In reply to Alabama Hammer (msg # 20):

Grey Wolf watches the large man approach and motions towards the seat and nods, agreeing with his statement. "Yes.  Sit." he offers, hoping he understood the question correctly.  Looking over the man, he notices he was a large fit and strong man, an obvious warrior or so Grey Wolf surmised to himself.

Looking to the three newcomers in black coats, Grey Wolf studied them carefully.  Based on the quiet they brought, they must have powerful medicine.  Unsure of what the Dearmen gang was, Grey Wolf simply listened, figuring others would speak, ask questions of the three or he'd find out later if they were relevant to the professor he was searching for.

Looking to the man sitting near, he nods and taps his own chest with his pointer finger, "Grey Wolf." then nods to the man, as if to ask his name, but also throws out his reasoning for being there as well. "I search for missing professor.  You?"


[Private to GM: Indians rarely stayed in hotels or cities and I was planning on setting up camp on the outskirts of town so I could stay by the group, but not in a hotel.  Will that be an issue?  Will death be guaranteed if I sleep outside?  I can't imagine it would or Indians would all be wiped out?  Just wanted to get your thoughts before posting my intention.  ;)]

Alabama pulled out a cigar and lit it with a match, before waving the match to blow it out and throw it onto the floor.

Taking a big inhale on it as the clearly notorious group walked in, Alabama blew a puff of smoke, before replying to Grey Wolf.

"Well shit, I'm here looking for the professor too. Needed his help on something, and as I was on my way here, I hear talk about how he has vanished without a trace. Figure if I help try and find him, might be able to get the answers I was looking for."

Taking another inhale of his cigar, Alabama continued.

"Folks call me the Alabama hammer." He then gestured to his large hammer resting upright on the floor. "I'm sure you can see why. Though Alabama is fine. Maybe we can try and find the professor together. Though looking around this room, I doubt we're the only ones looking out for him."

OOC: Katy, the Dearman gang is renown begin ruthless defenders of The Ridge. They charge people bounties as they call them to protect them from people who are rather helpless against bandits and what not. Sadly, they also take this too far. If you don't pay they make sure that the bandits know where to find you which leads many to believe they have a parley with the bandits in the surrounding areas.

[Private to Grey Wolf: No. You should be fine outside of town. For now. :)]

As the music plays in the saloon and people wind down for the night a few people make sure to the avoid the table that the Dearman's sit at but they seem civil enough. They don't raise a ruckus or say much in the way of anything short of ordering a few drinks.

As most people retire for the night to the rooms or other places to be the saloon becomes a empty shell of what it was a few hours ago. The main gentleman calls over to the group.

"Come. Sit down. Have some drinks with us."

They signal for all of you to come and have a seat around the circular table.

"What brings you to our town?", says the leader of the group.

In reply to Alabama Hammer (msg # 26):

Gray Wolf listens to the man and nods slowly knowing going solo in this new, wild and savage world was not safe and to die before he found the professor and his answer would not save his friend.  Nodding, "Yes, find answers is good."

Looking towards the others, Grey Wolf shrugs, "Might be good." then glances at the ones called Dearmen gang he scowls, not feeling the warm feeling he got from Alabama and simply shrugs.  "Rattle Snake can be good, eat rats but also bite if approached to close." and nods towards the Dearmen, hoping Alabama understood what he could understand what he didn't say.


Grey Wolf glanced at Alabama and shrugs, following only if he moved to the table.

OOC:
Grey Wolf won't sit at the table, but will move closer and lean against a wall or bar.

Katy had taken her suitcase up to her room and changed into a slightly more casual outfit, an embroidered blouse and long straight skirt. Leaving off her bonnet, she removed the mass of pins in her hair and let it loose, tied back in a simple ponytail.

Returning to the bar, looking to try a glass of whiskey and maybe pick up some news about the town, she froze as the leader of Dearman's gang seemed to call her over.

Jessie felt the suggestion to sit from the leader of the black coats was more of an instruction than a suggestion and that followed by the question about why they were in the town didn't sit well with her

So Jessie keep to herself near the bar.... She knew of the black coats by reputation and the fact the woman smelt of witch meant trouble Jessie didn't want a part of.

Something suddenly crossed her mind... It felt like the black coats had some sort of authority in town or perhaps were running it could explain the questions..... Even so where they are trouble follows and they could also be behind the professors disapearance

The leader sees the people hesitating to come to the table.

"I promise I am not a monster.", says the man. "Bartender a round for my friends. You see we are a group of bounty hunters, you might call us. We typically hunt down lone wolf criminals in a attempt to stop them from ruining our little town."

The man gets up from the table and starts walking over to each and everyone one of you.

"So one of the things that I make it a point in making, is knowing. Knowing new people coming through."

He stops right at the edge of the bar as the bartender gets some whisky to fill his cup. "So I've learned that even the most unassuming of people can cause trouble. So what brings you folks to our little piece of home?"

Jessie looks at him and allowed him his little speech before speaking "so bounty hunters you say.. Then what gives you the authority to ask about a person's business... Bounty hunters aren't law men so my business will remain my own.

Thank you for the offer of a drink but I will pass if you don't mind it's a bit too early for a, lady to drink hard liquor " with that she turned to the bar keep and asked for a tea

"Ah good question little lady. You see out here, other than the fine sheriff in town, we are the law. If you don't believe me, I reckon you'll ask the sheriff himself but this badge should do you fine."

He slaps down a badge showing that he himself has been deputized. "You see ain't some small town simpleton. I keep this town safe when the sheriff is too busy dealing with some of the outlaws that wonder in our fair town. So I'll be kind and ask again, what is it you seem to be doing here in our little slice of heaven?"

Jessie turned with grace and looked the man up and down before slightly squaring up to him "firstly I am not your little lady and secondly my business is my own.. Though I will say I am here for a few days to look up an old friend and then will be on my way.... Hopefully that satisfies your enquiry" with that she picked up the tea cup that had been placed before her and walks over to a window table and seated herself slightly turned away from him signalling as far as she was concerned the conversation was now at an enad

Well, she'd come out here looking for excitement and adventure. Katy accepted a glass of whiskey from the bar, then sat down.

"I'm Katy, and I'm here to find out more about what happened to Professor Horowitz."

She knocked back the glass of whiskey the way she'd seen others do. Unfortunately, this was her first taste of whiskey. Her face went white, then crimson, then purple as she fought for breath.

"Let's stay back and watch. Let the white folk do the talking." Alabama quietly replied to Grey Wolf, as he watched others who have arrived go up to the Dearman gang.

When the leader reveals he and his gang have been deputised, a worried look crosses his face. "Shit. Nothing like giving shady people the power of the law. I've heard about people running small towns before. Like kings back over in Europe, acting like they own everything, and everyone living in fear." Alabama leaned over to whisper to Grey Wolf some more.

In reply to Alabama Hammer (msg # 36):

Grey Wolf nods and grunts quietly in response to Alabama’s comments concerning the Dearman gang and white folks.  His lip pulls back a bit as he too felt akin to the Hammer and didn’t trust the men but was wise enough to keep his thoughts in his head and not in the open.

Laying his left hand on the table, rubbing at an odd looking knot on the wooden table, Grey Wolf didn’t look at the men or the white woman they were addressing, but focused on their conversation and to Alabama nodding or grunting occasionally showing he was listening.  Under the table, Grey kept his hand close to his knife, but didn’t grip it yet, but was at the ready in case things went sideways.

"Hi Katy" says the man, "People in these parts call me Silas Dearman."

"Anyway, you folks seems like good people. I don't need full stories. I do ask that if you do go look for the good Professor and find anything please report back to us. You can talk to the sheriff for sure just to make sure we aren't stepping on toes but I think he will tell you that we are looking just as hard as all these out-of-towners. You folks have a good night."

With that Silas tips his hat to everyone as he leaves, the other two get up from the table and walkout with him. They make no small talk, just grabbing their horses and taking off into the dusk night.

Once the men had gotten up from their table and left, Patrick will turn back to the bartender and jerk his head in their direction. "So what's their deal? Do they really enforce things around here or was that all jus a bunch of hot air?" Patrick hadn't liked the look of the men, but if they really did keep this town safe then he'd have to give them the benefit of the doubt. He wouldn't be happy about it though.

GreyWolf turned to watch Silas Dearman leave the building before looking back to Alabama and shrugged.  Looking back to the others, it seemed obvious they were also looking for the same man as he and Alabama.  Drawing out his steel knife and a piece of wood from his side pouch, Grey Wolf begins to carve the wood testing it to see what animal was inside and waiting to come out.

Katy recovered her breath, and shook her head to clear it.

"That was... odd," she said to Jessica, "I wonder if the Professor was under their 'protection'? I mean, it wouldn't do much for their reputation if they couldn't catch whoever was responsible."

She'd read enough dime novels to know what a protection racket was. But usually the heroes were riding in to put an end to them.

The bartender looked at Patrick. "No, sadly it is true. The Dearman gang is basically walking law. Problem is then tend to bend what they think real law is."

The man polishes a glass as the sun slowly dips behind the blanket of night.

"Lots of people going to be up in the morning for the sheriff's announcement. You should be there if you are looking into finding out anything about the professor. Would do this town a lot of good if we could find him. And soon."

Anything else you want to do before you turn in for the night?

"Going to be a busy morning." Alabama says to Grey Wolf, based on the comments of both Silas Dearman, and the bartender.

Then, Alabama looked around to see if there were any tables playing cards, with a spare seat for him to join, and get to know some of the locals.

To Katy, the room seemed to be wobbling a bit.

"Sleeping sounds like a good idea right now."

[Private to GM: I'd like to play out Katy getting her 'dime novel' gear from the general store, but I don't want to hold up the game doing so. So only if there's a convenient point where everyone's doing their own thing.]

Patrick wasn't a fan of that answer, though he hadn't really expected a different one. Tapping on the bar with the flat of his hand, he gave the bartender a nod, turned and tipped his hat to the room in general and made his way upstairs to his room to get some rest and be ready for the next day when he truly started his search for the missing Professor.

The presence of a witch in town put Jessie into a dark mood and when in a dark mood she the cards wouldn't fall right for her so she decided to turn in for the night hoping the light of the morning would find her in a better frame of mind to look for the professor

Most of the locals have left for the night but there a few in the corner that Alabama can play a round of games with.

OOC: For the sake of speeding up the story to get to the next day what do you want to do?

In reply to Alabama Hammer (msg # 43):

Grey Wolf nods, “I sleep outside town. I scout around, look for ..” he paused looking for the right word, “Professor teepee.  Where you sleep?”

OOC: Okay sounds good I am going to speed up the story to the next day. Check out Chapter 2. We will continue there.