20020217 WildWildWestmarch

<H1> Wild Wild Westmarch </H1>
<H2> Role Call </H2>
<TABLE>
<TR>
 <TD> Loki </TD>
 <TD> 5th/3rd/2nd Elf Fighter/Rogue/Gunslinger </TD>
 <TD> Rick DiRicco </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Denis MacLir </TD>
 <TD> 10th Human Wizard </TD>
 <TD> Ray Chiang </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Wild Billy Shimmerstone </TD>
 <TD> 8th/2th Gnome Sorcerer/Gunslinger </TD>
 <TD> Dean Tribble </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> One-Eye Wymer </TD>
 <TD> 6th/4th Human Fighter/Gunslinger </TD>
 <TD> John Speck </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Marshal Starling Spigot </TD>
 <TD> 6th/4th Human Paladin/Gunslinger </TD>
 <TD> Mark Whisler </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Tarbor MacReady</TD>
 <TD> 5th/5th Dwarf Fighter/Gunslinger </TD>
 <TD> Matt Miller </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Liet Stonecutter </TD>
 <TD> 8th/2nd Dwarf Cleric/Fighter </TD>
 <TD> Jerome Lanig </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Hak'unto </TD>
 <TD> 4th/3th/3th Dust Elf Barbarian/Ranger/Druid </TD>
 <TD> Rob Gale </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Redeye Silverveil </TD>
 <TD> 4th/4th/2th Elf Fighter/Sorcerer/Arcane Rifleman</TD>
 <TD> Jim Yonemura </TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<H2> Session Summary </H2>
The party lives in Riverpit. This used to be the site of a large city. The river now runs into a giant hole in the ground. The people here mostly dig, largely depending on what the gnomes want. Mainly the hole in the ground makes a real good sleuce. No other towns are out there, except maybe for Drylake.
A lot of the people here have come from the cities of the Imperium. Those who are Knights of the Gun, Marshal Spigot is an Imperial marshal. He is empowered and entrusted to carry out the law beyond the city limits. Marshals are rarely punished for poor judgement.
There are bustling agricultural areas on the Plateau. Riverpit is the last location for water in the lowlands. The city fathers don't seem to be concerned much about anything other than gathering loot.
In the saloon, the elves Redeye and Hakunto know each other. The Marshal has an heirloom letter which describes which describes that he is to go to the old site of the ancient city of Aquarna. The time period described indicates the time is now. There, he is to kill a person. There is a artist's rendition of a man in archaic clothes. This man has done great evil and will do even greater evil if he is not stopped at this time. If left alone, he will be unstoppable within weeks. There is a lot of language which indicates the ancestor didn't seem to have the Marshal's same respect for life and law.
The Marshal has called in some favors for other Knights of the Gun to join him in this mission.
Wild Billy Shimmerstone is an inhabitant of Riverpit. There is a saying from an ancestor which indicates that one of the family members will have to be a hero at some point. This request from Marshal Spigot seems to indicate that Billy will fill that role.
The wild elves know this area. They know the area out beyond Riverpit as. Loki finds Hak'unto to act as a guide and Hak'unto brings a friend. Redeye know that humans will come from the Plateau to destroy a great evil out of the dry lake and that it will be his mission to join them. There used to be a great elf civilization. There was a prophecy from a great-uncle which tells Redeye exactly when to look for the evil to emerge from Drylake.
Billy's family calls in some favors to a dwarven cleric to come along as well.
The party rides out towards Riverpit. Coming through a gorge, there are three giants wearing floppy cowboy hats. The giants used to have a real big city, but they left. Some came down into the frontier lands. Those that came down tend to be the troublemakers.
<B>Round 1:</B> Wild Billy attempts to shoot the hat of two of the giants, hitting one. "Git on out of here". Loki pulls out his rifle and shoots the hat of another giant. Spigot: You boys ought to find another road. Lead Giant: C'mon, give me a ball. One of the giants behind him hands him a ball. He bends down and appears to be doing something. Leit sees that the lone giant appears to be holding a cannon. Hak'unto rides up and waves his hand--a cloud of insects surrounds the cannon wielder. The Marshal rides up and shoots the ramrod out of the giant's hand.
<B>Round 2:</B> Loki rides up and shoots the last giant's hat. "I thought we told you to leave." All three giants get up and leave. The party is left with three giant floppy hats and a ramrod for treasure.
That evening Hak'unto finds a water source and a place to camp. They eat roasted rabbit. That evening the party notices that it's unnaturally quiet on the plains.
The next day, the party rides through the dust bowl. There are points where the dust storms slow down or even prevent the party. They end up within sight of a large, but largely unpopulated city. Hak'unto identifies the city as Drylake. Ages ago, this used to be a major city, but now the city is slowly deteriorating. As the posse rides into town, it's the middle of the afternoon and there is very little activity.
Redeye and Hak'unto haven't been in this town for a couple of years, but there appear to be fewer. The posse continues to ride through town and runs into two newer buildings, one appears to be a general store and the other an inn. Both buildings appear to be unoccupied.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Spigot: Someone go in there and check things out.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
MacReady goes up to the door and calls out. One-eye follows him. In the corner of the building is a merchant crouching in the corner. One-eye goes up to the figure. MacReady says "I got you covered". The figure springs at one-eye and MacReady opens fire, hitting three times. The figure continues advancing on One-eye, slamming into him.
The next round, One-eye shoots them three times, the figure staggers out.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
OneEye: I don't know, the thing done up and clawed me and hurt me bad.
MacReady: I shot it somethin' awful, but it barely got hurt.
MacReady: I think we need the padre in here!
</BLOCKQUOTE>
The Marshal detects evil in both buildings around the merchants' quarters. He and Liet break into the building and both fail to turn the undead.
The next building, they break open the windows and there is an awful smell. There are signs of a struggle and a lot of dried blood in the room. Denis casts Prying Eyes, with orders to get a count in the city. After about an hour, the eyes come back. There appears to be a fair amount of activity in the town. There are people building a town hall. In the center of town, the eyes describe as though the people are fearful and unhappy about things. One of the eyes went into the saloon. The saloon's windows are covered with shutters and curtains. Inside, is a well-dressed individual that looks a lot like the picture that the Marshal carries. He is wearing archaic clothes. With him is a beautiful woman who is also wearing archaic clothes. Around them are a number of townsfolk shuffling around. He waves his fingers and the townfolk obey fearfully. Behind the figure, standing completely still, are two townsfolk who appear to be very pale (much like the two figures). The two behind him appear to be gunslingers--one is holding an ornate rifle and the other is carrying an onyx handled pistol. Around town are various unburied dead bodies, many of which have been shot to death.
The Marshal decides to have the posse rest for a day in Leit's Rod of Security. The group coordinates in preparation spells and then heads into town invisibly.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
One-Eye: Hey you vampire lord, you git yerself on out here!
One-Eye: (To people on street) You all aren't going to keep me from getting in with that vampire lord are ya?
</BLOCKQUOTE>
All of the innocent bystanders in the street stay out in the street and stare at One-Eye Wymer. One of the guards at the door speaks into the saloon. He appears to say a short phrase.
<B>Round 1:</B> MacReady kills the guard at the door. One-Eye moves forward and continues to call him out. Denis casts Haste on Billy. Billy drinks a Potion of Hiding and moves along the building, hiding all the way. One-Eye sees one of the guards aim for him, and he shoots him, winging him. The guard shoots at Wymer and crits him. The other two guards also pull out guns, with a rifleman aiming at MacReady and a second gunman aiming at One-Eye. MacReady is hit, but One-Eye is missed. <P> At the same time, two riflemen on the roof both aim at Macready. </P>
<B>Round 2:</B> Lots of gunfire is exchanged, resulting in several dead beings.
<H2> Foes Fought </H2>
Enemy gunmen