2017-03-15: A Berry Bad Day

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  • Log: A Berry Bad Day
  • Cast: Matilda Whitehead, Vin Barrett, Abigail Ivers
  • Where: The Berry Cave
  • Date: March 15, 2017
  • Summary: A trio of Drifters are all out to get themselves some delicious and useful Healing Berries from the famous Berry Caves, teaming up on the spur of the moment. It...doesn't go as they hoped. Well, at least there's lunch afterwards.

=========================<* Berry Cave *>=========================

The Berry Cave once held an underground grove, where the curative berries found throughout Filgaia grew. However, monsters moved inside of it, which made the cave dangerous. The tenders of the Berry Cave relocated to Surf Village, located nearby. Since then, the cave has become a nest of the monsters known as Wels. The locals advise against entering these cavernous depths, but nonetheless, the Berry Cave's namesake lures people in: those berries still grow on vines in the depths and sell for a pretty penny.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C55flOnlXMg


DG: Matilda Whitehead has created a party! To join, type +party/reset and then type +party/join Matilda Whitehead.
DG: Vin Barrett has joined your party!
DG: Abigail Ivers has joined your party!
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Heal Berries, being both more effective and more expensive than blueberries, are always in vogue -- they can fetch a pretty price from the right merchant, and runs on the Berry Caves are among the more popular activities for Drifters who are down on their luck, greedy, or just plain hungry.

Today, however, there's something a little unusual: instead of being totally a dead zone, the area right outside the caves plays host to a woman in a labcoat with long, dark hair, with a somewhat disappointed-looking expression on her face. She doesn't seem to have taken any chances in heading in -- she's not cut up or bleeding or being chased by monsters... she just looks kind of sad.

Right now, she's seated a short distance from the cave entrance. A horse, its saddlebags laden with... something or another, is tied to a post nearby. It does not look sad, and instead, looks like a horse.

DG: A party led by Matilda Whitehead is now entering Berry Cave.
DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
======================<* CHALLENGE - Militia Checkpoint *>======================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 One of the local men from Surf Village is assigned to watch the entrance of   
 the Berry Cave. He has been told to not let anyone pass -- especially those   
 Drifters. But, he seems to be dozing off, and he is certainly bored. Maybe    
 you can find a way past?                                                      
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.

Mmm. Well, truthfully, Vin Barrett of the Baskar Tribes of the Badlands is the sort who's always on the lookout for Berries, both Healing and Non. He's got Ancient Baskar Secrets that help him turn the berries and Meat (From various sources) into a delicious, filling trail mix that keeps for ages.

Frankly, he's been selling it to make ends meet, as well as to make friends and acquaintances. Worked so far.

So, when his supplies of Berries, Various, got low, well...The Baskar decided some Berry Caveing was in order. He's got a shotgun-rifle, it'll be fiiiiiiiiiine.

Unlike the nice lady in a labcoat, though, he looks just generally content with the world and his place in it, quite comfortable under a large patterned cloak, hair tired back as he nods cheerily at the other Drifters that are...ah...drifting up. "Fine day to go poke around in a monster infested cave, isn't it?"

<Pose Tracker> Abigail Ivers has posed.


Abigail Ivers' luck has finally been turning turning around. The business deal went through that she was working on, she's pilfered the down payment for said business from local sites, and she had some shenanigans on the horizon that were sure to be profitable for her. But what she needed in the interim was some quick and (hopefully) easy gella. Heal berries were also a good market stable and would make a decent buck if she could find enough. And so, the gambler takes her lovely horse closer to the cave entrance where she sees that some labcoat had beaten her to it.

Ushering her horse closer, she brings her to a halt close to the dark-haired woman in dramatic fashion. "Howdy," greets the black-hatted gambler with a tip of her hat as she dismounts and ties of her horse near where labcoat tied hers up. Her ride too looks like a horse, of course. She turns around to see that some hombre had saddled up to the cave entrance as well. She tips her hat to him before tossing her duster onto the back of her horse as she approaches the duo in her striped suit pants, black cowboy boots, vest, and blouse. "Howdy to y'all too. Looks like we got ourselves an expedition right here. Whaddaya say we three venture forth into the cave before anymore show up? Splitting profits only three ways would be music to my ears."

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

The approach of other footsteps gets Matilda to perk up a little. She notices Vin first, and gives a wave. "Ah -- hello," she says, standing up. "It really is... I'd like very much to resupply here, but I don't think I can move through the cave by myself..." She takes a moment to shift her body language slightly, facing Abigail now too. "With three of us though -- oh, yes! This will be perfect!"

With a small, warm smile on her face, she says, "Ah -- hello, yes, where are my manners? Matilda Whitehead, traveling scholar, at your service!" She lets that hang, before appending a little lamely, "... I mostly sell basic compounds so I have gella enough to eat, though... and I fear I'm too gentle for merchantry... so yes, a three-way split would be very agreeable, miss!"

Once the rain cloud over her head passes, she looks to the entryway. "I think... he's about due for a nap," she reflects, looking at the guard. "Perhaps we can just sneak by...?" She moves to do just that -- though she sounds hopeful that someone else has a more... robust, idea.

DG: Matilda Whitehead has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Militia Checkpoint.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.

The Baskar inclines his head politely, introducing himself to his new Digging Partners. "Vin Barret of November City. A pleasure." Standing, he hums, studying the so-called guard, nodding slightly. "Well, Plan A, sneak and hope he doens't notice us. Seems a good way to start off."

The Baskar pulls a pouch of something out from under his cloak, tossing it up and down lightly. "Plan B, Bribery If He Does." He grins cheerily. "Everyone loves beef jerky and dried fruits, after all. Although, yes, preferably not getting caught would be for the best. Here, have some yourselves. Sharpens the senses, it does."

Pulling two more of the small pouches from his Cloak of Holding, the Baskar flips them to the pair of fellow Cave Explorers and moves carefully for the entrance, trying to avoid the bored guard's attention as he carefully pads forwards. He's surprisingly stealthy, really, but that only makes sense considering he spends a -lot- of time in the Aveh Badlands...

DG: Vin Barrett has used his Tool Baskar Trail Mix toward his party's challenge, Militia Checkpoint.
<Pose Tracker> Abigail Ivers has posed.

Abigail, freckled and pale, circles around Matilda as she sizes her up while grinning all the while. She then turns to get a closer look at Vin and that fearsome weapon of his while continuing to smile. The odds of their success were already spinning around in Abbie's head as she tucks her thumbs down into her gunbelt which held one large revolver on her hip, a smaller one on her back side, and an array of sheathed knives from her five a clock to her seven. She was definitely armed, just not quite as heavily. "I'm glad we've come to an agreement." The reddish-brown haired woman gestures open to her sides. "I'm the beautiful, business owning, card-slinging, gun-toting, Miss Abigial Ivers of June City." A big grin is flourished as she looks to her fellow Badlander for a moment. "And I'm here to make us all a little richer."

She does partake in some trail mix before lifting a hand to tuck some hair behind an ear, only to pull a playing card out of seeming thin air. The gambler rubs her thumb over it as she looks around the way to the cave entrance where the militia guard was posted. "Thank you kindly, and that's some solid plans. You two start sneaking and I'll catch up with you." Keeping the playing card in one hand, she ducks down to grab a large rock and hurls it off near the guard, but out of his normal line of sight. The sleepy guard will go investigate the noise with any luck which will allow the three of them to sneak past unhindered. If not, let's hope he likes trail mix.

DG: Abigail Ivers has used her Tool Queen of Clubs toward her party's challenge, Militia Checkpoint.
DG: The party led by Matilda Whitehead has passed this challenge! The party gained 22 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda nips back to take some trail mix, because it's, frankly, delicious. She's had something similar before -- this kind of thing is dreadfully popular in Linga around exam time. Surely that's where she encountered it, right?

Sure enough, the guard starts awake at the sound, and our party of intrepid adventurers is able to use the distraction -- coupled with their own keen senses -- to navigate past him without him being any the wiser.

He does end up finding Matilda's poor horse and nabbing some empty flasks for his trouble, though. Sorry, Matilda!

DG: Abigail Ivers has drawn a new Challenge.
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Well-Stocked Goblins *>=====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Drifters aren't the only ones to brave the Berry Cave. Goblins,               
 semi-intelligent humanoids known to live in caves and other deep places,      
 sometimes seek the same treasures. The ones that approach, however, aren't    
 the half-starved creatures that one often finds. They carry battered          
 gunsmoke ARMs -- and a supply of Heal Berries to tend to their wounds.        
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
You will no longer hear messages on channel <Public>.
<Pose Tracker> Abigail Ivers has posed.


Abigail Ivers could practically hear the 'What was that noise?!' from here as she sneaks on past with the others. Upon making it past the checkpoint, she goes ahead to clasp the others both on the back unless they duck out of her way. "Not bad, not bad at all. Snuck out of a few bedrooms have we?" The gambler teases with a wink before pushing forward slightly to see what was coming up ahead. But it is not long before she comes to a halt and gestures for the others to do the same.

Four goblins wielding haphazardly assembled gunsmokes were directly in their way and there didn't seem to be a way around "We got trouble. Bad guys coming, short...mean...and hungry." From somewhere on her person, Abbie procures a flask of whiskey and takes a hearty swig from it before offering it the others. "Steadies my hand, you see." She explains before grabbing two of her throwing knives from her belt. "Here goes nothing," whispers Abbie as whistles loud enough for the nearest goblins to look her way before she tosses her throwing knives towards their targets.

DG: Abigail Ivers has used her Tool Flask of Whiskey toward her party's challenge, Well-Stocked Goblins.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.

Ahhh, sneaky sneak Plan A has been successful. How odd. That never happens. It usually comes down to Plan B!

The Baskar just smiles widely at Abigail's teasing, looking innocent. "I have no idea why I would need or develop such skills, Madam." In a good mood, he silences and ducks down when Abigail gestures for 'em to hold up.

Glancing at the odds, he shrugs slightly. "Annoying. We can take them, though. Course, a smidge of discretion would be nice, once we're done here, but, hell, better to use it then get injured."

And, with that, he pulls his Fennec R66 from under his cloak, holding it one handed...and the other pulls a small, odd totem of fire-hardened wood, carved to look like a multi-winged bird of some sort, out and holds it in the other hand. The Baskar closes his eyes, murmuring under his breath, and then opens them as the Totem's eyes flash red for a moment, a sense of heat swirling around Vin for a moment before then darting around his two companions, zipping and dancing around their weaponry.

Tucking the totem away, Vin pops up, ARM leveled downrange as he pumps the shotgun-choke, announcing their presence with magically enhanced buckshot.

DG: Vin Barrett has used his Tool Pyre Totem toward his party's challenge, Well-Stocked Goblins.
====================<* CHALLENGE - Well-Stocked Goblins *>====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 Drifters aren't the only ones to brave the Berry Cave. Goblins,               
 semi-intelligent humanoids known to live in caves and other deep places,      
 sometimes seek the same treasures. The ones that approach, however, aren't    
 the half-starved creatures that one often finds. They carry battered          
 gunsmoke ARMs -- and a supply of Heal Berries to tend to their wounds.        
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

"I -- I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about," Matilda stammers to Abigail, her body language closing up just slightly. "I'm simply a natural, I suppose..." She chews at her lower lip for a few moments, trying to figure out what to even say to that -- she's definitely on the back foot now, and not just because they're in the cave. On reflex, she pulls out her ARM -- a long, black and red number that definitely doesn't look like a conventional gunsmoke weapon. A little much for a merchant...

When the flask gets offered, Matilda accepts it graciously, taking a long swig. "Ah -- usually where there's goblins, there's more goblins," she points out, "so let's see if we can attract them...!" Reaching into her coat, she pulls out a small, swirling bottle, which she pours onto the ground. It emits a strong -- but pleasing -- odor, which might attract more goblins...

... but think of all the extra ARMs and Heal Berries they'll be able to steal!

She follows up by... hang on, what? She shoves the empty bottle into the rear of her ARM, and points it at the goblins -- and what results is a spray of razor-sharp, semi-molten glass shards, courtesy in part of Vin's magic. That... kind of seems like overkill, but it gets a faint smile from her nevertheless.

DG: Matilda Whitehead has used her Tool Succubus Bottle toward her party's challenge, Well-Stocked Goblins.
====================<* CHALLENGE - Well-Stocked Goblins *>====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 Drifters aren't the only ones to brave the Berry Cave. Goblins,               
 semi-intelligent humanoids known to live in caves and other deep places,      
 sometimes seek the same treasures. The ones that approach, however, aren't    
 the half-starved creatures that one often finds. They carry battered          
 gunsmoke ARMs -- and a supply of Heal Berries to tend to their wounds.        
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
DG: The party led by Matilda Whitehead has passed this challenge! The party gained 21 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Abigail Ivers has posed.


Armed with gunsmoke and healberries, the goblin scavenging party made a decently sized obstacle despite their short statures. But by fire totem, love potion, and the power of booze; the party has an answer for such a challenge. Drawn closer primarily by Matilda's thrown potion, the goblins walk right into what can only be described as an ambush. Fire enhanced shotgun shells, two molten knives, and a whole bunch of superheated glass make short work of the scavenging party which summarily all fall to the ground in subsequent thuds, their dropped gunsmokes scattering across the ground.

DG: Vin Barrett has drawn a new Challenge.
====================<* CHALLENGE - Frightening Screech *>=====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 A terrifying, loud screech echoes through the walls! Something makes the      
 ground shake and thunder! In the darkness, you see golden eyes burn           
 hatefully! It approaches--but what is it, and is there truly any reason to    
 panic? Time is short, before whatever this beast comes!                       
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.


Yes, well, there's quite a lot of gunfire, fire, and knifing...and, well, that puts out a lot of noise. Vin's barely had time to slot a copule of new shells home and quickly and carefully loot the nearest goblin for ammo and berries before he hears a -terrifying- screech and shiny golden eyes in the darkness.

The Baskar hisses, quickly flicking two small bars of mixed meat and herbs to the other two Drifters, chewing on his own, the herbs enhancing the Baskar Scout's senses as he quickly glances around, eyes adjusted to the gloom by the bite of the ration bar.

Seriously, Baskar Herbal Trail Mixes are -awesome!-

"Quick! Find cover!"

The Baskar dives for cover, shifting slightly, pressing against a rock outcropping, barely peeking around it as he tries to get a better look at the owner of Those Eyes and the Terrible Noises.

DG: Vin Barrett has used his Tool Baskar Trail Mix toward his party's challenge, Frightening Screech.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

The nice part about this is that 'run and hide' has always been Matilda's first response to any kind of danger. She accepts the trail mix bar without hesitation, taking another bite. "You don't have to tell me twice," Matilda murmurs -- and indeed, she's already picked her alcove before the monster even arrived, from the look of things.

She says nothing further -- she just dives into a crag, ducks, and stays there. Her long, dark hair even covers up most of her back, so on balance, she's mostly concealed...

... and hey! If it does get her, she's facing away from it, so she won't know what happens until it's already too late! Truly the ultimate win.

<Pose Tracker> Abigail Ivers has posed.


Abigail Ivers notes a few things about her companions. For one, they both were dangerous and came well-equipped. The second thing she noticed was that Matilda could handle her liquor like a champ despite her prim and proper appearance with her fancy lab coat and luxurious long, black hair. Sneaky, dangerous, and can hold her liquor? Abbie narrows her eyes on her while keeping her usual grin on her face. Guess you really couldn't judge a book by its cover. The mostly rough and tumble appearance of Vin made it less of a jump to expect him to be dangerous, but it was his general politeness which caught her off-guard. Well, he was a Badlander like she was, so she was caught off-guard only slightly. But both her companions were proving to be good luck charms as they ventured further into the depths of the cave.

She lets Vin's totem magic fade before she retrieves her knives from the corpses of the goblins. "Not too shabby. Looks like we lucked....." *The horrifying screech sounds here* ".....out." Abbie finishes lamely before catching the thrown food as comfort food before death was always nice. Inadvertently, she takes her lucky card back out as she moves for cover herself, rubbing the card as she does so. She salutes the Baskar in the dark as she lets him be the look out while she follows Tilda to her crag and jumps for it herself, figuring that it probably would only eat one of them and Matilda was probably cleaner and was carrying perfumes so she would take her chances hiding there.

DG: Abigail Ivers has used her Tool Queen of Clubs toward her party's challenge, Frightening Screech.
====================<* CHALLENGE - Frightening Screech *>=====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 A terrifying, loud screech echoes through the walls! Something makes the      
 ground shake and thunder! In the darkness, you see golden eyes burn           
 hatefully! It approaches--but what is it, and is there truly any reason to    
 panic? Time is short, before whatever this beast comes!                       
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
DG: Matilda Whitehead has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Frightening Screech.
DG: The party led by Matilda Whitehead has passed this challenge! The party gained 32 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.

Vin had a suspicion, you see.

He's a guide, used to various critters...and, well, while guessing wrong would be bad...

...He's ready when a small, massive eyed rabbity-thing with huge glowing eyes comes hopping out of the darkness towards the dead goblins. The Baskar casually hefts a rock up and just -flings- it, a hint of magic still lingering, clonking the Loud Mouthed Cave Devil in the back of the head, knocking it to the ground, dead as a doorknob.

Stepping out of hiding, he whistles an all-clear to his lovely delving compatriots. "All clear, ladies! Just a scavenger trying to get a free snack, this time!"

Pulling a few ties out of his Cloak of Holding, he ties the critter up and shoves it into a bag treated to neutralize scent.

Hey, Meat is Meat, no matter how loud it is...

DG: Matilda Whitehead has drawn a new Challenge.
========================<* CHALLENGE - Rotting Beast *>=========================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The Rotting Beast is the terror that hides in the deepest parts of the Berry  
 Cave. None can be certain how many might be found here, and Surf Village      
 considers their presence to be a rumor at best. The flesh of the creature     
 sloughs from its bones, mottled grey and brown on more lively red. It         
 stumbles, a hulking zombie perhaps twice as tall as any human. It has chosen  
 to live in a place with life-granting Berries to eat those who come for       
 them.                                                                         
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Unfortunately, the relief doesn't last long. Matilda has the good fortune to stand back up and offer a pleasant, "Ah -- thank you!" and a smile when Vin bravely embarrasses the rabbit-creature... and doesn't get a chance to take a few more steps before the real problem presents itself.

"I suppose we know now why it was in such a hurry to escape!" Matilda calls to her new compatriots, as she lifts Freischütz again. Rather than pour out the bottle first and then fire it, she elects to simply load the substance into the back; it fires neatly out the front, emitting that same sweet-sharp odor as the bottle shatters against the creature's face.

She follows up by loading conventional rounds and firing like crazy; her marksmanship isn't as bad as one might expect, but her form definitely leaves something to be desired -- as does her barely-restrained panic, for that matter.

DG: Matilda Whitehead has used her Tool Succubus Bottle toward her party's challenge, Rotting Beast.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.

Vin's eyes narrow as his genial mood sours in favor of some real, honest-to-Zephyr -dislike-. "Freaking -Undead-! Damned abomination!"

The Baskar slings his ARM, pulling the Pyre Totem out again and growling under his breath. The temperature spikes around him, fire coalescing, roiling, lighting up the cave as it dances around his companions' chosen weaponry again, the fire's glow angry and gleaming ominously. Then, the Baskar points a hand out at the shambling Monster of the Berry Cave. "This world ain't got a place for aberrations like you! And if there's one thing I've been taught, it's that the only way to deal with the undead is to BURN THEM! So, TURN TO ASH, YOU SUMBITCH!"

The flames -pulse-...and then, with a loud *FWOOMPH* fire just -erupts- around Vin, arcing in from multiple directions, wrapping around dead limbs and almost seeming to 'chew' as the angry red flames try to work their way into the monster's body, the Baskar trying to flat out immolate and burn the massive shambling murder zombie down into a pile of smouldering ashes and old bone.

DG: Vin Barrett has used his Tool Pyre Totem toward his party's challenge, Rotting Beast.
<Pose Tracker> Abigail Ivers has posed.

Abbie follows Matilda out of their mutual hiding space now that the rabbit creature thing has been disposed of by Vin. She casts a glances towards it before striding forward away from it and on towards whatever is coming next. "That little guy was the making all that racket? And here I thought it was going some horrifying monstrosity that was going to try to make a snack out of -us-." She explains before waltzing forward to find.....a horrifying monstrosity that was going to try to make a snack out of them and probably the originator of the terrible scream. "You two ever play Filgaian Five-Card?" Abbie asks as she doesn't go to for revolver on her hip, but the one on her backside. It's smaller, but an ornate and expertly crafted five-shot gunsmoke covered in Kislev engravings. She checks the rounds inside before holstering it.

As Vin's fire totem begins to work it's magic, Abbie takes out her flask and takes a hearty swig of it before turning to face the monster as it gets pummeled by ARMs fire and a thrown potion from Matilda. "Well, it's time to show our hands!" She calls out as she steps forward and tosses her flask directly at the zombie, hopefully soaking it alcohol. "Draw!" shouts the gambler as she draws her five-shot revolver and empties fire-enhanced round after fire-enhanced round into the zombie monster, hoping it catches alight due to Matilda's thrown potion and her own thrown flash as well as Vin's incendiary rounds.

DG: Abigail Ivers has used her Tool Flask of Whiskey toward her party's challenge, Rotting Beast.
DG: Matilda Whitehead is too exhausted to continue!
DG: Vin Barrett is too exhausted to continue!
DG: Abigail Ivers is too exhausted to continue!
DG: The party has failed this challenge! All party members are now Exhausted. Your party can no longer continue and is forced to retreat!
DG: The party led by Matilda Whitehead has been fully Exhausted by Berry Cave!
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Everyone throws everything they've got at it -- fire, glass, and of course raw bullets. Unfortunately, it just isn't enough -- Matilda only has time to offer Abbie a hasty, "Not I!" before getting a claw to her midsection. It's enough to crack the armor under her labcoat, and that's enough to make her start to rout.

She staggers back, back, back -- and that gives the beast a chance to keep on sweeping its claws forward, pressuring Abbie and Vin in turn. Small arms fire just isn't enough for this thing, it looks like...

Matilda is the first out of the dungeon, having been the first to rout. She blows past the guard heedlessly, and gets chased for her troubles; she eventually slumps against her horse, at which point she realizes she's actually got a pretty nasty cut along her midsection. Needless to say, she's not feeling very talkative...

<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.

...Well. Um.

Shit.

Vin Barret unleashes a blistering barrage of burning fury on the Rotting Beast, scorching the massive zombie...

But not -killing- it.

Matilda routs first, making the Baskar swear as he cuts off the flames, a second claw swipe nearly taking his head off, leaving a thin cut along his forehead. The backswing, though, makes him grunt as he goes flying, ribs aching. Still, he's an experienced Badlander...Wouldn't be the first nasty hit he took. He rolls with the blow as best he can, minimizing the damage, landing in a skid and coming up. "Dammit! Abigail! Book it!"

The Baskar throws a couple of bolts of brilliant flame up at the critter's eyes, hopefully blinding it as he takes off at a limping run, one hand wrapped around his ribs, the other one-handing his ARM. He rifle twirls it, lever-actioning in rounds to the Fennec's rifle barrel, spitting flame-enhanced defiance as he does what he can to cover his and Abigail's retreat, Matilda already on her way out.

...Well, at least the critter loses interest eventually, letting Vin pause to catch his breath, wincing as he limps out, the guard already out of position thanks to Matilda.

He eventually catches up to where she and Abigail left their horses, slumping against a rock and groaning. "Well. That sucked."

Pulling the small collection of usable berries he'd salvaged off the goblins earlier, the Baskar swallows one, divvying the rest up into thirds. "Ugh."

Rummaging, he rests, letting the Heal Berry work its magic before sighing, reaching up to dab at the cut on his head with a finger. "...Alright, so the locals have a good reason to keep that cave guarded, huh?"

<Pose Tracker> Abigail Ivers has posed.


Abigail and Co turned over a queen high flush, but the zombie creature just so happened to have a full house. And now she had to contend with an on-fire, screeching zombie creature. Not an actual gunfighter, she struggles to reload her revolver in the dark and ends up fumbling the extra rounds in the face of the advancing monstrosity. Her secondary revolver is drawn and blindly fired into the creature, but ordinary gunsmoke bullets just weren't going to make the cut. And she soon staggers backwards and trips onto her butt. This luckily prevents her from getting skewered by the shambling monster.

The gambler, under the covering fire of Vin, manages to get out of its clutches and high-tail it out of there. Her blouse in shambles as it was torn from the near miss of the zombie, Abbie makes her way to the others and reaches for her saddlebag. She takes a new flask out and tosses it in the dirt near Matilda before putting her duster back on to make her decent. She then takes a rolled cigarette out and lights it up as she slumps also in defeat. "Well, I got some good news." Abbie takes a drag on her cigarette. "I'm still the beautiful, business owning, card-slinger, gun-toting, Miss Abigail Ivers."

Preemtpivelty she looks between the other two, "What? I said that -I- had some good news." Abigail jokes as she attempts to least put some humor to recent events.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda, still slumped a little, reaches up toward her horse's saddlebags and pulls out a bottle of... something. She pours it over her midsection, with a small sigh, once they manage to reconvene. "That... went rather poorly," she admits, with a frown. "It wasn't a total loss -- we certainly managed to pick up some incidentals... bullets and ramshackle weaponry are better than zero profit, one supposes..."

Finally, she just lets herself lie on the ground, staring up at the sky as she takes a deep breath in through her nose. "I suppose that's true, Miss Abigail -- as long as we're alive, it's... better than nothing. Thank you for your assistance, both of you."

She then loads one of the berries Vin offers her into the back of Freischütz, takes a deep breath, and awkwardly fires it into her midsection. Surprisingly, instead of 'nothing,' 'a gun jam,' or 'dead,' that gets her a remarkably fast application of the berry's healing properties.

... really?

<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.

The Baskar Shaman snorts at Abigail. "Well, could be worse. We'd be right messed up if I were you, you were Matilda, and Matilda was Abigail. Not sure she's got a good poker face, y'know!"

The banter pauses though, when Matilda kinda...shoots herself in the belly with a potion. Vin's brow furrows, eyeing her ARM...and then, he just shrugs. Seriously, it's not like it's the weirdest thing he's ever seen around here.

He carefully counts the pathetic amount of heal berries into empty trail mix pouches and hands one over to each of his partners-in-Running Like Hell. "Three way split of berries."

He winces as he pulls a ruck sack out, dumping the remains of the goblin guns out. "Wouldn't trust the ammo, personally. Still, could always render it down for parts or sell it."

Sighing, he stands up, grumbling, grabbing some firewood he'd stashed earlier and dropping it nearby, flicking his fingers and starting up a nice fire, even as he holds up the last sack. "And hey, if nothing else, we've got dinner."

<Pose Tracker> Abigail Ivers has posed.

Abigail struts over to Matilda and reclaims her flask when she sees that she wasn't interested in the drink anymore. Looking to Vin, she offers it to him next before exchanging it for the offered heal berries and food. She sticks around to reclaim her flask after he's either passed it up or taken his fill. Abbie then turns at the sound of a gunshot and looks panicked when she sees what first looks like Matilda offing herself. But when it turns up to be actually an injector of sorts, she breathes a sigh of relief before transitioning her cigarette to the side of her mouth. "Gave me a scare there. Thought you were going to off yourself right there." Abbie washes down the heal berry with whiskey as she drags herself back over to her horse and drops there, also looking skyward as she lets the healing effects of berry, tobacco, and alcohol destroy her body.

"You two are alright in my book. I got...I got a train car in town that's my little gambling hall. You're both welcome to kick your feet up while it's still hitched in town." The gambling Abbie explains before taking her time to reload her guns as she focuses more on just reveling in the moment now that her adrenaline is ebbing. She looks to Vin with a belated smirk. "Good thing you ain't me. My clothes are a little a small for someone like yourself." Abbie then looks to Matilda and considers whether or not she's good at poker. "Maybe she does and maybe she doesn't. Guess we won't rightly know 'till I start dealing the cards."

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

"Oh, no, darling -- I have much too much to do to die here," Matilda says, managing to smile now that the danger has passed. "Truthfully, this is most of what this weapon is good for... it seems to fire whatever I happen to load into it, and given my area of expertise, it's much better at keeping people alive than killing things..." She laughs good-naturedly at her own dubious fortune.

"I would love to spend a little more time around here... I do so want to get some samples from this cave, and as long as I have somewhere safe to stay in between attempts, it should eventually work out..." Her smile turns to a bit of a smirk before she adds, "And a gambling hall would seem quite the place to take up, as a merchant..."

Vin's comment gets a smile from her too. "I -- for all I manage to stay quiet, you're right... I think there are situations where my heart simply lands entirely on my sleeve." She rubs at the back of her head, saying, "I have a history of poor performance in games of fortune among my schoolmates... I'm told I have much too many tells to play any game that rewards reading an opponent."

She hangs her head a bit, noting, "Better to make money honestly, then, one would suppose... or sell to those who've just made some less-honest money..."

<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.

The Baskar cheerily takes a shot from the flask, sighing. "Good stuff." Handing it back, he flips a knife out. Oddly, given most of his gear, it looks strangely military...

Draping that cloak of his over a branch, revealing his relatively mundane clothing and the array of cleverly designed carrying pouches and the like underneath it. Snagging the rabbity-thing up, inclining his head. "Be right back."

How nice. He stepped away to gut and drain the critter.

There's a low fwoomph in the nearby distance, and he soon comes back with the rabbit ready to cook, humming lightly, tucking his Not Baskar knife back into its sheathe as he slides the rabbit into its sack...and then just shoves the entire sack into the fire, not worrying about apparently shoving leather into flame.

It doesn't burn. Huh.

Baskar are -weird-.

"Eh, I may take you up on that. Roof over the head isn't too bad a deal, and it beats paying for an inn. Money's not -too- tight, y'know, but why waste it?"

He also unhooks a waterskin, uncorking it and pouring the liquid over his hands, rubbing them briskly before offering it to his newfound buddies. "Anyone want a sip? Cactus juice. Brew it myself!"

<Pose Tracker> Abigail Ivers has posed.


"Cheers to that," remarks Abigail as she snubs out her cigarette and munches on the offered food and berries instead. She eats about half and then feeds the rest to her horse before taking her flask out and holding it up the light of the fire to judge how much was left. "Like they say, you gotta know to hold'em. And know when to fold'em." She comments to Matilda's dubious fortunes. "I've had plenty of ups and downs myself and look at us now. We're not in some jail or facing down some sort crazed monstrosity out for our blood. Life's alright right now." She says before considering what she said about her weapon and the gambling hall. "You and your fancy gun are more than welcome down there. Jus' mind the dust as I'm still getting the place up and running."

Abbie then gives a nod and a smile to Vin as he stalks off to do whatever he's about to do. She idly watches him work between drinks, noting that his technology doesn't exactly follow common logic just like Matilda's fancy gun. Humming to herself, she goes on the other side of her horse and switches blouses for a fresh non-clawed one and a different vest too. Soon enough, she looks practically the same as she started hours ago....just perhaps a bit more inebriated. "Ain't nothing dishonest about gambling unless you're cheating. But then again, if you ain't you cheating, you ain't trying." The gambler maybe jokes before glancing over at Vin. "More than welcome as long as you don't mind sleeping on the floor or on a table. Sleeping behind the bar is only for Miss Abigail Ivers though." She points out before reaching out to try some juice. "Cactus juice? Don't see why not. Not like any of us got anywhere better to be....might need to bring a ringer next time to take on that monster though."

<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.

Of course Vin's technology makes no sense, he isn't using technology!

The Baskar stands up, stretching, rolling his shoulders. "Mmmf. Well, not a hundred percent, but nothing a good night's sleep won't cure. And, frankly, a nice comfy floor or table is a nice improvement over some of the cheaper inns around here."

The Baskar glances down at his Rabbit Cooking Sack, humming, judging the flames and casually jerking it out of the fire as he shrugs his cloak back on, slinging the warm, slightly steaming sack over a shoulder before cinching it tightly closed. "I'll meet you in town. Saw a couple of clumps of herbs on my way out here, going to do a bit of careful gathering before calling it a day."

The Baskar shrugs, slightly tired, but, well...Badlanders are a rather tough lot.

"Miss Abigail, Miss Matilda. See you later. Rabbit should be cooked by the time I get back to Adelhyde, if I've judged the heat right, so, hey. Fresh rabbit for dinner. Probably."

...Probably for dinner, or probably a rabbit? Oh, it's not important.~

Waving over his shoulder, the Baskar saunters off, moving leisurely, working the stiffness from his earlier heavy hit out, lightly humming as he does so.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda is never one to turn down free food and drink. The cactus juice, though, gets a bit of an askance look, and ultimately, Matilda waves it off with a hand. "Ah -- it's not that I don't appreciate the offer, certainly, but there's a limit to such things... and though the wound is sealed, I likely shouldn't play fast and loose after the blood loss..."

The courtesy in stepping away to perform basic butchery doesn't go unnoticed, either. "Are we certain that creature is..." She pauses. "Oh, what's the harm -- if it lives in that cave, it's probably metabolized plenty of things healthy for people..."

"Ah -- is that so?" she adds, when the topic turns to gambling. "I suppose that may have to do with my losses, as well... I always tried to play honestly..." She flops back onto the ground, with a contented sigh. "Should you feel the creature too bland, there are some spices in the horse's bags... unless they were stolen while we were in the cave, of course..."

Surprisingly: Still there. The containers are cheap leather and not expensive precision glassware, and thus, not stolen! Good work.

<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.

...Vin does stop to stuff a few spices in the steaming leather sack. Mmmmm, spiced steamed rabbit-y thing!~