Tale #1b: The Searchers

[Samwell Turleton]

Tuck tugs the halter rope and the camel drops to its front knees, "Move you dirty, good-fer-nothin'.... Tuck leans hard on the halter line. The camel stands up sending Tuck stumbling in the dust. Lou laughs a little under her breath and slaps the rear of the camel. It starts into a trot and Tuck has to jog to keep up.

Lou and Old Munkley follow along after.

The group walks through the afternoon and the ground is steadily rising but easy to walk on. You are headed more eastward at first and then you turn north following the reverse of the trade route. The shadows lengthen and the winds pick up. You are walking into the wind and dust builds up on the ridges of your faces.

Lou has a feeling in her gut that the group is being followed but when she turns around she only sees the dust blowing back towards the town.

The group travels for half a day only stopping to rest a little and pour some water from the waterskin. You soak and carefully eat the stale bread - teeth are precious.

The stars start to peek out in the sky and it is getting late.

"Seems like we should be making camp", Tuck says.

"You getting tired of tugging on that camel's rope? , Lou mocks, "I could keep going."

Actions?

Old Munkley
Reckless Lou
Tuck
the Camel

[thenewflesh]

At a guess, how far would the ranch be? How spread out are the Castlelands?

[Samwell Turleton]

The town itself is small. The sprawl of caskets that defines the Casketlands is immense. After a half day walk you are on the outer edge of where the caskets and the wild desert border one another.

The two groups started in different directions but you turned north which puts you generally in the same region. The ranch represents a lot of land around the base of the hoodoo northwest of town and in the foothills near the northern hill. You traveled on easier ground a little away from the hoodoo and it’s rocky surrounds where the numbers of caskets are fewer. It would take a half day to navigate into and around the hoodoo towards where you understand ranch lands to be.

[thenewflesh]

Old Munkley sighs and turns to Tuck. "Well, Tuck, can't say I disagree with you, I'm dead beat. But we really oughta find somewhere stable to tie the camel before we sleep, and I don't see any trees here, do you? "

So the old man trudges on.

[Samwell Turleton]

“Yea...you’re probably right”, Tuck says. The group trudges on.

The winds continue blowing steadily and steadily stronger. It is night now and the dust hangs in the air at chest height. There is the light of the moon glowing on the boulder fields and hoodoo to your west. The ground has been firm up to this point and starts to feel softer beneath your feet in places.

Sticking up through the dust are tall plants with branching arms that end in spiked clusters. They are solitary plants but you see them continue into the distance as shadowy shapes in the moonlight.

Lou pulls an unlit lantern from her pack.”We can see well enough above the dust by the moonlight, do you think we need this?”

She looks back over her shoulder still with a feeling in her gut. She doesn’t see anything.

TheSearchers_01.jpg (73.48 KiB) Viewed 1394 times

[thenewflesh]

Old Munkley wipes the dust out of his face. When he was a boy, he would sometimes walk out here, hunt for flowers. They were rare, but sometimes he would manage to bring home a little blue tuft of flowers, or a tiny burning sun. There aren't any more flowers out here anymore. Maybe he picked the last one.

"Nah. My old legs are gettin' tired." He points at one of the large plants. "Let's tie the camel there."

Once they settle down there, he draws a circle in the dust and begins pawing the ground. He asks the old earth what feet have recently trodden on it in these parts.

Conjure [2d6+2] = 5+2 = 7

That is exactly how I had visualized the surroundings.

Just to be clear, we are currently following the dotted lines towards the bottom of the map (i.e. the four lakes marked 'caution'). Is this right?

[Samwell Turleton]

I will take a screen shot and mark where the groups are but you are right. Your group went down on the map out of the Casketlands following those dotted lines and then headed a little north. You are in the blank area between the outside edge of the black marked caskets at the bottom right hoodoo and the space above the dotted line and above the 25 days text.

The ranch is in the space going right out of the Casketlands and Jeremiah's home is in among the rocky base of the top right hoodoo.

Trader Map_v1.jpg (187.49 KiB) Viewed 1371 times

[Samwell Turleton]

Tuck appears grateful the group is pausing to rest and leads the camel along to the first available plant. The bark is layered with spines that lay flat pointing downwards. Tuck walks a circle around the plant planning how he is going to fix the rope to it. He takes great care not to get stuck by any spines and securely ties the rope around the trunk securing the camel. He uses a knot that allows for a quick release if needed and gives the camel some room to settle down away from the plant.

"I guess you aren't so bad, big fella!" Tuck says patting the camel's haunch. It spits and gets some on Tuck's pant leg.

Lou busies herself at the satchels on the camel's back and pulls out canvas cloth, a pole, and some rope. She ties down the last corner making a windbreak that creates a small refuge from the blowing dust the three of you can sit in. Tuck joins her bringing some food for the group.

"Maybe not the best time to be out here searching, eh?, Tuck says.

Old Munkley settles into the windbreak and draws a circle in the dust. He performs a ritual in the moonlight by pawing at the ground. As his hands slap the dust the ground softens and depresses into the shape of a camel's hoof print. He wipes the dust flat again and continues slapping the ground, it depresses again into the shape of three human footprints evenly lined up side by side. The ground remains unchanged throughout the remainder of the ritual and gives no additional information.

Tuck stands up and tries to look around one last time before settling in for sleep - the wind is still getting stronger and the level of the dust cloud is above his head. Lou takes a first watch listening in the night as the other's rest.

Tuck's roll investigating the plant
Tuck - Investigate [2d6+2] = 7+2 = 9

The group rests - please make an Assess (+Smooth) roll

[thenewflesh]

Old Munkley frowns at the ground. "Well, there's been a camel down these parts, and either three people, or two and one's got a peg leg."

His eyes droop. It has been a long trek for one day.

Assess [2d6-1] = 4-1 = 3

[Samwell Turleton]

Lou says to Old Munkley, I'm not sure I am ever going to understand how or even what you are doing but I appreciate that you seem to get some useful information that way.

Lou pauses a moment before continuing.

It has been a long day, try to get some rest.

The group settles in.

Lou finishes her watch and rouses Old Munkley from sleep. It's your turn, she says quietly so as to not wake Tuck. You listen as the winds blow against the windbreak and the swirling dust blows past. You hear the muffled sound of gunfire in the distance in the direction of the Casketlands. There isn't much for you to do about it out here. The winds are full of monotonous whispers that lull you back to sleep.

You wake with a start when you hear Tuck yelling, Hey, get your hands out of there!

There are two bodies grappling in the dark over your belongings. One appears to be Tuck’s.

The winds, the winds...can you hear the voices in the winds!

They keep calling to me...we arrive, they are saying...

Don't you hear them? Can't you hear them?

You recognize the barber from his voice. Doc rants as he rummages through Old Munkley's belongings searching for something.

The winds are speaking...

He has followed you a long ways but doesn't seem tired. He continues ranting about the voices in the winds.

Lou Assess Roll [2d6-2] = 5-2 = 3

Tuck’s roll was a success
Tuck Assess Roll [2d6+2] = 8+2 = 10

[thenewflesh]

Old Munkley's soul lifts and is carried on gossamer wings over hoodoo and dust, over rotting bogs giving way to dead forests giving way to a cold grey sea. It alights in a small, verdant island, an explosion of life and bloom. In this hallowed place he limps joyfully into a clear blue waterfall, lifts his voice to give thanks to the spirits that still preserve such an oasis - and wakes up.

He wipes the dust from his face, gets a grip on the scene, and lifts his bony hands. A fey shadow overcomes his expression: his eyes twinkle with a fiendish joy, and his four teeth are revealed in an uglier-than-usual grin. Doc's eyes grow large, and he suddenly stops moving. Old Munkley's fingers twitch, flicker this way and that, like a master puppeteer. The barber's arms are wrenched behind his back and his knees buckle. Old Munkley cackles. "If you've got any rope, Tuck, now's the time to use it!"

I'm going to assume this is a fight, so that my aspect applies. If not, let me know and I will happily edit my post.
Humours [2d6+2] = 11+2 = 13

[Samwell Turleton]

That is fine to use here - it is still unknown to you what Doc is up to

[Samwell Turleton]

Doc’s arms twist unnaturally behind his back and he makes no further sounds. He can’t make any further sounds.

Tuck and Lou haven’t seen anything like this before and are disturbed by the way the barber’s body contorts.

Old Munkley tells Tuck, "If you've got any rope, Tuck, now's the time to use it!". He follows the instruction, grabs some rope, and ties up Doc securely with his arms behind his back.

Lou walks over to Doc when he is tied and waves her hand in front of his eyes. No reaction comes from the barber. “Old Munkley, what exactly are you doing to him?

Doc will remain under your control until you release him.

[Samwell Turleton]

Hey Doc, what are you doing out here?, Lou says.

No answer comes from the restrained and puppeteered Doc.

[thenewflesh]

Old Munkley grins sardonically at Lou. "I'm in his flesh and sinew, Lou. It's not pretty in there, let me tell you. Just hoist him onto the camel, make sure he's good and tied up, and I'll leave his body."

[Samwell Turleton]

Tuck checks the ropes he tied around Doc to make sure the barber is still well restrained. He hoists Doc onto the sleeping camel. The prone camel lets out an annoyed groan as it lifts its head. Tuck feels a sharp pain in his shoulder as the creature bites down on it. He curses and swats at the animal's nose until it releases him. The two eye each other warily.

Rubbing his shoulder Tuck gives himself a safe distance from the animal as it rests its head on the ground again. Old Munkley, you can probably let him go now, the barback says.

Old Munkley releases his control of Doc. It only takes a few moments for the barber's self-awareness to come back to him. You can see the relief in his eyes and he also looks exhausted. It isn't long after that that Doc falls into a sleep. You all stay watching him for a little bit and see that his sleep seems fitful as he mouths words but makes no sounds.

After a little while you agree to try to get more rest and Tuck takes the last watch while nursing his sore shoulder.

In your dreams you each hear the sounds of voices but you can’t make out the words. The morning comes too quickly and you wake to the sounds of Doc muttering in a half-sleep, the winds, the winds... The winds are still blowing in the morning and visibility is low in the dust. Old Munkley also begins to hear the faint sounds of voices on the wind as you go about packing up your camp and preparing for the day.

Lou squints her eyes into the dust and says to the group, I think I can see something out there, do you see that?

It looks like a tent.

Tuck is busy watching Doc as the barber wriggles and squirms against his restraints straining to go in a particular direction.

Bite does 1 Harm to Tuck

Camel Bite [2d6+1] = 9+1 = 10

[thenewflesh]

When he releases the barback, the fell shadow over Old Munkley's face passes, like a cloud of dust. There are no blue waters or green islands in his dreams this time, only jagged contradictions and gristle.

Old Munkley wakes, wipes the dust from his eyes. He peers into the distance, searching for a tent. "I'll hafta take your word on that, Lou. Maybe we should go and say hi."

He gathers his things to trudge towards where Lou's pointing.

[Samwell Turleton]

As you follow Lou, walking in the direction of the tent, she yells back to you.

I don’t know if what I am seeing is real - can you see it too?

Lou unseats her revolver so it will draw more easily and you can feel her tension as you follow.

You do now see what Lou was seeing and a bit more. Shadowy phantasms form and dissolve, some taking human shapes and other animals. The whole group now hears the voices in the wind. Old Munkley who was hearing them first is hearing some voices more clearly now. They start soft, get louder, and then recede again. There are many voices as if you are walking on the edges of a busy market.

I don’t know what is going on...but I don’t like it..., Tuck volunteers as he goads the camel on while Doc bounces on the camel’s back muttering continuously.

As Lou walks on you hear her curse and then a shot from her revolver. There is the body of a camel lying on the ground.

Bandits!, Lou warns... Only the one that I could see.

[thenewflesh]

Old Munkley points at the camel. "Well, looks like we found our traders." And he limps on into the shadows, one hand in his tattered coat, gripping a syringe.

[Samwell Turleton]

I think I winged him, Lou says. The bandit that was leaning over the camel when she arrived on the scene disappears into the dust. The swirling shadowy phantasms make it hard to discern what is real and what is not.

Tuck feels sharp stabbing pains in his side as knives plunge into his shoulder and abdomen from two attackers to his left. He screams out in pain and punches out at one of the attackers.

The camel comes to his defense biting into the shoulder of the nearest attacker to it.

Tuck, -2 vitality and -1 vitality per successful ambusher for first round = -3 vitality total
Bandit 2, -1 Vitality camel bite

You can choose where Munkley hides in the shadows based on the map in the next post.

Knife Attack: B1 [2d6] = 6, B2 [2d6] = 10
Tuck - Attack [2d6] = 5
Camel Bite [2d6+1] = 7+1 = 8