you, dear mama, how we lost you as well this night?"

OOC: Steeplejack is going to ride on, and hope the bluff and bluster of the others settle down as he heads toward the Indian camp. No sense in talking about that till we get nearer.

Sj

"Which way you want to go, Steeplejack," the Cougar Haunt asks out of the fog.

DavidMcMahon wrote:"Which way you want to go, Steeplejack," the Cougar Haunt asks out of the fog.

Steeplejack acknowledged Haunt and said, Come on Dick will survive for a bit longer but not for much, desperate measures...lets head out that way[/i] He nodded to where 'Doc' had previously acknowledged the Indian camp and started riding in that direction.

Sj

"Indian camp it is," the White Cougar Haunt says from within the fog. He keeps his eyes and ears open looking for any sign of the enemy.

The group headed into the darkness trailed by a wall of fog which obscured them from sight. The trail the horses left would be easy to follow - in daylight - but in the dark it would not prove so much of a burden.

The journey was interrupted a number of times as Steeplejack paused to treat Dick. Unfortunately the horse of one of the cowboys broke a leg by a misstep into a fox hole and had to be shot. Doubling up cost more time and the horses were very tired when the sun started to glow distant behind hills and mountains. Though it would not rise for an hour or more it was easier to see and less fraught with danger for the escape.

"Erm..." said Doc Scurlock as he paused at the head of the group. They were entering a canyon and saw a single indian stood in the way. He didn't blink as the cowboys pulled guns and pointed them at him, and simply waved from left to right.

The canyon came alive as Native Americans moved from cover and pointed both rifles and bows and arrows at the group! There must be... thirty or more here!

The heroes were at the back and saw what was happening. Then they noticed indians coming from behind them, four pointing rifles at them!

Letting the fog drift away and revealing himself as a large white cougar, it started moving towards the man who had waved. On the way towards the man, the cougar shifted back into the form of the Haunt. Walking up to the Indian, he said, "Howdy! We have a seriously injured man here and enemies on our heels. This looks like a good ambush spot. We could use it against our foes. Mind helping us out?"

DavidMcMahon wrote:Letting the fog drift away and revealing himself as a large white cougar, it started moving towards the man who had waved.  On the way towards the man, the cougar shifted back into the form of the Haunt.  Walking up to the Indian, he said, "Howdy!  We have a seriously injured man here and enemies on our heels.  This looks like a good ambush spot.  We could use it against our foes.  Mind helping us out?"

"See..." Steeplejack said to the others..."Friends..." He said gesturing to Haunt whom he hoped knew what he was doing because right now, friends were in short supply and Dick was going to run out of life before they got out of this without urgent help.

Sj

There were audible gasps and the faces of the Indians dropped as their eyes widened in superstitious fear!

The cowboys too gaped as guns fell from nerveless fingers and their faces turned white as sheets!

Steeplejacks voice cut through the silence as everyone tried to process what they'd just seen!

"yee naaldlooshii!" muttered the man in the lead stood in the canyon! He started backing away... then turned tail and ran!

The other Indians followed the lead and were soon scrambling up the sides of the canyon sometimes forgetting bows and weapons as they sought to get away from the 'yee naaldlooshii' which in Navajo culture, meant a 'skin-walker' (Navajo: yee naaldlooshii) which is a type of harmful witch who has the ability to turn into, possess, or disguise themselves as an animal. The term is never used for healers.

"Is it a good thing or a bad thing that they ran away?" asked Doc Scurlock. "And will they help us now that we... he... they think we're... what did we just see?" The young man was barely holding it together as he'd just seen a white cougar shapechange into a man dressed all in white, like a ghost!

He looked at the gun on the floor, then at Billy the Kid who's eyes were wild with fear. "What do you think Billy?" he asked.

"I think... I don't know who these guys are but we might not be any better with them than we were with them other fellas!"

The cowboys (save for Dick Brewer on Steeplejacks horse) looked ready to ride off and take their chances in the desert with the Aliens chasing them!

"Relax boys," the Haunt says to the outlaws, "I'm just a stage magician and I was using smoke and mirrors to project what you saw. You know about magic lanterns, right? Let's you project images up on things? That's pretty much what I did here."

Acting and any other skills to get them to believe me.

"Steeplejack, why don't you take our friends here up the canyon and talk to the Indians and see if they will give you help? I will stay here, looks like as good an ambush point as any, and try to stop our friends. Come on back to help once you are sure that our "friends" here are safe."

DavidMcMahon wrote:"Relax boys," the Haunt says to the outlaws, "I'm just a stage magician and I was using smoke and mirrors to project what you saw.  You know about magic lanterns, right?  Let's you project images up on things?  That's pretty much what I did here."

Acting and any other skills to get them to believe me.

"Steeplejack, why don't you take our friends here up the canyon and talk to the Indians and see if they will give you help?  I will stay here, looks like as good an ambush point as any, and try to stop our friends.  Come on back to help once you are sure that our "friends" here are safe."

Steeplejack nodded hoping that Haunt's 'act' could be spun to make it sound as if he really was that good at stage magic. He added, "This would be a good place to offload that dynamite, one stray hit from their weapons and we'd all go up. If they are coming this way for one of you, then we could still use it to make it harder for them to get through.

OOC: Ok will take Dick and the others and see if we can go talk Indian to the Indians and get some help without them turning nasty on us.

Sj

"Dynamite?  We have dynamite?  Cool!  Anyone got a match? or matches, I guess?"

Once the cowboys are out of sight, going to rip up some large boulders the Haunt can throw and having them nearby. Look around and see if I can find anything else to use as a weapon and set them in in piles on both sides of the ravine. Not sure how much dynamite we have both if we have a half dozen sticks or so, then will split those up as well, 3 sticks to a pile, with matches at each pile.

Then form into a large bird, get into the sky high enough to be mistaken for a normal bird and watch for any sign of the aliens coming.

OOC Arggh. Twenty minutes of posting and it's all gone. Arggh. Bumping this to the top to remind me to post/edit here first in a couple of hours...

Suffice to say the Charisma/persuasion attempt failed even with a decent roll and +6EV (to Aura 11) vs an RV (with modifiers) of 14 = FAIL

Haunt soared over the valley he'd been preparing. Unfortunately at night he couldn't see any better than the next person, but at least from this height he'd get a slightly better idea when the enemy was closing in...

The rockslides were set, three sticks of dynamite each side of the canyon and now the hardest part was waiting...

=========

Steeplejack had seen the cowboys gape when Haunt offered his explanation and knew they were onto a loser. He still had to help the young cowboy and set off after them. Leaving his partner would be hard, but there was also the question of Scalphunter, and where he'd gotten to.

After spending a minute or so tending the wounded cowboys wound and talking to Haunt, he saddled up, tied the semi conscious cowboy in place and rode as fast as he dared until the grunts of pain from behind him slowed him down.

Finally after slowing to pick his way around rocks he started to ride up and towards a vast plain. Tracks from the fleeing cowboys showed they'd given little regard to their safety and Steeplejack sighed. He was pretty sure he knew what would happen...

... and sure enough he crested a hill to look down on another plain where the indian camp was. A large group was dragging the trussed cowboys into the middle where a fire was lit and no one was doing any sleeping, despite the late hour! The cowboys had run their horses ragged and been caught by the Indians then dragged back in ropes. Things looked bad for them...

=========

Haunt peered into the darkness. He could see any... wait!

Soaring high and looking down he saw a group of people travelling in the darkness on the plains. Two hulking forms and an ordinary human. Some miles away yet but visible as the sun brightened the plains considerably where it peaked over distant mountains. They were heading for the canyon but he would have to wait for them unless he decided to attack first...

=========

Steeplejack settled Dick Brewer on the floor and checked his wound. The Indians would have medicine men but all Steeplejack needed would be were needle and thread and possibly a red hot poker to cauterise the wound.

He glanced over the hill and down at the camp. There was plenty of whooping and hollering going on now. The Cowboys were tied around a fire in the middle of the camp.

Then Steeplejack turned... what...? Something... someone close by... The slight clatter of a pebble in the darkness... The sun was rising over distant hills and would shed more light on the subject, but he suspected the 'something' would be revealed before then...

Admin wrote:Then Steeplejack turned... what...? Something... someone close by... The slight clatter of a pebble in the darkness... The sun was rising over distant hills and would shed more light on the subject, but he suspected the 'something' would be revealed before then...

It was unlikely to be Scalphunter that much was for sure. With the Indians below getting into a real lather, Steeplejack knew the might not have long if he was to call a halt to proceedings and save the men, let alone Dick. But up till now so much had been going on, with these Alien's having the jump on them, could they have gotten past Haunt? Checking Dick was safe, for a few moments, Steeplejack too the opportunity to move toward the sound, his senses ready and he hoped his powers would not suddenly kick back and fail to activate when he might need them most.

OOC: Ok doing my best not to be discovered but aware I might be being watched and try to sneak up on whoever might be sneaking up on me.

Sj

Since they were some distance from his ambush site, he decided to try and par down his opponents' numbers. A quick strike from the air, grab the human looking one, and fly him/her away from the other two.

actions: some sort of diving air strike/grab using my claws to grab the human-looking one and fly away, probably to my ambush site. Let's put some HP into this is skills alone won't help.

Steeplejack started moving through the darkness. Dick was unconscious but stable for the moment and the cowboys were the object of the indians attention though for the moment they were trussed up...

That left...

SCALPHUNTER!

Steeplejack saw the wounded scout/tracker/hunter/warrior stumbling, limping, jogging on foot as best he could. He looked cut up, bruised, holding his shoulder and was limping. He looked up and it became clear he'd thrown caution to the wind!

Sagging to the dusty dirt he looked up as Steeplejack raced to his side. "Followed... thin tall man with strange face ... they take injured one to place... discovered. Not know how, some magic... they came straight to me. They have place, not know if followed me... Take me to my peopleeeee...." he sighed and sagged into Steeplejacks arms!

Steeplejack checked Scalphunters wounds over. None were life threatening, but if he'd run here whilst wounded he would be completely exhausted! But if he'd run here... then... the indians over that next hill might be his people!