Once Upon A Time in the Weird West

[Krug]

Cue: Sergio Leone Music

With a cigarillo still lit in his mouth, the Priest slept under a blanket of stars, with his steed Hammer next to him. Midway through his slumber, he felt a wind blow over him, and he did not need to awaken to know it was the angel Nemamiah, the Guardian of those who fought for good causes. The Priest was familiar with his presence. It had been a familiar visitor in his sleep ever since he had left Europe and journeyed to the New World. The divine and the infernal appeared to be highly interested in this land.

"Go west Priest, to a town wounded. There you will find an ally. And many enemies."

With that the angel departed. Hammer neighed, ready to bear its owner to wherever he required.

----

Jianna was exhausted. She had been on her steed for days. Her memories overlapped, only remembering a fire that had borne away those she loved and everything she had treasured. Her water was running out, and her horse's legs shook with every step. She needed rest.

When she spied the ramshackle huts of the town near dusk she knew she had no choice to make her way there. She did not know who her pursuers were; dark shadowy figures with howling mocking laughs, that always appeared to be at the edge of her sight. She was tired of screaming at them.

A sign posted next to the single street that cut through town said that this was 'Dusttown' made her laugh. "Hello?" she called out. Nothing responded. The sun was descending quickly on the horizon and her throat was becoming dry. She patted her horse; it had worked hard.

---

The Priest had gone east as told. Not that he particularly wanted to, but in this land was any direction better than any other? He spotted the girl and her horse as he approached the town. He already knew that this was a bad place. The evil that had made its way to the Americas from the Old World had pressed itself into the soil like spilled blood, and it was up to him, the last of his kind, to make sure that bad stain would go.

Ok, this is the first meeting between the Priest and Jianna, so introduce yourselves...

 

[doghead]

Jianna, lost human female

Jianna's nerves are raw and jangling as she approaches the silent mockery of a town. Her eyes are red rimmed and her hair, face and clothes are streaked with trail dust. Her breath is rough in her throat. Exaustion worries the warp and weft of her consciousness. The distinction between the real and the imagined is getting blurry. Denied its time so long, the land of dreams is inserting itself into her conscious mind.

Jianna can look after herself well enough away from the comforts of towns and cities. But the shadows of darkness that have persued her since she fled the farm haven't allowed her time to rest, let alone hunt and wash. She hasn't eaten in two days, and ran out of water 12 hours ago. She has to stop here.

But she doesn't like the silence on bit. She squeezes the brigde of her nose in a vain effort to relieve the pain that has taken up residence behind her eyes. She moves carefully forwards.

Out of the corner of her eye she catches sight of a dark clocked figure approaching the town in the distance. Hazy. Indistinct. It slips and twists out of focus.

The first of the night. They are early today. They are getting bolder.

Jianna sighs. She had thought that the town would provide at least some measure of protection. She slips down from her horse, carefully to avoid looking at the dark apparation, but also carefully keep watch on it from the corner of her eye. With her horse concealing her actions, she pulls the Henry from it holster.

She steps out from behind the animal, bringing the heavy weapon up to her shoulder as she does. Her arms and legs are weak, she sways and the front sight drifts drunkenly across the landscape.

Never going to hit anthing like this, she realises. But if your so keen to get into it ....

She pulls the trigger. Works the lever action. And pulls again.

((ooc: OK. I couldn't resist. One dark cloaked rider. A little heat haze for effect. A character so tired they are hallucinating ... it was too tempting.))

 

[Krug]

No worries. Nice beginning! Perfectly understandable reaction.

The shot misses, zipping by the Priest's face.

 

[silentspace]

"Go west Priest, to a town wounded. There you will find an ally. And many enemies."

More enemies is it? Nothing surprising there.

The priest draws on his cigarillo, bringing its fire back to life. He stared up at the sky as he smoked.

"An ally, eh? Did you hear that, Hammer?" The Priest's steed snorted. "Well, maybe company will do us some good."

----

Another run-down town, almost a ghost town. This must be the place.

Hammer moved at a slow gait towards the dusty town. In the distance, the Priest saw a girl standing there, in the middle of the street.

A girl? What's a girl doing in a place like this? Maybe there's a saloon here somewhere, though she ain't dressed like no saloon girl.

The priest lit another cigarillo as he watched the girl moving around frantically, calling out. Then she spun and pulled out her shotgun, and raising it towards him. The priest didn't even blink.

Then the girl fired, and some shotgun pellets whizzed by his face.

Damn waste of ammo. But she almost hit us. If its a shooting match she wants, I'll destroy her. Even if she was the best shot in the world, she'll barely be able to scratch me at that range with a shotgun. Plus she'll need to reload after every shot.

"Put it down girl, I ain't gonna shoot you."

[Dunno what a StraussMetal is, but there's a shotgun on the character sheet. I'm assuming this is a wild-west setting, before automatic pump-action shotguns were invented? If not, just let me know.]

 

[doghead]

Jianna, human female

The gun kicks against her shoulder. The sudden noise of the shot, loud in the silence, startles her for a moment. In the sudden silence following, she hears the shadow call out to her. Shadows don't speak. Well, not like that.

Godspit and Doggrel. Its not a shadow. She shakes her head to clear it. Its kinda obvious now.

Thats a bit awkward. Going to have to talk my way out of this.

She lowers her weapon slowly. Weariness washes over her. She winches a smile into place. The ground pitches forwards. She doesn't even remember hitting the dirt.

 

[silentspace]

The priest watched the girl fall. He spurred Hammer forward and dropped down by her side. He put a finger on her neck, checking for a pulse. Next he searched her, looking for wounds, and found none. At least none of the lethal sort.

In the untamed West, a man could get into trouble looking over a girl like the Priest was doing. You never knew when a jealous husband or boyfriend, brother or suitor would show up. Not that the Priest worried much about that kind of thing. Still, what he was doing could be looked at as a little to presumptuous. Surely the girl had family around to take care of her.

But there weren't any. Then a horse loped around the corner towards them. Right friendly horse, it must be hers. Hammer took a few steps back, politely making way for it.

There was nothing else to do about it. The priest couldn't leave her here in the street. He picked up the girl and carried her. Walking down the street he looked for a doctor. Or a lawman. Or any sign of life in this forsaken town.

 

[Krug]

The street was empty and quiet. This seemed a ghost town. To the immediate left was a salon, while next to it was the sheriff's office, which seemed rather convenient. To the right was a provisions shop. More shops, including a church and a mail office, were spread around this town. None looked occupied, or eager to do business.

About 40' away from him, the Priest saw a creature staring at him. It was a dog. The largest dang dog he had ever seen, taller than his hips. It's fur was mangy and black. It snarled at him, revealing ivory white teeth. It's eyes had a hateful fire. It held its spot. Hammer tittered uncomfortably, while Jianna's horse appeared fearful.

Dusk was approaching. The priest heard more movement around him. Besides that darn dog, something was stirring in the town, and knew it had visitors.

Jianna stirred. She wasn't totally unconscious. She felt comfortable in the presence of this strange man, though she thought he could have used a bath or two. And a shave.

 

[doghead]

Jianna, human female

Jianna slips though a phantom world of memories, hopes and ghosts. Places she knows, people she knows, but wrongly juxtaposed. Her old teacher who is really her brother. Hallways open onto landscape vistas and footsteps echo hollowly in open fields.

Slowly she emerges from the the half world into the here and now, her father carrying her, deliciously sleepy, up to her room. I hope he reads Deadman Doul and the Salatious Goblins tonight. She opens her eyes to ask only to find her looking up at the face of a stranger. Her hand swings and delivers her porter a ringging slap.

Jianna picks herself up out of the dust.

"You didn't have to drop me you stupid brute."

But the man is not really paying her the attention she she feels is approapriate. Jianna feels rather slighted by that. Jianna notices Horse standing a little behind the stranger. The animals ears are back and the whites of its eyes are showing. Jianna turns to see what it is that seems to have everyone's attention.

"Oh Godspit."

Realising that she no longer has her gun, she pulls her longsword.

"Not yours I assume," she says to the stranger without taking her eyes off the hound.

 

[silentspace]

The priest watches the massive hound loping towards them. He feels, more then senses, something stirring in the town, coming to investigate the shot. The girl was stirring in his arms, but the priest ignores her and focuses on his surroundings, trying to locate the stirring creatures.*

As the priest squints, focusing his senses. The girl in his arms comes to, and the Priest feels the ringing slap on his face. He puts her down behind him and immediately turns around, facing the hound.

He hears the girl swear behind him, and hears the sound of a sword being drawn.

"Not yours I assume," the girl says. She's calm, like she's been in situations like this before.

He thought of telling her to get on her horse, to run away in case things got bad, but she seemed ready to fight.

The Priest replies, "No."

*Listen and Spot checks, if possibe. If the hound is close enough, Detect Evil.

 

[Krug]

Just as the Priest turns around, the dog is gone, as though it had disappeared into thin air.

There appears to be something moving in the provision shop.

The land turns a bright yellowish-red as the last streaks of the sun disappear.