Session 4: Tiberious Mine completed

Protagonists:

• Bill : A old (40s) alcoholic Gun slinger
• Trinity:  A young want to be Cowboy, sees himself as the fasted gun in the west
• Silver Hawk : Indian Shaman.  
• Padre : Pentecostal Reverend of some note back East

NPC's

• None

Antagonists

• Strange centipedal Ant creatures
• Tunnel Crawler Ghost Rock infused Queen

Story 

The group pushed further into the mines following the trails of blood and drag marks.  opening into a vast multilayered cavern the group where ambushed by several of the ant like creatures.   After a valiant fight with the group coming out vicotorious they searched around to discover at least one more of the people they were chasing had been attack and dragged away with the final, remaining person following.

The group followed and came to another mined out cave, this time full of deep white smoke.  Searching around they realised that the drag marks continued into the smoke, followed by the boots but then followed by several of the ant like creatures.   On exploration the group found a shallow depression in the middle of chamber with a number of glowing carapaces.  They surmised that the remaining man had been caught in a dynamite blast which triggered the infused ghost rock in the carapaces of the creatures to ignite into a massive fire killing him and several of the tunneling ants.

The drag marks continues westwards to a part mined chamber which still held a number of pieces of dynamite in the granite rock around the Ghost rock.  The missing body was being devoured by baby creatures as the group arrived.  It rose in the air - and spoke to the group through psychic means telling them that a black raven had come to them and led them here.  As the creature announced through the body it wanted to eat fresh man flesh trinity blew the mans skull apart and the cave erupted into writhing creatures including a massive 8ft long beast that seemed to be the natural leader.

The battle was well fought and the group claimed several pounds of loose ghost rock.  They rejoined the deadwood stage, and headed to eastmans creek.  Padre spun a tale over whiskey that night of their encounter in the mines -raising the mood of the locals (And reducing the fear level to 2)

Open Plot Hooks:

1. Raven and his plans of Vengeance
2. Be in Deadwood by 5th June to meet Wild Bill
3. Meet Charlie Bull in Deadwood if they want to learn more of Raven
4. Who owns the Weapons cache and what is it for?
5. Who owns the Samurai armour?  Is it related to the Weapons Cache?

Closed Plot Hooks

1. Head to Eastmans creek to fix the axle (took wagon from mine and jury rigged an axle to get them to Eastmans)
2.  Where did the horses and men go? (taken by the tunnel crawlers in the mines)
3. What are the strange insect creatures the group has discovered?  (Tunnel crawlers led to the mine by visions from Raven from the battleground

Padre

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d4, Vigor d4
 
Skills: Faith (Arcane) d10, Guts d6, Healing d6, Knowledge: Religions d6, Notice d4, Persuasion d6, Riding d4, Shooting d4
 
Pace: 6, Parry: 2, Toughness: 4, Charisma: 0, Grit: 1
 
Gear: 

• Double-Barrel d4+2 (1-3d6, 12/24/48), 
• Unarmed Strike d4-2 (Str), (40x) 
• Ammo (Shotgun Shells), 
• Bible, 
• Boots, Canteen, Clothing (Normal), Crucifix, Horse, Lantern, Saddle (Normal), Saddlebags, Shotgun Thong, Tobacco, smoking (pouch), Watch, standard

Special Abilities:

• Cautious: Plot things out in detail before any action
• Pacifist: Despises violence; Will only fight to defend self
• Vow (Spread the Word of the Lord): Vow causes problems
• Arcane Miracles: Gain the Miracles arcane background
• Conviction: +2 to Faith rolls to call down Miracles.

EXP

• Earnt: 7
• Total: 7

Trinity

Gunslinger.

Stats and Bio to follow

Silver Hawk

Indian Shaman.

Stats and Bio to follow

William 'Bill' S Money

Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6
 
Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d8, Intimidation d4, Investigation d6, Notice d6, Riding d4, Shooting d10, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6
 
Pace: 6, Parry: 6, Toughness: 6, Charisma: -1, Grit: 3, Dominion: 0
 
Gear:

•  Double-Barrel d10+2 (1-3d6, 12/24/48)
• Unarmed Strike d8 (Str+2)
• S&W .44 d10 (2d6+1, 12/24/48)
• Winchester '73 d10 (2d8, 24/48/96),
• Knife, Bowie d8 (Str+d4+1), 
• (80x) Ammo (.40-.50), (20x) Ammo (.40-.50), (40x) Ammo (Shotgun Shells), 
• Bedroll, Blanket, Boots, Clothing (Normal), Duster, Gun Belt, Holster, Horse, Playing Cards, Saddle, Saddlebags, Soap, Stetson, Tobacco, smoking (pouch)

 
Special Abilities:

• Enemy (Gang Leader): Someone is out to kill you
• Habit (Alcoholic): Annoying and constant habit
• Overconfident: Believes he can do anything; Accepts all challenges
• Brawler: +2 to unarmed damage rolls
• Brawny: +1 Tough; Load limit is 8 times Str
• Quick Draw: Ignore -2 penalty to attack after drawing; +2 on draw

EXP 

• Earnt: 7
• Total: 20

BIO:
Coming Soon :)

Legends and Lore

Or, What the PC's know and learn of the Weird West

Raven (Source Wovoka, Silver Hawk)

A young brave.  Know one has seem him in a long while.  Believed to be the source of the Reckoning and the head of the order of the Raven

Ravenites (Source Wovoka, Silver Hawk)

Members of the Order of Raven.  They claim to be the militant arm of the Ghost Dancers, but this is a lie.  They can be found in any and all Indian tribes, and look for a fast way to spread darkness, terror and war whilst gaining as much power as they can achieve.  In reality they are opposed to the Ghost Dancers and wage a secret war against them as they believe they are the only ones who can stop them in the quest for the destruction of the White Man.

The Reckoning (Source: Wovoka)

The Reckoning is a tremendous upheaval of the spirits. The Hunting Grounds—a world of spirits just beyond man’s sight—are overrun with evil beings called manitous. They seek only to spread fear, death, and destruction in the next world and in ours.

Wovoka believes the trouble was started by a young brave named Raven. He saw his whole
family killed by whites, and in his quest for revenge he broke open doors that should have
stayed closed. Evil that had slept for centuries swarmed out toward the light.

Custer (General Knowledge/Tombstone Epitaph)

Maintains a large camp on the eastern banks of the Missouri River in Dakota Territory, and runs
his patrols up and down the border.

Session 3: Into the (Tiberius) Mine Pt 1

Protagonists:

• Bill : A old (40s) alcoholic Gun slinger
• Trinity:  A young want to be Cowboy, sees himself as the fasted gun in the west
• Silver Hawk : Indian Shaman.  
• Padre : Pentecostal Reverend of some note back East

NPC's

• None

Antagonists

• A Walking Dead (or was it!!)
• Strange centipedal Ant creature.

 Story

The session opened with the protagonists heading towards the mine in the hills .  They catiously approached the woods and Bill, Trinity and Silver Hawk stealthy moved through them.  The first to notice anything untoward was Bill.  On the edge of the woods was a hitching post.  There were four reins tied to the post, each ended in a halter which was on the floor in pools of sticky blood.  There were no signs or sounds of any horses, instead a bloody drag mark, surrounded by strange punch holes in the ground led towards and then into the mine. 

Close to the mine entrance were two brand new wagons, each with their back boards down.  Between the wagons and the mine entrance a two foot high pile of blood and eviscerated horse festered with maggots which from a distance looked like they were the size of a small banana.  Silver Hawk mused that such a carcass should have attracted Vultures but none circled over head.  The area outside the mine felt to the protagonists as though something was watching them with an evil intent.

Entering the mine the group arrived at a large man made cavern.  The mine cart tracks continued further into the mine, but this chamber held a number of interesting objects and finding the group spent time looking at.  By calculation there were crates of confederate stamped Winchesters, totalling 240, A similar number of peacemakers, ammo for both and around 50 sticks of dynamite.  They found a dozen barrels of good liquor and 3 civil war confederate cannon with 36 shot.  Whilst examining and discussing these they stumbled on several piles of fresh casings from rifles and revolvers as well as marks in the dirt suggesting someone had been dragged away into the southern exit where the blood trail continued. 

Following the blood and drag marks the group entered into a natural cavern.  The southern entrance had caved in but an exit to the east took them further into the mine.  The cart track continued in that direction.  This chamber held two more strange things.  First six crates each containing 7ft ornate armour.  This was chinese in style (Samurai armour). The other was a strange skeleton of a centipedal crerature with several legs each ending in 4 strange hook like prongs which looked to be good for digging, dragging and moving.  The skeleton had a strong armoured carapace and had suffered a fatal head wound.  The bullet was crushed and looked to be from a winchester. 

The drag marks and fading blood trails continued eastwards, as did the boots following the drag marks with the occasional shell casing on the floor.  The group followed and came to a cave that was both natural and man made.  A seam of Tin clearly excavated at some point.  the tracks continued southwards through the only other exit, near which lay the body of person.  Trinity headed over and just as he arrived it turned and swung a pick axe at thim, catching him off guard and grazing him.  The sight almost got the better of Trinity, the mans chest was a large open wound and his eyes vacant and lifeless.  But battling on trinty swung his crowbar in retaliation, missing completely.  Behind Padre thought Trinity was helping the obviously wounded man to his feet and began to move forwards.  Further away Bill had seen the violent action from the 'man' and walked forwards opening fire with the winchester at the same time and blowing the top of the mans head clean off.  As the body fell several smaller versions of the skeletal insect scurried out of the body, obvious to Trinity they had been feeding on the cadaver and were causing it to twitch.  Silver Hawk was not so sure!

It took two of them to squash one of the strange insects, it been very resistant to Bills attempts to stamp on it.  Once they had dispatched it they checked the body.  It  was hard to identify, Bill surmised it was a mercenary of some kind and something had clearly eaten its way out of the poor mans chest.

The session ended here with the group ready to continue after the other small insects to the south.

Open Plot Hooks:

1. Head to Eastmans Creek to fix the Axle
2. Raven and his plans of Vengeance
3. Be in Deadwood by 5th June to meet Wild Bill
4. Meet Charlie Bull in Deadwood if they want to learn more of Raven
5. Who owns the Weapons cache and what is it for?
6. Who owns the Samurai armour?  Is it related to the Weapons Cache?
7. Where did the horses and men go?
8. What are the strange insect creatures the group has discovered?

Closed Plot Hooks 

1. Investigate where the wagons were heading (Mine / Camp)

Session 2: In aid of Wovoka

Protagonists:

• Bill : A old (40s) alcoholic Gun slinger
• Trinity:  A young want to be Cowboy, sees himself as the fasted gun in the west
• Silver Hawk : Indian Shaman.  
• Padre : Pentecostal Reverend of some note back East

NPC's

• Sky Hawk : Paiute Shaman (injured)
• Wovoka: Paiute Shaman leader
• Wovoka's Ghost dancers X 4

Antagonists

• Ravenite Indians X 8

 Story

The group follow Sky Hawk appromiately 5 miles south west of the deadwood trail to a small defile, where the creek that eventually flows through Eastmans passes between two large standing rocks known as the Sentinals locally.

In an overconfident manner Bill and Trinity make a frontal assault into the Ravenites who are spotted moving around in the darkness above the defile attempting to get a bearing on the remaining Indians loyal to Wovoka.  The battle is bloody and fierce but fortunately the group suffer no casualties as they defeat the Ravenites.

Wovoka is grateful and offers to break fast with them as the predawn sun begins to slowly rise.  He tells them some of who the Ravenites are and what they are tying to do.  He urges them, if they wish to help as he believes the spirits have guided them to him, to seek out an Indian in Deadwood known as Bull all the Time or Charlie Bull to the white man. .  After issuing rights over the fallen Wovoka and his remaining group head eastwards. 

The Protagonists are informed that if they follow the creek to the north then west it will take them to Eastmans and cut out several miles of needless travel back to the Deadwood trail.  The group do as they are bid and head out.  A couple of miles east of the defile, as the creek reaches the lower lands around the hills, they stumble across a blackend tree stump on the north bank of the creek.  It marks a ford where on investigation the group determine wagons have passed both ways, heading north they were empty, heading south heavy.  They were accompanied by unshod horse riders - the group surmising these were possibly the Ravenites.  They decide to follow the trail south.

a further 3 miles south they see the sentinals on their left and the hills surrounding them have turned across their path.  Ahead amongst a small wood they see what looks like a windmill, the kind standing outside a mine.  The group decide to investigate, but not before they realise the indians had turned East towards the sentinals.  Likely the group that attacked Wovoka.

Open Plot Hooks

• Eastmans creek to fix the Axle.
• The Mine or camp in the woods
• The loaded wagons
• The Train, and why did it stop
• Raven and his vengeance on White Man

Plot hooks completed

• Rescue Wovoka : The group killed the Ravenites and rescued the Paiutes

Session 1: Setting the Scene

Protagonists:

• Bill : A old (40s) alcoholic Gun slinger
• Trinity:  A young want to be Cowboy, sees himself as the fasted gun in the west
• Silver Hawk : Indian Shaman.  
• Padre : Pentecostal Reverend of some note back East

NPC's

• Sky Hawk : Piaute Shaman (injured)
• Jeb Mckeever : Stage driver (Deceased)
• Big Danny Mckeever : Rides Shotgun

Antagonists

• Sam Bass : Leader of the Bass Gang
• Bass Gang cowboys X 6

The Story

Its currently 1st September 1880, Bill, Trinity and Padre are travelling from Bismark to Deadwood in the Armoured Stage when its ambushed by the Sam Bass gang looking for an easy score away from lawmen who rarely venture into Sioux country.  As the wagon tumbles Trininty suffers cuts and bruises resulting in a level of fatigue. 

The group decide not to hand over their valuables and so a fight ensues.  As the group gain the upper hand an indian Shaman makes an appearance, joining in the fight on the side of the protagonists, Sam Bass and at least one more of his gang flee the scene.  During the fight Jeb takes a fatal shot from a Winchester, the padre is too late to help him.

The indian introduces himself as Silver Hawk, he tells Padre he has had a vision of them working together to bring back the old ones, Padre assumes he means Jesus Christ and promptly launches into one of his many sermons on the subject. 

As the group clear up the mess and look at the state of the stage they hear the distance squealing of brakes from a train.  Before they can make descisions as to investigaing the train, heading to Eastmans Creek to find a way to fix the stage another indian, Sky Hawk, comes down out of the hills, bearing several gunshot wounds.  He tells the group that Wovoka needs help and that he is being attacked by Ravenites.  Silver Hawk, somewhat familiar with these matters leads the discussion to go to Wovoka's aid, convincing Trinity that the stage would be safe for the short time they are away.  The group agree and the session ended there.

Plot Hooks 

1. Bill:  Telegram from Wild Bill to be in Deadwood by September 5th 
2. Accompany Sky Hawk to rescue Wovoka
3. Head to Eastmans Creek to find a way to fix the axle of the Stage
4. Head to the train and find out why it stopped.