Monday, March 5, 1877
At the jail, Mac is met by Grady Parsons' mother. Grady is the person who was attacked by the cat, jalapeno jars incident. She has a cold. Tells Mac a rambling story - couldn't sleep well due to the cold. Front door opened late last night, key was still on the nightstand. Grady wasn't there; she eventually fell back asleep. Mac, very flat tone, "I'll look into it." After very little sympathy, she wanders home.
Rumor travels fast - soon we've all heard that Grady Parsons has disappeared. As the sheriff walks over to the Parsons' house, heads poke out of doors to watch.
Onatah is out collecting plants in the morning. Dr. Wolf is heading over to talk to the ornithopter pilot. Father Michael might head over to check up on Miss Judith.
Mac heads into the Parsons place, checking out the front door on the way - looks fine to him. Mac heads up to check out Grady's room - it's a young man's room. Mrs Parson heads up to keep an eye on things. Mac finds a small leather bound book in the back of a drawer. After a brief discussion with Mrs Parson, he takes the book without letting her read it.
Mac looks for tracks outside the house, but the street is well trafficked and all prints are blurry. On his way out, Mac looks at the front door again, no unusual gouges or anything. Grady mainly goes to work, church, home. He works at the Silas Smith Dry Goods store.
Mac walks over to the store, thumbing through the book on the way. It's Grady's diary - some bitching, some about who's purty. About 3 or 4 months ago, he'd gotten involved with some sort of group and was feeling pretty pleased. Two months ago it got a lot more formalized; before it was just a club, two months ago there were rituals and trying to summon monsters and stuff. Towards the end, plans for a big sacrifice - he wants more power than they were giving him, was going to do some work on his own - maybe the sheriff was that. The big sacrifice is to "Obeltat". The group has a meeting site in Red Cliffs, 10 miles east. Also bitching that Jenny Mills was snooping around the meeting site. (Jenny Mills was the one who reported the monsters originally)
The place of business hasn't seen Grady and
Mac heads to Judith's to talk. Meet up with priest there. They don't recognize it. Suggest it might be German? Call the German! It sounds like Ubeltat (german: evil). Maybe that Indian knows something? We find her, and ask her, she doesn't recognize the names.
We head back to Grady's place. German checks out the door while we're there. No sign of forced entry. Grady's diary does include some first initials, but little else to figure out who the cultists are. Onatah finds some tracks heading northwest from the house - more tracks than just Grady's.
After a quick discussion - quick split up grab supplies.
(Random fact - 50 miles to Prescot (big city), 10 miles to Wickensburg (smaller city) if you go through the desert, maybe 15 miles by road)
Sheriff Mac rounds up a small posse to come with - 4 out of work miners sign on to the trip. About 10 in the morning when we head out, head up Mill Wash following tracks in the sand - a mile and a half up the wash is Red Cloud Mine. A little tiny mine, make shift structures here. Can hear snoring, but German spots a body nearby
It's Grady, dead, looks like he was attacked by an animal. The body smells strongly of alcohol. Judith checks out the body - he was not actually attacked by an animal - some of the chest was cut away crudely. Edges of a black stain. Killed by strangulation, lots of healing of bruises. The alcohol was just poured on him.
Mac searches the body and finds a house key in his inside pocket. They check the surrounding area - the Germans finds some tracks nearby, Onatah can tell two people left here but didn't take the wash back, crossed the wash and went to higher ground heading away from the tents and back toward town.
We head over to the tents, Mac fires his shotgun into the air to get the people awake. A guy comes out of each of the two tents, still sleeping sounds from one tent.
Mac wants some answers! The miners are recalcitrant, Lucas and Jacob, and say they were drinking last night. Darvis is called out of one tent, bloodshot eyes. They all insist they heard nothing. When was the last time they were in the mine - yesterday morning, a little work for Jacob got back with the whiskey. Mac, "Don't go anywhere." Checks out the mine, small cart, nothing in there.
Mac and Onatah emerge from the mine and fix them with a stare. They still insist no one's been around. Darvis says that day before yesterday, some strange guy on a horse came through, but he weren't nobody.
Grady's body is loaded into the cart, and we head out to follow the tracks following Onatah's lead. The two tracks head back into town, but lose the tracks on Main St.
We drop Grady off at Judith's motuary. While there Paul Larson butts in - he tells us he's nervous about the investors - rumors of demons and murder are making people wary.
We head off to Red Cliffs, heading east on the road toward Wickensburg. We get most of the way to the river, get to a T intersection. As we head toward Red Cliff, we find a fairly well worn path - not just a few people come through here. Come up to a section of cliff that overlooks a section of river that's actually wet.
Mac finds a section where the path curves off - a crude amphitheater with a fire pit and altar, a carved wood tabletop is set atop the altar. Large animal paw prints are around the site.
We search through the site - Judith pokes through the fire pits, an assortment of animal bones, no human bones. Dr Wolf notices drawings in charcoal - black hands, two similar to some in White Tanks (mountain range), those two are the most recent. No real recent activity. Father Michael checks out the tabletop - some carvings of hands, no real significance he can find.
We decide to boobytrap the site - Dr Wolf hides some dynamite in the firepit, and runs a fuse to the altar as well. Next time they light a fire in the firepit... boom!
Everyone heads back to town; Dr Wolf and Father Michael head off to Wickenburg instead. In Wickensburg Dr Wolf buys some SCIENCE! equipment - chem set, reference books. Father Michael heads over to the gunsmith and picks out a Pettengill Army Revolver and a specific list of accessories (second cylinder, quick draw holster, 50 cartridges) The smith is happy to help and have an unexpectedly knowledgeable client - he tosses in an extra ten cartridges free.
Mac gathers up the Protestant preacher and notifies Mrs Parsons. She's upset but the preacher is left to comfort her. Judith, after getting started on Grady, heads over to talk to Miss Parsons and helps her "feel empowered" and more comfortable with the situation. They pick out an outfit she really likes, she's sold on a family plot.
Tuesday, March 6
Dr Wolf and Father Michael get up and head back to Vulture City. A rainy, cold day - starts out normal.
Mac talks the mayor into having a small apartment built on top of the jail for him.
Soon after the returning duo make it back into town. Ranch hand finds Sheriff Mac and tells him that Jenny Mills hasn't showed up for work that day. Mac follows the hand back to the ranch house and finds her bedroom trashed. Ranch hand saw her yesterday at 5:30, end of work. No one stays out there with her. One of the horses is missing - a work horse, not a fancy trained horse.
Mac looks for tracks - three sets, heading south. At some point, someone got off a horse, there's a struggle and then they all head south again. He heads back in to town and rounds up his posse (a preacher, a German, an undertaker, and an Indian) and we head out.
We head south, following the horse tracks, crossing little washes and eventually the Haceyampa, a long rainy day in the saddle, clearing as it gets later - tracks definitely leading toward White Tanks. As the sun goes down, we see the light of a fire in the distance, on top of a spur of the mountains.
As we get closer, we can occasionally hear voices and a woman's screams on the wind. We split up and start sneaking up, Dr Wolf and Father Michael in one group and Judith and Onatah in another and Mac on his own. Sneaking goes poorly, in general, the Father does surprisingly well.
Mac comes upon a sentry and punches him in the face! The sentry crumples to the ground.
Doctor Wolf is spotted by a sentry, but the sentry doesn't spot Father Michael. Wolf draws his sword, and Father Michael sneaks around and puts a gun to the sentry's back. "I'd drop my gun if I were you." Sentry drops gun, Father Michael hits him over the back of the head and the sentry crumples to the ground.
Onatah and Judith meet up with a sentry, who gets the drop on them. "Hold it there ladies. What are you doing here?" Judith, "We're lost." It's an obvious lie. They'll have to come with him - he takes her gun away and motions them ahead of him and follows after with his gun on them.
They're marched up to the gathering spots. Jenny Mills is naked (and in her 40s) and tied to a post behind the bonefire. Robed masked figure is chanting. Men on dark clothing watching the proceedings. Three skinless beasts are snarling and menacing Jenny, but held back somehow.
As the two ladies are brought into the light of the fire, everyone turns. Masked man, "What have you found, Jonathan?" Judith recognizes various people from town. Some of the leaders recognize Judith, "Ah ha, some of our meddlers. Bring them forward."
Mac runs into the scene screaming, firing his shotgun into a line of cultists on the bench, toppling one of them. Cultists from the benches go fleeing. Mac empties the other barrel into one of the skinless beasts, inflicting a heavy wound.
Father Michael - two shots at leader (loses a few fate points), grazes the leader's head. Judith attempts to pull down their guard, but fails and looks like she's cowering at his feet. Onatah stares down the young guard and tells him it's lost, drop his gun and run. He drops his gun and Judith's and goes running into the night.
Dr Wolf goes running forward and slashes at the leader on the way to Jenny's post - a deep slash in his guts. Father Michael runs to keep up as best he can, firing a couple of shots at the nearest beast, grazing it's head.
Leader of cult calls out, "By the black hand of Obeltat, beasts of darkness attack these intruders." One beast shakes off the damage from Mac's shot and rises, another runs at Father Michael who gets it at bay, the third charges at Dr Wolf who keeps it back with his sword.
The leader ("who I think you stabbed recently?") steps back with a group of his followers, a large minion steps between the leader and Dr Wolf.
The monsters continue their assault - Mac fends one off with the butt of his shotgun. Another leaps at Dr Wolf, tearing into his shoulder. The last monster attacks Father Michael who again keeps it at bay, waving his gun in it's face.
Dr Wolf hustles over to be alongside Jenny on the post, slashing at a skinless beast on the way but missing.
Father Michael runs past waving a crucifix - "Back foul beasts of the night!" He stands near Jenny and tries to ward off the beasts. Dr Wolf cuts down Jenny and hands her a rifle. Her hands are sore from being tied tight, so it'll take time to be able to use it.
One monster attacks Mac but fails. Another monster moves to attack Father Michael but can't approach the crucifix. The last monster runs at Onatah and claws at her shoulders, but can't quite hit. Onatah shoots at the monster, but misses.
Mac fires at the monster, hitting it in the guts. It staggers and he presses the shotgun against it's belly firing again and killing it. Father Michael continues to yell at the beasts, waving his crucifix, firing at it. A couple of grazes and the monster falls back stunned. Mac goes running around the edge of the clearing, jamming a shell back in the shotgun.
The cult leader and the bodyguard shift position to keep the bodyguard between him and the group. A skinless beast bites into Onatah's shoulder, but Fate protects her and the bite slides off.
Dr Wolf leaves the post to attack the bodyguard. The electricity arcs off the sword and knocks the bodyguard unconscious. Dr Wolf then spins and slashes at the beast menacing Father Michael but the beast leaps back from the sword. Mac continues his run around the perimeter, yelling at the leader and fixing him with a stare, "Get on the ground and tell you minions to stop fighting!" The leader is startled by all that's happened but is not broken yet.
Judith finally collects herself and grabs her gun and shoots at the monster standing over her and Onatah - the first shot barely touches the monster and the second goes wide. Onatah shoots her bow at the same but misses. She looses another arrow, hitting it in the gut, stunning it.
Dr Wolf takes a couple of slashes at the monster in front of Father Michael but misses. Mac rushes toward the leader, again trying to intimidate him. The leader is not intimidated, but Mac is now right next to him. Mac fires both barrels, the first misses, but the second forces the leader to dive to the side.
Father Michael continues to ward the monster off, reciting Psalm 23, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want..." Mac tries to overawe the Leader again, to no avail.
Judith shoots the stunned beast, hitting a few times in the guts. Father Michael fiddles with his gun while keeping the beast at bay, dropping the expended cylinder in the dusty ground. Judith fires more into the beast, finally dropping it.
The beast menacing Father Michael turns it's attention to Dr Wolf who defends himself with his electric saber.
The Leader turns to Mac and yells, "Get back fool!" A black bolt arcs from the leader and hits Mac, tearing at the skin of his legs. Fate is on Mac's side and he's not terribly wounded. Jenny Mills takes the rifle and fires at the monster, hitting it in the legs, and knocking it out. As the last monster falls, the rest of the crowd begins to flee. The last robed figure by the leader takes off running, leaving only the leader.
Between the five of us, we are able to bring down the leader. Mac pulls off his mask and discovers Robert Love, who glowers at us. "Your day will come." Judith arranges for Jenny to be robed in the bodyguard's robe.
We aren't sure who the other leaders of the cult were, but we know who the various others cult member-watchers were. We load the bodyguard onto the wagon, and load Robert Love onto Mac's horse, and head back to town.
Wednesday, March 7, 1877
Things calm down in town that night. The next day everyone knows that something has happened - Robert Love is in jail with Hardy Bertram (the bodyguard). The mayor tells us he will hold a town meeting to address what's happened. Mayor doesn't seem to happy about having to set up a trial. "I don't know what got into Robert."
Meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening, at the bar (Fahey's Tavern). The whole place is packed. The mayor calls us all up, to thank us as heroes. Father Michael explains what's been going on with the cult and Grady Parsons and the former sheriff. The former cultists will likely remain FORMER cultists.
"With the help of this fine sheriff, this fine red skin, this fine German, and you all know Judith."
Father Michael sees a marked attendance increase. The sheriff is confirmed and will be kept on.
XP = 9 = 5 points for defeating cult + 3 for rescuing Jenny + 1 for beasts defeated
