Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#61 Post by Rex »

Charlie

"If we can manage to keep tabs on the Apache, we could make could coin, but it will be very risky."

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#62 Post by jemmus »

Charlie and Ezekiel know these things about the Indian tribes of Texas.

Comanches – The nomadic masters of the buffalo range plains of Texas, a lot of the Indian Territory and the territory of New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Kansas.
https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 68#p670868
Called by Gen. George Armstrong Custer “the most superb horsemen of North America,” they virtually live on horseback. They’re famous for being about to accurately shoot while hanging from the side or even under a galloping horse. They’re at war with the Anglo settlers coming from the east to set up farms and ranches on the range, and the U.S. Army ordered to subdue them and force them into life on a reservation. They are also at war with the Apaches, their hereditary enemies.

All of the Comanches’ enemies-- Apaches, other Indian tribes, Texans, Mexicans-- know that it is better to die than be captured by them alive. Should that happen, death comes very slowly, in a number of imaginative and unthinkable ways.

The Comanche are armed with knives, stone-headed war clubs, bows and their famous lances, which are their preferred weapon for harvesting buffalo. They also have firearms, mostly older models such as cap and ball revolvers, breech loading single shot rifles, Spencer lever-action rifles, and Civil War-era rifled muskets. Their current best-known war leader is Iron Shirt, who wears the breast plate of an old Spanish conquistador in battle.

Kiowa – Nomadic buffalo hunters based in the north Panhandle of Texas, between the Indian Territory and New Mexico.
https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 53#p619553
See the inset map of the Panhandle
The Kiowas are known for being far ranging, even for Indians of the southern and northern plains. Tribes as far away as the lower northern plains and Mexico have clashed with them, and rarely come out the better for it. They are also known for their men cutting their hair from the level of the eyes straight back around the head, to keep long hair tangling with a bowstring drawn across the cheek.

The Kiowa are allies of the Comanche, and though they’re not as populous as a tribe, they’re no less fearsome in battle. Their level of horsemanship, though not as renowned as the Comanches’, is an a par with the excellent skill of any of the plains bison-hunting tribes. They’re armed similarly to the Comanche, though with less emphasis on the lance. Their current war leader is Satanta, a clever tactician and great poetic orator.

Lipan Apache – Originally nomadic buffalo hunters on the high plains, the Lipan Apache were driven off of it by the Comanche and Kiowa. They now inhabit semi-arid lands around the shallow Rio Grande River, Texas’s border with Mexico. They also resist the U.S. Army’s attempts to force them into reservations, and Texan and Mexican ranchers’ attempts to make their foraging lands into land to graze their cattle. The Apache are surrounded by enemies-- the Comanches and Kiowas to the north, the Texans to the east, and the Mexican army and Federales police force to the south and west. As such, the Lipan Apache live by their wits, and by their reputation as stealthy, and extremely unpredictable hit-and-run fighters. Every kind of enemy of the Apache report seeing them at two places at once-- People at La Mission Acuna say the Apaches raided the village on Friday afternoon, and Army officers report fighting the same group of fighters outside Fort Hudson at the same time. It’s no big surprise to the Indian tribes. The Apache are known to have very powerful shamans who walk freely in about The Other Side.

The Apache are reportedly equipped similarly to the Comanche and Kiowa, but with, by necessity, much less reliance on horses. The Apache can ambush on foot in rugged terrain, or rapidly strike from horseback strike in plains terrain. They don’t often use the plains Indian lance, but they’re good short range archers. Their firearms armament is unpredictable. It can range from old muzzle-loading rifles and pistols to cap and ball revolvers and revolving cylinder rifles to modern Winchester level-action rifles and carbines. There current most-famed war leader is Cochise, who is described as a big and gentle man loved by children and respected by shamans, but cunning in war. And absolutely without fear.

Tejas – The westernmost tribe of the Caddo confederation originally of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. They live in the piney woods of eastern Texas, and are a peace with the Texans. They’re allies of the Comanches, and trade foodstuffs, arrow shafts, lodge poles (and some say firearms and whiskey) with them in exchange for rights to harvest buffalo meat, hides, and parts on Comanche ranges.

Tonkawa – The strange, tattooed, outlier tribe of Texas. The were allies with the Comanche against the Comanche. Then as the Comanche grew stronger, with the Apache against the Comanche. Like the more populous Lipan Apache, the Comanche and Kiowa drove them off of the buffalo range plains. They went to the east of San Marcos, Texas, and for years subsided on deer, rabbits, wild bird eggs, bullfrogs, roots, acorns, and the like. Eventually the Congress of Texas awarded them two square mile of land. During the War, they sided with the southern government, possibly just to get along with the majority of neighboring Texans. But when the northern side won, the tribes who had sided the other way punished them, hard. At present there are hardly more than 100 Tonkawa.

Ezekiel and Charlie know that the term “Indian chief” is a misnomer and terrible misunderstanding by the everyone but the Indians. The tribes are not ruled by a chief, they’re advised by a group of elders who gather often and informally discuss things. The elders discuss the issues with their sons and daughters, gossip and discussion goes around the village, and there ends up being a kind of general opinion about which way to go. Sometimes bored or angry young men group up and go out for “walkabouts” or “wildings” on their own. The papers report it as “Iron Shirt Breaks Treaty, Declares War & Massacre Red River Settlers.” But “Chief” (war band leader) Iron Shirt may have been 10 of miles away and asleep in his lodge, and the whole Comanche nation may have known nothing about the young men’s big, possibly deadly, but always exciting adventure.
PCs

Dust to Dust (Stars Without Number) - Circuit Counsel Taavi Perttu
Big Shiny Island (AD&D 1E) - Theo, low charisma ranger
Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) - Kiyoshi, ronin bushi
WW2 Supers d6 - Luther "Luke" Goodfox

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#63 Post by jemmus »

Image
Comanche
Last edited by jemmus on Sun Sep 10, 2023 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
PCs

Dust to Dust (Stars Without Number) - Circuit Counsel Taavi Perttu
Big Shiny Island (AD&D 1E) - Theo, low charisma ranger
Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) - Kiyoshi, ronin bushi
WW2 Supers d6 - Luther "Luke" Goodfox

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#64 Post by jemmus »

Charlie can pretty much assume that the U.S. Army won't hire a scout who's half Comanche to fight Comanches-- if he even would want to do that. But they could be very much interested in having him scout for Apaches, the Comanches' hereditary enemies. He and Ezekiel both know that Camp Hudson to the west is tasked with protecting the San Antonio to El Paso wagon road, while also trying to subdue the "Up River" Lipan Apache band. Ringgold Barracks to the south is responsible for protecting the prosperous but isolated Rio Grande City from both the "Down River" Lipan Apache and bandit incursions from Mexico. As well as guarding that section of the southern border in general. The U.S.'s relations with Mexico aren't especially good, three decades after the Mexican War. Both are on the Rio Grande River.
Image

Camp Hudson is around 175 miles west of San Marcos, as the crow flies. Riding directly to it would require leaving the road and cross maybe 100 miles of land that the Comanches consider their own, and that they effectively control. A longer, but probably safer route, would be to San Antonio, then the San Antonio-El Paso road. But that's the very road that Camp Hudson was built to protect, because predations by highwaymen, bandidos. And of course, Apaches. Or there's the northern route, west from San Marcos on the roads to Camp Martin Scott and Camp Mason. But then, 40 miles in Comanche territory to Camp Terrett, then 100 more under the same conditions to the destination Camp Hudson.

Camp Ringgold is around 300 miles away-- a long trek from San Marcos to the southern border. But all of it is on roads, and the first 75 miles of it to San Antonio can be done by rail carriage, the rest on horseback. And the last miles to the fort would be through lands the Apache operate on and contest. It's hard to say with Apache. The last 10 miles? The last 20? The last 50? They've been known to leave victims at all of those distances, and every point in between. And to leave bodies mere yards outside the stockade walls of Ringgold Barracks' stockade fence walls, for the sentries to see at dawn.
https://i.imgur.com/EDrvXNr.jpg

Charlie and Ezekiel know that the Down River Lipan Apache are more populous then their friends the Up River band. 10 years before, they did that to get smaller sized and more guerilla. The Down River Lipan Apache have more warriors per square mile of untamed range. On the other hand, there's the comfort and available(?) supplies for reprovisioning, and cool(?) beer of nearby Rio Grande City. No matter what, scouting for the Army there is an incredibly dangerous proposition. This is Apache country, and they seem to know everything about everything that's going on here. But say nothing, until a body from nobody knows where is left out on the prairie.

The Up River Lipan Apache seem to have not as many people. But when they do strike, it does seem random, and quite fearsome. Few remains are ever found. But Camp Hudson seems more isolated, and thus more desperate. And not as well supplied for food, water and ammo? And maybe more desperate for scouts against the Apache?

Where do Charlie and/or Ezekiel go? And by which route?
PCs

Dust to Dust (Stars Without Number) - Circuit Counsel Taavi Perttu
Big Shiny Island (AD&D 1E) - Theo, low charisma ranger
Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) - Kiyoshi, ronin bushi
WW2 Supers d6 - Luther "Luke" Goodfox

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#65 Post by Rex »

Charlie

I will wait to hear if Ezekiel is interested.

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#66 Post by jemmus »

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Apache
PCs

Dust to Dust (Stars Without Number) - Circuit Counsel Taavi Perttu
Big Shiny Island (AD&D 1E) - Theo, low charisma ranger
Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) - Kiyoshi, ronin bushi
WW2 Supers d6 - Luther "Luke" Goodfox

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#67 Post by Bluetongue »

'Sarge' Ezekiel

Yes, he is interested. I think going the shortest route via Commanche territory and trusting Charlie to negotiate passage if trouble occurs.

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#68 Post by Rex »

Charlie

Charlie prefers that route as well. Though he isn't guaranteeing he can negotiate safe passage.

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#69 Post by jemmus »

So it sounds like the destination is Camp Hudson. Please go ahead and roll Observation and Indian Contact rolls, in case the dice bosses indicate an encounter.
PCs

Dust to Dust (Stars Without Number) - Circuit Counsel Taavi Perttu
Big Shiny Island (AD&D 1E) - Theo, low charisma ranger
Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) - Kiyoshi, ronin bushi
WW2 Supers d6 - Luther "Luke" Goodfox

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#70 Post by Rex »



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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#72 Post by jemmus »

Thanks, rolls noted.

It's around 225 miles to Camp Hudson. With their Good quality horses, Charlie and Ezekiel can cover 64 miles in 16 hours. Then they need an 8 hours rest. (p.93) It's around 70 miles to Camp Martin Scott, which is in the middle of Comanche territory. https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 66#p670866 and the post after it.
After that, it's around 100 miles through bison and Comanches prairie wilderness toward Camp Hudson. The last 50-60 miles toward the Rio Grande are through Apache territory. With the U.S. Army contesting their control, of course.

The two scouts know enough about Texas weather in June to expect a-- sunny-- trip.


Do either of the PCs have the Survival skill? It may or may not come up. But the PCs know that water can always be an issue on the prairie. Looking for it could add time and miles to their trip). (The 225 miles estimate assumes no detours after Camp Martin Scott). It's around 10:30 AM on June 8, 1873. Do the PCs want to do anything in San Marcos, or do they just set out for Camp Martin Scott?

p 19 Survival. This character knows how to
find water, food, and shelter in inhospitable
wilderness. He also can tell healthy food and
water from potentially dangerous stuff , and
pick out a safe place to sleep (as opposed to,
say, a scorpion 's nest . The player makes one
skill check per day. If the roll failed , the character's
Strength, Coordination , and
Observation scores (and those of everyone
else depending on him ) are reduced by one. If
the rolJ succeeded but was within two points
of the character's score, his Strength is
reduced by one. If the roll succeeded by more
than two points, the character is all right for
today. If any attribute drops to 2 or less, that
character becomes helplessly delfrious. If any
attribute drops to 0, that character dies.

Characters recover one attribute point per
attribute per day once they reach civilization
(or find help, at least ).
PCs

Dust to Dust (Stars Without Number) - Circuit Counsel Taavi Perttu
Big Shiny Island (AD&D 1E) - Theo, low charisma ranger
Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) - Kiyoshi, ronin bushi
WW2 Supers d6 - Luther "Luke" Goodfox

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#73 Post by Rex »

Charlie

Charlie has Survival at 13.

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#74 Post by jemmus »

Noted. That might be a very useful skill for a U.S. Army scout.
PCs

Dust to Dust (Stars Without Number) - Circuit Counsel Taavi Perttu
Big Shiny Island (AD&D 1E) - Theo, low charisma ranger
Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) - Kiyoshi, ronin bushi
WW2 Supers d6 - Luther "Luke" Goodfox

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#75 Post by jemmus »

The map of Texas tribes and U.S. Army forts has been updated in the Game Settings thread. This one is more accurate for the setting of the game (1873). Charlie and Ezekiel are in the San Marco area a little southwest of Austin.
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PCs

Dust to Dust (Stars Without Number) - Circuit Counsel Taavi Perttu
Big Shiny Island (AD&D 1E) - Theo, low charisma ranger
Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) - Kiyoshi, ronin bushi
WW2 Supers d6 - Luther "Luke" Goodfox

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#76 Post by jemmus »

The Situation
Charlie and Ezekiel have given up on resolving the Tonkawa tribe's and local ranchers' anthrax/diseases livestock situation not far outside of San Marcos, Texas. Charlie, though, remembers the Tonakawa women giving the men the band's horses, and setting across Texas outlaws roads toward home. And the hired Tonkawa men tracking the horse rustlers to a dead farmhouse way out in Llano County. And a nighttime shootout, and dropping a man on horseback. And the Tonkawa men claiming as a reward the best horse recovered, if any. They claimed Judge Doos's superb mare, who had a name. Whom he and the horse taught his young daughter how to ride horses.

The two scouts sit their horses and think a little. If either uses tobacco, he spits some down or exhales some to go up. 225 miles of Texas to Fort Clark around the Rio Grande bend. Across Comanche land. Up to Fort McKavett (map above) to cross the Comancheria plains.
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Image
Image
PCs

Dust to Dust (Stars Without Number) - Circuit Counsel Taavi Perttu
Big Shiny Island (AD&D 1E) - Theo, low charisma ranger
Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) - Kiyoshi, ronin bushi
WW2 Supers d6 - Luther "Luke" Goodfox

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#77 Post by jemmus »

(Those are the Comanches, mostly of High Plains, but masters of the Llano Escardo as well. But on the last leg to the fort by the Rio Grande, the Apache contest.... And for now, rule.

Yeah, it's probably right that Survival might be the most important skill for this leg. Scouting (super Observation) as well. Rifle when it comes to it. Pistol and shotgun (Rifle skill... who knows? It might depend on not getting surprised. By some masterful surprisers.
PCs

Dust to Dust (Stars Without Number) - Circuit Counsel Taavi Perttu
Big Shiny Island (AD&D 1E) - Theo, low charisma ranger
Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) - Kiyoshi, ronin bushi
WW2 Supers d6 - Luther "Luke" Goodfox

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#78 Post by Bluetongue »

'Sarge' Ezekiel

After what seems a long hiatus, a mental storm of much tumbleweed blowing through his mind, he puts the tobacco away.

"I'm good to go." he says, not wishing to hold up further progress.

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#79 Post by Rex »

Charlie

Charlie is also good to go.

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Re: Chapter III - The Street of San Marcos (Charlie & Ezekiel)

#80 Post by jemmus »

Charlie and Ezekiel don't have a map, but they know that Camp Clark lies to the west-southwest of San Marcos not far from the Rio Grande River. If they hit the river without seeing the stockade fort, they'll know that they need to ride along the river north or south to find it. They guess that it's around 200 - 250 miles away. And that most of the way will be through hot savanna with grass and scattered trees. Comanches country. The Army's Camp Martin Scott

But the last miles will be through even hotter semi-arid badlands. Finding water for men and horses may be a challenge here. And they also know that badlands must be cut up with bluffs, cliff, and canyons. The know the Apache live there, and the stories about them are almost always set in that kind of rough setting.

Rations
Characters can find adequate amounts of
water , as well as grazing for their horses , in
most types of wilderness terrain. Characters
must carry food and water for themselves and
their horses when traveling in desert or badlands.
Each character needs at least half a
canteen of water per day, as well as 3 pounds
of meat, beans, or hardtack per day. Each
horse needs at lea t a gallon of water and 10
pounds of feed per day. Failure to provide
adequate feed for animals will eventually kill
them. See the description of Survival skill for
detail on starvation.


But, Charlie has the Survival skill.
Survival. This character knows how to
find water, food, and shelter in inhospitable
wilderness. He also can tell healthy food and
water from potentially dangerous stuff , and
pick out a safe place to sleep (as opposed to,
say, a scorpion 's nest). [Other text with
detail on rules mechanics on p. 18. Generally, Charlie
rolls on Survival once a day, and if you fail,
everyone's Attribute scores go down by one.
If anyone reaches Strength 2, they're delirious
At 0, they're dead.]

Do you buy anything before leaving San Marcos? At a minimum, you might need a canteen or canteens ($1 each). A map would be helpful for not getting lost and missing the fort ($2). But you both have the Scouting skill, so you'll get rolls on that to stay generally on track.
PCs

Dust to Dust (Stars Without Number) - Circuit Counsel Taavi Perttu
Big Shiny Island (AD&D 1E) - Theo, low charisma ranger
Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) - Kiyoshi, ronin bushi
WW2 Supers d6 - Luther "Luke" Goodfox

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