Thursday, July 27th, 1876

The morning dawns bright and clear for Liz.  She climbs out of bed and notices something funny about her window.  There is some kind of smudge on the glass.  "Kansas must have killed the cleaning gnomes."  thinks Liz.  She walked over to the window and realizes the smudge is on the outside of the glass.  Furthermore the smudge matches the print of the killer in the trees from the previous day.  As Liz makes the realization, a gnome appears in view at the top of the window.  The little creature is rappelling down from the roof to the fourth story window to clean the mark.  Liz tries to shoo the creature away, but he continues to descend to the smudge.  Kansas, outside already, hears Liz and snipes at the creature.  The gnome flips upside down and speed rappels to the ground and scurries through a tiny opening as Kansas comes up for a killing shot.  Liz gets dressed and meets the posse for breakfast downstairs.

Breakfast is hastily eaten while Liz explains the mark on the window.  The posse reluctantly agree that it's time to visit Dancing Bird.  Wandering through the doors of Homeopathic Remedies by Dancing Bird the posse start wandering through the dark and musty shelves looking for the proprietor.  Dancing Bird is a small woman in her early twenties.  The posse find her sitting in a comfortable arm chair reading a thick book at the back of the store. 

"I've been expecting you." she says.

The posse and Dancing Bird talk about the local events.  Dancing Bird indicates that the creature the posse seek is known as a Nagual.

"From the time of Cortez and the Aztecs." she explains.  "The Nagual were created with powerful blood magic and human sacrifice.  They were created to protect the Aztec from Cortez and his greed.  When Cortez killed the Aztec, the Nagual survived.  Their power passes from parent to child.  Much like your werewolves, but where the wolf is master of primal rage and savage strength, the Nagual is a master of cunning and deception.  A feline demon, to protect the Aztecs, and their descendants.  I will not help you fight or kill the Nagual.  It has not harmed a single Indian."

"Don't you feel responsible to help stop the killings of these people?  You have the knowledge to bring these killings to an end."  says Liz.

"Help those who took the land of my ancestors and killed my people?  No."

"If an Indian body turns up, it will be on your head."

"IF an Indian body is found, I will put an end to the killings myself." replies Dancing Bird.

The posse leave the store and look across town to the "Abandoned" Cliff Dwellings

The "Abandoned" Cliff Dwellings are protected by a small gate house and a toll bar.  A kind elderly lady runs the gatehouse.  She charges the posse a modest fee and let's them hitch up the horses nearby.  The Cliff Dwellings are a small complex of adobe rooms set in a large cave like depression in the side of the hill.  The overhanging cliff wall above provides some protection from the elements and the height of the ledge allows for a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. Some of the dwellings are  underground, some above ground.  None of the buildings sport more than one or two rooms.  At the far side of the cliff is a small manmade opening that leads deeper into the mountain.  The posse decide to re supply and return to the 5 and dime in town.  Charging the miner's lanterns to the sheriff, the posse return to the cliff dwellings and proceed into the mountain.

The opening at the back of the complex opens into a small room with a high ceiling, before returning to the hands and knees height of the tunnel.  The posse deduce that this room served as a mantrap where the previous inhabitants could ambush unfriendly visitors.  The tunnel curved round and emptied out into a large cavern. 

The cavern was filed with an inky darkness, with one pool of light in a far corner of the cavern.  The cavern was easily over a hundred yards across.  Argent set down one of the lanterns near the entrance of the cavern.  "Just in case we have to find it in a hurry." he explains.  Near the entrance, man sized boulders are strewn randomly about.  There were several paths through the rubble, but none that offered more than a few yards line of sight.  The posse cautiously made their way through the field and watched for signs of their quarry in the dirt and stone of the cavern floor.  The emerge from the boulder field and look across the cavern at the pool of light.  In the center is a wooden table with seating for four people.  A comfortable feather bed is off to one side. Several standing wardrobes, a mirror, and a wash basin are all arraigned neatly as if in some one room apartment in Denver.  All of these things were illuminated by a shaft of sunlight from above.  It filled perhaps one quarter of the cavern, leaving the rest in shadowy darkness.  Investigating the area the posse discovered that food had recently been eaten in the area.  The wardrobe contained several changes of clothing from tattered rags, to fine modern clothing.  There was a suit of conquistador armor, some hide skins, and several changes of clothing that had gone out of style decades ago.

The posse also located a workbench.  It was covered with tools for shaping different types of primitive tools, bows, arrows, spears and knifes.  The area around the workbench was littered with rock and bone detritus.  Human and beast prints were littered all around the living area of the cave.  The slow dripping of water could be heard from somewhere in the cave.

A group of odd shapes caught Reg and Argent's attention across the cave.  Reg and Argent moved closer, raising their lanterns to part the darkness.  Kansas, looking upwards at the beam of sunlight, takes aim and fires off a round, shattering a set of mirrors and lenses in the cave ceiling.  The entire cave plunges into total darkness.

Argent and Reg jump from the noise and darkness and drop their lanterns.  The kerosene spreads out a fan of bright red flames illuminating a grisly scene.  Lit with angry blood red light and contrasted against pitch black darkness, Reg and Argent have found what appears to be the Nagual's butchering area.  With a yelp, both keel over unconscious and hit the ground.

Liz and Kansas turn to look towards the dimming fire plume in the cavern.  Liz catches sight of a few tables and Kansas sees several hanging human carcasses.  Kansas and Liz both pass out.

Argent awakes in what could be the last moments of his life.  He is lying on his back on one of the Nagual's butchering tables.  Both legs and one arm are tied down.  The Nagual is leaning over him, gleefully reaching for Argent's remaining free hand.  Reaching into his jacket, Argent grabs his gatling pistol and fires several rounds at the Nagual.  The weapon kicks in Argent's hand and the bullets go wild, the Nagual dives away from the table.  Argent drops the weapon and spends a few precious moments wrestling with the bindings, Argent frees his other hand and his legs and rolls off the table.  The Posse start returning fire wildly at the Nagual.  With the cavern in almost total darkness and the Nagual in his home, the posse are at a definite disadvantage.

Gunshots echo through the cavern.  Muzzle flashes strobe through the darkness, freezing moments of action.  Kansas firing at the Nagual but falling short,  Lizzy trying to find her way closer with her sawed off shotgun, Argent searching for his dropped pistol and the Nagual creeping up on him from behind.

A burst of green light comes from near Argent and the Nagual.  Reg wielding a glowing hand of cards (a royal flush) gestures at the cavern floor.  The room shakes and several fissures appear in the stone floor.  Reg turns to Argent and yells something, but it's lost in the noise and violence.  Reg starts rushing towards the Nagual.  Argent leaps over a fissure as it starts to widen.   The floor of the cavern starts collapsing, hearing the posse towards the door, huge chunks of the ceiling hit the floor, throwing rock shrapnel and pulverizing whatever they fall on.  Sneaking glances at Reg and the Nagual, they're standing toe to toe.  Reg looking bigger and more beast like slugging it out with the Nagual.  The posse escape through the cavern as it starts collapsing, rocks avalanching down behind them as they hurry through the tunnel and out through the Cliff Dwellings.

The ground tremors stop shortly afterwards.  Looking down on Manitou Springs, the posse are struck quiet by the extent of the devastation.  Most of the buildings in Manitou Springs have collapsed, and there are a few minor fires burning in the wreckage.  Noticing that the Manitou House is still standing and in pristine condition, the posse head back to the hotel and turn in for the night.

[Wednesday, July 26th, 1876] [Friday, July 28th, 1876]

Northern Colorado Posse

Note to players:  These summaries are the product of my notes that are taken during the game and what I can remember.  They are far from perfect.  If you note any discrepancies or if I have missed something, please send me a telegram and I will correct the error.  Thanks!