- LightWarden
- Mar 18, 2007
-
Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!
|
quote:The pillar of smoke is a dark stripe that rises into the otherwise blue northern sky. All around the crowded town, people begin to pause and glance worriedly toward that rising smudge.
This is county business. I'd better see to it. (+2 Law, +2 Order)
It is probably just a wildfire, but the townsfolk always expect me to do something about these things.
(if the town was flooded)I would say I'm needed here to help with the clean up, but from the way people are looking at me, I should probably look into the source of the smoke instead. (+2 Honor)
This could be an opportunity for me. If not, I might be able to make one happen. (-2 Law, -2 Order)
Laura's got business to attend to.
quote:This could be an opportunity for me. If not, I might be able to make one happen.
(Law and Order slightly decreased) (-2 Law, -2 Order)
Your horse is in your stable, right where you left it.
Ride on out.
Find where Dan went and ask him to come along.
Go find Carrie and ask her to come along.
Find Preston and ask to borrow a few of his deputies.
Ask around and see if Ben is nearby.
No one seems to remember the Cowboy being in town, but to the north is Big Bell ranch and that is where Ben rides. Chances are you will be able to swing by there on the way.
quote:Find where Dan went and ask him to come along.
It doesn't take long for you to find Dan in the General Store, chatting up Matthew during a lull in things.
"…then I looked to him, and he to me, and we both started running," Dan says as he spins the end of a tale, "fast as you can because we both know that while we might not be able to out-run the alligator, we have only got to out run each other."
Matthew barely stifles an amused snort at that and then glances your way as you walk in, "Is any of that true, Marshal?"
"Of course it is." (+2 Schmidt)
"Not a word." (-2 Schmidt)
(46+ Survival)"Well, most alligators are really just sprinters and, besides, they stay in the water when they can." (+2 Schmidt)
(46+ Brawling)"I think I would have stayed to wrestle the alligator." (+2 Schmidt)
"I don't know. I never had to run from an alligator before."
quote:"I think I would have stayed to wrestle the alligator."
Yeah, that would have been the smart thing to do," Dan admits. (+2 Schmidt)
Matthew just stares at the two of you before he finally remembers to clear his throat.
Schmidt's eyes all but sparkle as he looks over at you, "So, are you here for Matthew…?"
"That smoke in the north? It needs investigating and I'd like you to come along."
"Never mind. Sorry I interrupted."
Dan gives you a worried shrug then returns to chatting with Matthew. (+5 Schmidt)
Dan will come along no questions asked with 71+ Influence, or if you romanced him (or even if you romanced him and broke up with him because he's not over you yet). At lower levels of influence you can persuade him along with increasingly difficult Persuasion checks, offering him some wealth (3 for 0 to 30, 2 for 31 to 50, 1 for 51 to 70), using your Honor to convince him you need him, or your low Law or Order to convince him there's opportunities for wealth or fun.
Laura isn't going to bring him along though.
quote:Go find Carrie and ask her to come along.
A glance into the saloons fails to find Carrie. No one at the Grand Haven hotel has seen her either; but out back of the barn you find her oiling her saddle.
She glances up, cracks a grin and slides into your arms, "Well, there we are. I've been wondering when you'd come back around."
Only after a long while does talking again seem appropriate.
"There is a column of smoke in the north that I need to investigate, and I'd like you to ride along with me."
"Never mind."
"Well, alright then," Carrie says and returns to her card game.
If you took Carrie to see a play in Elko then you get a slightly different scene.
quote:A glance into each of the saloons fails to find Carrie. No one in the Grand Haven hotel has seen her either. One by one, you narrow down the places she could be until you find her lazing about Timothy's saddle and leather works.
Carrie catches your eye and breaks into a wide grin. In an instant she is in your arms. When at last the heated moment regretfully slips past, she eases back to regard you in full, "Looks like Elko agreed with the both of us."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I decided to get something made. Timothy's working out the details," she says and tosses her head toward the saddler's shop. "An oil skin cover, for papers and such."
Raise an eyebrow.
"Its for the play sheets," she tells you, "so they won't get wet."
Keep that eyebrow raised.
"Them play sheets have got all the lines on them," she points out. "How am I supposed to read them if they get wet? I got enough trouble with that as it is." (+5 Carraway)
She's an actress now.
Similarly, Carrie will come along easily with 71+ Influence or past or present romance, or you can use Persuasion to convince her, wealth to hire her or Honor to convince her you'll make it worth her time. And just like Dan, she's not coming along.
quote:Find Preston and ask to borrow a few of his deputies.
It isn't hard to find Preston. From the way he swaggers over, he wanted to be found.
"Well, fancy meeting you again Laura," he offers over as he idly strokes his gold pocket watch with his limber fingers. "Time flies, doesn't it?"
"It does. Must've been all of, what, an hour?"
"Well, you got me there. Dead to rights," he smirks. "So, what can I do for you?"
"Are you going to be like this all the time?"
"Around you? Probably," he admits.
"Are you insinuating something or using a metaphor."
"I don't know. Either, or both," he says idly.
Just stare at him.
He stares back and likes it.
"Look, I need some of your deputies to ride with me for a bit."
"Can you spare a few deputies?"
"This was a bad idea. Never mind."
Preston is still enjoying the new romance energy. If you're not romancing him then the scene changes depending on how hard the town was hit by the flood and its current prosperity. If it was heavily damaged by the flood then he's pouring over the plans for a New Preston Springs, with the plans getting more extravagant the more prosperous the town is.
If you're not romancing him then getting him to send help involves persuading him with a Legal, Persuasion, Law, Order, Honor, Influence or Intimidate check, though trying to intimidate him costs you influence.
If you are romancing him then he'll just give the deputies as a way of trading favor.
quote:"What, just like that?"
"Just like that. But its not a gift, its a favor," he notes and cracks an eager smile. "And I know you are good for that."
"We'll see."
"The yes-or-no tension is just delicious," Preston notes.
"It will be a cold day in hell."
"Or a warm day in heaven," he retorts, "and I'm already heating up."
"If you expect me to…do anything…"
"I do expect a lot. But I expect we'll both enjoy it," Preston says simply.
True to his word, dour Gleason and silent Shorty follow you out into the street as if they were protecting Preston himself.
But there's nothing these guys can do that Laura can't, so she's just going to turn him down from the start.
quote:"This was a bad idea. Never mind."
"Oh, don't be like that. We…had something special. Don't get shy about it," Preston presses.
"I ain't being shy. You just make me uncomfortable asking for things."
quote:"That's the way it is. You want a favor, you have to owe me one in return," Preston says, "thing of it is…most people don't have anything I want."
"How comforting. Forget it. Or rather, keep forgetting I ever came by."
"Now why would I want to do that?" Preston considers then tenders over a sly smile.
"I need a few of your deputies."
Laura rides alone.
quote:Alone, you ride on out.
quote:The pillar of smoke has ceased to rise by the next day but a gray pall hangs in the sky afterward and only slowly drifts away. Near toward sunset, the dust from a band of riders kicks up in the distance. Half a dozen, maybe a few more if they're on small horses.
Those grow closer and closer. Their dark coats and starched white shirts are easy to pick out. Including one who rides at the fore and doffs his hat to you as if you were passing on the street. Saints. You can tell just by the way they ride.
The Saints rein in and you note that their leader is Bishop Hancock. The man is just as he had been before but with dark smudges under his eyes. Indeed, they all have a burnt look about them and not from the sun. By the Bishop's side an equally singed Ben tosses you a nod but lets the other man speak.
"Marshal," Bishop Hancock says formally. "We have come down to ask for your aid in dealing with a series of terrible events. Men are dead, women are widowed and whole families have lost their livelihoods."
"Tell me what happened." (+2 Albion)
"As it turns out, aid is exactly what I had in mind."
"Let me guess, Indian attack?"
"Let me guess, a fire." (-2 Albion)
"Just get on with it." (-2 Albion)
Say nothing.
quote:"It began at the Smith homestead. They were clearing the fields of corn stalks to feed their pigs when a band of Indians came riding with rifles in hand. Smith's son was killed outright, but he and the others made it to a barn. The Indians flung a torch into the barn and flushed them out. The elder Smith died, trying to fling a pitchfork into one of the bastards, but the others escaped when the wives and daughters began firing from the windows of the house."
"But it doesn't end there, does it?"
"One barn doesn't seem like a big fire.…"
"Sounds like they should have gone armed."(-2 Albion)
quote:"The Indians moved on, fired a few more shots at other farm houses. Smith's surviving sons organized a posse to go after them, caught up to them near the Kirk's fields. Mister Kirk hadn't yet brought in his hay and a fire got started.
"I don't know if those Indians meant to do it, but that doesn't matter. The first raged out of control and swept through the whole west side. Whole farms went up before the rains came east and drowned it," Hancock says and looks you straight in the eye. "We want those raiders tracked down and dealt with before they do this again."
Ben edges forward, "I expect the Marshal has questions. She always does."
"How many are dead in all?"
"Two," Ben notes, "and that is more than enough."
"The Smiths are certain they were Indians?"
"They got a good look at a few and they were Indians," Ben relates, "but they couldn't tell which tribe."
"They only saw a few up close?"
"Yeah, kind of strange," Ben agrees. "Only a few came forward while the rest hung back and played with their rifles."
"Do you have a posse after them now?"
"A band of men are following their trail even now," Bishop Hancock says.
"You came riding to me for help.…"
"We are farmers and folk, Marshal," Bishop Hancock says and removes his serious black hat. "We can pull a trigger but, to be honest, we are not very good at fighting. Dedicated, yes, but not bloodied. You, on the other hand… are known to be otherwise."
"I think I know what I need to do."
"Go on," Hancock prods.
"I'll need to see the site of the first attack to settle some questions. Only then will I ride out after these Indians."
"Let's gather up a big posse and head after them."
"I'd best head after them right now, before things dry out."
There's a hidden tracker of wariness and vengefulness that builds up in the conversation depending on your choices. Treating like a straightforward attack builds up the vengefulness while questioning the odd nature of the attack builds up wariness, and you get +2 to Albion if you investigate while wary or head out while vengeful. There isn't really any other downside to investigating, so might as well.
quote:"I'll need to see the site of the first attack to settle some questions. Only then will I ride out after these Indians."
"I don't know what you'll find there," Bishop Hancock says, "but I agree that this isn't like anything that happened before. (+2 Albion)
Ashes and graves; they meet there upon the flat lands beside a trickle of a stream. A gray dust covers the brown earth and the two bodies buried beneath.
'Beloved Husband, Beloved Son'. Simple words written upon the white crosses. A testament to those who have perished and those who yet endure.
There is nothing to be done for the dead but the living are another matter. You cast your eyes out across a muddy field toward the blackened and skeletal remnants of a barn.
Inspect the remaining timbers.
The remaining wooden timbers are cracked and old. Very dry. Add that to however much hay lay inside, a great deal judging by the many scraps that still remain, well, it must have lit up like a bonfire. Once that happened, the men inside, five or so, would not have had long before they would have to escape or succumb to the smoke and then the blaze.
As you turn away, something catches your eye. All but buried in dried mud lies a rounded stick that has been badly blackened on one end. A torch. The very thing that had been used to start the fire.
Recover the spent torch.
You pry the shaft from the mud and note a waxy residue at one end where the dirt does not cling. A sniff fails to stir an odor. Not lamp oil then but paraffin. The kind of thing that is impossible to find in the wild.
It is a nice piece of oak and hardly burned. If not for its grim past it would be an easy thing to put the torch to use again.
Examine the site of the first murder.
Out in the middle of a half harvested field there lies a portion of too dark earth. A host of boot prints surround a depression where broken stalks are tinged with bleak blood.
There are no moccasin prints to be found, just boots. And not a brave returned to scalp the man, loot him, or just cut this throat to be done with it. So many wrong things that no band of Indians would overlook.
Examine the site of the second murder.
Just a dozen steps from the barn lies the remnants of a gruesome fight. A whole patch of the ground has gone dark with blood; especially a portion where it looked to pool.
Moccasin prints mingle with those from boots and a broken shaft from a wood handle lies nearby.
"Brother Gene Smith, the head of the house, tried to fight once they got flushed out," Ben explains as you survey the scene. "He even hurled a pitchfork at one…and they gunned him down and…one of the Indians went up, cut his throat, and scalped him while his family watched."
The brutality of it is terrifying to consider. It is no wonder that the people of Albion Falls are out for blood.
Study the prints in the mud.
The boot prints of the settlers are easy to distinguish from the Indian moccasins and readily lay out the truth of who went where; just as the story has been told. Strange thing about the moccasins though, here and there the edges are turned oddly. Almost as if they were ill-fitting. A strange thing to see in a war-party.
Study the horse tracks.
The horse tracks are many and varied. It takes a little while to survey them all. As expected, there are unshod horses that had come closest to the house. But farther along there are many that bear the iron 'U' shape. A lot of them.
Indians rarely shoe their ponies. Its a waste of iron, money, and time. Even a maverick band wouldn't bother with that.
"Indians don't shoe their ponies.…"
"Because sooner or later they throw a shoe," Ben explains, "and to put it back on takes a blacksmith, which they don't have. Can't ride without all the shoes, at least not with out risking the horse going lame, so instead its best to remove the shoes and just ride."
Some Indians were here but those riders in the back, who didn't get close, might not have been.
I have seen enough for now.
"Now what, Marshal?" Bishop Hancock asks. "You want us to gather a big posse or do you figure we're enough to finish the job?"
You have a half dozen Saints riders to call upon. Which doesn't include Ben who, at a distance, is well worth every round he fires.
"Let's gather a posse."
"Let's get after these raiders."
Inspecting the fire finds the torch, and inspecting the torch increases wariness and grants a clue with 51+ Survival, or Dan or 20+ Engineering. Inspecting the first murder site increases wariness if you're heartless, a native, or have Dan or Carrie to note that no one did anything to the body. Studying the horse tracks increases wariness if you're a native, have 46+ survival or have one of the companions with you.
Gathering a posse takes time (which doesn't really matter) but gives you more escorts. Laura didn't bother getting forces earlier so might as well ignore this one too.
quote:"Let's get after these raiders."
East of Albion Falls lies a bare and desolate land. Jagged mountains rise up to present rugged ridges cropped by a scraggle of trees and brush. The ground has begun to dry and with it comes a chocking, acrid dust.
That night your little group hunkers down without warming fires for lack of wood and sleeps fitfully until dawn. A dry repast of jerky, cold beans, and luke-warm coffee, heated atop a fire that consumes a few bits of dry timber to be found, is gulped down before the ride resumes.
In the foothills of the Humboldt ridge a gleam of a mirror greets your eyes. It pulses once, twice, and then a third time; there, up on a thorny slope. A band of men in trail coats with just a hint of white beneath.
"Our scouts," Bishop Hancock explains, "but I would have thought them further along."
A quick ride up finds a weary and bloodied band of white shirted Saints sheltering near the crest of a rise. Not a horse is in sight but several corpses certainly are. One fella comes on down to greet you, a big fella with dark, curly hair that almost makes for ringlets.
"Bishop!" the man calls out.
"Brother Travis. What fresh disaster is this?" Bishop Hancock asks.
"We found them raiders," Travis replies and then looks to you. "Who's this?"
Bishop Hancock gestures over, "I'd like you to meet the Marshal. Marshal Engels, this is Travis Beeks, our foremost scout."
"Hey Marshal," Travis says to you warily. "I can tell you want to get right to this, so here's what happened. They saw us following them and laid an ambush. They got one of us in the first volley, the second when he tried to tend the dying man. We traded shots for almost an hour when they suddenly up and left after we holed one of them."
Travis gestures to one of the bodies that hasn't been covered up; an Indian for certain.
"Tell me, Travis, where are they now?"
"They rode off over the mountains but first…well, some of them circled round us during the fight and took our horses while we were shooting."
"Indian tactics if I ever saw them," Bishop Hancock muses uncertainly.
"How long ago was that?"
"About five days ago."
"They must not have been riding hard.…"
"No, they weren't. They even stopped for a time to let their wounded recover. At least, we found blood and bandages buried at their camp," Travis explains.
"How bad did you get hurt?"
quote:"We lost two good men, got twice that injured. Those Indians were good shots. Nice rifles. Spencers I'd guess. But like I said, we did get one of them," Travis points out.
"And they just left the body there?"
"The sacrifice of your scouts was not in vain." (+2 Albion)
(Heartless) "That's a bad ratio, isn't it?" (-2 Albion)
"I'd like to see the Indian's body."
"Bishop Hancock, I've got an idea of how to proceed."
quote:"I'd like to see the Indian's body."
"You are welcome to take a look," Travis shrugs, "but the bastard's been above ground for a bit so…he's kinda ripe."
Travis removes the blanket to reveal a corpse that had not gone quietly. Dark spots are splashed across torn legs and broken arms from where it fell down the ridge. The chest is dotted with black burn marks and a great deal of blood soaked into the leather shirt, but the head is far worse for the entire scalp has been removed to reveal the white skull beneath.
"You…scalped him?"
(if Native)"Hey, is that your first scalp? Maybe it could be your last too."
"Always siding with your people. Typical injun," Travis says tersely. (+5 Albion)
"I take it you took a souvenir?"
"The fall couldn't have done this."
(if Heartless) "Dang it, I was gonna take that scalp!"
quote:Bishop Hancock steps forward and seizes Travis by the arm, "Brother, we do not descend into barbarity. We restrain ourselves from the violence that merely makes us feel good."
"Its not about feeling good. Its about justice. Balancing the scales and all," Travis counters and tries to shake the older man off.
"Brother Travis, justice in this world is the law tempered with compassion," Bishop Hancock explains in the tones of a father to a wayward son. "When this man died, he paid for his crimes in full. All you did was mutilate a corpse like a mad butcher."
The Bishop guides Travis away and leaves you alone with the defiled corpse.
Inspect the dead Indian's clothing.
The corpse's clothing is ripped and torn; largely by the fall. Not to mention the blood from the chest wound. But it is the moccasins that draw your eye. Heavily worn with numerous small tears that no one, and certainly not an Indian, would allow to remain. This man had walked a long ways in these leathers; but the raiders had all been riders.
The shirt is interesting as well for it shows signs of powder burns. Furthermore, bits of black lead that flew out with a bullet and lodged themselves into leather and skin. That only happens with a close shot; practically point blank. But to hear the Saints tell it, they never got close.
Inspect the corpse.
Corpse lividity is consistent with the number of days since death but a close examination yields numerous surprises; many of the man's fingers are broken. Some of those were from the fall, but others had time to begin to heal. Furthermore, there are signs of chafing at the wrists as if from cuffs or bonds. The legs have not escaped troubles either and show numerous layers of yellowed bruising where there should be none. All of that tells you that this man had not come here willingly.
Examine the bullet wound.
A simple glance at the bullet wound and the powder burns about the wound tells you that the Indian was killed up close, probably by a pistol and probably while kneeling.
Look closer at the missing scalp.
The edges of the scalping are crisp and clean. A sharp knife cut the flesh to reveal a bone white skull beneath. Some scraping along the top though; Travis was not accustomed to this sort of work. Thankfully.
"Bishop Hancock, I think I know what happened here."
"Bishop Hancock, I think we need to speak concerning what comes next."
You can get either major or minor clues in three different areas by examining the scene. Examining the clothing gives a major clue with 43+ Riding or 20+ Engineering to note that he wasn't a rider or a minor clue with 41+ Survival to note his clothing didn't fit. Examining the corpse gives a major clue as a doctor or with 46+ Brawling to notice lots of prior injuries as a captive, or a minor clue with 46+ Survival to note that he has some odd bruising. Examining the bullet wound gives a major clue as a doctor or with 46+ Gunfighting to note he was shot point blank, or a minor clue with 46+ Sharpshooting to note that it was an odd angle
If you've examined at least one thing you can tell Bishop Hancock you think you know what happened, with
quote:"Bishop Hancock, I think I know what happened here."
"You do?" Bishop Hancock asks and steps close. "I mean, beyond the ambush, murder and horse thievery…"
"This is too complicated. Never mind."
(No clues)"This is exactly as it appears to be. Ambush, murder, and horse thievery."
(Wound minor clue) "This Indian was killed not by your scouts, but by someone else."
(Wound major clue)"This Indian was shot at close range. If what your scouts said is true, then one of the Indians did it."
(Clothes minor clue) "The dead Indian's clothing didn't fit him well."
(Clothes clue)"No belt and badly fitting breeches means he may not have been a raider."
(Clothes major clue)"The Indian walked a long way here. Walked, not rode as the raiders did."
(Body minor clue) "The body didn't just get bruised from the fall. Something else happened to him before the shootout."
(Body major clue)"I am fairly confident that the man was a captive and not a raider."
(Clues from clothes and body)"Given the state of the clothing and the body, the Indian was taken captive elsewhere and marched a long way to this place."
(Clues from clothes and wound)"Given the state of the clothes and the gunshot wound, I'd say the dead man wasn't a raider at all."
(Clues from body and wound)"Given the state of the body prior to death, and the gunshot wound, I'd say the raiders executed a captive."
(A clue in each area)"Given the state of the clothes, the condition of the body prior to death and the gunshot, I'd say the raiders dragged this man a long way to execute him."
(All three major clues)"Given all we know, the raiders went through a lot of trouble to kill a man and give you his body, an Indian body."
Pointing out a contradiction increasing wariness even if you don't know why things are happening.
quote:"Given all we know, the raiders went through a lot of trouble to kill a man and give you his body, an Indian body."
"This is part of a larger deception," Bishop Hancock realizes. "Should we pursue the raiders then?"
"We must pursue them."
"They have too much of a lead on us. We should return to Albion Falls."
Pursuing gives +5 to Albion, with another +5 if you were already in a vengeful mood. Heading back will give -10 Albion with 2 or fewer wariness, -5 with 3 to 5, or -0 with 6+ wariness. Either way you have the option of burying the body, leaving it or bringing it along.
quote:"We must pursue them."
"Indeed," Bishop Hancock says with a nod. "Though there are many questions, they have answers."
The Bishop sets about discussing things with the mountless scouts. Some of those will be riding double with lighter men. As they set to work, a wind blows and the breeze tugs at the Indian's mangled corpse.
Bury the body.
Leave it.
Take it with us.
quote:Take it with us.
It takes a little while to construct a litter for carrying the dead Indian. More than a few gripes are muttered in your direction at bothering at all. But soon enough things are ready and you ride on with the little party behind you.
The tracks of the raiders proves easy to follow despite the days that have elapsed. The hoof prints you follow are deep with a good churn of mud behind. The raiders left at a trot and made good time. That much is clear.
Dusk comes on as you clear another ridge and the darkness forces a halt. The horses are plenty tired and you could all do with some rest.
Had Laura brought Dan and Carrie along they'd have various things to say.
Dan is making dinner.
quote:Dan gently flicks flint and steel above a little pyramid of tinder then breathes into a flickering flame until turns into a fire.
"I've got some worries about all this," Dan admits as he flicks flint and steel above a little pyramid of tinder then breathes into a flickering flame.
"We have enough time to cook before the moon comes up."
quote:"I wasn't talking about a late supper," Dan coughs out a laugh that sets the smoke to spreading. "I was talking…about that dead Indian."
"What about him?"
"What tribe was he from?" ${schmidt_name} asks and waits for an answer to which you have none. "See, that is exactly my point. He could have been Bannock, Shoshone, Paiute, Washoe, heck even Navajo or Cheyenne isn't out of the question."
He sets out a stew pot, pours in a layer of beans then adds water and a few icy greens.
"And if I couldn't tell you what tribe he was from then they can't neither," he notes then subtly nods towards the Saints. "That means, like as not, some Indians are going to get shot. Indians who had nothing to do with this except that they looked Indian."
Dan returns to his cooking and leaves you with that thought.
"So, you aren't putting him or Travis in the stew. Good."
Dan shakes his head and keeps back a braying laugh only by the hardest, "Jeff would love that line. I'm going to tell him it when we get back."
He sets out a stew pot, pours in a layer of beans then adds water and a few icy greens.
"Thing is, I can't tell which tribe that Indian was from. He could have been Bannock, Shoshone, Paiute, Washoe, heck even Navajo or Cheyenne isn't out of the question. And if I couldn't tell you what tribe he was from then I bet no one else can. That means, like as not, some Indians are going to get shot. Indians who had nothing to do with this except that they looked Indian."
Dan returns to his cooking and leaves you with that thought.
Nod.
"I got to thinking…what tribe was he from?" Dan asks. "See, he could have been Bannock, Shoshone, Paiute, Washoe, heck even Navajo or Cheyenne isn't out of the question."
He sets out a stew pot, pours in a layer of beans then adds water and a few icy greens.
"And if I couldn't tell you what tribe he was from then they can't neither," he notes and gives a subtle nod towards the Saints. "That means, like as not, some Indians are going to get shot. Indians who had nothing to do with this except that they looked Indian."
Dan returns to his cooking and leaves you with that thought.
(if Wary)"I can see why." (+2 Schmidt)
"Yeah, and that ain't the half of it," Dan says. "I don't know what tribe that fella was from, and I expect no one else cares much either. For most, Indian is Indian and that means some poor bastard is going to get shot because of what someone else did.
Dan returns to stoking the burgeoning flames and leaves you with that thought.
If you're romancing him, there's one other option. If you're romancing both him and Carrie, well...
quote:"We'll handle it. Together." (+4 Schmidt)
"Yeah, yeah we will," Dan agrees, so long as Miss Caraway doesn't… oh no."
You follow Dan's eyes and find Carrie staring straight at the two of you with dark and foreboding eyes. She turns sharply on her heel and leaves you two alone again.
"I'm going to get shot," Dan sighs. "So are a lot of Indians. And there will probably be some who get their share of lead, even though they didn't have anything to do with the raid."
Dan stokes the burgeoning flames and leaves you with that thought.
There's some minor variations depending on whether or Dan and/or Carrie know about each other by now, but regardless if you get romantic with Dan at this point then she officially knows.
Afterwards, Carrie is available to talk. If Dan isn't here to cook then she'll provide dinner- it's jerky. If you're romancing both, well...
quote:Carrie motions you over. And you know you really can't refuse. From her saddlebag she sneaks out a bit of jerky and gives it a chew, "I've been thinking…"
"About…?"
"About things here and now," she says pointedly and doesn't glance across the camp at ${schmidt_name}.
"Dan and I are…"
quote:
(if she knows)"I know. He knows. You want everyone to know?" she ponders quietly and absently shifts her gun-belt. "I'm going to wait though, because some things are more important than you."
(Otherwise)She stares at you in disbelief. Then her eyes narrow to slits, "Yeah, yeah I should have figured. Well, I'll sort things out eventually."
"You mean to kill him?"
"If I said it, would that be a confession, Marshal?" she asks then falls dangerously silent.
"I figured I'd be the one to do that."
"You would?" she wonders. "Wait, you mean talk things out, don't you? Well, you do that or I'm going to do things my way."
With that she falls utterly, ominously, silent.
"Can we discuss this?"
"Talk if you like, but if'n I don't like the words…then I'll go and do," she says then turns and walks off.
"There are a lot of Saints around. I'm sure they'd protest."
"So would Dan, wouldn't he?" she notes coolly. "But be that as it may, I've been thinking about Indians."
Either way, if you have either 71+ Influence or 41+ or 46+ Persuasion/Influence you can convince her to talk further and she notes that the group is heading north and west, in the direction her father headed off after the stagecoach heist. She wonders if he might know anything about the raiders, with dialogue changing based on your influence with him.
After that you can have the talk with Travis and Ben about the scalping (assuming Ben isn't dead or gone).
quote:As stew-pots begin to bubble, you hear an argument begin just over the way as Travis and Ben begin to snap at one another over an unlikely subject.
"Scalping should not be done under any circumstance," Ben says adamantly.
Travis folds his arms over his chest and stares right back at the man, "We had to bring back proof."
"Ben, what's this about?"
"Its about the scalp that Brother Travis here took," Ben indicates. "It is a savage practice and should not have been done. Especially upon an innocent."
Head over and listen.
quote:"Bring back proof?" Ben asks but doesn't let Travis answer. "Is your word not good enough? If so, then why would I or anyone accept a scalp as proof?"
"Well, you'd accept it because you can see it," Travis replies as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Seeing is believing?"
"Yeah, that's it," Travis notes. Ben glowers at the both of you. (-2 Carson)
"Trouble is, a scalp can come from anywhere."
"What?" Travis blurts out. "But I said it came from that Indian."
Ben unabashedly rolls his eyes.
(if Lawyer)"Black bears are black, but brown bears are brown."
quote:"I…don't get that," Travis says weakly.
"They are both bears, but of a different color."
"And…" Travis asks pointedly.
Ben gives a mocking snort at that.
"Just because you can see a thing does not make it true for all things."
"Still don't get it," Travis repeats.
Ben gives a snort of amusement at that.
"The scalp lends truth to your claim, but without that claim it just sits there."
"What?" Travis asks with an incredulous shake of the head. "I don't get that."
Ben gives a mocking snort at that. (+2 Carson)
Ignore the two and get some dinner.
quote:The two Saints face off; neither willing to budge. In most places they'd have already thrown down and started hitting each other but for Saints their restraint seems to win the day when Brother Carson turns and walks away.
"Look…" Travis begins to say after a long moment passes. "The Indian seemed to get shot and rolled down the mountain. That were our work and we were proud of it because he was one of those bastards that killed Grady Smith and his son. All them raiders will get what is coming to them."
"No man deserves to be scalped. Not Indian or white."
"If you hadn't bothered with your knife, I wouldn't be bothering with my gun."
"Do you understand the potential ramifications regarding local Indian relations?"
(Honor 61+)"'Deserves' has nothing to do with it. What you did was wrong." (+2 Honor)
(Honor 39-)"Deserves don't enter into it. The thing is, you got caught doing something wrong and the blame for that falls squarely on you." (-2 Honor)
(Law 61+) "The law says that the desecration of the body is a crime, unless you are a doctor performing professionally or an undertaker." (+2 Law)
(Law 39-)"I get you, but I also get to level a fine against you for desecrating a body." (-2 Law)
(Order 61+) "The reason we don't scalp, is to keep Indians from scalping in return." (+2 Order)
(Order 39-) "Well, if you hadn't done it then someone else would have." (-2 Order)
(Heartless) "I'd like to hear how you did it because a scalp collection would be a fine thing." (+2 Notoriety)
You have several different approaches to Travis based on your alignment scores, but whether or not the lesson sticks depends on your Persuasion or Intimidate scores. Telling him no man deserves it and he'll take it to heart if you managed to convince the Bishop that this was a captive and not part of the raiding party. Threatening to bring out your gun works with 51+ Intimidate, or at least gets him to reconsider at 41 to 50. Asking him to consider the ramifications works fully with Persuasion instead at 51+ and 41 to 50. Similarly, high Honor works fully with 46+ Persuasion or partly with 36 to 45, low honor uses Intimidate at 41+ and 31 to 40 instead. High Law uses 46+ Persuasion and 36 to 45, high Order uses 41+ Persuasion and 31 to 40. Low Order and Heartless don't have dialogue checks, and neither does low Law.
quote:"I get you, but I also get to level a fine against you for desecrating a body."
"A fine is fine by me," Travis notes and pulls a pouch out from his saddle bag. "But do I get to keep the scalp?"
(Law slightly reduced) (-2 Law)
"If you pay a larger fine, yes."
quote:"I'm almost regretting the scalping. Almost," Travis says as he empties the pouch and passes a pile of silver over to you.
Pocket the fine for myself.
Travis gives a glower as you pocket his flash of silver then turns and walks away.
(Honor decreased, Wealth increased) (-2 Honor, +3 Wealth)
Give him a receipt and record the exchange. (+1 Honor)
"Sure, why not."
"Forget the fine, just get rid of the scalp."
Laura got paid and she didn't even have to lift a finger to earn it.
quote:Morning comes and with it a layer of frost. The friendly kind that doesn't melt before you have a chance to shake out your blankets and make it snow.
The land is transformed in the rising sun; the once brown valley now striped with white where the frost has settled during the night. A vast zebra sprawl where it had been a mere brown steed before.
Breakfast comes slow, what with the wood gone wet, but soon enough a fire is burning and bacon frying for the whole group.
"What is that?" Bishop Hancock asks as he peers off to the north and west. The warm biscuit in his hands might as well be a lump of stone. "Is it a cattle drive?"
A glance that direction finds dark dots moving down the far ridge. Ben uncases a scope from his pack and peers through one end. He passes the optic over to you and gives a worried frown. Through the lens the dots immediately become riders. Lots of riders. Forty and more at least with rifles and bows aplenty.
Indians. A whole war-band of Indians.
quote:"Are they the raiders?" Bishop Hancock wonders even as the Saints take up their rifles.
"These are not the Indians you are looking for."
"Do we flee? Can we fight?" Bishop Hancock asks. "Looking after the well being of the Ward is one thing, this is something else altogether."
"I doubt it."
"Then perhaps they have no quarrel with us?" Bishop Hancock muses. "After all, we are too few to worry them."
The dialogue changes a bit depending on if you brought a posse or not.
quote:Bishop Hancock glances back east, "We're a long way from Albion Falls. But if we can get there, we'll have plenty of rifles on our side."
"Let us get in the first blow and keep shooting until there either isn't a round left to be fired or an Indian left standing."
Pull out my rifle and get ready to fight these Indians.
"We should parley with them before things get out of hand."
Get to my horse, mount up and signal for everyone to ride hard for Albion Falls.
Next time Laura is going to make a lot of enemies and maybe a friend or two.
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Jan 29, 2021 07:38
