Tex Arcana
You remember the other day, when you ast why I call you 'Worthless'? This is why...
Tex good-naturedly ruffles Worthless' neck fur and looks over the corner post, looking for clues. Doubt he turned hisself into a post.
[2d6] = 11-1
Tale #1: The Camel Train
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Brimston is now less much less concerned about Ned than about Trigger. He hurries over to the horse. What's the matter Trigger? I know that a wren sitting on you going twee twee twee twee twee twee twee isn't something that happens every day. But you seem more agitated than if it was just that. He looks all around the street, wary of unnatural or supernatural goings on. He takes a particularly keen look at the wren near the window, raises an eyebrow.
Now, that couldn't be you up there Ned, could it? If it is, and if you can still think like a human being instead like a bird, say twee. Just one twee, and no extra twees.
Now, that couldn't be you up there Ned, could it? If it is, and if you can still think like a human being instead like a bird, say twee. Just one twee, and no extra twees.
PCs
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Samwell Turleton
- Ranger
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:41 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Brimston comforts Trigger as the big horse continues to shift its weight and grind its teeth against the bit in its mouth.
Worthless remains so, resting in the shade of the porch.
Tex sits against the post of the porch, the bottles collected from Ned's room clinking in his bag as he sets it at the ground by his side. He tips his hat down over his eyes and closes them, lazily draping his arm over the rough fur of the coyote's neck.
Brimston feels a tremor beneath his feet that only Trigger and he take notice of. You look around and see in the distance some stone is breaking off the face of a hoodoo in the distance. There is a cloud of pale dust rising from some stones that must have fallen earlier. You think this is what Trigger must have been reacting to.
You squint your eyes and look carefully at the stone face. The shadows don't appear to be falling across the stone in natural angles. You think it must be the shadow of a cloud but you don't see one.
Worthless remains so, resting in the shade of the porch.
Tex sits against the post of the porch, the bottles collected from Ned's room clinking in his bag as he sets it at the ground by his side. He tips his hat down over his eyes and closes them, lazily draping his arm over the rough fur of the coyote's neck.
Brimston feels a tremor beneath his feet that only Trigger and he take notice of. You look around and see in the distance some stone is breaking off the face of a hoodoo in the distance. There is a cloud of pale dust rising from some stones that must have fallen earlier. You think this is what Trigger must have been reacting to.
You squint your eyes and look carefully at the stone face. The shadows don't appear to be falling across the stone in natural angles. You think it must be the shadow of a cloud but you don't see one.
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Brimston thinks, Now I wonder what could have caused that hoodoo to sluff off a part of it? And it don't look like it's something happened in the material. It looks like it happened in the Real. Tex, I'm going to ask you and maybe your canine friend too the help me with some thinking. Trying to put together what we know. Which is:
Ned screamed. People don't usually do that unless something bad is happening to them or they're having a bad dream, of course;
He disappeared out of yon winda;
He or someone else in the room was sick;
Brimston is rubbing the copper intertwined clouds symbol hanging around his neck while he thinks.
There was red dust under the open window with letters written in it in the overly tidy man's room;
Tne of them was a C with a line through it or an E;
When you told Worthless to find, he found that there porch post;
A wren was sitting on my horse singin twee twee twee twee twee twee twee, which is an odd thing to do (not the singin part, the sittin on my horse part);
And now, yon hoodoo just sluffed off a part of its face, raising red dust. Like that dust in Ned's room. But something isn't earthly about that that occurrence. It's like it happened in the Bearer of Burdens' Real, not in the Material. I think only me and Trigger sensed it;
Oh yes, and Ned had an odd bottle of medicine what had a coyote and red snake label.
Now, I know people people draw letters and sigils in front of doors and windas as wards against somethin comin in. But that doesn't necessarily mean that's what that C with a line through it or E and other letters were. Anyway, if y'all have any insights or ideas about any of this, I'd sure be interested in hearing them.
Ned screamed. People don't usually do that unless something bad is happening to them or they're having a bad dream, of course;
He disappeared out of yon winda;
He or someone else in the room was sick;
Brimston is rubbing the copper intertwined clouds symbol hanging around his neck while he thinks.
There was red dust under the open window with letters written in it in the overly tidy man's room;
Tne of them was a C with a line through it or an E;
When you told Worthless to find, he found that there porch post;
A wren was sitting on my horse singin twee twee twee twee twee twee twee, which is an odd thing to do (not the singin part, the sittin on my horse part);
And now, yon hoodoo just sluffed off a part of its face, raising red dust. Like that dust in Ned's room. But something isn't earthly about that that occurrence. It's like it happened in the Bearer of Burdens' Real, not in the Material. I think only me and Trigger sensed it;
Oh yes, and Ned had an odd bottle of medicine what had a coyote and red snake label.
Now, I know people people draw letters and sigils in front of doors and windas as wards against somethin comin in. But that doesn't necessarily mean that's what that C with a line through it or E and other letters were. Anyway, if y'all have any insights or ideas about any of this, I'd sure be interested in hearing them.
PCs
-
Samwell Turleton
- Ranger
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:41 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Unfortunately, Urson doesn't have time to resume this game so we will have to carry on in this thread independently.
Tex says to Worthless, What do you think pardner...do we have time to look for sick men that disappear in the night? The fur on Worthless' neck blows in a soft breeze and he tucks his nose deeper under a paw to block out the light. Tex, tips his hat up and opens an eye. He looks at the hoodoo over your shoulder in the distance and then back to Brimston. Nope, I'd say you are going to have to go your own way on this one, preacher.
Worthless here don't much care for the dark and I can't say I feel too high on it neither.
Tex pulls one of the vials, unstops the liquid, and takes a swig before settling back against the post in the shade. His hat tips back low over his forehead as the back brim presses against the post.
Hey preacher, I saw those bird prints in the dust by the window too. Not sure how a bird would get into Ned's room when the window was shut tight.
Some birds…they say are omens of death...
Tex says to Worthless, What do you think pardner...do we have time to look for sick men that disappear in the night? The fur on Worthless' neck blows in a soft breeze and he tucks his nose deeper under a paw to block out the light. Tex, tips his hat up and opens an eye. He looks at the hoodoo over your shoulder in the distance and then back to Brimston. Nope, I'd say you are going to have to go your own way on this one, preacher.
Worthless here don't much care for the dark and I can't say I feel too high on it neither.
Tex pulls one of the vials, unstops the liquid, and takes a swig before settling back against the post in the shade. His hat tips back low over his forehead as the back brim presses against the post.
Hey preacher, I saw those bird prints in the dust by the window too. Not sure how a bird would get into Ned's room when the window was shut tight.
Some birds…they say are omens of death...
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Brother Brimston
Well, I can't say a disagree much with your coyote about the attractiveness of searching for a disappeared sick man which I don't even know. I come here to minister to the souls of this fairly wretched town and help them gain understanding of the Real and the Bearer of Burdens. Not to snoop around a sick or thinks he's sick man's room and try to talk to a bird. But I told Molly I'd help find Ned, so that's what I'm going to do. As the B.O.B. said, "A wise man says and does, or he doesn't open his trap at all." Besides, what happened to him could happen to any of us, as far was we know. He watches Tex closely for any effects of that swig from the vial.
Well, I can't say a disagree much with your coyote about the attractiveness of searching for a disappeared sick man which I don't even know. I come here to minister to the souls of this fairly wretched town and help them gain understanding of the Real and the Bearer of Burdens. Not to snoop around a sick or thinks he's sick man's room and try to talk to a bird. But I told Molly I'd help find Ned, so that's what I'm going to do. As the B.O.B. said, "A wise man says and does, or he doesn't open his trap at all." Besides, what happened to him could happen to any of us, as far was we know. He watches Tex closely for any effects of that swig from the vial.
PCs
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Samwell Turleton
- Ranger
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:41 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Brimston sees that it is the Yellow 88 Wart Removal Tincture that Tex drinks from. A little bit of the liquid dribbles down his lips onto his chin and stains it a little yellow.
I think the Tall Tales, and a number of other items, are intended as Single Use items. It is information that you have heard in your travels or that you receive by way of some other means to inform the scene. I interpret the item to operate like this: you need to specifically describe the information that you want and I will tell you the truth about it. (there is a sample use in the gameplay example that appears to describe its use this way).
I don’t mind being generous with information so could see Tall Tales being something that are rewarded from time to time.
I think the Tall Tales, and a number of other items, are intended as Single Use items. It is information that you have heard in your travels or that you receive by way of some other means to inform the scene. I interpret the item to operate like this: you need to specifically describe the information that you want and I will tell you the truth about it. (there is a sample use in the gameplay example that appears to describe its use this way).
I don’t mind being generous with information so could see Tall Tales being something that are rewarded from time to time.
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Well, I guess I'll see you and your coyote around, Tex. I'll be doing a little preaching on the wagon in front of the general store tomorrow morning. You'd be very welcome if you decide to come by. Just listen for the sound of a handbell calling the soon to be wiser and happier. Oh yes, I almost forgot-- there will be refreshments. Brimston thinks, "That builder Kurt's money, what's probably owed to mean ole Ned, will pay for them. Said donation making it better for Ned's chances of the Bearer of Burden's giving assistance in finding him."
"Tex said there were bird tracks in the dust up there. In addition to the letters and ciphers. No we got a bird up there not far from them. And Worthless said Ned went through the winda. Which was closed. Then again, the last time the coyote was told to Find, he found dog urine on post. But the door was locked from the inside, so Ned had to go through the winda." He turns and looks at the wren on the roof up by Ned's window one more time. He says kind of sheepishly because Tex and the coyote are sitting right there, You sure that ain't you, Ned?
He looks off at the hoodoo that dropped part of its face. "I wonder if I ought to ride out and check that out. Well, as the B.O.B. said, 'You never can go wrong by praying. Unless you're praying to the wrong thing." He takes his straw hat off looks up and raises his hand to the sky. Oh intelligent and mighty B.O.B., I am humbly asking for your help with some questions. A) Is that bird there Ned? B) If not, can you give me any hints about what happened to him? C) Should I ride out and take a look at that hoodoo that's shedding rock? Amen.
Conjure [2d6+3]=2+3=5
Err.... not a very good natural roll there.
"Tex said there were bird tracks in the dust up there. In addition to the letters and ciphers. No we got a bird up there not far from them. And Worthless said Ned went through the winda. Which was closed. Then again, the last time the coyote was told to Find, he found dog urine on post. But the door was locked from the inside, so Ned had to go through the winda." He turns and looks at the wren on the roof up by Ned's window one more time. He says kind of sheepishly because Tex and the coyote are sitting right there, You sure that ain't you, Ned?
He looks off at the hoodoo that dropped part of its face. "I wonder if I ought to ride out and check that out. Well, as the B.O.B. said, 'You never can go wrong by praying. Unless you're praying to the wrong thing." He takes his straw hat off looks up and raises his hand to the sky. Oh intelligent and mighty B.O.B., I am humbly asking for your help with some questions. A) Is that bird there Ned? B) If not, can you give me any hints about what happened to him? C) Should I ride out and take a look at that hoodoo that's shedding rock? Amen.
Conjure [2d6+3]=2+3=5
Err.... not a very good natural roll there.
Last edited by jemmus on Wed Jul 21, 2021 7:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
PCs
-
Samwell Turleton
- Ranger
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:41 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Amen, Brimston concludes after his prayer for guidance. The dust has settled in the direction of the hoodoo with the fallen stones and there appears to be an opening in the face of the hoodoo mixed in among the shadows.
Tex, overhearing your prayer, says in reply... death comes for us all in the Casketlands, preacher.
It might come as a whisper, slowly creeping up on us in the night...
or with a terrible flash of fire and lead...
...right, worthless?
Worthless doesn't respond.
twee twee twee twee you hear from the roof's edge.
The wren fluffs the feathers of its neck and continues its song. Then it flies off. It flies in the opposite direction of the hoodoo with the fallen stones. Following the path of its flight it directs Brimston's attention towards the red dust storm in the distance to the northeast. As Brimston peers out into the distance following the small bird he can see that there is a light illuminating the inside of the dust storm in the direction of the Gold Bluff. There also appear to be dark clouds forming in that direction in the sky, whereas, the sky in other parts of the horizon is still remarkably clear. Brimston loses sight of the wren.
Tex, overhearing your prayer, says in reply... death comes for us all in the Casketlands, preacher.
It might come as a whisper, slowly creeping up on us in the night...
or with a terrible flash of fire and lead...
...right, worthless?
Worthless doesn't respond.
twee twee twee twee you hear from the roof's edge.
The wren fluffs the feathers of its neck and continues its song. Then it flies off. It flies in the opposite direction of the hoodoo with the fallen stones. Following the path of its flight it directs Brimston's attention towards the red dust storm in the distance to the northeast. As Brimston peers out into the distance following the small bird he can see that there is a light illuminating the inside of the dust storm in the direction of the Gold Bluff. There also appear to be dark clouds forming in that direction in the sky, whereas, the sky in other parts of the horizon is still remarkably clear. Brimston loses sight of the wren.
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
I reckon you're not wrong about that, Tex, Brimston says. But you forgot to mention a number of other ways to die in Casketlands. For instance, by fangs and claws, venom, gleet, dust rot or other maladies, falls from high places, thirst, habitual drunkenness, drinking wart medicine, wooji conjuring, et cetera. At the mention of the last he joins his thumbs and forefingers together in interlocked circles and holds them together before him in a warding sign, then sweeps them over Tex and Worthless's direction. "Giving them a little demonstration of the power of the ordained of the B.O.B. won't hurt them any," he thinks.
He watched the wren fly off. He thinks, "If that's you Ned, I guess you're gone now. And if you're just a wren, it seems like you'd have more sense than to fly off toward that strange, bad-looking storm." He Well, I'll be seeing you, Tex. Don't forget about the preaching tomorrow morning.
With that he swung himself up onto Trigger's saddle. Let's go Trigger, we're going to check out that hoodoo what we saw sluff off rock. He didn't like the looks of the opening in the hoodoo much better than he liked the storm in the other direction. But only he and Trigger had seen and felt the hoodoo's face crash down. So one way or another that event was meant specifically for them to observe. Which was probably not a good thing. But he couldn't just ignore it. "That opening is mystical and not Material, most likely. I wish I had a firearm. Not that it would do much good against mystical forces." As he rode to the edge of town kept an eye out for the bindle fella what had pulled a face at him.
He watched the wren fly off. He thinks, "If that's you Ned, I guess you're gone now. And if you're just a wren, it seems like you'd have more sense than to fly off toward that strange, bad-looking storm." He Well, I'll be seeing you, Tex. Don't forget about the preaching tomorrow morning.
With that he swung himself up onto Trigger's saddle. Let's go Trigger, we're going to check out that hoodoo what we saw sluff off rock. He didn't like the looks of the opening in the hoodoo much better than he liked the storm in the other direction. But only he and Trigger had seen and felt the hoodoo's face crash down. So one way or another that event was meant specifically for them to observe. Which was probably not a good thing. But he couldn't just ignore it. "That opening is mystical and not Material, most likely. I wish I had a firearm. Not that it would do much good against mystical forces." As he rode to the edge of town kept an eye out for the bindle fella what had pulled a face at him.
PCs
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Samwell Turleton
- Ranger
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:41 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Tex stirs a little and reaches out a clenched hand, still holding the little bottle, and offers Brimston a drink before he goes.
I don't think this will be taking my life today...it tastes a good deal better than a lot of the stuff they serve around here.
He reaches into his bag and tosses another one of the bottles at your feet. Take a drink from it, preacher...this one may protect you from the wooji conjuring and et cetera. I had a run in with an old toothless man in an alley here a few weeks back who seemed like the wooji conjuring type. He was talking to tree stumps. He may be lurking there still.
The wren lands again on the porch roof of another building a little farther off.
Brimston gets balanced on Trigger and rides off towards the hoodoo. This edge of the town is dense with the upturned frames of coffins and caskets partially buried in the dirt. Trigger feels uneasy when the desiccated, splintering wood of ruined coffin lids snap sharply under its hooves. The shadows grow a little longer as the day passes to afternoon. The ground steadily rises as you leave the town and work your way through this dense graveyard. You hear snapping that isn't coming from beneath Trigger's hooves.
Feel free to interact with Tex again retroactively, if you want.
I don't think this will be taking my life today...it tastes a good deal better than a lot of the stuff they serve around here.
He reaches into his bag and tosses another one of the bottles at your feet. Take a drink from it, preacher...this one may protect you from the wooji conjuring and et cetera. I had a run in with an old toothless man in an alley here a few weeks back who seemed like the wooji conjuring type. He was talking to tree stumps. He may be lurking there still.
The wren lands again on the porch roof of another building a little farther off.
Brimston gets balanced on Trigger and rides off towards the hoodoo. This edge of the town is dense with the upturned frames of coffins and caskets partially buried in the dirt. Trigger feels uneasy when the desiccated, splintering wood of ruined coffin lids snap sharply under its hooves. The shadows grow a little longer as the day passes to afternoon. The ground steadily rises as you leave the town and work your way through this dense graveyard. You hear snapping that isn't coming from beneath Trigger's hooves.
Feel free to interact with Tex again retroactively, if you want.
Last edited by Samwell Turleton on Thu Jul 22, 2021 4:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Samwell Turleton
- Ranger
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:41 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Brimston also has a Hag's Eye. Unlike the Tall Tale, I think the Hag's Eye is intended to allow for repeated use. I will allow it to be used once per encounter if there is a monster or some hazard and it can be used once per change of scene/environment. An example could be you could use it once in this location among the caskets/coffins and you could use it again once you are at the base of the hoodoo away from the caskets/coffins. If some hazard appears I will let you use it again in that context but will take some of your action to use if you are in danger, so you will have to weigh the risk.
If you had looked through the Hag's Eye at the wren you would have seen that it is a wren, not a Ned.
If you had looked through the Hag's Eye at the wren you would have seen that it is a wren, not a Ned.
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Thanks for the reminder about the hag's eye, I'd forgotten about it. Since I now know that the wren isn't Ned, can we retcon and say that Brimston used it?
I'd also like to retcon and have Brimston take the bottle Tex tossed.
Thanks for the advice, Tex, Brimston said. I'll follow it.
Brimston is particularly attentive while passing through the graveyard. As is his habit, Brimston has an internal reasoning session as he and Trigger ride along. "Now here is exactly where the teachings of the Bearer of Burdens come in. The material bodies of the dead. No different or better'n sticks of wood, rocks, or dirt. Most people live life thinking they're living in bodies going through time til they reach this graveyard, and that's it. So they stay busy feeding and clothing themselves, drinking water and whiskey, making hoochie coo or trying to make hoochie coo. What they don't know is, time isn't moving from here to there in a line, like a running horny toad or mountain boomer. No, time is all happening at the same time. Those bones there are still alive, and when they were moving around eating and drinking and hoochie cooing, they were already dead. As a priest of the B.O.B., I have that knowledge. What I don't know is how to make practical use of it. Without getting involved in wooji. And wooji's not the way of the B.O.B. My mind is right on the edge of figuring it out and nailing it in place, but when I try to look at it too hard, it gets away. I guess if I do ever manage to nail it down, I'll be a prophet and not a priest. A tall order for ole Brimston."
Does Brimston detect what is causing that other snapping sound? If not, can I use hag's eye here for this quesition: What is causing the other snapping sounds?
Also, which bottle did he get?
I'd also like to retcon and have Brimston take the bottle Tex tossed.
Thanks for the advice, Tex, Brimston said. I'll follow it.
Brimston is particularly attentive while passing through the graveyard. As is his habit, Brimston has an internal reasoning session as he and Trigger ride along. "Now here is exactly where the teachings of the Bearer of Burdens come in. The material bodies of the dead. No different or better'n sticks of wood, rocks, or dirt. Most people live life thinking they're living in bodies going through time til they reach this graveyard, and that's it. So they stay busy feeding and clothing themselves, drinking water and whiskey, making hoochie coo or trying to make hoochie coo. What they don't know is, time isn't moving from here to there in a line, like a running horny toad or mountain boomer. No, time is all happening at the same time. Those bones there are still alive, and when they were moving around eating and drinking and hoochie cooing, they were already dead. As a priest of the B.O.B., I have that knowledge. What I don't know is how to make practical use of it. Without getting involved in wooji. And wooji's not the way of the B.O.B. My mind is right on the edge of figuring it out and nailing it in place, but when I try to look at it too hard, it gets away. I guess if I do ever manage to nail it down, I'll be a prophet and not a priest. A tall order for ole Brimston."
Does Brimston detect what is causing that other snapping sound? If not, can I use hag's eye here for this quesition: What is causing the other snapping sounds?
Also, which bottle did he get?
PCs
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Samwell Turleton
- Ranger
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:41 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
1. Elijah's Topical Cream for Body Crawling Insects
2. Molly's House Sleep Remedy
3. Coyote standing within the coils of a Red Snake.
Yes, you can use the hag's eye for the wren and take the bottle. Add a bottle with a symbol of a Coyote standing within the coils of a Red Snake to your belongings.
2. Molly's House Sleep Remedy
3. Coyote standing within the coils of a Red Snake.
Yes, you can use the hag's eye for the wren and take the bottle. Add a bottle with a symbol of a Coyote standing within the coils of a Red Snake to your belongings.
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Samwell Turleton
- Ranger
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:41 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
You can use a smooth roll for investigating or assessing the situation/sound. After you roll, I will give you a direction of the sound and you can use the hag's eye to investigate further.
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Samwell Turleton
- Ranger
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:41 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Let me know what your smooth roll is and I will make a new post for you.
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Samwell Turleton
- Ranger
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:41 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
I appreciate that you have been focusing on some good storytelling
Brimston hears the creaking sounds of stressed wood from multiple directions as Trigger's weight shifts uneasily. You hear the sound of wood slowly breaking at your right and creaking sounds continue to your left. You don't immediately see the source of the sounds as they are close to the surface of the ground.
Brimston hears the creaking sounds of stressed wood from multiple directions as Trigger's weight shifts uneasily. You hear the sound of wood slowly breaking at your right and creaking sounds continue to your left. You don't immediately see the source of the sounds as they are close to the surface of the ground.
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Brimston thinks, "Creaking wood in a graveyard. The most apparent explanation is coffins opening. The dead not acting like the dead." Let's get out of here, Trigger! He clamps his straw hat down on his head and spurs the horse into a gallop toward the hoodoo, looking forward, back, and all around.
PCs
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Samwell Turleton
- Ranger
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:41 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Tale #1: The Camel Train
Brimston spurs Trigger into a gallop. Trigger struggles against the bit throwing flecks of frothy spittle around and fixing you with a wide brown eye. As the big animal puts its weight forward, it splinters the wood beneath its hoof. Brimston realizes as Trigger stumbles forward that he is riding onto a constructed surface and it is in questionable repair. The groans and splintering sounds of the wood continue from Brimston's right and left. Trigger puts its other hoof forward and finds solid footing. Trigger wrests itself free and steps more gingerly forward.