Effekt AP

The boys try to spend the day before the start of the trial finding out anything that might help them make their case against Mary McGinn stick. Marion comes to a conclusion that has him sneaking away from his friends to meet with Torrence in secret.
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Now YOU can play Tales of the Old West too! Download our QuickDraw for FREE from DriveThru and sign up for more info at our new website.

We are sharing one of our playtests for Tales of the Old West, the game we are creating. As is the nature of the beast, the rules are ever changing  - this episode takes a short interlude in the real minutes to discuss the new iteration of the Trouble mechanic - and the current QuickDraw may have a number of differences from what you hear in this episode. This session was recorded in January 2024.
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What is Effekt AP?

Dave and Matthew from Effekt share recordings of their home games. If you seek a polished improvised adventure, with professional actors, music and sound effects, look elsewhere. We seek to share the authentic experience, with rules discussions, asides and digressions just as they happened around the dining table. We also try to play RAW so you can learn with us as we try out new games.

Horcock:

There's a warrant we had a legal warrant, and it was a legal legal shoot.

Horcock:

Off board.

Dave (GM):

Mhmm. Yep. Keep holding on to that. He's he's kind of not the most, you know, well read judge. He's, the cousin of, Mary McGinn.

Freeman:

A fallen for a woman, which is no bad thing, but there's complications. Like, I shot her mother.

Dave (GM):

Well, one thing that I really hate is that Torrance only got 15 years. And, he's, he's here in Lincoln now.

Freeman:

We heard you talking about us. This is a sheriff, and we're his 2 deputies.

Horcock:

I just turned out to

Harlesden:

Pleasure meeting you, mister Torrance.

Freeman:

I'm just

Dave (GM):

here to see justice done and wanna see Mary acquitted. I said no. You can't play I'm Dave, and I'm the GM.

Freeman:

I'm Matthew, and I'm Marion Freeman.

Horcock:

Oh, I'm Nathaniel Hawcock, part time, rancher and now the part time sheriff. What's the place called again? Junarda Springs. Junarda Springs. Yes.

Dave (GM):

Tony, on my account, is Jimmy Harston,

Harlesden:

part owner of the Freeman Harston Ranch.

Horcock:

Well, it wasn't, mister Tarrant. Well, as far as I'm concerned, the whole thing was done legally and properly. And I am sorry to think he

Dave (GM):

seems to

Harlesden:

be And Richard McGuinness, but he's accused of basically attacking Lorwyn, going about their law firm's business, which is

Horcock:

what

Harlesden:

exactly what happened.

Horcock:

I'm just saying thank you for the whiskey whiskey, and I wish you a good night, mister. I've bought the whiskey.

Freeman:

That's what I'm saying.

Horcock:

You put money down. Okay. Well, I've been still being polite.

Dave (GM):

He's already bought the whiskey that

Horcock:

you had you had. Okay. Yeah. Anyway, I'm still being polite. I still say thank you for everything there.

Dave (GM):

Well, good night, gentlemen.

Harlesden:

Good night, Mhmm.

Horcock:

Let's slowly walk out waiting for the back of the head.

Dave (GM):

Mhmm. Mhmm.

Horcock:

Now we can't hear that because

Dave (GM):

they've already cockleg on. They just go Okay. It's quite late now. So you're gonna go and turn in.

Horcock:

Mhmm. So I should remember, you can get fake points by cleaning your weapons, can't you? Fape lights here. Sleeping, isn't it? Yeah.

Horcock:

Praying, isn't it? Praying. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

Oh, well, as in going to a church service?

Horcock:

Yeah. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

And it is Sunday morning tomorrow.

Horcock:

Alright.

Dave (GM):

If you want to wanted to go to church and get yourself a faith point.

Harlesden:

Well, I think if we're a good guest church, especially we've

Dave (GM):

we've not got anything else to do really because

Harlesden:

it's still 3 days till the trial. Mhmm. I think I've been good at God fearing God fearing? God fearing things.

Horcock:

God fearing. Yeah. Yeah.

Harlesden:

I think I'm definitely going to church on a Sunday. Yes. I'll definitely tend to

Freeman:

do that.

Harlesden:

Not to get I haven't spent any faith yet, so it's not even You

Dave (GM):

can earn

Harlesden:

more chemical better. Can you?

Freeman:

Yeah.

Harlesden:

Yeah. But fine. But, yeah, you can't.

Horcock:

I should remember, with Matt around, no there's no point on spent Faith Point's stat of trouble really, is there?

Harlesden:

No. So yeah. So those face points are totally wasted because you might might got some of the shit anyway.

Dave (GM):

Well, it could have gone worse. So let's say you haven't bought off any of those. So you've got a g 6 on column 2. Let's do it and see what what it would have been.

Horcock:

2.

Dave (GM):

2. So okay. So your tongue tied, you get minus 1 on all ability rods related to social and mental rest tests for the rest of the scene. So, actually, that wouldn't have been too bad for you in that situation because you were wasn't because

Horcock:

I don't know. I guess, try set on the look a bit of a fool. Yeah. Trying to get myself out of the shit.

Dave (GM):

It could it could be worse. It could get let's see. You're badly shaken by the turn of events. You suffer trouble on a roll of a 1 or a 2 until the end of the scene.

Horcock:

No. Well, what is done is done.

Dave (GM):

Either directly or through the grapevine, people get to know if you're bad, showing your reputation moves one point in a negative direction.

Horcock:

Oh, I've heard that.

Dave (GM):

You made such a pig's ear for the situation. The object of your efforts dismisses you. You can't try to influence them again for at least 24 hours.

Horcock:

No worries.

Dave (GM):

So you got a bit angry at you and they're not spoken to you anymore.

Horcock:

No. That one would have been the Talk

Dave (GM):

to the others. And then, obviously, on a 6, you your troubles your troubles amounting, you reroll the next column, which then gets incrementally worse.

Horcock:

Thank you. Oh, well. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

But, basically, I wanted a way whereby even with one trouble die Mhmm. The trouble could cascade.

Horcock:

Yeah. Yeah. Of course. Yeah. You'd round

Dave (GM):

run a set more. And that Matt didn't like the idea of exploding dice, but this is basically exploding dice but in table 4.

Horcock:

Uh-huh. Mhmm.

Freeman:

If you

Dave (GM):

roll a 6 year roll on the next column.

Horcock:

Yeah. Yeah. That's very

Dave (GM):

because we just find that, you know, with 1 or even 2 trouble Mhmm. Often it's not that bad. No. So quite often taking one trouble is fine. And you want trouble to feel like trouble.

Freeman:

Do I

Dave (GM):

really wanna take the trouble because it could turn out very bad?

Freeman:

Well, I

Horcock:

just didn't wanna gunfight in the restaurant. That was all.

Harlesden:

Yeah. I could save that for later.

Freeman:

It's never easy, is it? You can't just turn up and say you did it.

Horcock:

She did it. The the hang of the slots and we got it.

Freeman:

There's gotta be some antagonist getting in our

Horcock:

way. Mhmm.

Dave (GM):

Right then.

Harlesden:

It's almost like this, you know, suddenly evil genius, but it's just plotting.

Horcock:

Yeah. Evil. Evil. There's not gonna be any shooting in this club.

Dave (GM):

No problem. There might not be any shooting. So it's kind of up to you. No one's trying to shoot you. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

Are they?

Horcock:

Yet. Yet.

Freeman:

I think we're expecting you to perform really well in church in, court.

Horcock:

Me? Oh, no pressure.

Freeman:

You're the one with the performing skill.

Horcock:

Yeah. I

Harlesden:

mean, I'm You're the actual sheriff. Yes.

Horcock:

I know. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

K. So you you have a decent night's sleep?

Horcock:

Mhmm.

Dave (GM):

I assume the following morning, Sunday, the church bells ring. Oh. You're going off to the service? Mhmm.

Freeman:

I am.

Dave (GM):

Yes. Yes. Yes. I am. There's a lot of people at the service.

Dave (GM):

Norton is there, Norton Torrance. Horst is there looking the worst for wear.

Horcock:

Mhmm. And it's quite a big yeah. It's full. For it. Yeah.

Horcock:

Yeah. Okay. So that'd be 2 faith?

Dave (GM):

You get one FaithPoint for attending the church service.

Horcock:

What a little bit of luck, sweetie.

Freeman:

Just the one, I'm afraid.

Dave (GM):

As you come out of the church after the service, you can see people are busy working at the community hall

Freeman:

Right.

Dave (GM):

Getting it ready for the for the trial.

Horcock:

Right. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

You can see there's a man getting well dressed, tall man walking around

Horcock:

That'd be the joke.

Dave (GM):

Sort of supervising what's going on in terms of getting the place ready. There is a, you know, there's a bunch of wood kind of lying to one side just outside the thing, which people have, you know, which is been put there, but

Freeman:

Is it building of a gallows?

Harlesden:

Nothing else really

Dave (GM):

done with it, but it looks like It could be the making of the gallows.

Harlesden:

Which is like an IKEA gallows that ready to be assembled. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.

Horcock:

Oh, that's

Dave (GM):

Well, easiest to assemble than an IKEA. Yeah. Yeah. That

Horcock:

would be alright.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. And so you've got another another day before the, before the trial is gonna commence.

Horcock:

Right. Okay.

Dave (GM):

Torrance sort of just takes a little stroll down the road with his men.

Horcock:

Mhmm.

Dave (GM):

Stops and has a little chat with Judge.

Horcock:

Right. He's beaten me to it. He's also been going to see it.

Dave (GM):

Okay. Horse goes across the street to the tavern, to the saloon. Right. Everyone else disperses and goes about their

Horcock:

Right.

Dave (GM):

Daily business. Right.

Freeman:

So you're gonna have a word with the judge.

Horcock:

I was. Yeah.

Freeman:

I think there are 2 things that we may want to split up for. One of us has got to stop horse drinking. And the other one, it's got to go and see Wilson.

Dave (GM):

John b Wilson. Nicknamed Squash Find

Harlesden:

out why he's not judging this trial. Mhmm.

Horcock:

It's a bit weird.

Freeman:

Named the Squire?

Dave (GM):

Yeah. The people call him Squire Wilson. I mean, partly because he's living in the Jakawa in a kind of slightly eccentric style.

Horcock:

Yep. Well, I shall wait until, my judges finish his conversation with,

Freeman:

Yeah.

Dave (GM):

He doesn't talk to to Terence for long. I know. I know. Just a couple of minutes. Almost looks just like, you know, sort of, you know, passing salutations, really.

Horcock:

Yeah. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

Nothing more deep than that, it seems.

Horcock:

Yeah. Are they okay?

Dave (GM):

He wanders off with a couple of his men go off up the street, and he wanders off with the rest down the street just, again, just enjoying a morning walk.

Horcock:

Alright. Yeah. I find winter's day in the night, I assume.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. It's lovely. It's cold, but it's bright. Yeah. Okay.

Horcock:

Well, I'll wait a few minutes just so it doesn't like about him jumping down junk. The judge is frozen. Yeah. Just where where where's the judge head off to?

Dave (GM):

Now the judge is still around the community hall.

Horcock:

Oh, well, I'll go

Dave (GM):

introduce himself then. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. You can go in.

Dave (GM):

You can see it's being set up. You've got a, like, a big desk at the Mhmm. Top of the hall, where, yeah, there's where the judge is obviously gonna be sitting. They're setting up a side with 12 chairs for the jury

Horcock:

Right. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

And lots of other chairs, Filler

Horcock:

Mhmm.

Dave (GM):

For the anticipated, such as it may be, anticipated audience.

Horcock:

Okay. Right here. I'll just go here.

Freeman:

Did I

Horcock:

just go and introduce myself then? Say good morning. Good day to the

Dave (GM):

Yeah.

Horcock:

The judge's name. Good day, judge. What is

Dave (GM):

it? Davidson.

Horcock:

Davidson. I am sheriff, Hallcock, Nathaniel Hallcock.

Dave (GM):

Yes.

Freeman:

Sheriff, a

Dave (GM):

pleasure to meet you.

Horcock:

Likewise. I just thought I should pay my respects before the trial.

Dave (GM):

That's, that's that's, that's very very, public spirited of you. Yes. It's a pleasure.

Horcock:

Good man. Yes. Just being good man is,

Dave (GM):

Hopefully, we can get this case dealt with quickly. I I yeah. I've I've got a business

Freeman:

Mhmm.

Dave (GM):

To attend to back at Albuquerque. So,

Horcock:

Alright. Yeah. Well, I mean, I must be honest. So I don't need to be as fair and square with you. I mean, to be honest with you, it's it shouldn't be rude to me.

Horcock:

It's a crack and dry case. Am I but it might be being there.

Dave (GM):

I guess, yes, sir. It it it it does, I guess it hinges on a couple of things like, was the warrant properly served? Was the warrant valid? Your testimony in in that

Horcock:

will be

Dave (GM):

will be most important, sheriff, sheriff Hawcock.

Horcock:

Well, you know my word. It was. Yep. I did proper I did give them full warning. But, anyway, that's something that that's the something discussed at the trial, isn't it?

Dave (GM):

You can yeah. Indeed. We don't need to to rehearse that. Now, obviously, you can do that after you've rested your hand on the good book and sworn before almighty god

Horcock:

to Oh, but, please.

Dave (GM):

Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but, the truth.

Horcock:

Of course, earlier. Am I I'm trying to think. So that I can't say who I can't well, I'm not gonna ask that. No. I'm just gonna, I should take my hat and just yeah.

Horcock:

Don't know if it's not as good. Yeah. Nope. Just hope for an honest trial and, you know, the

Dave (GM):

Are you are you saying that No.

Freeman:

No. No.

Dave (GM):

No. Pointedly

Horcock:

No. No. No. Fair trial. You know what I mean?

Horcock:

I'm not doing it. Yeah. Yeah.

Harlesden:

Well, yes. It's,

Dave (GM):

it obviously will be a fair and honest trial,

Freeman:

sheriff.

Horcock:

We have

Dave (GM):

me presiding, we'll I'll ensure that, and I hope you're

Harlesden:

not suggesting

Horcock:

No. No. I'm not trying to

Dave (GM):

over anything other than a fair and honest you

Horcock:

know what I mean. Yeah. So just

Dave (GM):

Make a performing role.

Horcock:

That's 2 sixes.

Dave (GM):

Okay. Yeah. You didn't want to offend him. You put his nose out a joint in tiny, tiny bit just by by

Horcock:

the way you phrased it,

Dave (GM):

and then and then he thought, okay. No. It's fine. You didn't mean

Horcock:

it. Oh, you crack.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. And he goes back to Mhmm. Basically shouting at the people that are setting up there.

Horcock:

Alright. Yeah.

Freeman:

Yeah. What

Dave (GM):

are you guys doing? What are you 2 doing?

Freeman:

Which job are you taking?

Harlesden:

I don't mind joining SC Wilson.

Dave (GM):

I'll go and follow Horst. Right. I'll go, I'll go and see Wilson. Okay. Where are you going?

Dave (GM):

To the office? To the 1st stop. At the

Freeman:

service, I would have potentially asked around to see whether he was there.

Dave (GM):

Yes, he was there. Yeah, people are happy to

Harlesden:

point him out to you.

Freeman:

So after the service then, I will say, Squire Wilson. You don't mind if I call you Squire Wilson?

Dave (GM):

Most people here don't call me Squire Wilson to my face.

Horcock:

Oh.

Dave (GM):

But, it's, I'm aware of the I'm aware of the nickname.

Freeman:

Forgive me. Forgive me. I I was just told that was that was that was how you were known. My name is, Marion

Harlesden:

Freeman.

Freeman:

Freeman. Thank you.

Dave (GM):

It's your

Horcock:

man's name, man.

Dave (GM):

Good night to meet you, mister Freeman. My name's John Wilson. You may call me mister Wilson.

Freeman:

Mister Wilson. I understand you're justice of the peace in these parts.

Dave (GM):

Well, amongst other other roles, I have performed justice of the peace task here in the past. Yes.

Freeman:

Hey, miss. Forgive me. I I am new here. I've I've been invited here to stand witness at the upcoming trial.

Dave (GM):

Oh, you're one of the one of the one of the sheriffs, one of the deputies.

Freeman:

Deputy to the sheriff.

Horcock:

From,

Dave (GM):

from Granada Springs, if I if I if I'm not wrong.

Freeman:

I was just kinda curious. I I was somewhat expecting that you were gonna preside over the trial.

Dave (GM):

Well, occasionally, on a on a on a federal offense, yeah, a more qualified judge is, is is is invited down to to preside over the proceedings. Frankly I find, you know, acting as judge quite boring, so I'm quite happy for for judge Davison to come and come and,

Freeman:

is it a federal offence? I I would have thought it was a state matter. I mean, it's only murder. It's not like it's across state lines. Attempted murder, I should say.

Freeman:

Well, it's when we're Speaking

Dave (GM):

as one of the Federalizing as in territorial offense.

Harlesden:

So it's, Yeah.

Dave (GM):

It's an offense that, that, you know, the territorial authorities feel obliged or entitled to to impose

Freeman:

What you're saying here is you as GM screwed up when you called it fretful.

Dave (GM):

All I'm saying is me as GM is making this up as I'm going along. I I did think maybe federal is the wrong word. That's location and time. It might be the right word, but it might be wrong, which is why I

Freeman:

I mean, it is a I'm not entirely sure what the raw structure is in the territory, but Yeah.

Dave (GM):

And I'm not sure for real what kind of, like, judge jurisdiction there was Yeah. Actually.

Horcock:

Depends on how much goes into your state at this time. Was it a state? No. Territory. Territory still.

Horcock:

Territory. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. New Mexico didn't become a state till quite late.

Horcock:

Alright.

Freeman:

Well, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Is there anything I should know about, the judge?

Dave (GM):

I mean, you're you're trying to get him to Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Freeman:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Freeman:

Yeah. I'm shit at that.

Dave (GM):

Well, maybe you should be better at it.

Freeman:

Is he about to lie to me? Because I do get oh, that's inside not performing. Probably not. No. So that's 4 dice.

Freeman:

Oh, 2 successes, though.

Dave (GM):

He seems to have liked you despite your or maybe because of your little embarrassment over calling him squire. He says he leans he leans, you know, he's close to you, make sure nobody's listening. I says, you do realize that judge Davison is related to one of the defendants?

Freeman:

I've heard he is the cousin

Dave (GM):

of, Yeah. Mary Mary McGinn.

Freeman:

What? No. Of course. She's called McGinn because she was married to the,

Dave (GM):

yeah. Her her maiden name is Davidson, I understand.

Freeman:

Judge Davidson. Might be the judge. I see.

Dave (GM):

She, yeah. But they as far as I know, they they don't get on. You know? Jock Jock comes from a, you know, not the best stock. You know, he's done well out here, but he's not a, you know, he's not a respectable he's not from a respectable background.

Dave (GM):

And, having your your cousin run off with outlaws, is is something that I think the Davidson family

Horcock:

Rather it didn't happen.

Dave (GM):

Would rather rather it didn't happen and would certainly rather not be broadcast. I suspect he he he wants this trial to be as quiet and quick as possible, with, you know, nothing nothing extreme going on to cause a

Freeman:

to cause a splash

Dave (GM):

for him with him back in Albuquerque. I think I think having his cousin, you know, hanged as a outlaw is probably not on high on his list of things to things to do. But, you didn't hear any of that from me now,

Freeman:

did you, mister Dave? No. No. But it but you also if I read between what you're saying, what you're saying is there's no great Davidson crime family of powerful individuals in the territory who've appointed the judge to make sure that this is swept under the carpet.

Dave (GM):

I know. I mean, the Davidsons, are yeah. They're a they're a they're a they're a I mean, powerful is maybe too strong word, but they had influential family in in Albuquerque. I I I wouldn't be heard by anyone calling them a crime. Well, a Well, as

Freeman:

I say outlaw family.

Dave (GM):

They're respectable business people and and judge Davidson has has has done well to to to rise to the bar as he has done. He but I suspect even for them having come from a lowly start, having one of their family cavorting with outlaws and then being convicted of a crime, hanging over for sure is is something that they would not wish to advertise.

Freeman:

Well, it's been a real pleasure talking to you, sir.

Dave (GM):

No. You too. You too. And, good luck in good luck in the trial. I shall I shall probably come along and watch just for

Horcock:

Giggles.

Dave (GM):

Just for the just for the lols?

Freeman:

Just some giggles.

Dave (GM):

I'll even ruffle now if I get the chance.

Freeman:

Right. I'll try everything. Yeah. I love

Harlesden:

that it really evokes the time right there.

Dave (GM):

That was why I did it. Anyway yeah. And he he goes off back to his back to his house. Sorry. It was just the other night I was chatting to Jenny about somebody we used to play World of Warcraft with.

Dave (GM):

Mhmm. And on the chat, you know, when you were talking over over whatever system it was during a game, she would say, brothel Mel. Rather than rolling on the floor laughing my ass off.

Freeman:

Oh, okay.

Dave (GM):

Rather than actually laughing at a joke or something like that. She'd say brothelmau.

Freeman:

Of course. It's

Dave (GM):

Yeah, tone. So at

Harlesden:

the church service, so Horst was there.

Dave (GM):

Yep. It was being quite rough.

Freeman:

Okay.

Harlesden:

And so after the church service, is he heading back

Dave (GM):

towards Yeah. He went headed straight for the holy trinity. Okay. I'm gonna

Harlesden:

go was was he staying there?

Dave (GM):

No. He's staying at the It's still in the office.

Harlesden:

I'm gonna basically follow him immediately

Dave (GM):

as I'm gonna effectively walk along with him.

Harlesden:

Okay. And, talk to him as as we're walking before we get there.

Dave (GM):

Okay.

Harlesden:

Because I ask ask him how he's feeling.

Dave (GM):

I was a bit bit, yeah, a bit a bit worn out, a bit tired. I just need some, yeah, breakfast to pick me up. I'll

Harlesden:

Well, do you mind if I join you?

Dave (GM):

Yeah. Be my guest.

Harlesden:

I mean, can I be blunt with you, mister Horst? You're

Dave (GM):

I I guess it depends how blunt you're going to be when we've we've only only met you once, but

Harlesden:

well, I'm just and you're testifying on the trial. Yeah? That about the identity of Yeah. Donal McGinn as

Dave (GM):

I I shall testify that the the body I examined, Donald McGinn's body is, identified as

Harlesden:

So assuming you're Wallace. You know, as a former lawman, you're familiar with you know, how the trials work? I've You've done many trials?

Dave (GM):

I've done many a trial.

Harlesden:

You understand that if, I think it's quite important that you remain sober

Dave (GM):

for the next couple days

Harlesden:

before that trial, because if you don't the the defence will use that to put that on your testimony.

Dave (GM):

Make a performing royal tone. Fuck. Okay.

Harlesden:

I am

Dave (GM):

2 left 2 off, and I'm gonna put so it's 3 faced.

Harlesden:

Yeah. And I think I noticed it's fucking successes.

Dave (GM):

That's one of the things that I think, again, might be worth to think about, because you can blow 3 faith

Freeman:

Mhmm. Like

Dave (GM):

that and still get nothing. Yeah? Which I just did.

Horcock:

Okay. Is it just a lot of feeling ish?

Dave (GM):

I've got no trouble. It's quite frustrating.

Harlesden:

But I've failed.

Dave (GM):

But yeah. Yeah. Okay. He says, don't don't presume to don't presume upon our our our very young friendship, mister Halston,

Horcock:

to to make

Dave (GM):

to make insulting personal comments like that. But,

Harlesden:

So I'm not presuming on our friendship. I'm presuming on our

Dave (GM):

You lose Tony. You lose a point of doesa t.

Harlesden:

I'm presuming our shared desire to see this trial go through smoothly.

Freeman:

You can tell that

Dave (GM):

you've angered him a little bit Yeah. By that insinuation, albeit blatantly obvious, but that's possibly, you know, part of the reason why it's angered him. Can you make another performing roll, please? Okay. I will not

Harlesden:

fucking fish with that one. The 2 more ones.

Dave (GM):

2 ones. That's 3 times you rolled 2 ones. He gets one success. Take another point of docity. And he says, I I thank you, young man, to tell me my my business as a man of the law.

Dave (GM):

I was gunning down and bringing the judges outlaws and and bad bad men before you were even born. Now I'll be I'll appreciate it if you leave me the fuck alone. And he walks off towards there. Fair enough. I'll I'll

Horcock:

leave him.

Freeman:

Please. I said somebody should stop him thinking, but it wasn't me. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

He's riled up. He's quite he he angered quite quickly. Okay. With that.

Harlesden:

I'm gonna leave him then. I'll I'll head

Dave (GM):

back to Yep. Okay.

Horcock:

Where are we gonna meet up once we've done lots of we're just gonna

Freeman:

We're just gonna wander around

Horcock:

the town

Freeman:

aimlessly looking for each other. Indeed.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. And the town's, I mean, the town's not small. It's about it's about Yeah. It's about a kilometer from end to end.

Freeman:

I imagine we'd meet up at the hotel.

Dave (GM):

Yes. That's where I'm I'm just gonna head back to the, at the you were staying at the Holy Trinity town.

Horcock:

Holy Trinity. Yeah.

Harlesden:

Saloon. Yes.

Dave (GM):

Okay. I mean, you haven't been that long. You're probably there half an hour

Horcock:

Half an hour. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

After you do you left each other. When you go in, you can see Horst is a little way into a bottle of whiskey already. He does have a plate of food, some bacon and stuff.

Horcock:

Because he's hammering the bottle more than he's hammering the thing.

Dave (GM):

But he's definitely he's definitely having a drink.

Harlesden:

Yeah. But I'm

Horcock:

gonna leave him alone. I think

Harlesden:

I could see more harm than goodbye. Okay? He's trying to push me again.

Freeman:

I might go and have a word with him.

Horcock:

That's weird. Maybe she's not going to pull it up.

Harlesden:

Have you seen I'm gonna I'm gonna

Freeman:

you might need to rescue the situation after this. I'm gonna say, yeah, mister Horst, you may not remember me. I I only met briefly last night as you were walking home.

Dave (GM):

You can see you go like, half sweaty says you're going. I don't I don't mean to be rude, mister Freeman, but I'm I'm not interested in company right now. Your friend insulted me somewhat earlier, and I'm still I'm still angry. So I'm best left by my lines.

Freeman:

I'm very sorry to hear that, but I I I need to ask you a question. I I don't no idea what my friend said. K. When you when you when you're done,

Dave (GM):

you can kind of, like, really sort of trying to control his his temper. Can you make a performing role, please?

Freeman:

It's your man, Torrance. You you wander saw him. You wander to his his presence. Okay.

Dave (GM):

I have 2 bonus dice for having

Harlesden:

sent that. Yeah.

Horcock:

Well done.

Dave (GM):

I'm thinking.

Freeman:

That means I get one a success.

Dave (GM):

Okay. When you say Torrance, he's, he's got you could see his trajectory into becoming really angry. It doesn't stop, but it changes.

Freeman:

It changes direction.

Dave (GM):

And he he pauses and then says, what about Torrance? I know he's here.

Freeman:

Yeah. So two things. I'm a curious man, and foolishly, I went to speak with him. I don't mind you. I've got you 2 here.

Freeman:

I went to speak with him

Horcock:

Well, yeah.

Freeman:

At the end. Get the measure of the man. See what he was here for. He's here, he says, to get missus McGinn, miss Davidson

Dave (GM):

off. That doesn't surprise me.

Freeman:

But his argument is and I don't want to offend you. I know you've seen what you've seen. I mean, I know your testimony. But he is saying that the man McGinn, Lawless, died 20 years ago.

Dave (GM):

But he's lying. But

Freeman:

obviously, he's lying. And if he were dead, then missus McGinn would be of no interest to Torrance. But there's something there. Some some reason I feel why mister Mike Lawrence wants to,

Dave (GM):

Do you wanna know what that reason was? Because I do. Or what that reason is? I do. Many years ago, when they were first first started running, running trouble down in Las Vegas up in Las Vegas, Torrance and Mary Davidson were an item, And McGinn turned up, Lawless turned up, and, should we say took Mary's affections away from Torrance.

Dave (GM):

And Torrance, I think, has always held a held a torch for

Horcock:

for young Mary,

Dave (GM):

and I suspect this is his way after all these years of finally winning Winning, winning winning her back and winning that fight that he had with Lourdes all those all those years ago. Lawless didn't die 20 years ago.

Freeman:

Maybe lawless died to him, to Torrance, at the point where he took Maybe. For his wife.

Dave (GM):

Maybe. I mean, yeah. I mean, who knows? But lawless.

Freeman:

But I think that is the thing that we have to prove, And I guess your testimony testimony is the only thing that says that the dead man is indeed lawless.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. Stay safe. I'm not going anywhere. I'm I'll stay here, and I'll be here at the at the hotel. And, now I'll turn up at the trial at the right time.

Freeman:

Why do you drink here and, yeah, stay at, the Vietnam place?

Harlesden:

The Pinellas. The Pinellas Hotel.

Dave (GM):

Pinellas Hotel.

Horcock:

I imagine it's

Dave (GM):

promised. Well, the, well, the Ben Ellis is nicer to stay than here. Sheriff Bakker

Horcock:

got me the room in the the

Dave (GM):

bed as he's paying for it for me, but it's not a nice this is a nicer bar to have a drink.

Freeman:

Yeah. The room's a lot bunk right

Dave (GM):

I've got nothing else to do here other than pass the time. So, yeah, so I prefer to come. It's lively here. You get more people in here.

Freeman:

If if ever you need the help, my help, or the help of my friends, I'm sure he's a young man, Jimmy. He can be a bit foolish sometimes.

Dave (GM):

Do you In a

Freeman:

sense Did you tell him?

Dave (GM):

Yeah. Mhmm. Because you're

Horcock:

not up.

Freeman:

No. No. He he told me that you'd offended him. I know why you'd offended him because I told him to go and make sure he's subject. He's a young man.

Freeman:

I'm I'm I'm sure it was a misunderstanding. You know, we're all 3 of us, I think, nervous, particularly after you told us that Torrance was in town. We thought this was a simple case, and it may not be. But if ever you need the help of any one of the 3 of us, don't hesitate to ask.

Dave (GM):

Well, that's that's mighty fine of you to

Horcock:

even find me in Mexico.

Dave (GM):

Might be fine of you to say so, mister Freeman. I I appreciate I appreciate that. Here, have a have a drink.

Freeman:

Thank you. Hang on. So I'll have a little drink then. K.

Dave (GM):

It's about 11:30 in the morning on Sunday.

Horcock:

So is it okay?

Dave (GM):

Just after church.

Horcock:

Is it? I'll tell

Freeman:

you today. Don't

Dave (GM):

drink any alcohol. It was that 8 dice year old with 4 ones.

Harlesden:

And those sixes. That was a a small contributory factor. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

Okay. Is there anything else you wanted to do today?

Freeman:

Right. After having my drink, we meet up again, I'm sure. Yeah.

Harlesden:

I'm I'm seeing that we're having a drink as well than sulking.

Horcock:

Well, as it's Sunday morning, I should be a good man and just have a coffee, a little coffee then. Do you see? And wait till about 12 o'clock and then have a bottle.

Freeman:

So I, obviously, I explained that.

Horcock:

What's going on. Yeah. So okay. So you explained the fact. Okay.

Freeman:

There are some things here. We have, what, 2 days now before the trial starts or a day

Dave (GM):

and a half?

Freeman:

A day and a half.

Dave (GM):

But a day. The judge has now declared that the the trial there's no reason for the trial not to start on Monday.

Freeman:

Oh, no. No, Joyce.

Horcock:

No. That's nice.

Freeman:

Okay. So we have less than a day. Half half a day. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

The rest of the day. Yeah.

Freeman:

And we need, I think, to find maybe evidence of Torrance and Davidson's relationship. And that would be almost the best thing we could find.

Horcock:

Well, it does explain why he's down there, isn't it? Because I like you know, because the fact is if you're trying to And because, you know one of us

Freeman:

at any time needs to be somewhere near the sheriff

Horcock:

Indeed.

Freeman:

Before.

Horcock:

Before the yeah. I know.

Freeman:

So that he's so dead

Horcock:

in

Freeman:

his testimony.

Horcock:

Or somebody murders him in his bed. Is that you were trying to sign by son John?

Freeman:

Now I know that the judge has asked for physical testimony, but is it worth getting a lawyer to witness a statement, deposition, a written down statement as a fallback

Harlesden:

from Horst. From well,

Freeman:

from maybe from each of us.

Horcock:

Maybe. Well, in case one of us get bumped off in the civil here.

Freeman:

This is what I'm thinking. And maybe Horst would be more willing to do it if all 4 of us said that given the presence of Torrance and his goons in the town.

Horcock:

You mean his well seasoned booted,

Freeman:

companions. Accumptions. Yes. His criminal gang. We could maybe ask a justice of the peace to,

Dave (GM):

take

Freeman:

a step back.

Dave (GM):

You can find out the if you speak to the sheriff, you can find out Well, I was

Horcock:

gonna say about that show.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. The the prosecution lawyer is a guy called Todd Bowles.

Horcock:

Mhmm.

Dave (GM):

And he works out of the offices in the next to the in the Tunstall store. So the Tunstall store has got, it's it's a store, but also it's got office space at the end where Todd Bowles

Freeman:

Oh, the lawyer's office. Yeah. Yeah. That's where we

Dave (GM):

need That lawyer's office is is is, a building owned by a guy called John Cockrell.

Freeman:

Who is defense? Who is defense. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

So Todd Bowles and Alex McSween work out of the office in the Tunstall store. Who's McSween? McSween is, again, is a is a lawyer, businessman, close close associate of Tunstall. If you know your real history, he might die In a in about 6, 5 years In a war? In a gunfight.

Dave (GM):

Alright. After his friend Tunstall gets gunned down in the wilderness.

Freeman:

In a right.

Horcock:

Alright. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

At this point, none of that's even twinkling. That's the

Freeman:

time. Alright. Let's go and warn them. No. Kill Murphy.

Freeman:

I'm just thinking, should I go down should I go to

Harlesden:

Wilson?

Freeman:

No. Not Wilson. Lidoya.

Horcock:

Lidoya.

Dave (GM):

No. Are we playing Charles?

Freeman:

Hurst. Should I go down to Hurst? Say that the 3 of us have decided, given the presence of Tunstall in town, that we're going to make the statements.

Horcock:

Well, you don't do that. And I'll go and I'll talk to sheriff.

Freeman:

And just see whether he will come with us first.

Horcock:

Well, you can go and do that. I'll then I should see if I could bolt up my performance around and talk to the old sheriff and say, would he be willing to make, you know, explain what we we are doing?

Freeman:

That's what I'm saying.

Horcock:

No. You said you're gonna go and talk to lawyer, didn't you?

Freeman:

Or No. I said Horst.

Horcock:

Oh, sorry.

Freeman:

But but Horst yeah. Sorry. Phil. Yes. Yes.

Freeman:

You can. Given, given that I've been bloody lucky on my performance, Will. It's worth mentioning Torrance, by the way.

Dave (GM):

They have a bit of a bonus.

Freeman:

But, yeah, by all means. And say or say you've sent the 3 of us over to the lawyers now and you're heading off shortly.

Horcock:

Say about that though. Yeah?

Freeman:

Let's do that. In fact, let let us go. Let us make a bit of a show of leaving and, head up the street. Mhmm. Okay?

Horcock:

Yeah.

Dave (GM):

And you're going to the, to the offices where Of

Freeman:

at Tungsten and Masween.

Dave (GM):

Yep.

Horcock:

And that's good. I'll share and say, what did you say? Be quite jealous. I'm sorry to pester, you know, people I assume you must be gonna be sick sick to see the sight of us by the end of the day. But By the end

Dave (GM):

of the day, isn't it?

Freeman:

Yeah. Yeah.

Horcock:

But, no. But, actually, we I've discussed with my 2 deputies, and we feel that with the presence of whose name I suddenly can't pronounce, Thompson. Torrance. Torrance. Torrance.

Horcock:

Torrance. Torrance. With his presence, we are thinking it's it'd be a good backup plan to make a statement to the local lawyer in case anything did happen to any of us. And I'm gonna just ask him if you'd like to come would like to come down with me now and put a statement down. Not that I'm suggesting anything's going to happen like that.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. He agrees.

Horcock:

Yeah?

Dave (GM):

Yep. He says, good idea. And he finishes his bacon and picks up his bottle. Mhmm. And, says, yeah.

Freeman:

Let's go.

Horcock:

Okay.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. So you can do that. That's that's easy enough.

Horcock:

Yeah.

Dave (GM):

Takes a couple of hours. Mhmm. But the lawyer, Todd Bowles, is happy to to take a statement, and is in fact pleased to take a statement because that helps him. You know, he's got a bigger sheaf of paper, and it looks

Harlesden:

more important going into the trial.

Freeman:

And while we're talking about it, we will mention that, Torrance is in town and his relationship with Mary Davidson some years ago. We will also mention that he will claim that Lawlis died 28 years ago. Just, you know, forewarning with everything. Yeah.

Dave (GM):

Okay. That that helps. Thank you.

Harlesden:

Did horse who's come.

Freeman:

And horse

Horcock:

is the horse. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He didn't he didn't have to grab his whisk and do a run over it or something.

Horcock:

Yeah.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. So that takes a takes, you know, a few hours.

Horcock:

Mhmm.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. The horse is finishing his whiskey whilst

Horcock:

Yeah. A

Dave (GM):

bit more drunk. But,

Freeman:

is there a local newspaper here?

Dave (GM):

Not at this time. No.

Freeman:

Where is the nearest local newspaper? Albuquerque? Probably. Yeah. It's quite

Dave (GM):

a long wealth. Maybe Roswell to the east, but again, that's

Freeman:

Yeah. We can get

Dave (GM):

a couple of days. Right?

Harlesden:

2 years around.

Freeman:

We can't have, like, a

Horcock:

a new baby checklist coming with his great big great head and big eyes.

Dave (GM):

That yeah. That crash site's got a lot to answer for you, though. Mhmm.

Freeman:

I am just thinking, is there a way if the judge doesn't want as we're walking back,

Horcock:

this is

Freeman:

the judge

Horcock:

doesn't want it to be fixed.

Freeman:

Want it to be a big fuss. Can we somehow engineer it so that if he doesn't find the right verdict, there'll be more of a fuss than if he finds the right verdict.

Harlesden:

So what specifically are you thinking? I don't

Freeman:

know. Yeah. I can't think of a way of doing it, but I'm I'm trying to get at it. You know, it's like if the papers get hold of this story. This is a great story that the papers would love to hear.

Horcock:

Yes. Yeah.

Freeman:

And and if you were found innocent, then that would be a really meaty bit of the story to be able to tell.

Horcock:

Yeah.

Freeman:

I'm sure they'd love to, you know, to dive into that one. Nobody likes to see a woman hanged after all.

Dave (GM):

Of course.

Freeman:

And woman wrong makes up

Horcock:

I know. I was

Dave (GM):

trying to figure this out.

Horcock:

I'd like

Dave (GM):

to see women hanged. I

Horcock:

know. I was trying to figure that. What was the the the Western Heat did.

Freeman:

What's that?

Horcock:

Torrance a

Dave (GM):

paper laid.

Horcock:

Paper laid there. Quite had well, hanker a few times, didn't they?

Freeman:

But what I'm thinking is a a a triangle of love. 2 gangsters

Horcock:

Fighting over

Freeman:

1 woman. Fighting over 1 woman. He's dead to me, said Torrance 20 years ago. Yeah.

Horcock:

Yeah.

Freeman:

That would be a meaty story that I'm sure would probably get syndicated. I'd love to read about that in New York.

Horcock:

Look. He's dead to me as the gunfighter reps in Lobbing and Counting Court.

Freeman:

But I can't think of a way of approaching to doing that without making it sound like a terrible threat. Yeah. Which

Dave (GM):

Which it is. So that's Which

Harlesden:

it is. So that's yeah. You're gonna go by the judge and casually say, oh, yeah. A bit big shame that this story got out in their papers, wouldn't it?

Horcock:

No wonder. Wink, wink, sir. No more.

Freeman:

But that is exactly actually what I wanna do. How long of the day is there left?

Dave (GM):

It's late afternoon now.

Horcock:

Alright.

Dave (GM):

The horse has gone back to the

Horcock:

bar.

Freeman:

How much how much would it cost to just set ourselves up as publishers?

Dave (GM):

I I mean, this is a reasonably large town tonight.

Horcock:

Tonight. Yeah.

Freeman:

Well, I'm a tell buy a printing press on there.

Harlesden:

Sure the general store will have soon.

Horcock:

Yeah. Have a good one. Yes. Yeah.

Freeman:

Yeah. Yeah. I have a feeling that there's gonna be some newsworthy stories in this

Dave (GM):

town over the next

Freeman:

For our listening audience, this is 4 people thinking.

Dave (GM):

I'm not thinking. Thinking. Well, I have a little bit. Fine. And, opening the biscuits.

Dave (GM):

The

Freeman:

GM is opening the biscuits. What the GM should be doing is moving the story forward by introducing a new character or something.

Horcock:

But no. No. No.

Freeman:

He's using biscuits. All he cares about is the biscuits.

Dave (GM):

Which is just what I need after eating Pringles and biscuits all morning and then a huge lunch. It will be too. What the GM is doing is allowing

Horcock:

The players.

Dave (GM):

The sandbox scenario to play out in the way that the players choose it for it to. I'm giving them agency.

Freeman:

What? Oh, and let if if it is our choice, then, oh, let's just cut forward to seeing her swinging on the rope and go, well, that was

Horcock:

a Good good good good good good

Freeman:

good good. Worry about anything. Terence, it turned out, was a reformed character and, being presented with all the evidence of the case.

Horcock:

He said, oh, fair dollars.

Freeman:

Fair dollars. Fair

Horcock:

dollars. Yes. Yep. Yep.

Freeman:

We shook hands on it

Horcock:

and went home. He said I didn't like the old trout anyway. He said bollocks to it.

Dave (GM):

Anyway, what are you doing, guys?

Freeman:

What are we doing now? Well, we're we're riding home. K. So It is.

Horcock:

Dundas, isn't it? She's hanging swinging. But no. Yeah. So

Freeman:

Oh, I

Horcock:

think I supposed to go go and talk to the old sheriff, I think.

Freeman:

Horst again?

Horcock:

No. The actual town sheriff.

Freeman:

Oh, the no. Okay. I always think a horse is the old sheriff.

Horcock:

Yeah. Fair enough. Fuck. I should the sheriff. The sheriff.

Horcock:

Because we he didn't because we haven't actually seen how weird it is.

Freeman:

No. No. We've only seen his deputy.

Horcock:

The deputy. Yeah.

Harlesden:

That's true.

Freeman:

I've not seen the sheriff, but I have seen his deputy.

Horcock:

Maybe I'm just gonna shoot myself. There you are.

Dave (GM):

Yeah.

Horcock:

Yeah?

Dave (GM):

You sure if he's in his office?

Horcock:

Yeah. He's

Dave (GM):

quite an old man.

Horcock:

Is he? Oh, got an old

Freeman:

man. Okay. Oh, right. So he's

Horcock:

his old man. Ouch. He's

Dave (GM):

not as old as Horst. But, you know, he he his job being chauffeur is

Horcock:

kind of his retirement post. Alright.

Freeman:

So he's quite quiet at

Dave (GM):

the moment then. Relatively. But he's been, you know, an important figure

Horcock:

Alright.

Dave (GM):

Politically in the territory. Yeah. So it's a bit of a it's a bit of a

Harlesden:

so Liberty is the wrong word, but he's a bit of an influential man.

Horcock:

Right.

Dave (GM):

You you you would have heard of him, I think.

Horcock:

Okay. Okay.

Harlesden:

Well, it

Horcock:

looks like he'll be retiring.

Freeman:

Man to look up to.

Horcock:

Yes. Looks like that he'll be retiring just at the right time. Given the 5 or 6 years, I get a bit more. No. I thought I'd I'd say I'd say kind of good evening to you.

Horcock:

You know? I just introduced myself. I thought I should have made, you know, introduced myself as is as much as you know, I apologize for not doing it earlier.

Dave (GM):

That's absolutely fine, pair of 4 o'clock crap. I know, we sheriffs can be busy men.

Horcock:

Yeah. See

Dave (GM):

it. How how how how may I help you?

Horcock:

Oh, I don't know. I just thought I'd I suppose you're suspecting a lot of big turnout for this trial. I mean, it must create quite a bit of interest in the town, or is it just Yeah.

Dave (GM):

I I suspect there'll be a few people who will who will come and watch the proceedings. I mean, it's not you know, it's it's it's an out of town crime.

Horcock:

Mhmm. It's

Dave (GM):

just being tried here.

Horcock:

Right.

Dave (GM):

So it's perhaps less interesting to the locals than

Horcock:

Alright.

Dave (GM):

My opinion of our own. But it's, it's, you know,

Horcock:

it's murder and gunfights. Oh, yes. Yes. Yeah. I

Dave (GM):

mean Possibility of hangings, that always gets.

Horcock:

My hangings for people out, isn't it? It gets the juice. No. I must admit, I mean, I'm quite, you know, getting on my ears a bit. I'm I'm I am quite you know, for reasonably new to the show to to this I'm not experienced like yourself there.

Horcock:

A bit of creeping there. And I suppose I must admit, I I expect to, confess a wee bit of nerves tomorrow, I suppose, first time. Are you doing this?

Dave (GM):

Well, my advice is just just tell the truth and be honest

Horcock:

Mhmm. And

Harlesden:

and let God take care of

Dave (GM):

the rest. Okay.

Horcock:

I mean, what's the judge like? I mean, I I mean, a bit what's the old judge like? Is he a hanging judge or maybe a Phil?

Dave (GM):

Does he like to

Horcock:

hang over to his own family?

Dave (GM):

He's not he's not renowned for for for hanging everyone that he comes across. I mean, there have been some cases where he's he's he's he's, you know, the verdict has been hanging, but I I think he's

Freeman:

he he comes from,

Dave (GM):

yeah, he comes from a family that that that, you know, isn't wasn't very influential. I've worked hard to get where they are. So there's a lot of snobbery against people like him and

Horcock:

and me

Dave (GM):

who've worked our way up and

Horcock:

Mhmm.

Dave (GM):

And achieve things in in in New Mexico. So I think, you know, he's he's he's very conscious of his reputation. Mhmm. And he's, but I think he's a fair minded man as far as I can as far as I can I can tell, as far as I

Freeman:

know? I think

Dave (GM):

if the evidence is is is strong enough, he he he may well pass a sentence of death if they are convicted.

Horcock:

Okay. No. I'm just curious. I say no. I mean, I'm I'm into butterflies and stuff.

Horcock:

Yeah. That's not Western term. I don't know.

Freeman:

And then, in terms of your conversation, I just realized the thing. Now come back to me. Must be what I want to ask you.

Horcock:

No. Yeah. No. I'm yeah. That's all.

Horcock:

Just curate yes. I suppose. Yes. Just after a bit of old curate.

Dave (GM):

I mean, if if you're, I mean, if you're nervous about dealing with the judge, I suggest you go and have a talk to the judge.

Horcock:

I've tried best. Yeah. But sometimes yeah.

Dave (GM):

Be maybe Mhmm. You know, share a whiskey with them. And,

Horcock:

I'll make a real deal.

Dave (GM):

Your nose.

Horcock:

Yeah. Okay. Well, just I suppose I was trying not to see if he's in. I was trying to do a what was I trying to do for? Maybe there.

Horcock:

Suppose I was trying to think of an insight role to do. I'm trying to see if it get get any sneak you know?

Dave (GM):

What are you trying to

Horcock:

I suppose I'm trying to see if it what he actually thinks of the judge or if that's just his plan. Okay.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. Yeah. Make an insight role.

Horcock:

Yeah. What's that? 6. Where is this?

Dave (GM):

Oh, pardon me. Where were you 2 while this is happening?

Harlesden:

I'm probably still in the bar at the hotel.

Dave (GM):

Are you with horse or are you just No. Yeah. I think I'm keeping.

Harlesden:

He's with me. Yeah.

Horcock:

That'd be 2.

Dave (GM):

You you get no sense that he's covering something or

Horcock:

Oh, alright. Okay. Fair enough.

Dave (GM):

You you think he probably doesn't know him terribly well, and what he knows is by reputation.

Horcock:

Okay. Fair enough.

Dave (GM):

But you think he's he's telling you what

Horcock:

What he Okay. Fair enough. Yeah. Okay. I'll let these I'll let Matt have his

Dave (GM):

Okay, Matt. What were you gonna do?

Freeman:

Where am I? I've just had a thought. Let me let me let me let me let me

Harlesden:

talk about this thought.

Freeman:

20 years ago, the man, Lauler, died. Lauler. Lauler died, Possibly when he died to Torrance, when he went off with Torrance's woman. Young miss McGinn, who I am having an affair with, is over 20.

Dave (GM):

Yeah. They might have been understating how long it was.

Freeman:

Right. Okay.

Dave (GM):

I haven't put in a subtle

Freeman:

There's no there's no little twist there that you're I'm dating Torrance's daughter.

Dave (GM):

That's quite cool. I like that. Maybe Maybe

Horcock:

you are.

Freeman:

You see, Punny was thinking

Dave (GM):

he wasn't the eldest McGinn child.

Freeman:

If he wasn't the eldest McGinn child.

Dave (GM):

I don't think

Freeman:

I know

Dave (GM):

she was the eldest Megan Jones. Yep. Right. I And she's 24.

Freeman:

I am going to steal out secretly without others noticing and go back and find mister Tarrance at the, posh hotel.

Dave (GM):

Thought you had to sneak out without him noticing? Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna want, what's the right word? A move roll for that.

Dave (GM):

Move roll. I give you plus 2, seeing he's not expecting it.

Freeman:

I've got one one, but I I think this is I think I've got.

Dave (GM):

You want to do this without noticing. Because Andy's not even there.

Freeman:

I'm not there. I'm not there.

Horcock:

I don't know if it's the one you're kinda sneaking out from.

Freeman:

So I've got one bit of trouble. Three bits of trouble.

Dave (GM):

But success.

Freeman:

Four bits of trouble. No. No. That's not a trouble, Dice. Three bits of trouble.

Freeman:

That's strictly good. Okay. What what how do I do travel now?

Dave (GM):

So it's 3. Yeah. So roll d 6, and we look on the 4. Taking all the trouble.

Freeman:

Well, he

Horcock:

hasn't got enough to ask.

Dave (GM):

K. So there there is definitely a job here the GM to interpret.

Horcock:

So you get pictures of him off of him trying to sneak out of your bag and you shoot him?

Freeman:

What does it actually say? So For the purposes of the plaintiff's to

Dave (GM):

So for the purposes of this, I've looked at both the mental social and the action one. Although the action one is probably more relevant. The the social one is things go badly wrong when you can't cope. You need to turn to pull yourself together, or your attacker action affects a bystander or unintended target. Either apply the effect of the attack to that target or they suffer a 6 dice attack, damage 1, crit 1.

Dave (GM):

So I

Freeman:

So I think I'm I actually think I'm putting myself together. I have now worked myself up into a thing that I've suddenly realized. I might not be going out with, Lucky Lawless's

Horcock:

Daughter.

Freeman:

Daughter. I might be going out with Torrance's daughter.

Horcock:

So does this mean it?

Freeman:

I need to know for my own reassurance, and this is what I'm getting out.

Horcock:

So so you're saying that you break down and blow it all to Tony there and then?

Dave (GM):

Well, that's because you basically waste a turn pulling yourself together.

Freeman:

Right. Okay. Okay. Hey. Waste your turn.

Freeman:

I think wasting your turn putting myself together is better than doing a d 6 attack on a colleague.

Dave (GM):

I was thinking you could be, like, sneaking out the back and, you know, you're in a bit of a rush and you you bump into somebody coming up some stairs and knock them down the

Freeman:

stairs or something. Kill them. They get

Dave (GM):

a crit one attack on them. That feels a bit much. Mhmm. Yeah. There's gonna be 2 trials.

Horcock:

I will

Freeman:

I will happily have a bit of a nervous breakdown and pull myself together and take how long ever you think it needs to take me. But I I I

Horcock:

think he has a bit of a breakdown. He confesses his fears to Tony.

Freeman:

Well, no. I've I've succeeded.

Dave (GM):

I've got my one. He's got away without Tony sitting.

Horcock:

Right. Okay.

Freeman:

How am I gonna fuck up the scenario if I go to done it now?

Horcock:

He gets on here. You you well, you start the gunfight before even court case even begins.

Dave (GM):

So I think what's happened is as you've as you're trying to sneak out the back, which is probably kind of where you're not supposed to go, You've run into a woman carrying a big tray of stuff, and you've you've flattened her. And I'm not gonna draw damage, but, basically, her tray of things have smashed along the floor. And, and she is

Horcock:

screaming.

Dave (GM):

She's angry at you.

Freeman:

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. And I I will I will pause to, help her, pick up the broken things and clear the mess. I'm not

Dave (GM):

that. So you you recognize this is this this woman is the proprietor. She's the one who's been working behind the bar. She's angry at you and I'm angry that you're in this part of the the saloon at all. Can you make a performing role, please?

Dave (GM):

And

Freeman:

to express my guilt and shame. A swanee shirt. Yeah. Only 4 dice on. This is not my best skill.

Freeman:

I was a shite gambler. However, I do get a success.

Dave (GM):

K. She got 2. God. And she's like,

Horcock:

get out of my saloon. Get out and don't come back. Go on. Get out of your bod. Get out now.

Horcock:

And she

Dave (GM):

just pushes you out of the back door and slams it. Okay. In the bar, there's plenty going on, so nobody really hears any of this. You might hear the slight sound of somebody being dropped, but that's not unusual. I was just thinking for a 3 dice Yeah.

Freeman:

Trouble. Could be quite serious.

Dave (GM):

One turn, which actually means nothing in this situation, probably not. Enough. Alright. But, yeah, she's barred you from the holy from the and you're staying there.

Freeman:

Right. Okay. So the first thing that

Dave (GM):

you're gonna do and Tone didn't notice.

Freeman:

Is actually go to the church to come down. I need to take I need to get myself together.

Dave (GM):

Yep. Okay.

Freeman:

I I'm having doubts. I I don't know quite what to believe. So the fact that I'm doing Yeah.

Dave (GM):

That's cool.

Freeman:

But I'm gonna just wait there until my Father. Is cleared.

Dave (GM):

Father Garnier is there, and he sees you coming in and says, my son, you look troubled.

Horcock:

Can I help?

Dave (GM):

Can I help?

Freeman:

I will talk to him, actually. He's a good person. So I'm gonna explain my fears. That Torrance is in town to, protect missus McGinn because she used to be miss Davidson, and she was apparently, I have heard, Florence's lover. And sometime, maybe 20, 24 years ago, the man now known as the dead mister McGinn, late mister McGinn, but back then though, just lucky law lawless, Maybe ran off with missus McGinn from mister Torrance when he was a gang leader.

Freeman:

And I've already explained to you that

Dave (GM):

The situation.

Freeman:

Yeah. The romantic situation between me and young miss McGinn. And I know maybe she isn't miss McGinn at all. Maybe she's miss Terence. And And

Horcock:

And we could blow his brains out?

Dave (GM):

And even and even

Freeman:

And I don't know what to do. I want to go and see. I I think I need to go and see mister Torrance and ask whether there was any chance at all that missus Davidson, miss Davidson as she was then, might have been pregnant at the time.

Dave (GM):

You must do

Freeman:

Effect. The music is old west game by Stu Venable, used with kind permission of the angry folk media empire.