Cowboys & Dinos: Session 7 & 8: At the Farm

I have a few miscounts in the session counts in the posts! But we finally got back to a real session, and probably next to last depending on how the next session goes. I did leave this game at a cliff-hanger (well, to be honest I thought we'd get there before we did, so now it is a cliff-hanger).

A missed recap I present here from the post I put into the Discord channel where we played:

the sheriff and you all head to Hambone's farm, Vogol I believe was left behind. Seeing smoke from up the hill on the far side (eastern side of the land as New Dawn is about 2+ miles to the west of the 40 acre farm). You split up a bit, leaving the dinos at the edge of the property. Molly, not known for her stealth (again she had 2 horrible rolls, just like the last time she was sneaking about!) manages to break a few loud branchs and then there are gunshots from the small lean-to with the fire in front. Mason (yes, it is the villain) shoots and misses as Lee starts to move closer. the sheriff, Hambone and Archibald are a bit behind Lee, and Archibald swallows an iron-hide potion. They keep getting closer and Molly has moved around the other side, shooting her gun to hopefully distract the outlaw. Hambone finally makes a shot that hits and Lee barely gets missed a couple more times before the final rush and gets a critical blow to knock Mason out. They drag him out, and the sheriff Holt, Molly and Lee head back to town while (I think) Hambone & Archibald survey his property. there are a plethora of apple trees that will need some maintenance if he wants to make an orchard, and the artesion well has some of the best water they have ever drank - cold and clear. And pretty sure that is where we left the game.

In the next session (several weeks later due the hurricanes and things), we started where we left off. Archibald and Hambone settle down for the night, a toasty fire outside of Archibald's pop-up house. They hear what sounds like a tree crashing, then another. Rushing out, guns in hand, they find that Puddin' and Archimedes both had eaten far too many fermented apples. As it is late fall, the apples have fallen, and they can ferment I believe. And both players rolled a 1 on the action die, and I decided that both their dinos are now falling down drunk. And took out a few of the trees as an ankylosaurus and a triceratops are pretty big dinos. And we found that dinos do snore and do sleep lying down. 

Back in town, Morgan, Edna's son, met Sheriff Holt, Molly and Lee carrying in Mason Fuentes. He was clamoring about Bobby & Mary seeing a living scarecrow on the outside of town. While the sheriff took note, and Lee was all about going to find this living scarecrow, Holt decided that the tales of children ranked lower than him getting his dinner. There will also be a delay for the $500 reward of at least 2-3 weeks as the sheriff does not have that much cash on hand. He will send a message down to Aurora to get the reward money from the state. Or territory, whatever this place happens to be at this time. 

Over at Edna's, our group sees Mannix and a military man eating and talking. Morgan, when getting their food, says that is Sergeant Thomas, the Army man who gave him that big black claw. Molly & Lee see the sergeant rise, shake hands, and Thomas says he will see Mannix at 7am sharp over at Colt's barn. Apparently, a squad came to town to visit the blacksmith to see about some repairs on a gatling gun they use at the fort. Mannix takes his hat, and with a tip of the top hat to Molly, leaves the restaurant. 

Lee, deciding with Molly's firm help, goes to knock on Mannix' door after they finish their dinner. The dapper gentleman from the south welcomes them in, and they try again for a seance. My first roll was a total failure for Mannix, as the spirits were not willing. Mannix, noticing Molly's expression, tried again and could read her mind that she that he was a flim-flam man. "Ahh, " said Mannix, "there are doubters out here interfering with the spirits. Perhaps we can try again." Next roll I also failed, and then right before they decide to give up, I have a really good roll and get Mannix to describe Lee's wife and 3 children. He then said that they were in a good place and going on a voyage to the next life, and that they did not blame Lee for their deaths. I had 1 last good roll, and Mannix managed to tell Lee in his head that there was nothing to forgive, and they were happy. And yes, Mannix is a flim-flam man, but one with of heart of gold. His full write-up is here if you want to read about him. And yes - there was something ethereal calling him from the badlands, just as the tunnel machine called to Archimedes. 

Next day, Molly & Lee head back to Hambone's while our erstwhile campers managed to get their hung-over dinos loaded and ready to go. They met about half-way, perhaps a mile outside of town. Hambone noticed a glint in the woods, and they head off to investigate. After a bit of hunting and searchingm they find that the preacher from Harmony had managed to find them. He had been tracking them, a gaunt scarecrow of a man with a cross burned on his chest. Clutching a singed bible and burnt cross, he curses at the "heathens" and then gets headbutted by Lee's pachysaurus. Which knocked him out and almost killed him. Which Lee then did a few minutes later after some discussion. Then further chopped him up to make it easier for the scavengers to eat. Lee is a pretty violent law man. 

While deciding what to do next, this almost was a place to stop the game: Hambone was ready to settle down, Lee was willing to help and be a part-time deputy, and Molly has a business back in Aurora. But I did a little railroading and "Archibald pulled out his newspaper clipping" but then the players took it from there. They decided to help him find this machine (and no Hambone, it is not a tipped over silo) and head back to town.

They tell the sheriff what they did so there would be no surprises. While Sheriff Holt was not happy about the frontier justice, and will not countenance that in the future, he understood why they did it. Getting some more dynamite (you never know when you may need to blow up a T-Rex) they head out towards the fort. 

A few hours later, flying ahead Molly hears several rounds of gunshots - the gatling gun was being fired. She circles back to the group with a red bandana, and ready for anything, the group moves forward to find the wagon with the soldiers and Mannix being attacked by what appears to be a giant millipede! And that is where we left the game.

Cliffhanger!