Chapter 1.1 - The Alamo Remembers

Hoss hands you some keys and says the rooms are around back of the saloon. The keys are iron with wooden toggles attached each with a number. He also offers to bring to the rooms some stew from the kitchen and some beer.

Door locked, Eli lays down on his back, gun resting next to him, and puts his hat over his face. Sleep comes quickly

When you wake in the morning, you find a cold meal on the side table. You briefly recall Hoss bringing it by before locking up after himself and leaving you to your rest. While cold, the stew is thick and hearty and does much to restore your strength.

After refreshing yourself, you find each other and the colonel at the bar. Colonel Mortimer tells you that he had the horses cared for last night, and watched them as well. There were some devious fellers afoot and it seemed likely that the horses might find themselves liberated. Still, under his eye, they have remained yours.

With a canteen off water, a loaf and some mixed nuts and berries, you set off too the Alamo. The fort it's only a few miles away, so it doesn't take long. From a copse nearby, you can see the walls glintng in the dawn sunshine. The white masonry walls gleam almost golden in the light. Regardless, you can see damage from the war.

The fort itself seems only partially occupied. There are no men atop the walls, and the gates are open. At the front gate, one rifleman stands a lazy vigil. From your vantage, he looks a poor soldier, slouching hat low, and gruff in dress with an unprofessional beard visible even from this distance.

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your pools are all replenished if you spent anything during the fight. Technically you would get some rolls... a quick recharge, a 10 minute recharge, and a one hour recharge IIRC.

Eli views the soldier with skepticism, assessing whether the laziness is a ruse or real.

Eli gets the impression that the man is simply impersonating being a soldier. Still, he seems like he may be capable enough, just doesn't have that sheen of training. He reminds you more of a tough guy at a dude ranch... acting like he's bored but really posing for somebody. But posing for who, Eli wonders?

Eli says to the "soldier", "You can drop the ruse, fella. I know you're not asleep, and you're no soldier either. Stand up and speak up, and let's all be friendly and honest. I'm Eli Buckholtz, I fought here at the Alamo in those dark days. Who be you, and what's your business?"

Up close, you can see that the false guard is covered in dried blood, his uniform torn and shredded as if by claws of some large beast. He smiles at you evilly, his lips raising to reveal oversize fang-like teeth. The smell of rotting flesh in the hot sun reaches you suddenly, overwhelming your gorge.

The Mexican warrior Diego reaches for a weapon, and something about that particular act something awakens inside of each of you...

Inside the compound, small dust zephyrs transform into Texas soldiers standing in parade. The buildings smooth over and repair themselves as numberless bullet holes disappear and shattered masonry becomes whole. Soldiers appear in greater numbers, gathered in the compound before one of them speaking. You see him draw a line in the dusty ground, gesture grandly, and then purposefully step across. One by one, all of the soldiers cross over and join him, filled with pride and grim determination, all except one. The others face the last man and you see in him the embodiment of inevitability, a spectre of the dark fate approaching from the south. The lone remaining man looks hauntingly familiar, if only you could focus, and see him more clearly. Your mind reaches out, drawn into the past even as your new senses scream at you to hang on, remind you of the peril at the gate you're forgetting.

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Trapped between two worlds, each of you please roll a d20 to make Intellect defense rolls. At stake is whether you are drawn into the repeating past of the Alamo, or if you can keep your mind in the present. If you wish to spend effort on this roll, say so in advance.

His senses assailed, Eli tries to make sense of it all...

OOC: I don't think you lose the 3 INT again, the XP basically gives you a do-over of the entire roll, from my understanding.

Diego shudders as realities seem to be colliding. "Maria Contessa Villa-Lobos better not slap me this time around." is his only thought as he closes his eyes and starts to violently shake his head back and forth. "No, no, no you don't!!!"

OOC: Not sure if Diego's 'Bold' skill applies or not as I'm not sure if this is really a 'fear' situation.

For AJ and Eli, the soldiers seem to fade away, as your mind exerts its will on the scene - the courtyard is empty save for the guard in front of you. Diego's attention, however, remains fixed on the scene unfolding before him. You see the fake guard smile at Diego's misfortune, but with an unintelligible curse of surprise at the clarity in Eli and AJs eyes, he fumbles for his holster.

Diego, you see the events unfolding as the despicable soldiers of the Alamo prepare to defend against the heroic and soon-to-be-triumphant assault by his countrymen. Your understanding of the ensuing 10+ years begins fading from memory as you start to fall into the role of a Mexican scout first breaching the walls well ahead of the army - there will be many guns aimed at you and at none other.

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Initiative please. Diego is unaware of the gate guard, AJ and Eli for the time being, unless something can snap him out of the spell he's under.

"I have my own ghosts of the Alamo, ain't no one gonna make me see any others!" Eli barks at the ghoulish man before him. Quick as ever he draws his gun and fires.

The guard, fumbling for his holster, draws his gun out but takes a slug from Eli in his shoulder. He curses again, saying something that sounds like "shit-sickle", before firing at Eli. Without even waiting too see the results of his shot, he drops the gun and arches his back, growling in pain as his skin begins to sprout fur.

AJs own round catches him in the forehead which explodes outward, splashing the wall behind him. The fur on his skin vanishes as he slides lifelessly down the wall.

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Speed defense from Eli, please.